As the participants entered the abyss, they were met with a cave-like scenery. The walls were lined with flaming torches that illuminated the area. As they ventured forward, they noticed spider webs scattered all over. Suddenly, they encountered a furry, ten-legged beast with six glowing red eyes and two blade-like structures protruding from its mouth, each blade about 12 inches long and 6 inches wide. The spinnerets were equally long and sharp.
"Hey, since when did spiders have ten legs?" one participant asked.
"Are you stupid?" another participant snapped. "You can't use common sense to fight these spiders. They've obviously been mutated by some mythical force. They're mythical creatures—expect the unexpected when battling them."
While the participants were still talking, Inu Kyle, a participant clad in jet-black leather armor with shoulder and knee paddings, black gauntlets, and boots, dashed forward. Wielding two short black-handled blades, he drew them as he approached the beast. The spider shot webs at him, but Kyle dodged to the side and leapt into the air, twisting and spinning his body as he hurled one of the blades at one of the spider's eyes. The spider screeched in pain and attempted to bite him with its blade-like mandibles. Kyle quickly jumped backward, activating his Assassin's Poison skill. An orange coat of poison enveloped his remaining blade as he dashed toward the spider once again.
The spider responded by shooting a barrage of webs, but Kyle skillfully evaded each one. He gripped his blade in reverse and dashed to the side of the spider, slashing through three of its legs in one swift motion. The spider screamed in agony and retaliated by spewing a purple substance that melted the cave floor on contact.
"Acid, huh?" Kyle remarked with a smile.
"Is it me, or is the spider's movement slowing down?" another participant observed.
Kyle smirked. "So, my poison has finally taken effect," he thought to himself.
"This has gone on long enough. Time to end it," Kyle declared, rushing forward. The spider attempted to bite him again, but Kyle leapt backward and threw his poison-coated blade directly into its mouth, killing it.
"Wow, did that guy just solo the beast?" one man asked.
"Yeah, and in a short amount of time too. Who is he, anyway? Isn't he from the Assassin class?" others began whispering.
"Don't let your guard down!" Kyle shouted. "More are coming!"
Suddenly, multiple glowing red eyes emerged from the other end of the cave.
"A horde, huh? The fight must've attracted them," Harden commented.
"Yeah," Raizo replied.
"Well, that guy's already scored a point. We can't let him outshine us, can we?" Harden said with a grin, pulling out his nunchaku.
"We can't," Raizo and Amy replied simultaneously as they readied their weapons.
As the beasts charged toward the participants, some prepared for battle while others panicked. Kyle quickly retrieved his blade from the first monster and charged in.
"Is that guy crazy?" Amy asked.
"Looks like he's not the only one," Raizo replied, gesturing toward Harden, who had also rushed into the fray.
"Since they've run off, we might as well support them," Amy said as she readied her wand.
Kyle activated his Poison Cloak skill and leapt onto the first spider, stabbing through two of its eyes at once. The spider screeched and spewed acid, which Kyle narrowly evaded. Just then, another spider lunged at Kyle, seemingly catching him off guard when—bang!—Harden struck the spider's head with his nunchaku.
"Thanks, man," Kyle said.
"Yeah," Harden replied.
Harden then rushed toward the dazed spider, spinning his nunchaku in a clockwise motion. Leaping into the air, he slammed the weapon onto the spider's head with a loud bang. The spider screeched, blood dripping from its mouth.
"Don't hog all the glory!" Raizo shouted, activating his Six Path Slash skill. In one fluid motion, he severed six of the spider's legs. The creature collapsed, bleeding profusely, as Harden delivered a Palm Strike, his hand glowing with a yellow hue. The strike finished the spider.
"Not bad," Kyle commented, standing atop another dead spider he had slain.
"I could say the same for you," Harden replied.
Meanwhile, Amy and the other participants were locked in combat with the remaining spiders. Harden noticed a martial artist participant expertly battling a spider. With just his index and middle fingers, the martial artist struck all ten of the spider's legs. The spider froze, unable to move, before the martial artist leapt into the air and executed an Axe Kick, slamming his foot down onto the spider's head and killing it instantly.
"Whoa, that guy is pretty impressive," Harden thought. "Looks like he's from the martial arts class."
As another spider approached the martial artist, Harden sprang into action, spinning his body as he activated his Crescent Kick skill. His leg glowed with a blue light as he delivered a powerful side kick, staggering the spider. The martial artist followed up by striking all ten of the spider's legs, freezing it in place once again. Harden then finished the creature with a Palm Strike, while the martial artist delivered the killing blow with another Axe Kick.
"Not bad," Harden said.
"You're not bad yourself," the martial artist replied.
"The name's Harden," he introduced himself.
"I'm Wang Ling, but you can call me Ling," the martial artist responded.
"I've never seen moves like those in any skill book before, Ling," Harden remarked.
"They're techniques passed down in my family," Ling explained.
"Oh, I see," Harden replied.
"How long are you two going to chat?" Raizo interrupted, walking toward them with his blade dripping green spider blood.
In the distance, a spider flew into the air, its body lifeless. Amy emerged from the other side, her wand in hand.
"These things are tougher than they look," she said.
"For a light mage, your friend seems pretty strong," Ling commented.
"Yeah," Harden replied. "She's one of a kind."
Kyle approached the group. "Well, that's the last one in this area. It looks like the others left us to deal with them and moved on to the boss room."
"Yeah, so it seems," Raizo replied.
"It's about time we cleared this abyss. Let's go boss hunting," Harden said.