I woke up. I was lying on the edge of the pool. I felt a pounding pain and a strange feeling surrounded me. My goggles revealed hundreds of spiders lining the walls, but they seemed to be more scared than aggressive.
The pamphlet hadn't mentioned any traps, I thought to myself.
I looked around for any signs of life. As I walked along the edge of the pool, I noticed a dim light. It was a girl.
Reyna.
She was sleeping against a rock. It seemed she had fallen into this pit as well. I checked her pulse and found she was alive. I also noticed that her clothes were dry.
Reyna's armor is a Shogun-inspired set, made of deep red leather with gold and black accents. It's sleek and practical, reinforced with minimal plating across the chest, shoulders, and forearms for protection while allowing freedom of movement.
The design is sharp and clean, with subtle white cloth peeking from beneath the red leather. Her katana rests by her side, completing the look that earns her the title "The Crimson Shogun."
Floating around her was a small fireball floating in the air, providing her with light. It seemed she had used it to see, as she didn't have Night Vision like me. I thought to myself how maintaining a skill like that while sleeping must require a lot of mana.
She woke up abruptly, pushing me back. The fire surrounding her flared with intensity. With the better light, I could fully see her features. Her eyes, of a fierce amber, appeared to burn with their own fire as they locked onto mine.
Her hair, a cascade of vibrant red, flowed down her back, tied with a gold ribbon that shimmered with every movement.
At her hip rested a custom-made leather holster, one side holding a finely crafted revolver, while the other remained empty.
She glanced around momentarily before picking up her katana. With her hand resting on the hilt, she spoke in a commanding voice,
"I don't appreciate being watched."
I stood with my hands raised as she drew her katana, pressing the cold steel against my throat. Any sudden move would mean death.
"Haha, what's your name?" I asked, trying to cut through the tension.
"I'm sure you know my name," she replied briskly, not lowering her guard. "How did you get here?"
"I fell into a trap," I answered quickly.
"Were you alone?"
"Yes," I nodded before explaining, "I... I wanted to test some items I got."
After a moment, she sighed and lowered her sword. I exhaled in relief and sat down on the rock where she'd been sitting earlier. She joined me, though the silence that followed was thick with unspoken words.
"How did you end up here?" I finally asked after what felt like an eternity.
She hesitated, her gaze distant before she spoke. "The cave collapsed on us, separating us."
"Us?"
"I was with other members, but we got caught in different traps."
"Is there a way out?" I asked, glancing around the cave.
The walls were crawling with spiders—thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of them. Their tiny red eyes glowed faintly in the dark, and they seemed to be watching us cautiously. I couldn't tell if they were afraid or just waiting. There was a small hole in the ceiling where I had fallen in. A few other small openings dotted the top of the cave, almost out of reach.
"Unless you can fly," she said, pointing at the small gaps near the ceiling. " The spiders seem docile for now."
The thought of fighting all those spiders was overwhelming. We sat in silence.
"What class are you?" I asked. "You don't seem like a mage or a samurai."
"I'm a mage," she replied, her gaze meeting mine. "What about you?"
"I'm an enchanter."
"Enchanter?" she echoed, her tone laced with curiosity. "Why would you come alone?"
"I didn't have anyone to go with…"
"That's sad," she laughed, standing up and stretching. Suddenly, a burst of fire whooshed past my head, causing me to stumble back in surprise.
"How can you keep up that ability for so long?" I asked, regaining my balance.
"I just have a lot of mana."
I chuckled. "I wish I had that much."
"How much do you have?"
"2,500," I replied quickly, but before I could ask how much she had, a deep rumble echoed through the cave.
"If we're going to die, at least tell me your name?" she sighed.
"Arden," I replied, offering a nod as the rumbling grew louder.
"Reyna."