Ben sat at the edge of the pond. The source of the faint light he had investigated earlier lay at the bottom: a gleamfruit. It emitted a soft, bioluminescent glow, illuminating the murky water around it. Hunger gnawed at him. He had no other food. He had no choice. He retrieved the gleamfruit and ate it.A notification appeared in his vision.
+3 Strength +5 Vitality
He felt a subtle warmth spread through his body. A tangible increase in his physical strength and resilience. He considered eating another gleamfruit, but a new message appeared.
Gleamfruit stat bonuses have a two-hour cooldown. Storing harvested gleamfruit will render them inert. Consume immediately for maximum effect.
He understood. The gleamfruit provided temporary stat boosts, but only if eaten fresh. Storing them was pointless. He made a mental note. This place was dangerous, but it also offered valuable resources. The risks were worth the rewards, provided he could manage them effectively.He checked his status. "Status."
Bennet Wells Level: 8
Class: Recycler (Stage 0) … (Previous skill information)
Stat Points: 80
Strength: 8 + 3 (Gleamfruit)
Agility: 17
Endurance: 11
Vitality: 8 + 5 (Gleamfruit)
Magic: 0
He had accumulated 80 stat points from leveling. He knew from previous level-ups that each level granted 10 stat points. He allocated them strategically. +30 to Agility, prioritizing mobility and evasion. +20 to Strength, increasing his offensive capabilities. +15 to Endurance, boosting his stamina and resistance to injury. And +15 to Vitality, improving his overall health and resilience.His status screen updated.
Bennet Wells Level: 8
Class: Recycler (Stage 0) … (Previous skill information)
Stat Points: 0
Strength: 28 + 3 (Gleamfruit)
Agility: 47
Endurance: 26
Vitality: 23 + 5 (Gleamfruit)
Magic: 0
He still couldn't allocate points to Magic. That stat remained locked behind his first Class Awakening. The reason for this restriction remained a mystery. He filed it away for later investigation. He needed to reach Level 10 first. That was his immediate goal.
Ben rested by the pond, a rare moment of calm. Then, stone fragments rained down from the cavern ceiling. He looked up. A massive spider clung to the rock above. Saliva dripped from its gaping maw, revealing large, powerful pincers. Horns jutted from its head like a grotesque crown. Sharp thorns protruded from its abdomen. Its skin shifted color, camouflaging it against the cavern walls.He had been in this area for a while, encountering no spiders. This one was a new arrival. Fuck, he thought. He carefully reached for the dead Chitranid. A distraction. A sacrifice. He gulped, then tossed the Chitranid into the pond, towards the spider. He immediately stood and ran. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." He had been too relaxed.He glanced back. The spider ignored the Chitranid, its many eyes locked on Ben. The creature moved with surprising speed despite its bulk, its legs carrying it swiftly across the uneven ceiling. Fighting was not an option. He was outmatched. The temple was his only hope. He was grateful for the earlier stat point allocation to Agility. Without it, he would be dead.As he ran, he spotted a thick vine hanging from a cavern pillar near a sharp drop-off. An idea sparked in his mind. He sprinted, snatching the vine as he passed. If it held, it might work. He used his momentum to swing out over the edge. The spider stopped at the precipice, its legs scrabbling for purchase.The vine swung in a wide arc, carrying Ben in a near 360-degree turn, his feet arcing towards the spider's back. He braced himself and kicked out, his boots connecting squarely with the spider's abdomen.The spider lost its grip, falling. It bounced off the cavern wall below, its legs twitching as it landed in a broken heap.A notification appeared.You have slain a Young Veilspinner Spider. You are now Level 10.
