In the royal castle of Sigma, the king sat majestically upon his throne, with Moses standing to his right as usual, wearing an impassive expression.
"Have you heard about the famous trio of adventurers everyone at the Guild is talking about?" Moses asked with measured curiosity.
"Of course though I'm greatly displeased to see an inferior creature like a beastman among them," the king replied, looking annoyed.
"According to our information, he's merely a slave they acquired."
"Even so, it bothers me only a little. My intention is clear: I wish to recruit them," the king said firmly.
"All three?" Moses asked, surprised.
"Certainly not only the two human men. We urgently need a new captain for the royal knights, since the previous one died on a dungeon expedition."
"Have you contacted them already?" Moses asked carefully.
"Yes, an official letter was sent over three months ago, but I've received no reply," the king sighed, irritated.
"If necessary, I will go meet them myself," he concluded, determined.
**
Zem woke up, as always, very early that morning. Beside his bed, on an old wooden dresser, lay that letter bearing Sigma's royal seal. At the sight of it, he let out a long, irritated sigh.
When they had received the letter, they already knew they'd never answer it. Rumors of barbaric acts by the royal knights were widespread, and they would never associate with such atrocities.
Moreover, the offer was explicitly for Elias and himself, completely excluding their brother Veid simply because he was a beastman even though they had always had to pretend he was their slave.
Their current life as adventurers was exactly the one they had dreamed of as children, and they were fully satisfied with it. They were even on the verge of officially reaching Rank A, proof of their effort and success.
In two days, they were due to leave on an urgent mission. A dungeon had recently appeared near a village at the edge of the Sigma kingdom, and the Guild had personally requested them. According to the information received, the dungeon was ranked B, labyrinth type, and required a full three weeks of travel to reach.
They prepared carefully, bringing food supplies, healing potions, essential gear, and various useful items for the perilous journey. Once ready, they mounted their horses and left the city with determination.
The trip lasted three whole weeks. They passed through several small villages, sometimes sleeping in inns, other times under the open sky. They finally reached the village mentioned in the request, where they took a full day to rest and prepare physically and mentally.
The next day, they set off toward the dungeon, located in a vast natural cave carved into a towering mountain. In front of the entrance, a large makeshift camp had formed. Adventurers moved constantly through it, alongside merchants selling all sorts of useful goods: healing and mana potions, weapons, and assorted equipment.
Informants were there too, selling valuable intelligence on the dungeon: monster types, levels, and the peculiarities of the environments inside. The atmosphere was always lively, almost festive, despite the danger within.
Zem, Elias, and Veid passed quickly through the camp, ignoring the many curious or disdainful looks cast at Veid something they had already experienced far too often. Without wasting time, they stepped into the dungeon's oppressive darkness.
Inside, gloom reigned, the heavy silence blending with a menacing atmosphere. Every shadow seemed to hide a potential threat. Elias deftly summoned several floating fireballs, lighting their way and pushing back the darkness.
Used to this work, they advanced cautiously through the labyrinth's twisting galleries. Every junction split into multiple possible paths, increasing the risk of getting lost or of following routes already explored by others. Focused, united, and determined, they pressed deeper into the dark, ready to face what the dungeon held.
This is precisely what made labyrinth-type dungeons so distinctive: a single, massive floor composed of countless winding paths, misleading dead ends, and nasty traps. It was easy to get lost for days or quickly find yourself surrounded by dangerous monsters. These many unpredictable elements made each exploration perilous, demanding constant vigilance. Each labyrinthine dungeon had its own specific traits and unique traps.
For this type specifically, experienced adventurers strongly recommended forming a party of at least seven. Among them, it was crucial to have someone who could wield fire or light to illuminate the area and prevent ambushes from creatures lurking in the dark.
A specialized class like a pathfinder was essential to mark routes already taken and ensure a safe exit in case of danger. Ample food and medical supplies were a must in case you got lost. Finally, for wealthy groups, having a return stone provided extra safety to extract quickly in an extreme emergency.
After about thirty minutes without incident, Zem suddenly picked up a faint sound, almost imperceptible. He reacted instantly, drawing his sword, flooding it with water, then hurling it forcefully above his head. A dull thud told him he'd hit the mark. A huge black spider head crashed to the floor massive mandibles, a mouth full of menacing teeth, and a cluster of unsettling eyes. A Black Spider, as big as a grown man.
"Elias!" Zem shouted, on alert.
