Sana slumped to the floor, exhausted from her efforts. Almost immediately, the air shifted from stillness to a swift suction behind the boulder. The hastily packed mud barrier, meant to seal the cavern's entrance, held briefly against the pull of the wind. It then buckled under the pressure, crumbling with a series of sharp pops and hisses as it was violently sucked through the gaps. The force of the wind was powerful but brief, and since there were holes in the ceiling, I wasn’t too concerned about our air supply being depleted.

  When the wind ceased, Jack heaved the boulder aside, unveiling the cave. I quickly distributed light sticks among us, handing them to Kaylie and Jack while keeping one for myself. Sana, still recuperating on the floor, seemed indifferent to the exploration.

  As our lights penetrated the darkness of the cave, we were greeted by a horrific sight. Dozens of spiders clustered near the entrance. I initially counted twenty, but a closer look doubled that estimate. Whether they had gathered to ambush us upon our next entry or were fleeing the fire remained unclear. Regardless, I was immensely relieved we hadn't attempted to take them on one at a time. I was reasonably certain that would have been the end of us.

  At that moment, all of the spiders appeared lifeless, scattered across the ground. Then, I noticed a subtle movement. One of the arachnids was twitching.

  "That one's still alive," I pointed out.

  “About half are alive,” Kaylie said.

  “Revenge time.” Jack smiled and continued, “Have you ever heard it is a dish best served cold?”

  Wasn’t that a saying from my world? I guess it didn’t have to be. They had dishes here, and it could be something more universal.

  Kaylie crouched down, methodically severing the legs of a spider. Nearby, Jack hoisted another spider aloft before smashing it to the ground with such force that I assumed he had used his Mana Strengthening. The impact left no doubt that the spider, already teetering on the brink of life, was now certainly dead.

  I wondered about my own approach. Should I mimic Jack's brute use of mana force or adopt Kaylie's meticulous method of dismemberment, letting the spiders bleed out slowly?

  As if Rabbit was reading my mind, he said, “You should try Soul Absorption.”

  “Are you kidding? Remember what happens when I do it to something alive, it tries to kill me back,” I replied in my head.

  “Let’s look at the facts. First, some of these are already dead, and if they are not, they are close to dead unless your group kills them fast. Second, when you do Soul Absorption on a live creature, it usually brings both of your health points down at the same time. If they are next to dead, then that shouldn’t be a problem. However, there were two more things to remember. They were spiders, so they were probably not as complex as you and me. Plus, they were unconscious. Considering how helpless these bodies are at the moment, I doubt they would even lower your health points. This is the perfect time to test it,” Rabbit summed up concisely as if he were selling me a used car, and I couldn’t resist his powers of reason.

  Oddly enough, I found myself agreeing with Rabbit. I understood his motive. He was pushing for a new experiment. He wanted to see if an unconscious or helpless creature would let me use Soul Absorption without any backlash. The problem with arguing against Rabbit was that he often ended up being right.

  At this moment, with numerous unconscious spiders at critically low health points around me, it seemed like the ideal opportunity for a test. If it didn’t work, I wouldn’t be facing an enraged enemy trying to retaliate, nor would I risk a significant loss of health in exchange for their soul. I disliked being a pawn in Rabbit’s experiments, but I had to admit, he was usually correct.

  I crouched beside the nearest spider and activated my Soul Absorption ability. The process wasn't as straightforward as it was with a deceased target, but neither was it as challenging as when enemies were actively trying to kill me. Extracting the soul was tough, yet manageable. Rabbit was right. My health remained unaffected. As I absorbed the energy, it surged through me, vibrant and potent. Although I had no physical injuries to mend, the persistent headache that had been gnawing at the back of my eyes and burrowing into my skull began to ease, fading away.

  The next spider was already dead, making the soul extraction effortless. The energy surge was less intense than before but still significant.

  Sana noticed me and asked, “What are you doing? And why are your eyes glowing?”

  Realizing I hadn’t mentioned that my eyes glowed when I used my ability, I kept my explanation vague. "I'm using my Ability. It gives me extra experience."

