Ares had seen spiders before—harmless ones, the kind that clung to ceilings or skittered across walls.

  This wasn’t one of them.

  The thing clung to the uneven rock above, eight legs curled inward, waiting. Its body was bulky but sleek, covered in a shell-like exoskeleton that gleamed faintly in the dim light. The abdomen pulsed, a telltale sign of a web shooter. Venomous fangs twitched, dripping a thick, translucent fluid onto the stone below.

  This was a predator. And it was hungry.

  Ares’ heartbeat pounded in his ears. He couldn’t overpower this thing. He had to outthink it.

  The spider struck first.

  A sudden burst of webbing shot toward him, a sticky thread aimed at his chest. Ares barely rolled aside in time, the web smacking against the cavern wall behind him with a wet slap. The momentum of his dodge sent him sliding on loose gravel, scraping his arm against jagged rock.

  System: [Warning—Minor abrasion detected. Blood loss negligible]

  “Yeah, thanks,” he muttered, wincing.

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  System: [Activating Combat Protocol]

  The spider lunged, its front legs stabbing at him like spears. Ares ducked, feeling the rush of displaced air as the sharp limbs gouged deep into the stone where he had just stood. If those had hit him—

  No. He couldn’t think about that.

  He needed a plan.

  His eyes flicked to the environment. The ground was uneven, scattered with loose rocks. The walls were lined with stalactites—natural spears of stone. His mind raced.

  The spider lunged again, but this time Ares was ready. Instead of dodging outright, he sidestepped, causing the spider’s legs to pierce into a narrow crevice in the rock. For a brief second, it was stuck.

  Ares didn’t waste the opportunity.

  He grabbed a jagged rock and smashed it down on the spider’s exposed leg joint. A sickening crunch echoed through the cave. The spider shrieked—a high-pitched, unnatural sound—as thick, dark fluid leaked from the wound.

  But it wasn’t enough.

  The creature ripped itself free, dragging its injured limb. Ares barely had time to react before it fired another burst of webbing. This time, he couldn’t dodge.

  The sticky silk wrapped around his left arm, yanking him forward with terrifying force. His body slammed against the rock floor, knocking the wind out of him.

  System: [Impact detected—Ribs strained. No fractures]

  His vision blurred for a second. The spider closed in, fangs dripping venom.

  He was out of time.

  His eyes darted upward—stalactites. He had one shot.

  Using his free hand, he grabbed a rock and hurled it at the ceiling with everything he had. The impact dislodged a sharp, spear-like stalactite.

  Gravity did the rest.

  The stone plummeted down, piercing through the spider’s back with a sickening crack. The monster’s shriek was cut short. Its legs twitched violently, then slumped.

  Ares lay there, panting, his whole body trembling.

  System: [Threat neutralized]

  He barely had time to register the victory before exhaustion slammed into him. His body hurt everywhere. But he was alive.

  And now, he had food.