Chapter 71: The Web of Despair

  The sunlight streamed through a narrow window, its golden rays cutting through the dim chamber like a knife. Dust motes danced in the light, the only movement in a room that seemed heavy with tension. The walls were stone, unadorned save for banners bearing the Tera crest—an emblem of power, authority, and ambition. The air was cool and still, but it carried the weight of decisions yet to be made.

  A man sat at the room's center, his armor catching the sunlight in brilliant flashes of blue. Each engraving on his plate told a story of past victories, of battles fought and won in service of Tera. He was not a man of leisure but a man of action, his sharp gaze scanning the reports on the table before him. Yet, beneath his imposing presence, there was a simmering frustration, a storm waiting to break.

  Standing behind him was a younger man, clad in lighter armor, bearing the same crest on his chest. He shifted nervously, his hands fidgeting at his sides. The assistant's unease was palpable; the captain’s silence was heavy, a prelude to words that would surely carry weight.

  At last, the captain spoke, his voice low but firm. “What do the other captains think about the developments on the third mountain?”

  The assistant hesitated, glancing at the reports in his hand as if they might shield him from the captain’s intensity. “They... they suggest caution, sir. They’re unsure of the nature of the new master. There’s concern that he might be... a freak.”

  The captain’s gauntleted hand slammed down onto the table, the sound reverberating through the chamber. “A freak?” he barked, his voice dripping with disdain. “Is that their great insight? To cower and call him a freak?” He leaned forward, his sharp eyes locking onto the assistant like a predator sizing up its prey. “Do we have a record of this so-called master? This... Niko?”

  The assistant swallowed hard and nodded. “There’s not much, sir. He arrived in Tera some time ago but chose to remain independent. He didn’t pledge himself to the settlement or its hierarchy.”

  “Of course, he didn’t,” the captain sneered. “Another insolent fool who thinks himself above Tera’s protection. And now, suddenly, he’s strong enough to take the third mountain? That mountain was swarming with ratmen! I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to conquer that hellhole, and yet some unknown upstart has done what we couldn’t.”

  His words hung in the air, heavy with bitterness. The assistant kept his gaze low, afraid to meet the captain’s eyes.

  “Do you know what this is?” the captain continued, his tone cold. “This is what happens when Tera grows soft. The captains are too afraid to act, too afraid to make bold moves. If it were up to me, I’d gather every Protector and every captain and march up that mountain today. But no.” He scoffed, leaning back in his chair. “The others prefer to wait, to see if this so-called master will come crawling to us. Cowards, the lot of them.”

  The assistant shifted uncomfortably. “What are your orders, sir?”

  The captain’s eyes narrowed. “Spread the word to the seventh squadron. I want eyes on that mountain at all times. I want to know about any movement or any sign of strength or weakness. If the other captains are too timid to act, I’ll ensure that the mountain doesn’t grow into a threat under their noses.”

  “Yes, sir.” The assistant turned to leave but paused when the captain spoke again.

  “Any word on the First Captain and his expedition to the inner layer?”

  “Yes, sir,” the assistant replied, turning back. “He returned a few days ago with his new class. However, his expedition was costly. He lost half his squad and didn’t reach the rumored human settlement in the ranked layer near us. He claimed the journey was too dangerous to continue, but he has returned with valuable info.”

  The captain muttered a curse under his breath. “Half his squad, and nothing to really show for it? Typical. It’s been years since we lost contact with that settlement. That connection could’ve strengthened Tera, but no one here has the spine to finish the job. ”

  He stood, walking toward the window. Outside, the sprawling settlement of Tera lay nestled against the mountain, its buildings casting long shadows in the afternoon sun.

  “And the other settlements in this layer?” he asked, his voice quieter now.

  The assistant hesitated. “They’ve been... problematic, sir. The emergence of the third mountain only complicates things further.”

  The captain’s hand clenched into a fist. “And that damned old monster on the other mountain? Still useless, I suppose?”

  The assistant nodded grimly. “As always, sir.”

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  The captain exhaled sharply, his breath fogging the window. “Send word to the First Captain. I want a meeting to discuss his findings. If no one else in Tera has the guts to act, then I’ll make sure we’re prepared for what’s coming. Dismissed.”

  The assistant saluted and left the room, leaving the captain alone with his thoughts. He stood there for a long moment, gazing out over the settlement and the distant silhouette of the third mountain.

  “Mark my words,” he muttered to himself. “I won’t let that mountain rise unchecked. Not while I’m still breathing.”

  The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a deep golden glow over Tera. But within the captain’s heart, there was no light—only the cold, simmering determination of a man who refused to let power slip through his fingers.

