The fighting outside the cave had barely ended when the cave itself fell silent.
Renato knew this was no good sign. It meant the clay golem had died inside, and something capable of killing it was still lurking there.
"Maybe it's not that bad," he told himself optimistically. "Maybe they killed each other."
Whatever Renato might think, though, they had come this far. They had to enter the Spider Nest.
"Same rules as always. Whoever goes in first gets the spider eggs. However many there are, the first group splits the money." Marcus spat out a mouthful of blood-streaked saliva. "I'm going in first. Who else?"
"I'm with you," Bagg answered. For some reason, Renato always suspected he had Orc blood.
Renato silently weighed his options.
Over a dozen Giant Spiders died outside. Add in the golem's attacks inside... there shouldn't be many monsters left in the Spider Nest.
Twenty silver coins were within reach. With only this final step remaining, he did not want to give up.
"Count me in."
The five of them held torches as they slowly felt their way through the cave.
Bagg looked back and lowered his voice.
"Little Finger, you don't have to force yourself. There's still time to back out."
Little Finger, who had been badly frightened earlier, had also joined the first group. Renato did not know whether he had fallen into debt again, but right now, he agreed with Bagg. He did not want anyone letting them down at a critical moment.
The other man, a short, stocky, middle-aged fellow carrying a machete, sneered.
"If you're a coward, go home already. This place-"
"Shut up."
Marcus was walking at the front. His voice was quiet, but it silenced the entire group.
Renato had never worked with Marcus before, but this "Deserter's" performance had greatly improved his opinion of him. Perhaps the rumors were wrong. Nothing about the resolute man before him suggested someone who would flee in the face of battle.
The damp air carried an increasingly pungent, rank stench. Grayish-white webs hung from the walls and ceiling, obstructing the adventurers' view.
Something cracked beneath Renato's foot. He crouched and brought his torch closer to inspect it.
The drained remains of an animal, perhaps a deer, lay tightly wrapped in thick, hardened spider silk.
As the group ventured deeper, more of these silk cocoons appeared along the walls. Some were human-shaped and even rose and fell faintly, but not a single person suggested rescuing them.
Renato knew that after a Giant Spider caught its prey, it injected a toxin into the victim's body. This paralyzed the nerves and rendered the victim unconscious, but it also acted as a digestive fluid, dissolving flesh from within.
Those still breathing were therefore not living people, merely corpses that had yet to die.
The entire nest was terrifyingly quiet. The cave was not deep, and they soon reached its end.
A web of unimaginable size occupied the entire rear half of the cavern. Its strands were as thick as fingers, with prey remains of all sizes stuck to them.
At the center of this enormous web, several egg sacs woven from dense spider silk formed a towering heap. Each was roughly half a person's height, its surface stirring faintly as though something were developing inside.
The clay golem lay beside the web. Half its head had been shattered, both arms severed, and cracks covered its chest. One wound tore through its shoulder, exposing the metal core inside.
In return, countless Giant Spider remains lay piled around it.
Renato could hardly tell how many there were. Their bodies looked as though they had been crushed in a hydraulic press, with fluids and limb fragments splattered everywhere.
While he was still wondering where to put his feet, the short, stocky man strode to the center of the web. He excitedly counted the eggs and shouted in delight.
"One, two, three... Hahaha! We're rich! Eight in total-160 silver crowns!"
A shadow emerged from the ceiling, eight scarlet compound eyes gleaming ominously.
Despite the cave's woefully inadequate lighting, Renato sensed the threat instantly, his muscles tightening.
But he was not the predator's target, and it was already too late to shout a warning.
A Giant Spider larger than a bull plummeted from the ceiling. Its two sharp forelegs sliced through the adventurer beneath it as easily as two-handed machetes.
Just like the clay golem, the stocky man lost both arms in an instant. Blood gushed out, and the enormous fangs immediately crushed his skull, sealing his death. It came too quickly for him even to struggle. All he managed was a brief scream.
Aside from Renato, Marcus, standing at the front, was the first to react to the horrifying sight. With a roar, he lunged at the monster before him.
