Eternal Rest

Like the lairs before, this one also housed close to a hundred spiders. Elite arachnids guarded the eggs while the rest of the Jumping Arachnids patrolled the area. Bones couldn't afford the mistake he made in the last lair, allowing the eggs to hatch. Within seconds, dozens of tiny spiders swarmed him, covering him entirely. He nearly depleted all his mana using consecutive Mana Blasts to blast them away, but it was effective. Every spider in the vicinity was reduced to pieces.

With so many spiders, sneaking around and taking them out one by one was impossible. That seemed to be the point. The dome was spacious enough for a party of adventurers to engage in battle as the spiders attacked in waves. "This will be a pain in the ass," Bones muttered to himself, but at least Mana Blast and Bone Nova were gaining experience.

Bones crawled into the lair, cautiously observing his surroundings. Initially, his vision caught only the subtle movements at the edge of his sight, but his senses warned him of the impending danger. As he ventured further into the center, the arena seemed to materialize around him, and a swarm of spiders pounced from all directions. He swiftly dispatched the first wave with a blast, but a searing acid projectile struck him from behind, corroding his coat.

The second wave surged forth moments later, accompanied by a barrage of acidic projectiles and skittering spiders emerging from the fog. Hidden among the webs, spiders launched acid attacks at him at regular intervals. Bones remained in constant motion, dodging the projectiles while baiting the jumping spiders. Whenever he halted, he unleashed Bone Nova to clear the spiders nearest to him, reserving Mana Blast for when the opportunity arose to level his other area of effect skill.

The strategy Bones employed against the spiders proved effective, yet mentally draining. He had to maintain razor-sharp senses and react swiftly to avoid being overwhelmed. If he did find himself surrounded, his only recourse was to unleash a torrent of Mana Blast to break free. However, the mana consumption of the skill was exorbitant, and each successive lair seemed to bring even larger waves of spiders.

After another grueling hour, the lair was finally cleared, and the dissipating fog revealed a gruesome scene of spider corpses strewn across the ground. Bones extended his senses, scanning for mana signatures emanating from the lifeless bodies. Upon detecting the telltale signs of mana, he approached each corpse and extracted the precious mana stones. However, upon inspecting his inventory, he let out a frustrated curse.

"Aaargh damnit!! I should've known it would be like this!"

Among the various monster parts he had collected, Bones discovered that all the bones he had painstakingly collected had disappeared. Realizing that these bones weren't loot drops but intrinsic components of the monsters, disappearing along with the bodies after a time, he cursed in frustration. "Damn it!"

Resolving to be more discerning in his loot collection moving forward, Bones decided to only keep items that were clearly drops from defeated monsters.

Emerging from the lair, he noticed that the sun was already setting behind the thick foliage of the jungle. Contemplating his next move, he glanced down at his ruined coat and felt a twinge of annoyance. What good was a self-repair function if his gear could be so easily damaged? Pondering his options, he debated whether to switch to chainmail or plate armor for better protection in future battles.

Bones paused for a moment, imagining himself clad in heavy armor, and chuckled at the thought, shaking his head. He realized he would need to seek advice from Hem or Darsumi regarding his equipment. The life of an adventurer was proving to be more costly than he initially anticipated. Perhaps he was approaching it wrong?

With a resigned sigh, Bones disrobed, stowing his gear in his inventory. At this point, it seemed more cumbersome than protective. "It's been a while since I've been nude... at least there's nothing tangling below!" he joked to himself, his laughter echoing in the quiet surroundings.

Stripped down and accompanied by his own amusement, Bones pressed onward, following his instinct towards the north throughout the night. As dawn broke, he found himself standing before the ruins — the remnants of an ancient temple.

Before him loomed a massive doorway, its doors long gone, leaving a gaping entrance that seemed to stretch endlessly upward. Inscriptions adorned its surface, their meanings lost to time. The passage of years had dulled the once-vibrant color of the temple's stone, a testament to the dungeon's harsh environment. Moss clung to the walls, and vines snaked their way in spirals around broken pillars that had once supported the grand structure. Scattered remnants bore the marks of past encounters, their surfaces etched with deep scratches.

