Just a few meters ahead, Ren and the others emerged into a vast, open chamber. There, a group of players was already locked in combat with half a dozen Arachnids—vile offspring of the dungeon's Boss, the [Dread Widow].
Though only hatchlings, the creatures still reached knee height, their slick black bodies darting across the floor with unsettling speed. Worse, they could already spit sticky webs at unsuspecting players, wrapping them in silken cocoons before dragging them off to be devoured.
Leonel's skin crawled, goosebumps prickling down his arms.
Beside him, a bead of sweat traced down Isolde's cheek as she muttered under her breath, "Creepy doesn't even begin to cover it . . ."
"Boss! Another group made it here!" Player 2 shouted while fending off an Arachnid's strike.
"Who are you?!" Player 1 barked, catching sight of Ren's group—but he was too busy dealing with the spiders to do much else.
The three of them had been tasked by Vein to guard the Boss's room while the rest of their guild fought the Boss inside. The chamber's entrance would stay sealed until the Boss was defeated—or until everyone inside was wiped out. Their job was to make sure only Poison Viper members were next in line to challenge it.
But with Vein and the others occupied at the cave entrance, Ren's group had slipped through.
Isolde ignored the Poison Viper players and raised her revolver, taking aim at the Arachnids—only for Ren to stop her.
"Wait." Ren swiped at his screen and, to her surprise, kicked Isolde out of the party.
"Wha—?!" she gasped, eyes widening.
"You'll earn more EXP that way," Ren explained before she could protest.
". . ." It took her a moment, but then realization dawned. A grin spread across Isolde's face. "Thanks."
"Leo, you'll guard her," Ren continued. "Ragnar and I will weaken the Arachnids so you can finish them off."
He turned to Ragnar. "That all right with you? Or do you want to grind, too?"
Ragnar shrugged. "My ATP's already in the two digits. These things won't give me much EXP or gil. So, yes—I'm fine with it." Still, he planned to grind later once Isolde caught up.
Ren nodded in approval.
"Sorry, guys," Isolde said with a bright smile. "I'll level up quickly so you can grind after."
"Don't get careless," Ren warned. "Even low-level Arachnids can kill you if you get hit twice by their webs at your current ATP."
"Understood." Isolde licked her lips, her eyes glinting with determination. "I'll make this fast."
The Poison Viper players scowled, veins bulging.
"Don't even think of killing—!" Player 1's threat was cut short when Isolde's revolver barked, and the Arachnid he'd been fighting burst into glowing particles. The EXP and loot notification appeared over her name.
Ren wasn't surprised. Isolde was normally fair, but pressed for time, even she knew survival came first.
"FUCK!" Player 1 roared. He'd just been kill-stealed—a taste of his own medicine. "I'll fucking kill you!"
He charged, sword raised.
"Where do you think you're going?" Leonel intercepted him, raising his shield. He activated [Parry], deflecting the incoming strike with a clang.
"Move, asshole!" Player 1 spat, glaring daggers at Isolde.
"Make me!" Leonel shot back, hurling his massive wooden shield forward. The impact sent Player 1 flying several meters back.
Seeing their leader go down, Players 2 and 3 abandoned the Arachnids and rushed toward Leonel and Isolde with weapons drawn.
"Ignore them," Ren said calmly. His hand flicked across the screen as he activated [Probe] on the nearby spiders.
‖ A R A C H N I D ‖
Location: Gargantuan Cave
Description:
Vile spawns of the Dread Widow, acting as her guardians, spies, and messengers. They spread their Fiendweb in her name.
‖ A T T R I B U T E ‖
HP: 240
MP: 40
STRG: 15
DEF: 12
MDF: 10
INT: 7
AGL: 20
LCK: 10
‖ S K I L L ‖
Active Skill:
❶ Web of Doom LV.1
– Shoots multiple webs to incapacitate enemies.
– Cooldown: 2 seconds
– MP Cost: 5
– 10% chance to paralyze if LCK is higher.