His military billhook pierced a gap in its armored joint with precision and severed the tendon. Using the spider's own weight against it, he instantly snapped one of its legs and threw it off balance.
Renato immediately understood the veteran's intent. He darted forward while the spider was still unsteady and circled toward its flank.
Caves are their home ground. Giant Spiders can use silk and darkness to move along the walls. We can't let it get back onto the ceiling!
Renato could see that this Giant Spider was not merely enormous; every leg gleamed with a metallic sheen. His longsword lacked the reach to strike its joints from a safe distance, so he aimed for its soft rear abdomen instead.
It was a simple tactic, one even a beast could recognize. To stop Renato from getting behind it, the Giant Spider ignored the damage inflicted by the billhook and twisted violently, bringing its scythe-like forelegs down at him!
The downward slash had no variation whatsoever. Even a complete novice in swordsmanship would not attack like this, but sheer strength could transform its power, turning a bad move into a good one.
Sparks flew where limb met blade. Renato felt as though his sword were blocking a falling guillotine blade. The impact forced him several steps backward.
Bagg's greataxe did not waste the opening Renato had created. His thick arms unleashed their full strength, driving it all through the axe blade and into the Giant Spider's organ-filled abdomen.
Fluid burst from the soft abdominal cavity like juice from a smashed watermelon. Renato did not know whether spiders felt pain, but now he was certain they felt fear.
Even after Bagg and Marcus broke two more of its legs, the Giant Spider desperately climbed its silk toward the ceiling. It was about to move beyond their reach.
Whoosh-
With Big Guy and Marcus crowding the front, Joe had never had a clear shot with his hand crossbow. Now, at last, his chance came. The bolt sliced through the air and struck one of the Giant Spider's scarlet compound eyes with precision.
The Giant Spider shrieked and fell, landing upside down, its limbs thrashing as it tried to right itself.
But it would have no further chance. Blows rained down, chopping its body into pulp.
The four of them remained on guard for a while. Once they were certain there were no more spiders, they worked together to carry the eggs out of the cave.
The spider eggs were tougher than Renato had imagined. With their thick shells and layers of silk wrapping, there was no need to worry about breaking them if they fell.
Their considerable weight, however, reminded him of the water-cooler bottles he had hauled around as a student.
"Excellent. The exterior is intact, all indicators are normal, and the organisms are highly active. Perfect experimental material..."
The Mage caressed the spider eggs with rapt delight, as though they contained not disgusting crawling creatures, but his beloved.
After confirming that everything was in order, the Mage extended his right hand. The light warped, and the eggs vanished.
This time, Renato saw it clearly. The eggs gradually disappeared beside the Mage's hand. That black ring had to be a spatial storage item.
[Quest] Hunt the Giant Spiders in Mute Valley in the Phantom Forest. No limit on quantity. Reward: 5 silver coins each. Spider eggs returned will earn an additional 20 silver coins each. Giant Spiders slain ×2. Spider eggs submitted ×2. Gained 1,000 experience points.
As the [Adventurer's Guide] appeared, Renato acted on a thought. Without hesitation, he spent all 1,000 experience points on leveling up his warrior class.
Warrior level 3 (15/500) → Warrior level 4 (515/1,000)
Accompanied by a burst of grand background music, the pages of the [Adventurer's Guide] turned, and four options appeared.
Renato was a little surprised. Previous level-ups had never offered him any choices.
[Please select your class advancement] 1. Battle Master A hundred martial techniques display their prowess. Battle Masters are scholars of the fighting arts, focusing on developing and applying combat techniques. The most accomplished combine combat with theories drawn from history, art, and other disciplines, and thus often possess both scholarly talent and martial skill. 2. Champion Warrior Valor unmatched among armies marks a true hero. Champion Warriors are fighters who pursue victory without rest, focusing on cultivating their own martial prowess and forging exceptional bodies to overcome danger and seek honor. Whether in the arena or on blood-soaked battlefields, Champion Warriors fight only to claim the laurels of victory. 3. Eldritch Knight (locked) 4. Psionic Warrior (locked)
The new options and their vague descriptions left Renato pondering for a moment.
