"Let the fervent battle begin!"
Natsuki Subaru's pupils contracted sharply, like cold stars suddenly igniting in the night sky. The world before him instantly became incredibly clear. Every minute movement did not escape his eyes; everything around him seemed to slow down, details rendered with utmost clarity.
The trajectory of every spiderling, the tremor of every strand of silk, even his own reflection in the Queen Spider's compound eyes—all were completely within his grasp.
"So this is the dynamic vision of a level 30 player! My neural reaction speed has long surpassed the limits of an ordinary person several times over." Natsuki Subaru marveled inwardly. This acute perception of his surroundings gave him an almost god-like perspective in battle, with everything under his control.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Natsuki Subaru moved like a swift whirlwind, rapidly weaving through the swarm of spiderlings. His steps were light and agile, each one precisely landing in the gaps between the spiderlings' attacks. The Kasaka's dagger in his hand was like the Grim Reaper's scythe, every swing carrying a fierce momentum.
"Die!"
Natsuki Subaru targeted a spiderling, his dagger striking out like lightning, accurately piercing the most vulnerable joint of its abdomen. The spiderling didn't even have time to scream before its body went limp, as if its bones had been removed.
Then, he quickly turned to face another spiderling pouncing from the side, his dagger sweeping horizontally, cutting it in half at the waist, green blood splattering out. The severed remains of the spiderling still twitched on the ground, its eight legs flailing wildly, but it had completely lost its threat.
Natsuki Subaru didn't pause for a moment, continuing to charge through the spider swarm. His figure was like a phantom, darting left and right, up and down, every strike taking the life of a spiderling.
In the blink of an eye, the ground was covered with a thick layer of spider remains—a dense mass of severed limbs, green blood mixed with white mucus, emitting a pungent, nauseatingly metallic odor.
"Scree-kaa—"
Queen Arachne, the Lord, let out an enraged screech, its ten-meter-long body suddenly lunging. Its sharp forelimbs tore through the air, slashing towards Natsuki Subaru's head with astonishing speed!
"Here it comes!"
The moment Queen Arachne's forelimbs descended, Natsuki Subaru executed a nimble sidestep, his body evading the fatal blow at an incredible angle, like a phantom.
Boom!
Queen Arachne's massive forelimb plunged deep into the ground, sending countless stone fragments flying.
"Now's my chance!"
Natsuki Subaru seized the brief opening after Queen Arachne's attack. Pushing off the ground forcefully with both feet, his body shot towards Queen Arachne like a cannonball, moving so fast it left afterimages in the air. The tip of his dagger aimed straight for the most vulnerable connection point of Queen Arachne's compound eyes—its visual center and most fatal weakness. Natsuki Subaru thrust his dagger viciously towards that target.
Clang—!
The explosive sound of metal colliding was painfully sharp to the ears. The dagger struck Queen Arachne's carapace near its eyes, sending dazzling sparks flying, yet it only left a shallow white mark on the pitch-black exoskeleton.
"Damn it! It didn't even pierce the surface!"
Queen Arachne let out a piercing screech, its other scythe-like forelimb already tearing through the air, whistling with the aura of death.
"Can't take it head-on!" Natsuki Subaru's figure flickered like a ghost, and he retreated rapidly, his body almost skimming the ground.
Rumble!!!
Queen Arachne's forelimb plunged deep into the ground, a terrifying shockwave spreading out in a ring. The spot where Natsuki Subaru had been standing exploded into a crater three meters in diameter, a Mabeast (spider) of flying debris shooting out like bullets, peppering the surrounding rock walls with countless holes.
"This destructive power... if I'd been hit directly, I would have been blown to smithereens!" Cold sweat trickled down his temples, but Natsuki Subaru's gaze grew even sharper.
Then, he abruptly kicked off the rock wall behind him, using the force to launch himself into the air. He completed a perfect backflip in mid-air, his dagger already poised for the next round of attack.
"Damn it! This thing is as troublesome as Venom Fang Kasaka, with a hard carapace and agile speed. It's tougher to deal with than I thought... The paralysis and bleed effects of my dagger are key to victory, but I have to hit a vital spot for them to take effect."
Natsuki Subaru leaped back a dozen meters from Queen Arachne, his mind racing. "However, dragging this out will only make things worse. Even if I have to force it, I need to close the distance. In that case—"
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru immediately activated his Sprint skill.
"Sprint!"
With Natsuki Subaru's shout, the skill activated instantly. His figure became like a phantom, leaving a long afterimage, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared above Queen Arachne's head as if by teleportation.
"Die!" Gripping his dagger with both hands, Natsuki Subaru focused all his body weight into this strike, simultaneously using the momentum of his descent. The dagger transformed into a fierce green lightning bolt, stabbing straight towards the connection point of Queen Arachne's compound eyes—
"Break for me!" Natsuki Subaru gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resolve.
"Clang!!!"
Another deafening collision sound echoed in the underground cavern. The dagger's blade struck hard against the tough carapace around Queen Arachne's compound eyes, sending a shower of dazzling sparks, but the carapace, as if forged from steel, still couldn't be breached.
