System Fall

As soon as the notification faded, I knew that the rest of my party was out of commission. They wouldn’t be able to help and realistically, looking at the massive monster, I wasn’t sure that was a bad thing. I doubted they could help against something like the Spider Queen.

If anything, maybe being reduced to spectators on the sidelines would keep them alive.

With my Azure Gleam Knife held firmly in my grasp, I stepped forward, ready to confront the monster, and a big part of me was more than ready. I was looking forward to it.

The Spider Queen loomed in front of me, and I needed to make sure her attention remained on me and didn’t turn towards my allies. With a primal roar, I charged heading straight towards the massive spider. The Azure Gleam Knife cut through thick pulsating strands of sil that the queen shot towards me. The blade cut through them in a way that a normal weapon wouldn’t have. The knife, imbued with my mana, hummed with power and left trails of radiant blue light in its wake.

The Spider Queen retaliated, her massive limbs swiping at me with frightening speed. But I was ready, my agility augmented by the power coursing through me. I darted under her attacks, my own blade dancing with lethal precision as I sliced through her appendages, one after another. Each successful hit forced her to retreat, each wound inflicted on her form a testimony of my prowess.

Her screech reverberated around the room as she recoiled, skittering up the wall and out of my immediate reach. It was then that the formerly motionless figures around the ticket booth sprang to life, their movements eerily synchronized. I watched, my mind cold and calculating, as these marionettes moved with an awkward grace, their bodies manipulated by unseen threads.

Suddenly, they charged. Unmindful of any obstacles, they launched themselves at me, their grotesque forms ghoulish in the dim light. And then, they exploded. Each figure burst apart, a shower of gore and smaller spiders. The sight was grimy, enough to churn the stomach of even the most hardened warriors. But it was the swarm of tiny creatures that emerged from the carnage that posed the real threat.

They swarmed towards me, a sea of gleaming eyes and countless legs. My adversaries had multiplied exponentially, each one eager for my blood. But I wasn't ready to give in. Not yet. My grip tightened around my knife, my resolve hardened. I was prepared for what was to come. They wanted a fight, and I was more than ready to give them one.

The swarm of tiny spiders moved as one, a sinister ballet of chitinous bodies and gleaming eyes. I quickly took stock of my situation, my mind whirring with strategies. In the dim light of the room, I saw a gas lamp still flickering with a feeble light, perched on one of the wooden counters. A plan formed in my mind.

I broke into a run, my boots pounding on the worn-out tiles of the subway station. I could hear the skittering hoard of spiders behind me, their multitude of tiny bodies and legs. If they all managed to reach me, there was no way I could fend them all off.

My target was something else. The gas lamp on the counter was old and rusted, the pipe supplying the gas barely hanging on to the structure. I smashed the Azure Gleam Knife against it, sending sparks flying. The gas began to hiss, filling the air with a foul smell.

As the spiders closed in, I hurled the azure blade, imbued with my mana, at the wooden counter. It landed with a thunk and embedded in the wooden structure.

The energy of my mana mixed with the escaping gas, the result was immediate. A surge of blue flame exploded outwards, traveling along the path of the leaking gas, engulfing the counter. The room was filled with a thunderous boom and a wave of heat that rolled over everything.

Many of the spiders, too close to the blast, were incinerated instantly, their tiny bodies going up in smoke. The ones farther away were disoriented, their senses overwhelmed by the sudden change in temperature and light.

It provided me with the distraction I needed.

Running forward, I pulled the Azure Gleam Knife from the charred counter and was happy to see it was still usable. I leapt back into the fray. I tore through the dazed spiders, each stroke of my blade sending tiny bodies flying about in multiple pieces.  

While the gas lamp explosion had given me a momentary advantage, I knew it wouldn't last. The remaining spiders were already regrouping, their relentless pursuit not deterred by the fiery devastation. As the echo of the blast faded and the smoke began to clear, the Arachnid Matron - Lament herself came back into focus.

