Single for Eternity

And of course, it began with my face being smashed into the walls.

This time, the bastard took its sweet time tormenting me.

It didn't just attack—it toyed with me.

Sticky, slithering webs coiled around my limbs, binding me in place. The more I struggled, the tighter they constricted, weaving around my body like some grotesque cocoon.

And then, the beating began.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Its massive legs crashed into me repeatedly, each impact sending a violent tremor through the cavern.

Stone cracked. Debris rained down from the ceiling. The cave itself seemed to shake under the force of its relentless onslaught.

At this point, I was no longer a fighter.

I was a stress ball.

A squishy little toy getting repeatedly thrashed against the walls like a child venting its frustration.

But here was the thing—

The toy that got broken mended itself.

Every time my ribs cracked, every time my spine twisted at a wrong angle, my body healed itself, resetting me back to prime condition.

And the bastard knew it.

It waited every time.

Watched.

Waited as I healed, just so it could continue its endless beating.

It was angry. Furious.

That much was clear.

And I knew exactly why.

It was pissed that I had stolen its prey.

'Like, seriously, what is wrong with these boss-type monsters?!'

First, it was the manticore tossing me around like a chew toy, and now it was this spider bitch.

This was becoming a pattern, and I didn't like it.

Slowly but surely, I was beginning to understand its attack pattern.

At this point, I felt like a "spirit" game character.

You know, the kind that had to die over and over again just to learn the boss's moves.

The only problem?

The whole "dodging" thing was pointless when this bastard had a 99% accuracy rate.

Like, how the hell was it hitting me every single time?!

The thing had to be using aimbot.

'Ban this fucker, Admin.'

Of course, my heartfelt appeal to the higher powers was met with complete silence.

The only thing I got was a three-hour-long anger control session.

'Life is meaningless.'

[ System: Why are you acting like a saint?! ]

'No, System. Because of this spider saint, I have finally found the meaning of life.'

[ System: …Yup. He lost it. ]

[(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻)]

Then—

A crack.

A deep, low shattering sound echoed from beneath the gaping hole in the cave.

Immediately, the spider's demeanor shifted.

Its grotesque, wretched face twisted even more as drool dripped from its open mouth.

Its multiple, beady black eyes locked onto the disturbance.

For the first time since our fight started, its attention wasn't on me.

And I took full advantage of that moment.

—BAM!

I smashed my fist into one of its legs with everything I had.

A sickening crack reverberated through the cavern.

SCREEEEEECH!!!

The spider's agonized scream was music to my ears.

I didn't stop there.

I grabbed the broken limb, swinging it like a makeshift club.

Twisting mid-air, I slammed the severed leg straight into the joint between its neck and torso.

SPUUUURT!!

A disgusting green, gooey liquid gushed from the wound, splattering across the cavern floor.

The spider shrieked, its massive body convulsing in pain.

A slow, involuntary smile stretched across my face.

Finally.

Finally, I had turned the tables.

I smashed my head against its head, over and over again, until I could no longer feel the rough, slimy texture of its exoskeleton.

THUD!

Its body collapsed, twitching violently.

But I wasn't done.

I wanted more.

My foot pressed down on its disfigured face, admiring the masterpiece I had created.

But even then, I wasn't satisfied.

So, I started ripping it apart.

Limb by limb.

Carving into its body like a man possessed.

Still, it wasn't enough.

My hands, drenched in green blood, reached for its bloated abdomen.

I tore through its stomach, digging through its insides.

Something… solid met my fingers.

I gripped it, yanking it free.

As I lifted my hand, I found myself staring at—

A spherical orb, glowing with a faint, pulsing green light.

I frowned. "What is this?"

"That's an aether catalyst."

A soft voice answered my question.

I turned around—

And there she was.

The same little girl who had pestered me earlier to save her grandpa.

Only now that I was looking at her properly…

She wasn't exactly "little."

Damn.

Heroines really were on a different level of beauty.

She was tall, her raven-black hair cascaded over her shoulders.

Despite working in the mines, her slender frame didn't reflect the hardships.

Two oceanic blue eyes adorned her delicate, heart-shaped face, their depth seemingly endless.

'A heroine, alright.'

I clicked my tongue, scoffing. "Why are you here?"

I wasn't in the mood for more interruptions.

Her eyes widened slightly before she regained her composure.

"I wanted to thank you for saving my grandpa," she said, her voice steady.

"I know you didn't do it for me, but still… I wanted to convey my gratitude."

Makes sense.

She kind of saved my ass too.

If she hadn't distracted that spider bastard, I would still be getting my skull caved in.

Scratching the back of my head, I muttered, "No problem. Thanks, too. You saved my skin back there."

I glanced down at the obliterated corpse of the spider. "If you hadn't distracted this piece of—"

I stopped mid-sentence.

Did she just chuckle?

With a sigh, she crossed her arms. "Well, at least now we won't have to worry about mine collapses anymore."

I snorted.

"Nope. That's not how this works."

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

I folded my arms. "Mining is dangerous. If I let it continue without a proper safety system, I'll just keep losing workers."

Her lips curled into a smirk. "Just because you want to stop it doesn't mean it'll happen."

I frowned. "What?"

She shook her head, laughing softly. "Our lord won't let us live peacefully if we stop."

I tilted my head. "You do know that I'm your lord, right?"