The freight route stretched ahead. Kaelen slowed his bike, scanning the area. Seventeen kilometers from the barrier. He'd gone deeper into the Scourged Zone than during his first and second club mission combined.
Suddenly, the memory of the mauler surfaced without warning.
He shook his head, pushing the memory down. That was then. This was now.
The route itself was wide enough for three freight vehicles to pass comfortably, its surface packed dirt that showed signs of regular maintenance. But the surrounding area told a different story.
Trees rose on both sides, massive things that towered twenty-seven meters high with trunks five meters across. Their bark pulsed with bioluminescence, painting the forest floor in shifting patterns of blue and purple light. The canopy above was so dense it created a twilight beneath, making it impossible to see more than thirty meters in any direction.
Silver threads stretched between tree trunks, some thick as rope, others fine as hair. They caught the bioluminescent glow and reflected it back in patterns that made Kaelen's eyes hurt if he looked too long. The webs formed layers, creating a three-dimensional maze that extended from ground level up into the canopy.
Kaelen parked his bike off the route, wedging it between two trees where it would be hidden from casual view. He activated the security lock, the anti-theft system humming to life.
Kaelen moved into the forest, his footsteps were silent on the moss-covered ground. The freight route disappeared behind him within seconds, swallowed by the dense vegetation.
The first thing he found was cargo.
A torn container lay half-buried in moss, its metal sides ripped open from the inside out. The contents had been scattered, packages of preserved food and synthetic materials strewn across a ten-meter radius. Some showed bite marks. Others had been covered in webbing and left to rot.
Kaelen knelt beside the container, running his fingers along the torn metal. The edges were clean, not jagged. Whatever had opened this hadn't bashed through with brute force, but had cut precisely.
He stood and continued deeper, tracking the pattern of destruction.
More cargo appeared. A burned freight vehicle, its frame blackened and twisted. Scorched webbing clung to the wreckage, suggesting the drivers had tried to burn their way free before being overwhelmed.
Kaelen's hand moved unconsciously to his pendant. The warmth of the gear-shaped charm brought peace to him.
Kaelen dropped into a crouch automatically, his body responding before his mind fully processed threat as he sensed movement. But the figures that emerged from the trees weren't beasts.
Four adventurers moved through the forest in loose formation. Three men and one woman, all wearing the violet badges that marked D-rank status. Their equipment was quality, well-maintained weapons and armor that showed signs of regular use. One carried a spear, another a sword, the third wielded twin daggers. The woman had a bow.
They saw Kaelen at the same moment he saw them.
For a heartbeat, nobody moved. The tension in the air was palpable, four experienced hunters assessing the lone first-timer with an F-rank badge.
Then the spear-wielder nodded once, a gesture of acknowledgment between professionals sharing a hunting ground, and the group moved on. They gave Kaelen a wide berth, heading in a different direction through the trees.
Kaelen watched them disappear into the bioluminescent gloom. The mission wasn't exclusive. Multiple parties could work the same area, claiming kills independently. That was standard for suppression work.
He resumed his search, moving through sectors of forest. The webbing grew thicker as he progressed, until he was navigating through curtains of silver thread that forced him to duck and weave.
Thirty minutes passed. The forest remained eerily quiet, just the soft rustle of leaves and the distant sounds of other adventurers working the area.
Kaelen was starting to consider moving to a different section when he sensed something.
He threw himself forward on pure instinct, hitting the ground and rolling. Something massive crashed into the space where he'd been standing, eight legs hitting the moss with enough force to crater the soft earth.
The Lesser Wire Weaver reared up, its mandibles clicking with agitation. Behind it, three more emerged from the canopy, their bodies hanging from silk threads as they descended with disturbing coordination.
The first Weaver charged immediately, its eight legs eating up the distance with frightening speed. Kaelen had seen these creatures move during Lira's assessment fight, but experiencing it firsthand was different. The beast was fast, faster than anything its size had a right to be.
Three simultaneous shots of webbing came from the descending Weavers, their spinnerets firing in perfect synchronization. The silver threads streaked toward Kaelen from three different angles, aimed to bind his legs and arms.
Kaelen's enhanced agility kicked in. He moved left, the first web missing by inches. Twisted right, the second web passing so close he felt its sticky residue brush his sleeve. Dropped low, the third web sailing over his head.