Bones surveyed the imposing sight before him and couldn't shake the feeling that this was indeed the entrance to the boss room. He hoped fervently that the size of the doorway wasn't indicative of the size of the boss that awaited him within.

He approached the entrance with caution, his weariness evident in his movements. Peering into the darkness within, he found his senses unable to detect anything — an eerie emptiness that sent a shiver down his spine. Nevertheless, he pressed on, refusing to be deterred when victory seemed within reach. With each step into the temple, the darkness was banished by the sudden flare of unseen torches along the walls. Illuminated one by one, they revealed a corridor stretching deeper into the heart of the ancient structure. The sudden light confirmed his suspicions: he had indeed reached the boss room.

Bones proceeded down the corridor, the torches behind him flickering out as he advanced. Emerging into a hall illuminated by flickering braziers, he found it eerily empty — no signs of life or movement anywhere. With a skeptical gaze, he ventured further into the hall until he stood at its center, casting wary glances in every direction.

Turning back, he saw only darkness where the corridor once was. As he pivoted to face the hall once more, he scrutinized every nook and cranny, yet found nothing to indicate the presence of any being. Stretching out his senses to their limits, he attempted to perceive any hint of activity within the hall, but to no avail. It was as if the space itself held its breath, waiting in silent anticipation.

Bones' thoughts ground to a halt as a hiss pierced the silence, followed by the unmistakable sound of many spider legs skittering across the walls. The echoes filled the hall, disorienting him as he struggled to discern the source of the noise. How could this be? There was nothing here moments ago, or so he thought.

Abruptly, the tip-tap sounds ceased, replaced by a sharp woosh as Bones was sent hurtling backward by the impact. He collided with the ground, skidding to a stop a few meters away. Quickly scrambling to his feet, he surveyed his surroundings, searching for the source of the attack, but found nothing.

Examining his bone armor, Bones noticed two puncture holes where his torso had been struck. His mind raced with disbelief—had he been bitten without even realizing it? As the mend skill began to work its magic, the cracked areas around the holes in his armor visibly repaired themselves, providing a reassuring sense of stability. However, the tip-tap sounds abruptly resumed, jolting Bones back to the present moment. Frustration and disbelief gnawed at him—how was it possible that he couldn't even sense the spider's presence? The realization of his vulnerability in the face of such stealthy adversaries left him feeling utterly perplexed and disconcerted. How could one possibly hope to effectively combat an enemy that remained so elusive and undetectable?

The harsh, cold truth struck Bones with unforgiving clarity—he wasn't meant to confront this creature alone, especially not at his current level of strength. Recognizing the futility of his efforts, Bones resolved to retreat, turning to dash towards the darkness shrouding the entrance to the hall. Yet, before he could reach safety, a sudden hiiiisss and swoosh of movement sent him hurtling forward into the corridor, skidding to a halt.

Turning to assess the source of his restraint, Bones found a thick strand attached to his back, pulling him back towards the monstrous entity he had tried to escape. Panic surged within him as he realized the gravity of his predicament. With a sinking feeling, he came face to face with the creature before him—a grotesque amalgamation of woman and spider, its numerous eyes fixating on him with an unsettling gaze. "What the fuck?" Bones blurted out, his shock palpable as he attempted to identify the monstrous entity before him.

Widow Queen lvl 34, Boss

In that critical moment, Bones realized he had made a grave mistake. The queen seized him, emitting a piercing screech before sinking her fangs into his waist. Bones felt the venom coursing through him, mingling with his mana. Despite the searing pain, he channeled his mana, fortifying his body and purging the venom. However, his efforts were in vain and soon his body went limp.

The Widow wasted no time, skittering in a circle before shooting a web up into the hall's ceiling. With Bones in tow, she began to ascend the web, dragging him along with her into the darkness above. As the Widow ascended higher, Bones gathered every ounce of mana he could muster. With a surge of power, he unleashed a Mana Blast, shattering the web and sending them both reeling. The force of the blast sent Bones hurtling towards the entrance, where he scrambled to his feet and dashed down the corridor.

