The translucent blue menu appeared, but this time it looked different, simplified, focused on immediate combat needs:
COMBAT SHOPAvailable Points: 200
COMBAT ITEMS:
Combat Stimulant - 100 points(Temporarily increases speed and reflexes) Weapon Enhancement Oil - 150 points(Next 3 attacks deal extra damage) Tactical Insight - 200 points(Briefly see enemy attack patterns 2 seconds ahead) Emergency Heal - 100 points(Instant moderate healing) Weakness Exploit - 200 points(Next attack targets critical weak point automatically)
A thunderous crash echoed through the chamber as the Queen's claw shattered a section of stone wall where Morrigan had been standing a second before. She was getting more aggressive, more desperate as her web network continued to burn around her.
Decision made. I selected Tactical Insight. If I could predict the Queen's attacks, I could guide Kira and Morrigan to safety while finding the perfect opening to strike.
Purchase confirmed:
Tactical Insight - 200 points
Remaining points: 0
Knowledge flooded my mind, but this was different from the permanent skills I'd bought before. This was immediate, visceral awareness of the Queen's movements. I could see her next three attacks like ghostly afterimages. Where her claws would strike, how her legs would move, when she would rear up to expose her underside.
"Kira!" I shouted, pushing myself up from the wall. "I'm coming back in!"
She glanced toward me, her hammer blocking another claw strike. "About time! This thing's getting faster!"
I sprinted across the chamber, the Tactical Insight painting a clear picture of the Queen's next moves. She would swipe left in two seconds, then rear up to strike downward with both claws.
"Duck left, then roll back!" I called to Kira.
She followed my directions instinctively, the Queen's claw missing her by inches. As predicted, the Queen reared up for her downward strike, exposing the thin chitin on her underside.
"Morrigan! Now! The underside, three feet back from her human torso!"
Morrigan was already moving, a small vial in her hand. "Alchemical explosive!"
Her aim was perfect. The vial shattered against the weak spot I'd identified, the explosion creating a gaping wound that sprayed ichor across the chamber floor.
The Queen's shriek of agony was deafening. She crashed down onto her legs, her movements suddenly erratic and uncoordinated.
"She's hurt!" Kira yelled, pressing forward with her hammer. "Finish her!"
But the Queen had one last desperate gambit. As we closed in for the killing blow, she began to glow with an inner light, the same sickly luminescence as the transformation venom.
"She's trying to transform us directly!" I realized. "Everyone get back!"
But it was too late. The light pulsed outward, washing over all three of us with the concentrated essence of spider venom. I felt the alien presence in my blood surge in response, racing toward some critical threshold.
We had seconds before the transformation became irreversible.
"The ichor!" I gasped, fighting against the changes already beginning in my body. "We need to get the ichor now!"
Despite the transformation light affecting her, Kira managed to raise her hammer high and bring it down on the Queen's exposed wound with all her remaining strength.
The Spider Queen's final scream cut short as Kira's blow found its mark. Dark ichor fountained from the mortal wound, and the Queen's massive body began to convulse.
"Quick!" Morrigan pulled out empty vials from her pack. "Collect the ichor before it coagulates!"
We worked frantically, filling every container we could find with the Queen's life essence. The transformation light was fading, but I could feel the venom in my blood still fighting to complete its work.
"Drink!" I said, downing my share of the ichor without hesitation.
The taste was indescribably foul, metallic, bitter, and somehow alive. But the effect was immediate. The alien presence in my blood recoiled as if burned, the transformation process reversing itself with almost painful intensity.
Kira and Morrigan drank their portions, and within moments, we were all breathing easier. The grayish tinge to our skin faded, and the burning sensation in our veins disappeared entirely.
The Spider Queen was dead. Her web network was burning. And we were still human.
"Not bad for a day's work," I said, tucking the receipt away before the others could see it. "Though I could do without the near-death experience."
"Speak for yourself," Morrigan added, carefully sealing the remaining ichor in vials. "Spider Queen essence is worth a fortune to the right buyers."
"Let's get out of here," Kira said, shouldering her hammer. "Before something else decides we look tasty."
As we made our way back through the burning chamber toward the upper levels, I reflected on how much had changed since we'd first entered the Forgotten Sanctum. We'd come here to hide from assassins and ended up fighting for our lives against a dungeon nightmare.
But we'd won. More importantly, we'd won together.
I felt a familiar warmth in my pocket as we navigated around the collapsed web sections. While Kira and Morrigan were focused on avoiding the still-burning debris, I quickly pulled out the glowing receipt that had materialized.
DUNGEON RECEIPT
Location: Forgotten Sanctum (Level 5)
Deaths Processed: 1 (Spider Queen) + 47 (Lesser Spiders)
Combat Leadership: 5
Protective Actions: 3
Team Coordination: 4
Total Points Awarded: 2,400
Achievement Unlocked: Monster Slayer
DUNGEON SHOP NOW AVAILABLE
New Shop Category: Boss Hunter Items
I tucked the receipt away quickly, my heart racing. The points are more than I'd ever earned from a single expedition. The system was definitely rewarding my shift toward protecting others rather than just surviving. The new "Boss Hunter" category was intriguing too.
"Jin, you coming?" Kira called from ahead. "This place is starting to collapse."
She was right. The fire had spread beyond the web network to the chamber's wooden support structures. We needed to get out before the ceiling came down.
"Right behind you," I replied, hurrying to catch up.