After defeating the Stealth Chameleon, Maki sat on a rock near the dungeon entrance, staring into the darkness ahead.
"Should I continue?" she muttered.
The pain from the battle still lingered in her bruised body.
"I almost croaked back there..."
For a moment, common sense tried to win.
Then she remembered what she had gained.
Stealth.
Aura Concealment.
Camouflage.
Maki blinked.
"...Wait a second."
A grin slowly spread across her face.
"I basically have every skill an assassin could ever dream of."
She stood up immediately.
"I can turn invisible."
"I can erase my presence."
"I can blend into my surroundings."
She pointed dramatically at absolutely nobody.
"I'm practically cheating!"
The fear she'd felt moments ago evaporated.
"At this point I can just sneak around, avoid strong monsters, grab cool abilities, and leave before anything notices me."
She folded her arms proudly.
"Yep." She smugged.
"Sounds completely safe."
It was not safe. But Maki had already convinced herself.
"Straight up, I'm exploring another dungeon."
With that, she began moving deeper into the wilderness. About ten kilometers away from both the capital and the Eldridge estate, she eventually discovered another dungeon.
A much larger one. A cold breeze drifted from its entrance, Maki stared into the darkness.
"...I think this is as far from home as I should go." A pause. "After this one, I'm definitely heading back."
Another pause.
"...Probably."
She nodded firmly.
"Alright, time to head in."
The moment she entered, she activated her newly acquired abilities.
"Stealth."
Her body vanished.
"Aura Concealment."
Her presence disappeared completely.
"Camouflage."
Even the air around her seemed to forget she existed. Maki looked at her hands and grinned.
"This is awesome."
As she ventured deeper, she soon encountered a group of goblins gathered around a campfire. None of them noticed her,
not one. They continued chatting among themselves completely unaware that death was standing ten meters away. Maki couldn't help smiling.
"Hahaha..." She laughed confidently. "It's like I don't even exist."
She imagined all the trouble she could get away with using these abilities. Then she shook her head.
"No, Akira, don't abuse your powers." A beat passed. "...Abuse them responsibly."
A massive sphere of water formed silently above the goblins.
"Rain Bullets."
Thousands of compressed droplets descended.
SHHHHHK!
The goblins were erased instantly, not even enough time to scream. Maki stared at the aftermath.
"You know...? I feel like HIM right now." She placed her hands on her hips proudly. "And honestly? Rain Bullets is carrying my entire career."
The spell had become her favorite.
Simple.
Efficient.
Deadly.
Most importantly...
It saved her from getting close to ugly monsters. Maki continued deeper into the dungeon, goblin after goblin fell, cobalt after cobalt was defeated. The combination of stealth and long-range water magic made her almost untouchable.
Eventually, however...
The tunnel opened into a massive cavern, the ceiling stretched far above glowing crystals illuminated the darkness. The atmosphere felt different.
Heavier.
Dangerous.
Maki immediately stopped.
"Yeah...There's definitely something strong in he....."
A bad feeling crawled up her spine, before she could finish her sentence—
SHHHHHK!!
A blade of compressed wind tore through the air, the attack was so sharp it sliced clean through several crystal formations behind her. Maki barely managed to dodge, her eyes widened.
"What the heck was that?!"
When she looked upward a massive black raven sat perched on a crystal formation Its golden eyes stared directly at her.
Watching.
Waiting.
Judging.
Maki felt her stomach sink.
"...A giant raven."
The creature slowly spread its enormous wings, the pressure it emitted alone dwarfed anything she'd encountered before.
A Tempest Raven.
One of the most feared aerial monsters in the region, masters of wind magic, possessors of terrifying speed, predators capable of hunting creatures far larger than themselves.
Maki forced a nervous smile.
"Okay? A giant murder bird, of course."
She immediately activated Stealth and Aura Concealment again but the raven's gaze never left her. The realization sent a chill through her body.
"It can still see me?"
The Tempest Raven opened its beak, a violent storm of razor-sharp wind erupted forward. Maki reacted instantly.
"Water Wall!"
A heavily compressed barrier of water appeared before her.
BOOOOM!
The wind blades slammed into the wall, the cavern shook violently but fortunately, the attack failed to reach her, she exhaled.
"Damn, that was close."
