Chapter 19: Dungeon Fighting (Part 1)
After waking up feeling refreshed, Nate begins to prepare for the day ahead. He packs a small bag with necessities such as food and water before throwing it over his back and leaving the dorms. He makes his way through the city streets toward the adventurers' guild, determined to complete a rank-up quest that will upgrade his bronze badge to silver. Nervous excitement courses through Nate's body as he gets closer to the guild building. Upon entering, he spots Mini sitting behind her receptionist's desk looking visibly bored.
With a swift stride, Nate approaches Mini and flashes her his most charming smile. "Good morning, Mini," he greets her warmly.
Mini looks up and her eyes seem to glaze over a bit when she meets Nate's eyes. A faint pink tinge appears on her cheeks. "Is it just me, or have you become even more handsome?" she says with a sweet tone to her words.
A strange sensation bubbles up in Nate's chest as he gazes at Mini. She has always been strictly professional towards him and had never once flirted with him before.
Ignoring the strangeness for now Nate stifles an awkward cough. Mini's eyes seemed to regain clarity and a confused expression seemed to capture her face shacking her head she returned her attention to Nate and put her usual business smile on. "What can I do ya for Nate".
"I was hoping to get a rank-up quest" he quickly responds to her.
Mini's eyes, sharp and discerning, scrutinized Nate from head to toe, assessing his readiness. With a slight nod as if confirming a silent debate within herself, she turned away to rifle through a teetering pile of parchments.
"Here," she said at last, her voice carrying the weight of importance as she handed over a weathered scroll. "Beyond the city's western reach, nestled in the forest, you'll find the Spider's Lair Dungeon." Mini's finger traced invisible lines on an unseen map. "There are three floors, each guarded by a creature more fearsome than the last. Retrieve the monster cores from the bosses, and your rank-up quest will be completed."
Nathaniel took the parchment, feeling the coarse texture against his skin. He nodded once, his expression set with grim determination. "I understand," he replied.
With the quest accepted, Nate bid farewell to Mini and left the guild hall. Soon the city's cobblestone streets gave way to the wild embrace of the forest. He walked with purposeful strides, his senses alert. Emerald eyes scanned the underbrush and canopy.
Nate made his way through the forest until the Spider's Lair loomed ahead—a foreboding structure of stone and shadow, entwined with thick webs that glistened with dew and menace. Vines strangled its walls, and its entrance yawned open like the mouth of some ancient beast eager to swallow any who dared enter.
Before crossing the threshold, Nate paused. His hand reached out, summoning his Status page into the air before him. He allocated his free points to bolstering his dexterity and perception.
With the preparations complete, Nate steeled himself. He stepped into the maw of the Spider's Lair, his silhouette swallowed by the encroaching gloom.
After stepping into the bowels of the Spider's Lair, Nate's emerald eyes pierced the oppressive darkness. The dungeon was a living entity—a beast of stone and silence—its air heavy with the musk of decay. Tapestries of cobwebs draped from the ceiling to the uneven floor.
His breath formed misty puffs in the chilling air, and every step forward squelched underfoot, the ground slick with vile mucus and the remains of less fortunate adventurers. Stalactites loomed overhead, their tips sharp as daggers, poised like the fangs of some titanic arachnid waiting to impale him should he falter.
It wasn't long before the denizens of the lair made their presence known. Three green spiders, their carapaces glistening with a sickly sheen, descended upon him with unnatural agility. Each was the size of a hound, their legs clicking against the ground with a sound that spelled death.
Nate's instincts surged. With a flicker of concentration, he activated his appraisal skill. A translucent screen materialized before his eyes:
[Race: Verdant Crawler, Weakness: Eyes]
Armed with this knowledge, Nate invoked Mirror Mirage, conjuring an illusory doppelganger that mirrored his every move. A heartbeat later, he vanished from sight using Vanishing Act, his form blending seamlessly with the surroundings. One spider lunged at the illusion, mandibles snapping futilely.
Behind the real threat, Nate reappeared like a specter, dagger in hand. He drove it with lethal precision into the soft tissue behind the spider's eye cluster. The creature shuddered, its legs buckling beneath it as it collapsed. With a final twitch.
"Two more," Nate muttered under his breath, but the words were barely out when the remaining arachnids attacked. One caught him off guard, striking with a force that sent him sprawling across the sticky floor. Pain flared up his side where the blow had landed, a stark reminder of the danger he faced.
With agility born of desperation, he rolled aside, narrowly avoiding another strike. He couldn't afford any mistakes—not here, not now. Summoning another illusion, he cast it toward one spider, drawing its attention. As it skittered after the mirage, Nate focused on the other. His movements were a blur of grace and violence as he danced around the spider's assaults, finding an opening to bury his dagger into its abdomen. Its death throes were violent but brief.
