Demonic Dragon: Harem System

As Strax and Cristine walked back, the forest air seemed heavier, and the silence was almost oppressive. The trees around them intertwined their branches like a living web, and the atmosphere was growing even more hostile.

Cristine, with adrenaline still coursing through her veins, stayed alert, ready for any further surprises. Strax walked silently beside her, trying to pick up any slight movement to avoid problems up ahead.

[You have entered a Raid Area]

Strax read the message in a red box with golden borders, the message was simple enough…

'Damn... a Raid? Are we talking about one of those Mythic RPG dungeons? Great…' he thought as the notification popped up.

"Dear… what's a Raid?" Cristine asked, and Strax looked at her, 'I keep forgetting they can see some of these messages now…'

"It's a term used to describe an area infested with monsters…" Strax tried to explain as best as he could. "Looks like the Nest is just up ahead," he added.

"They're close. Let's go," he ordered, and Cristine nodded.

In just a few minutes of running, they finally reached a clearing and saw the familiar silhouettes of the others. Yennifer, Cristine's sister, was up ahead, talking with Rogue and Samira, while Monica, Veronica, and Beatrice scanned the surroundings, clearly tense.

Upon noticing Strax and Cristine approaching, Yennifer's face broke into a relieved smile, but concern quickly took over as she noticed their exhaustion.

"Looks like you two had a rather unfriendly reception," she said, raising an eyebrow. "We were attacked too... and those spiders were no easy fight."

Beatrice nodded, her expression grim. "Those spiders… they come out of nowhere, fast and coordinated. Monica saved Samira at the last second from one."

Samira tried to keep her composure and gave a half-smile. "It was nothing," she said, but her face betrayed her nerves. "Though I'll admit, these spiders are different. They move as if… synchronized."

"And not just that," Monica continued. "It's like they're studying us, as if they're all part of one entity."

"Giant spiders with a strategy? That's a first for me," Strax commented, running a hand over his chin in thought. "They're like a well-organized army."

Cristine looked at Strax. "Do you think the queen is controlling them all? The ones we faced were fierce but pretty weak, nothing compared to a united attack force. If all these spiders are somehow linked to the queen, we're dealing with a threat bigger than we expected."

Rogue, who had been standing off to the side, stepped closer. "Then let's end this now. We head into the cave, destroy the nest, and anything inside. The sooner we do it, the better. This place is giving me chills; my instincts are screaming for me to run," she muttered, rubbing her arm as if trying to shake off some deep-seated fear.

Samira nodded. "Sounds straightforward… but there's bound to be more surprises along the way. I've got a bad feeling too…"

"We'll just deal with it," Strax said, eyeing the location ahead. "That's it, right?" he asked, looking at a wall with a dark hole that appeared to be a cave entrance.

"Yes… I wanted to just burn the whole thing down, but… well, the webs don't block the entrance too much, so there's nothing flammable for a fire to last long. We'd have to go inside, and since it's just me and you who can use fire… it's complicated," Samira said, twirling her hair a bit nervously.

"We go in and get out fast…" Strax said. "Samira and I are essential, so we're going in. The rest of you—at least two should stay outside in case we need backup."

"I and Rogue will stay outside," Veronica said, breaking her silence after carefully assessing the situation. "Given that I'm the best swordswoman here, fighting in cramped spaces could backfire. My strikes might trigger tremors, and since Rogue specializes in open-field speed combat, confined spaces will limit her advantage."

Strax nodded. "Understood. Let's get moving."

With the roles set, the group prepared to enter the nest. The women positioned themselves protectively, forming a defensive line as Strax and Samira led the way. The cave entrance loomed, a gaping mouth carved into a rocky cliff, giving off the impression it was waiting to swallow them whole. The air grew denser, heavy with dampness and the sickly stench of decaying webs.

"Well… here we go. No choice now, right?" Samira murmured, swallowing hard.

"It's going to be fine. Let's just get through this," Strax reassured, stepping forward.

They descended into a narrow tunnel lined with webbing that seemed to pulse. The sticky floor slowed their steps, and a faint, ominous sound echoed through the cavern—like the countless legs of unseen creatures moving just beyond sight.