I knew this was far from over, but for now, the playing field had been evened out, if only slightly. With the swarm of spiders diminished and the Spider Queen momentarily taken aback, I had bought myself a breather, a moment to strategize for the next stage of this brutal battle.

Without wasting another moment, I moved. My boots crunched over charred spider remains as I darted across the room, my gaze never leaving the Spider Queen. I could see her mandibles working, her many legs twitching, signs of her growing impatience. She was ready to strike.

Just as I suspected, she lunged. Dropping from her high perch with a speed that defied her size, she struck out with her front legs, aiming for my torso. I was ready for her. My body moved in sync with my thoughts, my agility allowing me to twist out of her path. The floor where I'd stood a moment ago shattered under her weight, the force of her attack kicking up broken tile and bricks.

The Spider Queen was momentarily vulnerable. It was a small window that anyone else wouldn’t have been able to exploit.

But I wasn't going to let her recover. I struck back, my Azure Gleam Knife moving in a blur. I was aiming for her exposed underside, looking to cut deep. My blade connected, slicing through her exoskeleton, blue energy sparking against her flesh and green ichor running down my arm.

Her screeching filled the room, the sound was terrible and grated on my ears. But it was the sound of victory, proof that I was wearing her down and I wasn’t going to let up, I wouldn't give her a chance to regain her footing.

 

I kept attacking, avoiding each counter by the Spider Queen. I aimed for her legs, severing one, then another. Each cut was precise, taking advantage of the momentary pauses between her own attacks. Each success pushed me closer to victory, each severed limb a blow to her offense.

Yet, the Spider Queen was resilient. With each passing moment, I could see her adapting, compensating for her losses. Her attacks grew more erratic, less predictable, but no less deadly. My body ached with the strain of continuous movement, dodging and retaliating.

I forced myself to keep going.

[System Fall Notification]

 

Title: Passive Ability Activated

Tenacious Vitality is an ability of the Lone Survivor. This ability boosts vitality and endurance, letting the possessor dig deep beyond reverses and continue the fight to survive long past the exhaustion of limits.

I breathed a little easier. This was my fight. My battle to win. And I was going to do whatever it took. Exactly what a survivor does.

Life surged within me, filling me with renewed energy. I could feel my wounds knitting together, my muscles regaining their vigor, every breath drawing in more power. It was as if time was being turned back, returning me close to the state I was in before the battle began.

Then it happened. The room shifted, the ground trembling under my feet. Iron-wrought gates descended from the ceiling, separating me from the rest of the party and locking me in with Spider Queen.

Neither of us would be able to escape.

As the echo of the falling gates faded into silence, I squared my shoulders and faced the Spider Queen - Lament. The anticipation in her eyes matched my own. With my Azure Gleam Knife in hand, I was ready for the battle to come. I was more focused than ever, my senses acutely aware of every movement the Spider Queen made, every twitch of her mutilated limbs. There was an odd calmness in the midst of this chaos, the world narrowed down to just me and the monster in front of me.

Her remaining legs trembled. I knew an attack was coming, I was in a better position and time wasn’t on her side. Just as I had expected, the Spider Queen didn't waste time. She lunged towards me again, her movements slower, yet carrying a desperation that wasn't there before. She was wounded, yes, but no less dangerous.

But I was unafraid. With the Azure Gleam Knife, I responded in kind, effortlessly severing another one of the Spider Queen’s limbs.

The Spider Queen moved backwards and in her place a series of Station Spiders came down from the ceiling to attack me. I dispatched them just as quickly. Her many eyes glared at me, her gaze carrying an unspoken challenge. She wasn't going to back down, not without a fight.

But she didn’t have much left to throw at me, and I had plenty.

With a renewed roar, I charged back at her, aiming for those eyes. The Spider Queen retaliated, her remaining limbs swiping at me in a desperate attempt to kill me. But I was quicker, stronger. I dodged and weaved, getting in close enough to slash at her again and again.

