Nuel tightened his fingers around the hilt of his sword, his eyes fixed on a particular titan arachnid— the same monster that had sent him hurtling into the dungeon wall.
He was going to get revenge for himself first by destroying the beast. At the sound of Kanji's call on charge, they all dispatched towards the grumbling monsters.
Nuel shot at the titan arachnid with refined speed and the monster understood the rage behind Nuel's attack at it— revenge.
The spider lunged, its ugly, hairy legs snapping wildly. Nuel parried each strike with precision, his sword flashing in the dim light. The force of the spider's attacks sent shockwaves through his blade, but he held firm.
"Gah!" Nuel grunted, dodging a particularly vicious swipe. He counterattacked, but the spider's agility allowed it to avoid the blow.
The other party members battled other titan arachnids nearby, their shouts and clashes echoing through the dungeon.
As Nuel clashed with his titan arachnid, he caught glimpses of his teammates' battles.
Kael danced with flames and ice, his elemental control unleashing waves of fire and frost that scorched and slowed his spider. The arachnid's legs faltered, and Kael seized the opening, striking the final blow.
Aria on the other hand summoned vines and thorns, conjuring plants to ensnare and attack her spider. The arachnid thrashed, trapped, and Arin finished it with a swift strike.
Kanji's sword sliced through his spider's defenses, each attack precise and calculated. His movements were a blur, and the spider didn't stand a chance. He really was made for a leader.
Thorne, the party's powerhouse, used his massive strength to overwhelm his spider. He traded blows, his heavy shield absorbing the arachnid's attacks. At one point, he dropped his shield and used his bare hands, crushing the spider's legs with brutal force.
Nuel couldn't help but feel a sense of pride or perhaps intimidation with the party's battle skills. They were all well organized as he saw no reason for why they needed him in their party.
"Maybe his plan wasn't so bad after all." Nuel said, charging at his spider again.
The spider unleashed a flurry of attacks, its legs a blur of motion. Nuel parried and riposted, his sword slicing through the air. He landed a few hits, but the spider's thick exoskeleton absorbed the blows.
He gritted his teeth, searching for an opening. That was when he spotted it, a weak point on the spider's underside. He feigned a retreat, luring the spider into a trap.
The spider lunged, fangs bared. Nuel dodged again, using the wall to jump back into the fight, whispering a spell that suddenly flooded his mind as the spider raged at him.
"Moonlight Requiem." He said, almost unconscious of what had slipped out of his mouth.
Nuel's spell unleashed Moonlit Requiem, a rare sword skill that sent shimmering blades of light slicing through the air. The spider recoiled, its eyes glowing in pain.
Nuel seized the moment, striking true with a powerful slash. The spider retaliated, but Nuel dodged its fangs and summoned lightning, striking the spider with a burst of electricity.
The arachnid convulsed, giving Nuel an opening. He pressed his advantage, striking repeatedly. The spider's legs faltered, and it stumbled.
With a final, mighty swing, Nuel struck the killing blow. The spider collapsed, defeated.
Nuel panted, his sword still trembling with the force of his final strike. "That was one ugly beast," he muttered.
[(Ding!)]
[The player has defeated a dungeon monster]
[You have received 200 EXP]
[Total kill: 1/5]
Lila was standing at the periphery, casting her healing spells to strengthen the party members as they clashed with the titan arachnids. Her magic infused them with vitality and resilience.
Just as she continued casting her strengthening spells, a titan arachnid lunged at her from behind. Nuel, noticing this slip sprang into action, his sword flashing toward the monster.
With a swift, deadly strike, he sliced through the arachnid's belly like a hot knife through butter.
The spider collapsed, defeated, and Lila went into a state of shock, her mind reeling on how oblivious she had been to the titan's sneak attack on her and if not for Nuel, she would probably be dead in a minute.
[(Ding!)]
[The player has defeated a dungeon monster]
[You have received 200 EXP]
[Total kill: 2/5]
The other members had also vanquished the titan arachnids on that floor. Thorne was resting on a wall already, slowly catching his breath while Kael and Kanji had something to say to themselves.
Their faces were shrouded with sheens of sweats and their gears could not escape the stain from the blood of the titan arachnids they had defeated.
Lila and Aria approached Nuel, their faces flushed with excitement. "Nice work, Nuel!" Aira exclaimed.
Nuel nodded, still catching his breath. "Let's keep moving. This dungeon isn't going to clear itself."
All that mattered to Nuel at that point was completing the system quest and as well completing the second quest which had no details on what mission he should complete.
'Maybe after completing the first quest, I will get the second quest.' Nuel thought to himself, wiping the black blood his blade had sucked from the tita arachnid.
The party members pressed on into the dungeon. The girls stuck with Nuel, Kael and Kanji had something going on among themselves while Thorne guarded the back.
"Was it not Khaos who trained him?" Kanji whispered to Kael, his brows furrowed.
"Yes, it was Khaos." Kael replied, a little negligent about what Kanji was saying.
"But… how can he wield that sword skill?"
"What do you mean?"
"Listen, that skill he used as his final hit doesn't match with the sword skill of the Valtors." Kanji continued, folding his arms as they walked further into the dungeon.
Kael yawned, still not getting Kanji's whole point.
"He was a hunter for the Philikio family, so…"
Before he could finish, Kanji had cut him short, irritated by the fact that Kael wasn't showing keen interest in what he was trying to tell him up to making wrong guesses.
"No, hunters from the Philikio family only use guns with magic bullets. That sword skill is passed down from an erased lineage which is considered threat to humanity." Kanji explained carefully, enough to not let Nuel listen in to their conversation.
Suddenly, Kael stopped walking, his eyes shot wide open as the realization hit him with full force.
"Do you mean the descendants of the—"
The next second, the wails of more titan arachnid approaching rented the air.