Current quest updated.
[Emerald Secret Key] completed.
New quest: [Exterminate the Poison
Spiders].
Objective: Locate and investigate the poison spiders' nest
As the two formally set out after parting with the commander, the quest log updated. No precise coordinates were given, meaning the location of the nest had to be found jointly by the player and the NPC.
This was actually somewhat innovative. In most online games, when players act together with NPCs, the NPCs usually guide them directly to the objective location—puzzle-style quests aside.
"Did you bring antidote potions? If not, I can give you some," Kizmel asked considerately.
"I brought them," Lillian replied, nodding.
The two left the camp, exited the mist, and headed south into the forest.
There were only two possible directions. The north was where Lillian had come from, and the monsters along that route were all tree spirits—no sign of poison spiders. If they were going to search, the southern forest was the more likely option.
In truth, Lillian was simply progressing too quickly. Ordinary players could easily wait for Argo's guidebook for the third floor to be updated and then follow the strategies listed there. Her guides were extremely thorough, detailing monster locations, material drops, and warnings about dangerous areas.
Compiling that information wasn't something that could be done through beta-test memories alone—it required extensive on-site investigation to account for possible changes. Naturally, that process carried real risks. It was precisely because of this that Argo had become the most famous information broker. What she gave was matched by what she sacrificed.
Lillian, however, couldn't be that selfless. Spending massive amounts of time gathering intel only to share it freely didn't appeal to him—especially when very few people would truly be grateful. More importantly, most of those people wouldn't even contribute meaningfully to clearing the game.
Out of the ten thousand players, four to five thousand were still hiding in the Starting Town, doing nothing. Among the remaining few thousand, only about a thousand had reached level ten or higher. Those thousand were the real driving force behind progress—and yet, they currently harbored considerable hostility toward Lillian.
Naturally, that left a bad taste in his mouth.
He had once thought that clearing the game required cooperation with assault groups. But after soloing the second floor's boss, he realized that wasn't necessarily true.
He didn't need them.
He could keep pushing upward, floor by floor, on his own. It might be harder—but it was possible. And as long as it was possible, that was enough.
Lillian had always been someone who disliked cooperation. Ever since childhood, he preferred solitary activities—reading, single-player games, anything he could do alone. Team sports and online multiplayer games never suited him. His competitive streak was too strong: if he lost because of himself, he blamed himself; if he lost because of teammates, even if he said nothing, he still felt uncomfortable.
Only when playing with childhood friends did he feel no resentment—but everyone eventually has their own life. Over time, he became someone accustomed to walking alone.
Once such a personality formed, it was difficult to change. Even now, he preferred acting solo. As for others, mutual non-interference was all he wanted.
Rustle, rustle…
After seven or eight minutes of travel, an eerie crawling sound suddenly reached them. Kizmel immediately drew her curved blade and fixed her gaze on a creature perched on the branch of a massive tree ahead—its eyes a disturbing mix of red and green.
"It's here!"
"Yeah."
The poison spider moved with astonishing speed, leaping and scuttling through the shadows of the trees. In the blink of an eye, it reached a tree beside them, then launched itself forward. Several thick, dark-green appendages spread wide as they lunged toward the pair.
Kizmel moved first. Her curved blade traced a purple crescent through the air, and the moment the sword skill connected, two of the spider's limbs were severed. It emitted a strange screech, opening its mouth and spitting out a clump of sticky, mucus-coated threads.
Snap!
The threads never reached Kizmel. The broad blade of a greatsword blocked them head-on, stopping the webbing and slime in midair. Lillian twisted his grip, straightened the blade, and brought it crashing down toward the spider's body.
Rip—!
The greatsword cleaved straight through from top to bottom. The sheer attack power sent the spider's HP plummeting past the red line instantly. At that moment, Kizmel flicked her wrist—her curved blade flew from her hand, striking the spider squarely on the head and delivering the final blow.
Bang!
The spider shattered and vanished. Lillian glanced at the system log and saw that he had gained experience. He'd assumed that if an NPC landed the first hit, the player wouldn't receive any EXP—but clearly that wasn't the case.
It seemed the system treated them as being in a "party." Kizmel, as an NPC, likely didn't receive EXP, but Lillian did.
"Let's keep moving," Kizmel said, twirling her blade. "If we follow the direction the spiders came from, we should find their nest. There'll probably be a lot of them."