Elias immediately intensified the light of his fireballs, revealing a ceiling covered with about thirty similar spiders. Their drool dripped down, and their many eyes fixed hungrily on the trio, while human remains trapped in webs testified to the fate of some adventurers.
Without waiting, the spiders lunged at them. Anticipating the rush, Elias quickly channeled his mana and sent out a powerful wave of flame, instantly engulfing a dozen. The creatures screamed in pain before dropping to the ground, carbonized and still.
At the same time, five others leapt at Veid, pouncing with legs and mandibles to tear him apart. He instantly raised a solid wind barrier, blocking the attack cold. In the next heartbeat, the barrier twisted into a devastating tornado, hurling the spiders into the air and shredding them with currents as sharp as razors. Their remains scattered in pieces across the cavern.
Meanwhile, Zem concentrated water at the tip of his blade again and released a high-pressure jet that neatly sliced the remaining spiders.
"These spiders are always vicious," Veid noted, catching his breath.
"And we're likely to run into many more. Those were just scouts," Elias warned, now on guard.
"Stay sharp," Zem concluded seriously.
Continuing on, they cut down another twenty or so spiders along the way. The deeper they went, the more dangerous the spiders seemed to become.
"Analyze," Veid intoned.
Name: (Unspecified) | Race: Black Spider | Type: Scout | Level: 100
Vitality: 270 | Attack: 150 | Defense: 300 | Speed: 150 | Endurance: 170 | Agility: 300 | Intelligence: 100 | Physique: 270 | Will: 120
Skills: Night Vision, Perception, Web, Stealth, Contortion, Silent Leap
Unique Skills: Web Sense, Web Shot, Poisonous Bite, Vibratory Sense, Silk Marking, Scarlet Bite
Legendary Skills: (None)
Exclusive Skills: (None)
Elements: Poison
Titles Earned:
Then they came upon a different class of spider entirely. Their carapaces were larger and sturdier, with an extra row of teeth and four mandibles instead of two.
Name: (Unspecified) | Race: Black Spider Soldier | Type: Soldier | Level: 110
Vitality: 320 | Attack: 200 | Defense: 350 | Speed: 200 | Endurance: 200 | Agility: 350 | Intelligence: 140 | Physique: 320 | Will: 180
Skills: Night Vision, Perception, Web, Stealth, Contortion
Unique Skills: Web Sense, Web Shot, Poisonous Bite, Vibratory Sense, Dart Rain, Trapped Cocoon, Corrosive Breath, Poisoned Web, Silk Marking, Cutting Web, Poison Jet, Scarlet Bite
Legendary Skills: (None)
Exclusive Skills: (None)
Elements: Poison
Titles Earned:
• (None)
Some spiders reached levels up to 110 or even 130, and there were easily more than twenty of them. They were closing fast through the corridors about fifty meters ahead.
"Looks like things are finally getting serious, as you'd expect from a Rank-B dungeon," Zem murmured, focused.
In terms of power, Veid was currently level 180 with a hybrid spellblade class. Elias, stronger still, had reached level 190 as a magic knight. Finally, Zem, at level 200, had chosen the demanding path of the Paladin.
Aggressive at the intruders' presence, the spiders advanced at a worrying speed, scrambling along walls, ceiling, and floor in a terrifying surge.
"Veid!" Elias cried urgently.
Without hesitation, Veid unleashed a powerful gust that instantly filled the width of the tunnel. The spiders' advance slowed abruptly but that wasn't the real aim of the preparatory strike.
"Flame Wave!" Elias followed up immediately.
A hellish torrent of fire poured from his hands, perfectly combining with Veid's violent winds. The flames swelled into a gigantic, devastating, uncontrollable surge. Trapped by the narrow corridor, the monsters realized their fatal error far too late. They were completely engulfed, leaving only charred corpses behind. The trio pushed on methodically, letting no creature hinder their advance.
Farther on, they faced Scheibers humanoid bats reaching nearly level 120. These imposing creatures surpassed an average human by a head, their skin a violet drifting toward black. Their jaws held sharp fangs; their arms and legs ended in keen claws; and their strong wings lashed out with slicing wind gusts.
The Scheibers' attacks were violent and relentless. They dodged with agility or parried wind blades with their swords when dodging was impossible. Seizing an opening, Elias infused his sword with mana and loosed cutting strikes that cleanly severed the fliers. De-winged, the Scheibers crashed hard to the ground.