"This feels like a trap… like they're waiting for us," Yennifer whispered to Cristine.

Cristine nodded, gripping her dagger. "We just need to stay alert and be ready."

Suddenly, movement stirred in the shadows around them. Small spiders started pouring out of the walls, dropping from the ceiling, scuttling over the ground in droves. They were too numerous to count, their eyes glinting in the darkness with a malicious gleam that seemed to intensify as they multiplied.

'They're small…' Strax thought, comparing these to the larger ones he'd torched before. These newborn spiders were only the size of a small bird, whereas the others had been as large as a big dog. 'So, either they grow fast or are mutated. These are definitely newborns.'

Samira let out an exasperated sigh, gripping her sword tighter as she prepared to ignite it. "Of course, this had to happen… just our luck!"

"We're surrounded," Monica muttered, her voice tight with tension.

Strax raised a hand, signaling for everyone to brace themselves. "Stay together and protect each other. We're going to clear a path to the center."

With a swift motion, he cast a ring of fire around them, briefly forcing the spiders back. But they quickly began closing in again, ignoring the flames as their numbers continued to swell.

Cristine wasted no time, slashing through the incoming spiders with her blades. Beatrice, concentrating, cast a protective barrier around the group—a barrier that was already buckling under the relentless assault of the creatures piling against it. She'd recently learned this spell, and it was clear it took a toll.

"This won't hold much longer!" Beatrice shouted, her face taut as the barrier flickered.

"We need a quick solution!" Yennifer yelled to Strax, her gaze darting to him. "We're getting overwhelmed by sheer numbers here!"

Strax scanned their surroundings, looking for an escape route. "Follow me; we'll carve our way through. We need to reach the center before the queen gets alerted."

He gathered energy into his hands, unleashing an intense flame that incinerated the nearest spiders, creating a temporary opening. Cristine and the others followed closely, rushing through the corridor covered in webs and spiders swarming in to close the gap behind them.

They pushed forward with difficulty as the spiders continued their relentless attacks from all sides. The constant clatter of legs grew louder and louder, almost like a monstrous roar. The sounds of battle, the smell of burning, and the oppressive darkness created an atmosphere thick with despair. But despite it all, the group pressed on, determined to reach the heart of the nest and destroy the source of the spiders' power.

Suddenly, Samira cried out, "More spiders! They're coming from everywhere!"

Spiders were swarming from all directions, moving in an endless wave as if they were part of a single, monstrous entity. They climbed up the walls, dropped from the ceiling, and covered the floor. There was no escape.

Strax raised his hands again, his flames burning brighter than ever. "This is our last push! We can't give up now!"

He unleashed a wave of fire around them, incinerating everything in its path. The smaller spiders were instantly vaporized, but the larger, older ones began to resist the flames. Now he could see the "giant" spiders Sylvia had mentioned.

The tension in the air thickened as he noticed spiders the size of cows. "Holy shit," he muttered, not alone in his shock.

"What the hell!" Samira shouted, swinging her flaming sword.

"We have no choice…" Strax murmured. He hadn't wanted to resort to this, but he was left with no other option.

[Underworld Fire Manipulation]

A wave of dark flames surrounded the group, a sea of black fire spreading in every direction, incinerating anything that touched it.

With this final effort, they managed to reach a massive central chamber. In the center, ensnared in dense webs, stood the Twelve-Legged Demon Spider, its cold, cruel eyes watching them with chilling intelligence. It was at least the size of a two-story building, and the cavern held multiple escape routes she could use to flee.

'Well, for a creature that size, it makes sense to have tunnels for escape…'

"KRRIIIIRIII!" She let out a piercing shriek, and the surrounding spiders responded instantly, redoubling their efforts to encircle the group. The queen moved, her twelve long, sharp legs touching the ground with an unsettling grace.

Cristine looked at Strax, her voice shaking. "I-isn't it too big?" He nodded, his gaze resolute. "We need to strike now."

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[Mythic Quest: Defeat the Final Raid Boss – Twelve-Legged Demon Spider]

[Reward: (Incalculable)]