The relief lasted less than a second.
BOOM!
The Tempest Raven disappeared, then suddenly—
CRASH!
Something struck her from the side, Maki never even saw it move. The raven's wing smashed into her like a battering ram, she was launched across the cavern, her body slammed into the wall. The impact shattered stone, pain exploded through every part of her body, she hit the ground hard.
Cough!
Blood spilled from her lips, her vision blurred.
"It hurts..."
Her fingers trembled.
"It hurts."
"It hurts."
"It hurts."
"It hurts."
She screamed internally as agony spread through her body, every breath felt like broken glass. The Tempest Raven landed gracefully nearby.
Watching.
Waiting.
Almost as if it knew she couldn't escape.
Maki slowly forced herself to stand her legs shook violently.
"How?..." She asked genuinely shocked.
"How did it see through Stealth?"
Through Aura Concealment?
Through Camouflage?
Then realization struck her.
Its level.
Its senses.
Its experience.
Everything about it was leagues above the Chameleon. The skills she had been so proud of moments ago weren't enough, not against this monster. The raven prepared another attack, wind gathered around its body, Maki clenched her fists, fear threatened to overwhelm her then another thought appeared.
A familiar face.
Black hair.
A lazy smile.
Hayato.
"I need to survive." Her mana surged.
"Because if I die here..."
Her eyes sharpened.
"Hayato will never find me."
The memory of her best friend filled her mind.
"He'll search endlessly..."
Mana exploded around her body.
"...never finding his best friend."
For the first time since entering the dungeon
Maki stopped thinking like an adventurer, stopped thinking like a gamer, stopped thinking like Akira chasing excitement. Now?
She was fighting to return to the person she cared about most and she refused to die before that happened.
The Tempest Raven screeched, the sound alone shook the cavern. Wind mana exploded around its body as countless blades of compressed air formed behind it.
Maki's instincts screamed.
Danger.
Death.
Run.
Every fiber of her being wanted to escape but she couldn't, not anymore, not while thinking about Hayato, not while imagining him searching this world for someone who would never answer.
"No."
Maki wiped the blood from her mouth.
"I'm not dying here."
The Tempest Raven shot forward.
BOOM!
The ground beneath it exploded from the force of its acceleration, Maki immediately reacted.
"Water Jet!"
Magic circles appeared beneath her feet, a powerful burst of water launched her sideways just as the raven tore through the spot where she'd been standing. The creature was too fast.
Far too fast.
It turned immediately with wasted movement, no hesitation.
A predator.
A true monster.
Another barrage of wind blades flew toward her.
SHHHHK!
SHHHHK!
SHHHHK!
Maki raised both hands.
"Water Wall!"
"Water Wall!"
"Water Wall!"
Multiple barriers appeared, the first shattered instantly, the second barely held, the third exploded apart and unfortunately one blade slipped through.
SLASH!
A deep cut opened across her arm.
"AAAH!"
Pain shot through her body, the raven didn't stop. It was already charging again trying to finish her before she could recover, Maki grit her teeth.
Think.
Think.
Think.
She couldn't match its speed, she couldn't overpower it, her stealth was useless, her camouflage was useless. Everything she'd gained felt meaningless, then something clicked.
Water.
Rain.
Ripples.
Movement.
Just like the Stealth Chameleon, the answer wasn't seeing it, the answer was predicting it.
A grin appeared despite the pain.
"Oh."
The raven was already approaching, fast enough to become a black blur but Maki suddenly thrust both hands upward.
"Rain Domain!"
Thousands upon thousands of droplets filled the cavern, the entire battlefield became covered in floating water. The Tempest Raven tore through them.
And instantly—
Maki saw everything, every movement, every direction change, every fluctuation in the air.
The water showed her exactly where the raven was.
"Got you!"
The raven's eyes widened slightly. For the first time It had been read, It had been anticipated. Maki pointed forward.
"Water Spears!"
Dozens of compressed spears shot toward the raven.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Several missed.
A few struck.
The raven screeched angrily, black feathers scattered through the cave, blood followed,
Maki smiled then immediately coughed up more blood.
"Okay maybe don't smile."
The raven looked furious now, its wings expanded completely, the pressure filling the cavern multiplied, the crystals lining the walls began cracking. Maki felt fear creep back into her chest.
