The next day, I prepared early. The plan was to go to an easy dungeon, where Hajin could test the new changes for himself, and also to see how’s his general power. After all, we’ll be each one on our own way after Cube’s arc ends. That’s somewhere around next year.

I took my backpack and my sword. Inside the backpack, I put both items from the Ice Wing Queen and also the Fire Drake Gauntlets, while I wore the Eye of Fire. The reason was to take all of them with me to the dungeon.

After all, Hajin could make use of some of them, and I would use the others. All in all, it was to test them and also to help Hajin a little. Though, to be honest, I already have plans for one of those items, not written in stone, but still have plans. So that will only be a little loan for him.

{All right. I guess this is everything. The dungeon is an easy one, weak against fire and ice too. So, I guess that would make it easy for Hajin, and for me in the case that something goes wrong.}-I thought while going out of the house.

***

Still having a few free travels left for the month. Both Hajin and I went directly towards Brazil, though, we still had to pay for the short-travel ones.

After that, we had to work our way towards a dungeon close to the Amazon. Thankfully, it wasn’t that far away from the city of Manaus.

“Ho… It’s great that we didn’t need to pay for the long-travel from Korea to Brazil… I’m glad to be a student inside Cube…”-I said to Hajin while walking inside the Amazonia, the Brazilian side of it.

“Yeah… I’m also thankful that you know how to speak Portuguese… That saves us a lot of trouble coming here. Though… I still don’t know. Why did we have to come all the way here when there’re so many dungeons inside Korea…”-Hajin asks while walking through the jungle.

“Well, to be honest, I wanted to go outside of Korea. Also, because here we have a perfect dungeon. It’s not only an easy one, but it also has the type of monsters that would be easy for both you and me.”-I said to him, finally getting inside the entry of the dungeon, a giant hole in the roots of one big tree. “Here we are. Are you ready?”-I ask Hajin.

“Yes. I’m ready.”-He answered. “Not too many bullets, but I’ll do with Aether in case of easy monsters.”

“Oh, that reminds me. Here, grab these.”-I said while taking out both the Fire Drake Gauntlets and the Promise of the Ice Wing Queen. “Use these.”

“Huh? What are these?”-He asks while taking both of them.

“Rewards from Dungeons. The gauntlets will help with your protection, while there will not be fire here, it’ll still be helpful with physical attacks in case you go melee.”

“And the bracelet? It has a really beautiful design, what does it do?”

“I was getting to that. The bracelet is more special. It gives you an authority, albeit temporal.”-I start with the explanation. “The authority itself is using a special ability of the Ice Wings, called ice bolt, which basically sends ice bolts towards your enemies. It also adds an ice attribute to your normal attacks, and you can even empower your normal attacks mixing them with the ice bolts.”

“Really!? Isn’t this kind overpowered!?”

“Not really. Ice bolts is a good ability, yes, but it lacks firepower. Just like your bullets.”

“Yes, but it can empower normal ranged attacks while mixing them!”

“Sure, with enough control over your own magic, you could. But the question is, can you?”

“…”-He stared at me openmouthed.

“See? I’m still giving them to you because it adds ice attribute magic, and because the monsters we’re expecting shouldn’t be strong enough. Also, it’s a loan. I’ll take them back.”

“What? Why!? You don’t use them…”-He asked me after finishing putting them on.

“I have plans for them. Well, at least for the Promise of The Ice Queen, which is the bracelet.”-I said while looking at how the gauntlets changed the size to adapt to Hajin’s arms. Even in the one where he wore the bracelet. “It’s nice to know that those gauntlets can perfectly adapt their size.”

“… Can I at least keep the gauntlets?”-He asks while looking at his now protected hands and forearms.

“I’ll think about it. Though, not for free.”-I said to him while taking out the Tear of the Ice Wing Queen and putting it. The funny thing about this item is that it also attached itself to my ear. I didn’t have any open hole in my ear, so I was thinking about how to use it. But it just attached itself, which is good.

