Finally, we found it.
The spider's nest.
The cave mouth yawned wide before us, a damp stench of rot spilling out with every whisper of wind. Thick strands of web hung from the rocks like pale veins.
Leon exhaled sharply. "This must be it. Let's get inside."
"It's so dark…" I muttered.
"Lily, light it up," Leon ordered.
"Fine," she said, flicking her fingers. A small flame bloomed in her palm, hovering above like a tiny sun.
"Fire Torch, Level E."
The cave slowly brightened as the orange glow stretched across the stone walls. Shadows twisted and crawled along the edges.
Leon smirked. "That's a really useful skill."
"Yeah, yeah," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "You should be thankful."
We kept moving deeper. Every step echoed—soft, uneven, like walking into something alive. Then suddenly—
"Wait!" Rico shouted, his voice tight. "We're surrounded!"
I turned sharply. From the corners of the cave, faint glimmers caught in the torchlight—eyes.
Dozens of them.
The light wasn't bright enough to reach the ceiling, but I could see the shapes moving. Crawling. Closing in.
The webs trembled.
The spiders were already here.
Suddenly, a shadow moved above us.
"Ceiling!" Leon shouted.
Four giant spiders dropped from above, each the size of a dog — their black bodies glistening, fangs twitching, and legs scraping against the stone.
Leon was the first to move. His sword flashed, slicing one clean in half before it could land.
I raised my shield as six more crawled out from the tunnel ahead.
"Six in front!" I yelled.
Three of them lunged at me. Their weight slammed against my shield, shaking my arms. I pushed forward with a shout, slashing one clean through and spinning to cut down another. My blade sliced through its legs; it screamed before collapsing in a twitching mess.
Lily raised her hand. "C-Rank Spell — Flare Burst!"
Flames exploded outward like a ring of fireworks, filling the cave with sparks. The heat washed over us. The blast didn't hit hard, but it was enough to burn through the webs and set two spiders ablaze.
Above, Ronan drew his bow. His eyes glowed faintly blue.
"Skill: Eye Shot!"
His aim sharpened — every movement slowed as his arrow pierced through the darkness.
Thwip!
A spider fell from the ceiling, shrieking as it hit the ground.
The air filled with the sound of burning webs and dying monsters. The cave trembled with our fight.
After cutting down the last spider in front of me, I glanced up — more were crawling along the ceiling.
"Tch—annoying!" I muttered and threw my shield upward. It struck the rocky ceiling with a sharp clang, shaking the webs loose. The spiders wobbled, losing grip, and began to fall.
Before they hit the ground, I gripped my sword tight.
"A-Rank Skill — Crimson Blade!"
A red light burst from my sword, illuminating the entire cave. I swung once — the air sizzled as the blade tore through three of the falling spiders. Their bodies fell apart midair, splattering ichor across the floor.
Leon slashed through the last one, his blade cutting clean as lightning. But one of the spiders managed to bite him before dying.
"Leon!" Lily shouted.
She turned, only to shriek as webs splattered over her clothes.
"Ew! Disgusting!" she complained, brushing off sticky threads and dark blood.
Lysandra rushed to Leon's side, placing her glowing hand over his wound.
"B-Rank Healing ."
A warm light spread over the bite mark, sealing the puncture wound instantly. Leon flexed his arm and nodded. "Thanks, Lysandra."
Once everyone was safe, we continued forward. I jumped just high enough to catch my shield as it bounced from the ceiling, gripping it firmly in my hand again.
The deeper we went, the stronger the stench became. A few stray spiders tried to ambush us, but we cut them down easily — nothing like the earlier swarm.
Finally, we reached a vast chamber — easily twice the size of the earlier tunnels. The ceiling stretched high above, thick with webs glistening under faint blue light. It was eerily quiet… too quiet.
At that moment, I felt the familiar warmth of mana pulsing through me. My vision sharpened — my strength grew.
Level up.
I checked my stats briefly.
Level 35.
I exhaled. "Looks like this dungeon's been good training."
Leon nodded beside me, his hand tightening on his sword. "Stay sharp. The boss should be close."