"Run!" Asher shouted to his guardian, his voice trembling with fear.
The abrupt appearance of these nightmarish spider creatures sent shivers down Asher's spine. Their sheer multitude was an overwhelming force, far beyond anything he could hope to confront alone. Panic seized him, and he had no option but to flee desperately for his very life. As he raced through the cave's dark recesses, Asher found himself torn between gratitude for the tunnel's straight path and dread as he had to constantly dodge sticky webs that clung to the cave's walls slowing him down in the process.
His guardian struggled to keep pace, following closely behind as they sprinted for their lives. Just when he believed the nightmare couldn't possibly intensify, fresh hordes of spiders emerged from hidden crevices within the cave. They descended from the ceiling, lurked along the cave's walls, and their numbers seemed to multiply with every passing moment.
Asher glanced back, eyes wide with terror. "It's like they're coming out of nowhere! We have to keep going!"
What had started as a mere dozen spiders had rapidly transformed into a nightmarish horde, so numerous that Asher lost all hope of counting them. Yet counting was a luxury he couldn't afford, not with his heart pounding, and every ounce of his strength channeled into the desperate race for survival.
As they ran, the spiders grew bolder, shooting sticky webs in their direction. Asher watched in horror as some of the webs hit his guardian, ensnaring them in a tangled mess.
"No!" Asher cried out, looking back in worry.
But thankfully, his guardian reacted swiftly. With a swift motion, he made use of his spikeguard shield, the gleaming sharp spike cut through the restrictive webs like a hot knife through butter. Without missing a beat, he continued towards his summoner.
"Thank god! Don't lag behind!" Asher panted, worry and exhaustion evident in his voice.
With each passing moment, the situation grew more dire. Asher and his guardian struggled to keep ahead of the web-shooting creatures, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.
As they pressed deeper into the cave, their path became more treacherous. The passage seemed to narrow the further they went, squeezing their pathway, and the spiders, with their unnerving agility, made every effort to close in on them. Asher's guardian fought off the webs, but they were visibly tiring, and Asher could feel the weight of desperation pressing down on them.
"What's this? "
Finally, as hope was dwindling and his energy waning, Asher spotted a glimmer of salvation. Ahead of them, bathed in a dim, eerie light, was a large metal door. Its surface bore an intricate design of spider webs etched into the metal, intricate and foreboding.
"There!" Asher exclaimed, his voice filled with newfound hope. "We need to reach that door!"
The spiders, sensing their impending freedom slipping away, redoubled their efforts, shooting webs with even greater fervor. Just as Asher's heart swelled with anticipation, a sudden sensation erupted in his feet. He stumbled, his legs entangled in a sticky, silken trap. Panic surged through him as he fell to the ground, his hands instinctively clawing at the webbing that constricted his ankles.
The spiders, sensing Asher's vulnerability, closed in with even greater speed. They scuttled over the web-covered walls, their eyes glinting with malevolence as they prepared to make their strike.
Just in the nick of time, Asher's guardian swiftly positioned himself in front of Asher, acting as a protective shield against the relentless barrage of webs.
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Given the chance to free himself from the sticky webs ensnaring his feet, Asher pressed on. He couldn't help but glance back, witnessing his guardian being overwhelmed by the massive web assault, his movements restricted and his struggles futile.
"Stay strong! Once I reach the end, we'll make our escape!" Asher shouted over the cacophony of scuttling spiders.
With a heavy heart, Asher made the agonizing decision to use his guardian as a distraction, hoping to buy himself enough time to reach the end of the treacherous pathway and trigger their return to the lobby before it was too late.
As Asher sprinted toward his goal, his heart pounded in his chest. Every step felt like an eternity as he fought against the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm him.
Immobile and helpless, it was inevitable that Asher's guardian became ensnared and besieged by the relentless horde of spiders. A cascade of notifications scrolled down before him, each one a reminder of his minion's rapidly dwindling health point.
https://i.imgur.com/hdLolRI.png [https://i.imgur.com/hdLolRI.png]
But just as he approached what he hoped would be their salvation, a stroke of misfortune struck. Dozens of new spiders emerged from a previously unseen crevice just in front of them. They skittered out with terrifying speed, surrounding Asher and his guardian on all sides.
Panic surged through Asher as he realized they were now trapped, with nowhere to run. The spiders closed in, their eight-legged forms moving with eerie coordination. They hissed and screeched, their fangs dripping with hunger.
Once again, he cast a desperate glance back at his guardian, who struggled valiantly but was barely able to fend off the overwhelming horde of spiders on him.
https://i.imgur.com/47i60nG.png [https://i.imgur.com/47i60nG.png]
Asher, on the other hand, knew that their only chance lay in reaching the end of the pathway. With a deep breath, he summoned all the strength he had left and charged forward. With a solum emotion he screamed out his order of desperation, "Guardian! Use Provoke!"
Just as the spiders were about to lunge at him, the sudden shout diverted their attention. Asher kept his eyes closed, sprinting with all his might, dozens of spiders closing in from the front. To Asher's hopeful expectation, they ignored him, their focus now squarely on his guardian, who had successfully taunted their attention away from Asher.
Despite Asher's closed eyes, the interface displaying his guardian's health pool remained visible in the darkness behind his eyelids. With each passing second, the health bar dwindled significantly, and his guardian's health regeneration struggled to outpace the relentless barrage of damage inflicted by the horde of spiders. It was a race against time, and the odds were growing increasingly dire.
https://i.imgur.com/WYvi6lc.png [https://i.imgur.com/WYvi6lc.png]
https://i.imgur.com/0rswZS6.png [https://i.imgur.com/0rswZS6.png]
"FUCK!!!! LET ME MAKE IT IN TIME!" Asher screamed out in desperation as he pushed himself past his physical limits, sweat pouring down his face without cease.
https://i.imgur.com/RXMroex.png [https://i.imgur.com/RXMroex.png]
His body moved with a frantic desperation, his legs and arms stretched to their absolute limits, every muscle straining as he tried to gain even an extra inch of distance. His head bobbed up and down rapidly, his entire body contorting with the urgency of his movements. He could feel his own strength waning with every passing second, but he couldn't afford to slow down. The notifications about his guardian's diminishing health haunted the corners of his vision, a constant reminder of the dire situation.
https://i.imgur.com/zGTj7Jv.png [https://i.imgur.com/zGTj7Jv.png]
As he neared what he believed to be the very last inch of his guardian's life, a sensation of cold, hard metal met his forehead. In his haste, Asher had slammed headfirst into the imposing, metallic surface. Disoriented and gasping for breath, he opened his eyes to find himself standing before the massive steel door adorned with intricate spider web designs.
"I-I made it!"
https://i.imgur.com/xkG6G3y.png [https://i.imgur.com/xkG6G3y.png]
"AHHHH!!"
You have completed the 'Trial of Awakening' Fourth Trial!
Having finished the fourth trial, would you like to remain in the floor in order to acquire additional EXP & achievement points? (YES/NO)
"NO!!! GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE NOW!!!!"
In an instant, the world around blurred from a surge of energy. His senses swayed as he found himself transported back to the lobby, his guardian laying next to him barely alive.
https://i.imgur.com/sgZ5AlS.png [https://i.imgur.com/sgZ5AlS.png]