Seeing this, Natsuki Subaru decisively turned and retreated rapidly.
"!" Queen Arachne's eight compound eyes instantly locked onto him, its sharp chelicerae rubbing against each other, producing a piercing sound like metal scraping. Then, its massive body charged towards Natsuki Subaru with unbelievable speed, like a moving hill, carrying an overwhelming momentum.
"This thing is quite agile..."
Natsuki Subaru reacted extremely quickly, rolling sideways to dodge. The moment he rolled away, the ground where he had just stood was torn by Queen Arachne's forelimbs, leaving three deep gouges, sending stone fragments flying.
Swish!
Before Natsuki Subaru could regain his footing, several silver strands of spider silk shot towards him with a whistling sound!
"Close call... but still not fast enough!" Natsuki Subaru secretly rejoiced at his timely reaction, while also understanding that his own speed still had room for improvement. Queen Arachne's forelimb brushed past Natsuki Subaru's nose, its sharp edge carrying an icy aura. Immediately after, a stone pillar behind him was instantly cut into pieces, falling in a shower.
"Scree-kaa—"
Queen Arachne emitted a high-frequency screech, a sound so sharp it felt like it could pierce eardrums. At the same time, dozens of spiderlings suddenly dropped from the cavern ceiling like a black rain, pouring down towards Natsuki Subaru.
Natsuki Subaru tapped the ground with the balls of his feet, and his [Sprint] skill activated instantly. His figure left a trail of afterimages among the swarm of spiderlings, like a ghost weaving through the darkness. The cold glint of his dagger flashed in his hand, weaving an inescapable net in the air. Every flash of the blade was accompanied by a splatter of spiderling remains, green blood and white mucus flying everywhere.
"Three on the left, five on the upper right... and the mother, Queen Arachne, is straight ahead!" Natsuki Subaru analyzed the situation in his mind while fighting.
"Scree-kaa—!"
Queen Arachne shrieked sharply again, its six venom glands simultaneously swelling, as if filled with deadly liquid about to erupt.
"This is bad..." Natsuki Subaru's heart tightened, sensing impending danger.
In the next second, six streams of dark green venom shot towards Natsuki Subaru like high-pressure water jets. Natsuki Subaru dodged with all his might but only managed to avoid his vital spots.
"Ugh!"
His left shoulder and right leg were grazed by the venom, and two large holes were instantly corroded into them. Flesh rotted at a visible rate, and excruciating pain surged through him like a tide, causing his vision to blur and his body to tremble involuntarily. At the same time, his HP instantly dropped below the 20% danger line, and alarm bells blared wildly in his mind.
Queen Arachne took the opportunity to swing its forelimbs, the sharp tips aimed straight for his throat. In an instant, the air was compressed, emitting a piercing sonic boom, as if countless invisible blades were raging through the air.
"Bastard!" Natsuki Subaru barely managed to raise his sword to block but was sent flying by the terrifying force.
Rumble!!!
Natsuki Subaru's body, like a rag doll, crashed through five stalactite pillars, finally embedding deeply into the rock wall. Blood gushed from his mouth, dyeing the front of his clothes dark red.
"...Am I dead... No, not yet..."
In his blurred vision, Queen Arachne was slowly approaching with the gait of a victor. Its eight compound eyes glinted with cruelty, its forelimbs raised high—
"Status... Recovery!!"
The life-saving trump card accumulated from daily quests activated at the last moment. A dazzling golden light erupted like the rising sun, and all his injuries healed at an astonishing speed. Rotted flesh regrew, broken bones automatically mended. The instant Queen Arachne's forelimb stabbed down, only a gradually fading afterimage remained where he had been.
"Now... it's my turn!"
"Sprint!"
Activating the skill again, Natsuki Subaru transformed into a black shadow, lunging straight for the Queen Spider's head. The dagger accurately thrust towards Queen Arachne's compound eyes but was dodged at the last moment.
"If once isn't enough, then ten times, a hundred times!" Natsuki Subaru gritted his teeth and began a frantic cycle of attacks:
Dash - Thrust - Retreat
Dash - Thrust - Retreat
Dash - Thrust - Retreat
Finally, on Natsuki Subaru's fifth attempt—
"BREAK FOR MEEEEEE!!!" The Kasaka's dagger finally accurately pierced Queen Arachne's left eye, paralysis toxin madly injecting into it.
"!" Queen Arachne let out an earth-shattering roar, its massive body stiffening for the first time.
"Three seconds... is enough!" Natsuki Subaru seized the opportunity, his dagger striking the same wound repeatedly like a tempest until the entire blade was finally buried deep.
"GO TO HELL!!!"
Puchi!
The paralysis toxin and bleeding effect erupted simultaneously. Queen Arachne let out an earth-shattering wail. Its massive body thrashed wildly, shattering countless rock pillars, green blood gushing out like a waterfall.
