I can feel the light shimmering and subtly drawing me in. I'm pretty sure that if I move any closer to it, it would draw me in.
"Owen, hop in," Lena abruptly says.
"You say what exactly?" I ask, hoping I heard her wrong the first time.
"I said 'hop in.'"
"Why don't you take the lead?" I ask instead.
"No worries, I will take the difficult route," Lena says, and before I know it, I am pushed into the teleporter.
As I stumble through the teleporter, I suddenly feel the sensation of something sucking me into a bottomless pit, and I can barely see anything right now. However, all of these experiences are fleeting as I quickly find myself in a vast, open area resembling a desert.
Turning around, I see the teleporter continue to shimmer, and Lena and Reiko emerge from within it.
"What are you going to do about the gate?" I asi when I see that the teleporter is still operating.
"Well..." The next instant, the black orb materializes in Lena's hand as she snaps her fingers, thereby closing the gate.
Wow… she can do that too?
"Is this what a dungeon looks like?" I ask, glancing around the desert region as the scorching sun shines down on my skin, seemingly determined to melt it off my bones. Looking up at the sky, I notice two bright suns hanging above.
"Dungeons can be found anywhere, including this planet and others. It is just a place full of beasts and traps ready to tear you apart," Reiko explains.
I see...
"Well, what do we have here?"
"Unsheathe your sword; it is coming." Reiko mutters, unsheathing her sword at the same time as Lena.
"What is coming? "You guys are insane; I am a fucking F-Ranker!" I complain while unsheathing my sword as well.
"You will get used to it," Reiko says with a wink.
The next moment, Reiko and Lena start running forward. Confused, I don't hesitate to follow them from behind.
However, suddenly, the sea of sand before us erupts in a shower of golden grains, revealing a monstrous creature.
It is a spider, but unlike any I have ever seen; it is massive, with a body that's about two meters wide. Its skin is a tapestry of earthy tones that blends in perfectly with the desert's backdrop. The most terrifying part of it is its legs, which are long tentacles, which are as thick as ropes, and covered in coarse bristles.
The spider rises into the air, its tentacles flailing wildly, and I can see its multitude of eyes glinting as mercilessly as the sun.
"HIYAAH!" Lena lets out a small battle cry before leaping into the air and plunging her sword into the spider's belly. Pulling her dagger downward, she cuts open the spider's belly, causing blue blood and the spider's organs to spill everywhere.
*BAM*
The spider's body falls to the ground, with a thud because of its weight.
Without even giving us a chance to breathe, about twenty spiders emerge from the sand, forming a small army as they begin to walk towards us.
Inspect.
[Inspecting...]
[Beast Species: Burrowing Spider]
[Level: E-Rank.]
"Owen, it's time to hunt. The spiders are pretty easy to kill. You just have to target their belly and avoid getting hit by their tentacles as they can cause critical damage or even death for low-rankers," Reiko advises, running forward.
Letting out a sigh, I also start running after her. For some reason, I notice that Lena is not using any magical spells to fight these beasts, and she has already killed about two out of the twenty that appeared.
As I approach the beasts, one of the spiders separates itself from its peers and begins to run towards me.
I grab my sword tightly and charge at the spider as well.
*CHA-CHING*
Even though I use all of my strength in my strike, the spider blocks my attack with one of its tentacles, and my sword only cuts through an inch of its thick tentacle.
Fuck my left nut. I can't let go of my sword. That's rule number 1 of every swordsman. One shouldn't let go of their sword against their opponent unless victory is guaranteed.
Suddenly, one of the spider's tentacles slams into my stomach.
"Aaargh!!" I let out a loud cry as a sharp pain shoots through my body. The spider's kick propels my body into the air, sending me flying a few meters away.
It is as if all my organs have ruptured. Despite this devastating blow, I refused to let go of my sword.
*THUD*
I land heavily on the ground, but the desert sand absorbs most of the impact.
Right now, all of my insides are burning, and I can tell that I have broken a few ribs and punctured my lungs. But...I cannot give up, not just yet. If it had been me a few days ago, I would have died.
Now, I can't become spider food and there is even a possibility that one is underneath where I am currently lying.
Gritting my teeth, I forcefully stand up, clutching my sword tightly. As expected, the spider that sent me flying is already on its way to me, but this time it is moving faster.
I have to figure out how to get to its belly!
As the charging beast approaches, I run forward, raising my sword as if to strike in a slash motion.
With the beast in front of me, I change my attack pattern, thrusting my sword into one of its numerous eyes with great force, causing blue blood to ooze out.
[You have caused damage to the Burrowing Spider.].
*SKREEEEEEEEEEEEE*
The beast lets out a loud screeching cry and swings its legs violently, but having already been hit by it, I skillfully avoid its legs.
Once again, I attempt another attack, but this time the spider easily deflects it by slapping my sword to the side while protecting its underbelly, causing me to lose my balance.
And that moment, where I am at my most vulnerable—with me on the hot, burning sand and the spider looming above me—the beast opens its mouth wide, its sharp fang-like teeth about to rip my head off.
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