The moment I stepped inside, the temperature dropped noticeably. The air grew damp and heavy, carrying the faint scent of moss and earth. Every sound—my footsteps, my breathing—echoed back at me, amplified by the narrow stone walls.
The cave itself was tight at first, barely wide enough for me to squeeze through, but it soon opened into a broader passage. Jagged stalactites hung from the ceiling like the teeth of some massive beast, glistening faintly as droplets of water dripped in a steady rhythm.
Faint traces of luminescent moss clung to the walls, casting a soft, eerie glow that barely lit the path ahead. Shadows stretched and twisted in strange shapes, making it feel as though unseen eyes were watching from deeper within.
' What is this strange feeling I'm getting.'
The further I walked, the stronger the oppressive atmosphere became.
After a few cautious steps deeper into the cave, faint noises reached my ears.
"Hrrrkk… hrrkk…"
The guttural croaks echoed off the stone walls, low and wet, like the sound of something half-choked. I froze, eyes narrowing as I followed the sound further inside.
Then they stepped into view.
Goblins.
They were small, barely coming up to my waist, their hunched bodies no taller than four feet. Their limbs were wiry and thin, but packed with a twitchy, animal-like strength. Sickly green skin stretched over their bones, dotted with scars and sores that spoke of their savage, brutal lives. Their eyes, large and yellow, gleamed with a feral hunger, reflecting the faint glow of the moss clinging to the cave walls.
Their jagged teeth jutted out from wide mouths twisted into snarls, and in their clawed hands they clutched crude weapons—rusted daggers, sharpened bones, and makeshift clubs. Despite their size, their presence carried a suffocating malice, the kind that came from creatures who thrived on bloodshed.
And worst of all—their numbers were growing as more shadows moved behind them.
"There's about twenty of them."
I drew my katana in one smooth motion, the faint shing of steel echoing in the cave.
"Grrraaahhh!!"
"Hrrkkk!!"
The goblins shrieked and rushed forward, their clawed feet slapping against the damp stone. The first one leapt at me, rusted dagger raised high. A single slash cut through its chest.
Shrrkk!
It fell with a wet gurgle.
Another came from the side. I pivoted, blade flashing. Its head rolled across the ground, the body collapsing with a dull thud.
"Gyaaaahhh!!"
"Rrrkhaa!!"
Their cries filled the cave as they swarmed me, but their crude weapons and wild swings were nothing against practiced movements. I stepped between them with ease, katana cutting arcs of silver in the dim light.
Slash—thud.
Shrrkk—gyaaahhh!
One after another, they fell—chests split open, limbs severed, throats cut. The air grew heavy with the metallic tang of blood, the ground slick with their corpses.
Within minutes, silence returned to the cave, broken only by the soft drip of blood from my blade.
I exhaled slowly, lowering the katana.
"That was pretty easy."
I wiped the blood from my sword with a flick, sliding the blade back into its sheath. With the echo of goblin cries fading behind me, I pressed forward into the cave's depths.
"I don't know a thing about this place… It was never shown in the game." My voice bounced off the walls, swallowed quickly by the darkness.
A faint thrill stirred in my chest. Maybe I'll stumble across something truly remarkable here.
Before long, the tunnel widened, and the path split into three separate passages, each one vanishing into shadow. I clicked my tongue. "Great. A fork in the road. What is this, some kind of silly game?"
Closing my eyes for a moment, I activated my Void Eyes. The world shifted, and faint traces of mana flickered before me like threads of light. Only one path—the middle one—glowed with energy, its trail winding deeper into the cave.
"The second one, huh?" I murmured, a faint smile tugging at my lips. "Guess that's the path I will be taking."
Without hesitation, I stepped into the middle passage, the air growing heavier with every stride.
After following the second passage for several minutes, I came to a stop.
A dead end.
I frowned, staring at the wall of stone blocking the path. "Tch… was this the wrong way?" My voice echoed faintly through the tunnel. "Should I turn back—"
Before I could finish the thought, the air grew heavy. A suffocating pressure bore down on me, sharp and oppressive, forcing my muscles to tense on instinct.
I froze. Slowly, I tilted my head upward.
That's when I saw it.
Clinging to the jagged ceiling above was a monstrous spider-like creature, its grotesque form blending with the shadows. Its body was bloated and black, the surface of its carapace glistening faintly as if coated in oil. Ten long, spindly legs sprawled across the stone, each one jointed unnaturally, their hooked tips digging into the rock with eerie ease.
Four glowing crimson eyes burned like embers in the dark, unblinking and fixed directly on me. Its mandibles twitched, clicking together with a sharp chkk… chkk…, oozing threads of sticky silk that dangled toward the floor.
The sheer size of it made my skin crawl—it was easily larger than a horse, its legs spanning wide enough to block the tunnel entirely.
A low hiss reverberated from its throat, and the cave seemed to tremble with it.
"Fuck… what is that thing? It looks like a huge spider."
