Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part One]

CHAPTER 191: The Armored Arachnid - The Four-legged Menace

Another fiend lunged at him from the side, its fangs bared and dripping with venom. Blazin shifted, raising his broadsword just in time to block its attack. Sparks flew as the creature's fangs scraped against the steel, but the man didn't hesitate.

With a deep growl, he shoved the spider back and spun, his sword carving an arc through its abdomen. The beast let out a screech before collapsing, its twitching legs curling inward.

The battlefield was a storm of ice and steel, the spiderlings falling one after another, unable to match the onslaught. Suddenly, in a blur of motion, Daisuke vanished. A streak of black and silver shot across the battlefield, ice fracturing beneath each of his steps as he dashed toward the mother spider.

DING!

[Armored Arachnid | Lvl 37 | Field Boss | HP: 2115064/2115064]

The monstrous creature loomed like a hill, its horrid form towering over the battlefield. Its eight massive legs, thick as tree trunks, bore into the ground as it let out a piercing screech that rattled through the frozen air. Crimson eyes, gleaming with malice and greed, locked onto Daisuke's approaching form. The fiend lunged, its massive fangs gleaming with venom.

But Daisuke didn't slow.

In the blink of an eye, he was airborne, his daggers glinting as he aimed for one bulbous eye.

SWISHH!

The exposed organ exploded in an eruption of blood and gel-like tissue, wringing a strident cry from the arachnid.

[Critical!]

[13,882 damage dealt.]

A microsecond later, Daisuke activated the Meteor Smash skill and brought his fist down in an earth-shattering punch that sent the spider's head armor scattering in all directions like broken clay.

[Critical!]

[11,182 damage dealt.]

Then he leapt upward as the fiend reared its massive frame in sheer agony, and time slowed to a crawl as his eyes narrowed in pure combat-readiness, the Sixth Sense skill distinguishing his target's weak points by a golden glow.

A typical level forty-six player would have around 460 Stat Points. But Daisuke was anything but typical. He commanded an astounding 933 Stat Points at the same level. Even when excluding Special Stats, he still had an overwhelming 664 points at his disposal thanks to the flexibility granted by his Stat Reset skill.

For comparison, a standard level forty-six warrior build would allocate roughly thirty-seven percent of their stats to Strength—around 170 points. Daisuke, however, had funneled a staggering 699 points into Strength alone.

Strength: 664 (+35) | Stamina: 0 (+47) | Agility: 0 (+71) | Intelligence: 0 (+21) | Dexterity: 0 (+95) | Composure: 0 | Indomitable: 0 | Perception: 0 | Stealth: 0

To offset his reduced speed and dexterity, he lashed out with a magic chain, coiling it around one of the creature's legs. Time righted itself as he rocketed downward like a missile, then slowed again as his daggers plunged deep into the spider's now-exposed head.

The fiend's defense sat at a staggering 1,400—that's 500 points higher than the Dismal Lich. But unlike the reaper, the arachnid had multiple weak points, each one ripe for exploitation.

Factoring in his Attack Power, Strength, Critical Hit Rate, and various other modifiers, Daisuke's Base Attack Power totaled 3,821. Activating Meteor Smash and gaining the 300% Attack Power bonus tripled that, spiking it to 15,282. After deducting the monster's 1,400 defense, the final damage landed at a devastating 13,882.

Daisuke's eyes gradually narrowed with a murderous glint, the daggers inching deeper into the creature's skull as time twisted slowly.

DING!

[The One-Hit Kill title effect has been activated, unleashing an additional 200% damage on the enemy.]

[Critical!]

[27,764 damage dealt.]

DING!

[The Lipanthyer's Fang option effect has been activated, inflicting the Bleed Status. The target's health will decrease by 0.5% per second for 30 seconds.]

DING!

[The Salamander's Claw option effect has been activated, inflicting the Burn Status. The target's health will decrease by 0.4% per second for 40 seconds.]

As the final spiderling crumpled to the ground, Leopold and Blazin drove their swords into the ground, dropping to one knee as they struggled to steady their ragged breaths. Blazin wiped the sweat from his brow, then instinctively followed his comrade's gaze—expecting to see the silver-haired boy in desperate need of their aid.

But they were wrong.

Both men gawked, their jaws slackening as Daisuke effortlessly danced around the fiend like a leaf caught in a wayward breeze.

The creature's massive legs plowed large craters into the earth as it maneuvered to crush or devour its annoying prey. Each strike sent debris hurtling through the air, the sheer force reshaping the battlefield into a land of ruin, but Daisuke didn't waver or retreat.

His daggers traced dazzling arcs as the Sixth Sense skill guided his hands. His blades sought out the chinks in the creature's formidable armor, piercing through its vulnerable points with lethal accuracy.

The monstrous fiend shrieked in fury, its patience unraveling. In a desperate act of self-preservation, its aura erupted outward in a violent shockwave. The sheer force sent Daisuke hurtling through the air, his feet skidding across the ground until he came to a halt within the ranks of the other two men.

"Are you alright?" asked Blazin as he lowered his hands from his ears.

But the fiend gave them no respite. Its bloated silken sack convulsed before splitting open, unleashing another horde of ravenous spiderlings. Their shrill chittering filled the air, a harbinger of the fresh carnage about to unfold.

[Armored Arachnid | Lvl 37 | Field Boss | HP: 1169038/2115064]

Daisuke clicked his tongue in irritation. Is it normal for a Field Boss to spawn its underlings twice in one fight? Dammit! Glacial Dominion is still on a fifteen-minute cooldown—I can't use it again.

Brushing the thought aside, Daisuke tossed an HP and MP potion to each of the exhausted men. "Can you hold out for another minute or two?"

Leopold eyed him warily. "What are you planning?"

Daisuke's expression darkened. "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to rip that thing apart."

Blazin let out a strained chuckle. "Try to do it in under a minute, will you?"

Daisuke smirked. "No promises—but I'll give it my best shot."