The colony - as Xar had called the place - was a strange location. The typical caverns had given way to a large chamber, covered in little dirt hills and sheets of white spider silk flowing in all directions. The ground was loose, as if it had been dug in quite often, and she could vaguely sense creatures shifting beneath the surface of the ground from the traces of mana they left in their wake. Her eyes scanned the location, looking up to see white pods of silky cocoons stuck to the ceiling, letting down strings of white thread like ghastly vines, giving the dark cavern an even further eerie feel.

Jennifer was starting to see a pattern with how these areas with a specific kind of monster were arranged within the dungeon, with the wide caverns of the slimes, to the light section where Livian got his familiar, and now the colony.

“The Colony is aware of our approach. They will intercept soon.”

True to Xar’s words, it didn’t take long for dozens of spiders the size of Jennifer’s thumb to burst from the ground, and rush the two of them. With a simple pulse from Xar, the spiders froze stiff, laying unmoving. Jennifer moved carefully to not accidentally crush underneath her feet, as they made their way further into the area.

Xar stood on Jennifer’s shoulder, his mind scanning the location. Hisses, clicks and clatters echoed through the dark chamber, the sound of shifting earth and moving bodies creating a low hum that disturbed Jennifer in a way she couldn’t quite describe.

The eerie sensation worsened very quickly, when a dozen or so spiders large enough to cover her head with their bodies slunk down from the ceiling, their six sets of eyes set at her as they hissed and spit in anger.

Xar shifted on her shoulder, sending another pulse out.

“Not Intruder. Ally. Friend,” Xar sent to the spiders, letting the concepts carry out in waves. The spider’s aggression slowed down, as they looked at Xar with a wary gaze.

“Meet Mother. Meet the Matriarch,” Xar sent to the spider. The spiders shifted their front legs ever so slightly as if discussing something, before one turned and began to walk further in.

“We follow,” Xar sent to Jennifer. Hesitantly, she followed behind the spider.

The webs around her path thickened, more and more cocoons covering the surface of the walls. The wide and sprawling cavern led to a sectioned out chamber that was clearly protected by two guard spiders standing near the entrance.

A posse of four spiders stood behind Jennifer and Xar, their sights never leaving the two of them. Jennifer felt strange at watching the weird society and structure amidst these monsters. They were clearly not mindless beasts.

The guide spider walking ahead stopped in front of a gap in the walls covered with spider silk all around.

“The Matriarch is inside,” Xar told Jennifer, as she stared at the gate, gulping once. Carefully, she reached out to the web, pushing through them to make her way to the other side.

Hurriedly walking out through the tangle, Jennifer coughed and spat, trying to wipe off the white silk covering her hair and clothes. For a moment, it was enough to make her not notice the looming figure in front of her.

Noticing the shadow cast upon her, Jennifer raised her head, and saw a massive spider with a humongous backside. She sat within a cocoon that was half burst open, oddly reminiscent of a silky throne.

Jennifer felt her hair rise on her body, a shiver crawling down her spine when the spider’s numerous eyes regarded her with barely held back hostility. She was tall, coming up to Jennifer’s shoulders even while prone on the ground. Scars covered the matriarch, a chilling aura filling her chamber.

The giant spider hissed.

Xar shifted on Jennifer’s shoulder, walking down her hand as he jumped down onto the ground to stand in front of the matriarch. The size difference was comically vast, but Jennifer felt no desire to laugh.

“Greetings Matriarch,” Xar said, raising his front two legs in greeting. “Xar has come to ask for help.”

Jennifer felt Xar extending a mind link from her to the Matriarch, as the magic snapped into place.

“Wayward child. You had abandoned the colony, abandoned our nest. Why do you return?” a slow, calculated voice spoke. The clear articulation behind each intent betrayed the matriarch’s intelligence, making Jennifer even more nervous.

“Xar returns to seek help from the Matriarch. We seek the Mark of Storm. We’ve been told it resides within the dungeon. We’d like the Matriarch’s help in finding it.”

The giant spider glanced down at Xar, her jaws clicking together. “What reason do we have to help you?”

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Xar paused, turning sideways to glance at Jennifer momentarily. “Xar is willing to return the favour.”

“Favour, you say. Hmm. A favour, we can use. But first, tell us, how can we trust you? Humans are crafty. Invaders. Why shouldn’t we simply trap this girl here, and make her prey?”

“You’d lose,” Jennifer said, channeling her mana, as her eyes turned reflective.

“Perhaps. But my children won’t,” the matriarch hissed. Little clicks echoed throughout the cavern, and Jennifer could keenly feel the hidden eyes looking at her from all corners of the caverns.