They also had to confront entire swarms of giant rats, often in packs of fifty. Against such numbers, Elias's pitiless flames combined with Veid's cutting winds quickly took effect. Jammed in the tight corridors, the rats stood no chance and were rapidly annihilated.
After more than eight hours exploring the cave's hundreds of damp, dark corridors without pause, they decided on a deserved break.
They carefully drank a few mana potions and ate a light snack, staying on their guard, alert to any sound or suspicious movement. Once refreshed, they set out again with determination. They soon realized black spiders dominated the area, leading them to conclude the dungeon was wholly dedicated to these creatures. By experience, the final boss would likely be a Spider General, at a level close to theirsaround 150.
For dungeons, as with quests, difficulty and level are classified precisely:
F: 1–30
E: 30–60
D: 60–80
C: 80–100
B: 100–150
A: 150–250
S: 250–500
SS: 500–1000
SSS: 1000–2000
At last, after two full days spent in the dungeon's winding depths, they entered a vast cavern, dimly lit by a few luminous crystals on the walls. Before them, true chaos unfolded. Several adventurer groups were battling a terrifying horde of monsters.
Three distinct groups were desperately trying to hold their ground. One was almost completely wiped out, its members' bodies devoured mercilessly by countless ravenous spiders. The last survivors, panicked, were quickly overwhelmed by an implacable wave of enemies, dying in screams of agony.
The second group, a bit tougher, seemed to be holding against the spiders until Scheibers disrupted their defensive formation. The bat-folk brutally seized several adventurers, lifting them into the air before tearing them apart mid-flight in a macabre ballet, their terrified cries mixing with the sickening sounds of rending flesh.
The last group, made up of twenty seasoned adventurers, seemed to resist better, barely managing to push back the combined assaults of spiders and Scheibers. But before Zem and his brothers could focus further on the terrifying scene, a flock of Scheibers dove straight at them. Elias fired flames at once, but the creatures could easily dodge in this open space very different from the narrow tunnels where they'd been trapped earlier.
The Scheibers countered with a flurry of blade-sharp wind attacks. Used to fighting together, the brothers weaved and parried the incessant gusts with agility. Meanwhile, at range, an army of Soldier Spiders charged them, methodically encircling and firing steel-strong webs and deadly acid.
Strikes came from all sides, giving the trio no respite. One misstep could mean certain death.
"I'll take the rear cover the front!" Zem ordered without hesitation.
"Got it!" Veid and Elias answered at once, confident.
Each knew his role perfectly, the fruit of countless battles together. Despite the adversity, none of them trembled their confidence forged by experience and power.
Zem drew a deep breath and triggered several Paladin skills:
"Steadfast General! Provoke!"
His voice rang out, instantly boosting his brothers and drawing the monsters' attention to himself. Then, raising one hand overhead, he channeled an immense quantity of mana:
"Aqueous Lances!"
Over a hundred water lances suddenly formed in the air, hovering for a heartbeat before crashing down at terrifying speed onto the spiders. Each impact exploded violently, destroying its target on the spot.
Without pause, more lances appeared, hammering the enemies still approaching. Zem also raised a living water shield around himself, fluidly diverting attacks. From his sword, razor-edged water slashes cut down Scheibers, sending them crashing to the ground.
Enemy numbers dropped quickly under the masterful onslaught. Benefiting from Zem's rallying effect, Veid and Elias launched their own offensive. Instead of dodging as before, they summoned a powerful combined wall of wind and fire, creating an impenetrable defense. After gathering enough mana, Veid moved his sword in quick, precise cuts, forming a violent tornado that sucked in the nearby monsters and sliced them to pieces.
But it wasn't over: Elias mirrored the motion, conjuring a second tornado this time of fire that horribly burned anything attempting to approach. The creatures' dying screams echoed as the two twisters fused into a colossal column of fire and wind reaching the cavern ceiling. The suction was so strong it drew in and destroyed every remaining enemy in range, burning and slicing without distinction.
Meanwhile, Zem kept up his aquatic assaults, now using a high-pressure water jet capable of cutting steel with ease, mercilessly cleaving the last enemies. After fifteen intense minutes, all monsters were completely annihilated.
The group of twenty surviving adventurers who had also managed to finish their own fight now watched the three brothers in stunned admiration.
"So it's them… the famous Three Elements…" one of them murmured, deeply impressed by the overwhelming display of strength.
As the brothers were about to celebrate their victory, a violent tremor suddenly shook the entire cavern, sending worrying vibrations through the walls and floor.
