Somewhere in the fog, a dark gloomy forest held an unsettling presence, its atmosphere thick with a sense of dread. Tall, ancient trees with twisted, gnarled branches created a dense canopy that allowed only the faintest glimmers of light to penetrate, casting eerie shadows on the forest floor. The ground was a tangled mess of decaying leaves, thorny brambles, and sinister-looking mushrooms, all covered in a network of sticky, silken threads that seemed to shimmer ominously in the dim light.
The air was filled with a thick, oppressive mist that clings to everything, giving the surroundings a ghostly, surreal quality. The silence was punctuated by occasional rustling noises and strange, skittering sounds that sent shivers down the spine. Web-like structures draped over the trees and bushes, creating an almost labyrinthine quality to the forest, as if designed to ensnare and trap any who dare to venture within.
Every step was fraught with danger, as the ground beneath seemed to shift and move in unsettling ways. The scent of damp earth and decay hung heavily in the air, mixing with an almost imperceptible, acrid odor that hints at the presence of something sinister and unseen. The forest felt alive, as though it was watching, waiting, and ready to ensnare any who intruded upon its dark domain.
In the stifling gloom of the fog-covered forest, figures shrouded in dark, covered head to toe in black, shuttled through the woods. The thick mist clung to their forms that looked feminine, blending them with the shadowy surroundings as they advanced with unwavering purpose. Every step they took was accompanied by the unsettling rustle of decaying leaves and the occasional snap of a twig, their presence disturbing the eerie silence.
Hidden threats emerged from the dark recesses of the forest. The air grew heavy with an almost palpable menace as the figures found themselves under attack by unseen assailants. From the deepest shadows, shapes darted swiftly, their movements nearly imperceptible until it was too late.
These shadowy attackers struck with swift, almost mechanical precision. Despite their vigilance, the figures were momentarily caught off guard by their assailants' stealthy approach. Silken threads shot out, aiming to ensnare limbs and pull them toward unseen lairs. Yet, the figures reacted with lightning speed, their reflexes honed, and their senses razor-sharp.
In the dim light, glimpses of the attackers became visible—creatures with elongated limbs and multiple eyes that reflected the faint light in a haunting, otherworldly manner. The attackers were met with formidable resistance despite their uncanny grace and speed. The figures easily slashed through the silken threads, their movements fluid and decisive.
The dense fog and pervasive darkness amplified the eerie ambiance; the forest seemed to close around them. Each moment brought a new wave of attacks as the creatures blended seamlessly back into the shadows, only to strike again. However, the figures remained unscathed, their strength and skill rendering the assaults futile.
Their breaths were steady and controlled, and their eyes scanned the surroundings with cold, calculating precision. Though swift and adept at blending into the shadows, the attackers were no match for the figures' prowess. Each time a creature lunged, the figures countered with deadly efficiency, dispatching their foes with practiced ease.
"Captain, there must be a treasure here that can allow even such weak mortal spider monsters to have advanced stage shadow mastery," one of the women said, glancing at the one leading them.
The captain didn't reply but nodded slightly, her eyes narrowing in thought.
They kept on advancing while slaying any sneaky spider that attacked them. Due to the difference in their masteries, they could only notice the assailants moments before they were attacked, but that was enough to counterattack the weak mortal spider monsters.
After a day of traveling through the fog zone, killing spider monsters one after another, and taking only a brief rest, they finally reached the core of the fog. The absence of attacks from the spider monsters made them uneasy. They moved slowly, staying alert for any sneak attacks.
Suddenly, a massive spider the size of a small bus emerged from the shadow behind one of the women. It tried to crush her under its hideous mandibles, but she reacted in time and leaped forward.
"That was close!" she muttered, her heart pounding.
The emergence of the giant spider marked the beginning of a new wave of attacks. One by one, nineteen figures were ambushed by newly emerging spider monsters. These were all extraordinary monsters, albeit at rank 1.
Despite being caught off guard, the women reacted swiftly, dodging the attacks. Their eyes, visible through the slits in their black masks, narrowed on the massive assailants.
The ten spiders, their eyes glinting malevolently, disappeared into the shadows after their attacks failed. The women huddled together, their backs against each other, forming a defensive circle to prevent any more sneak attacks.
They were not attacked again for a few minutes, but they were certain their assailants were nearby. The air was thick with tension. Suddenly, four spiders hidden in the shadows of the branches above jumped down.
The women reacted promptly. One tightly grasped the mandibles of a spider in mid-air and slammed it to the ground with a bone-crunching thud. Without hesitation, she drove her dagger into its brain, silencing it instantly.
Another woman, with a flick of her wrist, sent three small throwing knives into the head of a spider still descending, its legs twitching before it even touched the ground.