  "But you killed that spider with it. You never mentioned your ability could kill," Sana responded, her suspicion evident, but I ignored her and continued to move onto the next body. She didn’t like it, but I didn’t care either.

  I had kept silent about my ability to use Soul Absorption on living creatures. Primarily, I had no intention of using it on live beings. Secondarily, I wanted to keep its true nature concealed. Revealing that it involved taking a creature's soul would expose too much. The ability seemed sinister to me, yet undeniably, it was useful.

  “What does it matter?” Kaylie said while cutting some legs off a spider.

  "Because this ability isn’t just about gaining experience from a dead body. Alf is doing something more. It is like he is taking some type of life force. I’m not entirely sure, but it seems different from what was originally described," Sana said, not even trying to hide her incredulous tone.

  "Sana, would you let it go?" Kaylie intervened on my behalf. "Alf is new here, and he needs all the experience he can get. Besides, is it hurting anyone? No. So let it go. That is, unless you want people to question your ability and how you got it."

  This was the first time I had seen Kaylie openly confront Sana, and her words seemed to silence her. Sana was inching closer to uncovering what I was really doing, and that worried me. The others didn’t seem bothered, but I wasn't sure how they would react if they knew the full extent of my ability. For the rest of our time there, Sana remained quiet, and I made sure to turn away from her whenever I used Soul Absorption.

  After we had dealt with all the spiders in the area, the group started to move on. Eager for every experience point I could gather, I lingered behind, using Soul Absorption on any spider within reach. The process was quick to perform, but repeating it so often began to overwhelm my senses. The rush of power was intoxicating yet distracting, slowing me down considerably. It was strange how feeling powerful could also impede progress, but that was precisely what was happening.

  I could see the lights down the tunnel where Jack and Kaylie were. As I followed, I used my ability on any spiders I came across. Upon reaching the tunnel's end, a foul odor struck us. It was a stark contrast to the fresh air drawn down the initial pathway. This area reeked of smoke and bore the marks of fire. The cave, inherently dark, was surprisingly detailed to the eye. Veins of a lighter material crisscrossed the matte black walls, giving the appearance of charcoal designs sketched upon them.

  Trapped black smoke hung in the vast void above, confined by the cavern's large size and the lower branches of the cave. The soot in the air was a clear health hazard, but we hoped that a short stay would mitigate the worst of its effects.

  When I caught up to Kaylie and Jack, they were busy either dispatching spiders or ensuring that the corpses were truly dead. Given the spiders' rock-hard exoskeletons, it was impossible to tell if they were breathing, so we took no chances. Sana, the only one with the Analysis Skill, would have been helpful, but she was too exhausted to assist. Overkilling a few extra spiders wouldn’t make a difference under these circumstances.

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  Rather than follow directly behind them, I ventured to the opposite side of the large chamber to deal with the spiders there. This area was dominated by a massive stone door, adorned with intricate markings and marred by a dark scar across it. As I shone my light stick on the door, my reflection shimmered back as though from a polished white stone, its almost metallic sheen contrasting sharply with the natural flaws that attested to its expert craftsmanship.

  The dark scar that marred the first door extended across the cave wall, leading my eyes to another door. Unlike the first, this second door was smaller and less imposing. It was crafted from black stone and showed clear signs of damage. It was slightly cracked, which made it blend into the dark backdrop of the cave wall.

  As mesmerizing as the doors were, I turned away and focused on eliminating the spiders. After we cleared the entire room, we collectively proceeded down the tunnel toward the water, retracing the path where Kaylie and I had previously escaped. Our journey was uneventful until we encountered a spider, missing three legs. The wounds were an unmistakable mark of my earlier swordwork. I bent over to use my ability, but it had been dead for too long, and there was nothing left to absorb. As we approached the water, we were taken aback to find five spiders still alive and stirring.

  I immediately asked Rabbit, “Why are they alive?”