“What is that?”-Hajin asks while pointing at my ear.

“This?”-I said pointing at my ear. “It’s a way to protect you in case something goes wrong.”

“What? How?”

“It allows me to use two ice shields on someone else. That is you. I don’t know the power of the shields. But they will surely be strong enough here.”-I said to him. “Now. Let’s go.”- I guide Hajin towards the entrance.

***

Once we were inside the hole, we got into an underground cave filled with roots and webs all around.

“Oh… So, an insect one?”-Hajin asks while walking.

“Exactly. Easy to burn, weak to ice and low temperatures. Perfect for both of us right now.”

“Great. So… What are those changes you talked about?”-Hajin asks.

“You can access your gift reading and observation without actually using your laptop, right?”-I ask him.

“Yes, why?”-He asks back.

“Just keep walking.”-I said while activating my authority. “You’ll soon see what I meant.”

We keep walking, until suddenly, what was once an underground tunnel expanded into a small cave that dug a meter down the tunnel.

“Let’s go down. It’s starting.”-I said while jumping down, Hajin right behind me.

“Well, where is this place?”-He asks after getting down.

“It seems like a nest… but what type of nest, I don’t know.”-I answered while looking around until I found something. “Look there.”-I point towards a certain direction.

“Oh… *sigh…* Right… Why didn’t I expect this…”-He said.

What was there, was a big spider, not a giant one, but still a big one, it probably reached my waist in height, and with really long and wide legs.

“Oh well, it’s just one. It’s not that bad. Let’s kill it. It probably is some kind of switch monster.”-I said to Hajin while taking out my sword. “Want to do it?”

“Sure.”-Hajin said while pointing towards the spider, that quickly stood up on its legs and rushed toward us.

*bang, bang, bang*

Hajin shot, and the three bullets reached the monster, that received the hits even while trying to evade.

What was amazing, was that from the holes ice started to slowly form. Even the Desert Eagle’s muzzle was letting a little bit of cold air.

“Nice. It does work.”-I said while looking at it. “By the way. That monster was really weak…”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Yeah, it was, and I shot through its vitals. Also… You didn’t expect it to work?”

“I was just a little bit curious, to see how well it could work. Next time try to use the ice bolts.”-I said while going towards the now dead spider.

“Sure. I also want to test it. But, how do I do that?”-He asks while following me.

“Just think about using it and you probably will.”

“Probably? Didn’t you test it?”

“Nah, I didn’t. Just try it. In either case, you’re already using its passive function.”-I said while changing places. “Now… We finally start this dungeon.”-I said, while we suddenly went into a dark forest covered in webs.

“Wow… It was a stage dungeon…”-Hajin said while following me. “I hope it’s not too long… Wait…”-He suddenly stopped.

“Oh, you already saw it huh?”

[You’ve entered the Dungeon Spider’s Nest]

[Mana concentration goes up.]

[Monsters power up.]

[Boss monster powers up.]

[Boss monster evolves.]

“So you were saying the truth…”-He asks with an open mouth.

“Why would I lie to you? Also. This is nothing to what I’ve experienced. Though I think it depends on the level of the dungeon, the type of monsters, and if the boss monsters are able or not to make a pact with a Devil.”-I said to him, while looking around the place. “Still… The name… Well, guess we’ll kill spiders for a while.”

“*sigh…* Spiders…”

“Are you afraid?”

“Well… More disgusted than afraid…”

“Whatever. We’ll kill them and that’s it. They’re just weak spiders, so don’t worry too much. Still, don’t let them bit you. We don’t know how strong is their poison.”-I advise him. “Prepare.”

“Yeah… I’m seeing them already…”-Hajin said while taking out his gun. “I’ll give a few shots to those far away. Shall I leave you the ones closest to us?”

“Of course.”-I said, while my sword started burning in fire. “I’ll burn this place to ashes if that’s needed.”

*bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang*

“You’ll need to teach me that.”- He said after shooting seven bullets toward seven spiders. Hitting them in their vitals and ending them. “It sure is cool to have a fire sword.”

*wheeezeeee*

“Sadly, my friend. It’s something you need a lot of training to grasp, even more, if you don’t know how to wield magic.”-I said while sending a fire wave towards a group of spiders coming towards us from between the trees. “It’s not just wishing for it to happen. What do you think this is? Harry Potter?”

*pang, pang, pang, pang, pang, pang, pang*

“Touché…”-He said after unleashing another rapid-fire. “I’m sure it won’t be that easy… Oh, man… If I knew this would happen, I would write something about will making the magic…”-He said while moving his left arm as if throwing something.

*swish*

An ice bolt shot from his hand towards the belly of one spider who was about to launch some webs at us, penetrating it and freezing its belly.

“By the way, it does work as you told me. But I have to make the throwing movement for it to actually shot the ice bolt.”-He said while recharging his weapon.

“Perfect. Also, that should be because Ice Wings actually shot them from their wings, so instead of bolts, they should be called more like ice feathers.”-I said while slashing a few spiders that jumped at us.

The forest was completely infested by spiders, I counted at least a hundred of them. Still, they were weak, so it took either a shot to a vital point with Kim Hajin’s gun or an ice bolt or a fatal cut with my flaming sword.

“Whew… That should be the last one…”-Said Hajin. While putting his gun in the holster.

“Yeah… Should be, also, how do you feel with those ice bolts? Did you get better with them now? You had a lot of practice.”-I said while looking around towards all the spiders pierced by one of those.

“Yeah, I think I’ll go with this for the moments. Don’t want to waste that many bullets.”-He said while also looking around. “It’s indeed a fitting combination with my gift.”

“I know. Well, let’s go, we still have a few stages to go. This is only beginning.”-I said while going through the only path visible.

“You sure is over there?”-He asks while following me.

“Of course, this screams ‘path’ everywhere. Look, the spider webs are making some kind of way here.”-I said while walking between spiderwebs.

“Mmm… If you say so…”-He just shrugged.

After walking for a little while, the scenery around us changed again. This time, into a canyon. With both of us inside of it.

“See? Told you.”-I said to him while looking around. “Do you see something?”

“Yeah, yeah, and I do. A lot of caves going forwards. Though… A little too big.”

“Well, I don’t like how that sounds... Giant Spiders were never my thing.”-I said while walking forwards while putting my sword back inside the scabbard.

“Why are you sheathing your sword?”-Hajin asks me.

“Well, for what I see, these ones will be bigger, and probably there will be more of them here.”

“What does that have to do with you sheathing your sword?”

“I’ll attack with fire at range. That way we’ll go faster, not just waiting for them to come.”-I said to him. “And speaking about it. Here they come.”-I said while pointing towards one of the caves closer to us.

From it, two giants spiders went out one after the other, they were grey, big, with red eyes, just like any monster from this world. Instead of a tarantula, it looked like it didn’t have any kind of hair around its body.

“See… Spiders are not my thing.”-I said while shooting a few fire bullets toward them, piercing them from head to stomach. “Start attacking now.”-I said while throwing fire bullets towards more spiders.

“On it.”-He said while attacking with the Ice Bolts towards the appearing spiders.

From all the walls of the canyon, new giant spiders were coming out. One by one, in pairs, in groups. There were a lot of them, and they didn’t stop coming. It was to the point that Hajin had to take out his gun just to keep up with the number.

“This isn’t about ending them.”-He said while shooting and throwing Ice Bolts. “There must be something else to do. Some kind of trick around this place, not only killing them.”

“Are you sure?”-I ask him. “If that’s the case, let’s move while we attack so we’ll find that trick you’re talking about.”-I said while advancing and throwing bullets everywhere with Hajin following me right behind.

