Travis was now at floor five, facing a swarm of poisonous cave spiders. Their jagged legs clicked against the cold stone floor, and the faint hissing sound of venom dripping from their fangs echoed through the cavern. He sprinted towards them, his sword gleaming under the dim torchlight, ready to slice through their ranks—and that’s exactly what he did.

With a powerful vertical slash, he cleaved through the first spider, splitting its grotesque body clean in half. Green, viscous blood sprayed from the creature, splattering the ground as its twitching remains crumpled. The acrid scent of the fluid stung his nose, but he didn’t falter. Without missing a beat, Travis pivoted, setting his sights on the next spider in line.

It hissed violently and spat a cloud of poisonous gas at him. Reflexively, he raised his cloak, pulling it tightly over his face. To his surprise, the heavy fabric worked well enough to filter the toxins, allowing him to push through the foul-smelling mist. With swift precision, he lunged forward, his blade driving into the spider’s face. Its shriek was short-lived as he twisted the sword, severing its head in a single, decisive motion.

Another spider lunged from the side, spewing a stream of toxic acid in his direction. Travis dodged, rolling across the floor as the acid sizzled on the stone where he had stood moments before. Rising to his feet, he locked eyes with the creature, his bright gaze sharp with determination.

'You're next,' he thought, lips curling into a grim smile. He dashed forward, feinting left before delivering a devastating upward slash that left the spider in pieces.

Within moments, the cavern was eerily silent, save for the faint drip of venom pooling beneath the dead spiders. Travis surveyed the carnage, letting out a long sigh as he flicked the sticky ichor from his blade. Lowering his makeshift mask, he grimaced at the lingering stench.

'That was disgusting. But they weren’t much of a challenge, honestly. Am I that OP? Guess I am,' he thought, feeling a surge of pride as a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

As he ventured deeper into the dungeon, the air grew heavier, and the dim light revealed an unsettling sight—spider webs, thick and sticky, covering every surface. They hung from the ceiling like ghostly drapes and clung to the walls in chaotic tangles. A shiver ran down his spine as his pace slowed. His stomach tightened, his deep-seated arachnophobia bubbling to the surface.

'Great, just my luck,' he thought, his fingers tightening around his sword hilt. 'Why did it have to be spiders?'

Soon Travis saw the boss, perched at the end of the dimly lit hall, hanging from a thick strand of its own shimmering web. It was three times larger than the ones he had fought before, its grotesque body adorned with jagged spikes and oozing venom from its mandibles. Just the sight of it sent a cold chill down his spine, but his blood surged in response, a mixture of fear and adrenaline flooding his veins.

'I should kill it fast before I freakin' start panicking,' he thought, gripping his sword tightly as if it were the only thing anchoring him to courage.

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The spider's eyes suddenly opened, glistening orbs of malice locking onto him. It tilted its grotesque head before dropping from its web with a deafening thud, the impact shaking the ground and forcing Travis to steady himself. Dust and debris cascaded from the ceiling, and the tremor traveled through his boots.

The creature let out a piercing screech, a sound so sharp it rattled his skull. The force of the screech sent a gale of wind barreling toward him, pushing him back a step and making his cloak flutter wildly.

'I guess this won't be as easy as I thought. Whatever,' he thought, narrowing his eyes. His heart was hammering in his chest, but he refused to let his fear paralyze him. With a deep breath, he began to sprint toward the monstrous arachnid.

The spider responded instantly, its multitude of legs pounding against the ground in a blur of movement. Its sheer speed caught Travis off guard as it closed the gap in an instant, one of its spindly legs slashing toward him like a whip.

He threw himself to the side, barely escaping the razor-sharp appendage. The air whistled past his ear from the near-miss, and he rolled to his feet, his grip on his sword tightening. He couldn’t afford to make a single mistake.

The spider lunged again, its massive legs crashing down in an arc that forced Travis to roll backward. Dust and splinters from the stone floor scattered as he narrowly evaded its crushing strike.

*crack*

He came up on one knee, gripping his sword tightly. The blade gleamed faintly in the dim light, and Travis's eyes sharpened with focus.

The spider hissed, venom dripping from its fangs and sizzling as it hit the ground. With a sharp swing of its front leg, it lashed at Travis like a scythe. He sidestepped just in time, the air humming from the force of the attack. Without hesitation, he retaliated, slashing his sword at the leg. Sparks flew as steel met the creature's chitinous armor, leaving a shallow gash but failing to sever it.

"Damn, you're tougher than I thought," Travis muttered under his breath.

The spider screeched in rage and reared back, spitting a glob of venom straight at him. Travis dove to the side, the toxic liquid splattering where he'd stood a moment ago, melting through the floor with a sharp hiss.

'Stay sharp, Travis. You screw up, you're dead,' he told himself, wiping sweat from his brow before charging forward.

Closing the distance, he ducked under another swipe from the spider's leg and slashed at its underbelly. This time, his blade found softer flesh, slicing through and spilling dark, viscous blood onto the ground. The creature howled in pain, thrashing violently, and sent Travis stumbling backward.

It didn’t give him a moment to recover. The spider charged with terrifying speed, its bulk barreling toward him like a freight train. Travis planted his feet, bracing himself, and swung his sword horizontally as it came close. The blade caught one of its legs mid-motion, severing it completely. The spider screeched in agony, collapsing slightly to one side as it stumbled from the loss of balance.

Taking advantage of the opening, Travis darted to its flank and slashed at its abdomen. His blade bit deep, but before he could pull back, the spider twisted its body, striking him with one of its remaining legs. The force sent him flying, slamming him into the wall.

* Bang *

Pain radiated through his back, but he forced himself to his feet, ignoring the sharp sting in his ribs.

The spider loomed over him, wounded but unrelenting, its mandibles clicking menacingly. Travis gritted his teeth. He needed to end this now.

In a burst of adrenaline, he sprinted toward the creature. It reared up again, preparing another venomous attack, but this time, Travis had a plan. As its head rose higher, he leapt into the air with all his strength, using the wall as a springboard to gain more height. His sword gleamed as he raised it high above his head, aiming directly for the spider's skull.

With a shout, he came down like a meteor, driving the blade straight between the creature’s glowing eyes. The force of the impact sent a jolt up his arms, but the strike was true. The spider let out one final, deafening screech before collapsing to the ground in a heap, its legs twitching and curling inward.

Travis landed on his feet, his chest heaving as he pulled his sword free from its head. He staggered back, the blood-soaked blade hanging at his side as he watched the monstrous creature finally go still.

"Yeah," he muttered, a weak grin tugging at his lips. "Not so tough now, are you?"

He wiped the blade clean on his cloak and turned toward the exit, his legs trembling but his resolve stronger than ever.

TO BE CONTINUED