The heat of the day bore down mercilessly, shimmering waves rippling off the barren sands. The spider hissed, its many eyes gleaming with predatory intent. It shifted its massive, segmented legs, the joints creaking faintly as grains of sand trickled from its movements. The air seemed to hold its breath as it tensed, coiling its body for an attack.

Without warning, the spider launched itself skyward, its grotesque form silhouetted against the sun. Its legs splayed wide as it twisted mid-air, the sharp points of its appendages catching the light. It angled its descent, flipping in a deadly arc as it plummeted back toward the ground. The sound of rushing wind accompanied its fall, an ominous prelude to destruction.

Kael’s empty eye sockets gleamed faintly from beneath his hood as he watched the beast's trajectory. His bones clattered as he shifted his weight, the tattered edges of his cloak fluttering in the disturbed air. At the last possible moment, he sidestepped with a speed that belied his skeletal form.

The spider struck the earth with a resounding crash, a shockwave rippling through the ground. A cloud of dust and shattered rocks erupted around it, one jagged fragment rocketing outward and slamming into Kael’s ribcage with a sickening crack.

"Urgh!" A hollow, echoing groan escaped him as he staggered back, clutching his chest where the impact had splintered a rib.

[HP: 30/50]

'It changed it fighting style'

Kael dropped to one knee, his bony fingers tightening around the fractured bone as he glared at the spider through the swirling dust. The creature scrambled to its feet, its legs moving in a rapid, skittering pattern as it steadied itself.

The landscape around them was a wasteland of dry, cracked earth and sparse, brittle vegetation. Yet the intensity of their battle filled the emptiness, every movement charged with a violent energy that seemed to reverberate in the air.

The spider lunged again, its powerful legs digging into the ground as it propelled itself forward. This time, it spun mid-leap, a whirl of chitin and fury aimed directly at Kael. He pushed off the ground with a sharp motion, rolling to the side as the spider’s legs slammed into the spot he had just occupied.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The earth trembled beneath the beast’s impact, and Kael used the moment to his advantage. “Now’s my chance,” he muttered, his voice dry and rasping. He pushed himself to his feet, gripping his scythe with both hands. The weapon gleamed faintly in the sunlight, its curved blade sharp enough to split the air itself.

Kael sprinted forward, his cloak trailing behind him like a shadow. The spider, winded from its failed attack, struggled to regain its balance, its legs clawing at the sand. Kael ducked low, sliding beneath its hulking body with the precision of a predator closing in on its prey.

He gripped the scythe tightly, the metal cool and solid against his bony hands. With a sharp upward swing, he drove the blade into the spider’s abdomen, aiming for its heart. The weapon pierced through the chitinous armor, sinking deep into the soft flesh beneath.

The spider let out a piercing screech, its legs thrashing wildly. Blood thick and dark poured from the wound, staining the sands in a growing pool. Kael leaned into the strike, pushing the blade deeper as the creature's movements grew sluggish. Finally, its legs collapsed beneath it, and it let out a final, shuddering rasp before falling still.

Kael straightened slowly, pulling the scythe free with a wet, sucking sound. He stood amidst the carnage, the spider’s lifeblood dripping from his weapon and splattering onto the sands. A long silence followed, broken only by the faint whistle of the wind.

[You Have Slain A Level 5 Beast]

[You Have Leveled Up To Level 3]

[You Grow Stronger!]

[You Have Gained 5 Points]

Kael dismissed the scythe with a flick of his wrist, the weapon dissolving into wisps of black smoke. He trudged toward a dry, skeletal tree nearby, his steps heavy with exhaustion. He slumped against its trunk, the rough bark scraping against his bones. Blood from the spider still dripped from his cloak, forming small crimson stains in the sand.

“This was such a long day,” he murmured, his tone as hollow as his frame. He leaned his head back, staring up at the blazing sun that dominated the sky. The relentless heat seemed almost mocking in its intensity.

Kael let out a low chuckle, the sound dry and brittle. “If I die here, will I die completely? Or will I return to my old world?” He traced the thought idly, his bony fingers tapping against his leg.

The silence stretched on, thick and heavy, until a voice cut through it with startling clarity.

"Yo!"

Kael froze, his skull snapping upward as he scanned his surroundings. His sockets flickered with a faint glow of alarm. "Who’s there?"

"Above you," the voice replied, tinged with amusement.

Kael’s head tilted back, his gaze locking onto a figure perched casually on a branch above him, silhouetted against the merciless sun.