"That can't be good."
The Tempest Raven opened its beak, a sphere of compressed wind began forming.
Larger.
Larger.
Larger.
Until it was almost the size of Maki herself then her face paled.
"Oh."
A pause.
"Oh that's bad."
The attack launched.
BOOOOOOOOM!
Everything in front of the raven vanished.
The cave floor.
The crystals.
The walls.
Destroyed.
Maki barely managed to throw herself aside using Water Jet, the shockwave alone sent her tumbling across the cavern and hit the ground hard again. Everything hurt, her mana reserves were dropping rapidly and raven wasn't slowing down.
Meanwhile Maki could barely stay standing the difference in power was obvious, the only reason she was still alive was because she kept finding ways to survive. Then another thought appeared.
Devourer's Blessing.
If she killed and ate this thing she'd gain its abilities.
Its speed.
Its wind magic.
Maybe even its ability to fly, her eyes widened.
"...Wait."
The pain.
The fear.
The exhaustion all disappeared for a moment, the gamer inside Akira emerged, a dangerous smile spread across her face. The Tempest Raven suddenly felt less like a terrifying monster and more like loot.
"Okay."
She slowly stood up, the raven prepared another attack but Maki pointed at it dramatically.
"You."
The raven tilted its head.
"I've decided."
Water mana surged around her.
"You'd make an amazing upgrade."
The raven screeched furiously but Maki
grinned.
"Come here, bird if I'm risking my life..."
She raised both hands.
"...then at least drop something legendary."
The Tempest Raven charged, Maki charged and for the first time since the battle began
neither intended to retreat.
The Tempest Raven shot forward like a black comet, the cave exploded behind it, Maki launched herself forward at the same time.
"Water Jet!"
BOOM!
The two collided in the center of the cavern, the raven's wing sliced toward her neck but
Maki ducked. A few strands of silver hair drifted to the ground.
"That was my hair!"
She retaliated immediately.
"Water Blade!"
A crescent of compressed water slashed toward the bird, the Tempest Raven twisted in midair and the attack grazed its side causing a shallow wound, nothing more but it was enough. The raven screeched in anger.
Good.
It was getting emotional and emotional creatures made mistakes. Maki landed roughly and immediately created more water around herself, her Rain Domain still covered the battlefield. Every droplet acted like an extra eye, the moment the raven moved...
She knew.
The moment it changed direction...
She knew.
The moment it gathered mana...
She knew.
But knowing and reacting were two different things.
The bird was still faster.
Much faster.
The Tempest Raven vanished, Maki's eyes widened.
"Above!"
She threw herself sideways, a black blur crashed into the spot she'd occupied.
BOOOOM!
The cave floor shattered, stone fragments flew everywhere. One struck her cheek, another cut her shoulder.
More pain.
More blood.
More reasons to go home and never do this again.
"...Nope."
Maki stood up.
"I'm already here."
The raven attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Each strike came from a different angle but
Maki dodged.
Blocked.
Rolled.
Counterattacked.
The battle became a frantic dance between predator and prey only now neither knowing which was which.
Minutes passed, both combatants were injured, the Tempest Raven's feathers were stained with blood, Maki could barely keep her left arm raised, her mana was nearly depleted, her body screamed for rest but
the bird wasn't in much better condition its breathing had become heavier, its attacks slightly slower.
Then an idea appeared, a very stupid idea
which meant it was probably an Akira Original™. Maki looked at the massive underground lake near the back of the cavern then she looked at the raven, she then smiled.
"Oh."
The Tempest Raven didn't like that smile, not one bit.
"Hey ugly bird!"
The raven screeched.
"Yeah, I'm talking to you!"
Another screech.
"Your mother was probably a pigeon!"
The Tempest Raven's aura exploded, It charged immediately.
"Hook. Line. Sinker."
Maki sprinted toward the underground lake, the bird followed.
Furious.
Exactly as planned.
The distance closed rapidly.
The raven prepared another devastating wind cannon, Mana gathered around its beak, Maki reached the edge of the lake, turned around and grinned.
"Gotcha."
The raven fired.
BOOOOOOOOM!
A devastating blast of wind crossed the cavern, at the same moment Maki slammed both hands into the water.
"Water Style: Grand Maelstrom!"
The entire underground lake erupted, tons of water rose into the air, the cavern shook violently, the Tempest Raven's eyes widened,
for the first time it looked afraid. A gigantic vortex of water swallowed the battlefield, the raven attempted to escape but it was too late.
Water wrapped around its wings.
Its body.
Its neck dragging it downward, Maki's entire body trembled, every remaining drop of mana she possessed flowed into the spell.
Her vision blurred, her knees threatened to buckle but she held on.
"Stay."
The water tightened.
"DOWN."
The vortex compressed further, the raven struggled desperately, wind exploded from its wings while water exploded from Maki's spell. The entire cave seemed ready to collapse.
Then—
CRACK.
One wing broke, the raven screamed.
CRACK.
The other followed, Maki pushed harder then
blood dripped from her nose, her head felt like it was splitting apart but she refused to stop.
"FOR MAKING ME SUFFER THIS MUCH!"
The water compressed one final time.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The vortex collapsed inward, the cavern fell silent. For several moments nothing moved.
Nothing breathed.
Nothing made a sound.
Maki stood frozen.
Barely conscious.
Barely standing.
Then—
THUD.
The Tempest Raven's body hit the ground motionless.
Dead.
Silence.
"..."
Maki stared, the raven didn't move.
"..."
Still nothing.
"...Did I win?"
No response.
Maki blinked.
Then blinked again.
Then slowly raised both arms.
"I WON!"
Her voice echoed through the cavern, immediately afterward her legs gave out.
She fell flat on her face.
"...Worth it."
Several minutes later she finally managed to crawl toward the corpse. The massive creature looked far less terrifying now, mostly because it was dead.
"You..."
She poked it, no reaction.
"You're definitely dead."
A pause.
"Good."
Maki cut some meat from the Tempest Raven.
Cooked it.
Slightly better than before but till terribly.
"...Please don't taste horrible."
She took a bite, chewed and swallowed. It surprisingly tasted better than she expected.
The familiar voice echoed through her mind.
You have acquired the skill: Wind Manipulation.
You have acquired the skill: Enhanced Agility.
You have acquired the skill: Wind Sense.
You have acquired the skill: Raven Cloak.
You have acquired the skill: Flight.
You have acquired the skill: air dash.
Silence.
Maki froze.
The meat fell from her hand.
"..."
"..."
"FLIGHT?!"
The entire cave heard her scream.
"YOU'RE TELLING ME I CAN FLY NOW?!"
She jumped to her feet and immediately regretted it because everything hurt but that wasn't important.
"I CAN FLY!"
She pointed dramatically toward the heavens, or at least the cave ceiling.
"HAYATO!"
She shouted despite him being nowhere nearby.
"YOUR BOY JUST UNLOCKED FLIGHT!"
A pause.
"Or should I say girl."
Then she remembered something.
"...Wait."
She slowly looked around the devastated cavern.
The destroyed lake.
The shattered crystals.
The mountain-sized dead bird.
Her broken body.
"...Dad is going to kill me if he finds out."
And somehow...
That thought scared her more than the Tempest Raven had.
Maki's injuries had healed, barely. The combination of rest, mana circulation, and her naturally absurd recovery speed had allowed her to patch herself back together.
Her ribs still hurt, her shoulder still ached, but she could move again. More importantly
her mana reserves had recovered to over half capacity, not ideal but enough to get home.
Maki stretched her arms.
"Alright."
A yawn escaped her.
"I've got Flight now."
"I've got Wind Magic."
"I've got a cool cloak."
"I've almost died twice."
"Productive evening."
She nodded proudly.
"Definitely heading home now."
She took another bite of Tempest Raven meat, it still tasted quite delightful. Some things never changed.
Then—
A pressure washed over the cavern.
Heavy.
Cold.
Ancient.
Predatory.
Maki froze.
The piece of meat stopped halfway to her mouth.
"..."
The pressure grew stronger.
"...No."
Stronger.
"...Please no."
Her instincts began screaming, every survival instinct she possessed activated simultaneously.
Run.
Hide.
Leave.
Disappear.
Become someone else's problem.
Maki slowly stood up.
Very slowly.
