Stepping through the portal, my feet hit solid ground, but it took me a few seconds to steady myself. The air here clung to my skin, heavy and cold.

I immediately took in my surroundings. A forest stretched out before us—or what used to be one.

The trees were tall and twisted, their bark blackened and cracked like they’d been burned from the inside out. They clawed the sky lifeless and bare, swaying faintly in the cold breeze.

No leaves, no greenery, just jagged shadows cast by the pale light of a full moon hanging far too low above us.

The ground was coated in ashen soil, brittle and lifeless.

The step I took caused the withered grass under my boots to crumble into dust.

There were no flowers, no bushes, nothing alive. Just a monochrome wasteland.

But the most unnerving feature of this place? The webs.

Thick, silvery strands were draped across the skeletal branches of the trees, coating the ground and stretching between trunks like barricades. Webbing was everywhere.

Some strands were thin and delicate, fluttering faintly in the breeze. Others were massive, spanning entire clearings with intricate, hypnotic patterns.

The sheer amount of webbing made the whole area look like it had been claimed, transformed into some kind of enormous nest. It didn’t take much imagination to picture what had created them.

A notification appeared faintly in my vision.

You've entered the 3rd floor: Arachnid Weblands

“What is this place?” Lila asked.

Fennel, let out a low whistle, his ears twitching as he scanned the area. “I’ve heard of this place,” he said. “Never been here myself, but I know the stories. It’s called the Arachnid Weblands. It’s a notorious area. The environment’s tricky, full of hidden traps and sneaky enemies."

Fennel continued, his tail flicking with tension. “From what I’ve heard, it’s crawling—literally—with spider-like monsters. They’re not just about brute force, either. They rely on stealth, ambush tactics, and overwhelming numbers.

He wasn’t wrong. This floor was built around monsters designed to exploit carelessness. The spider-like creatures here were infamous for their ability to blend into the environment, strike from the shadows, and overwhelm their prey before they even realized what was happening.

Lila shuddered. “Spiders. Of course, it had to be bugs this time.”

Fennel crouched down, carefully inspecting a strand of web stretching across the ground. His expression turned serious as he looked at us.

“The most important thing about this place?” he said, his tone unusually firm. “The webs. Every single one of them is connected, like a giant alarm system. The moment you touch one, you’re not just announcing your presence—you’re inviting every spider in the area to come pay you a visit.”

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Lila visibly shuddered at the thought.

Fennel continued. “And that’s not even the worst part. These webs aren’t just alarms—they’re traps. The adhesive on them is insanely strong. If you get stuck, good luck trying to get free before something with eight legs shows up to finish the job.”

I glanced around at the countless strands dangling and stretching across the landscape. They seemed harmless enough at first glance, but now that Fennel had pointed it out, I couldn’t unsee the danger.

They were a battlefield advantage for whatever creatures called this place home.

“So basically,” I said, "Step lightly, keep our eyes open, and if we have to fight, try not to let it turn into a brawl where someone gets knocked into the webbing."

Fennel turned to Lila, his expression more serious than I’d seen it before. "Hey, Lila," he said, his voice steady but urgent. "Think you can use that ability of yours to find my group? I just... I need to know if they’re still here, somewhere on this floor."

Lila glanced up at me, her small face questioning, clearly waiting for my approval. I could see the hesitation in her eyes, like she wasn’t sure if this was something I’d be okay with.

I gave her a quick nod, keeping my expression calm and reassuring. There was no reason to hold her back, and honestly, if this helped Fennel and us, why not?

“Alright,” Lila said softly, before closing her eyes to focus.

A moment later, Lila opened her eyes and looked directly at Fennel. "They’re still together," she said. "I can sense them. The path is clear, and it’s leading to them."

Fennel let out a breath he seemed to have been holding, and his tense shoulders relaxed. "I knew it!" he said, almost laughing. "I knew they’d find their way here and waited for me.”

He turned to me. "So, Leon," he started, "how do you want to play this? We could stay put and let them come to us—they’re probably scouting the area and heading in our direction already. Or..." He paused, gesturing toward Lila. "We could follow her trail and make our way to them. You’re the Captain here—what’s your call?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, weighing the options. Staying put would be safer in the short term, especially since the webs around us were so thick.

If we moved too quickly, there was a real risk of triggering something we didn’t want to deal with. On the other hand, waiting felt like giving up control of the situation. If something unexpected happened... .

Not to mention, if we moved now, we could potentially reach Fennel’s group faster. Having more people with us would make navigating this floor a lot less risky.

“Let’s go to them,” I said finally, meeting Fennel’s gaze. “We don’t know how long it’ll take for them to reach us, and I’d rather not sit here and wait for something nasty to come crawling out of the shadows. If Lila’s trail is solid, we should move now and find them ourselves.”

Fennel grinned, his sharp teeth flashing. “Sounds good to me. Let’s do it.”

“Just be careful,” I said, giving him a look.

He laughed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. “Who do you take me for? Of course I'll be careful.”

Lila rolled her eyes, muttering something about “big cats and their recklessness,” but she didn’t argue. She shifted in the bag, pointing toward the misty trail. "The path’s clear for now."

We moved cautiously, every step deliberate, eyes scanning for any signs of danger.

The webs were everywhere, strung across the trees and scattered along the ground like traps waiting to spring.

Fennel took the lead, his sharp eyes darting between the webs, ensuring we didn’t accidentally brush against one. Lila occasionally directed us from her perch, pointing out strands we might have missed.

The only sound was our breathing and the soft crunch of ashen soil underfoot.

Every step felt like we were walking on eggshells.

Was it just my nerves, or was something moving out there?

A flicker in the corner of my eye, the faintest stir of webbing—too light to be the wind.

I couldn’t see anything, but I could feel it.

Moving silently, their movement effortless on the trees and webbing.

Creeping closer, blending with the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.