All three motions flowed together in less than a second.
The charging Weaver was on him before he could fully recover his stance. Its mandibles opened wide, aiming to clamp down on his torso.
Kaelen didn't retreat. He stepped into the attack instead, coating his right fist with aether as he moved.
[–8 A.E.]
His timing was perfect. He shifted left at the last possible moment, letting the Weaver's lunge carry it past him. Then he drove his aether-coated fist into one of the beast's front leg joints with every ounce of strength he had.
CRACK
The joint shattered under the impact. The leg folded at an unnatural angle, and the Weaver's forward momentum became a tumbling crash. It shrieked a sound high-pitched and pain-filled, as it skidded across the forest floor in a shower of dirt and torn moss.
But the other three weren't going to give him time to finish the injured one.
Two more web shots came, and this time they were learning. The aim was tighter, compensating for his earlier dodges. The threads came low, targeting his ankles.
Kaelen jumped, clearing the first web completely. The second passed beneath his feet by a fraction. He landed in a crouch, already tracking the third Weaver.
This one didn't shoot webbing. It charged straight at him, copying the first's tactic but with better timing. It wanted to catch him while he was recovering from the jump, before his feet were fully planted.
Kaelen didn't have time to dodge properly. So he went up instead of sideways.
He jumped again, higher this time, aether flowing into his legs to amplify the leap. The charging Weaver passed beneath him, its mandibles snapping on empty air. Kaelen came down on its back, both fists raised and glowing with condensed energy.
He struck with everything he had.
BOOM
The impact was devastating. The Weaver's body crumpled under the double blow, its legs collapsing inward as the force transferred through its entire frame. Kaelen didn't stop. He raised his fists again and brought them down on the beast's head.
CRACK
The skull caved in. Dark fluid sprayed across the moss. The Weaver's legs twitched once, then went still.
[+200 XP]
The other two Weavers on the trees finally descended fully, their eight legs finding purchase on the ground. The injured one with the broken leg was struggling to stand.
Kaelen reached into his Oblivion Pouch, his intent pulling the Cinder Serpent Chain into reality.
[–10 A.E.]
The golden chain materialized in his hand, three meters of interwoven links that hummed with contained power. He activated Blazing Constriction immediately, targeting the nearest Weaver.
[–130 A.E.]
The chain came alive. It shot forward like a striking serpent, wrapping around the Weaver's body with impossible speed. The beast shrieked as the links tightened, and then the fire effect activated. Orange flames erupted along the chain's length, not hot enough to burn through chitin immediately but hot enough to cause serious pain.
Kaelen felt the drain hit him instantly. One hundred thirty aether per second to maintain the skill. He needed to move fast.
He activated Flash Step, crossing the distance to the injured Weaver in a blur.
[–19 A.E.]
His target was still trying to rise on its remaining seven legs. Kaelen formed an Aether Burst in his palm, the energy condensing rapidly.
[–29 A.E.]
He drove it into the Weaver's face at point-blank range and released.
BOOM
The explosion was devastating. The Weaver's head snapped back, mandibles shattering from the force. It tried to scream but only managed a gurgling sound as its body convulsed.
Kaelen followed up with an aether-coated fist, the enhanced strike punching straight through the weakened skull. The beast died instantly.
[+200 XP]
Three seconds had passed since he activated Blazing Constriction. That was all his reserves could handle. He released the skill, and the chain went inert.
The bound Weaver broke free immediately, its body smoking faintly from the heat damage. It scrambled backward, mandibles clicking in what might have been fear or rage.
The fourth Weaver, the one that hadn't been bound, charged at Kaelen while his attention was split.
Kaelen didn't have enough aether left for proper skills. He had to rely on technique and his improved physical stats.
He condensed what aether he could spare into a crude spear shape, mimicking the construct arrows Lira had formed during her assessment.
[–35 A.E.]
[A.E.: 76/555]
The result was unstable but manageable. He threw it as the charging Weaver closed the distance.
The spear hit one of the beast's leg joints, not penetrating deeply but causing enough damage to throw off its movement. The Weaver charge became a tumbling slide.
Kaelen was already moving. He grabbed one of the dead Weaver's legs, the limb was still warm and slick with fluids. He ripped it free with both hands. The chitin was surprisingly light despite its size.
