"Ugh, don't tell me even you can't see through his illusions?" Vee asked.
"He was only an illusion the moment before you attacked him; I think he used some form of movement or substitution skill," I explained telepathically.
"Shit. This sucks," Vee groaned while dodging the incoming attacks from the butterfly. She even reverted to her smaller size to make her a more problematic target to hit.
"At this rate, I might as well let Nyrvi handle you alone!" Galan taunted.
I had expected Vee to take the bait, but she just continued safely dodging while seemingly thinking up a plan.
"Hey Syl, which do you think would be better? A quick win or a drawn-out fight?" Vee asked.
"A quick win, although only if you can do it without revealing all your cards," I answered.
"Great, I have just the plan!" Vee said excitedly. "Also, you may want to tell your core helpers not to boost my magic, just in case they say you're cheating."
I quickly rescinded the order; it was an excellent call, as there was no doubt there would be complaints if I had accidentally boosted her magic. Not to mention potentially revealing my own [Dimension Magic] and [Corrosion Magic], something that Sylthaeryn should not have under any circumstances!
Is Vee planning on using [Dimension Magic]? I know we've tried using teleports offensively, but changing someone's coordinates against their will is extremely hard. It's too bad I haven't completed my debuff yet.
Then, to my surprise, I saw Vee begin to cast [Caustic Cloud]. I was a little surprised that she was already on par with me when it came to [Corrosion Magic], but then I realized it was pretty much her only form of magic for the longest time. Furthermore, she got experience boosts from [Companion Training], which quickly brought her to my level while also getting assistance from my [Sub-Cores].
It's like I have my own mini-apprentice system.
The crowd of onlookers noticed what Vee was doing, and their astonishment was evident.
"The spider can cast spells?"
"[Corrosion Magic] though, how filthy…"
"But the class is a Trapper… was this all a ruse?"
Galan, on the other hand, was quite cautious. He even ordered his companion to attack more frequently to distract Vee.
"Ha! Do you think I'm some amateur who would lose control of a spell from some minor attacks?" Vee gloated.
I suppressed my amusement, although once again, I wondered how much trouble her mouth would get her into when she could talk to the world.
Vee continued to dodge, even teleporting while still casting the spell. Not once did I see any instability in the large spell, and when the magic construct was completed, a large cloud of acidic gas burst from the center of the arena and flooded the area.
Galan yelled while stringing curses, and the crowd backed up. Instantly, a barrier was formed between the arena and the spectators, causing sighs of relief to the watchers. However, Vee wasn't done shocking them, as she demonstrated her level of control by keeping the entire gaseous cloud contained without even touching the barrier.
"How does a [Bonded Companion] have such a level of magical control?"
"Lady Sylthaeryn hasn't moved a muscle, let alone let any Mana leak out."
Even Aimon was looking at me expectantly. I gave him a small smile and gestured for him to continue watching the fight.
"This is mere child's play for the great Vee!" my spidery companion continued to gloat. "If you think that was great, my next trick will blow your socks off!"
The cloud of acidic gas was obscuring the arena, reducing naked visibility. Vee herself was also caught in the cloud, but I knew she'd be fine for seeing with her [Spatial Sense].
"Was this supposed to hurt me?" Galan asked. "At worst, you've made my eyes a bit watery!"
I guess that confirms his decent magical resistance… definitely no chance Vee could use [Positioning] on him.
I was watching Vee with great anticipation—while I had complete confidence in her, I was extremely curious how she would pull it off. Then I saw it. Vee started pulling out a bright purple thread from her spinneret.
But before I could question it, Vee used [Warp] and appeared at the edge of the arena. There was a distinct trail of purple thread from her previous position to her current.
"Yes!" Vee cried out joyously before teleporting again.
Now, it was my turn to be shocked. I'd never seen Vee teleport while laying thread before. I continued to watch while Vee began frantically teleporting around the arena, all the while laying down an intricate and connecting web of purple thread.
I was very tempted to ask Vee what she was doing, but I didn't want to distract her, so I kept my thoughts to myself for now.
Is that [Rift Thread]? Is that why she can lay it while using [Warp]? She's never done that before… and why is it bright purple!?
The entire time Vee was teleporting around, the butterfly continued to attack her. Evidently, it and its owner could sense where Vee was despite her smokescreen. At this point, Vee was even teleporting into the air, creating a cage of web that would leave no opportunity to escape.
"Enough of this foolishness!" Galan yelled.
I thought he was being all bluster, but then he let out a screech, and the surroundings quivered. Some of the spectators' wine glasses shattered from the sudden sonic attack before another barrier was put in place. At the same time, the [Caustic Cloud] was dramatically blown away, as if Galan's voice was a force of nature. Despite Vee's control, it smashed into the defensive barrier and was vaporized.
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Now, everyone, even those without special senses, could see the arena again and expressed their shock and surprise at the network of webs Vee had created. Vee herself was hanging upside down, swaying in the breeze while still connected to the thread.
Galan clicked his tongue in annoyance, "I suppose I didn't put enough force behind my voice."
Vee thrust one of her legs towards Galan, pointing at him, "Surrender now or face the consequences!"
"Vee's asking you to surrender," I said aloud, translating her intention.
"Or what?" Galan sneered.
As if answering his question, the webs vibrated and immediately began slowly converging ominously and threateningly toward Galan and his butterfly swarm.
Galan scoffed at the threat, but rather than respond verbally, he took a deep breath before letting out a high-pitched cry from his throat. Unlike previously, this was directly entirely towards Vee, a focused conal attack, and the soundwaves were even visible!
The sonic force passed through the threads harmlessly, and I noticed Galan's eye twitch. However, he didn't cease his attack. Vee, on the other hand, made no effort to move or dodge.