He breathed hard. He looked back. Hundreds of smaller spiders emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing menacingly. FUCK. He sprinted towards the temple, its faint green glow a beacon in the darkness.He accessed his status. "Status!"Bennet Wells Level: 10
Class: Recycler (Stage 0) … (Previous skill information)
Stat Points: 20
Strength: 28 + 3 (Gleamfruit)
Agility: 47
Endurance: 26
Vitality: 23 + 5 (Gleamfruit) Magic: 0
He had gained 20 stat points from leveling up. He quickly allocated them: 10 to Agility, pushing it to 57, and 10 to Endurance, raising it to 36. He needed every advantage he could get.As he ran, another idea formed. He needed a distraction. He needed to draw the spiders' attention away from himself, perhaps even trigger a conflict with other creatures. The spiders were small, likely hatchlings. If there were hatchlings, there had to be a mother nearby. It was a gamble, but one he had to take.He neared the temple entrance. He saw the eyeless lion beast emerge from a side passage, blocking his path. He adjusted his plan. He wouldn't try to outrun the lion. He would use it.He shouted, his voice echoing through the cavern. "Hey! Over here!"The eyeless lion beast turned towards the sound. Ben saw a small opening below the creature, just enough space to slide through. The lion lunged, its massive body sailing over Ben as he slid beneath it. The lion landed directly in the path of the approaching swarm of spiders, its attention now fully occupied.Ben scrambled to his feet, sprinting the remaining distance to the temple entrance. He dove through the shimmering force field, collapsing against the cold metallic wall inside. He breathed heavily, watching the chaos unfold outside. The eyeless lion beast swiped at the swarming hatchlings, its claws tearing through their fragile bodies. The spiders, in turn, swarmed the larger creature, their bites and stings doing little damage but serving as a constant irritation. He had made it. Just barely.Ben leaned against the cold wall inside the temple, catching his breath, watching the eyeless lion beast engage the spider hatchlings. The creature swiped and clawed, scattering the smaller spiders. Then, abruptly, the lion beast stopped. It turned and ran back towards the temple, leaping with surprising agility towards a small passage high on the right wall. It squeezed through the opening and disappeared.Then, the ground trembled. A massive red centipede, easily the size of a bus, burst from a tunnel in the cavern wall. It moved with terrifying speed, its many legs churning, crushing the remaining spider hatchlings under its massive body. It snapped and devoured the fallen spiders, its mandibles tearing through their fragile exoskeletons.As the centipede fed, a piercing screech echoed through the cavern. Ben winced, covering his ears against the painful sound. It was a sound of pure rage.A massive spider descended from the cavern ceiling. This was no hatchling. This was the mother. Larger than the eyeless lion beast, its body was covered in thick, bristly hairs. Its many eyes glowed with a malevolent light. It landed heavily, shaking the ground.Ben realized how close he had come to being caught in the crossfire. If he had been even a few seconds slower, he would have been trapped between these two monstrous creatures.The two beasts clashed. The centipede reared up, its armored body slamming into the spider. The spider retaliated, its legs stabbing and tearing at the centipede's thick hide. The battle was a brutal display of raw power.Ben watched, his tactical mind assessing the situation. The fight was happening just outside the temple entrance, the force field separating him from the carnage. It was a clash of titans, a battle on a scale he had never witnessed before. But it was real. Very real. He could feel the vibrations through the temple floor, hear the screeching and snapping, smell the acrid stench of the centipede and the musky odor of the spider. He was safe, for now, but the reality of this world, its brutal and unforgiving nature, was brought sharply into focus.As Ben watched the battle unfold, a new idea took root. He had been considering natural minerals as the sole source of crafting materials. But the creatures themselves… their exoskeletons, carapaces, and other biological components represented a potential resource he had overlooked. If one of them dies, he thought, I can salvage something from this. He watched the fight with renewed focus, his mind already cataloging potential materials.The battle reached its climax. The spider, the broodmother, was clearly weakening. The centipede's relentless attacks had taken their toll. With a final, triumphant screech, the centipede retreated back into its tunnel, disappearing into the darkness.The broodmother remained, crawling slowly towards the bodies of her fallen hatchlings. She emitted low, mournful moans. Ben felt a pang of guilt. He had indirectly caused this carnage. He had used the hatchlings as bait, triggering the conflict. But it was a matter of survival. He pushed the guilt aside.The eyeless lion beast reappeared, jumping down from its hiding place on the temple wall. It circled the injured broodmother, a predator assessing its weakened prey. The broodmother, despite her injuries, remained alert. With a sudden, precise strike, she lashed out with one of her remaining legs. The leg pierced the lion beast's body, killing it instantly. The broodmother then returned to her hatchlings, her moans growing softer.After a moment, the broodmother's movements became sluggish. She struggled to lift her legs, her energy clearly depleted. Ben hesitated, then approached cautiously. He felt a twinge of empathy. He wasn't a monster. He had done what he needed to survive, but he wasn't devoid of compassion.The broodmother noticed him. She turned her many eyes towards him, emitting weak moaning sounds. Ben felt a sharp pang of regret. He had caused this creature's suffering.Then, the broodmother did something unexpected. She shifted slightly, revealing something wrapped in strands of thick spider silk. An egg. She carefully placed the egg on the ground near where Ben stood.The broodmother then opened her chest cavity, revealing a glowing crystal gemstone nestled within. With a final surge of energy, she directed the gem's light towards the egg. It was a final act of nurturing, a desperate attempt to give her offspring a chance.Just as the broodmother drew her last breath, Ben acted. He stabbed his knife into her head, ending her life. "I'm sorry," he muttered, his voice low. "But I'm doing this for my sake… and your hatchling's."A notification appeared.You have slain Veilspinner Broodmother. You have leveled up. You are now Level 19.