Tension flickered in the air, as Jennifer reached out to her mana, ready to blast through the tunnels if need be. She had Time-Leap at the ready, if things ever took a turn for the worst, but she’d first try and make her way through as it was.

“There is no need for conflict. We do not desire to hurt the colony!” Xar shouted, turning towards the matriarch. “Conflict will hurt. Matriarch will lose many members. It’d take a long time to recover from the damage even if the matriarch wins. And Xar can assure her, she won’t. My human friend may not understand the ways of the colony, but Xar does. And Xar can tear it from the ground up if the matriarch forces his hand.”

Jennifer felt surprised, seeing the little spider practically vibrating. Yet the threat was backed by the immense pressure she felt coming from Xar through the mental link. He was not bluffing.

“A male spiderling, yet so bold. And powerful. Yes. We remember. This is why you’d left. If only you’d been female. We could’ve let you form a new colony.”

“Xar is perfect just the way he is,” Jennifer replied, snorting. She sensed a brief flicker of surprise from Xar, before the little spider chimed in as well.

“Jennifer is right. Xar is great and mighty, but Xar is also not unjust. We do not intend to threaten, or force the matriarch. Let us trade. A favour for a favour.”

The matriarch sat, her monstrous features unreadable to Jennifer. But through the mindlink, she could sense the spider thinking, and planning. The sheer complexity of thought that could exist within her still took Jennifer by surprise.

Just how much had people been ignoring within these creatures? Perhaps the relentless nature of their attacks was not merely due to mindless monstrous behavior, but due to something far more complex that existed within the dungeon itself?

Thoughts of the nature of dungeons as a whole came to her, memories of classes she’d attentended on their functions that she began to question to look for flaws in, but she put them aside. Now wasn’t the time for theoretical speculations.

“Very well. We can agree to these terms. What specifically do you desire?”

“A way deeper into the dungeon, without having to fight through the guardian,” Jennifer said, glancing at Xar.

The guardian of the first floor wasn’t a fixed creature, but the location where the creatures fought were the same. The dungeon was spread like an anthill, with tunnels leading to biomes and all sorts of zones, yet, all of it eventually connected to a central chamber, a wide area with gates leading deeper in. One that was always protected by a powerful creature guarding it.

Each layer had one. And it’d take far too long if she had to fight her way through every attempt.

“We can guide you through the paths. Though the human may have some trouble navigating the ways. But first, we must determine what your purpose is. What is this Mark of Storms you seek?”

Jennifer glanced at Xar, before stepping ahead. Rather than explaining, it’d be easier to show her. Raising her hand, she let her Mark appear on her hand, and glow brightly. The spider hissed, retreating back, as if afraid of the light.

“This is the Mark of Time. Xar has one like it, called the Mark of Psyche. We seek the bearer of the Mark of Storms. And I’ve been told that it exists in the second layer of the dungeon.”

Jennifer let her hand fall by her side, as her Mark disappeared.

“Marks. The dungeon shifts within your presence. Something ties you to this place, in a way we do not understand. But perhaps that is for the best. Very well, we agree. But first, we need you to hunt the serpent that roams in our territory. Hunt it, and bring it to us, so we can feast on it, and grow our spawn. And in return, we will show you the path ahead.”

Jennifer’s eyes widened in surprise at the mention of the serpent. She likely had a good idea what creature she was talking about. Jennifer sensed Xar, about to make a rebuttal but she cut him off before he could speak.

“We’ll do it,” she said, before glancing down at Xar.

The spider looked at her, before giving her a mental huff as he walked back towards her. Crouching down, Jennifer picked Xar up, placing him on her shoulder.

“Then we have a deal,” the Matriarch said. “Our children will guide you to the serpent. The rest shall be on your head.”

With those words, the matriarch retreated further into her cocoon and the mental link snapped from her. Two other large spiders came closer, walking up to Jennifer as they guided her back out of the chamber.

Xar reached out to the spiders, letting them connect to Jennifer’s mind.

“This way,” the creatures spoke, more in concepts that words that Xar translated for her.

She followed them around, as they led her back out through the tunnels.

“Is Jennifer sure about this? Poison-Death is powerful. And it took Jennifer injury and much effort to kill it the last time.”

“I’m sure,” Jennifer replied. “The last time, it ambushed us and caught us off guard. It was the hunter, and we were the prey running for our lives,” Jennifer said, looking ahead into the cavernous walls, as a grin of anticipation rose on her face. “This time, we’ll be the ones hunting”