The stumbling Weaver recovered faster than he expected, already turning toward him with its mandibles open wide.
Kaelen swung the severed leg like a club. The pointed tip caught the Weaver in its face, driving deep between the eyes. The beast shrieked and thrashed, but Kaelen held on, using his full body weight to drive the makeshift weapon deeper.
They went down together, rolling across the moss. Kaelen ended up on top, still gripping the leg. He yanked it free and struck again. And again. Each blow drove the pointed end deeper until the Weaver's movements became spasmodic, then stopped entirely.
[+200 XP]
One left. The freed Weaver from Blazing Constriction.
It had recovered from the burns and was attempting to flee, scrambling toward the nearest tree.
Kaelen didn't let it escape. He took aim with the severed leg, and threw.
The limb flew straight, catching the fleeing Weaver in its rear segment. The impact wasn't immediately fatal, but it was enough to knock the creature off balance. It crashed to the ground.
Kaelen closed the distance in seconds. He stomped down on the Weaver's head with all his strength, the sole of his boot crushing through chitin like it was paper.
[+200 XP]
[Base Level Up!]
[Base Level: 13] (110/4400 XP)
[System Level: 12] (910/3300 XP)
Silence fell over. Four dead Wire Weavers lay scattered across the moss, their bodies already beginning to leak the fluids that would feed the forest's ecosystem.
Kaelen stood in the center, breathing hard, his aether reserve was critically low.
[A.E.: 66/555]
[HP: 435/435]
His stats had reverted to its actual number after the fight. Thanks to the achievement Arthropod Slayer I, he gained extra stats in defense, strength, and agility while fighting arthropod types.
Kaelen spent the next few minutes harvesting. He retrieved his blade from the Oblivion Pouch and carefully extracted the F-rank crystals from each corpse. The small stones glowed faint blue.
[–10 A.E.]
He also collected some usable materials. The mandibles were valuable, the webbing glands could be processed, and certain sections of chitin made decent armor components. Everything went into his dimensional storage.
The rest he left for the forest to reclaim. The Scourged Zone recycled everything eventually.
Kaelen found a relatively clean tree to lean against and settled in to wait. His Aether Regeneration was working, but recovery took time. Out of combat, he regenerated at twelve aether per minute thanks to Energy Resonance's enhancement.
Forty-six minutes passed before he felt comfortable continuing. The forest around him remained quiet.
[A.E.: 555/555]
Time to keep searching.
Kaelen moved deeper into the forest. He'd killed four extra Lesser Wire Weavers. Not bad progress, but something was bothering him.
These were Lesser Wire Weavers. Spider-classification beasts. He'd been operating under the assumption that they lived in caves or underground networks, that something had driven them to the surface where they were attacking freight convoys.
But that didn't make sense anymore.
All four beasts had attacked from the trees. They'd been comfortable in the canopy, using the dense branches and webbing as natural ambush positions. This wasn't weird behavior. This was their natural habitat.
Wire Weavers could live in forests as easily as caves. The webbing between trees created the same kind of three-dimensional hunting grounds they'd use underground. And this forest, with its massive trees and perpetual twilight, was perfect for them.
So the mission wasn't about driven beasts acting strangely. It was about a population that had grown too large and aggressive, spilling over into areas where they threatened commerce.
Kaelen encountered more adventurers as he moved. A pair of E-ranks working together, their badges showing amber. They gave him suspicious looks but didn't interfere. A solo D-rank hunter passed by without acknowledgment, focused entirely on tracking something Kaelen couldn't see.
The hunting ground was busy. Everyone claiming their share of the suppression work.
Two more Lesser Wire Weavers appeared from the undergrowth, their approach less coordinated than the previous group. Kaelen killed them both. The first died to a Spatial Lance through its head. The second tried to flee but was caught by an Aether Burst that threw it into a tree trunk with enough force to shatter its body.
[+200 XP]
[+200 XP]
He harvested their crystals and continued.
Four hours had passed since he'd arrived at the mission zone. The sun was past its peak, afternoon was sliding toward evening. Kaelen was considering heading back when he heard it.
Screaming.
Human screaming. High-pitched and desperate.
Kaelen ran toward the sound without thinking, his body moving before conscious decision caught up. His hand reached into the Oblivion Pouch as he ran, pulling out the Gravepulse Mandate gauntlets and Guardian Band.
