The sound of footsteps echoes in the silence of the cave, slow and steady. Shadows stretch across the stone walls, lit only by a small flame glowing at the tip of a long stave. A hooded figure with striking yellow eyes stands at the entrance, their face shadowed by their hood. They murmur under their breath, "Finally." Though young, their voice is calm and controlled.
In the center of the cave lies a dark hole, like the earth itself had opened up to swallow anything brave—or foolish—enough to get close. The air is thick, filled with the smell of damp soil, and a tense stillness hums around them. This is no ordinary place; it's a monster den, hiding something dangerous within.
The figure lifts their stave, and the flame at the tip flares brighter, bigger, until it lights up a large part of the pit. Just enough light reveals their target—a massive spider, twitching as its eight eyes catch the glow of the flame, glistening like tiny, cold mirrors.
They sigh, sounding almost bored, and mutter, "Ugly, aren't you? Let's fix that."
With a flick of their wrist, the flame hurtles into the pit toward the creature. Sensing danger, the spider reacts fast, spinning a thick web to block the attack. The web catches fire, hissing and crackling as it burns, but the flame weakens by the time it reaches the spider. The beast lets out a sharp hiss and rushes forward, limbs skittering over the scorched ground, baring sharp fangs.
The figure doesn't flinch. With a wave of their hand, ten spears of blue mana appear in the air around them, gleaming in the dim light. The spears shoot forward, aiming for the spider's head. The first two strike the front legs, but the creature jerks back, narrowly dodging the others. It lunges forward again, faster this time.
The spider fires a thick string of silk from its mouth, trying to trap its opponent. The figure quickly commands a sword made of solid mana to slice through the web, cutting it cleanly in half before it can reach them. As the spider swings a massive limb down, the figure raises a hexagonal shield of mana just in time. The blow shakes the shield, but they hold their ground, unmoved.
They focus, guiding the mana sword to hack at the spider's legs. The blade slashes, and with a wet crunch, three limbs fall to the ground. The spider screeches, a furious, piercing sound that fills the cave, making the air shiver. Yet it isn't done. It lunges with its remaining legs, desperate, full of rage.
The figure barely sighs, as though this were all routine. Above them, a spear of flames begins to form, blazing hot and fierce. They glance up at it, then back at the spider. "Time to put you to sleep."
The fiery spear streaks downward, slamming straight into the spider's head. Fire bursts out, consuming it in a flash of light and heat. The explosion sends a wave of hot wind through the cavern, pushing the figure back and knocking their hood off.
As the smoke and ash settle, the figure stands alone, no older than nineteen, with messy brown hair and striking yellow eyes. A small silver pendant around their neck catches the light, engraved with a single name: Victor Fare.