— So? Felt any changes? — he asked as he walked toward the boy.

— Not yet, but I won’t give up! — Beta replied with determination, swinging his sword through the air. In a moment of carelessness, the sword slipped from his hand, ricocheted off the ground, and hit him in the head, knocking him down.

— Kid... — Jonathan sighed, offering his hand to help him up.

At the village entrance, heavy clouds foretold a storm. Three hooded figures approached, raising the alarm for Philipe, the guard on duty, who drew his sword upon realizing he was alone.

The strangers noticed the weapon concealed behind the fence and, in an unusual gesture, raised both hands in peace. Philipe remained alert, confused. Minutes passed, and Jonathan had yet to return, making his partner increasingly uneasy.

— Are you the guard of this village? — asked one of the strangers, tall and blond, lighting a cigarette with indifference.

— I am. What do you want here? — Philipe replied arrogantly.

— We’re adventurers. Returning from a mission and looking to pay for shelter, food, and water — said another, with long black hair and eyes as red as wine.

— We don’t rent houses. Leave now! — snapped the guard, just as Jonathan finally arrived.

— What’s going on here? — Jonathan asked.

— Your friend won’t let us in — the blond said, blowing smoke into Philipe’s face.

— The nerve! — Philipe shouted, ready to attack, but Jonathan stopped him.

— Who are you? — he asked, stepping between them.

— Adventurers sent by Queen Alexa. We completed our mission and need rest. We offered to pay, but your partner treated us like trespassers.

— You blocked them? — Jonathan asked, receiving only silence. — I apologize, gentlemen. Of course we have a place where you can stay.

While he guided the group to an improvised guesthouse in the village’s old church, in a nearby cave, miners were making an unexpected discovery: a tunnel hidden behind a rocky wall.

— Look at that... We’d better alert the guards — said an older, sweaty miner, setting his pickaxe down.

— What? Why? — asked a newcomer.

— Unexplored caves are dangerous. You never know what you’ll find.

— Come on! Monsters hardly exist around here anymore—only in the forests and dungeons — the young man shot back, continuing to dig.

— Don’t say I didn’t warn you... — the veteran muttered as he left the cave.

— Coward... — the boy murmured, opening the passage fully.

— You really shouldn’t go in there, man — another worker advised.

— Whatever. There’s nothing in there. You guys are paranoid — the youth mocked, lighting a torch and entering the tunnel.

— You’re letting him go in alone, unarmed? — asked the other miner.

— It’s risky, but… Better that than letting him get lost. — He replied, grabbing a pickaxe and following after him.

The third hesitated, but before he could decide, he heard the screams of the other two. Terrified, he ran to find the supervisor, who was on his way to the village—unaware that the screams, which started as a joke, were about to become real. The two were getting close to a nest of monstrous, highly lethal spiders.

≠

— Forgive my friend, he doesn’t have the best memories when it comes to adventurers. Anyway, this is technically the village church. You can sleep here if you’d like. There are two beds on the first floor and one by the window — Jonathan explained, pointing to the room.

— Thank you very much — replied a young woman shyly, with green hair and large glasses.

— So here you are, lad! Wait... who are these people? — asked a miner, momentarily forgetting his original purpose.

— These are the adventurers who just arrived in the village. I was showing them a place to rest after their journey.

— Well, whatever. I came to inform you, Knight Jonathan, that we found a second cave within the first. If you could take a look at it with Philipe, I’d appreciate it. That way we can get back to work without worries — he requested formally.

— Sure, I’m on my way — Jonathan replied, gesturing for the man to return to his duties. — Excuse me... — he added, stepping out of the church.

— Wait! — said the long-haired one, grabbing the blond’s arm. — I’m coming with you. I’m not that tired, and it’s not safe to leave the village entrance unguarded.

— What’s your color and core? — Jonathan asked cautiously.

— Dark orange. I have the strength core, and I also carry a very special sword I obtained on our last mission — he answered proudly, showing off his enchanted blade.

— Alright, let’s go — Jonathan said, running off without giving it much thought.

The long-haired young man wore special boots that enhanced his speed, allowing him to arrive before Jonathan — despite the latter having been informed first. The seriousness of the situation had changed entirely. What once seemed like a prank had escalated into something truly dangerous, though the culprits didn’t yet realize it.