  “Those must be the spiders that followed you to the water, beneath the layer of smoke from the fire. I guess when you filled the cave full of air again, it helped these spiders wake up. They’ll likely suffer long-term brain damage, but for now, they might not be combat-ready. Hmm,” Rabbit mused, his thoughts veering into a tangent. “I’m not entirely sure about the specific damage to creatures with simpler cognitive structures. If their frontal cortex was impacted, assuming they have one, would it significantly affect beings that rely primarily on their cerebellum for basic functions? I would think…”

  As he was winding up, I decided to cut him off prematurely, “Enough. Any advice?”

  “I would kill them sooner than later,” Rabbit stated.

  “Thanks, oh wise one,” I replied sarcastically.

  Jack and Kaylie were standing next to me in a defensive posture. I put my hand in my bag and pulled out my sword, and dropped my light stick, deactivating the illumination it had. I was planning to use that light in battle, but holding it would get in my way. Unless I held the object, it wouldn’t give off light. Gosh, why can’t things work out the way I want them to? Why did reality have to be such a drag sometimes?

  While the other two were standing there, holding the light, I decided to charge. They gave me enough illumination, and I didn’t want to provide the spiders with a chance to regain their strength or clarity.

  My sudden leap forward caught our adversaries off guard. With the advantage of striking first, I could concentrate more effectively. Using the Mana Strengthening technique that Jack had taught me, I channeled the mana into my arms and brought my sword crashing down on the centermost spider. Flanked by others and with water behind it, the spider had no room to dodge or escape.

  The positioning for the first strike, coupled with my adept use of Mana Strengthening, was perfect. I wasn’t sure how the rest of the battle would turn out since we did so poorly against three spiders before, but this was one hit I wasn’t going to miss.

  I swung my weapon down in a wide arc. The blade connected with the spider, and a loud clang reverberated through the cavern.

  Then, crack!

  My sword snapped in half.

  My first thought was, Oh, shit! Followed by a less helpful, Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!

  In most video games, your sword never breaks, so I hadn’t even considered it a possibility. I'd played games where a weapon's durability would slowly degrade, but you could always repair it before it snapped. However, this was reality, and clearly, things worked differently here. Metal, unlike stone, doesn't gradually weaken. It remains robust until it suddenly fails. Sure, the edge would dull and require sharpening, but a complete break? That was unexpected. Now, with my broken sword in hand, I was at a loss for what to do next.

  Luckily, just as my sword broke and my thoughts raced, Rabbit instructed, “Dive forward”.

  Without questioning or retreating, I immediately followed his advice. I leaped over the spider that had caused my sword to snap, even as the other two closed in from either side. My initial strategy to trap the middle spider backfired, as it led to my own flanking.

  As I vaulted over the spider, I landed in waist-deep water. The dive submerged my entire body, providing a brief respite from my foes. Emerging from the water, I noticed the spider I had struck was still down. I couldn't tell if it was dead or merely stunned.

  Meanwhile, Jack charged at the remaining spiders, his ax raised, moving with unexpected agility. Kaylie stood calmly in the background, holding the light stick, observing the chaos unfold.

  Jack’s war cry drew the spiders’ attention, and I knew I had to move. My sword was useless now, so I had my hands. I lunged forward, seizing a leg from the dazed spider and another from the one beside it.

  The second spider thrashed, trying to wrench itself free, but I held on tight. With all my strength, I wrenched both of them into the water with me.

  The pool exploded around us, spraying the rocky outcrop where I had been standing. The stunned spider snapped awake, and both began to thrash, their limbs scraping stone and churning water. Rabbit lit their shapes in my mind, keeping me from losing track in the dim light.

  The shallows gave me footing, but they were too small to hold both enemies off. If I stayed, the other two would close in on me. I had to move.

  Realizing I could not fight them here, I retreated. I leapt over the deeper section of the pool, stretching for the far ledge. My gauntlet slammed against the rock, fingers finding a grip.

  But I had not escaped clean. One spider hooked onto me as I jumped. Its legs wrapped tight around my chest, its weight dragging at my armor. Hanging from the ledge with one hand, I pressed my other hand against its face to keep its fangs from finding a gap.

