Chapter 56: The Return to the Pit

  Reached the tomb on my own. Yana kept her distance.

  Aric Kelltins wasn’t present – his replacement from the Burning Suns was already here.

  We split into teams.

  Goren was supposed to be on mine, but he was replaced by a different Rogue named Dalton.

  We cleared the three chambers assigned to our team [+1,190 XP].

  Defecting from my team members, I ventured inside the tomb on my own.

  As I continued deeper into the tomb, reaching the staircase to the second level, my mind raced, trying to decipher what Chronos meant when he said there was a way to slow Erebus down. But nothing concrete came to mind.

  “There’s a shortcut here.” An Echo of Goren’s voice suddenly sounded in my ears, startling me. The quality of the Echoes had become so good that it sometimes felt like the speaker was standing right next to me or as if I was talking aloud.

  Now…what kind of shortcut was he talking about?

  “A shortcut? A shortcut to where?” I heard an Echo of my own voice.

  Good question, Aidan.

  I focused, hoping to catch more Echoes, but nothing else came through.

  Okay, plan B.

  I activated Afterimage and watched a ghostly version of myself rush down the staircase.

  Not this one.

  I mentally skipped to the next afterimage. At level 8, Afterimage allowed me to replay all of my past selves’ actions within the given area.

  Cycling through the afterimages, I landed on one that caught my attention. This version of me stood in front of the wall to my side – then suddenly phased right through it.

  A secret door?

  I approached the wall cautiously, gently running my fingers along its surface, searching for hidden levers or loose bricks. Noticing a few that seemed out of place, I was about to press one when another Echo from Goren stopped me.

  “Would’ve been quicker, but I forgot which bricks open the door and which spray acid on your face.”

  I stepped back faster than I ever had in my life.

  Was he joking? Serious? It was hard to tell. My current self knew nothing about Goren beyond the fact he’d murdered me eight times, and some faint recollections through his Echoes.

  Still, I wasn’t about to take the risk of acid to the face.

  I couldn’t just skip this potential shortcut, though. I needed to see where it led. So, I approached the wall again, hoping Déjà vu would guide me to the right bricks. But not before taking precautions.

  [Checkpoint Set: Your progress has been saved at this point in time]

  [Checkpoint lvl. 8: Time left until Anchor expires – 01:59:59]

  I ran my hand along the wall again, this time focusing on the soft tingling sensations of Déjà vu in my mind. Eventually, two bricks stood out, each sparking the fait sense of familiarity.

  Do I need to press them in a specific order, or at the same time?

  Taking a deep breath, I decided on the former. I pressed the upper brick first, then the lower one, immediately rolling backward, bracing for a spray of acid.

  Nothing came.

  Instead, the wall groaned softly before sliding aside, revealing a dark chamber beyond.

  I sighed in relief before consuming a Lumindew and steeping inside.

  [Item Consumed: Lumindew x1]

  [Night Vision activated. Duration: 30 minutes. Visual range enhanced in low-light areas]

  Once inside, I pulled the lever on the wall and the wall slid shut behind me.

  Good. I didn’t want any curious individuals following me inside. Wherever inside was.

  The space before me was empty except for the massive hole in its center and a metallic ladder leading downward.

  Catching more Echoes of Goren, I pieced together that this place was some kind of shortcut to other floors in the tomb.

  Knowing I had nothing to lose, I gripped the ladder and made my way down, aiming to reach the bottom.

  ***

  On my way down, I was attacked by a colossal, blade-covered snake – the Razor Basilisk.

  Barely escaping with my life, I used Flight to descend to nearest floor – somewhere in the 30s.

  I rushed into a corridor just as the Razor Basilisk snapped at the wall behind me, its bladed head crashing against the stone. For a moment, I feared the wall might break under its force, but surprisingly, it held strong.

  Eventually, unable to reach me, the creature grew bored and slithered back into the hole it had emerged from.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  How the hell am I even supposed to fight this monstrosity?

  I was higher level than it, but its massive size and blade-covered body made approaching it nearly impossible. Still, I couldn’t shake the thought that it might drop something important – maybe even one of the items Chronos wanted me to find.

  Turning around to assess where I’d ended up, I realized the entire corridor was filled with webs, covering the walls, floor, and ceiling.

  Oddly, there were no webs near the doorway to the void chamber, as if the spiders were deliberately avoiding this section. Yet the corridor beyond was nothing but silk, forming literal walls of webbing.

  But the spiders who made them were nowhere to be seen.

  I snapped my fingers, summoning a Fireball and hurling it at nearest wall of webs. The flames consumed the silk with ease, the burning scent filling my nostrils as I progressed.

  I continued forward, occasionally activating Distance Gauge to ensure I wasn’t being ambushed.

  Eventually, I reached the end of the corridor – or what used to be the end. The area was a devastated, collapse dead end. However, a narrow tunnel led downward, its walls coated with even more webs.

  Seeing as my only other option was to return and face the Razor Basilisk, I decided that dealing with some spiders was the lesser evil.

  I slipped into the narrow tunnel, crawling on all fours. The sticky webs clung to my hands and arms as I made my way through, every movement slower than I liked.

  At last, I reached the end of the tunnel. Its other side opened inside a wall, high above the ground of some large pit. I peeked through, and Déjà vu tingled in response.

  I’ve been here before.

  Then, the memory of my fight with Kaelstrife came rushing back. That’s where I’d defeated him.

  I scanned the pit below, recalling how the spiders had poured into this place during the fight.