A series of system prompts sounded like a victory symphony in Natsuki Subaru's mind:
[Notification: Level Up]
[Notification: Level Up]
[Notification: Level Up]
[Notification: Level Up]
[Notification: You have eliminated the Dungeon Lord, Queen Arachne]
[Notification: Obtained Orb of Greed (Item)]
[Notification: Obtained Skill Book (Skill)]
[Notification: Clear Reward Gold +100000]
With the increase in level, Natsuki Subaru felt a warm current surge throughout his body. The stamina and mana consumed in the previous battle were quickly restored, his condition instantly reaching its peak.
"Finally dealt with this troublesome fellow." Natsuki Subaru let out a long sigh of relief, looking at the massive and hideous corpse of Queen Arachne before him, his heart filled with exhilaration. "The difficulty of this battle far exceeded expectations, but the rewards are equally bountiful."
Natsuki Subaru's gaze was quickly drawn to the two spoils of war floating in the air, his eyes shining with excitement.
Item: Orb of Greed
Description: Fire attribute magic crystal
Effect: Magic effect amplification 200%
"Orb of Greed? Magic effect amplification 200%... This should be equipment for a mage, right." Natsuki Subaru playfully fiddled with the crimson crystal orb, the flowing flame patterns within it reflecting on his face; he could feel the powerful magic it contained. "Unfortunately, I'm a close-combat type, so this thing isn't much use to me at the moment." Natsuki Subaru muttered but casually stored it in his system inventory. "I'll keep it for now; maybe it'll come in handy later."
"Next, this is a skill?" Another skill book, glowing with an eerie light, immediately caught Natsuki Subaru's attention. He reached out, grabbed the skill book, and examined it closely:
[Skill: Killing Intent]
Description:
Requires 100 Mana.
Inflicts a "Fear" status on designated enemies for 1 minute with a powerful aura.
Can target multiple enemies.
"Fear" effect: All stats -50%.
"Killing Intent! This skill is quite practical." Natsuki Subaru's eyes lit up, keenly aware of this skill's immense value in combat. His fingertip lightly touched the page, and the skill book immediately transformed into a stream of light, merging into his body.
"Speaking of which, if I had used this Killing Intent skill during the battle just now, making Queen Arachne's overall stats drop by fifty percent, I wouldn't have had to fight so hard." Natsuki Subaru mused, his mind replaying the perilous scenes from the battle with Queen Arachne. If he had been able to use the Killing Intent skill then, perhaps he could have avoided those fatal injuries from the venom corrosion and the piercing forelimbs.
"But it's not too late now. I'll have more confidence next time I encounter a Lord-level monster." But Natsuki Subaru quickly felt relieved; after all, obtaining this powerful skill now was a blessing in disguise.
"System, bring up the status panel." With a thought from Natsuki Subaru, he wanted to see his attribute changes after the battle.
Immediately, a translucent light screen slowly unfolded before him, clearly displaying various information:
[Host: Natsuki Subaru]
Level: 34
Class: None
Title: Wolf Slayer
Spirit: 150
Strength: 182
Agility: 152
Stamina: 139
HP: 2400/2400
MP: 12500/12500
EXP: 176570/4000000
Distributable Points: 0
Skill List:
Life Resilience (Passive)
Advanced Dagger Arts (Passive)
Throwing Dagger (Active)
Blessing of the Great Shaman Kandiaru (Active)
Sprint (Active)
Killing Intent (Active)
"My Spirit, Stamina, and Agility attributes have all broken a hundred." Natsuki Subaru looked at the attribute panel, an undisguisable joy on his face. "My Strength attribute is even further ahead, equivalent to more than twenty times that of an ordinary person. My Agility attribute is also outstanding; even if Felt has the Divine Protection of Wind, she probably can't match my speed. What's more, I also have the Sprint skill, which can increase speed by fifty percent, giving me an even greater advantage in battle."
"When I first entered the dungeon, I was only level 19, and now I'm level 34. That's an increase of 15 levels." Natsuki Subaru continued to think. "This is a strength increase of several times over." After all, this 15-level increase wasn't just a simple numerical change, but a huge leap in strength.
[Notification: Dungeon Lord has been eliminated. Dungeon will now close.]
[Countdown initiated: 10, 9, 8...]
As the system's cold, emotionless mechanical voice began the countdown, the entire dungeon space started to distort violently. The once solid stone walls now looked like melting wax figures, their edges gradually blurring.
When the countdown reached "1," Natsuki Subaru's figure, like a pencil drawing erased by an eraser, completely vanished from this dungeon where he had fought bitterly for several hours.
___
🔥 PATREON FLASH SALE: 30% OFF! 🔥
Yoo-hoo! ✨ Director Walnut here with a killer deal for you!
For a limited time only, get 30% OFF on Patreon and secure your early access to all content!
What's more, by joining now you'll help us smash our community goal! We're just 14 members away from unlocking 10 BONUS CHAPTERS for everybody!
Be the hero who gets us there! Subscribe with 30% off today!
👻 Join the fun at: patreon.com/Walnutchan