"Last one," he breathed, turning to face the final predator. It hesitated, perhaps sensing the fate of its kin. But Nate was relentless. He feigned with an illusion, then struck true. His blade found the mark again, and the creature's life ebbed away in a pool of ichor.
The notifications flickered into existence, confirming the end of the confrontation:
[x3 Verdant Crawler Slain +300 exp]
A rush of triumph surged through Nate's veins, mixed with the sting of exertion.
"Can't stop now," he murmured, wiping his blade clean on the moss-covered stone. He looked deeper into the abyss before advancing.
Nate's footsteps echoed in the cavernous dungeon, a symphony of persistence. He navigated through the dimly lit corridors, his emerald eyes cutting through the darkness, occasionally fighting off more spiders.
The path wound onwards until it spilled into a vast chamber. The walls here were adorned with tapestries woven from the finest silk, each thread glistening like moonlight on water. At the far end, an altar-like structure loomed, shrouded in veils of white and silver. It was a throne befitting a regal presence, and upon it sat the first dungeon boss.
Nate hesitated only for a heartbeat before he activated his appraisal skill. A translucent screen blinked into existence before him:
[Race: Venomweave Queen, Weakness: Eyes]
With a deep breath, he steeled himself for battle. The queen, sensing an intruder, reared her grotesque figure, mandibles clicking in anticipation. Suddenly, she spat a stream of venomous green liquid at Nate. He dodged, but not swiftly enough; droplets seared his skin, eliciting a sharp yelp of pain as the acid burned like fire.
"Damn," Nate cursed under his breath, the reality of the queen's lethality setting in. He rolled out of the way as another volley of venom flew towards him, each movement calculated to keep him just beyond the reach of death. The queen was relentless, though, her attacks coming faster, more furious, leaving Nate gasping for air, muscles screaming in protest.
He summoned his illusions, throwing deceptive shades of himself into the fray. The queen lunged at them, fangs sinking into nothing but air. Nate seized the opportunity, darting in to swipe at her vulnerable eyes. His dagger sang a flash of silver in the dim light. But the queen was quick, lashing out with a leg that sent him sprawling.
Bruised and battered, Nate forced himself upright, refusing to succumb to the pain that threatened to overwhelm him. His chest rose and fell, drawing in ragged breaths as he circled the arachnid monarch. With a primal roar, he launched himself forward, feinting left and then striking true, his blade piercing an eye.
A guttural screech filled the chamber as the Venomweave Queen thrashed, her movements becoming erratic, and desperate. Nate pressed on, sweat mingling with blood and venom, his every strike a prayer for survival. Finally, with a mighty thrust, he plunged the dagger deep into her other eye, and silence fell.
The notification appeared within his vision, a testament to his triumph despite the odds stacked against him:
[x1 Venomweave Queen slain +500 Exp]
[+1 levels, +1 stat points to each attribute (extra +1 in strength, +3 free stat points]
Nate slumped against the cool stone wall of the boss chamber, his breaths still uneven from exertion. The Venomweave Queen lay motionless at his feet, her monstrous form eerily silent in death. He reached into his leather bag with a shaking hand, the clinking of vials and the rustling of cloth echoing softly in the vast room. His fingers closed around a waterskin, and he brought it to his lips, the liquid within offering a brief respite from the burning thirst that clawed at his throat.
As he drank, Nate's emerald eyes drifted over the grandeur of the chamber. Which is dimly lit by bioluminescent fungi, the cavernous space was both majestic and foreboding. Gossamer webs draped from the ceiling like curtains of the damned, shimmering faintly as droplets of venom slowly dripped from their silken strands.
With a sigh, he took a ration from his bag—a simple meal of dried meat and hardtack—and began to chew methodically.
Licking the last crumbs from his fingertips, Nate leaned his head back, allowing the coolness of the stone to soothe the fevered heat of his skin. His mind wandered, replaying the battle with the queen. He considered each dodge and thrust, analyzing his technique with a critical eye. There were moments of sloppiness, of near-fatal hesitation. He could have been quicker, and more decisive. These thoughts swirled in his mind, mingling with the pain that throbbed in his wounds.
"Next time," he murmured to himself, "I'll be better."
Nate then decided to take a quick look at his updated status page:
[Status]
Name- Nathaniel Cromwell
Level- 8>9 / Exp (220/900)
Class- Illusionist Duelist
Race- Half-Fae/Half Unknown (SEALED)
Age- 16
Strength- 18>22
Perception- 21>26
Dexterity- 23>28
Intelligence- 10>11
Endurance- 12>17
Charisma- 25>27
Free points- 3>0
Recognizing his tendency to tire quickly during battles, Nate decided to allocate his available points to enhance his endurance. After a while, he rose, feeling a lingering ache from his injuries but determined to press on to the next level of the dungeon.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone