CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

DEAD END

In the gloomy dark atmosphere of the dungeon, Shai couldn't determine how long she had slept, but she sensed a significant part of her strength returning. And hunger. Well, mostly hunger.

Her entire body convulsed, growling with an instinctual need as she awoke. Hunger.

Shai hissed and ejected a good chunk of copper-ranked creature's flesh and the Bloodcudding Mushrooms to satiate her ravenous stomach. With her growing body, her hunger was growing as well. Shai was about the size of a normal snake--a couple of metres in length--still small, considering magical creatures tend to grow huge over time as they level up.

Despite her small form, her hunger was easily equal to ten ravenous wolves.

Weirdly, as she gulped, the mushrooms felt like some kind of squishy, tender meat, whereas the flesh had a sharp vile taste she would rather swallow first.

It must be a dream to gain strength merely by eating, Shai thought, realising the deception in her own words. It wasn't merely eating.

Yes, it was possible to gain strength from devouring sustenance, but she couldn't ignore the fact that Hunger seemed to be a notorious concept to be wary of.

It was a double-edged sword. The more complacent she became with this ability, the easier it would be to fall into a trap of her own making, transforming into a mindless, insatiable abomination.

Therefore, Shai must remain vigilant about her eating habits—when she eats, how much she eats, and, most importantly, what she eats. Allowing Hunger to corrupt herself was a perilously simple task. She would not ingest anything anymore until she ensured she digested everything.

Hopefully, this meal will let her level once again a few hours. A snake could only dream...

Stealthily, Shai came out of the hole after taking note of her surroundings. Ideally, she would have preferred to stay hidden in the hole, but remaining in one area for too long was unwise, particularly in such a treacherous environment.

Moreover, there was the possibility that Serenity or the other empathic spider would come searching for her, even though they should have more pressing matters to attend to.

So Shai decided to scout her surroundings to look for better areas to hide. What are the chances that she would come across something dangerous, something she shouldn't have, again?

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Isla discovered the tracks that would lead them to their destination fairly early. Sadly, her hope was squashed when she discovered more pathways exactly similar to the ones on her map.

The Twisted Webs felt suffocating, with darkness looming all over, infested with vile creatures that attacked anything in their sight. Their only option was to tap into their primal essence to enhance their vision and senses to navigate through the treacherous dungeon a little more skillfully.

As they ventured deeper, they realised that the dungeon was far wider than they initially imagined, though they had to move through narrow tunnels very often.

They had to cover numerous tracks, steer through countless turns, and even climb through a few chasms to reach their destination. The paths snaked their way like a maze, a single misstep could lead to further delays.

Isla had some time in hand, but thoughts of Javi nagged at the back of her mind, urging her to remain focused. Isla never imagined she would get this worked up, even though she didn't admit it in front of Zael. Or to herself.

Adding to her worries, her mission was awfully vague, save for the place she needed to be and present her case. While she possessed theoretical knowledge of her destination and mission, this place eluded her enough to cause her to second-guess herself.

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"Isla," Zael voiced his doubts, following closely behind Isla. "Are you certain this is the right path? Even for someone like me who believes in the Preservers, this seems farfetched."

"I know," she admitted without a fight. "But it's too late to turn back now."

Isla continued along the path, hoping to encounter a specific type of spider that held the key to completing her task. To make matters more challenging, she had been explicitly instructed not to harm any of the spiders. It was crucial that she approached them cordially with her behaviour prim and proper as if she was there to meet the queen.

She knew that there were spirit beasts that possessed intelligence rivalling that of a human, however, that notion seemed absurdly unrealistic for the dwellers of this place. It was a freaking dungeon for the Preservers' sake. Only vile abominations dwelled within a dungeon.

Isla received the first evidence of this when they encountered the spiders earlier. The creatures launched an aggressive assault against them without any form of greeting or thinking.

Although Isla and Zael managed to avoid killing the spiders, they had no choice but to inflict severe injuries in order to scare them away. Isla doubted this strategy could work. The spiders appeared mindless and devoid of reason, leaving no room for negotiation or understanding between them.

She clung to the decree her mother provided her with and remained steadfast in her determination to fulfil the mission she had been entrusted with. If she fails, she would drop low in her mother's eyes, but if she succeeded... she might just prove her worth to her mother and everyone else.

They traversed through the narrow tunnel-like path until it opened up into a wide expanse, where numerous paths sprawled in all directions like the intricate web of a spider. The twisted passages wound their way into the darkness. Isla pressed hard on her memory. She had never really been here before, but the map of the destination was imprinted into her head for insurance. If the map served her right, then the way should be . . .

"That way," Isla's voice trailed off as she gestured towards a wide opening, prompting Zael to follow. This pattern repeated a couple of times more, with identical passages instilling doubt within Isla regarding the accuracy of the mental map imprinted on her mind.

Perhaps it was deliberately designed to confuse humans and safeguard whatever hidden secrets lay within this place.

If that was the case, Isla's curiosity was piqued. Could such elaborate craftsmanship be the work of monstrous insects? The thought fascinated her. The extensive web-like tunnels, connecting various pathways, appeared once more, identical to the previous three.

"This should be the final one," Isla said with uncertainty. "Let's go."

However, just as she was about to step forward, the ground beneath her gave way, scaring the shit out of her as she was about to fall. Panic surged through Isla as she instinctively drew upon her comic power, only to be met with the searing pain coursing through her veins. She continued to draw energy, but at this rate, she would be delayed, and...

Zael went out of his way to save Isla. The lanky elf swiftly lunged forward upon hearing Isla's yelp, grabbing hold of her arms as both of them began to swoop down. Using his quick reflexes, Zael grasped onto a rocky protrusion of the walls, stopping their fall.

"By the Preserver," the stalwart elf croaked, catching his breath. "This is a pit."

Isla swallowed hard as she peered down into the abyss of darkness below. "The map!" she muttered, disbelief colouring her words. "It wasn't supposed to be like this."

They were not supposed to encounter a flaming pit on their path. According to the map, they were meant to take a few more turns and arrive at their intended destination. If there was any.

However, Isla realised that they were chasing ghosts and contemplated abandoning the mission. But first, they had to find a way to escape this predicament.

"Human," a voice assaulted her mind abruptly, disrupting her thoughts. "Why have you come to our dwelling?"

Isla blinked, her eyes searched into the darkness that shrouded everywhere. The voice she had heard echoed in her mind, leaving her momentarily stunned. As Zael pulled her up, she mentally replayed the words, trying to make sense of them. It was a brief and unexpected telepathic communication, so swift that she couldn't perceive its formation or dissipation.

Yet, it was a clear indication that they were indeed in the presence of the spiders she had been searching for.

"Hello?" Isla called out tentatively, her voice reverberating through the murky pit. Doubt gnawed at her, as the vast darkness and the silence enveloped her words. She reached inward, channelling her spirit power, allowing herself to be intoxicated by a false sense of confidence. It was a desperate attempt to bolster her courage. "Is anyone there?"

Silence greeted her. Yet, she felt compelled to try again

"Isla, are you alright?" Zael's concerned voice broke through the stillness, confirming that the telepathic transmission had been intended solely for Isla.

"Someone just spoke into my head," Isla explained. "And it didn't sound human, by the way, the voice spoke."

“Could it be?” Zael said with hesitation, pulling themselves up from where they fell. “What you’ve been looking for?”

"Perhaps," Isla replied, uncertain. Her heightened senses tried to pierce through the shroud of the darkness and sensed something. A presence. An ominous one, staring back at her, but the obscurity prevented her from discerning its true nature.

[??? - Empathic Spider - ??? - ???]