Ethan's head pounded mercilessly as he faced the monstrous three-meter-tall Charmweaver Spider. Its presence alone seemed to intensify the throbbing pain in his skull, but he had no choice but to fight on.
With grim determination, he raised his sword, the blade shimmering with residual mana.
Ethan stood near the Charmweaver Spider. He knew that he had to act swiftly if he wanted to end this battle and survive. The spider's three hearts were its vulnerability, but reaching them in the midst of its thrashing and venomous strikes would be an almost impossible task.
His sword, gleaming with ethereal light, felt heavy in his grip, weighed down by the lingering effects of the spider's mana-draining ability. His vision blurred, and the throbbing pain in his temples threatened to overwhelm him, but he couldn't afford to falter now.
Ethan's eyes darted left and right, his nerves frayed to the point of snapping. The Charmweaver Spider towered over him like a demon summoned from the bowels of hell. Its eight eyes were malevolent orbs, glowing with an unholy light, while its fangs glistened like daggers drenched in venom.
His pulse thundered in his ears as if warning him—this was the fight of his life.
With a scream that shook his very soul, Ethan lunged forward. His sword cleaved the air with a deadly hum, but the spider was quick. It shot a stream of sticky, web-like substance from its spinnerets. Ethan twisted his body in a desperate evasion, narrowly avoiding being ensnared, but the distraction was enough. The spider lunged, its fangs sinking into Ethan's shoulder.
Agony exploded through his body. Blood spurted out like a geyser, staining the ground beneath him. Summoning reserves of strength he didn't know he had, Ethan roared and swung his sword in a wild arc, severing one of the spider's limbs. The appendage fell to the ground, twitching in its death throes, gushing an alien, greenish fluid.
Enraged, the spider screamed—a hideous, otherworldly sound that sent shivers down Ethan's spine. The creature reared up, its remaining legs poised to strike.
Time seemed to slow, each millisecond stretching into an eternity. Ignoring the blood soaking his armor and pooling at his feet, Ethan made his move. It was now or never.
With a primal yell, he sprang forward, his sword aimed straight for the beast's exposed underbelly. The spider descended, its fangs aiming for his throat, a killing blow.
In a move that defied the laws of physics and luck, Ethan's blade found its mark. With a spurt of dark blood, the sword plunged through the soft chitin, skewering the first of the spider's three hearts.
But the spider wouldn't die so easily. With a jerk, it pulled itself off Ethan's sword, leaving behind a piece of its own flesh. Ethan winced at the sight but couldn't afford to pause; the spider's remaining legs swept forward in a frenzied counterattack.
Ethan rolled to the side, dodging the deadly appendages by a hair's breadth, but the move came at a cost. A stray leg caught his side, slicing through armor and flesh like warm butter. Blood splattered across the forest floor, a gruesome testament to the battle's ferocity.
Grimacing through the pain, Ethan staggered to his feet. His vision blurred, a cocktail of agony and blood loss, but he refused to yield. With a final, soul-rending scream, he thrust his sword upward into the spider's second heart.
The creature convulsed, emitting a screech so loud it seemed to tear the fabric of the forest itself. But it still lived. Ethan couldn't believe it. With a surge of horrifying energy, the spider lunged for him one final time, its sole remaining heart pounding with a malevolent life of its own.
Ethan's arm felt like it was on fire, his strength almost entirely depleted. But as the spider's fangs neared him, something inside Ethan snapped. With a cry that matched the spider's in its ferocity, he thrust his sword upward one last time.
Blood, ichor, and other fluids splattered in a chaotic arc as Ethan's blade impaled the final heart. The spider quivered, its eyes dimming, before collapsing with a ground-shaking thud.
Ethan stood there, a blood-soaked, staggering mess of a man, his sword still embedded in the carcass of his monstrous foe. His breathing was ragged, his limbs quivering from the cocktail of adrenaline and exhaustion.
It was done. He had won, but the cost was almost too much to bear. Almost.
Knowing he needed rest, he turned and staggered towards the nearby cave he had spotted earlier. It was his only refuge, a place to recover and regather his strength before facing the unknown challenges that awaited him beyond its dark entrance.
With heavy steps, he entered the cave.
Inside the cave, a cool, damp breeze greeted Ethan, a stark contrast to the humid jungle outside. The cave's walls glistened with moisture, and the sound of dripping water echoed softly in the distance.
