Chapter 67: Power of Intent
After stripping the Diamond Stinger of its most valuable parts, Nioh ventured deeper into the expanse. His movements were precise, calculated—each step taken with meticulous care. Using Ekoh’s soundwave manipulation, he nullified every noise he made, blending seamlessly into the vast wilderness. This time, he had only one target in mind: the Giant Silent Spider. He had encountered the beast once before, during his escape with Kyle and the others, and the memory of its presence still lingered in his mind.
But this wasn’t about revenge.
It was about power.
The Silent Spider’s web was a treasure—light, flexible, and stronger than steel. It was the perfect material for what he had in mind. Nioh understood his own strengths. His power didn’t come from brute force but from adaptability. The more harmonic waves he mastered, the more versatile he became, and he needed a weapon that could grow alongside him. Something modular, flexible, and upgradable—an extension of his biocore rather than just another tool. So far, he had gathered most of the core materials, but a high-grade Silent Spider web was non-negotiable.
The challenge, however, was significant. The Giant Silent Spider didn’t roam alone. It lived at the heart of a massive colony, surrounded by thousands of venomous crawlers. Fighting through them directly was out of the question. He needed a plan.
For two days, Nioh scouted the colony from the shadows, analyzing every movement, every pattern. The Silent Spiders had two key weaknesses—sound and fire. One was already his domain. The other? He wouldn’t overthink it.
"Just burn it all."
Not the entire expanse, of course. A wildfire of that scale would be catastrophic, wiping out countless species and throwing the ecosystem into chaos. No, what he needed was something controlled. A cage of flames—one that would isolate the Silent Spider domain and slowly collapse in on them.
The preparation took time. Two weeks of relentless work, cutting down trees, clearing vegetation, carving a dead zone around the colony. Every branch removed was another step toward sealing their fate. By the end of it, the Silent Spider domain stood alone, a secluded pocket of wilderness surrounded by nothing but barren earth.
Then, on a fateful morning, Nioh lit the spark.
From the outside, the fire spread rapidly, devouring the dry remains of the forest and forming a massive ring of flames. The inferno built upon itself, fanned by the wind, climbing higher and higher. It was slow, deliberate—creeping inward, tightening its grip. Hours passed before the first signs of panic emerged. The shrill, chittering screeches of thousands of spiders filled the tundra as they realized their predicament.