Alright, next steps. I thought as I faced the tunnel.

  Get through whatever bat-shit crazy I find on the other end and keep going. If I get through enough, maybe I can figure out where I am or how to get home. Not sure I want to go home, but it'd be nice to have the option.

  My new [Rootweave Boots] gripped the stone quite well, much better than my only sneakers, as I took my first steps into the tunnel. Then again, my old sneakers were just that, old sneakers, while these boots were bonafide magic items. Admittedly, the boots didn't interest me nearly as much as the [Mirage of the Root-Nexus], the new cloak I'd picked up. Though it hadn't stayed as a cloak for long, I'd found out I could get it to change shape rather easily. I'd spent more time than I cared to admit swapping from a cloak, to a suit coat, to a trench coat, and a few others in between before I'd settled on a black knee-length coat with a thin set of lapels and a hood that was left off for the moment. I'd always enjoyed the look of these coats, and now I had one that could look however I wanted it to.

  The tunnel stretched before me, dark and foreboding. I activated [Stealth] and moved forward cautiously, my enhanced eyes piercing the gloom. The soft glow of luminescent moss provided just enough light to navigate by. As I ventured deeper, the air grew thick with an earthy scent. My enhanced senses picked up faint vibrations through the stone beneath my feet. Something was moving ahead. I slowed my pace, double-checking that [Stealth] was active as I crept forward. The tunnel opened into a vast cavern, its ceiling lost in darkness above. Massive root structures crisscrossed the space, forming an intricate web. My [Web walker's Grace] tingled in the back of my mind, urging me to traverse the root network. I hesitated, scanning for threats. That's when I saw them—dozens of dark, chitinous forms scuttling along the roots. Giant insects of some kind.

  I froze, my heart pounding as I assessed the situation. The insects seemed preoccupied, moving with purpose along the root highways. Their mandibles clicked and antennae twitched as they communicated in the alien language of insects. I couldn't help but wonder if my [Authority of the Hollow Web] might have some effect on these creatures. They weren't spiders, but they were definitely arachnid-adjacent.

  Carefully, I reached out with my senses, trying to exert some influence over the insectoid horde. To my surprise, I felt a faint connection—not control, exactly, but perhaps a sort of acknowledgment. The nearest insects paused, their compound eyes swivelling in my direction. I held my breath, unsure if I'd just made a terrible mistake. There was a small feeling of retort in the back of my mind as I felt [Stealth] deactivate, unable to stand up under the gaze of so many creatures aware of my presence. For several long moments, there was a sense of growing hostility as more and more insects turned to face me.

  Then a screen popped open in front of me.

  I exhaled slowly, relief washing over me. The insects hadn't immediately swarmed to attack, which I took as a good sign. Instead, they seemed... curious. Their antennae waved in my direction, sampling the air. I could sense their confusion, as if they recognized something familiar in me but couldn't quite place it. Hopefully, they wouldn't recognize me as a predator. I was absolutely certain I could kill any one of them without issue, especially if I took my spider form, but the dozens I could see? And possibly hundreds more that lived in the colossal cavern I found myself in? If I were caught in a mob that size, it would tear me apart.

  Taking advantage of their hesitation, I carefully made my way onto the nearest root structure. My [Rootweave Boots] gripped the gnarled surface effortlessly, and I felt a surge of confidence as [Web walker's Grace] kicked in. Apparently, the root structures that covered the cavern I found myself in were web-like enough to allow the ability to work. Moving with a grace I'd never possessed before the System, I began to traverse the intricate network of roots. The combination of my boots and bloodline ability made the journey much easier, but it was still strange, particularly as I didn't have a similar way to grip the surface of the roots with my hands. Going upside down simply wasn't going to be an option for me. I was unwilling to contemplate my life ending with a sudden stop, just because my boots came undone with some unfortunate timing. Thankfully, the root structure I was climbing wasn't so steep an angle as to require more than bending down somewhat to counter the angle of the ascent. As I continued upwards, I took careful note that the horde of insects was slowly going back to their tasks, seemingly content that I wasn't a threat. I could still feel eyes on me, however. I was effectively in enemy territory now, I couldn't let myself forget that, even if the ant like insects were peaceful for the moment.

  The cavern was truly massive; it was multiple times the size of the previous cavern that contained the jungle. As I navigated the root network, climbing higher and higher, I marveled at the sheer scale of this underground ecosystem. The roots themselves were as thick as tree trunks, twisting and intertwining in a complex tapestry that spanned the entirety of the cavern. My enhanced vision allowed me to pick out details in the gloom that would have been invisible to normal eyes. The insects, still wary but no longer openly hostile, gave me a wide berth as I moved. I could feel their compound eyes tracking my progress, but the faint influence of my [Authority of the Hollow Web] seemed to be keeping them at bay. For now, at least.

