As Strax and Cristine walked back, the forest air seemed heavier, and the silence was almost oppressive. The trees around them intertwined their branches like a living web, and the atmosphere was growing even more hostile.
Cristine, with adrenaline still coursing through her veins, stayed alert, ready for any further surprises. Strax walked silently beside her, trying to pick up any slight movement to avoid problems up ahead.
[You have entered a Raid Area]
Strax read the message in a red box with golden borders, the message was simple enough...
'Damn... a Raid? Are we talking about one of those Mythic RPG dungeons? Great...' he thought as the notification popped up.
"Dear... what's a Raid?" Cristine asked, and Strax looked at her, 'I keep forgetting they can see some of these messages now...'
"It's a term used to describe an area infested with monsters..." Strax tried to explain as best as he could. "Looks like the Nest is just up ahead," he added.
"They're close. Let's go," he ordered, and Cristine nodded.
In just a few minutes of running, they finally reached a clearing and saw the familiar silhouettes of the others. Yennifer, Cristine's sister, was up ahead, talking with Rogue and Samira, while Monica, Veronica, and Beatrice scanned the surroundings, clearly tense.
Upon noticing Strax and Cristine approaching, Yennifer's face broke into a relieved smile, but concern quickly took over as she noticed their exhaustion.
"Looks like you two had a rather unfriendly reception," she said, raising an eyebrow. "We were attacked too... and those spiders were no easy fight."
Beatrice nodded, her expression grim. "Those spiders... they come out of nowhere, fast and coordinated. Monica saved Samira at the last second from one."
Samira tried to keep her composure and gave a half-smile. "It was nothing," she said, but her face betrayed her nerves. "Though I'll admit, these spiders are different. They move as if... synchronized."
"And not just that," Monica continued. "It's like they're studying us, as if they're all part of one entity."
"Giant spiders with a strategy? That's a first for me," Strax commented, running a hand over his chin in thought. "They're like a well-organized army."
Cristine looked at Strax. "Do you think the queen is controlling them all? The ones we faced were fierce but pretty weak, nothing compared to a united attack force. If all these spiders are somehow linked to the queen, we're dealing with a threat bigger than we expected."
Rogue, who had been standing off to the side, stepped closer. "Then let's end this now. We head into the cave, destroy the nest, and anything inside. The sooner we do it, the better. This place is giving me chills; my instincts are screaming for me to run," she muttered, rubbing her arm as if trying to shake off some deep-seated fear.
Samira nodded. "Sounds straightforward... but there's bound to be more surprises along the way. I've got a bad feeling too..."
"We'll just deal with it," Strax said, eyeing the location ahead. "That's it, right?" he asked, looking at a wall with a dark hole that appeared to be a cave entrance.
Strax scanned their surroundings, looking for an escape route. "Follow me; we'll carve our way through. We need to reach the center before the queen gets alerted."
He gathered energy into his hands, unleashing an intense flame that incinerated the nearest spiders, creating a temporary opening. Cristine and the others followed closely, rushing through the corridor covered in webs and spiders swarming in to close the gap behind them.
They pushed forward with difficulty as the spiders continued their relentless attacks from all sides. The constant clatter of legs grew louder and louder, almost like a monstrous roar. The sounds of battle, the smell of burning, and the oppressive darkness created an atmosphere thick with despair. But despite it all, the group pressed on, determined to reach the heart of the nest and destroy the source of the spiders' power.
Suddenly, Samira cried out, "More spiders! They're coming from everywhere!"
Spiders were swarming from all directions, moving in an endless wave as if they were part of a single, monstrous entity. They climbed up the walls, dropped from the ceiling, and covered the floor. There was no escape.
Strax raised his hands again, his flames burning brighter than ever. "This is our last push! We can't give up now!"
He unleashed a wave of fire around them, incinerating everything in its path. The smaller spiders were instantly vaporized, but the larger, older ones began to resist the flames. Now he could see the "giant" spiders Sylvia had mentioned.
The tension in the air thickened as he noticed spiders the size of cows. "Holy shit," he muttered, not alone in his shock.
"What the hell!" Samira shouted, swinging her flaming sword.
"We have no choice..." Strax murmured. He hadn't wanted to resort to this, but he was left with no other option.
[Underworld Fire Manipulation]
A wave of dark flames surrounded the group, a sea of black fire spreading in every direction, incinerating anything that touched it.
With this final effort, they managed to reach a massive central chamber. In the center, ensnared in dense webs, stood the Twelve-Legged Demon Spider, its cold, cruel eyes watching them with chilling intelligence. It was at least the size of a two-story building, and the cavern held multiple escape routes she could use to flee.
'Well, for a creature that size, it makes sense to have tunnels for escape...'
"KRRIIIIRIII!" She let out a piercing shriek, and the surrounding spiders responded instantly, redoubling their efforts to encircle the group. The queen moved, her twelve long, sharp legs touching the ground with an unsettling grace.
Cristine looked at Strax, her voice shaking. "I-isn't it too big?" He nodded, his gaze resolute. "We need to strike now."
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[Mythic Quest: Defeat the Final Raid Boss – Twelve-Legged Demon Spider]
[Reward: (Incalculable)]