"Don't let that hit you!"
Some of the spectators cried out. Even Aimon seemed distraught by Vee's nonchalant attitude. But the attack struck and seemed to pass straight through her. The crowd winced as if expecting Vee to suddenly explode or suffer some massive damage, but then it became apparent nothing was happening.
"Hehehe…" Vee laughed menacingly.
Galan's eyes constricted, and the tone of his attack went to an even higher pitch, but nothing was happening to Vee despite being in the center of the continuous attack.
His attack stopped, and he scowled as he looked at Vee, defiantly hanging upside down as if he'd done nothing at all.
"What trickery is this?" he cried out.
"This is no trick! I'm just a level far above you!" Vee taunted.
"He can't hear you Vee…" I sighed.
"He would if you'd be my spokesperson—spokeself!"
His butterfly fired a volley of light arrows; the ones that made contact with the webs disappeared as if being removed from existence, while the ones that "struck" Vee passed right through her.
"An illusion? You dare use my own heritage against me!" he whined before glaring at me as if I were the cause.
Multiple elves around me shook their heads as if denying his claim, which only further angered him. I couldn't resist giving a tiny smirk myself.
"[Phase Out]?" I asked Vee.
"Bingo! Points for Syl!"
"What happened to you falling through the world? I distinctly remember you saying it was your greatest fear."
"That's old news. You aren't the only one who's been playing around with new toys, and I've learned that [Rift Thread] is the perfect support!"
"And here I thought you were just lazing about on the couch all day…" I teased.
"Mostly. I had to test new things; I don't want you to leave me behind in the dust."
At this point, the web network was getting relatively close to Galan. He tried to make various attacks with or without his pet, but the ominous purple threads remained unharmed.
"Since when could you make the threads purple? And why? Them being invisible was your greatest asset."
"Exactly! If people see them here and now, including our potential hidden enemies, as these brightly purple threats—they won't expect them to be practically invisible later! We will be luring them into a false sense of security."
"I know, aren't I the best?" Vee said smugly. "And I've been able to color my threads ever since I swapped back to the Weaver profession. It was one of my new skill options to directly color any type of thread while spinning it, and it seemed perfectly happy to work in tandem with my spinnerets."
"I wonder what other unforeseen synergies we can find," I mused.
"Dunno, but do you want to offer the fairy boy another surrender? Otherwise, he's going to become sliced and diced."
"Vee's offering you a chance to surrender again," I said aloud.
Galan was gritting his teeth; it seemed like he was considering it momentarily before he shook his head.
"No. I'll never surrender to these tricks."
And then he began to sing. The audience visibly gasped as his angelic voice graced everyone's ears. His tone was hauntingly beautiful, a strange soprano that caused some of the elves to almost weep.
"Dewdrop is gracing us with his performance!"
"To think I'd get to hear Dewdrop sing for free, a joyous evening."
"His voice is so beautiful—truly otherworldy!"
It was like everyone was bewitched.
"Uh... is this supposed to be doing something?" Vee asked.
<[Charm] has been resisted.>
"You too?" I quickly asked; thankfully, his singing, which had engulfed the entire plaza, did not hinder our mental communication.
"I can't say I had 'being enchanted by an elf castrato' on my bingo card for this gala," Vee giggled.
"I don't like it. Since he's not surrendering, finish it quickly," I cautiously warned Vee.
Vee's collapsing web began to speed up, and Galan noticed. He seemed to look at me directly and took his singing to another echelon.
<[Charm] has been resisted.>
<[Charm] immunity has been temporarily granted due to multiple successful resistances and incompatible races.>
Wait, was he trying to charm so he'd win by default? This rat bastard!
Thankfully, his efforts were in vain, and I noticed him beginning to look nervous. His swarm of butterflies began charging out, only to come into contact with the encroaching [Rift Thread] net and die one by one. Galan was so shocked by this that he missed the next part of his song and visibly choked.
"Wha—" he spluttered out amidst his coughing.
Despite losing plenty of butterflies, it started multiplying again. Just as I was about to encourage Vee to not let it recover, a series of threads snapped, and the web trap abruptly sprung forward and engulfed the entire swarm.
Wait, we get experience? My last duel didn't give me anything. Is that because the [Deathward] stopped the death?
"You!" Galan yelled while glaring at Vee.
At this point, if he was planning on escaping from the trap, unless he could shrink to the size of an apple or burrow under the arena, I couldn't see him escaping. Yet he still refused to surrender.
Then he vanished and appeared in a flash of light at the other end of the arena, in his original spot when the duel started.
"Did you really think you could keep me trapped?" he said smugly.
"Syl, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's a fake?" Vee asked.
"Yes. He's still in your trap, although right near the edge of the web. I think he's trying to find a way to maneuver through safely."
"He's right at the edge, you say?" Vee asked; I could sense the mischievous delight in her tone.
With a snap of a few key structural webs, the entire cage buckled and crumpled inwards. There was a sharp scream before appearing from his invisibility was a brutally dismembered body. His fake also dissolved into motes of light.
The spectators gasped, but suddenly, the entire arena burst out in magical light. The vague silhouette of a clock appeared in the center, and its hands began to rotate counterclockwise. As the clock hands spun, the entire "fight" reversed until Vee and Galan returned to their original spots.
One oddly notable exception was that Vee's trap of purple [Rift Thread] remained motionless and undisturbed by the reversed time.
So Vee's [Rift Thread] appears to be immune to [Time Magic]? That's remarkably good to know...
What? You're stealing my experience!?
<12 Trait Points are now available.>
Huh... That was still weirdly profitable.