The spiders scattered.
Darting into the hundreds of small holes that lined the cave walls. One of the holes, larger than the rest—about the size of a small building—caught our eye. We moved towards it, but before we could enter, there was a loud splash.
A massive spider, dripping wet, emerged from the pool of water at the far end of the cave. Its enormous body shimmered as it pulled itself onto the rocky floor.
The creature's legs created small puddles as it crawled forward.
As the spider charged, I glanced at Reyna. She remained calm, her eyes narrowing. "Stay back!" she yelled, leaping in front of me. A ball of fire appeared in her hand, growing hotter and larger by the second.
"Bang_," she whispered.
The fireball shot out from her palm. A wall of water formed in front of it. The fireball exploded in a flash of red and blue, sending steam billowing through the cavern.
"It can use magic !?," I yelled.
The spider's cheeks puffed up, filling with boiling water. It reared back and shot a torrent of scalding liquid toward us. I reacted instinctively, pushing Reyna out of the way and crashing on top of her just as the water splashed past us.
"Move!" she yelled, shoving me aside as another blast of water shot our way.
I scrambled to my feet and pulled out ten ice bombs from my inventory, hurling them at the spider. They exploded on contact, coating its legs in thick layers of ice. The creature winced, its movement slowing as the frost crawled up its body, freezing its legs to the ground.
I glanced at Reyna, who was already preparing her next attack. Her entire right arm was now engulfed in flame like feathers, the red feathers that covered her skin glowing like molten fire. With a swift arc of her hand, she sent a storm of feathers toward the immobilized spider, engulfing it in the feathers.
She snapped her fingers and yelled, "Phoenix_Featherstorm!"
Instantly, each of the hundred feathers hovering in the air ignited, exploding in rapid succession. The underground chamber flickered with crimson flashes, accompanied by thunderous booms. Each blast carved a tiny crater in the colossal spider's frame. The unrelenting barrage persisted, wearing down the previously terrifying beast until it's movements grew sluggish. It managed to stand, wobbling on its legs, before collapsing to the ground and shattering into pixels.
I stood there, in awe of the sheer destructive power.
"What are those?" Reyna asked, pointing at the three bombs still clutched in my hand.
"Mana bombs," I replied proudly.
She gave me a slight smile, amused as I boasted about how I'd acquired them from Crusaders.
"You only need to put in a single point of mana to activate them," I continued, a little too excited.
She nodded, and my attention shifted back to her. "And you? What about that 'Phoenix Featherstorm'? I've never heard of it before."
"That's because I created it," she said with pride.
"You invented your own spell? What rank is it?"
"Enough questions," she said, turning toward the opening. Her red hair flowed behind her like flames in the wind. With a casual flick of her wrist, she shot a blast of fire at the entrance, sealing it shut to prevent any more spiders from following us.
As we walked down the tunnel, she finally answered. "It's Rank 2," she said casually.
The hallway was long and winding, with spider tracks visible on the walls, ceiling, and floor. It was clear that hundreds of them used this path regularly. The more we walked, the more concerned I became. The sudden disappearance of the smaller spiders, and the fact that a mini-boss could use magic, was unsettling.
The path branched off into a maze of tunnels, each leading to different directions, and before long, we were hopelessly lost. The floor seemed endless, the paths twisting in on themselves, and time became a blur.
"I think we should teleport out," I suggested.
"My guild is still in the tunnels," Reyna replied, her eyes scanning the tunnels ahead.
Teleporting out of the floor could work, but if we ever needed to return, we'd still be lost. Teleportation only takes you to the last spot you were at, at least with rank 1 teleportation and floor commands.
It would bring us back to the last place we were on a floor, unless it's our first time on the floor—then it sends you to a rune or a random safe location.
I sighed, knowing she was right. There was no easy way out of this labyrinth.
As we continued walking, a shrill scream pierced the air. Reyna immediately enveloped herself in a fiery aura and dashed ahead of me. I tried my best to keep up.
I saw two figures waiting outside.
Eli and Viri.
Eli wore sleek, light blue leather armor that reflected her quiet intensity, her blonde hair almost glowing in the dim light. Her cool blue eyes seemed to pierce through me, as if she could see my every move before I made it.
Viri stood tall and unyielding, her deep green eyes locked with mine. Her armor, a mix of dark leather and reinforced plating. A shotgun rested at her side.
At the center of the cave, a massive creature loomed—The Spider Queen, a giant boss spider. She was engaged in battle with a middle-aged man clad in golden armor. His armor gleamed even in the darkness, adorned with hundreds of gems that shimmered faintly. His sword glowed, cutting through the shadows. Behind him, about 20 guild members lay on the ground, clearly on the brink of death.
"Darius," Reyna whispered. "What is he doing?"