[Playing Softcore- The Neighborhood]
Above the cacophony of noise of blades and steel, a white orb floated, pulsing with sound that drowned out the battlefield
[🎵Are we too young for this?
Feels like I can't move🎵]
With Effie and the Stone Saint holding the front, Nephis and Caster attacking from the sides, and Sunny closing the trap from behind, the monstrous arachnids were now surrounded from all sides.
Asher smiled, looking at Kai who was carrying him without much effort due to him reducing his weight. They were direct above the mob of spiders. "I guess it my turn huh?"
Kai nodded with a smile, humming to the music.
[🎵Sharing my heart, it's tearing me apart.
But I know I'd miss you, baby, if I left right now.
Doing what I can, tryna be a man
And every time I kiss you, baby,
I can hear the sound
Of breaking down🎵]
Despite there situations, no one really felt any real threat. Well, Asher wasn't that cocky to listen to music leave fighting, no! It was a strategic method to deal with the spiders Asher learnt dealing with the spiders in his time here.
The spiders relied on the vibrations of steel threads to detect prey. A single tremor was enough to guide their deadly strikes. But with the orb's music roaring louder than any blade's ring, their entire system of perception had been rendered useless.
"Drop me, Kai."
He didn't have to say it twice. Asher held the Azure Blade in one hand and the Cicada's Cry in another.
Asher spun his body while accelerating the blades in the direction they spun. Then... He just let go.
Dahlia's will seized the Cicada's Cry as Asher bent gravity around the Azure Blade, anchoring it near his body. One blade orbited outward in a five-meter arc, the other closer, twin storms whirling like a double-layered Beyblade.
[🎵Are we too young for this?
Feels like I can't move🎵]
The instant his boots slammed into the ground at the swarm's heart, the first wave of spiders was minced before they could even flinch. The formation resembled a colossal blender, with Asher at the center as his companions covered the sides.
Of course, the spiders were stupid, simply walking to their death as the mindlessly tried to attack Asher. Any spiders that Dahila failed to wound was taken care of Asher's slopey blade. The killing part was either taken care by Caster and Dahila or Nephis and Sunny while Effie distracted them further. Well, at least they were taking care of it...
[You have slain an awakened beast, Iron Spider.]
[You have slain an awakened beast, Iron Spider.]
[You have slain an awakened beast, Iron Spider.]
...
Asher laughed for a second.
-Clack!
'Uh oh.'
The Azure Blade slipped from his control. Time seemed to crawl as it smashed against Cicada's Cry, its deflected edge whipping straight back toward him.
He tried to dismiss it, but too late—steel bit into his shoulder before vanishing into sparks. The impact rocked him, and for a heartbeat the battlefield froze.
Everyone's eyes widened, going momentarily distracted.
Asher staggered, one hand clamping over the wound. His teeth ground together, a ragged hiss escaping him as blood seeped through his fingers. The [Second Skin] constricted, hardening around the gash, choking off the bleeding in a vice-like grip.
Dahlia tightened her orbit, Cicada's Cry spinning protectively, while Asher's breath came in sharp, controlled gasps.
'I have been to worse... Come one.' He strangled back the scream clawing at his throat and forced himself forward, step by step, toward Nephis and Sunny.
The two, though momentarily distracted, quickly recovered, fighting in an elegant flow. Their synergy was so great they didn't even need to look at each other.
Dahila stopped spinning around Asher, instead cutting down anything anything that approached too close to him. The Cicada's Cry's enchantment activated as the spiders screeched, combined with the music, they were basically immobilised.
"I guess I can't handle that, huh?" Asher muttered, forcing a sardonic smile despite his pale face.
Nephis looked at him with a very angry frown, "Was that the plan you were talking about? I see that it worked splendidly."
"Come on! I was just—trying something new, alright? It was working… until I lost control."
She didn't answer. Instead, Nephis pressed her hands over his wound, as the shoulder began to heal. A familiar pain hit her. She bit her lip, eyes narrowing at him in quiet, indignant fury.
Asher gave her a wry smile before quickly turning deadpan looking at the face.
While Nephis was healing Asher, Sunny and Dahila were busy butchering the half-immobilised spiders. Sunny eyes widened, seeing how seamlessly well the blade was working together with him. It was as if the Qing Dao had a mind of its own.
He dashed back, letting Cast and Effie cover for him as Quiet dancer joined the Cicada's cry in the slaughter.
His chest heaved, sweat dripping down as he scanned the battlefield.
Only two spiders remained.
They had this. They always had this—if not for Asher throwing everyone into panic. Sunny's gaze narrowed at him. Asher was rolling his shoulder carefully, testing the wound, while Nephis turned away with a pale face.
Sunny frowned at her, voice low but steady. "Relax. The fight's almost over."
Nephis glanced at the last twitching spider, then turned back. Her gaze lingered on Asher, who stood stiffly—braced for the scolding he knew was coming.
"Don't hurt yourself so needlessly again."
That was all she said.
Asher looked down at the sealed wound on his shoulder, then back at her. "...I'm sorry."
Nephis didn't break stride, already moving toward the fallen spiders to gather soul shards. "Next time, just tell me your outlandish plans first," she muttered.
Effie waddled up beside him, leaning close with a mischievous grin. "Oof, Princess sounded pretty mad at you, didn't she, Poster Boy?"
Asher turned his head slowly, stoic as stone—until realization hit. He flinched back a few steps, shivering. "Stop jump-scaring me, woman!"
Effie burst out laughing, her cackle echoing across the bridge.
Kai finally came down from the sky.
"Asher! Are you fine?!" He quickly expressed his concern as
Asher chuckled dryly, still shooting daggers at Effie. "Hah… thanks to Nephis, yeah."
By then, Caster and Sunny had joined Nephis, quietly helping her collect shards from the corpses. Asher exhaled, then strode over to lend a hand, cutting off Kai's fussing mid-examination.
'This is the least I can do.'
Changing Star was looking at the sun, calculating something in her head. After a few moments, she sighed and said:
"We still have some time. Let's explore the nest before ascending the statue."