Chapter 22: A-rank Monster
And then, at last, he found it.
A shadow loomed at the edge of the clearing, massive and still. From the gloom emerged a creature that made Ank's heartbeat quicken. Its body was thick and armored; eight limbs scraped across the ground, sending vibrations through the soil. Its eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, watching him with unblinking focus.
"A spider… no, not just any spider." Ank narrowed his eyes, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smile.
Without hesitation, he raised his hand. "Status."
A glowing screen appeared before him.
Telling his details
.
[Status Window: Earth Spider]
Race: Earth Spider
[Level: A]
[Threat Level: High Monster]
[HP: 8000]
[Energy: 6000]
[Strength: 40000]
[Constitution: 300]
[Stamina: 10000]
[Charisma: 100]
[Intelligence: 1000]
[Skills: Shield, Earthquake Step, Eight Sword Style, Summon Energy Sword]
Description: A spider that evolved into an Earth Spider. It can wield the Eight Sword Style, and when it does, its strength is comparable to an S-level monster.
The smile on Ank's lips widened. "Perfect. Exactly what I've been waiting for."
He tightened his grip on his sword. The thrill of battle rushed through his veins like fire. This was no ordinary fight—this was a clash that could either raise him higher… or crush him completely.
The Earth Spider tilted its head, almost as if it understood Ank's language. Then, with a low rumble, it raised its limbs. Eight shining swords made of pure mana orbited around it like a deadly halo.
Ank's eyes gleamed. "So, you want to dance?"
He lunged forward, his blade cutting through the air with a sharp whistle.
The spider moved with startling speed. One of its swords swung down, meeting Ank's strike in a shower of sparks.
Clang!
The impact sent a shockwave through the clearing, shaking loose branches from nearby trees. Ank gritted his teeth and pressed harder, but the spider didn't back down.
A second sword came slashing from the side.
Ank twisted his body, narrowly deflecting it. A third sword stabbed toward his chest.
He bent backward.
The spider attacked with all eight swords at once, its movements impossibly precise. It was as if Ank was facing not one opponent, but eight.
"Good," Ank whispered between clenched teeth, a grin came into his face. "This is exactly what I wanted!"
The clash of steel against energy filled the air.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each strike reverberated through Ank's arms.
His muscles burned, but the exhilaration only grew. He had fought many monsters before, but this—this was a duel.
He was enjoying it like how he enjoyed it with Horskey, but this was a different feeling. In Horskey's case, he was at an advantage, but with the earth spider, he was equally matched.
He leaped back, dust kicking up beneath his boots. The spider advanced, its many swords raised high.
Ank raised his own blade and whispered, "Again."
The two collided once more.
For the next hour, the forest echoed with their battle. Trees splintered, the earth cracked, and sparks rained with every blow.
He wasn't looking for weak prey. He needed a worthy opponent—something strong enough to push him beyond his limits. And now he had found it.
Ank's breath came heavy, sweat dripping down his brow, but his eyes remained sharp. He was smiling—smiling like a madman in the middle of chaos.
The spider's intelligence was clear. It didn't attack recklessly; it calculated every move.
Every time Ank tried to exploit an opening, another sword was already there to block him.
Finally, after a particularly brutal exchange, the Earth Spider stomped its limb on the ground.
BOOM!
The earth split beneath Ank's feet as shockwaves rippled outward. Rocks shot up from the ground like shrapnel.
"Earthquake Step," Ank muttered, recognizing the skill. He jumped high into the air, flipping mid-flight as the ground below him tore apart.
But the spider was already waiting. It launched six swords upward, streaking toward him like arrows.
"Tch!" Ank twisted his body midair, deflecting four swords, but the fifth hit across his side, and the sixth pierced his leg. Pain spread, blood spraying into the air.
He landed heavily, sliding back several meters.
His shirt was torn, with several sword marks on his body, while blood dripped from these wounds.
For a moment, Ank simply stood there, his chest heaving. Then he laughed.
"Hah… Hahaha! Not bad. Not bad at all." His eyes gleamed with wild excitement. "You might really kill me."
The spider didn't understand his words, but it understood the challenge in his stance. It screeched, shaking the air, then charged forward again with all eight swords.
The clash resumed.
Hour after hour, they exchanged blows. The winner was no longer recognizable. The ground was cracked, trees were cut down, and the air was heavy with the metallic scent of blood and dirt.
Ank's body screamed with exhaustion. His arms trembled from the relentless attacks. His breaths came ragged, but his grin never faded.
This is it, he thought. This is the fight I wanted when I entered the forest.
A battle that forces me to bleed, to struggle, to claw my way forward, a battle that I can't win easily. A fight where I can only rely on myself and my blade.
And when a vision came in which Ank was wearing a black dress, had white hair with blue eyes, and was surrounded by millions, and in hand he had only one sword, the sword was radiating an energy that can easily cut everything in his way.
And he quickly rushed towards the army and started cutting whatever came into his range.
In less than one minute, he killed everyone, with no one standing. A massacre happened here where millions of bodies lay on the ground and were covered in blood, so his black dress became completely red.
And now he came back into the present.
Ank had lost all of his emperor's memory in the last year, and now he had no memory of being the emperor. But whenever he felt excited and enjoyed his past, memories came into his mind, showing the moment on a different level. He knew his memory would be unsealed when his power started unsealing.
And he was enjoying the fight.
At one point, the spider's sword grazed his arm, nearly severing it. Another time, it smashed him into a tree, the impact rattling his bones. And yet, Ank always rose again, wiping blood from his lips, his sword steady in his hand.
The Earth Spider tilted its head again, its glowing eyes fixed on him. For just a moment, it seemed almost… respectful.
And Ank, his chest rising and falling with every breath, grinned back.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not done yet."
The battle was far from over.