As if sudden movement might offend
whatever nightmare had just arrived. Then she heard it.
A sound.
A wet sound.
A sticky sound.
A horrifying sound.
Tk... Tk... Tk... Tk...
Something was moving, something very large. Maki immediately turned toward the dungeon exit, relief appeared on her face then vanished. The entire exit was sealed.
Massive silver threads stretched across the tunnel. Layer upon layer dense enough to stop a charging monster.
"..."
"...You've got to be kidding me."
Maki turned around.
Slowly.
Fearfully.
Already regretting every life decision that had brought her her, the cavern suddenly felt much darker.
Much smaller.
Much less welcoming.
Then she saw it.
Her soul nearly evacuated her body.
A colossal spider.
It hung from the cavern ceiling.
Watching.
Waiting.
Its body alone was larger than a house, eight massive legs were anchored into the crystal walls, each leg looked sharp enough to skewer a horse. Its countless crimson eyes reflected the cave's glowing crystals. Every single one of them was staring directly at her.
Maki felt her skin crawl.
"Nope."
The spider remained still.
"Nope."
Still watching.
"Nope."
Still watching, Maki pointed toward the monster.
"I reject this."
The spider tilted its head.
"I beat a giant murder bird."
Silence.
"I paid my dues."
Silence.
"I've fulfilled my weekly quota of traumatic experiences."
Silence.
The spider slowly descended from the ceiling. Maki immediately backed up.
"No."
The spider continued descending.
"Listen."
Closer.
"We can be reasonable."
Closer.
"I don't even like spiders."
Closer.
"I respect your profession."
Closer.
"I appreciate your contribution to the ecosystem."
Closer.
"But respectfully..."
The spider landed.
BOOOM.
The entire cavern shook.
"...Stay over there."
The spider responded by firing a thread.
SHHHHK!
Maki barely dodged, the thread struck the wall behind her. The crystal wall shattered instantly.
"..."
Maki stared, then stared again.
"...That thread broke rock."
The spider fired another.
Then another.
Then another.
SHHHHK!
SHHHHK!
SHHHHK!
Maki launched herself away using Water Jet.
The cavern exploded around her as threads embedded themselves into everything they touched.
"Okay!"
She sprinted.
"Okay!"
Another thread narrowly missed her face.
"WE'RE FIGHTING!"
The spider screeched, the sound echoed through the cavern its aura exploded outward, far stronger than the Tempest Raven's.
Far older.
Far more terrifying.
Maki felt genuine despair.
"...You've gotta be kidding me."
Then she noticed something, the spider wasn't attacking recklessly, it wasn't charging, it wasn't overwhelming her with speed It was just watching, studying, analyzing like a hunter examining prey. That somehow made it worse, the spider had intelligence and that made Maki's stomach drop
"Oh no."
The spider's crimson eyes narrowed.
"Oh that's so much worse."
A giant magical circle suddenly appeared beneath the monster.
Purple.
Dark.
Complex.
Maki's eyes widened.
"...It uses magic too?"
The spider answered by summoning hundreds of razor-sharp thread spears around itself.
Hundreds.
Maki stared.
The spider stared.
Silence.
"..."
"..."
Then Maki slowly pointed toward the ceiling.
"Dear gods."
A pause.
"I would like to formally apologize for every bad thing I've ever said."
The spider fired and Maki immediately understood one thing the Tempest Raven had been the tutorial boss.
This thing...
Was the dungeon's final nightmare, the sky of thread spears descended. Maki reacted instantly.
"Water Jet!"
BOOOOM!
She launched herself sideways, the first volley missed. The second didn't.
SHHK!
A spear of hardened thread pierced straight through her left thigh.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Maki crashed into the ground pain exploded through her body, the thread had punched completely through her leg. Blood immediately soaked her clothes, the giant spider didn't hesitate. It fired another volley.
"Move!"
Maki ripped the thread out of her leg, fresh agony nearly made her black out.
"Move!"
She forced herself upright. Water Jets activated again.
BOOOM!
She barely escaped as dozens of thread spears shredded the area she had occupied moments earlier. The spider advanced.
Slowly.
Patiently.
Like it already knew the outcome.
Maki's breathing became uneven, her injured leg trembled, every movement sent waves of pain through her body.
"This is bad."
No.