The monster's mandibles clacked, and then—thwip! Something shot from its mouth like a spear. I rolled to the side just in time as a thick white glob slammed into the ground where I had been standing. The stone hissed, coated with sticky strands that clung like glue.
'Spider web… shit.'
I drew my katana with a sharp shiiing! Its cold weight steadied my nerves. My gaze locked on the creature's glowing red eyes. It hissed again, the sound reverberating in my bones, then scuttled across the ceiling, circling me like a predator.
"Come down here, bastard…"
I lunged forward with Dash, my body blurring in a burst of speed. My blade carved through the air in an upward arc—Moon Slash! A crescent of glowing energy sliced toward the ceiling.
The spider screeched, SKREEEE! jerking back as my attack tore through stone. Dust and shards rained down, forcing it to retreat closer to the ground.
"Got you."
With a sharp breath, I steadied my stance.
Sword Mastery activated.
My blade moved with refined precision, sharper, faster, deadlier.
The spider retaliated, spitting multiple strands of web in rapid succession, thwip-thwip-thwip! I twisted my body, cutting through the sticky projectiles midair. Even so, a strand grazed my shoulder, burning as it clung to my clothes. I tore it away with a curse.
"Persistent bastard."
It lunged—ten legs crashing down, mandibles snapping inches from my head. I dropped into a roll and came up with my katana flashing. Arc Discharge! Electricity burst from the blade, crackling across the monster's front legs. The stench of charred chitin filled the cave as the spider shrieked in agony.
But it didn't slow down.
The monster reared back, slamming its legs into the ground. Cracks splintered through the stone, sending shockwaves under my feet. My balance faltered—just enough for its leg to sweep at me like a battering ram.
"Ghkk—!" I gritted my teeth, throwing up Dimensional Veil at the last second. Space itself warped around me, the monster's massive leg bending unnaturally as if striking through water before veering aside. The crushing blow never touched me, instead smashing into the wall behind with an ear-splitting crack, stone crumbling to rubble.
With the opening I needed, I surged forward, lightning crackling across my blade. "Moon Slash!" I roared, releasing a blinding arc of power that tore through the air toward the beast.
The glowing crescent roared forward, cleaving through two of the spider's legs.
SKREEEEEEE!!
It crashed from the ceiling to the cavern floor, thrashing violently, the entire chamber trembling with its rage.
Breathing heavily, I tightened my grip on the katana. "Finally… down where I can reach you."
The spider's eyes blazed with fury as it crouched low, its remaining legs twitching, ready to spring again.
The cavern floor quaked as the beast slammed its remaining legs down, launching itself at me with terrifying speed. Its mandibles snapped open, glistening with venom.
"Tch—!" I braced myself, sliding my foot back into stance. The spider's shadow loomed over me—then it struck.
Steel flashed. I met its charge head-on, my katana screaming as it carved a defensive arc. Sparks erupted where blade and chitin collided, the sheer force driving me backward across the stone floor. My boots screeched against the rock, but I held my ground.
The monster hissed, SKRRRHHHKK!, trying to crush me under its bulk. I ducked under its body, my katana slashing across its underbelly. Black ichor sprayed, sizzling as it hit the stone.
"Not tough enough…" I muttered, rolling clear before it could slam down on me.
The spider spun wildly, vomiting another barrage of webbing. Strands shot through the air like white spears, filling the cavern. I cut, spun, and slashed, each movement fueled by Sword Mastery. My blade felt like an extension of my body—every strike sharper, every dodge cleaner.
But the monster was relentless.
One strand wrapped around my wrist, yanking me forward. Its mandibles snapped down—
"Arc Discharge!"
Lightning burst from my arm, surging through my body and out in a violent wave. CRACKLE-BOOM! The current tore across the sticky web, frying it to ash in an instant. The surge leapt into the spider's head, making it convulse and screech in agony.
Seizing the moment, I dashed forward, my body blurring again. Dash carried me straight into its blind spot. My katana arced up, clean and merciless, cutting through another leg.
THUNK! The severed limb slammed into the ground. The spider staggered, its balance faltering.
"Time to end this."
My chest burned as I drew in a deep breath. Mana coursed through me, crackling along the katana's edge. The air itself seemed to vibrate with energy as arcs of lightning licked the blade.
The spider raised its front legs, shrieking, SKREEEEEEHHHH!!!, preparing one last desperate strike.
I slashed.
"Moon Slash!"
The crescent of condensed mana screamed forward, larger and brighter than before. It cut through the cavern's gloom like a divine judgment, cleaving the monster straight from its head down through its body.
For a split second, silence. Then—
SPLURCHHHH!
The spider's body split apart, collapsing into two twitching halves that hit the cavern floor with a thunderous crash. Black ichor pooled outward, the acrid stench choking the air. Its glowing red eyes dimmed, one by one, until only darkness remained.
Breathing heavily, I lowered my katana.
"Phew… that was tougher than I expected." I exhaled, wiping the sweat from my brow.
But before I could even catch my breath, the cavern floor rumbled beneath my feet. The walls groaned, loose stones clattering down from above.
My grip on the katana tightened instinctively.
"What now…?"