Rael stood before a cave, gazing deep within as he readied himself for the unknown. Though he had an understanding of the threat — about four ranked ones and many, if not countless, Aether spiders — a very troublesome hurdle, he had probed countless times and was sure he'd survive. Barely, of course.
Gripping the blade tightly, he stepped into the dark cave as the inside was way wider than it seemed. Rael breathed in the damp air, heightening his warrior instincts before heading deeper, using the blade to cut down cobwebs in his path and making sure to step on and squash tiny spiders along the way, until he finally reached a dark cavern so wide Rael was certain a football field could fit in it. Yet it was quiet and seemed empty save for the countless huge webs crisscrossing from the holes across the ground to the rugged ceilings.
"Hmm… how better to go about this quick?" Rael squinted his eyes as his reckless nature kicked in again.
"Hm… could give that a try. Not like there's another way aside from being swarmed." He rummaged through the magic pouch strapped to his waist, bringing out three Aether recovery potions. Staring at the low blue glowing bottles, he uncorked them, then stared once more at the cavern.
He sent a little Aether up his throat before yelling out, "The exterminator is here to clear you pests! Accept your fate willingly or die trying! Well… accepting still means you'll die." Closing his mouth and feeling slightly embarrassed he'd said that, he couldn't help but feel happy no other person was here. How would they have viewed him?
Silence.
Gazing deep into the silent cavern, Rael's ears picked up sounds. He quickly drank the three potions empty, but made sure not to swallow the liquid as it burned his cheek — just an itch to him. He readied his blade as he fully shifted into battle mode — a state he named when he fully let his warrior senses take over.
He leapt down into the cavern as tiny red spots started pouring out from the holes all around the ceiling. Looking closely at these red spots, they were spiders the size of a person's head, with red skin and scale-like black spots. Their name was just as obvious
Red Skin Spiders.
An even bigger reason Rael had given in to his reckless nature, because they weren't poisonous — just carried a very painful and hot bite. Well, except for mutated ones.
Rael narrowed his eyes at what could only be described as a swarm as they rushed toward this fresh meat that had delivered itself into their abode. Rael shared their thought as he charged into their midst, swinging his blade rapidly as he tore through them, causing the beginning of a massacre.
Though they were unranked Aether spiders, they were in the hundreds — a clear suicide for any other Aether user. But Rael was already lost in the slaughter, making sure to use as little Aether as possible. After all, the ranked ones hadn't even shown themselves.
Whipping his blade in a sweeping arc, he sliced through five head-sized Red Skins with ease, also making sure to stomp on those that got lucky enough to get too close. Of course, Rael — though not known to him — was moving at inhuman speed, a trait that was starting to fester anytime he was in battle as his stats went up a percent. But he didn't know, as he never had the chance to check his stats while fighting. What he did notice was his mind always drifting into a focused state while in battle. He'd already considered it an attribute of his manuscript; all manuscripts had theirs to begin with.
Rael leapt backward before sending an arc of red light that split countless Red Skins into pieces.
Rael was getting frustrated. It had been minutes now, yet no ranked Red Skins. Looking at his reserves, he was down to 7.6%.
Growling, he used his left fist to smash through the exoskeleton of a Red Skin that leapt toward him.
Then, all of a sudden, loud screeches came from a large web-filled hole.
Rael smirked — before frowning just as fast. Those auras he felt from the screech… one felt weak, too weak; the other strong, too damn strong.
Gazing into the hole… what the hell was going on in there? As if to answer his question, a Red Skin the size of a bull rushed out — but not like a predator coming for him. It felt as if it was running. And he wasn't wrong, as just before the Red Skin could crawl fully out of the hole, a larger and longer appendage stabbed right through its head, pinning it to the ground as it writhed in pain. An even bigger Red Skin with two glowing hot red fangs and an even uglier face that showed hints of intelligence appeared.
'Bad luck strikes again… I attack a nest just as there's a mutated one. Wonderful,' Rael thought grimly. Not just that — the increasing aura he felt from this Red Skin was growing, which meant it was ascending to the next rank.
Oh, he wasn't going to let that happen.
He brandished the blade, swinging it in a cross arc as two red beams of light shot out, clearing dozens of Red Skins in his path as he bolted toward the mutated Red Skin, finally catching its attention as its green eight eyes stared at him.
It screeched, commanding the swarm of Red Skins and sending them into a frenzy as they rushed toward Rael.
It started gnawing at the still-alive ranked Red Skin.
Seeing how he was disregarded and the ever-growing swarm, Rael leapt high, gulping down a small amount of the liquid in his mouth before whipping his blade in a heavy arc, pouring almost all his Aether reserve into it — a trick he'd learned, of course, at the cost of losing the blade quickly. But he didn't care.
A nine-foot arc swept toward the mutated Red Skin, sweeping through the entire swarm, finally jolting the mutated Red Skin from its cannibalism as it sharpened its eyes and fangs, causing them to glow hot red, ready for the incoming attack.