The first rays of dawn spilled over Loria City as a stream of adventurers made their way to the Emberstone Keep Gate. Among them was Team FRIK, walking hastily towards the Tower. It had been one week since they began exploring, and they had grown closer as a team.
Each of them knew there were lingering problems waiting to pounce between them.
"Alright!" Renjiro said, holding a parchment containing their recent quest.
"Capture two venomous spiders and two Killer Rabbits. Easy enough, right?"
"Define easy," Kael muttered, adjusting the quiver strapped to his back.
His leg still feels faintly stiff from his last encounter with spider webs.
"In case anyone forgot, those webs should never be touched. Their webbing immobilizes the target after a while."
Kael had the misfortune of being touched by the spider's webs on their first exploration.
At first, he was fine, but hours later, when he arrived home, he found his body paralyzed, unable to move. After more research, the guild told him that spider webs are generally advised to avoid.
The more energy the user uses, the faster the paralysis kicks in.
"Why is the guild paying a fortune for these captures?" Irene asked.
"50 gold pieces per completion is outrageous. No wonder everyone is flocking to this quest."
While the other three conversed, Fugo's eyes wandered to the numerous adventurers hastily walking through the gates.
"They all look so eager," Fugo muttered to himself.
The sought-after creatures were infamous for their danger, even among the lower floors. Venomous spiders were weak and easy to kill. However, their camouflaged bodies and webbings and their habit of ambush made up for their weak physique.
As for killer rabbits, they were frightening in their own way. With razor sharp teeth and the ability to erase its killing intent to the very last second.
For many noobs, these creatures will always pose a threat or challenge due to their numbers. And the number of magic users among adventurers keeps increasing by the year, making the spider-webbing situation more concerning, since magic consumes not only mana but a lot of energy.
There have been recent occurrences where parties abandoned their expeditions after gaining paralysis, forcing them to retreat and recover.
To address this issue, the Adventurer's Guild research and development Dept initiated a new project.
"To craft antibodies and antidotes to swiftly and immediately neutralize the effect of the venom."
By collecting live specimens, they hoped to gain the upper hand in the ongoing battle against the Tower.
A few minutes passed before Fugo and the others headed inside the Tower along with a crowd of other adventurers with the same quest. "Stick to formation, and don't let the crowd distract you. We're here to get our captures, then get out."
"Yes, we know," Kael replied, taking his position at the rear.
Irene used her magic to summon a heavy cage in her hands. "We'll use this to capture them."
Turns out, Irene's summoning was not limited to swords as she had made most believe.
If it were her creation, she could summon anything, even a building, granted, if she had the mana pool to do it.
The team barely ventured far into the corridor when the faint sound of movement caught their attention. A cluster of Killer Rabbits was quickly approaching them.
"There they are," Kael whispered, nocking an arrow on his bow.
Renjiro held up a hand, signaling Kael to wait.
"Hold it. Let's approach slowly, you're gonna spook them after you kill the first one. Let's make them get closer so---"
Before he could finish, a sharp snap echoed through the cavern, followed by a thin thread snaking out from up ahead, behind the rabbits.
The thread wrapped around one of the rabbits, binding its leg and torso. The rabbit squealed in protest but could not break free.
"Hmm? Who's there?" Kael asked, slightly annoyed.
From the shadows, four women stepped out. The one at the forefront was a blonde, tall figure clad in black leather clothing. She was the same one manipulating the glowing threads like a puppeteer.
Her fingers weaved patterns in the air as she expertly ensnared another rabbit.
"Efficient," Fugo said, impressed by the woman's gestures.
The other rabbits scrambled in all directions, in an attempt to escape before their demise. With a flick of her wrist, more threads appeared and captured as many rabbits as possible.
She then went on to squeeze the struggling creatures into submission, killing a handful of them.
"There's more coming." Renjiro pointed out to them. More were charging further down the corridor.
The other three women sprang into action.
One of them—a short-haired woman with a pale blue robe—uncorked a small vial, releasing a translucent gas that spread rapidly.
"Gas!" Renjiro shouted, instinctively holding his breath and signaling the others to do the same.
