Chapter 71 Island

The island was massive, with lush purple forests growing everywhere and waves crashing against its blue shores.

It also had a vast mountain range, which was visible from afar. The mountains' peaks were covered with thick layers of snow, and their slopes were covered in rock and scree.

"..."

I glanced at the landscape around me, feeling demoralized by the sheer size of the island. How should I find a Boss in this place?!

Slowly descending the tree I had climbed to get a better view, I saw a Dire Rabbit munching on some berries nearby.

The animal had razor-sharp teeth, which made me realize that it was likely not only a harmless herbivore.

I also noticed some blood stains on its black fur, which meant that it had recently fed, probably on another animal.

This island had a very weird food chain.

Whoosh...

I dropped down onto the Rabbit, thrusting my Katana into its head and killing it swiftly.

It was only a G Rank monster, so it wasn't too difficult to catch it off-guard.

"Food..."

I quickly grabbed the Rabbit's corpse and threw it into my Spatial Ring, knowing that I would need to gather food if I were to survive on this island.

My eyes narrowed as I looked at the blood tainting the ground. I was aware that predators had probably already detected the scent of the Dire Rabbit's blood and might be following it.

I had to escape from the vicinity!

Whoosh...

I darted through the greenery, dashing away from the area, where I killed the rabbit.

Howl...

I heard a wolf's howl in the distance and picked up my pace, moving deeper into the purple forest, and approaching one of the mountains.

Luckily, the slope of the mountain wasn't steep, making it easier for me to climb.

As I climbed toward the platform near the mountain's peak, I noticed various footprints etched into the ground.

I could even see some old stains of red liquid on the rocks, suggesting that this area wasn't safe.

Huff... Huff...

I breathed heavily, as I slowly ascended the mountain, even my Awakened body feeling the strain of the climb.

Howl... Roar...

Various sounds of monsters echoed in the distance, making me realize that the area where I had killed the Dire Rabbit had turned into a Battlefield.

"Shit!"

I kept pushing myself forwards, moving my legs with slow, yet steady steps.

Thud...

Finally, after ten minutes I reached a platform I'd seen previously. It was a flat spot on an otherwise rough cliff with some vegetation growing around it and a small cave opening.

It was a perfect place for me to set up a temporary shelter.

I quickly went inside the cave to make sure that it was safe and that no predators were lurking inside.

Hiss...

As I put my first step into the cave, I heard a strange sound and immediately backed away, looking at the dark hole with caution.

My fingers rested on the Katana's hilt while golden threads began to form in the palm of my other hand, circulating Mana.

A set of eight completely red eyes stared at me from the darkness of the cave, and slowly the creature emerged from the shadows.

It was a massive Spider with four pairs of legs and sharp fangs gleaming in the sun. The monster was at least as big as a car, and its body was covered in thick dark fur.

Unconsciously, I took a step back from the creature, gripping my Katana tightly.

"Why the fuck are you here!?"

I grimaced, looking at the spider with a mixture of irritation and surprise. The creature was a Corrupted Spider, however, it was an E-rank Monster, which meant that it wasn't supposed to be on this floor.

The Dungeon Rank was only F, so how come a Corrupted Spider was present here?

I carefully observed the monster, slowly backing away toward the platform's edge. It was clear that I needed to find another temporary shelter.

The creature stared at me with its eyes, moving its front limbs in an intimidating manner, only later I realized that it was chewing on something with its massive jaws.

Swish...

Suddenly, the spider spat a gooey substance that narrowly missed me, and landed on the ground behind me.

My eyes widened and I instantly threw myself to the side, away from the weird white ball.

Boom...

A sound of popping echoed in the cave, as the white exploded into a sticky web, trapping everything in its reach.

I was fortunate enough to avoid it, but my Katana's blade was caught in the web, making it difficult to retrieve.

I tried to free my weapon, but it was no use.

Click... Click...

Seeing my struggles, trying to pull my Katana out of the web, the Corrupted spider clicked its mandibles in what seemed like an evil grin and started advancing toward me with great speed.

This left me no choice, but to abandon my Black Katana for the time being and retreat further from the spider.

"..."

My Mana surged into my hand and golden threads started to shape into a dagger.

Spider also felt the sudden change of Mana and it halted, hesitating for a moment before lunging forward again.

However, I was ready for its sudden charge.

Pluck...

My Aura Blade sliced through the air, cutting through the spider's left front leg in one clean stroke.

Creak...

The monster screeched in pain, not expecting my sudden counterattack, and stumbled backward.

This gave me enough time to wound the creature even further, striking its abdomen with my Aura Blade.

Boom...

Suddenly, the Corrupted Spider released a purple mist that blinded me for a second or two, allowing it to retreat.

"..."

I wanted to go after it, but my Mana was running low, due to the consumption of the Aura Blade.

I could sustain it for another 10 seconds at most.

Whoosh...

I used the time I had left, to cut my Katana loose from the spider's web, and then quickly retreated out of the cave, where there was much more space to maneuver.

Screech...

The Spider followed after me, its eight eyes gleaming with malice and hunger.

The monster was determined to make me its prey. It wanted to take revenge for the wounds I had inflicted upon it.

Screech...

It spat a couple more webs in my direction, but I managed to dodge them with ease, thanks to my superior agility.

However, I knew I couldn't keep avoiding its attacks forever. Although I had good agility, my Stamina was limited.

Huff...

Soon, even the smallest movement would cause my muscles to ache and stiffen.

I needed to end this fight quickly before I exhausted myself completely.

"Come on..."

Swinging my Katana, I sent Mana into its blade, creating a Shadow that engulfed its edge and made it seem as if it disappeared.

Whoosh...

The Spider threw its mandibles at me, but I quickly swung my Katana, slicing through them as if they were made of paper.

This sent the Corrupted spider into a frenzy, giving me a chance to escape while it was distracted.

Although I've managed to wound it badly, I was not foolish to think that I could easily kill it.

It was an E Rank monster and the purple mist that it released earlier was Corruption. The poison was probably already spreading throughout my body, weakening me further.

Even the slight resistance I gained before entering the dungeon wouldn't help me with the amount of Corruption I had been exposed to.

I needed to retreat and fast!

Whoosh...

Using my remaining strength, I dashed off the platform and ran up the mountain as fast as I could.

My eyes scanned the rocky terrain, looking for a suitable hiding spot, a place where I could rest and recover.

"..."

I could feel myself, slowly losing feeling in my limbs, but the adrenaline kept me going.

Eventually, I found a small gap in the rocks, just large enough for me to squeeze through. There I collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily, my body trembling from the effects of the Corruption.

It is a scary feeling since it seemed like I was slowly losing control over my actions. In fact, Corruption can even make some humans monsters themselves, however, it is not currently known to the world.

"Fuck..."

I started circulating the last bits of Mana I had, trying to locate the Corruption within my body and suppress it, hoping to gain some time.

I didn't even dream of dissipating it completely, as that would require a significant amount of Mana that I didn't have at the moment.

The only option was to hope that I could contain the poison until my Mana Reserves were full again.

"Shitty spider..."

I muttered under my breath, cursing my luck for stumbling upon such a monster in an F Rank Dungeon.

The Artifact that seemed easy to get, now seemed like it wasn't worth the risk.

Oh, how quickly things can change...