The small flame on Pyra's tail, which had been gently lighting the way, suddenly flared with intensity. The temperature around her rose sharply.
With a powerful swing of her tail, she unleashed Flame Tail.
The seemingly unbreakable spider web evaporated upon contact, dissolving into nothingness. Before the Toxic Spider could react, Pyra's flaming tail struck it squarely.
The spider's health bar plummeted to zero in an instant, and its body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
[Congratulations! You have overleveled a Level 10 Toxic Spider, earning an additional experience bonus: +1,328.]
[Obtained material: Spider Silk ×1.]
Pyra lifted her head proudly, her fiery eyes locking onto Bastion. Her body language screamed, Praise me! I'm amazing!
But before Bastion could respond, the spider's bloated abdomen split open silently. From within, a swarm of miniature Toxic Spiders emerged, numbering over a dozen.
Bastion activated Appraisal, quickly scanning the new arrivals.
These miniature spiders shared the same skills as their parent but were only Level 6, resulting in significantly weaker stats.
The swarm shot sticky webs at Pyra. Agile as ever, she sidestepped the incoming attacks with ease. Her claws glowed briefly as she unleashed Claw Slash (Lv. 2).
Whoosh!
The air split with a sharp sound. In the blink of an eye, the baby spiders were eviscerated, leaving a pile of twitching corpses behind.
A cascade of experience notifications filled Bastion's interface.
He nodded in satisfaction. His choice to solo this dungeon had been the right one.
While the Toxic Spiders were tricky foes for many adventurers, Pyra's fire-based abilities, like Flame Tail and Flame Storm, gave her a decisive advantage.
Moreover, the sheer number of enemies ensured that he'd be raking in experience. Encounters with brood spiders also provided bonus kills from their hatchlings, speeding up the leveling process.
Bastion pulled a meat treat from his bag. Pyra's eyes lit up instantly as she bounded to his side, brushing against his leg with her soft fur. Her fiery tail wagged eagerly.
[Master~ Give it to me! I'm hungry~]
"Here, eat up. We've got plenty more spiders to deal with."
Pyra devoured the treat in seconds, licking her lips as she finished. Energized, she spun around, her movements brimming with determination, and padded deeper into the lair.
---
The Spider's Lair was a labyrinth of twisting paths and hidden alcoves.
Even for seasoned adventurers, navigating it was a challenge. Most couldn't guarantee finding the correct route to the boss chamber on their first attempt.
But Bastion had no intention of rushing to the final boss. His goal was to maximize his gains by clearing as many enemies as possible.
For hours, he and Pyra worked methodically, cutting through the endless waves of spiders.
---
Five hours later, Bastion crawled out of a narrow passageway with Pyra close behind.
Both of them were covered in dust and cobwebs. Pyra shook herself vigorously, dislodging debris from her fur.
"Whew. Good thing Billy's not here," Bastion joked, chuckling. "There's no way he'd fit through that tunnel. He'd have to double back and find another route."
Though a little disheveled, Bastion's expression was one of pure joy.
The reason? The dungeon had been packed with Toxic Spiders. After clearing them out, his experience bar now sat at Level 8, 40%.
At this pace, he was confident he could hit Level 9 by the end of the day.
Ordinarily, leveling beyond Initiation Dungeon was a painfully slow process. Monsters in the wild or in dungeons were tougher and more dangerous, often requiring well-coordinated parties to defeat.
The experience was split among teammates, making progress a grind.
But Bastion's solo approach, coupled with Pyra's overwhelming strength, had turned this dungeon into a personal training ground. He was on track to set a record-breaking leveling pace.
Suppressing his excitement, Bastion surveyed his surroundings.
The area was noticeably more spacious than the previous cramped tunnels. He suspected he was nearing the central chamber of the lair.
Clusters of Toxic Spiders clung to the walls, resting in the shadows. Their glossy exoskeletons glinted faintly in the dim light.
Bastion estimated there were at least thirty or forty of them—a daunting number to face one by one.
But Pyra wasn't just any summon.
"Time to clear house," Bastion muttered, a plan forming in his mind.
The open space here worked to their advantage. Pyra could easily dodge the Web Bind attacks, rounding up the spiders into a tight group for a devastating Flame Storm.
"Let's do it," he said, scratching Pyra behind her ears.
Pyra's eyes burned with determination. Her body tensed before she shot forward like a streak of red lightning.
---
The first spider stirred as Pyra approached, its glossy eyes snapping open in unison.
It reared up, its swollen abdomen aimed at Pyra. In a flash, a sticky web shot out, hurtling toward her.
The webbing was faster than Bastion anticipated. Although Pyra wouldn't be fully immobilized, even partial contact could slow her down, putting her at risk in such a densely packed area.
"Not happening," Bastion muttered.
He raised his right hand, activating the Gale Speed skill from his Spirit Jade Ring.
A faint breeze enveloped Pyra's legs, reducing air resistance and giving her a slight boost.
Her speed surged by 5%, and she effortlessly sidestepped the web.
The spider froze, its cluster of eyes blinking in confusion as its web missed. Then, fury overtook it, and it scurried after Pyra, legs clicking furiously against the stone floor.
The chase was in vain. Pyra easily outpaced it, her agile movements making a mockery of its efforts.
One by one, she baited the spiders from their perches, repeating the process seamlessly.
By the time Gale Speed wore off ten seconds later, Pyra had amassed an angry horde of a dozen spiders behind her.
The rhythmic clatter of their legs against the stone floor filled the cavern as they scrambled to catch up.
Pyra led them into an open clearing, then abruptly stopped.
The spiders rushed forward, eager to sink their venomous fangs into her.
But Pyra raised her tail, and an inferno erupted.
---
Flame Storm (Lv. 2) unleashed its full power for the first time.
The flames surged outward in a fiery vortex, consuming everything in their path. The searing heat warped the air, and the expanded range easily engulfed the entire horde.
Pyra stood at the eye of the storm, her fiery coat blending seamlessly with the raging flames. She seemed less like a summoned beast and more like a deity of fire, commanding the inferno itself.
A chorus of sizzling sounds echoed as the Toxic Spiders disintegrated. Even those touched by the faintest ember were reduced to ash.
[Congratulations! You have overleveled a Level 10 Toxic Spider, earning an additional experience bonus: +1,328.]
[Obtained material: Spider Silk ×1.]
[Congratulations! You have defeated a Level 6 Toxic Spider (Hatchling), earning experience: +239.]
The notifications kept pouring in, reflecting the sheer number of spiders obliterated.
The horde was gone, leaving nothing but ash and smoldering remains. Pyra stood tall amidst the devastation, her eyes shining with satisfaction.