The third spider was less fortunate. Eight women slashed at its legs with precise cuts, leaving it immobile. As it landed, helpless and thrashing, they quickly dispatched it.
The last spider landed on one of the women, but she was unfazed. With impressive strength, she held back the spider's mandibles with one hand while her other hand repeatedly stabbed the underside of its head. The spider let out a final, mournful cry before she pushed its lifeless body off her.
As she dealt with the spider, four more leaped from the shadows, targeting three women from behind. The previous attack had disrupted their formation, leaving them vulnerable. But they were ready. They dodged swiftly, counterattacking with lethal efficiency, killing the spiders before they could retreat into the shadows.
Reforming their defensive stance, they stood with their backs against each other. They waited for over half an hour, but the remaining two spiders did not attack.
"No need to waste any more time; let's continue forward," the captain ordered, her voice steady.
They moved cautiously, aware that the absence of attacks might be a prelude to something more sinister. The forest around them remained oppressive, the silence broken only by their careful footsteps.
They traveled for a few kilometers until they encountered a massive web covering many trees. Five figures perched on the trees watched them with what appeared to be amused smiles. These were not ordinary spiders but Arachne.
The Arachne were a fusion of humans and spiders. From the navel up, they appeared as beautiful human females with pale skin and long, shiny grey hair, their human parts exposed. From the navel down, they were massive spiders. Despite resembling the rank 1 spider monsters they had fought before, these Arachne were more powerful.
Four of them were at rank 1, while the one sitting with grace at the top was at rank 2. The rank 2 Arachne's human part was about the same size as her rank 1 counterparts, but her spider part was slightly larger.
"Go entertain our guests," the rank 2 Arachne ordered gracefully, a slight smile on her lips.
The masked women were startled upon hearing a monster speak so clearly for the first time. They didn't have much time to dwell on that as the four Arachne leaped down from the web at their leader's command.
Mid-air, the Arachne disappeared, blending into the shadows created by the web on the ground. Before the women could regroup, one of the Arachne emerged from the captain's shadow and attacked her. The captain reacted quickly, spinning with her dagger to counter the assault.
CLANG
The Arachne blocked the attack with a dagger of her own, giving a mocking smile before disappearing again.
The other three Arachne engaged the remaining masked women. Even with one against many, the Arachne held the upper hand, their superior strength and agility evident. The women fought bravely, but the sudden appearances and disappearances of the Arachne from the shadows kept them off balance.
"Stay alert! Watch the shadows!" the captain commanded, her voice steady despite the tension.
The captain fought her opponent alone, her expression hidden behind her mask becoming increasingly grim. After hundreds of bouts, she had a practical idea of her opponent's capabilities. Since Drake gave all his subordinates the basic system functions like the appraisal, she had already appraised the Arachnes. One of the main reasons for their fighting against the monsters was to judge the distance between them.
The Arachne had advanced shadow mastery like the rest of the spider monsters in the fog zone. Moreover, she possessed advanced stealth mastery, while the captain's stealth mastery was less than level 20 of the intermediate stage and would take some time to reach the advanced stage.
Arachne's perception mastery was also in the intermediate stage, at least above level 20. Lastly, her dagger mastery was intermediate and similarly higher than the captain. The captain realized that Arachne was a much better assassin than her, with all her masteries being higher than hers. She was barely keeping up with the monster because of the fruits that granted her extreme strength, defense, and agility and their experience from continuous training in the training room.
The rest of the Arachne were similarly skilled. The women might have seemed to be holding their own, but the monsters were merely playing with them, not fighting seriously. The skill gap was vast.
This did not mean that the masked women were weak. No, they were very strong and could easily kill rank 3 and even fight rank 4, but that was only when their opponents didn't have the appropriate mastery to complement their power.
Their strength, defense, and agility were all much higher than those of the Arachnes, and as long as they landed one successful hit, it was enough to kill the Arachnes. But the superior skills of the Arachnes didn't give them that chance.
After an hour of intense fighting, all the masked women were exhausted. The Arachne were also tired, but not as much.
"Stop," the Arachne leader suddenly ordered, looking slightly bored.
The four rank 1 Arachne ceased their attacks and backed off.
The rank 2 leader gracefully descended from the web. She passed by her four subordinates and approached the masked women.
The women were on high alert, ready to jump into the training room at any second to train continuously for days or even weeks to become strong enough to either kill the Arachnes or escape successfully. The only reason they hadn't done so was that the Arachne leader didn't look like she wanted to attack. The captain ordered her team to wait and see what the Arachne leader wanted.
They had many possibilities in mind, but what the Arachne leader did next surprised them greatly.
After the leader reached them, she stopped and smiled, "We surrender."