"Believe not in my ability to Skill, believe in my ability to lead."
-From the Records of Ashenborne, 991.
The rumble of the carriage wheels on the uneven trail was a familiar sound by now, the creak of the wooden structure in the air mixing with the occasional clop of the horses' hooves. The group had been travelling for hours, the journey toward the cave feeling longer than it should have. Danny leaned against the side of the carriage, arms folded, staring out into the distance. His eyes, tired from the road, flickered with the vague sense of déjà vu. This quest, like so many before it, had begun to feel repetitive.
"Do you ever get tired of these kinds of jobs?" Danny muttered to himself, running a hand through his messy brown hair.
Klover, who had been sitting across from him, shot him a glare. Her golden eyes flashed with a mix of annoyance and concern. "You've been saying that for the past two days, Danny," she said, her voice stern yet laced with affection. "You're starting to sound like a sour old man."
Danny sighed and leaned back further, his gaze drifting toward the rocky hills that surrounded them. "I mean it. A source of disturbance reported by a few random villages and caravans. It's like every other job we've done. Track it down, kill it, get paid. End of story."
"You can't always expect something extraordinary, Danny," Klover replied, the edges of her tone softening. "Some jobs are just like that. Mundane, yes, but it doesn't make them any less important."
He opened his mouth to retort, but the words died on his tongue. He could see the flicker of concern in Klover's eyes, that familiar softness. He closed his eyes briefly, letting her words settle. Two years they have been together now. Two years of this strange, steady partnership, forged out of necessity and tempered by respect and love. They complemented each other in ways that still surprised him.
"You're right," he muttered, voice low. "It's just... I don't know. I thought after almost three years of doing this, we would actually get the ones that could actually let us make a living, right now all we're doing is just barely scraping by. And that baron, how long is he going to play with us like that? He knows damn well we deserve a Group Promotion!"
Klover didn't speak at first. Her silence was heavy with understanding. Then, she leaned forward and placed her hand on his arm. "You know the rules, Danny. You might not be able to Skill but you have something far more important: your instincts and the ability to keep yourself together. And that's what keeps you alive in this world. Don't forget that."
Her words struck him deeper than he expected. Danny had long since accepted that he was one of the rare few born without the magic of Skilling, a phenomenon that was as peculiar as it was burdensome. People from other worlds who weren't capable of Skilling were often treated with pity or disdain. The world didn't have much use for other worlders who couldn't fight with magic, shape the earth, or summon fire. Without Skilling, Danny was considered a nonentity in most places. But there was something inside him—something that helped him survive, something he couldn't quite name but which guided him through the darkest of situations.
"I'll try," he said, his voice rough. "I'll try to remember that."
Klover's smile was small but genuine. "Good."
The moment passed, and Danny turned his attention back to the cave ahead. The entrance loomed on the horizon, dark and foreboding. They had reached their destination.
*
Danny was someone who hailed from another world, it wasn't odd for other worlders, as they were called, to come to Elysium, in fact it was one of the only ways for the two major kingdoms to gain those who can Skill. Skilling itself was an art that is as rare as Eclipses, it was the magic of the soul, the magic of the world as well as the magic of the other worlds.
Most who were brought from other worlds gain the gift of Skilling however, there are a few who come from other worlds but end up not being blessed with the ability to Skill, Danny was one of those unfortunate souls.
The group disembarked from the carriage, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and stone. The cave stretched out before them, its gaping maw swallowing the light of the dying day. Vanis, the group's inspirer, cracked his knuckles as he stepped forward. "Well, let's get this over with."
Klover, the Striker, was poised and confident, her blade resting across her knees. She was all sharp lines and raw power, her presence a stabilising force for the team. Beside her, Uri, the second Striker, seemed perpetually restless, her fingers twitching as if they craved the grip of her twin daggers. Vanis, the Inspirer, leaned back in his seat with an easy grin, his silver hair catching the bright sunlight. His voice was their strength, bolstering resolve when fear threatened to creep in. And then there was Seline, the Skiller, sitting apart from the group, her eyes closed in quiet focus. Her presence was both a boon and a burden.
"This better not take too long," Uri muttered, eyeing the entrance. "The carriage won't wait forever."
"Relax," Klover said, her tone flat but still laced with her usual sharpness. "We'll finish the job and be back before it gets dark. Stay sharp."
Vanis grinned, stepping forward with his usual confidence. "I've got a good feeling about this one. Nothing we can't handle, right?"
Seline glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "That's what you said about the last cave. And the one before that."
Vanis shrugged, unbothered. "This time's different. I can feel it."
The entrance loomed before them, a jagged maw framed by twisted roots and creeping moss.
"Stay close," Danny said as they disembarked. His voice was quiet but firm.
Tension crackled in the air as they stepped into the cave. The first chamber was narrow, the walls slick with moisture and dotted with faintly glowing fungi. Insects skittered across the floor, their glossy carapaces crunching underfoot.
"We've got this," Klover said, her tone confident.
For a while, they did. The smaller monsters—oversized beetles, venomous centipedes, and other grotesque creatures—posed little threat to the experienced group. But as they pressed deeper, Danny noticed something troubling.
Tracks. Large ones.
"Hold up," he said, kneeling to examine the indentations in the dirt. "Something big passed through here. Recently."
"Define 'big,'" Vanis quipped, though his tone lacked its usual levity.
"Bigger than us. Probably armoured, judging from the scraps of liquid metal. Definitely not friendly." Danny remarked with a frown.
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
"We should wait," Danny suggested. "Cavern monsters are sluggish at dawn. If we're going to face this thing, we should do it on our terms."
"Except the carriage isn't going to wait all night," Seline countered, her voice sharp.
"We don't need the carriage," Vanis said, crossing his arms. "We can hike back if we have to."
"Do you have any idea how far that is?" Seline snapped.
The argument escalated, voices bouncing off the cave walls like sharp echoes. Danny stepped between them, raising his hands. "Enough. We're not getting anywhere by bickering. If we're going in, we go together. Careful and quiet."
Reluctantly, the group fell in line, moving deeper into the cave. The air grew colder, the walls narrowing until they were forced to move single file. Cobwebs thickened around them, clinging to their skin and weapons.
"It's a spider," Klover muttered.
Danny nodded. "A big one. Mutated, probably. Keep your eyes open."
They advanced cautiously, their footsteps muffled against the soft dirt. Seline paused, her brow furrowing.
"The soul essence here..." she began, her voice trembling. "It's... overwhelming. This thing is strong. Too strong."
Danny scowled at that, "are you sure? Can you judge its rank?"
Seline closed her eyes for a moment and slowly opened her eyes, she shuddered as she spoke. "Rank 5, it's a Rank 5."
Danny's stomach tightened. "We're pulling out. Quietly."
The group turned, their retreat slow and deliberate. But then, the worst happened. Uri slipped.
Her foot caught on a loose rock, and she tumbled with a muffled curse, crashing into the cave floor below. The sound was deafening in the oppressive silence.
"Uri!" Klover hissed, rushing to the edge of the drop.
Danny didn't need to see the movement to know what was coming. A low, guttural hiss echoed from the shadows, followed by the sound of countless legs skittering toward them.
"Move!" Danny barked.
But it was too late. The spider was awake.