Cracks forced on her chitin armor.

The Spider Queen might be the formidable mistress of the third-floor depths, but I was not going to be the prey. I was the predator. The hunter.

I was relentless. Meeting the Spider Queen's desperate lunges with unyielding resolve. Her form was massive, a looming shadow that sought to engulf me. It wasn’t enough. I’d pulled too far ahead of her. Every lunge, every swipe she made was met with an attack of my own. My movements were swift and lethal, my reflexes honed by the countless battles I'd faced.

Shaking, the Spider Queen quivered as I landed strike after strike, her once massive form now marred and heavily injured my unrelenting assault. The sound of her screeching fury kept the battle going.

Yet, she didn't yield. She retaliated with a fury that matched my own, her eyes filled with hate and her body moved with a primitive wrath. But I was not to be deterred. My Tenacious Vitality was still in effect, rejuvenating my energy with each breath I took.

I wasn't merely surviving, I was thriving. Every scar, every wound was a badge of honor and proof of my resolve. My life, my survival, it wasn't a mere stroke of luck, and today my challenge was the Spider Queen, but one day it would be the [Admin].

The Spider Queen lunged again, her form a blur of chitin and fury. But I was ready. My blade met her lunge, carving through her remaining appendages with a brutality that was born of necessity, of survival. Then, I saw my opening. A slight pause in her movements, a hint of exhaustion in her numerous eyes. I lunged; my blade aimed for her vulnerable underside. But she was quicker, her form twisting to avoid my attack. I gritted my teeth, pulled back my weapon, and instead of disengaging, I went right back in to finish her off.

What followed next was a gush of green ichor as the Azure Gleam Knife completely tore open her underbelly from one side to the next.   Her shriek echoed through the chamber as she fell, her many eyes wide with shock. I pulled the blade away, and stepped back as the body of the monster crumbled. My chest heaving with exertion, my body bathed in a sheen of sweat and spider ichor. The Spider Queen - Lament lay defeated at my feet, her form twitching in the throes of death.

As she took her last breath, the room was plunged into silence. The only sound was the panting of my breath and the thumping of my heart. I looked around, taking in the sight of my victory. My teammates, behind the iron-wrought gates, could only look on with wide-eyed shock and awe.

[System Fall Notification]

 

Title: Boss Defeated

The merciless mistress of the third floor of the Hidden Dungeon (Subway), the Arachnid Matron - Lament, has been defeated.

You've faced the Arachnid Matron in her lair and emerged victorious. You've silenced the many whispers in the cobwebs, put to rest the numerous eyes that watched from the shadows. You've earned the title of Spider Slayer which grants the following ability

Web Walker: After battling countless spiders under the Arachnid Matron's control, you've learned to move unimpeded through webs, eliminating movement speed penalties when traversing through webbed areas.

Suddenly, a section of the floor beneath the spider queen's body began to shift, and then, it slowly descended, revealing a hidden passageway leading downwards. A soft glow emanated from the depths, inviting, yet filled with an ominous foreboding.

From the other side of the bars, my teammates started to shout for me.

"Nick!" Willow's voice cut through the echoes, her wide eyes a mirror of her anxiety.

"Is there any way to open this gate?" Alvin chimed in, his gaze darting across the gate, searching desperately for any mechanism that might provide an opening. "Or to hoist it up, somehow?"

Despite their efforts, the reality was stark. The metallic gate was immovable, a chilling and unyielding boundary set down during my combat with the Spider Queen. It had drawn a distinct line of separation between us, and no amount of strength or will could change that.

"There's no way..." Alvin's voice wavered, trailing off as he gazed at the formidable obstacle. "We can’t continue this journey."

Willow's voice was firm, yet it carried an undeniable undertone of worry, "You must find a way out, Nick."