"Then we'll just wipe them all out."
"Hah… such a very human way of speaking."
"…"
They continued forward, fighting as they went. After about fifteen minutes, they emerged from the forest and arrived before a low hill.
At the base of the hill was a pitch-black cave entrance. Several small spiders crawled in and out of it—clearly their nest. That dark hole was where they needed to go.
Just thinking about it made one's skin crawl.
Lillian thought that if he hadn't already been mentally and physically tempered in the world of AOT, he might have abandoned the quest entirely. He had an instinctive fear of insects.
Back on Earth, when he was a child, he'd once been walking in a city when a cockroach flew straight into his face. That single incident had traumatized him so badly that he developed a lasting psychological shadow toward the entire city.
Cockroaches aside, insects of all kinds disgusted him. Spiders were no exception—if anything, they were even worse. Even knowing this was just a game, entering a spider-infested cave still made him deeply uncomfortable.
Kizmel seemed to notice his unease. A faint smile touched her lips as she looked at him.
"What is it? Are you scared?"
"…Not scared. Just grossed out."
The two feelings were different. No one was afraid of their own bodily waste, but claiming it wasn't disgusting would be a lie.
"You must be a child who grew up in the city," Kizmel teased. "We've dealt with all kinds of forest creatures since we were little."
"In that case, I'll leave the front to you," Lillian said bluntly.
"Alright, alright."
She laughed in a way that made Lillian feel slightly embarrassed, then strode ahead without hesitation.
What's so smug about that… If you saw a Titan, you'd probably be terrified too…
Lillian followed behind, annoyed. As they approached, the finger-sized "small" spiders noticed them. Unlike the watermelon-sized spiders in the forest, they didn't attack—instead, they quickly retreated into the cave and vanished.
"Let's go in," Kizmel said.
Lillian tightened his collar, thinking that if a spider crawled into his clothes, he might as well kill himself on the spot—he'd just respawn anyway.
Kizmel entered first, with Lillian close behind. The moment they stepped inside, a wave of hot, damp air enveloped them, making his skin crawl. Thick white webs clung to the cave walls, and the uneven ground was dotted with puddles. Each step produced a wet squelch, only worsening his discomfort.
The labyrinth was so much better…
So much better.
He couldn't help but sigh. At least labyrinths were made of rooms and corridors that looked like glass or crystal. No matter how dangerous they were, they were spotlessly clean—no dust at all—and the walls were polished enough to be used as mirrors.
As for this place… if nothing else, it would be nice to have at least a little light.
Looking ahead, there was nothing but pitch-black darkness. He could barely make anything out. If a giant spider suddenly leapt out and plastered itself onto his face, he wouldn't even have time to react.
In a situation like this, the only thing that gave him any sense of security was Kizmel walking in front of him. As a Dark Elf with night vision, she could easily detect any approaching enemies. Lillian followed closely behind her, and his nerves finally relaxed a little.
---
Some time later, outside the cave, about six or seven players arrived. The moment they saw the entrance, their eyes lit up.
"This is it! The item our guild quest needs is in here!"
"Guild leader, are we going in?"
"Of course!" the man barked, his thick Kansai accent unmistakable. "We're already here—of course we're going in! The earlier we establish our guild, the more people we'll recruit!"
"Ohhh…"
"These spiders all have poison attacks. Everyone drink an anti-poison potion before going in."
As he spoke, the guild leader downed a bottle himself. His subordinates followed suit, and the group nervously entered the cave. Less than half a minute after they disappeared inside, three more people arrived at the same spot.
"Boss, are we using them as our targets?"
"Hehe, I can barely wait!"
The two spoke eagerly, rubbing their hands together as they looked toward the tall, thin young man standing between them.
If Lillian saw him right now, his face would surely darken, because this man looked almost exactly like him. A greatsword on his back, a similar straw hat—only his leather armor hadn't yet been upgraded to the reddish-brown color Lillian wore.
Even so, it was more than enough to fool most players. After all, very few had actually seen Lillian in person. They only knew of "the straw hat" and "the greatsword."
"Norush."
The young man spoke softly, his voice low and rhythmic. He slightly raised his head, a sinister smile curling beneath the brim of his hat.
"Let them come out happily with their loot. Then we'll put a nice little ending on that joy… and let them go find the person they should really be settling accounts with."