The forest was quiet.
Too quiet.
Ray prowled through the underbrush, nose twitching with every subtle scent, ears alert for any threat. His paws ached from the uneven ground, and his black fur was caked in dried blood and dirt. The aftermath of killing the demon wolf alpha left him stronger—but also vulnerable. Injured. Tired. Alone.
Night had fallen hours ago, but the cursed forest never truly slept. Eyes stared at him from the shadows—some cautious, others hungry. He needed shelter. A place to rest, recover, think.
Then he saw it.
A jagged crack in a moss-covered cliffside, hidden behind thick vines and ancient stone roots. Cold air drifted from within, reeking of damp earth and something older—something wrong. But to his worn-out body, it looked like salvation.
Finally… a place to hide.
He approached the cave slowly, nose pressed to the ground. No fresh scents near the entrance. No signs of tracks.
Safe enough.
The darkness swallowed him as he crossed the threshold. Inside, the air was colder. Thicker. The stone beneath his paws was damp and slick. He ventured deeper, his low growl echoing off unseen walls.
Then he saw it.
White. Silky. Sticky.
Webs.
They lined the walls, the ceiling, some even stretched across the floor. Thick strands, pulsing faintly with a sickly red glow. Something about them sent a shiver down his spine.
His instincts screamed: Run.
But another part of him—his human curiosity—urged him onward.
There might be food in here. Or something valuable. Or maybe I can just hide until dawn.
He pushed forward, weaving around the webs. Then he saw bones—small ones at first. Rodents. Then wolves. Then humanoids. Skulls with twisted horns. Ribcages torn apart.
Ray froze.
This isn't a den.
It's a nest.
Then came the sound.
Click. Click. Click.
Faint at first. Then louder. Like claws tapping on stone. He looked up.
Eight crimson eyes blinked into existence high above him.
A nightmare descended from the ceiling.
---
Demon Spider - Rank D
Status: Aggressive | Nest Guardian
Level: 9
Size: Large | Venomous | Webs
---
It was massive—easily twice his size. Its body was covered in hard, obsidian chitin that shimmered in the low light. Fangs the size of daggers dripped venom onto the cave floor, sizzling on contact. Its eight legs moved with unnatural speed and silence, encircling him.
Ray backed away, fur raised, tail stiff, growl low.
Too big. Too fast.
Run!
He turned to bolt.
Web shot from above, slamming into the entrance, sealing it shut.
He was trapped.
The Demon Spider hissed, rearing back, then lunged.
Ray barely dodged the lunge, rolling to the side as its fangs stabbed into the stone where he'd stood. He leapt up and slashed at its leg with his claws. Sparks flew—his claws barely scraped the chitin.
The spider retaliated with a sweeping leg, knocking him across the cave. He hit the wall hard, ribs howling in pain.
Damn it…
He scrambled up, panting, blood dripping from his flank.
---
[Warning: Heavy Damage Sustained]
[HP: 43%]
---
Think!
He wasn't stronger. Not yet.
But he was smarter.
The spider lunged again. Ray dodged under it and bit down on one of its legs—this time aiming for the softer joint. His fangs sank in. The spider shrieked, yanking its leg away and tearing open its own flesh.
Black blood splattered the floor.
---
+3 EXP
Enemy Status: Minor Injury | Enraged
---
It hissed again, eyes glowing brighter.
The cave trembled.
From the shadows came more sounds.
Smaller spiders.
Four of them, half his size, scuttled in from the sides—minions.
Ray's heart sank.
Of course it has a damn family.
The Demon Spider advanced, its smaller kin circling behind him.
He was cornered.
Ray lowered himself into a crouch, eyes darting. If he fought the big one, the little ones would swarm him. If he focused on the little ones, the big one would rip him apart.
He needed chaos.
He darted toward the nearest small spider, jaws open, fangs flashing. He crushed it in one brutal bite, blood coating his muzzle.
---
+2 EXP
Enemy Downed: Hatchling Demon Spider
Hunger + Slightly Restored
---
The others screeched and lunged at him, biting and slashing. One caught his shoulder. Another bit his tail.
He yelped, spun, and slammed one into the stone wall.
Too many.
Venom burned through his veins.
---
[Venom Status: Weak Paralysis Applied]
[Speed -15% | Agility -10% | Duration: 2 minutes]
---
I'm dying.
Then he remembered the webbing.
The spider had sealed the entrance with it. The sticky strands pulsed with infernal energy—but maybe… maybe they could burn.
He spun and dashed toward the thickest webbing near the wall, dragging one of the smaller spiders with him.
The Demon Spider chased him, shrieking.
Ray bit down on the hatchling's body and threw it into the web.
The corpse hit the strands.
SIZZLE.
The demonic silk ignited in eerie green flame, spreading fast.
The entrance burst open as the fire tore through the webbing.
Light streamed in.
Hope.
Ray bolted, but the spider screamed and pounced—too fast.
He turned at the last second and lunged low, going under its leap.
It passed over him.
He bit again—at its wounded leg.
This time, he ripped.
The limb tore off in a spray of dark ichor.
The spider crashed to the ground, shrieking in pain, and flailed violently.
Ray ran.
---
[+7 EXP]
[Boss Demon Spider Status: Major Injury | Mobility Severely Decreased]
---
But the spider wasn't done. Even on three legs, it crawled after him—slower, but driven by rage.
Ray reached the outside.
The moonlight hit his fur.
He turned.
The spider lunged one final time.
Ray jumped aside—and it fell off the cliff edge, crashing down into the rocks below with a wet, echoing crack.
Then silence.
He collapsed just outside the cave, panting, bleeding, body shaking from venom and fatigue.
---
[You have survived a Demon-Class encounter]
[Title Earned: "One Fang Against the Abyss"]
[Skill Unlocked: Venom Resistance Lv.1]
[EXP: 89 / 100]
---
He didn't get to celebrate.
He blacked out.
---
The Aftermath
When he woke, the sun was barely up.
His wounds had begun to clot, and the venom had weakened, thanks to his new resistance.
The cave was still there behind him, but he dared not return. He'd survived. But only barely.
That spider had been the stuff of nightmares. And he was still only a Lower Demon Wolf. Whatever world this was, it didn't care that he was once human. It didn't care about fair fights or second chances.
Only strength mattered.
He'd almost died twice in two days. No tutorials. No guides. Just instinct and pain.
But he was learning.
Fast.
He limped to the nearby stream, washed off the blood, and stared into the water. The reflection that stared back was still monstrous. But something had changed.
There was hunger there now—not for food.
For growth.
---
Status Update
Name: Ray
Race: Lower Demon Wolf
Level: 3
Titles: Instinct-Driven, One Fang Against the Abyss
Traits: Adaptive Mind Lv.1, Savage Instinct Lv.1, Venom Resistance Lv.1
Skills: None
HP: 57%
EXP: 89 / 100
Condition: Wounded, Recovering, Alert
---