Chapter 29 - The Door On The Second Floor (1/2)

The skulls on the door were gray and didn't look authentic, yet when mixed with the low fog that used to hang over the second floor, it created a macabre atmosphere.

”Luke, should we go back to report this to the Guild?” Nathalia asked as she backed up a few steps.

...

He didn't respond. A bad feeling was engulfing the half-wolf's chest, like a very tight grip.

It is common knowledge that Dungeons are unpredictable and mysterious places, there is never any way to know what is about to happen and that is exactly what the half-wolf feared, the unpredictability.

Dungeon's advertising was simple and effective: a cavern with floors, where on each floor there is only a single monster much stronger than the others.

However, this is just a standard and good, standards are just a way of saying that something averages, and being a standard will not make it a determining rule.

Even though he was scared, Luke could hear what was behind the door. There were still two shallow breaths, almost nil. He considered the possibility that there might be two remnants of the quartet, and if they were, the reward of a gold coin was quite tempting for a thief who used to earn at most three hundred silver coins a month.

”Nathalia, go ask Lorran's group for help. We saw them not fifteen minutes south.”

”No, I will stay.” The girl said firmly and with a fierce look. She was scared, but she kept playing tough.

Luke couldn't determine if she was too dumb or too brave, because if there was a Boss behind this door, it could mean they would both die.

The half-wolf placed both hands on the door and realized it wouldn't be difficult to open it, it didn't feel too heavy and looked at Nathalia, who nodded.

When he applied the necessary force to open it, the stone door creaked and creaked against the floor. Blam! Crrrrr! The hiss of the old door hinges reverberated on that silent floor.

As soon as the door opened fully, the half-wolf noticed something different.

'Is the rotten smell gone?' he thought, confused.

However, the chamber revealed by the door still had the same macabre vibe as the corridors on the second and first floors. Amidst giant spider webs and dust, it wasn't hard to notice two different things: two large cocoons and a giant spider beside them.

The creature had the normal six legs of what you'd expect from a monster spider, furry and bizarre, but the entire back resembled an ordinary person, except that its face was still very much like a spider's.

”Luke draw your sword!” The Elf screamed anxiously and raised her hand to use 'Malevolent Hook'. However, the boy caught her arm before she could use the ability.

Contrary to what the pair believed, the spider, when faced with Luke and Nathalia, climbed the walls and fled through a large hole in the ceiling of the room. Leaving behind the two cocoons and a cobwebbed room. The two breaths the half-wolf heard came from these two cocoons.

With his right index finger, the half-wolf asked Nathalia to be silent, and with his left hand, he lifted his cloak a little, just enough to draw a throwing knife.

As they entered the room, the chill of fear grew worse, and this feeling intensified as they inched towards the white cocoons.

The hole in the ceiling was quite big and looked old. Luke couldn't tell if it led to the first floor or not.

When they were close enough, Luke pulled out one of his knives and began to cut through the cocoon on the right, while Nathalia watched over the surroundings.