Despite Darius' excellent swordsmanship, the Spider Queen toyed with him, dancing around the cave with a terrifying grace. I glanced around, checking for more spiders, when I noticed two skeletons stuck to the webs on the ceiling.
Their items were sprawled about— a staff, a sword, and a shield— scattered in the webs.
The guild members lying on the ground. Most of them were barely clinging to life, their health bars critical, bodies covered in blood.
"Run!" I yelled, drawing the attention of both Darius and the Spider Queen. They briefly glanced at me before resuming their deadly fight.
Eli spoke up, her voice calm. "They're paralyzed."
I turned to get a better look at her. Eli had long, flowing blonde hair that crackled with static energy. Her blue eyes were intense but filled with a strange calm.
"What should we do, Guild Leader?" Eli asked, looking at Reyna with concern.
"We have to help them!" I shouted, starting toward the boss room. But Viri grabbed my arm, pulling me back.
"It's their fate," she said coldly, her voice unwavering.
Viri's presence was commanding. Her sharp gaze assessed me, clearly not trusting me just yet. I tried to pull away from her grip, but it was no use. Her hold was firm, and it was clear she wasn't about to let me interfere.
I looked back at Darius, still fighting the Spider Queen. His movements had grown faster, stronger, but it was clear the queen still wasn't taking him seriously. She used her extra legs to bounce across the room effortlessly, slicing into him with ease. Blood seeped from his wounds as he cried out in pain.
"This is why big guilds fail," Viri said, her tone bitter. "They promote one or two players and neglect the rest."
I glanced up at her, her forest green hair flowing in the wind from the fight. Her expression was tense, as if she wanted to fight but couldn't.
"Who is this?" Eli asked, her eyes shifting toward Reyna.
"Arden," Reyna replied. "He's an enchanter. We fell into the same trap."
Eli gave me a shy smile and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, Arden."
I tried to reach for her handshake, but Viri still held onto me. Eli shot her a sharp glare, and Viri reluctantly let go.
"Why aren't you helping them?" I asked, frustrated, looking at the group.
They exchanged glances before Reyna finally answered. "Helping them would only drag us into the same grave."
"That's not true! I saw what you could do!" I insisted.
Eli perked up. "Yeah, we could definitely help them escape! We were going to fight the boss either way ... What would Tenshi say?"
"We can't," Reyna sighed, looking at me. "Top guilds don't meddle in each other's boss fights." She glanced at Eli, her voice softening. "You know that."
Footsteps echoed from behind us.
Tenshi and Seraphina
Tenshi stood out in the dim cave, her long silver-blue hair cascading down her back. She wore white robes with silver outlines, a pendant woven into her hair, and her deep blue eyes shimmered with concern.
Beside her, Seraphina was a stark contrast, her face hidden behind a mask split cleanly down the middle—half white, half red, with the red side covering her left. A sniper rifle was strapped to Seraphina's back, her outfit pristine, while Tenshi's robes were tattered.
"What would who say?" Tenshi asked with a teasing tone, but her expression quickly shifted to shock.
Darius was sent crashing to the ground, the Spider Queen's legs spearing into his chest. His scream echoed painfully through the cavern as the giant spider injected its venomous fangs into him, his body convulsing from the poison.
"Why aren't you helping?!" Darius shrieked, his voice thick with pain and desperation.
Viri scoffed. "We're not obligated to help a lower ranked guild."
"Actually I think they are higher rank than us ." Reyna chuckled.
Viri crossed her arms, unbothered. "Why should we help a higher-ranked guild?"
Tenshi's face paled, her hands covering her mouth as if she was sick. She looked horrified, torn between her instincts and the invisible rules she was bound by. Viri sighed heavily, watching Tenshi's distress.
"Don't do anything rash," Viri said sternly. "You know we can't get involved."