"What's happening is the cave collapsing?!" Veid exclaimed, looking urgently for an exit.
"No… that's not it," Zem murmured darkly, every sense on high alert.
A chilling shiver ran through him as an immense pressure, laden with crushing mana, descended suddenly on all the adventurers, pinning them almost to the ground.
Emerging slowly and ominously from one of the dark tunnels, a terrifying creature appeared. As tall as a grown man, it had a humanoid silhouette covered in a thick, glossy black carapace.
Eight menacing arms, each tipped with claws sharp enough to rend flesh, completed the nightmarish sight. Its mouth opened to reveal two fearsome mandibles, while eight crimson eyes glowed with wild, cruel light.
"Impossible… There must be a mistake! This dungeon was supposed to be Rank B!" Veid breathed, horrified by what he was seeing.
Name: (Unspecified) | Race: Black Spider | Type: Prince | Level: 250
Vitality: ? | Magic Power: ? | Attack: ? | Defense: ? | Speed: ? | Endurance: ? | Agility: ? | Intelligence: ? | Physique: ? | Will: ?
Skills: ?
Unique Skills: ?
Legendary Skills: ?
Exclusive Skills: ?
Elements: ?
Titles Earned:
Heir to the Subterranean Nests
[You cannot view this target's stats and skills due to the large level difference and your insufficient Analyze skill.]
"It's a mutation…" Zem said, cool and steady, eyes never leaving the menacing creature.
Suddenly, the creature let out a shrill cry, releasing a torrent of mana so powerful it literally crushed the adventurers under its weight, briefly immobilizing them by its mere presence. What should have been a simple Rank-B dungeon had abruptly changed category, rising to a danger level close to Rank A or even S.
----
Monster Encyclopedia
BLACK SPIDER
Type: Giant monstrous arthropod
Size: 3 to 5 meters across (some specimens exceed 7 meters)
Appearance:
Its body is jet-black, covered in a hard, spiked carapace. Eight long, arched legs end in sharp hooks capable of piercing stone. Its head bears multiple crimson eyes arranged in a crown around a central, gem-like eye that glows faintly in the dark. From its vivid red venomous fangs—large enough to pierce armor—drips a stream of corrosive silk. Its mouth, filled with razor-edged mandibles, constantly secretes threads of acidic webbing.
Element: None by default, though some develop affinities with Poison, Darkness, or Earth.
Intelligence Level: Semi-intelligent capable of coordinated hunting tactics, setting traps, and manipulating its prey with cunning.
Behavior: Pack hunter extremely aggressive within its territory. Prefers to trap before attacking.
Diet: Carnivorous. Feeds primarily on live prey, which it poisons, wraps in its web, and devours slowly. Prefers magical creatures, humans, or mana-bearing beasts, whose flesh it consumes while draining their energy.
Notable Traits
Produces acidic silk capable of slowly dissolving organic and magical materials.Its venom can instantly paralyze an unprotected adult.Can walk on walls and ceilings, even at high speed.Its legs make a distinct clicking sound, used to intimidate or locate prey through vibration.Able to sense mana from a distance.
Description
The Black Spider is one of the most feared nightmares of low- and mid-level adventurers. Silent, swift, and merciless, it thrives in darkness, striking from ambush in tight, shadowy spaces.
It is rarely the bite that kills but the poison.
Those who survive its venom seldom return unscathed, suffering hallucinations, partial paralysis, or internal burns.
Some females are capable of laying eggs inside living hosts, allowing their offspring to devour the victim slowly from within.
Habitat
Dungeon depthsCavesDark forests, rocky crevices, and abandoned mining tunnels
Natural Abilities
Flesh Eater: Slowly devours living prey, sucking out the flesh.Scarlet Bite: Injects a paralytic and corrosive venom.Deadly Leap: Drops its full weight from ceilings or cliffs onto its target.Mana Drain: Extracts mana from immobilized prey to regenerate itself.
Known Variants
Silver Spider: Produces a highly resilient silver web.Dark Widow Spider: Nocturnal variant emitting a psionic shriek that disrupts mages' mana flow.Ashen Albino Spider: White-skinned, fire-immune variant often found near volcanic zones.Blood-Red Matriarch: Giant female that controls entire colonies, capable of continuous spawning.Nightmare Weaver: Spins webs that induce hallucinations and madness.
Ambient Quote
"If you walk too long in the dark… be careful for you might end up being eaten alive."