— If only Ferry were here... — the adventurer thought as he lit the way ahead, swallowed by a haunting darkness.

The cave was oppressively dark and eerily silent. The narrow corridors almost trapped him between the jagged rock walls. While Jonathan had yet to arrive, he was alone with whatever lurked within.

Upon reaching the other side, the space widened. There were countless stalactites and stalagmites, and farther ahead, another corridor from which a sound finally emerged — it sounded like multiple footsteps echoing at once.

— Is he sure only two people entered this cave? — he wondered, suspicious.

He moved forward, trying to make as little noise as possible. But whatever was ahead had already noticed his approach. Thinking quickly, he hid behind the stalagmites. Unfortunately, his torch went out, leaving him entirely at the mercy of the creatures. He was at a disadvantage — unaware of what he was even facing.

When Jonathan finally reached the cave entrance, he asked the youngest miner to return to the church and fetch the other two adventurers staying there. Looking at the long, narrow corridor, Jonathan realized he wouldn’t fit through with his armor. He had to remove it, continuing with only simple clothes, his sword in one hand, and a torch in the other.

It was an agonizing feeling. The adventurer could hear footsteps from all directions. His senses were on high alert. He wasn’t sure whether to use his sword’s flames to light the area, retreat to the entrance, or worry if the miners were still alive.

A noise from the opposite direction caught the attention of all the monsters. In seconds, the hairy, many-legged creatures were in flames, thrashing wildly.

Jonathan had brought a portable flame bomb strapped to his belt, hoping to draw the monsters away and protect the young man.

— Are you alright!? — he shouted anxiously upon hearing the creatures’ painful screeches.

— I am, but I think there are a lot more of these spiders up ahead! — the young man called back, the burning corpses lighting up the cave.

— I asked them to get your friends... just in case — Jonathan said as he reached the other side.

— Good thinking. So, what now? Wait for reinforcements or move on? These creatures are no joke.

— These hellish spiders won’t wait for the others to show up before devouring those two fools. We need to move now — he said, flames crackling behind him. — By the way, what’s your name and your friends’? I completely forgot to ask.

— My name’s Tate. The one who was smoking is Dereck, and the green-haired girl is Ferry. Ferry’s a gunner with a perception core at solid pink stage. Dereck has a strength core at light yellow stage — he explained as they moved through the corridor, which was wider than the last.

— L-light yellow? Your friend’s insanely strong! — Jonathan replied, unsure whether to be impressed or worried.

— Pretty much — Tate said, taking the lead.

— Be careful.

— Relax, I’ve been through worse. Believe me.

Neither of them grasped how serious the situation truly was. With one misstep, Tate nearly fell into a seemingly endless pit filled with nearly invisible spider webs. They were now face-to-face with a nest of green spiders — monsters that practiced cannibalism to survive, each one three times the size of an average human.

— I don’t think one of those grenades is gonna be enough — Tate said with sarcasm.

— Looks like it won’t be... — Jonathan replied, stunned.

Both of them returned to the spot where the spiders had been burned, waiting for reinforcements. They used the time to get to know each other better, but the truce didn’t last long — hurried footsteps echoed through the cave.

Tate, a twenty-eight-year-old, had become an adventurer at seventeen. Inside the cave, he wore black clothes, carried a pouch of potions, and had a sword strapped to his waist. He had met his group in a dungeon, where they had gotten lost and survived together without knowing anything about each other’s pasts.

— Oh, you waited for us — said Dereck as he entered. — So? Where are they? — he asked, looking around.

— We haven’t found them, but we did find a spider nest — Tate answered, pointing.

— S-spiders? — Ferry stuttered, starting to tremble. — Of all things, it had to be those?

— It’s a cave. What were you expecting? You’ve got the perception core — you’re the best suited for this. Where’s the resurrection object? — Jonathan asked, stepping forward.

— We haven’t seen it yet. The hole looks like a bottomless pit — she replied.

— That’s a problem — he murmured, smiling faintly.

The four of them examined the nest more carefully. Growls could be heard, but they couldn’t see a hand in front of their faces.

— This is going to be harder than I thought. Ferry! — he called with a snap of his fingers. — Fire arrow. Now!

Without hesitation, the green-haired girl drew what looked like a regular arrow. As soon as it touched the bow, it ignited. Without needing further instructions, she fired.