I shook my head, my eyes locked on the descending stairway. It was evident now. The Spider Queen's defeat was not only a triumph but also a clear divergence in our paths. I was alone now, and it seemed I was meant to be. "I’ll be fine. You should head back to the surface without me. My only way forward is through."

A shadow of confusion passed over Alvin's face. "Hold on... you mean to stay down here... alone?"

"Exactly," I affirmed, my resolve unwavering. "I don't see any other option, and honestly, I had planned to press forward anyway."

Their reactions were expected yet disconcerting. A blend of shock and incredulity washed over them, perhaps underlain by a sense of being left behind, or a genuine fear for my well-being. Yet, none of this could deter me from my chosen path.

"Nick," Willow’s voice trembled slightly as she attempted to reason with me. "We trust your strength, but it's too risky for you to stay down here alone."

Alvin seconded her sentiment, his tone bristling with concern. "Don't be arrogant and attempt this all by yourself. What if you get hurt, or worse? We can't afford to lose you.”

A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. "I'm not simply planning to explore this dungeon alone. It’s a part of something bigger. I can’t back out now."

May's plea echoed next, her eyes mirroring the unease she was trying to conceal. "We're safer together. We can figure something out. Please don't force this."

"Considering the recent developments..." I gestured towards the lifeless hulk of the Spider Queen that had earlier filled them with paralyzing fear. "...I can't risk dragging you deeper into danger. I won't risk your lives."

"Keep us alive?" Alvin spat, his tone biting. "Is that what you think you've been doing all this while?"

I nodded, matching his intensity. "Yes, and if we continue, it will cost us. It's time we part ways. You three should head back up and try and level closer to the surface where its safer for you to fight on your own.”

"Wait, what?" Willow interjected; her tone incredulous. "You want us to leave you behind and go back to the surface?"

I nodded; my resolve steadfast. "That’s right. This is no longer about want. It's about what has to be done."

"But, we're a team, Nick," Alvin added, frustration bleeding into his words. "We stick together, face challenges together. Isn’t that what we agreed upon?”

"That was before," I replied, my gaze falling on the fallen Spider Queen. "Before this became a game of life and death. I can't be the reason for you to lose your lives.”

Alvin's face hardened, his eyes narrowing. "And you think we can just leave you here? In this godforsaken dungeon?"

"You'll have to," I retorted, a harsh edge to my voice. "It's not about what we want anymore, Alvin. It’s about survival, yours, mine, and everyone else's."

"You’re being unreasonable," Willow's voice wavered, the panic in her eyes unmistakable. "This isn’t you, Nick.”

"Maybe not,” I shrugged. "But it's the me that needs to exist right now, for all our sakes."

"Are you seriously suggesting we abandon you and return to the surface?" May chimed in, her voice smaller than before.

"Abandonment implies leaving someone in a dire situation against their will," I replied flatly. "This is not that. This is a choice. My choice."

A silence followed, fraught with tension. Their expressions were a kaleidoscope of emotions - fear, frustration, and confusion playing out in a silent, tumultuous ballet.

"Fine," Alvin said finally, his voice strained. "But when you get out of this damn place, you better find us."

"Alvin..." Willow started, but he cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"No, he's right, Willow. We can't stay here, and we can't help him if he won't let us." Alvin’s voice had a steely resolve. "We’ll go back up. Try to make sense of this. Wait for Nick."

The trio turned to leave, their shoulders slumped with a heaviness that had little to do with physical exhaustion.

"Just... stay alive, Nick," May’s parting words hung in the air. "We’ll be waiting."

 

[System Fall Notification]

 

Title: Party Disbanded

 

Alvin, May, and Willow have left the party.

 

You are no longer sharing experience. Your individual gains may increase due to direct absorption of total experience points, but the risk of encounters will also escalate due to loss of team support. Proceed with caution.

And with that, they made their way back up the stairs, their figures slowly swallowed by the darkness of the tunnel. Alone in the Hidden Dungeon, I turned towards the newly revealed passageway and prepared for what lay ahead.