Bad wasn't the word. The Tempest Raven had nearly killed her. This thing was hunting her.
The difference was terrifying, Maki fired dozens of Water Blades. The spider didn't dodge.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
The attacks struck its body.
None penetrated.
Not even a little.
"...What?"
Maki stared.
"...You're joking."
The spider's exoskeleton was harder than stone, her attacks barely scratched it. Then the monster disappeared.
Maki froze.
"What?"
A creature the size of a house wasn't supposed to move that fast.
Then—
CRASH!
Something slammed into her side, Maki didn't even see it happen. The spider's leg struck her like a battering ram, several ribs shattered instantly, blood exploded from her mouth. Her body flew through the cavern.
BOOOOM!
She smashed into a crystal wall, the impact cracked the stone then she fell.
The world spun, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't think, she couldn't move.
"Get up."
Her body refused.
"Get up."
Her vision blurred.
"GET UP!"
Nothing happened then the spider approached.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Slow.
Patient.
Certain.
Like death itself.
Maki tried to stand, her legs collapsed immediately.
"No."
Her voice trembled.
"No."
The spider fired another thread.
SHHK!
It wrapped around her arm.
Maki's eyes widened, the monster pulled.
CRACK!
The shoulder dislocated instantly.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"
The scream echoed through the cavern tears formed in her eyes, the pain was unbearable, she couldn't stop shaking. The spider dragged her across the cave floor.
Like prey.
Like food.
The realization hit her.
"I'm going to die."
Not maybe.
Not possibly.
Die.
Here.
Tonight.
Alone.
No family.
No father.
No mother.
No siblings.
---
No Hayato.
The image of her best friend appeared in her mind.
His smile.
His stupid excuses.
The way he'd always worry.
The way he'd tell her she was being reckless.
And for once—
He would've been right.
Tears streamed down her face.
"I'm sorry."
Her voice cracked.
"I'm sorry, Hayato."
The spider continued dragging her.
"I'm sorry."
The fear became overwhelming, this wasn't like when she died before. Back then it happened quickly, there wasn't time to think.
Time to regret.
Time to realize everything she'd lose.
Now there was.
Far too much time.
"I don't want to die."
Her body trembled uncontrollably.
"I don't want to die."
The words came out as a whisper.
Then louder.
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"
Mana exploded from her body.
Wild.
Uncontrolled.
Desperate.
The cavern shook.
The spider paused.
For the first time.
It sensed something, something dangerous.
Maki's fear.
Maki's despair.
Maki's refusal.
All of it mixed together.
"No."
She grabbed the thread binding her arm.
---
Blood dripped from her fingers.
---
Her shattered ribs screamed.
---
Her leg barely functioned.
---
Her shoulder hung uselessly.
---
She should have given up.
---
Any normal child would've.
---
But Maki wasn't normal.
---
Because before she was Maki—
---
She was Akira.
---
A stubborn idiot.
---
One who never stopped moving.
---
Never stopped trying.
---
Never stopped believing things could get better.
---
Even when they shouldn't.
---
Even when death was standing in front of him.
---
"No."
---
Water gathered around her trembling body.
---
More.
---
More.
---
More.
---
Far more than she should've been capable of.
---
The spider immediately sensed danger.
---
It fired dozens of thread spears.
---
Maki didn't dodge.
---
She couldn't.
---
Instead—
---
The water exploded outward.
---
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
---
The entire cavern vanished beneath a tidal wave.
---
The spider was thrown backward.
---
Its threads snapped.
---
Its footing disappeared.
---
Everything became chaos.
Maki collapsed to her knees.
Her vision darkened.
---
She could barely remain conscious.
---
But she was free.
---
For now.
---
The spider emerged from the flood.
Injured.
Angry.
Still alive.
---
Maki's heart sank.
---
"...No."
The monster was still coming.
No strength.
---
No tricks.
---
Nothing.
---
The spider slowly advanced through the water.
---
One step.
---
Then another.
---
Maki stared at it.
The realization hit harder than any attack.
This was it.
Her last stand.
Her body shook violently.
Not from pain.
From fear.
Pure.
Primal.
Human fear.
Pure fear that gripped Maki's heart.
Not the fear of pain.