‖ W E A K N E S S ‖
Fire, Piercing
[PROBE successful!]
Ren pressed
With his 180 MP pool and the passive skill [Mana Conversion], his mana barely moved as he unleashed spell after spell, locking down the spiders while Isolde picked them off one by one.
Meanwhile, Ragnar and Leonel held off the Poison Viper players. Ragnar's raw strength and racial bonuses let him dominate easily—each swing of his axe sent enemies tumbling. Leonel, with the second-highest DEF in the group, tanked every blow like a wall of iron.
Ren was quietly impressed. Ragnar's movements were precise—every step calculated. He always positioned himself to gain the upper hand, predicting his opponents' attacks before they even made them. When they tried to cast skills, he disrupted them with perfectly timed axe throws, canceling their activation mid-cast.
He's got incredible map awareness, Ren thought. If he were a tank, he'd be unstoppable.
Despite Ragnar's laid-back demeanor, Ren could tell—this wasn't just an average player. His combat sense was too refined.
Then a thought struck him. His mind flashed back to the leaderboards of the past—back to the name Ragnar, who had once dominated the solo rankings before mysteriously disappearing.
Wait . . . could it be—?
Ren's gaze flicked toward the Orc. For a fleeting moment, Ragnar's green skin, muscular frame, and even his protruding tusks seemed to shimmer with heroic light. He looked almost . . . cool.
Ren blinked, shaking his head. No way. The world wasn't that small. There was no chance he'd just stumbled upon the legendary top-ranked player who vanished before the media ever learned his real identity.
"T-they're strong . . . ," Player 3 stammered, backing away. His face had gone pale.
Players 1 and 2 followed suit, retreating with wide eyes after being tossed around like rag dolls.
All they could do was watch helplessly as Isolde, with Ren, Leonel, and Ragnar's help, farmed every last Arachnid in the hall.
In less than fifteen minutes, Isolde's ATP had climbed into the double digits.
"All good?" Ren asked once the last Arachnid dissolved into light. He re-added Isolde to the party.
"Yeah." Isolde beamed, reloading her revolver with a satisfying click. She gave it a quick twirl before holstering it at her thigh.
"By the way," she asked, curiosity flickering in her tone, "how come your skill's the same as the Arachnids'?"
"It's one of my class abilities," Ren replied.
"Hmm." Isolde tilted her head but didn't press further. "I guess rare classes really are something else."
"Want to switch?" Ren teased lightly. "It's not too late.
Isolde shook her head immediately. "No thanks. I'm a sniper through and through. If I can't play as one, I'd rather not play at all."
"Hm~hm~," Leonel hummed in agreement.
Ren smiled faintly. "Your class is powerful too, once you evolve it. Every class can be strong in the right hands. The rarer ones just come with ATP bonuses—it's compensation for the pain of unlocking them."
Leonel nodded enthusiastically, like a chicken pecking at grain.
"Then how did you get yours so early?" Ragnar asked, his tone calm but curious.
Ren's lips curved into a knowing smile. "You'll have to pay for that information."
"Fair enough." Ragnar flipped his hair—then remembered it was tied up with a bone. "Anyway, let's add each other. I'll contact you when I want that info."
The four exchanged friend invites, completely ignoring the sulking Poison Viper players nearby.
Ragnar wasn't truly interested in Ren's class or skills anyway. For him, COVENANT was an escape—a world where he could live freely, far from the chaos of his real life.
"Shouldn't we conserve mana for the Boss?" Ragnar eventually asked.
Ren knew the question was directed at him. Out of everyone, he was the most mana-dependent.
"You don't have to worry about that," Ren said casually, offering no further details. There were some secrets he preferred to keep—especially around Leonel, whose mouth tended to run faster than his brain.
Ragnar lifted an eyebrow. "If you say so."
Ren let the topic drop and turned his gaze toward the three trembling Poison Viper players still standing by the wall, their weapons lowered.