As soon as he reached the spot indicated on the system map, he realized that the destination was not an open area at all—but a cave.
The cave entrance was hidden between jagged rocks, partially concealed by hanging vines and shadows. A cold, damp aura seeped out from within.
Zayen drew the Crimson Eclipse Sword, and with a single thought, the Blacksteel Katana materialized in his left hand. Holding a blade in each hand, he cautiously stepped into the cave.
The passage inside was far from barren. Weeds and strange vines grew wildly along the stone walls, while clusters of unknown plants emitted faint glimmers of blue and green light. The soft glow intertwined with the shadows, making the cave eerily beautiful—almost dreamlike.
After walking for a short while, a strong stench of blood suddenly flooded the air.
Zayen's steps slowed.
His gaze fell to the cave floor ahead, where two massive corpses lay sprawled out. They were magic beasts that resembled bears, each easily larger than an adult man. Their bodies were still warm, as if they had only just died.
What caught Zayen's attention were their wounds.
Each corpse had a bowl-sized, bloody hole drilled straight through its skull.
Clean. Brutal. Fatal.
Judging by the wounds, it didn't look like human weapons.
The wounds were too precise—and too savage.
That meant only one thing.
A far more terrifying creature was lurking deeper within the cave. And without a doubt, it was the special magic beast marked by the system.
Just as this thought crossed his mind—
Zayen's pupils shrank.
A large spider, roughly the size of a normal dog back on Earth, silently appeared in front of him. Its pitch-black carapace glistened under the faint cave light, multiple crimson eyes locking onto Zayen with chilling intelligence.
....
[System Identification – Magic Beast]
[Name]: Bloodhole Cave Spider
[Level]: 2
[Attack]: 28
[Defense]: 16
[Speed]: 34
[Skills]: Venom Thread, Ceiling Lurker
....
Level 2 Magic Beast!?
Zayen's eyes narrowed.
So this wasn't the special monster he was hunting. Just a low-level scout—or maybe a trap sent ahead.
Without a second thought, he swung the Crimson Eclipse Sword.
A streak of crimson energy erupted from the blade, slicing through the dim cave light.
Whoosh!
The energy struck the Bloodhole Cave Spider directly. With a wet, sharp snap, the creature's body was cleaved cleanly in two, its black blood splattering across the cave floor.
It didn't even get a chance to react before it was killed.
Zayen's expression remained calm as he continued walking deeper into the cave.
The further he went, the stranger the plants became. Thick, twisting weeds grew in profusion, and faint luminescent glows emanated from clusters of unknown flora, bathing the cave in an otherworldly beauty that was almost hypnotic.
Eventually, the narrow passage ended, opening into a circular cavern, its walls stretching high and dotted with strange glowing fungi.
Just as he took in the sight, Zayen suddenly stiffened.
Countless Bloodhole Cave Spiders had emerged—from above, below, and all around him. Unlike the previous dog-sized scout, these were no larger than a human palm, but there were far too many of them. They skittered across the walls and ceiling, densely packed, their glossy black carapaces glinting under the faint light.
The scene was horrifying, almost suffocating in its intensity.
For a moment, Zayen didn't move.
Then, without warning, a tremendous aura suddenly ignited across his body. It surged outward like a living storm, golden and blinding, radiating sheer power in every direction.
Whoosh! The tiny spiders were caught in the shockwave, their bodies blown backward with violent force. Many slammed against the cavern walls or the floor, skittering uselessly before falling still.
The aura faded as quickly as it had appeared.
Zayen's stance remained unshaken, his eyes scanning the cavern.
Looking around, he realized the cave appeared completely empty—no sign of any special magic beast anywhere.
That's not right!
The map had clearly marked the monster's location here… So how could it not be present?
Then he noticed it—there was one place he hadn't checked yet.
Thinking this, Zayen slowly raised his head.
A chill ran down his spine.
Above him, a giant spider loomed, its pitch-black body glistening under the faint light. Several smaller monsters were ensnared in thick spider silk nearby, their movements struggling against the sticky trap.
Swish!
Before Zayen could react further, one of the spider's massive legs lunged toward him with lightning speed.
With his quick reflexes, Zayen sidestepped instantly, narrowly avoiding the spider's massive strike.
The spider's first attack had failed. Its leg was now stuck firmly in the ground, unable to pull back immediately.
Zayen seized the opportunity, swinging his swords with deadly precision at the spider's long, pillar-like leg.
Clang!
A cold, metallic flash erupted as the leg was severed cleanly in two.
Howl~!
The giant spider let out a piercing screech, its massive body trembling as it retracted the broken half of its leg. The other half remained stuck in the cavern floor.
Drip… drip…
Dark-green ichor oozed steadily from the severed limb, hissing where it touched the rocky ground.
Zayen barely had time to register the sight before the spider's next move.
From its maw, it spat out a thick, white silk thread.
Puff!
The silk expanded rapidly in midair, weaving itself into a large, sticky net that shot straight toward him.
He leapt backward, quickly dodging and avoiding the incoming spider web.
Puff! Puff!
The giant spider relentlessly spat silk at him, strands whipping through the air like sharp, sticky whips.
But Zayen's movements were fluid and precise. Every attack was effortlessly dodged, his body flowing like water around the incoming traps.
"Hmph," Zayen muttered, a faint smirk forming. "Is that all you've got?"
Each failed attempt seemed to irritate the massive spider more. Its multiple eyes glared furiously, and its legs stomped against the cavern floor, sending tremors through the ground.
Again, it spat silk from its mouth.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The silk shot out faster this time, twisting and curling like living tendrils, greatly reducing the time Zayen had to react.
But Zayen didn't panic.
He was waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike—the exact moment the spider overextended or left an opening in its relentless assault.
A moment later, the spider overextended, twisting its body too far to the side to fire another silk net.
Zayen's golden aura flared.
"Now."
A golden dagger suddenly appeared in his hand.
With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the golden dagger toward the massive spider.
A golden dagger suddenly materialized in Zayen's hand.
With a swift flick of his wrist, he hurled the dagger toward the massive spider.
Whoosh!
The dagger cut through the air like a streak of lightning, leaving a faint golden trail in its wake. Its speed was so fast that even the spider's multiple eyes struggled to track it.
Shing!
The golden dagger pierced straight through the spider's exoskeleton like molten metal, ripping through its body and bursting out the other side, dark-green ichor spraying into the air.
The massive creature let out a deafening screech, its legs thrashing wildly in desperation.
But before it could even recover, Zayen activated the [Voidbound Flash Step] skill, his figure vanishing from sight in the same instant, reappearing directly behind the spider.
Before the beast could fully react, Zayen's swords—the Crimson Eclipse and Blacksteel Katana—were already raised, glowing with deadly light.
With a swift, precise motion, Zayen slashed both blades across the spider's body.
Crack! Shing!
The twin strikes cut cleanly through the giant spider, slicing its head from its body in one fluid motion.
Dark-green ichor sprayed across the cavern floor, sizzling where it touched the rocks.
Its legs lost control and went limp, and its entire body slumped down.
[System Notification: Special Magic Beast—Bloodhole Cave Spider—has been killed by Zayen.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have killed a level 4 special magic beast: the Bloodhole Cave Spider.]
[System Notification: Congratulations to the host for defeating the Level 6 Special Magic Beast, Titanmaw Behemoth!]
[Rewards Obtained: 1 × Braze-Grade Treasure Chest, 200 experience points.]