Not the fear of monsters but the fear of disappearing, of never seeing her family again, of never finding Hayato, of dying alone in a dark dungeon where nobody would ever know what happened to her. The colossal spider continued its advance.
One step.
Another.
Its crimson eyes never left her.
Patient.
Confident.
Certain.
Maki tried to stand, her broken leg collapsed immediately. Pain exploded through her body.
"Agh...!"
Her dislocated shoulder hung uselessly, several ribs were shattered, her mana was nearly exhausted, blood stained the cavern floor beneath her.
The spider didn't rush, It didn't need to.
It knew she was finished.
"No..."
Maki whispered, the monster raised one massive leg, preparing to impale her.
"No..."
Tears streamed down her face.
"No..."
The leg descended, Maki's instincts screamed.
MOVE!
Water Jet activated instinctively.
BOOOOM!
Her body launched sideways, the spider's leg crashed down where she had been moments earlier. The impact shattered crystal formations throughout the cavern, Maki rolled across the ground, every injury screamed in protest. Her breathing became ragged.
"I can't..."
The spider turned.
"I can't win..."
Its magical circle appeared again hundreds of thread spears materialized overhead. Her heart sank, she couldn't dodge that not anymore.
Then—
A memory surfaced of a younger Hayato laughing.
"You're impossible, Akira."
Another memory.
Akira dragging Hayato outside to look at meteor showers.
Another.
The two of them arguing over anime rankings.
Another.
Their final night.
"If we get reincarnated let's use a code..."
The unfinished sentence.
The promise never spoken, Maki's eyes widened.
The code.
She never got to tell him, if she died here...
Hayato would never know, he would spend his entire life searching.
Wondering.
Hoping.
Never finding her.
Something inside her snapped.
"No."
Mana surged.
The spider paused.
"No."
The water around the cavern trembled.
"NO."
For years Maki had relied on Water Magic, for years she had copied what felt natural, what felt easy but she had forgotten something.
Water wasn't just blades.
Or bullets.
Or walls.
Water adapted.
Water changed.
Water endured.
Her eyes locked onto the spider's threads.
Threads.
Silk.
Spider silk.
A realization struck her.
"...Wait."
The spider's threads weren't indestructible, they were biological.
Living.
Organic.
And living things contained water.
Maki's eyes widened.
"No way..."
The spider sensed danger, the thread spears fired, Maki raised her trembling hand, everything depended on this.
If she failed...
She dies.
Water Magic surged.
Not outward.
Inward.
Toward the spider.
Toward every thread.
Every strand.
Every fiber.
"Water Dominion..."
The spell was crude.
Incomplete.
Desperate.
But it worked.
The moisture inside the thread spears violently responded.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
Hundreds of thread spears shattered midair, the spider froze and for the first time it felt
genuinely surprised. Maki smiled weakly.
"Found you."
The monster screeched.
It charged fast.
Far too fast.
But Maki no longer cared, every remaining drop of mana flooded into one final spell. The water filling the cavern began to rotate.
Faster.
Faster.
FASTER.
A massive vortex formed around the spider, the monster struggled, its legs lost footing.
Its body was dragged sideways. The current grew stronger.
Stronger.
Stronger.
Blood flowed from Maki's nose.
Her vision blurred.
She kept going.
"JUST..."
The vortex expanded.
"DIE ALREADY!"
The water compressed, the pressure skyrocketed. The spider's exoskeleton began cracking.
CRACK.
Another crack.
Then another.
The monster shrieked.
Maki poured everything into the spell.
Every drop of mana.
Every ounce of strength.
Every fear.
Every regret.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The vortex collapsed inward.
The entire cavern shook.
Silence followed.
Maki fell forward unable to move, unable to breathe. For several seconds nothing happened.
Then—
A massive body crashed to the ground.
THUD.
The spider.
Dead.
Its shattered corpse lay motionless, Maki stared at it.
"...Did..."
A cough interrupted her, blood splattered the floor.
"...Did I win?"
No response, the monster wasn't moving.
Maki laughed.
A weak.
Broken.
Exhausted laugh.
"Hahah..."
Then tears filled her eyes, she had survived against all odds, against a monster that should have killed her.
Then her body finally gave up, the adrenaline vanished.
The pain returned.
Every shattered rib.
