Arthur knew he was taking a huge risk by entering the cave like this. Even so, he couldn't bring himself to ignore it and simply walk away.
Yes, he was afraid—but at the same time, his curiosity pushed him forward. He wanted to uncover the truth behind this fungus that had been haunting him for days.
After squeezing through the small, narrow entrance, he found himself inside a long, sloping rock tunnel.
It was extremely damp, filled with fungi and moss, with cold droplets of water falling steadily from the ceiling. The tunnel was dark, and in the distance ahead, a very faint green light glimmered.
Seeing how strange the place was, his tension and unease grew. He seriously considered leaving and coming back later when he was better prepared.
However, he quickly gathered his courage and moved forward with extreme caution, as if walking through a minefield. He avoided all the fungi and carefully placed his paws in the small empty gaps on the ground.
After covering a short distance, he drew closer to the source of the light. It turned out to be a large glowing mushroom, attached to the wall like a traditional Chinese lantern.
The green glow reflected in his eyes, filled with confusion and astonishment. Without realizing it, he took a few steps toward the mushroom, wanting to get closer and examine it more clearly.
When only two meters separated them, he suddenly stopped and muttered,
"Something's wrong… why do I feel like I've been through something like this before?
Wait—didn't I get drawn to the Spider-Woman's webs unconsciously the first time I saw them? No way… don't tell me this damn mushroom just lured me in."
The moment he realized that, a chill ran through his entire body. He quickly scanned the area around the mushroom and discovered dozens of thin black roots surrounding it, faintly trembling as if they were breathing.
Without hesitation, he activated the skill "Iron will" and slowly stepped backward. But suddenly, all the roots moved at once, shooting toward him like a barrage of spears.
He didn't panic or feel afraid. In an instant, he rose onto his hind legs and swung his front claws, cleanly slicing through all the roots. They fell to the ground, writhing like headless snakes.
When the mushroom realized its surprise attack had failed and sensed how dangerous Arthur was, its glow dimmed and it shrank in on itself.
It then pulled back the remaining roots and wrapped itself with them, turning into something like a walnut protected by its shell.
Even though the danger had passed, Arthur didn't relax. Instead, he grew even more alert. After observing the mushroom for a moment and confirming that it wouldn't attack again, he continued forward.
After covering a short distance, he encountered another glowing mushroom. This time, he didn't fall for its mental trap and passed by it with ease.
The tunnel was filled with twists and slopes, and as he went deeper and deeper, he felt as if he were sinking into the earth itself.
He also came across more green mushrooms, which were useful in their own way—their faint glow helped him clearly see his surroundings, thanks to his sharp vision.
Even though he hadn't faced any serious threat along the way, Arthur felt deeply uneasy. That was because he hadn't seen a single living creature in the place—aside from the mushrooms, of course.
The tunnel was silent, unnervingly so. What made it even stranger was the constant feeling that something was watching him… something malicious.
As time passed and he went deeper into the tunnel, sinking further underground, that suffocating sensation surrounding him only grew stronger. In the end, he reached a fork in the path that split into three different directions.
He stopped in place and examined the three passages ahead of him. From one came a faint draft of air, from another an unclear, mysterious rustling sound, while the third was completely silent.
Inside his mind, he thought.
'These tunnels extend deep underground, and they're clearly not as empty as they seem. Something lives here, and it may have already noticed my presence. Whatever it is, I don't want to meet it.'
A dangerous look appeared on his face as he made his decision. There was nothing to gain from this adventure, and curiosity alone wasn't enough to convince him to continue.
"Alright, it's time to return to the surface. The full moon frenzy is about to begin, and it's not practical to let my instincts take over while I'm stuck in a place like this."
He still vividly remembered how he had turned into a reckless fool and nearly walked himself to death during the first full moon frenzy he experienced.
Naturally, he had no desire to repeat such an unpleasant experience. Even though the skill " King's Bloodline" reduced the effects of the frenzy, he still needed to remain cautious.
Without any hesitation, he turned around and headed back toward the surface. Just like on his way in, he passed by many glowing mushrooms as he left, climbing several small, narrow slopes.
After more than half an hour, he finally saw natural sunlight seeping through the entrance, which looked far narrower from the inside.
His tense body relaxed, a small smile appeared on his face, and he let out a relieved sigh.
"That's better. Tight, suffocating places really don't suit me. Come to think of it, ever since I became a wolf, I've started to love freedom—running through wide, open spaces. Honestly… it feels refreshing."
His smile widened slightly as he reflected on how much he had changed. He had spent only a short time in this world, yet he had become a completely different person in the literal sense.
Yes, he still retained many of his old traits, and his core as a human hadn't changed—but at the same time, deep down, he knew he would never return to who he once was.
That realization was sad in a way, yet he didn't dwell on it. Everything he had gone through had given him a firm conviction: life wouldn't stop or show him mercy. All he could do was keep struggling forward.
"How stupid of me."
His smile grew as he shook his head, mocking himself. But as he drew closer to the exit, that smile suddenly froze, and his steps slowed until he came to a stop.
Ahead of him, the exit didn't just look narrower than before—something was standing in front of it.
Something that hadn't been there when he entered. It was large, solid, black in color… and worst of all, completely covered in mushrooms.
Arthur closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then let out a long sigh with a resigned expression, as if what was happening were perfectly normal—expected, even.
Slowly, the object blocking the exit moved and pushed its head into the cave. Its form became fully visible.
It was a giant ant, with grotesque, bloody mushrooms growing all over its body.
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