The gas moved faster than expected, enveloping the area in seconds. Irene, who had been closest to the source, reacted a moment too late. She coughed, stumbled, and collapsed to her knees, her eyelids drooping as the sedative took hold.
"Irene!" Fugo called out, rushing to her side, but the other party's efficiency left no room for interruption.
The second woman, clad in dark green armor, moved quickly to secure the subdued rabbits in a sturdy wooden box.
The fourth member of their group—a tall woman with twin daggers—stood guard, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings for threats.
Within moments, the rival party had half completed their task.
"That's two," the leader said coolly, her voice carrying a note of satisfaction.
She glanced at Team FRIK but didn't seem concerned about their presence.
"Let's move. Spiders are next."
Without so much as a backward glance, the four women disappeared down the corridor.
As they left, Kael could not help himself. He nocked an arrow and shot two of them directly at the woman who spread the area with gas.
But sadly, the arrows were swiftly deflected, without the woman ever turning to look back at him.
"Tch! I hope we don't see them again." Kael sighed. He looked over at Fugo, who was aiding Irene with a health potion. "Is she okay?"
Fugo nodded, "Yeah, she can move just fine."
Irene agreed, "I'm fine. I'll be quicker next time."
Team FRIK pressed forward, navigating the twisting corridors of the Oblivion Spire's fifth floor. The air was damp, and the sound of dripping water echoed faintly around them.
Their progress was steady until a loud, boisterous laugh boomed through the cavern, halting them in their tracks.
"That laugh..." Fugo muttered, his face paling.
Renjiro cocked his head. "Who—?"
Before he could finish, a group of burly men rounded the corner ahead, dragging along a thrashing Venomous Spider. The creature's legs flailed helplessly, its glowing red eyes wild with fury, but the men handling it barely seemed fazed.
At the head of the group was Takeshi Almaty, his broad shoulders and scarred face as imposing as ever.
His booming laugh carried across the chamber as he tossed the spider onto the ground, pinning it effortlessly with a massive boot.
"Well, well!" Takeshi's sharp eyes landed on Fugo, and his grin widened. "If it isn't my dear little cousin and his merry band of misfits."
"Great," Kael muttered under his breath, his hand instinctively moving toward his bow.
Renjiro stepped forward, forcing a smile. "Hey, if it isn't the comedian from the guild entrance. What brings you to this floor, Takeshi?"
"Work, obviously," Takeshi said, gesturing to the subdued spider at his feet.
His teammates continued to wrap another spider in thick chains, their strength making the task look trivial.
Takeshi locked eyes with Fugo, telling him a word of advice.
"Listen, Fugo, here's the truth. The Tower down here is entirely different past the 38th floor. Don't ever go up there got it? A guy like you would just die a pointless death."
Before things could escalate further, a loud screech echoed through the
chamber. Another Venomous Spider scuttled toward the group, its movements quick and predatory.
Takeshi smirked, drawing a massive club from his back. "Watch and learn, kids."
With a single swing, he smashed the spider's legs, sending it sprawling onto its back.
One of his men followed up by pinning it with a net, while another injected it with a sedative to subdue it completely. The whole process took less than thirty seconds.
"Currently, the cavernous floors are nothing but a joke. I imagine these areas are where you'll spend your entire life before death."
As he and his team walked away, their laughter echoed through the cavern, leaving Team FRIK to seethe in their wake.
Renjiro kicked a nearby rock, his frustration evident. "That guy... he's unbearable."
"After encountering him at the guild entrance the other day. I actually heard a great deal of accomplishments about that guy and his team." Kael mentioned.
"Really? Like what?"
"They're Legendary Adventurers in terms of strength and ability. They just don't take the rank-up exams because they are running from tedious work. But make no mistake, each member of that team is among the best in Loria."
"They're called Team Asteroid." Fugo sighed, embarrassed by the encounter.
"Asteroid eh, that's a better name than ours."
The four continued to traverse the fifth floor, in a momentary silence. As they walked, Kael got curious about Fugo's relationship with his familia.
"Fugo, what's your living situation with the Almatys? I've had my suspicion that it sucks but...is it just that meathead, or does everyone treat you like that?"
"Believe it or not, Takeshi is one of the good ones."