Ethan, utterly drained from his encounter with the Charmweaver Spider, staggered towards the source of the echoing drips. There, he discovered a small underground spring, its waters crystal clear and inviting.
With trembling hands, he cupped some water and brought it to his parched lips, drinking deeply. The refreshing taste was a balm to his weary body, and he felt the revitalizing effects almost immediately. The throbbing in his head began to subside, and his strength slowly returned.
Collapsing to the ground, Ethan leaned against the cave wall and closed his eyes, his breathing gradually steadying. He knew that his reprieve was only temporary, and he had much to plan and prepare for in this treacherous dungeon.
********
In another part of the dungeon, a group of 100 people in martial arts clothing had assembled.
"What happened? Why did we enter so soon?" Jonas, the leader of the Fist School, inquired.
"Don't even ask. It was miserable! One of the Shadow School's elders used his ability to plunge us into darkness. We had to enter the dungeon before we got wiped out."
This revelation left everyone who heard it in a state of extreme confusion.
"WHAT?! How is this possible? This could lead to a war between the Big Five. Are you sure he attacked you out of the blue?" Oliver, Jason's right-hand man, asked in bewilderment.
""To be honest, we were just as confused," Alex explained. "At first, we spotted someone who looked like a beggar, moving incredibly fast, and we were about to apprehend him. Then, everything went black. So, it's possible he was trying to stop this unknown individual, but we can't be certain."
Amidst the ongoing discussion, a sense of worry and speculation permeated the atmosphere. The potential for a full-blown conflict between the Big Five schools loomed like an impending storm.
Suddenly, Jason cleared his throat with a resounding *cough* that hushed everyone.
"Did this beggar-looking person manage to enter, I mean, the portal?" he inquired.
"I think so, at least I felt a gust of wind rushing past me when I was by the portal. And I caught a whiff of a person, so it's very likely."
Suddenly, chaos began to stir within the group.
"Could this really escalate into a war among the schools?" one person whispered.
"Who is that mysterious individual, and what's their connection to the Shadow School elder?" another voiced their concern.
Amid the growing confusion and apprehension, a young girl with golden hair stood silently in the background, carefully concealing her emotions. She had been listening intently to the conversation.
However, as the discussion unfolded, a faint smile spread across her face, akin to the first rays of sunlight after a storm. It was a smile that went unnoticed by the others, a secret hidden in the shadows.
As the conversation continued, the girl in the background, her golden hair obscuring her eyes, let her smile bloom openly. Her eyes shimmered with a touch of delight. This hidden smile hinted at her unique perspective and undisclosed knowledge of the unfolding events. "So, you've entered, brother. I hope you can uphold father's legacy."
******
Elsewhere in the dungeon, a group of 80 individuals from the Shadow School assembled.
"Now that everyone has consumed their health regeneration potions… I have a personal task for you," their leader declared. "Whoever completes it will become my right-hand and have a place by my side as I ascend to the throne of the west. I don't care about the method, but I want his head. Each of you must search for the boy and, the moment you find him, call for reinforcements."
"Understood! We won't rest until we locate him."
"Excellent, you're dismissed."
Eric, with a seething determination, muttered through clenched teeth, "Let's see how far you can run now, boy. I'll break your bones and sever your meridians."
Suddenly, his shadow rippled, and Lilith, his trusted confidante and right hand, asked, "Are you serious about the part where they become your right hand?"
"Hahahahaha, don't be so hasty, Lilith," Eric chuckled darkly. "Do you really think one person can handle him alone? I just want them to buy me some time; I intend to deal with him personally."
*********
"Henry, it really works! Holding this token grants us teleportation to the first person who enters the dungeon. Hahaha! With this, we won't waste time looking for each other. Hahahahaha! We have a big advantage over the rest. Hahahaha!" Michael's excitement was palpable.
Henry shook his head and patted Michael's head. "Do you really think the others don't have tokens like that? I heard a mysterious benefactor distributed those tokens to every school three years ago. And it's said that anyone with a token bearing similar runes gets teleported to the first person who enters the dungeon with a matching token. Since it's been tested multiple times, it's become a must-have item for every dungeon raid."
"Let's go, we need to make a headquarter, this should be our first priority."
"Telekinesis: mana sight"
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