Banri's group continued running while being chased by the Poisonous Arachnids.
"What are we going to do? Our energy will definitely be drained if we keep running. We can't just escape from these monsters," one of them said.
"We should face them instead!" another suggested.
So, instead of continuing to run, the group decided to stop and confront the Poisonous Arachnids. Armed with their weapons, they attacked the monsters and dodged the poison being spewed by them. They did not expect that they would be able to defeat them all.
These creatures looked terrifying because they resembled giant spiders, but they were actually weak since they were only low-level monsters and could be killed with just a few hits.
After defeating many Poisonous Arachnids, they all leveled up simultaneously to level 3. Banri was overjoyed because the monsters had dropped foot gear and several processing materials for crafting various potions.
Although they obtained foot gear from the Poisonous Arachnids, the quality was low. The foot gear was just a common item with minimal stats.
*Foot Gear Obtained from Poisonous Arachnid Stats*
[Level: 3]
[Increase player speed: 2%]
[Poison resistance: 1%]
[Defense rate: 4]
[Gear slot: 0]
But given their current situation and low levels, Banri thought it was better than nothing, especially since his feet were already hurting from having no footwear since entering the world of Grimland.
They continued walking, encountering various mobs along the way. These enemies were of a lower level, so they didn't have much difficulty defeating them. Some of the mobs even dropped weapons with higher stats compared to the ones they obtained from the Swamp Beast in the deepest part of the swamp. But all of it are just common weapons.
Eventually, they reached the final area of Dungeon Level 1, where a spider boss known as the "Shadowspinner" appeared. The Shadowspinner was Level 6, while Banri's group had reached Level 4 after defeating mobs along the way. However, the Shadowspinner was still two levels higher than them and was much stronger and tougher since it was a boss.
Its appearance was terrifying: black in color, with large and sharp legs, and glowing green eyes. It also emitted a kind of black smoke and had spiked tendrils that whipped through the air and struck its targets.
Before deciding to fight, Banri's group drank an energy bottle. None of them had obtained any skills yet, nor did they have a specific class, so they weren't sure if they could win against the spider boss.
"Should we continue?" one of them asked.
"I think we can defeat this boss if we work together. We just need to be smart with our attacks," Sunade replied, determined to fight the Shadowspinner.
"We don't even have any skills to help us win," another one added.
"Sunade is right. What we need now is teamwork and confidence in our abilities. Let's at least try," Banri agreed with Sunade.
"Noga, you're the group leader... What's your decision? Should we just go back to the capital?" one of them asked.
Noga paused for a moment, looking at the Shadowspinner.
"No one is leaving. We'll finish this, and I trust we can clear all the layers of this dungeon," Noga said optimistically.
Some of the group swallowed nervously.
Sunade checked the information about the Shadowspinner to find its weakness.
*Shadowspinner*
[Level: 6]
[Skill 1: Black poisonous smoke]
[Skill 2: Spinning sharp tendrils]
[Weakness: Source of light]
[Drop: Armor, Weapon, Gem]
"The Shadowspinner's weakness is a source of light," Sunade said after checking the information.
"What does that mean?" Noga asked.
"It seems the Shadowspinner is sensitive to light, and it may cause it to weaken or become immobilized," Banri added.
"But there's only darkness in this dungeon. Where are we supposed to find light?" one of the group said, frustrated.
They paused for a moment to think of a solution.
"There has to be a way," Banri said positively while deep in thought.
Then, they checked the materials they had collected from the mobs earlier. Banri felt a surge of hope when he saw the two Firestone Pebbles they obtained from a stone monster mob they encountered earlier.
He read the description of the Firestone Pebbles.
*Firestone Pebbles*
[Small stones that can generate sparks when struck together]
"We have Firestone Pebbles, which were dropped by a stone monster mob earlier. With these, we can create fire, and the light from the fire might be enough to exploit the Shadowspinner's weakness," Banri explained.
They were amazed, realizing there was a puzzle aspect to the game and that the materials they obtained were not random but had a purpose. The players just needed to be smart and think critically because these materials could help them succeed in clearing the dungeon.
"So, the web developer of this game likes playing mind games," one of the group members said, shaking their head.
"Good thing we have someone here who thinks carefully," Sunade added.
With that, they rubbed the Firestone Pebbles together. It was tiring and took a while before a spark appeared, but they were thrilled when the stones finally lit up. They continued until the fire grew larger.
They pressed the ready button floating in the air to begin the fight against the Shadowspinner.
They all gathered around the burning pebble stones, planning to lure the Shadowspinner toward the fire. Once it was weakened, they would strike.
The boss Shadowspinner began to move, and as it got closer to them, it seemed blinded by the light from the fire. Its green eyes began to smoke and slowly turned black, as if it had gone blind.
The Shadowspinner became more aggressive, but its movements slowed down, so they took that opportunity to attack. They struck the Shadowspinner simultaneously with the weapons they had obtained.
They slashed at the belly and back of the Shadowspinner, cutting its tendrils to pieces as they targeted those parts. The final attack was carried out by their leader, Noga.
Because of the footgear Noga had obtained earlier, he gained the ability to jump high and soar through the air, as the footgear had a Jump stat that increased the player's leap height.
As Noga jumped into the air, he immediately targeted the two eyes of the Shadowspinner and stabbed them with his dual-bladed swords.
The Shadowspinner screamed in pain and slowly collapsed, gradually disappearing like smoke.
Some of the group members jumped up and down in celebration after they defeated the Shadowspinner boss.
"Awesome! We did it, whoo!" one of them shouted.
Banri was also filled with joy, as this was their first victory in the World of Grimland. It felt incredible, giving him a sense of fulfillment he never felt in reality and real life.
Banri just smiled.
[Boss Shadowspinner has been defeated]
*Players obtained the following reward*
*Distribution of reward is individual; each member of the party will receive the following reward individually*
*Rewards and drops from the Boss Shadowspinner:*
[10,000 EXP points]
[5,000 coins]
[Energy Bottle + 10]
[Venom Blade Sword Spinner]
[Venom Guard Armor]
[Armor Upgrade Gem]
"Wow, the rewards and drops from that boss are amazing!" one of the group members said excitedly.
And suddenly, a blue portal appeared on one of the walls.
[The party can now proceed to Layer Two area of the dungeon. Good luck, players.]
They all entered the portal together, heading to the Layer Two area of the dungeon.