  Could be a good place to farm more XP.

  I didn’t have active access to my quests’ statuses, but I had no doubt that killing enough spiders here would complete the related quest.

  Might as well.

  I activated Flight, carefully descending toward the pit's floor.

  Once I landed, I took a moment to stretch, preparing myself for the residents’ arrival.

  They didn’t make me wait long.

  ***

  The first wave of Void Spiders crawled out from the holes in the walls, making their way toward me while others launched their web projectiles. I dodged easily with Enhanced Dash Step, waiting for the first spiders to reach the floor.

  As soon as they did, I activated Enhanced Blade Rush, closing the distance to the nearest spider. With a single swing of Silverfang, I split it in two.

  [+294 XP]

  I turned quickly, charging Silverfang for an Explosive Strike. The attack blasted through the next spider and sent shockwaves into the nearest ones, weakening them enough for me to finish them off in rapid succession.

  [+294 XP]

  [+294 XP]

  [+294 XP]

  [+294 XP]

  [+294 XP]

  [+294 XP]

  More web projectiles flew at me, but I activated Wind Rush and kept using Enhanced Dash Step to evade while firing Wind Arrows at the elevated spiders. The arrows knocked them from their perches, and I dispatched them swiftly on the ground.

  [+294 XP]

  [+294 XP]

  [+294 XP]

  [+294 XP]

  Despite my success so far, their number just kept growing.

  I used Enhanced Dash Step to create some distance, then raised a Wind Wall to shield myself as I charged Air Barrage. With a flick of my wrist, a volley of wind arrows arched into the air, raining down on the incoming spiders and killing dozens of them as they crashed their bodies and the ground beneath them, raising dust and debris.

  But they just kept coming.

  Still, I wasn’t worried.

  Creating distance again, I channeled an Enhanced Blur Strike.

  I dashed forward, Silverfang slicing through every spider in my line of sight. I moved quickly, each move precise and accurate, utilizing every millisecond the skill provided me with to cut down as many as I possibly could.

  But again, they just kept coming, surrounding me from all sides.

  I wasn’t about to be overwhelmed.

  I activated Typhoon, releasing a swirling vortex of wind around me. The violent blow knocked back all the Void Spiders that were closing in, giving me an opening to follow up with Enhanced Blade Rush. I darted forward, cutting down each one that had been pushed away while they couldn’t retaliate.

  Moving quickly, I continued striking the spiders coming my way, slowly thinning their numbers. Finally, I began to see progress.

  To keep the pressure on, I used Mirage Step, leaving mirrored versions of myself behind. While the spiders were busy attacking these decoys, I channeled Horizon through Silverfang.

  A destructive wave of wind blasted through the cluster of spiders ahead, killing them all in one blow.

  The remaining spiders grew apprehensive, their movements almost hesitant. It almost seemed like they were afraid of me.

  Then, a piercing screech echoed through the pit.

  The Void Spiders stopped entirely, falling silent at they turned their attention to the tunnels above.

  I followed their gaze up. There, out of the largest opening, a monstrous figure began its descent – a massive spider, far larger than the rest.

  Déjà vu screamed in my mind.

  Arachnid Mother, level 85.

  “How many times have you killed me already?” I whispered. Despite the sight of this foe, a strange surge of confidence shot through me.

  Immediately I took the offensive, closing the distance with Enhanced Blade Rush. But the Arachnid Mother was fast – far faster than her size suggested. She dodged my attack effortlessly and countered with a snap of her sharp legs. I evaded with Enhanced Dash Step, avoiding the strike with ease as well.

  The Void Spiders rejoined the fight, forcing me to multitask. As I ran, evading the Arachnid Mother’s web shots, I fired Wind Arrows, thinning the spider horde once more.

  Then, all of a sudden, I pivoted sharply, catching the monster off guard. Using Enhanced Blade Rush, I closed the distance and swung Silverfang, but she lunged backward, dodging the attack.

  Quickly shifting to the Astral Spear, I hurled it forward, activating Shooting Star, turning the spear into a high-velocity projectile. The weapon struck one of her legs, exploding on impact and ripping the limb off.

  The monster shrieked in pain as I mentally recalled the Astral Spear, and it reappeared in my hand out of thin air.

  She growled, attempting to inflict Fear status on me, but I was at a higher level than her. I passed the check without issue.

  In fact, I felt untouchable.

  She should be afraid of me.

  I swapped to Lightning Claw, locking onto the Arachnid Mother’s eyes. Then, activating Stormpierce, I flashed forward, reappearing next to her with the dagger already embedded in one of her eyes. The guaranteed hit released a lightning charge that rippled through her body, causing her to shriek and swing her legs around in a frenzy as her HP dropped below 50%.

  I dodged with Enhanced Dash Step, creating distance as something changed.

  She let out another shriek – far worse than the one before – as her body began to convulse violently. Her spidery skin cracked and split apart. Dark fluid began pouring from the wounds as her form began to reshape.

  Her seven remaining legs twisted and elongated, merging into dozens of segmented limbs. Her body stretched unnaturally, the once round figure flattened and extended into a writhing shape covered in sharp metallic platings.

  The transformation was grotesque – and that's putting it mildly.

  By the end of it, her HP grew back to 100%, but the monster wasn’t even a spider anymore.

  It was a centipede.

  Even the System registered the change, adding five additional levels to what it showed before and changing its name.

  Chilopendra Prime, level 90.

  What the hell is going on?