[–10 A.E.]
[–10 A.E.]
[–10 A.E.]
He slid them on without breaking stride. The metal conformed to his hands instantly, the smooth obsidian cores beginning their steady thump in sync with his heartbeat. The stat boost hit immediately.
[Strength: 50 –> 57]
[Stamina: 45 –> 50]
[Vitality: 77 –> 81]
[Defense: 60 –> 65]
[HP: 435/435 –> 455/455]
The webbing concentration increased dramatically as he ran. What had been scattered threads became dense walls of silk that forced him to duck and weave. He was getting close to something. A nest, maybe. Or a feeding ground.
A Lesser Wire Weaver leaped from the canopy directly into his path, mandibles spread wide.
Kaelen didn't dodge. He met the beast's momentum with both gauntleted fists, the enhanced strength and Pulse Transfer combining into devastating force.
BOOM
The impact was like a thunderclap. The Weaver's entire body crumpled around his fists, its momentum reversed so violently that it tumbled backward through the air. It hit the ground and skidded across the moss for five meters before going still.
[+200 XP]
[Base Level: 13] (710/4400 XP)
[System Level: 12] (1510/3600 XP)
The screaming was louder now, just ahead through one more wall of webbing.
Kaelen burst through and stopped, his breath paused.
Bodies.
Three of them lay motionless on the forest floor, covered in blood and webbing. Kaelen recognized them immediately. The E-rank group he'd passed earlier. The spear-wielder, the swordsman, and the dagger user.
The spear-wielder's head was missing completely. The swordsman's left arm had been torn off at the shoulder, the wound still weeping blood. The dagger user was face down, his back shredded by what looked like multiple mandible strikes.
A fourth body lay apart from the others. Different clothing, different equipment. Not from the E-rank group. Another victim from a different encounter.
A Lesser Wire Weaver crouched over that fourth body, its mandibles working as it chewed through the corpse's torso. The sound was wet and crunching. The sight was horrifyingly
Kaelen's eyes moved past the carnage to the survivors.
Three adventurers stood in a defensive cluster maybe twenty meters away. Two women and one man, all wearing equipment that marked them as organized and experienced. But they were surrounded.
Eleven Lesser Wire Weavers circled them, their mandibles clicking in what might have been anticipation. The beasts were taking their time.
One of the women caught Kaelen's attention immediately. Petite figure, purple hair, dark skin. She'd been in the original E-rank group he'd passed. The woman with the bow. The only survivor from that team.
Her face was pale, eyes wide with exhaustion and fear but still fighting. Her bow was drawn, an arrow nocked, tracking the nearest Weaver. The other two with her showed similar signs of fatigue. They'd been fighting for a while.
Eleven beasts, his eyes could count.
Kaelen's mind raced through options. F-rank Wire Weaver wouldn't normally be overwhelming for someone at his level, especially with his gauntlets equipped. But the numbers created problems. Even with his improved stats, fighting that many simultaneously meant the risk of being overwhelmed through numbers.
He pulled up his interface, making a decision.
[Stat Points: 61]
Twenty points to Strength. Fifteen to Stamina. Four to Defense. Seven to Agility. Fifteen to Intelligence.
[Strength: 57 –> 77]
[Stamina: 50 –> 65]
[Defense: 65 –> 69]
[Agility: 70 –> 77]
[Intelligence: 85 –> 100]
He activated Arthropod Slayer I.
[Defense: 69 –> 72]
[Strength: 77 –> 80]
[Agility: 77 –> 80]
The changes rippled through his body instantly. His muscles tightened, bones reinforced, aether channels expanded. The sensation was intense but manageable, like his body was being rewritten from the inside out.
[HP: 455/455]
[A.E.: 630/630]
[Stat Points: 0]
He'd come here for a simple suppression mission. But standing here, looking at the bodies and the terrified survivors, Kaelen realized something.
The mission had changed.
He coated his arms in aether as he prepared to engage.
[–8 A.E.]
The closest Weaver noticed him first. Its multiple eyes tracked his arrival, mandibles clicking rapidly as it assessed the new threat.
Then all turned to look at him.
And Kaelen looked back, his crimson eyes steady and his gauntlets humming with contained force.
"Come at me... Bastards."