We both were looking everywhere, trying to find the thing that would take us towards the next stage, killing every spider that got in our way. After a few minutes of going further inside the canyon and killing more and more giant spiders, we finally got to see what we were missing.

“Incredible that you didn’t see that thing from afar… Thousand-mile eyes…”-I said to Hajin while shooting bullets all around me.

“Oh, come on! I was more worried about the insane number of spiders coming towards us from the holes in the walls of this place.”-He retorted back while shotting ice bolts towards the spiders and a few bullets when necessary, trying to save them as much as possible. “We at least found the thing and didn’t stop to try and kill as many spiders as we could.”

What we both were referring to was an enormous spider, even bigger than the ones that we were fighting against before. It was of a yellowish-brown color, the same one that painted the walls, so it was kind of hard to see from afar unless you focused yourself on it.

Once it noticed we found it, it started to go down towards the base of the canyon where we were.

“Well, let’s kill that thing.”-I said while condensing a fireball again and again until it resembled a small sun between my hands. “There you go.”-I threw the small sun towards the descending enormous spider.

Once it made contact, the small sun expanded in an outburst of fire that raged and spun over the spider, turning it into a pile of ashes.

After it died, the rest of the spiders all cried and turned on its stomach, dead. As if they all were connected to that one.

“*Whistle~* Would you look at that? That was easy.”-I said while dusting off my hands. “Well, shall we go? It seems that it wasn’t the boss.”-I kept walking towards the end of the path, where the spider died. Hajin following me. Once we got there, touching the wall was enough to notice the entrance to the next stage. It felt more like water than rock.

“Here it is… Let’s go.”-I said while passing through the wall.

“Jeez… I don’t like this…”-Hajin said while passing behind me.

Once we went through the wall, what waited for us was a similar cave that the one where we killed the switch spider, but bigger. And in the center of it all. The biggest spider we have seen yet in this dungeon.

“Well, look at that, that sure looks like a boss.”-I said while looking at the enormous thing that stood up. It was easily as tall as an elephant. With really, really, long legs. It was like a freakish elephant-sized tarantula, with red eyes and long legs. “Would you like to kill it?”-I ask Hajin.

“… No… I’ll leave it to you…”-He says. “That thing is disgusting.”

Meanwhile, the not so little arachnid stood up from the center of the nest and locked on us with its eight red eyes.

“Oh, come on… You’ll fight worse things. At least shoot it a few bullets or ice bolts.”-I said to him.

“*sigh…* Fine, let’s go.”- He said while jumping down towards the nest. Taking out his gun.

*bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang*

He quickly unloaded the cartridge of his desert eagle on the giant thing, while following with two ice bolts that he quickly learned how to shoot faster.

The tarantula screeched and squirmed from the pain, but that made it easier for Hajin to keep shooting at it with both his gun and the ice bolts.

In addition, it didn’t have too much to do against the ice attribute seeping inside it from both the ice bolts and the bullets.

“That bracelet it’s indeed a nice item…”-I said while looking at the suffering spider that was slowly freezing with each projectile he was pierced by.

After a quick activation of Hajin’s bullet time, one of the abilities of his Master Sharpshooter’s gift, the tarantula became a somewhat bluish beehive.

“See? That wasn’t that hard. It barely did anything. I told you this was a really easy dungeon for us.”-I told him.

“Yeah… you’re right… *sigh…*”-He sighed before putting his gun in his holster. “I didn’t even test the gauntlets’ defense…”

“That’s better, you know? It means nothing went wrong.”

Just as I finished saying that, the entire dungeon crackled, it broke like glass and we were once again at the starting point of the dungeon, the original nest. And right in the center of it, a small chest.

“Well… Easy dungeon, shitty reward… Go on… It’s yours.”-I said to Hajin. After all, whatever I take from here, would be useless, the dungeon was incredibly easy.

Hajin went towards the small chest and opened it.

“*sigh…* Dude… I don’t know what to say about this item…”-He merely said, sounding between a mix of sadness and enjoyment…