As soon as they opened the door, an enormous monstrous spider loomed before them, its grotesque body pulsing with dark mana. The group froze for a moment, chilled to the bone by its presence. AK gripped his weapon tightly and steadied his breath, eyes locked on the beast. The tension in the air was broken by Ajay's booming voice.
"Formation B! Tanks up front! Mages, stay behind the vanguard! Healer, center position! DPS flank left and right!"
The team sprang into action. Four tankers moved in a square formation up front with their shields raised high, absorbing the spider's aggro. The two mages began chanting from the rear, casting enhancement and barrier spells. The three swordsmen and AK circled around to the flanks.
The monstrous spider twitched and hissed violently, its eight red eyes glowing with menace. Without warning, it shot a long, venomous stinger from its abdomen. Everyone leapt away in time—except one swordsman, who took the hit in the arm. His skin began to melt on contact with the venom, and he let out a bloodcurdling scream.
But before panic could spread, the healer, calm and radiant, stepped forward. Her hands glowed with a gentle, green light as she cast her healing spell. The melting stopped, and within seconds, the swordsman's arm was completely restored, as though nothing had happened.
Ajay shouted again, "Hold your positions! Don't break formation! Attack together!"
AK activated his stealth skill and disappeared into thin air, maneuvering through the chaos. He leapt toward the spider's back legs and started slashing, but his blade barely left a scratch due to the level difference. Just when frustration set in, his blade began to glow faintly—his attack finally piercing the spider's defenses.
A voice called from the rear.
"Don't worry, I'm here to support!"
It was the healer. She had cast a buff skill on him—one that enhanced his attack power and penetration.
AK's cheeks flushed pink.
"W-Wow… She's worried about my health? That's... kind of cute."
[ RED: DON'T GET TOO EXCITED. SHE'S A HEALER. IT'S LITERALLY HER JOB TO HELP EVERYONE. ]
"Oops, I forgot our minds are connected," AK mumbled. "Wait—how are you even talking to me mid-fight, even you talk to me while I am fighting Shadman? Isn't the fourth wall supposed to stop you?"
[ RED: THE FOURTH WALL IS SLIGHTLY WEAK RIGHT NOW. THAT'S WHY I CAN INTERACT WITH YOU EVEN IN BATTLE. ]
Distracted by RED, AK didn't notice the spider aiming a web at him. Just before it struck, Ajay dashed in, deflecting the attack with a well-timed sword slash.
"Focus, kid! I've got your back—but don't slack off!"
Ajay moved in for the assault, his sword glowing blue with mana as he clashed against the spider's chitin armor. He weaved between the spider's limbs, slashing and parrying with inhuman precision. Sparks flew as blade met fang and carapace. The battle intensified.
Suddenly, the spider turned its focus toward the healer. It screeched and launched another venomous stinger toward her.
AK moved without thinking.
He shoved her out of the way and took the hit across his side. Pain seared through him as venom burned into his skin. Gritting his teeth, he activated his stealth again—only this time, something was different.
A message appeared in his mind:
[ SKILL EVOLVED: STEALTH → PHANTOM SHIFT ]
Description: Become invisible and untargetable for 5 seconds. Next attack from stealth deals x3 critical damage.
"Perfect timing," AK thought, blood still dripping from his side.
He reappeared directly beneath the spider, lunged, and aimed for one of its eyes. But the creature, with its six remaining eyes, sensed the attack and recoiled just in time. A massive leg swung forward, impaling AK through the side and launching him across the room, where he crashed into a wall.
"AK!" Ajay shouted. "Healer! Heal him, now!"
From a distance, the healer lifted her staff and cast another spell. A golden aura enveloped AK's body, mending his wound and stabilizing his condition. Slowly, AK stood again—his expression now hard and furious.
Ajay raised his sword and barked, "Formation C! We're finishing this!"
The group reformed: tanks rotated positions to absorb incoming attacks, mages cast binding spells to slow the spider's movements, and swordsmen struck its exposed joints. AK, now recovered, used Phantom Shift once more—this time hitting the spider square in the eye. A massive scream echoed through the dungeon.
Ajay charged in with a leap, his sword glowing crimson with a powered-up slash.
"This ends now!" he shouted.
With a single, mighty strike, he cleaved the spider's head in two. The monstrous creature let out a final shriek before collapsing to the ground in a pool of black ichor.
Cheers broke out.
"We did it!"
"The raid's over!"
"Start mining the mana stones!"
Everyone began harvesting the mana-rich stones embedded in the spider's lair. After a while, they exited the dungeon, tired but triumphant.
AK, still catching his breath, approached the healer. Her hair swayed gently as she turned to face him.
"Um… hey," he said. "What's your name?"
[ RED: WHAT?! HOW DO YOU HAVE THE GUTS TO ASK THAT SO BOLDLY?! ]
She smiled gently and replied, "It's Maya."
[ RED: Huh? I don't remember adding her as your love interest in my original novel draft… ]
"Can you shut up for a minute?" AK muttered.
He turned back to Maya.
"That's a sweet name. Actually… can I have your number? My personal team is in serious need of a healer. And well, we haven't found anyone as cute as you yet."
[ RED: I THINK YOU HAVE A FEVER, AK. ]
Maya giggled. "Are you flirting with me?"
"No!" AK blurted, cheeks red. "I-I'm just saying the truth… and asking for your number."
She laughed again but handed over her number anyway.
Just then, Ajay walked over, clapping a hand on AK's shoulder.
"You did well in there. You up for another raid tomorrow?"
AK nodded. "Count me in."
—
Later, back at home, AK collapsed onto his bed with a sigh of exhaustion and satisfaction.
[ RED: I'M CURIOUS ABOUT MAYA'S IDENTITY. BE CAREFUL AROUND HER. I FEEL LIKE SHE'S HIDING SOMETHING. ]
"I don't think so. I mean, look at her. So cute, so elegant… how could someone like her be hiding anything?" But if you're saying the weakest primordial being who used to be strongest then I will be cautious from tomorrow,Happy now?"
[ RED: Are you taunting me? Anyway, do you want to raise your level now? ]
"I only got 9,000 mana stones from that run, but that's still more than I got from E or F-rank dungeons. Let's do it—level me up by three."
The moment he said that, the mana stones vanished from his inventory, consumed by RED's system.
---
[ PLAYER STATUS ]
Name: AK (Reincarnation of RED)
Level: 18
HP: 950/950
MP: 900/900
Title: Reincarnation of the Weakest Primordial Being Who Was Once the Strongest (RED)
Class: UNKNOWN
Stats:
Strength: 28
Agility: 29
Endurance: 27
Intelligence: 27
Dexterity: 27
Perception: 27
Luck: 23
Vitality: 27
Charm: 30
Resistance: 27
—
"Hey RED, why did my Strength, Agility, and Charm increase more than the rest?"
[ RED: LIKE I SAID EARLIER, SOME STATS INCREASE FROM DAILY ACTIONS. ALSO, LEVEL UPS RESET THOSE GROWTH TRENDS AND APPLY BONUSES. ]
"I get the strength and agility part, but… why did my charm go up so much?"
[ RED: BECAUSE OF MAYA. ]
"You mean… because I was flirting?"
[ RED: YES. NOW IT'S CONFIRMED. YOU'VE STARTED TO FALL FOR HER. ]
"N-No! I was just… complimenting her! That's it!" AK shouted, face turning red again. "Anyway, enough for today. It's time to channel my mana into the dragon egg."
He closed his eyes and began transferring his remaining mana to the massive egg sleeping in his inventory—his destiny silently growing inside.