29: Busy night

The shining light reflected off the red coral of the labyrinth, while blood splattered through the air, staining the walls an even deeper red.

The spiderwebs were cut again and again, sharp legs and jet-black iron skin flying through the air.

The wind whistled with each of its movements, while a twisted smile remained fixed on its face.

The stinking spider, already missing several of its numerous legs, screeched with bestial rage as it watched the small figure in front of it.

It lunged at the being that had cut it multiple times, but once again it failed, thwarted by the agile movements of its opponent.

With a twist in the air, the figure dodged the attack and moved its sword with precision, severing another leg from the creature.

The spider screamed in pain as its fifth leg was hacked off, completely losing the balance that kept it upright.

With a thud, its heavy body fell into the mud. A malicious smile spread across the attacker's face as they charged directly toward the beast's snout.

The silver sword, now stained with the creature's foul blood, sank deep into the beast's open jaws.

[You have slain an awakened beast, steel spider]

"Each one is so resilient; it's tiring to deal with these things."

They withdrew their sword and moved from their place to the spider's abdomen, stabbing their sword into its gut as they sought the core of its soul.

A radiant sphere hid among the spider's flesh; they pulled it out with a yank and crushed it, sending dust flying into the air.

They took a deep breath, feeling the salty air and the stench of the spider's rotten blood.

Their body bore scratches all over, but no serious wounds covered their magnificent form.

Silence returned to the labyrinth as they rose from the mud and began to resume their path.

Their body was tired; they had already fought against several awakened beasts before battling the spider, and climbing a rocky elevation wouldn't help.

They looked up at the sky, raising one hand to shield their eyes from the sun, which was about to set on the horizon.

Today had been a long day.

With a sigh of resignation, they began to walk faster.

Their hazel eyes scrutinized their surroundings with each step, alert for any signs of danger.

As their smooth, brown hair swayed in the breeze, they smiled upon seeing the raised platform that would serve as their camp for a few days.

As they prepared to ascend to the top of the elevated platform, someone was waking from a pleasant dream elsewhere, several kilometers away from their location.

...

Grey slowly opened his silver eyes when a strand of hair fell into his eye, making him grimace in annoyance.

"It's getting too long; I should have cut it." He said in a low, pained tone.

He lifted his hand, and despite his muscles protesting, he brushed the long black hair away from his face.

Resigned, he raised his torso from the rocky ground and looked at the sky, painted in shades of yellow and red as the sun dipped below the horizon.

He frowned.

"Have I slept so long that it's already night?" His voice sounded low and monotonous, exhausted from all the effort of the previous day.

He glanced to one side of the platform and saw that the beast meat he had prepared had been swept away by last night's storm.

He let himself fall back to the ground again, letting out a tired sigh.

He brought his forearm to his forehead, and a silent curse escaped his lips.

"I'll have to go hunting."

A few seconds of serious consideration passed before he spoke again in a dull tone:

"But not today." He said as he turned his gaze back to the horizon and the dying light of the sun. "There wouldn't even be enough time."

The rumble of the black sea flooding the labyrinth reached his ears moments later, startling Grey slightly.

He stood up with his body protesting from fatigue and peered over the edges of the platform.

That was when he saw them: twelve large spiders with elongated legs, their hides appearing as tough as steel, moving with terrifying speed.

'It can't be,' he thought as he raised his hand and sparks sprang from nowhere around him. 'This is not good.'

His body changed in an instant. A slight glow emanated from his face, and his silver eyes became even more beautiful.

Covered in blue scales, his body moved effortlessly, ignoring the muscle pain. He raised his spear above his head.

His arm shot forward with incredible speed, and at the last moment before Odyssey slipped from his hand, an overwhelming force gave it one final push.

The wind whistled as the spear sliced through the air at an incredible speed, reaching its target in less than five seconds.

The skull of one of the spiders.

[You have slain an awakened beast, steel spider]

[Your souls grow stronger]

"Heh." Grey smiled and quickly drew back his spear, summoning it again.

More sparks appeared around his hand, and Odyssey returned after a few seconds.

He repeated the process, launching his arm back again. His enhanced vision and increased precision made him a fearsome shooter against those spiders.

The skulls shattered one after another as the daylight retreated further, and the black waters began to cover the creatures' long legs.

By the time the spiders managed to reach the hill, only five remained.

"Tsk, I wanted to take out more if possible."

With a snap, he raised his spear again, looked down the steep slope, and watched as those creatures climbed at an astonishing speed.

He regarded them with pure coldness as he aimed his spear at one of them, driving Odyssey into its skull once more.

Thirty seconds passed before two of the five climbing spiders reached the top of the hill.

Grey stepped back and took an attack stance. Both spiders wasted no time and lunged at him with their formidable steel bodies.

They were much stronger, faster, and more resilient than Grey, making this a tough battle to win, even for him.

His body shone in the darkness enveloping the world, illuminating his surroundings with a magnificent glow that pushed back the dense shadows of the platform.

The silhouettes of the spiders vanished into the darkness before launching several of their repulsive legs toward Grey's body, seeking to pierce him.

With his spear, he deflected the attacks. With his armor, he shielded himself. He stepped back and counterattacked, slicing and damaging the spiders with precision.

His strikes were relentless and devastating, causing Grey's body to shudder with each impact.

The ascended armor held up admirably, protecting his body from the spiders' sharp legs.

Grey moved with all the speed his aspect allowed, blocking the attacks with his powerful resistant form to avoid being impaled.

Odyssey had pierced the spiders multiple times, but never in a vital point.

The darkness was a major obstacle. Despite his light, he couldn't fully distinguish his attackers.

The spiders were quick, elusive, powerful, and resilient, so sickeningly persistent that Grey felt nausea at their mere existence.

'Damn it.' His body, already exhausted from the previous day, was pushing itself to the limit to avoid dying in the midst of darkness.

His chest thudded as one of the spiders managed to hit him squarely, knocking him to the edge of the platform.

'It hurts! Damn it.'

He turned his eyes towards the blow and saw both silhouettes; one was badly wounded, with many of its legs severed. The other was covered in cuts all over its massive body, its head cracked in several places.

But both were persistent and refused to die.

If Grey didn't act soon, they would kill him and devour him.

He infused his body with the pure energy that comforted him, giving him a strong sense of self and awareness of his surroundings. His core was draining rapidly from the amount of energy he was channeling into his body.

But something wasn't right.

Despite infusing himself with energy, he didn't feel any faster or with enhanced senses.

Then he noticed it.

A soft glow began to surround his surroundings in an instant, illuminating the figures of the spiders and the entire platform all at once.

The spiders seemed blinded for a moment, which Grey seized to quickly change his disadvantaged position.

As he took that step, his eyes caught sight of the new source of the glow.

His spear was shining brightly.