Cautiously making his way through the Dungeon, Nico kept a vigilant eye out for any danger. That task was only made harder with the fact he could only see a couple of paces ahead of him.
'I hope nothing decides to jump me right now…'
Nico tightened the grip he had on his spear; his body incomparably tense. The mixture of anticipation and fear of a stray Demon suddenly emerging from the darkness wrestled chaotically within him.
It wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility for one creature to latch onto his alluring scent and come seeking him out. If that were to be the case, he only wished that they appear before him one at a time.
Otherwise, the difficulty of just staying alive… would rise exponentially.
Clearing his head of any macabre thoughts, Nico pressed on. Just as he neared one of the side passages that littered the map, a strange sound streamed into his ears.
He flinched.
It sounded like the noise you would make when clinking two glasses together. Only multiplied a few times, and released in a continuous and steady rhythm, akin to a person's feet striking the ground as they walked.
Nico shifted slightly, gazing at the dim corridor behind him. He bent his knees a little, priming his body to react at a moment's notice.
The peculiar sound raised in intensity.
Nico shivered.
Just what in the Fates could be approaching?
A grim expression slowly formed on the brown-haired boy's face. He gently backed up; his mind fixed on the strong possibility of a Demon showing up.
Finally, the sounds stopped.
Nico breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever it was... seemed reluctant to come forward.
Unfortunately, that was proven wrong only a moment later. Nico's breath hitched in his throat, his nose suddenly picking up a strong, suffocating, pervasive, foul scent.
One considerably more concentrated than the mildew scent he had first encountered after entering the Dungeon.
Thin, long limbs emerged from the light gloom next.
They were pale, seemingly encased in a soft layer of ice. The legs then shifted, allowing Nico to get a glimpse of the approaching monstrosity. The first thing he noticed was the many pairs of eyes staring at him hungrily, full of furious intensity.
Nestled in their depths was a crimson flame of madness. One that could only be satiated through the taste of blood.
Nico gulped; his mouth suddenly very dry.
The rest of the Demon's body came into view. It rested on eight legs, with a round carapace of ice sitting behind a compact, smaller head.
The arachnid's chelicerae twitched.
Nico cursed.
He couldn't afford to engage in a fight. After all, he didn't know when the Dungeon would next shift.
If he ended up separated further from his teammates because of this…
Torn with indecision, Nico watched as the Demon chose for him. Threads of tightly compressed silk shot out from beneath the spider's belly, seeking to bind him in place.
He spun the spear in his hands, cutting through both cords with ease. It felt like he was using a knife to cut butter instead of the cobwebs of a hungry Ferocious Demon.
Nico inwardly thanked the concealed powerhouse who had gifted him such a razor-sharp weapon. He bent his knees further, his face now somber and fierce.
'First Form - Horizon's Dash!'
Propelling him forward, his legs kicked against the ground. The trident-like weapon in his hands pierced onward as well, filled with dark glee. The skull carved into the shaft seemed to glint ominously in the hazy light.
The creature's chelicerae twitched once more. A blanket of pale fiber then rushed towards Nico.
Boosted by the First Form, Nico spun his body at an angle, slicing through the web, this time experiencing a bit more resistance. Then, as he finished, he tensed and used the power generated from his previous action to propel himself further.
'Third Form - Barbaric Swing!'
Wasting no time, the boy instantly performed the Third Form.
He had to end this fight in one go.
The Demon, witnessing its prey suddenly wave its weapon erratically and haphazardly, scuttled back.
However, it was too late, for the whirlwind of black was already upon it.
'Argh!!!!' Nico screamed internally, madly brandishing his spear like a barbarian gone mad.
His vision blurred as he put his all into each strike.
The arachnid raised two legs, dealing with the incessant blows.
Not without any damage… the brown-haired boy noted with grim satisfaction. Just from the few strikes that landed, a thin net of cracks spread across the crystal-like exterior of its appendages.
As it allowed itself to be pushed back, the Demon used the force of its prey's strikes to scuttle back, the madness within its eyes burgeoning. Suddenly, it opened its tiny maw and screeched.
Nico flinched.
He hurriedly paused to plug his ears.
Strangely, however, no sound resounded.
'Huh?'
A confused frown appeared on his face. What was the spider doing?
His bewilderment didn't last long as the sound of clinking glass abruptly multiplied. Nico paled, his face turning as white as a sheet.