Every torn muscle.
Every injury.
"Ah..."
Her vision blurred.
"No..."
The realization hit her, if she passed out now, she might never wake up. The dungeon still contained monsters, her wounds were still severe and she had almost no mana left.
"No no no..."
Maki forced her fingers into the ground and
she began crawling.
One arm.
Then another.
Pain exploded through her body.
She screamed.
Kept crawling.
The dead spider looked impossibly far away.
"Come on..."
She dragged herself forward, leaving a trail of blood behind her.
"Dying after winning..."
Another painful crawl.
"...now that's just embarrassing..."
Another.
"...I refuse..."
Another.
"...to become a tragic backstory..."
Finally after what felt like hours her trembling hand touched the spider's corpse. A smile appeared on her blood-covered face.
"Got you..."
She immediately bit into the monster, the taste was somehow worse than everything she'd eaten so far.
"BLEGH!"
She almost threw up.
"WHY DOES EVERYTHING USEFUL TASTE HORRIBLE?!"
Still she forced herself to continue, a strange energy began flowing through her body.
Warm.
Powerful.
Ancient.
The familiar voice echoed inside her head.
"You have acquired new skill: Spider Thread Manipulation."
"You have acquired new skill: Venom Resistance."
"You have acquired new skill: Enhanced Regeneration."
The moment the final notification appeared
something changed. Mana exploded throughout her body, the shattered bones began repairing themselves, the torn flesh closed, her dislocated shoulder snapped back into place, the pain vanished. Her exhausted mana core began absorbing the spider's enormous reserves.
More.
More.
More.
Maki's eyes widened.
"Wait..."
The process didn't stop, her mana reserves recovered completely then continued growing.
And growing.
And growing.
Until—
They reached nearly three times the amount she had possessed when entering the dungeon. Silence filled the cavern.
Maki slowly stood.
"..."
She clenched her fist, Mana surged around her.
"...Holy crap."
She looked down at herself looking completely healed, not a single injury remained. A grin slowly appeared then she remembered everything she had just suffered. The grin vanished.
"No."
A pause.
"Never again."
Another pause.
"Actually..."
She pointed toward the dead spider.
"Screw you specifically."
The corpse remained silent.
"Good."
A few minutes later Maki gathered water from the dungeon walls, the liquid floated around her body like a miniature whirlpool. The blood.
Dirt.
Spider venom.
And monster remains were washed away, the water spun rapidly before being discarded.
Maki stretched feeling refreshed.
"Okay."
A deep breath.
"I'm alive."
Another breath.
"I somehow won."
Another.
"And I'm never doing something this stupid again."
A pause.
"...Probably."
Even she didn't sound convinced, Maki exited the dungeon. The night sky greeted her filled with stars.
Peaceful.
Beautiful.
Nothing like the nightmare she had just escaped. Her Tempest Raven cloak materialized around her body, black feathers formed across her shoulders, wind gathered beneath her feet then she launched into the sky.
WHOOSH!
The ground rapidly disappeared beneath her.
Maki flew through the cool night air.
"...Dungeon raiding is a scam."
She crossed her arms.
"Almost died."
Another second passed.
"Twice."
Another.
"Ate disgusting monsters."
Another.
"Got stabbed."
Another.
"Got poisoned."
Another.
"Got turned into a spider's chew toy."
A pause.
"...Why do I keep doing this?"
No answer came because deep down she already knew.
To get stronger.
To survive.
To find Hayato someday.
Still...
"I'm an idiot."
The wind carried her laughter away.
Then—
Something below caught her attention.
A carriage.
Several people.
Bandits.
Weapons drawn.
Two knights falling to the ground.
Maki slowed to a stop.
Hovering high above.
"...Huh?"
The scene below became clearer.
A family.
Terrified.
Cornered.
Bandits surrounding them.
And suddenly—
The memory shattered.
The present returned.
The merchant carriage.
The frightened family.
The bandits.
The silver threads extending from her fingertips. Floating above them.
Maki blinked.
"...Right."
Returning her to the present.
Maki was still standing in front of the dungeon and thought to herself.
"You know what? Now that I think about it I'm just gonna head back to the dorm and sleep, after all wouldn't want my new roommate getting worried about me if he discovers I left at midnight."