After waking up feeling refreshed, Nate began preparing for the day ahead. He packed a small bag with the necessities—food, water, and a few basic healing items—before throwing it over his back. The anticipation of the upcoming challenge sent a jolt of energy through him as he left the dorms and headed toward the adventurers' guild.
The city streets bustled with life, but Nate's focus was unwavering as he made his way through the crowds. Today's mission was simple—he would take on a rank-up quest to upgrade his bronze badge to silver. The weight of the challenge hung in the back of his mind, but so did the promise of progression.
As he approached the guild building, Nate spotted Mini behind her desk. Her usual stoic expression was replaced by a bored look, as though she had been idling for hours. Nate couldn't resist flashing her one of his now signature smiles. "Good morning, Mini."
Her head snapped up, and for a brief moment, her eyes seemed to lose focus, her cheeks flushed ever so slightly. "Is it just me, or have you gotten more handsome overnight?" she remarked with an unusual sweetness in her voice.
Nate blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in her demeanor. Mini had always been professional—never anything like this. A strange sensation crept into his chest, and for a split second, he wondered if something was amiss.
Stifling an awkward cough, Nate shrugged it off and quickly shifted the conversation back on track. "I'm here for a rank-up quest," he said, keeping his tone businesslike.
Mini blinked as if snapping out of a trance. The slight pink tint in her cheeks faded, and she returned to her usual efficient self, though confusion lingered in her expression. "Right, right. Let's get you set up." She scanned through the parchments on her desk, her sharp eyes once again focused.
After a few moments, she handed him a scroll. "This one's suited to your skills. It's the Spider's Lair Dungeon, out west in the forest. It has three floors, each with its own boss. Bring back the monster cores from the bosses, and you'll qualify for silver rank."
Nate took the scroll, his fingers brushing against the coarse parchment. "Thanks, Mini. I'll be back soon," he said with a confident nod.
Leaving the bustling city behind, Nate made his way through the dense forest, the sun casting long shadows on the ground as it filtered through the leaves. His heart raced, not with fear but with the thrill of what lay ahead. This would be his toughest challenge yet.
The Spider's Lair loomed ahead, a stone ruin encrusted with webs, the vines that clung to the structure giving it a foreboding, ancient aura. Taking a deep breath, Nate summoned his Status page to reallocate his points before venturing inside. He added a few to Dexterity and Perception, knowing he'd need to be quick and observant in the battles ahead.
With his preparations complete, Nate crossed the threshold into the dungeon. The air changed immediately—thicker, colder. Every breath tasted of mildew and decay, the walls around him dripping with moisture and filth. Webs clung to the walls and ceiling like a tapestry of death, and the faint sound of scuttling legs echoed from deeper within.
His boots squelched against the floor as he moved further into the lair. It wasn't long before the first creatures emerged from the shadows. Three spiders, each the size of a wolf, with glistening green carapaces and venom dripping from their fangs.
Nate's instincts kicked in. He cast Appraisal, and a screen appeared before his eyes:
[Race: Verdant Crawler, Weakness: Eyes]
A plan formed in his mind. Using Mirror Mirage, he conjured a perfect copy of himself to distract them, while he vanished from sight with Vanishing Act. One of the spiders lunged at the illusion, its legs clicking as it bit down on empty air.
Nate reappeared behind it, dagger in hand. He aimed for the cluster of eyes, driving his blade into the creature's weak point. The spider convulsed before collapsing, its legs curling inward as death took it.
"Two more," Nate muttered, wiping the ichor from his blade. But before he could strike again, the remaining spiders closed in fast. One swiped at him with its legs, knocking him to the ground. Pain flared in his side, but Nate rolled away just in time to avoid a venomous bite.
He threw another illusion to confuse one of the spiders and turned his attention to the other. Moving with swift precision, he ducked under its fangs and plunged his dagger into its abdomen. A shudder ran through the spider before it fell limp.
The last Verdant Crawler hesitated, sensing its impending doom. Nate wasted no time. His illusions misdirected the creature long enough for him to deliver the killing blow, his dagger finding purchase behind its eyes.
The system prompt appeared in his vision:
[x4 Verdant Crawler Slain +1000 EXP]
[Level Up: 10 < 11]
Nate exhaled, his muscles taut with the exertion of the battle. But this was only the beginning. Stepping deeper into the lair, he encountered more spiders along the way, fighting them off as he made his way to the final chamber.
At last, he reached a massive room draped in shimmering webs. At the far end sat the boss—the Venomweave Queen. Her bloated form dwarfed her underlings, and her eyes glowed with malevolent intelligence.
Nate activated Appraisal:
[Race: Venomweave Queen, Weakness: Eyes]
Without warning, the queen spewed a stream of venom at him. Nate dodged, but the acid still splashed against his arm, burning his skin. The pain was sharp and immediate, but he pushed it aside, focusing on the fight.
Summoning his illusions, he sent them forward to distract her while he circled around. The queen lashed out, her fangs sinking into one of the illusions. Nate seized the moment, darting in to strike at her eyes, but the queen was faster than he anticipated. A powerful leg swept out, sending him crashing into the ground.
Dazed but determined, Nate climbed to his feet. He couldn't afford to lose now. With a final burst of energy, he lunged at the queen, his dagger aimed for her last eye. The blade sank deep, and the Venomweave Queen let out a deafening screech before collapsing.
The system notification flickered before his eyes:
[x1 Venomweave Queen slain +1000 EXP]
Exhausted but victorious, Nate leaned against the cool stone wall, letting the adrenaline slowly ebb away. He reached for his waterskin, the liquid offering brief relief as he caught his breath.
After a moment of rest, Nate opened his status screen to allocate his new stat points, focusing on Endurance to help manage the exhaustion from prolonged battles.
Status Screen:
Name: Nathaniel Cromwell
Level: 11 / Exp (1000/1100)
Class: Illusionist Duelist
Race: Half-Fae / Half Unknown (SEALED)
Age: 16
Strength: 27
Perception: 25 < 30
Dexterity: 25 <30
Intelligence: 16
Endurance: 20 <27
Charisma: 28
Free Points: 17 < 0