'Blast it!'
He cursed and instantly turned his body to run, dismissing his spear in the process.
There was no way he could take on a horde of innumerable spiders by himself.
Sparing a quick, urgent peek at his bracelet, the brown-haired boy burned the location of his teammate in his mind. Uncaring of how much noise he made, Nico dashed through the haze, turning right into a side passage, before barreling down its narrow length and turning left at the end.
Behind him, strands of silk clung to jagged rocks on the wall, mere inches from where he had last been. As his heart rate surged and adrenaline flooded his veins, Nico's mind entered a cold state.
He removed any distractions that could cloud his focus and poured all his attention into navigating the convoluted terrain of the Dungeon. The arachnids trailed after him, scuttling forward in droves, producing a roaring cacophony similar to the one made by a beast horde.
Panting, as he took another right turn, Nico saw the space in front of him widen. The haze also seemed to lessen slightly.
As the boy's eyes rapidly flitted through the length of the new corridor, he found a lone, hooded figure leisurely walking with a relaxed gait.
Surely, they had heard the approaching danger? How come they were so nonchalant about it?
Nico didn't have any time to ponder on the strange incongruity, for his instincts blared at him to continue moving. A second later, a cobweb slapped against the place where he was last positioned.
He yelped internally, before bolting forward.
"RUN! There's a horde coming!" Nico screamed at the cloaked individual.
He saw the figure turn slightly as if mulling over his words. Then, they continued with their measured and relaxed pace, completely disregarding what he had just said.
Nico gritted his teeth. With every second that passed, he was getting closer and closer to his seemingly irrational peer. The spiders behind him also increased their efforts.
Nico's mind feverishly tried to find a way out of his predicament. He very much doubted that he or the cloaked person could contend against so many creatures and remain standing.
'Blasted Fates!'
Just as a hint of despair began to crawl into his heart, the brown-haired boy sensed the walls of the Dungeon start to shake. Slowly and minuscule at first, then getting louder and more intense.
Nico's heart skipped a beat. He gritted his teeth, watching as the surrounding walls groaned and rumbled.
It was as if they were furious that he was passing through their narrow confine.
While the whole place rumbled and shook, the boy dashed forward, nearing his strange peer, all the while miraculously evading the barrage of silk launched his way.
Just as Nico thought the worst of it was over, the ground in front of him collapsed, caving inward.
His eyes widened.
'Blazing Fat-'
As the floor beneath him vanished, Nico launched himself into the air on instinct.
"Help!" he shouted at the lone individual.
Nico saw the figure exhibit no reaction, still nonchalantly walking with an unhurried gait.
He cursed.
As the brown-haired boy desperately reached forward to the edge of where the hole in the ground had appeared, a sneer formed beneath the cloak of the lone figure.
He scoffed and shook his head, "Cobra Slayer my rear."
Too preoccupied with trying to stay alive, Nico missed this highly suspicious sequence.
'Blasted Fates! This will not be how I go out!'
Mustering every inch of strength in his body, he willed his hand to connect with the jagged edge. Behind him, he heard multiple strands of silk flying through the air.
Just as he feared he had missed his mark, his hand clasped onto the boundary of the gaping floor. A moment later, several cobwebs impacted against his dangling form.
A disgusted expression formed on Nico's face.
Luckily, the silk had only stuck to the surface of his armour, and not any of his limbs.
Groaning as his upper body burned under the strain of lifting himself, Nico threw a dark look at his teammate. Indeed, when he had flailed through the air, he recalled two red dots flashing next to each other at the corner of his vision.
The only question was… why did his supposed teammate refuse to help?
Gritting his teeth, Nico tried not to shiver under the incessant wave of webs striking his body. When he feared there would be no end to the repulsive shower, he suddenly found his feet being lifted into the air by themselves.
In the next moment, a final rumble shook the Labyrinth before silence settled within the hazy corridor.
'What in the Fates just happened?'
Nico panted silently, before pushing himself off the ground to look behind him.
And when he did… he couldn't quite believe his eyes.
'W-What?'
Reflected within his maroon pupils, a rough, jagged barrier barred his path.
A blank look appeared on Nico's face.
Things just kept getting stranger and stranger by the minute.
Shaking his head, he whirled around and gritted his teeth, his eyes turning frosty.
"What is your problem?!"