Chapter 29
982 Words
"Aah..."
His lips parted, and warm air rose like a kind of smoke, contrasting with the cold surroundings they found themselves in.
"So this time, it's extreme cold..."
Thinking the temperature was the only obstacle in this path, Samantha took a step forward. But with a hand on her shoulder, Hye quickly stopped her. A sword emerged from the right, reaching halfway across the width of the tunnel.
"Swords...? So this has become a trap-filled path too?"
"Well, at least it's just swords... I think."
Picking up one of the stones around them, Hye threw it with some force to cross the visible tunnel. Swords emerged from all sides to destroy it, but although they came close, in the end, no blade could touch it.
He tossed a few more stones onto different parts of the ground, but nothing happened.
"Yeah, just swords. But..." Looking at the sleeves of his shirt and then at various parts of his and Samantha's clothing, Hye saw the ice slowly spreading. "...we're going to have to be quick. It doesn't seem like these clothes will hold up for much longer."
"Alright then, stay behind me." Her eyes gleamed as black dust enveloped her fists. "I'll go first this time."
Her feet moved forward, and when the blade shot out from the wall, it was destroyed before it could even reach its final target.
'With bare hands...' Hye thought. 'Is this what they were talking about... mana?'
Samantha led the way, clearing the path with her fists when needed. A blade came down like lightning, but in moments, it was easily split in half.
[Warning!]
[You have been poisoned]
"Huh?"
[Poison resistance skill activated]
[Your body has been detoxified]
"Poison..."
His eyes wandered, but the toxin didn't seem to be present in the air. Turning his attention to his body, Hye saw a small cut on the back of one of his hands.
"So it's the blades..."
His feet slid as a blade came down. But by shifting his body to the side, Hye passed by it easily.
An open path appeared before his eyes, most of the blades ahead already destroyed. He pushed himself forward, his feet sinking into the stones, and before the blades could regenerate, he sped ahead.
With each step, the attacks and regeneration of the blades became faster, but it didn't matter. Right, left, above, below—nothing escaped his eyes. Not a single stone. And as he leapt, Hye dodged a blade emerging from the ground.
Placing his hands on the tunnel ceiling, he used it to gain a small boost and, pushing himself toward the previous blade, he bent his knees and put force into his legs.
The dagger materialized in his palm, destroying every blade that appeared before his eyes. Time stretched, as if everything around him was moving slower. The blades couldn’t touch him, and the stones remained still. But when his foot left the ground, a small hole was left in its place.
Then, after a series of quick dodges and a s***h, the tunnel's end was finally in sight.
[Congratulations]
[The fifth level of the second floor of the Tower of Six has been successfully completed]
[Complete the level six mission to proceed]
His eyes scanned the surroundings, analyzing the place they found themselves in—a massive cavern. Spiked stones on the ceiling shimmered, illuminating the entire space. An imposing column stood at the center of the cave, and upon closer inspection, it seemed to be wrapped in thousands of strangely large, translucent balls... thousands of eggs...?
"Hey!" a voice whispered. "Over here! Come this way."
Taking careful steps, they walked toward the rock where the man was hiding, as he hadn’t stopped signaling for silence the entire time.
"Look, I think that’s the boss of this floor."
With its grotesque legs, the creature slowly climbed the enormous mountain of eggs. Its hundreds of eyes watched every corner within its line of sight. The creature wrapped the eggs in its webs, forming a giant cocoon. Reflecting the faint light from the stones, its fangs gleamed in the dim cave.
"Arachne..."
"You know it?"
"Yeah, it's an easy creature to deal with." Black dust enveloped her fists, and as she stepped out from behind the rock, the creature quickly noticed Samantha's presence. "You just need to be careful with the webs. Other than that, there's no other problem. It’s strange, actually—a creature like Arachne showing up after a group of giants of that size doesn’t make much sense."
The monster leapt, and as its many legs hit the ground, the entire cavern trembled.
"That’s not exactly true..." The monster on one side, and hiding behind the rock, the man ran to the other side. "There's also the issue of poison. Arachne’s venom is one of the most potent among B-rank creatures."
"Oh yeah, there's that too, but..."
Arachne leaped again, its fangs furiously aiming at Samantha. The webs were fired continuously, but thanks to her great speed, she dodged them all with ease.
"It doesn't matter, since we're immune to poison."
'We...?' Hye wondered, watching Samantha’s fight with the dagger in hand. 'Is she referring to the strong...?'
Leaping, Samantha came down on the creature like a heavy boulder, sinking part of the monster’s body into the ground, creating a small crater where the impact occurred.
The creature staggered, trying to stand up again. However, acting quickly and with precision, Samantha emerged from the dust created by her own attack and, before the monster had a chance to rise, she created a large hole in the human-like upper part of Arachne.
After that, the entire monster fell.
[Congratulations]
[The sixth level of the second floor of the Tower of Six has been successfully completed]
[The door to the third floor will open]
[The second floor has been completed]
[Calculating points earned throughout all levels]
- Writer
