The spiders rushed him.
Lein threw himself to the side as the first one lunged. Its fangs scraped against stone where he'd been standing a heartbeat before.
The second spider came from his left. Lein swung the rock, clipping one of its legs. The creature hissed and stumbled.
But the third was faster.
It leapt onto his back, its legs digging into his shoulders. Lein shouted in pain and slammed himself backward into the cave wall. The spider's grip loosened. He spun and smashed it with the rock.
It crumpled.
"You have slain: Juvenile Cave Spider."
"Experience gained: 100 XP."
"Level Up! You are now Level 3, Tier 1."
"Current XP: 50/400."
Lein barely registered the notification. The other two spiders were already circling him.
His shoulder throbbed where the spider's legs had pierced his skin. Blood trickled down his arm.
I need more than this.
He thought of the system. The Red Path.
Power through destruction.
"System," he gasped. "Activate the Red Path."
"Red Path activated. Analyzing environment…"
"Death energy detected. Bloodshed detected."
"Power boost applied."
"Destruction Points gained: 30."
Heat surged through Lein's body.
His exhaustion didn't vanish, but something else took its place—raw, primal strength. His muscles swelled slightly, his senses sharpened. The air around him seemed to hum with energy.
The pain in his shoulder dulled.
One of the spiders lunged.
Lein didn't dodge this time. He caught it mid-air, his hands wrapping around its thorax. The creature thrashed, but Lein's grip was iron.
He slammed it into the ground and stomped down on its head.
Crunch.
"You have slain: Juvenile Cave Spider."
"Experience gained: 100 XP."
"Current XP: 150/400."
"Destruction Points gained: 30."
The last spider hesitated, its many eyes fixed on him.
Lein didn't wait. He charged.
The spider tried to retreat, but Lein was faster. He grabbed it by one of its legs and yanked, tearing the limb free. The spider shrieked. Lein brought the rock down on its head, again and again, until it stopped moving.
"You have slain: Juvenile Cave Spider."
"Experience gained: 100 XP."
"Current XP: 250/400."
"Destruction Points gained: 30."
Lein stood there, chest heaving, surrounded by spider corpses.
He could feel the power thrumming through him. The Red Path had amplified his strength, fed by the death and blood saturating the cave. It wasn't permanent—not unless he spent the Destruction Points—but here, in this place, he was stronger than he had any right to be.
His wounds were already healing. Tier 1 regeneration knitting torn skin back together, slowly but surely.
He looked at his hands, covered in ichor and blood.
More.
A deeper chittering echoed from the tunnel ahead.
Lein turned.
Something larger was coming.
Two shapes emerged from the darkness—spiders, but far bigger than the others. Each was the size of a horse, their legs thick and plated with armored chitin. Venom dripped from their fangs, hissing when it hit the stone.
A screen appeared for each.
[Mature Cave Spider]Level: 7Description: A fully grown member of the brood. Possesses mild venom and reinforced exoskeleton. Highly aggressive.
[Mature Cave Spider]Level: 8Description: A fully grown member of the brood. Possesses mild venom and reinforced exoskeleton. Highly aggressive.
Lein's grin widened.
"Perfect."
The first spider charged.
Lein sidestepped and drove his fist into its thorax. The blow landed with a satisfying thud, but the spider's armor held. It lashed out with one of its legs, catching Lein across the chest and sending him stumbling back.
The second spider lunged from the side, fangs bared.
Lein rolled, narrowly avoiding the bite. He grabbed a sharp stone from the ground and stabbed upward, driving it into the spider's exposed underbelly.
The creature shrieked and reared back, green ichor pouring from the wound.
Lein didn't stop. He threw himself at the first spider, smashing the rock into one of its eyes. The spider thrashed wildly, but Lein held on, striking again and again until the creature collapsed.
"You have slain: Mature Cave Spider."
"Experience gained: 150 XP."
"Level Up! You are now Level 4, Tier 1."
"Current XP: 0/600."
"Destruction Points gained: 30."
The second spider was still alive, dragging itself forward despite the wound in its belly.
Lein walked over calmly and brought the rock down on its head.
Once.
Twice.
It stopped moving.
"You have slain: Mature Cave Spider."
"Experience gained: 150 XP."
"Current XP: 150/600."
"Destruction Points gained: 30."
Lein dropped the rock and staggered back, leaning against the cave wall.
His body was covered in cuts and bruises, but they were already fading. His Tier 1 regeneration worked slowly, knitting flesh back together.
He looked at the carnage around him. Eight spider corpses in total.
His breathing steadied.
He checked his status mentally.
[Lein Thorne]
Level: 4, Tier 1
Experience: 150/600
Destruction Points: 150
Lein smiled.
This is just the beginning.
He pushed himself off the wall and started walking deeper into the cave.
There was more to kill.
And he was only getting stronger.