Chapter 52: Spider Nest

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Spider Nest

After some time, the ten adventurers finally made their way inside the dungeon.

They moved carefully through the large hall, keeping their formation tight as they advanced. The moment they entered, their expressions became more serious.

There was no longer any room for casual conversation. Every one of them understood that they had stepped into an unknown dungeon, one that had already caused an entire expedition team to disappear.

The leader raised one hand, signaling everyone to stop.

"Stay alert."

The adventurers immediately obeyed.

The hall itself was quiet, with the only sound being the footsteps of the group echoing across the stone floor. Farther ahead stood the enormous door-like structure that marked the actual entrance into the dungeon.

It was massive enough to make the adventurers feel small when they looked at it, but none of them wasted time admiring it.

The scout moved ahead first.

He approached the huge doorway carefully and examined the area around it before returning to the group.

"There doesn’t seem to be anything unusual."

The leader frowned.

The leader looked toward the enormous doorway.

"So this is where the actual dungeon begins."

He took a slow breath before giving the order.

"Everyone, move."

The group passed through the doorway.

The moment they passed through the enormous doorway, the atmosphere became noticeably heavier.

The ten adventurers instinctively slowed down, their eyes moving from one side to another as they carefully examined the path ahead.

The deeper they went, the more obvious it became that this place was different from the ordinary dungeons they had explored before. There were no wandering monsters in the passage, no obvious traps, and no sounds coming from ahead.

That silence made everyone even more cautious.

They continued walking.

At first, nothing seemed unusual. The passage stretched forward into the darkness, and the adventurers maintained their formation while the scout remained several steps ahead of the others.

Every few moments, he would stop and inspect the floor or walls before giving them the signal to continue.

However, after walking for some time, the surroundings gradually began to change.

The first thing they noticed was a thin strand of white webbing attached to the wall.

The scout stopped.

He reached out and touched it with the tip of his dagger.

"Cobweb."

The leader immediately became alert.

"How fresh?"

The scout rubbed the strand between his fingers and examined it closely.

"Very fresh."

The atmosphere immediately became tense. Everyone reached for their weapons.

The leader looked down the passage.

"Everyone, stay close."

They continued forward, but now every step was taken with extreme caution.

More cobwebs began appearing.

At first, there were only a few strands hanging from the ceiling. Then they started covering portions of the walls. As the adventurers moved deeper, the amount of webbing increased until thick layers of white silk stretched across the corners of the passage.

One of the adventurers grimaced.

"I don’t like this."

"You don’t have to like it," another replied quietly. "Just don’t touch anything."

The mage at the back raised her staff and cast a small illumination spell. The magical light brightened the passage, revealing even more webs that had previously been hidden in the darkness.

The healer’s expression became nervous.

"There’s too much."

The leader nodded.

"Something is definitely living here."

The scout suddenly raised his hand, and everyone stopped.

He pointed ahead.

"There."

At the end of the passage was a large chamber.

Unlike the narrow corridor they had been traveling through, the room was surprisingly spacious. Thick cobwebs covered the walls and ceiling, while countless strands stretched from one side of the chamber to the other.

And in the center of the room sat a chest.

The adventurers stared at it.

The chest was made of dark wood reinforced with metal, and it looked completely untouched. There were no monsters surrounding it, no visible traps, and no signs that anyone had opened it recently.

One of the warriors immediately smiled.

"A treasure chest."

The leader didn’t move.

"Don’t get excited."

"But look at it."

"I can see it."

"Then you should understand why I’m excited."

The leader ignored him and looked toward the scout.

"Can you detect anything?"

The scout carefully approached the entrance of the room without actually stepping inside. He crouched down and examined the floor, then slowly scanned the walls and ceiling.

The treasure chest sat in the middle of the chamber as though someone had deliberately placed it there.

It was almost too convenient. The leader’s instincts were screaming that something was wrong.

"We don’t touch the chest yet."

The warrior sighed.

"You’re too cautious."

"And you’re too greedy."

Before the warrior could respond, a faint sound came from above.

Tick.

Everyone froze, another sound followed.

Tick.

Tick.

The archer slowly raised his head.

His eyes widened.

"Above us..."

The leader looked upward. The ceiling was covered in webs.

But now, the webs were moving. Several dark shapes were crawling through them.

"SPIDERS!"

The warning had barely left his mouth when the chamber exploded into motion.

Fifteen massive spider monsters suddenly descended from the ceiling.

Some dropped directly toward the adventurers while others rushed down the walls, cutting off the entrance behind them. Their bodies moved with terrifying speed, their legs scraping against the stone as they surrounded the group from multiple directions.

"Formation!"

The leader drew his sword.

The shield bearer immediately stepped forward and planted his feet firmly against the ground.

"Behind me!"

A spider lunged.

Its jaws opened wide as it rushed toward him.

BOOM!

The monster slammed into his shield.

The impact forced him several steps backward.

"Damn!"

He gritted his teeth as the spider pushed against the shield with surprising strength.

"Hold it!"

The swordsmen rushed forward.

One swung his sword toward the spider’s exposed side.

Slash!

The blade cut through its hardened body, causing dark blood to spill across the floor.

The spider screeched and recoiled.

"Got it!"

Another spider immediately attacked from the side.

"Left!"

The swordsman barely managed to raise his weapon before the monster’s fangs snapped shut beside his arm.