  In the suffocating darkness of the ancient prison, a sudden brilliance erupted, piercing through the layers of shadow and illuminating the room in a harsh, cold light. The walls, slick with black goo and coated in dense, silken webs, glistened ominously. The air carried an unsettling dampness, tinged with the sickly-sweet odor of decay.

  As the light faded, the area was plunged back into its eerie gloom, leaving behind a group of several dozen people standing amidst the foreboding scene. Confusion and unease spread among them as they tried to make sense of their surroundings.

  Some of them squinted, their eyes struggling to adjust to the encroaching darkness. A few others began to murmur, their voices a blend of awe and apprehension.

  “Finally!” a man with a wild grin exclaimed, his voice echoing slightly in the cavernous space. “We’re out of that damned preparation world. Earth is behind us!”

  “I can’t believe it,” a woman whispered beside him, her tone filled with equal parts excitement and disbelief. “We’ve made it. This is the real world now—our chance to become something greater.”

  Not everyone shared their enthusiasm. A younger man, barely past his twenties, glanced around nervously. “This... this place doesn’t feel right. What is this? Why does it look like a scene from a horror movie?”

  He wasn’t wrong. The jagged stone walls, the oppressive black goo dripping from unseen crevices, and the webs that stretched from the ceiling to the floor painted a grotesque picture of their new reality.

  “Relax,” barked a muscular man near the front of the group, his deep voice full of overconfidence. He brandished a sword that glowed faintly with a pale blue light. “This is the reality now. Quit trembling. We’ll crush whatever’s in our way!”

  Suddenly, a faint rustling sound echoed through the room. It was soft at first, like the skittering of dry leaves, but it quickly grew louder, closer, more sinister.

  “What the hell was that?” someone asked, their voice breaking.

  Before anyone could respond, a thick, silken strand of webbing shot down from the shadows above, snaring an unsuspecting man. He let out a bloodcurdling scream as the web tightened around him, yanking him upward into the blackness. His terrified cries echoed for only a moment before being abruptly cut off, leaving behind an oppressive silence.

  Panic erupted among the group.

  “Did you see that?” someone shouted, pointing upward.

  “What’s up there?!” screamed another as they stumbled backward, their eyes darting to the dark ceiling.

  Another strand shot down, this time wrapping around a woman who clawed at the sticky material. Her struggles were futile as she was dragged screaming into the shadowy abyss above.

  “Run!” someone yelled, and chaos descended.

  The group splintered, people scattering in all directions like panicked animals. Their hurried footsteps echoed in the cavern, blending with the increasingly loud rustling of whatever horrors lurked in the darkness.

  A confident man stepped forward, his face set with grim determination. “Enough of this!” he bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos. “I’m not going to die here like some coward!”

  With a flourish, he raised his hand, the glow of his skill illuminating his face as he called out, “[Strike of the Water Spirit]!” A brilliant blue light began to coalesce around his palm, spiraling into a form that promised to unleash devastation.

  But before his skill could take shape, a glint of something sharp and terrible descended from the shadows above. A claw, sleek and black as night, pierced his chest with a sickening crunch.

  His eyes widened in shock as blood bubbled from his lips. His glowing hand dimmed, and with a jerking motion, he was ripped upward, disappearing into the void above. The sound of his body being dragged through the webs sent shivers down the spines of the remaining survivors.

  Blood dripped from the ceiling, spattering onto the stone floor below with soft, wet thuds. The room reeked of iron and fear.

  The sight of the man’s swift demise sent the group into full-blown hysteria. Screams filled the air as people sprinted in all directions. Some ran into webs, only to find themselves ensnared. They clawed and screamed, but the sticky strands held them fast.

  Others tried their luck in the open spaces, only to be ambushed by swift, skittering figures descending from above. Sharp claws and fangs flashed in the dim light, tearing into flesh and dragging victims away.

  For those who managed to avoid the immediate carnage, the nightmare was far from over. The skittering sound grew louder, an oppressive cacophony that seemed to come from everywhere at once. Shadows moved unnaturally along the walls, and the glint of multiple glowing red eyes pierced the darkness.

  “They’re everywhere!” a woman screamed, tears streaming down her face as she stumbled over a fallen companion’s body.

  “Stay together!” someone yelled, but their voice was drowned out by the sound of another victim’s screams as they were dragged into the black void.

  The survivors huddled together, their backs pressed against the cold, slimy walls. Every face was pale, every eye wide with terror.

  “Is this what freedom feels like?” a trembling voice asked, echoing the thoughts of many.

  Above them, unseen but all too present, the predators watched and waited, their movements silent now, biding their time for the next strike. The prison wasn’t just a place of containment—it was a hunting ground, and the new arrivals were nothing more than prey.