  As I ventured deeper into the cavern, I began to notice strange, pulsing veins of energy running through some of the larger roots. They glowed with a soft, bioluminescent light that shifted between shades of blue and green. It wasn't quite like the jungle previously, where everything had been a shock of blue against a backdrop of black. The energy didn't seem to dance like sparks playing over the surface of every pattern; instead, it was a prolonged pulsing every few seconds, where another seemed to begin just as the last came to an end.

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  I turned my gaze on the insects, watching intently as they traversed the strange network of giant roots. Crouching low on the root I occupied, I settled in to observe. I needed a better Idea of the capabilities of these insects. I needed to know their strengths and weaknesses, how to kill them. It was inevitable that I'd have to fight at least some of them. I was utterly certain there was a boss here that I was going to have to fight to advance, even if the system hadn't issued a quest just yet.

  Time slipped past, and I wasn't sure how long I stared at the skittering insects as they trekked up and down the roots, sometimes carrying chunks of foliage or what looked like it might have been part of a large mushroom once. They clung to the roots with ease, even carrying loads that were twice the size of their insectoid bodies. The insects seemed to work well together for the most part. The moment I noted that, however, several insects clacked their mandibles, as a group of three rushed a group of two that were carrying a large chunk of white plant matter between them. It was barely a fight. Two of the attackers went directly for the legs of the ant-insects that were carrying their load. I watched on with interest as the group of three rapidly worked to tear the legs from their quarry. It was quick, brutal, and utterly vicious. With each insect missing a leg, they couldn't move as well, and their load tumbled from their mandibles, falling back down to the cavern floor. Now lacking their load, the pair turned to face their aggressors, but it was far too late for that, outnumbered and wounded. They seemed to lack the capability of feeling fear as they faced down the group of three. Not that it mattered in the end. I watched as the pair were torn apart and devoured by the group of three. It was a grisly sight to be sure.

  What interested me was that as I watched the group of three who focused intently on their meal, there was a slight tingle in the back of my mind. The part of my mind that sensed threats had sat up to pay attention to these three insects. It wasn't much of a change; I still didn't feel like any of the insects I could see were much of a threat to me. Yet I could feel that their level of threat had risen, just a little bit. They felt more threatening than the enemies in the previous chamber as well, though not on the level of the [Serpent Root Sentinel]. The trio of insects wandered away from the scene of their victory after the last piece of their fallen foes had been devoured, and the other insects gave them a wider berth as they went. I couldn't be sure if that was because they were stronger than average now or because they'd just killed other insects in plain view.

  I grinned from my high perch on the root. I couldn't help but feel that I was gaining new skills too quickly, and the tap would run dry sooner or later. For now, I'd take whatever the system offered and run with it. With barely a thought, I triggered [Analyze], targeting one of the trio I'd been observing. I felt a brief mental tug as my perception clashed against the creature's charisma stat. For a moment, I feared I'd failed and alerted it to my presence. Then the resistance shattered, and a new screen popped open in front of me.

  I grimaced, that wasn't much information to go off of. There was a feeling in the back of my mind, though, that there was more information on offer here. I focused on expanding the screen with more details, like I would open a drop-down menu if I were using a PC. The screen expanded, revealing more details about the creature:

  I studied the information the screen supplied, particularly intrigued by the [Pack Tactics] skill. It didn't seem to quite fit with the rest of the skills the creature had. I could guess the effects of [Mandible Strike], [Chitinous armour], and [Root Climber]. An attack skill focused on the mandibles, a defensive skill focused on their exoskeleton, and a skill to assist them in traversing their habitat. [Pack tactics] was the odd one out with no relation to one of the creature's physical characteristics. I focused on that specific ability, wanting to see if I could get more information on it.

  I froze, quickly reading through the updated skill information. It wasn't terrible news, but it seemed there wouldn't be an opportunity to gain more information for free. I'd have to win another contest, this time with some sort of disadvantage. It was good to know for the future, in this case, I had four times the amount of perception that my target had in charisma. Even at a disadvantage, I didn't see myself losing the contest. On other targets in the future, things might not be so cut and dry. I could already imagine creatures and perhaps even other people with skills that might be able to hide or even alter their own information to lure a potential attacker into a trap. I had no idea if such a thing was possible, but it was certainly something to be aware of.

  I activated [Analyze] again, this time digging for information on [Pack Tactics]. I felt a similar resistance this time as well, though it was stronger than it had been previously. After a moment, I felt the sensation I associated with winning the contest, and a new screen appeared.

  I whistled softly as I read the description. That was concerning. If this ant-like insect worked with three others, its stats would be much closer to mine, particularly their strength. There was already a suspicion creeping up the back of my mind that most, if not all, of the ants probably had this skill as well. If they all worked together, I'd face dozens of enemies that could nearly equal at least one of my stat lines. That was not good. At that moment, I decided I was going to have to do everything I could to avoid taking these creatures on in groups.