Outside the dungeon's gathering point, over an hour passed before the blue vortex flickered, signaling the return of Tiger's six-member team.
They emerged battered and bruised, disappointment etched across their faces.
The merchant tasked with purchasing the Venom Gland of the Toxic Spider King rushed forward eagerly.
"How'd it go? Did you manage to get it?"
Tiger shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
"No luck. We cleared the dungeon, but we were far from breaking the boss clear time record."
"That thing's drop rate is just too abysmal," Tiger sighed.
The merchant gave a rueful smile in return. He knew well the rarity of the Venom Gland, which was exactly why the United Federation had stationed him here.
Tiger then remembered the strange young man he'd seen earlier and casually asked, "By the way, did you see that young guy who went into the Hard Mode Spider Nest solo? Has he come out yet?"
The others shook their heads.
"Nope. If someone like that went in alone—especially a non-tank—surviving even half an hour would be a miracle. If he's a squishy, the Toxic Spiders would've torn him apart immediately."
"Honestly, what was he thinking? Throwing his life away for a slim chance at a rare drop?"
"He's a Beast Summoner, isn't he?" Tiger added with a heavy sigh. "Poor kid. Looked so young, too. What a waste."
Hearing this, the merchant furrowed his brows, his pulse quickening. He couldn't help but recall the earlier moment when he thought he'd seen someone leave the dungeon and re-enter.
"No way… Could it be…?"
Noticing the merchant's strange expression, Tiger asked a few more questions.
When he learned about the peculiar sighting from earlier, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"A cooldown-resetting item?"
"Could this guy actually be a prodigy from some big-shot family?"
Though it seemed improbable, Tiger approached the dungeon vortex to check the records.
As he scanned the logs, his breath caught.
---
[Spider Nest (Hard) Fastest Clear Time: 6 hours, 43 minutes. Cleared by: Bastion.]
---
The name Bastion stared back at him, alone on the leaderboard.
Tiger stood frozen as if struck by lightning.
The name matched the Fire Fox Beast Summoner he'd appraised earlier! Bastion!
He actually cleared it.
And solo.
What's more, the Spider Nest (Hard) record he'd just shattered was previously held by a team of high-level hidden-class adventurers who had taken 11 hours and 32 minutes to clear it. Bastion had cut that time in half.
Could this truly be the same Beast Summoner class that everyone mocked for being weak in the early game?
The merchant, noticing Tiger's stunned expression, couldn't resist taking a look for himself. When he saw the record, his jaw dropped.
The shock on his face soon turned to excitement.
If Bastion managed to break the dungeon record, maybe he also got the Venom Gland!
---
### Inside the Dungeon
Meanwhile, Bastion and Pyra moved swiftly through the Spider Nest.
To save time, Bastion had Pyra use her incredible agility to gather the spiders into groups while deftly avoiding their webs.
Now Level 9, Pyra no longer needed the Gale Speed buff to dance effortlessly around the Toxic Spiders.
When the gathered spiders began to shift their attention toward Bastion, he unleashed his trump card.
"Shadow Technique Twin Strike: Copy Flame Storm!"
Pyra's fiery silhouette appeared behind him, and together, they unleashed two simultaneous Flame Storms.
The twin storms merged into a raging inferno, filling the chamber with blinding light and unbearable heat.
The combined power of the two Flame Storms turned the Spider Nest into a blazing inferno, incinerating the swarming Toxic Spiders and even those still hidden in their webs.
The onslaught was overwhelming.
Experience notifications flooded Bastion's interface as the flames died down, revealing the charred remains of hundreds of spiders.
Neither Bastion nor Pyra even broke a sweat.
Three hours later, they arrived at the boss's lair once again.
High above, the Toxic Spider King let out its eerie, soundless cry as hordes of spiders spilled forth to defend it.
Pyra repeated her earlier strategy, blitzing through the mob with another Flame Storm to clear the weaker enemies.
Before the Toxic Spider King could activate its Spider Gaze, Pyra's blazing tail lashed out with unmatched ferocity.
CRACK!
The sound echoed through the lair as the boss's health dropped to zero in an instant.
Not even its signature skills could save it.
Without a backward glance, Pyra leaped into Bastion's arms, affectionately nuzzling his hand as if celebrating the completion of their mission.
A golden light enveloped Bastion, signifying his long-awaited milestone—Level 10.
---
[Congratulations! You have defeated Level 10 Toxic Spider King (Boss). Bonus experience awarded: +1800.]
[Material obtained: Toxic Spider King's Venom Gland x1.]
[Equipment obtained: Spider King's Staff x1.]
---
Bastion froze for a moment before breaking into a grin.
The 200,000-credit Venom Gland actually dropped!
And not just that—the boss had dropped a piece of equipment.
Items directly dropped by bosses were almost always top-tier.
Finally, my luck is turning around!
The dungeon completion notice soon followed.
---
[Congratulations! You have completed the Spider Nest (Hard). Completion time: 3 hours, 12 minutes. A new record has been set.]
[Achievement unlocked: Fastest clear time. Bonus experience awarded: +3000.]
[Non-first-time record refresh: No additional rewards.]
---
Bastion had anticipated the lack of extra rewards for subsequent record-breaking clears, so he wasn't disappointed.
He reached into his bag and retrieved the newly acquired Spider King's Staff, which radiated a brilliant silver glow as soon as it appeared.
Even at a glance, Bastion knew—this was Silver-tier equipment, a rare treasure indeed.
---
### [Spider King's Staff]
- Type: Weapon
- Class Restriction: Beast Summoner
- Level Requirement: 10
- Quality: Silver
- Attributes:
- Spirit +50
- Poison Resistance +20%
- Skill Enhancement: Web Bind (+1 Skill Level)
---
Bastion's eyes gleamed as he examined the staff.
Not only did it offer a significant boost to Spirit, but the poison resistance and skill enhancement were perfect for tackling poisonous environments—like this very dungeon.
"This... is amazing."
Clutching the staff, Bastion made his way toward the exit vortex.
His goal was complete. He had reached Level 10, earned the coveted Venom Gland, and even acquired powerful new equipment.
Stepping through the vortex, Bastion emerged back at the gathering point, ready to claim his rewards—and the attention of those waiting outside.