The darkness of the abyss vanished. The once-invisible webs caught fire, lighting up everything. When the arrow hit the ground, it exploded, dealing massive area damage. Spiders that tried to flee were knocked back into the fire, losing their legs in seconds.

— I guess it’s my turn — said Tate, pulling from his bag a seemingly harmless blue twig.

When he snapped it, a blue smoke rose, instantly causing a rain that extinguished the flames. Minutes later, Dereck dispersed the smoke with swift circular motions of his sword.

— That’s a long way down... Do you guys even know how we’re going to get there? — Jonathan asked, looking into the pit, which reeked of charred spider.

— Don’t be silly — Tate replied, laughing as he pulled green-colored gloves and boots from his pockets. — Ferry, it’s your job again — he said, handing over the gear.

— Are those slime gloves and boots? — Jonathan asked, confused.

— Thought you used to be an adventurer, knight — mocked Dereck, helping Ferry gear up.

— That was a long time ago... — he replied with a nostalgic tone.

— That’s all nice, but stay alert. I’m going down first — ordered Ferry, climbing down the still-warm walls.

After four or five minutes, she reached the bottom and called for them to throw down her bow and arrows. Without question, the three cooperated precisely.

Once she had her gear, Ferry used her perception core to form an invisible line, then fired an arrow tied to a thin but sturdy thread. The other three descended, bracing their feet against the walls.

Once on solid ground, Ferry lit a torch, revealing a horrific scene — a pile of carcasses, but no sign of the miners. Ahead, a large tunnel led even deeper underground.

— I can already tell I’ll need a night’s rest after this — sighed the blond, walking past Ferry and into the tunnel.

— You really plan on going in there? — Jonathan asked, surprised.

— I don’t think you understand the situation. We have to destroy the object. If we don’t, these things will attack your village tonight. We have to finish this — Tate concluded, following his teammates.

— Alright then... — Jonathan muttered, simply following their lead for the rest of the mission.

≠

— Don’t you think Jonathan is taking too long? — asked Liz, looking at the other girls.

— Do you think something happened? — asked Sarah, her curly hair bouncing slightly as she turned, brown eyes filled with concern.

— Beta, let’s go see what’s going on in the village. Are you going to stay here training for nothing? — she mocked the boy, who was panting and exhausted.

— I’m staying here! — he snapped, irritated.

— Fine then — said Liz, walking off with the other girls.

— Damn it... What am I doing wrong? — Beta muttered, out of breath, using his sword to help himself up. — Just two more years and I’ll be twelve... Damn it... I have to do this, I have to level up...

— Why are you so hard on him? — asked Clara, another child with white hair and gray eyes.

— Because all he cares about now is this training field! He doesn’t play with us anymore! — Liz grumbled, picking up the pace.

— But he’s determined. You don’t have to rub his failures in his face — said Sarah, the oldest and tallest among them, though she was ignored.

— Let her be — said Carla, placing a hand on Sarah’s shoulder in a consoling gesture.

As they approached the houses, the silence and absence of people became clear. When they looked toward the mining area, just a few meters from the village, they saw all the villagers gathered around the cave entrance, visibly worried.

— What’s going on, everyone? — asked Sarah, running up to the silent crowd.

— Cleveland and Smallters disappeared in a second cave found inside this one. Three recently-arrived adventurers volunteered to help search for them, along with the knight Jonathan — explained Payton, who stood near the entrance.

— I knew something was wrong! — Liz muttered, walking up to the group.

— How long ago was that? — Catarina asked.

— About forty minutes, I think.

— Is the cave that big? — Carla asked, impressed.

— The issue isn’t the cave’s size. It’s the two miners who still haven’t been found.

— Should we call Beta? — Sarah asked.

— Better not. Let’s leave him there until we’re sure something really happened — replied Carla, but she was interrupted by a deafening explosion that made the ground shake.

BOOOOOOM!!

The sound was loud, and the underground rumble caused panic. No one knew what to do. Fear of entering and dread of what might be inside left everyone frozen.

Footsteps echoed. The crowd stepped back from the entrance, anxiously waiting. The first adventurer appeared, carrying an unconscious young man in his arms.

Cleveland was alive — unconscious, but alive. As for Smallters, who was larger and heavier, it took the combined effort of Ferry, Jonathan, and Dereck to carry him.