Just as he felt a sense of relief, a web shot past him, latching onto the temple doorway. Dread flooded Bones as he sensed her approaching. The Widow, fueled by fury, used her webs to propel herself forward, closing in on him rapidly. But just as she was about to reach him, a beam of sunlight flooded the corridor. The Widow halted at the threshold, screeching in fury as Bones practically flew out of the temple and vanished into the jungle. Moments later, he reappeared, standing at the temple's entrance, observing the Widow from a safe distance. She hissed and glared at him with venomous eyes. What a deadly combination she was: a woman to entice and a spider to kill.

Bones acknowledged the failure of his dungeon-clearing attempt with a grim acceptance. Now faced with the decision of what to do next, he pondered his options. Should he venture back into the depths of the dungeon, or perhaps explore further in search of more lairs to conquer?

His musings were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a timer, ticking down the minutes until the dungeon would close. Surprised by this unexpected development, Bones realized that his course of action had been decided for him. With time still on his side, he resolved to seek out another Viper before the countdown reached zero.

00:00:03

00:00:02

00:00:01

When the timer hit zero. Bones was kicked out of the dungeon. He felt disoriented for a second but quickly found his bearing. He looked at the familiar forest around him and with a hand on the tree, he penetrated the bark and climbed up to the top of the tree. He peeked his head above the tree line and turned around until he saw the familiar clearing. About a kilometer away?

As the timer hit zero, Bones was abruptly ejected from the dungeon. Momentarily disoriented, he quickly regained his bearings. Surveying the familiar forest surroundings, he approached a nearby tree and used his bony fingers to penetrate the bark and ascend to the top of the tree. Peering out over the treetops, he oriented himself until he spotted the familiar clearing about a kilometer away.

With a deft leap, Bones descended from the tree and landed gracefully on the forest floor. Turning back to the tree that served as his exit point, he noticed a rough outline on the bark, reminiscent of the dungeon entrance he had just left behind.

Pondering whether the entrance had always been there or had manifested upon his exit, Bones shrugged off the thought. Retrieving a worn map he had clandestinely acquired from the guild's library, he marked the estimated location of his current position.

Rushing through the forest and startling any creature in his path, Bones reached the clearing within a minute. Steel Tusk Boars still roamed about, their tusks uprooting the ground in search of food, while various critters scurried around. Bones retrieved his equipment from his inventory. Though the holes and tears were mostly repaired, the runes engraved on the inside looked a bit faded. “The enchantment must be weakening…”

Equipping his gear, Bones made his way toward the entrance to the cavern. Opening the hatch, he descended the ladders. Once at the bottom, he surveyed the area, wishing he had prepared more than just ladders.

"I should put in more effort and build a proper entrance to the dungeon," Bones pondered aloud. "From my understanding, every natural dungeon is rare and valuable. I guess having a tower in this place again was out of the question!" He chuckled.

"...No, not a tower this time. A cabin perhaps? A small, cozy cabin would be enough. Maybe with—" he looked around, "—an oversized basement? I could at least add a wooden floor to stand on, instead of hard rock, when I bring guests here."

Prepared to leave, Bones ascended the ladders and cautiously peeked outside before fully opening the hatch and stepping out of the cavern. He headed towards the forest, and roughly two hours later, returned to the cavern looking visibly annoyed. He retrieved dozens of roughly cut wooden logs from his inventory.

Using spider silk to tie the logs together, Bones constructed a shabby-looking wooden platform. While it lacked the finesse of a professional carpenter's work, it served its purpose for the basement.

"This really sucks…" Bones muttered to himself as he continued to work on the wood.

Acknowledging his lack of carpentry skills, Bones vowed to hire professional help if the opportunity arose to renovate the cavern into something more accommodating.

"Tomorrow, I'll head back to Stonefalls," he resolved.