Excluding its legs, the Toxic Spider King measured over two meters in length. Its vibrant, multicolored patterns outshone even the Venomous Painted Spider, and the most striking feature was the terrifying array of over twenty eyes covering its grotesque head.
Suspended in midair, the Spider King had its razor-sharp mouthparts plunged into a webbed cocoon, feeding voraciously. The nauseating stench of decay wafted from the cocoon, filling the chamber.
Bastion cast Appraisal, instantly scanning the Spider King's attributes.
---
[Toxic Spider King (Boss)]
- Level: 10
- Strength: 240
- Spirit: 150
- Agility: 200
- Constitution: 150
- Skills:
- Venomous Strike (Silver)
- Web Bind (Silver)
- Poison Lunge (Silver)
- Spider Gaze (Silver)
- Piercing Leg Spear (Silver)
- Web Guardian (Silver)
---
Noticing Bastion's approach, the Toxic Spider King raised its head, letting out a silent, menacing hiss before resuming its meal.
From a gaping hole behind it, countless Toxic Spiders began swarming out, led by three Venomous Painted Spiders.
The spider horde surged toward Pyra like a relentless tide, threatening to engulf her completely. Their dense white webs spread out in all directions, ready to trap and immobilize her.
But Pyra's eyes gleamed with cold determination. She leaped nimbly, fearlessly diving straight into the webs.
Just as the first web threatened to entangle her, Pyra let out a piercing cry.
With a boom, flames erupted around her, enveloping her entire body. The air crackled with heat as the temperature soared, and the oncoming swarm of spiders, brimming with murderous intent, was instantly reduced to crispy, smoldering remnants.
The air was filled with the aroma of seared protein, and Bastion's interface lit up with a barrage of experience notifications.
---
[Congratulations! You have defeated Level 10 Venomous Painted Spider (Elite). Bonus experience awarded: +1528.]
[Material obtained: Painted Spider Venom x1.]
[Congratulations! You have defeated Level 10 Toxic Spider. Bonus experience awarded: +1328.]
[Congratulations! You have defeated Level 10 Toxic Spider. Bonus experience awarded: +1328.]
…
---
Experience points surged upward as a golden light engulfed both Bastion and Pyra.
They had both reached Level 9, and the level-up bonus instantly dispelled any lingering fatigue, restoring them to peak condition.
Pyra's flames hadn't fully dissipated before she turned her attention to the Toxic Spider King, charging fearlessly toward the boss.
The Spider King finally sensed the danger. It withdrew its mouthparts from the cocoon, brandishing its bladed forelimbs in a defensive stance.
But Pyra, now Level 9, had grown even faster.
In a flash, she was upon the Spider King, which responded by activating its Spider Gaze.
The Spider King's countless eyes emitted a silvery, hypnotic light, aiming to stun Pyra once again.
But Pyra had learned from her previous encounter.
Closing her wild, flame-filled eyes, she relied solely on her instincts to guide her. Her tail ignited with a raging inferno as she swung it with all her might at the Spider King.
CRACK!
A sharp, resonant impact echoed through the chamber. Cracks spread across the Spider King's massive body as flames seeped into the fissures, consuming it from within.
The boss's health bar plummeted to zero in an instant.
One-hit kill.
Even a Level 10 boss in a Hard Mode dungeon couldn't withstand Pyra's overwhelming power.
Bastion opened Pyra's status panel and sucked in a sharp breath.
---
[Pyra]
- Race: Divine Fire Fox (Purity 10%)
- Gender: Female
- Level: 9 (Same as Master)
- Strength: 80
- Spirit: 600
- Agility: 600
- Constitution: 550
- Innate Skill: Innocent Charm
- Battle Skills:
- Claw Slash (Lv2, Bronze)
- Blazing Tail (Lv2, Gold)
- Flame Storm (Lv2, Gold)
---
Unreal. Compared to the Toxic Spider King, Pyra looked more like the real boss here.
Bastion also noticed that Blazing Tail had quietly leveled up to Level 2, further enhancing its already formidable power.
Moments later, a new notification popped up.
---
[Congratulations! You have defeated Level 10 Toxic Spider King (Boss). Bonus experience awarded: +1800.]
[Material obtained: Toxic Spider King's Leg x1.]
[Material obtained: Toxic Spider King's Heart x1.]
---
Bastion sighed, slightly disappointed. No high-value materials, and certainly no Venom Gland.
But his regret was short-lived as a second message appeared.
---
[Congratulations on your first clear of the Toxic Spider Nest (Hard). Completion time: 6 hours, 43 minutes. This is now the fastest recorded clear time for this dungeon.]
[Achievement unlocked: New fastest clear time. Bonus experience awarded: +3000.]
[First clear reward: Rare Pet Egg obtained.]
---
"Hmm?"
His earlier disappointment vanished as he waved his hand to retrieve the pet egg from his inventory.
A colorful, intricately patterned egg appeared on the ground.
---
[Pet Egg (Toxic Spider King)]
- Grade: Boss-tier
- Description: Hatches into a rare Toxic Spider King pet.
---
Bastion raised an eyebrow. A boss-tier pet egg was worth a fortune. Its growth potential and stats would far surpass that of any ordinary pet.
If I remember correctly, even Elite-tier pet eggs have sold for tens of thousands.
Grinning, he stored the egg carefully. Whether it carried any Divine Bloodline remained to be seen, but once he reached Level 10, he would consider contracting it. Even if it didn't, selling it would still be highly profitable.
As the familiar blue vortex appeared before him, signaling the end of the dungeon, Bastion chose to exit.
---
### Back at the Dungeon Entrance
The world swirled briefly, and Bastion found himself back at the bustling Spider Nest Gathering Point, surrounded by chattering adventurers.
Without hesitation, he retrieved the Cooldown Amulet he had obtained from the Initiation Dungeon and activated it.
The cooldown timer for re-entering the dungeon vanished instantly, resetting to zero.
The Spider Nest was now accessible once more.
Hard Mode. Confirmed. Entering again!
Bastion vanished into the vortex.
---
Nearby, most adventurers hadn't noticed Bastion's brief return and re-entry.
Only the United Federation official, stationed to buy rare materials, rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
"Did I just see someone leave the dungeon... and then immediately go back in?"
A vendor chuckled. "You're imagining things. Tiger and his group haven't even cleared it yet."
"Even if someone did clear it, there's no way they could reset the cooldown timer. Items like that cost a fortune and aren't something ordinary people can afford."
The official shook his head, convinced he must have been mistaken.
---
Inside the Spider Nest, Bastion looked down at the familiar white bones beneath his feet and took a deep breath of the stale, musty air.
A smile crept across his face.
"With my current experience bar at 20% of Level 9, one more clear should do it. I'll hit Level 10 for sure."
Determined, Bastion and Pyra headed straight for the densest clusters of spiders.
"Let's make this a speed run. The goal—Level 10!"