  We were locked together on the edge of the drop. It could not bite through me, and I could not shake it free.

  Meanwhile, my distraction had cleared the way for Jack. He capitalized on the opportunity for one-on-one combat, quickly dismantling a lone spider on the shore. He then charged toward the spider in the shallow end, trying to escape the water. Hindered by the water's drag and lacking any perch, the spider was at a significant disadvantage. As it extended a leg above the water, Jack swiftly cleaved it off. After losing two legs, the spider was utterly defenseless. Unable to stand, and with Jack's precise strikes, he easily continued to sever the remaining legs.

  With two more spiders on the shore, Jack swiftly severed the legs on one side of a spider, then circled another to position it strategically. He lifted his ax, but instead of striking downward in a typical chop, he swung it horizontally like a golf club, using the flat of the blade. This powerful swing sent the spider flying backward. It landed in the deep end of the water and began to sink swiftly out of sight.

  Jack strolled over and crouched beside me, seemingly unfazed by the tense situation. One of my hands clung to the wall while the other was fully extended, holding the spider just out of reach. Its mouth agape, it seemed poised to bite at any moment, venom dripping from its fangs. Yet, neither of us could make a move. Drowning it wasn't an option, as it would simply climb up my arm. My only choice was to keep my body submerged while my arm stayed above water, preventing the spider from advancing.

  Jack glanced over at us and quipped, "Are you two done making out? I've heard some spiders like to eat their mates after copulation. Not sure what you've been up to, but I can give you more time if needed."

  “Nah, I think I’m done with your mother. She has been getting a bit handsy, though,” I shot back.

  “That’s not my mother. I know it’s confusing for you, given your high skill level in bestiality,” Jack retorted with a smirk.

  "Is there actually a skill for bestiality?" I asked, genuinely curious.

  Jack cocked his head, turned back, and replied, “You know I don’t know, but you should ask your father. He does seem overly fond of goats.”

  That comment made me smile even though I was still stuck with this spider. It just wouldn’t give up. As Kaylie approached, she chimed in, “Ladies, ladies, you are both beautiful. Can we stop fighting and focus on getting rid of this spider?”

  “I agree. I have no idea where this spider’s mouth has been, and I definitely don’t want it on me. A little help here?” I requested.

  Jack knelt and drew a knife from his boot with a flourish. "I like to keep a little extra something on me, just in case."

  It suddenly hit me how close the spider was and how entangled it had become. Jack couldn’t use his ax without risking hitting me, and I was unsure of his intentions with the dagger. I stuttered, “W-wait. Never mind, I can handle it by myself.”

  “Don’t wuss out now. You did so well in the fight. It makes me think you can actually handle yourself,” Jack remarked. And it was true. In this battle, at least, I hadn’t made any mistakes. I even managed two spiders at once. It wasn’t actual fighting but more like tying them up, which significantly eased my allies' efforts. Tactically, it was a solid move, especially since Jack had expected me to fumble.

  So, I mustered my courage and said, “Okay, I’m ready.” I braced myself, expecting to be stabbed along with the spider. Instead, Jack plunged the knife up through its gaping mouth. The creature twitched, and its legs began to untangle from my arm as it started to die.

  Instinctively, I activated Soul Absorption and felt the power surge into me. After that fight, I felt a bit drained, but the influx of energy gave me a slight high that invigorated me.

  “You know, when your eyes glow, it’s kind of creepy,” Jack commented as I basked in the newfound power. “You might want to close them when you do that, especially in a place this dark.”

  “Aww, boo. You were looking into my eyes?” I teased, dripping with sarcasm.

  In response, Jack playfully shoved me off the ledge into the water. The spider's limp legs clung to me briefly, dragging me down, but I quickly shrugged them off and surfaced. Soon after, I climbed out, soaking wet. I could still hear Kaylie teasing Jack for being my 'boo'. Call me crazy, but the risk of almost drowning again just to mess with him felt worth it.