Eldritch Knight and Psionic Warrior were clearly classes with magical abilities, judging by their names alone. If he could, he would certainly choose one of those two. Unfortunately, both were locked for reasons he did not understand, leaving him to consider the others.
Looks like I can only choose between Battle Master and Champion Warrior...
In the end, Renato chose Champion Warrior. According to its description, Battle Master combined intellectual and martial pursuits and possessed advanced fighting techniques. It seemed like a good choice. But what Renato urgently needed now was tangible power. Champion Warrior, with its emphasis on physical strength, was undoubtedly the class best suited to improving his immediate chances of survival.
Completing the class advancement unlocked a new feat. The last time he had received one was Darkvision, when he reached warrior level 1. From this, Renato guessed he would gain a feat every three levels.
Feat gained: Mind Over Body Command the limits of the flesh through an indomitable will. Resolve provides an additional increase to physical endurance. At 15 resolve, gain additional fatigue resistance. At 18 resolve, gain an additional exemption from constitution checks. At 20 resolve, gain resistance to all energy types (acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, thunder). [Character] Renato de Fernando Race: human Classes: Champion Warrior level 4 (515/1,000), Chosen of the Gods of Dakoul level 1 (30/?) HP: 51/51 Strength: 14 Constitution: 13 Dexterity: 14 Perception: 15 Intelligence: 11 Resolve: 15 Feats: heavy armor proficiency, martial weapon proficiency, swordsmanship specialization, darkvision, Mind Over Body Skills: religious knowledge level 6, historical knowledge level 4, linguistics level 4, group tactics level 3, riding level 2
The level-up brought a one-point increase to constitution. A warm current flowed through his limbs and body, as soothing and pleasant as a massage from a bathhouse attendant.
While Renato was enjoying the moment, someone suddenly kicked his shin, startling him into a full-body twitch.
"Stop spacing out, young master," Joe whispered. "Time to collect our money."
The gains this time were so great that Renato had become completely absorbed in choosing his class advancement, unconsciously forgetting that he was still in the dangerous Phantom Forest.
This was a lesson. He had been lucky this time-it was only a kick from Little Finger. Next time, it might be a knife coming at him.
Shaken by the thought, Renato reminded himself to stay alert and looked toward the approaching Mage.
A metal golem stood silently beside him, presumably summoned while Renato was reading the [Adventurer's Guide]. The Mage asked no further questions, apparently already certain of Renato's results. He extended his hand and gave Renato five gold coins.
There was no miscalculation and no skimming. The gleaming coins bore the image of a mage tower. They were currency issued by Spatia, a city founded by mages farther to the south. Their value was stable and their gold content substantial. Unlike silver crowns, whose value fluctuated unpredictably, these were coins Renato had often used even back in the north.
Once everyone had collected their bounty, they began clearing the battlefield. The Giant Spiders' venom sacs and carapaces were valuable materials, and plenty of loot still awaited discovery inside the nest.
Just as Renato was considering how to remove a spider's foreleg intact, the Mage, seemingly in a good mood, approached him of his own accord.
"Did you notice it too? What makes the Giant Spiders here so extraordinary?"
Without waiting for Renato to answer, he continued.
"Giant Spiders are ordinarily merely beasts, not magical creatures. Their colonies rarely number more than ten."
"But the population here is entirely different. Larger bodies, a unique social structure... Most importantly, they have actually evolved spell-like abilities."
"According to my research, this is not the result of interbreeding with other magical creatures, but of some unknown cause... The hardness of their forelegs is not an inherent physical property. They have been reinforced by magic. The forelegs themselves are magical organs."
Renato did not understand why the Mage was telling him this, but he offered his own interpretation.
"Like enchanting a weapon? Is that why their forelegs are so hard?"
"Extremely inaccurate, but you are not a scholar. You may think of it that way." Watching the adventurers walking back and forth with armfuls of spider entrails, the Mage seemed to lose interest in the conversation just as abruptly. He frowned. "How much longer do you intend to waste here?"
"I think we can head back tomorrow." Renato estimated the cave's size. Nine people-no, eight-should be able to finish looting it before sunset.
"No later than noon tomorrow."
He decided to leave a little extra time.
Before you continue