Chapter 5: Into the Darkness

I felt a mix of excitement and melancholy. We'd just met, but it was fun playing with ShadowStalker. I missed his presence already, but there was no time to dwell on it. With my stream chat mostly offering words of encouragement, I set off toward a nearby dungeon marked on my map.

The landscape around me was bleak, a barren wasteland dotted with the occasional rocky outcrop. But every now and then, I noticed small cave icons on my minimap—dungeons, apparently. I realized I really needed to dig into the actual game lore more. For now, though, I was just winging it.

The entrance to the dungeon was a gaping maw in the side of a rocky hill, dark and foreboding. The cave walls were jagged, and the air was cool and damp. I took a deep breath and stepped inside, the dim light from the cave entrance quickly fading behind me. My avatar let out a faint blue glow, casting eerie shadows on the walls as I ventured deeper.

"Alright, folks," I said to my viewers, trying to keep my voice steady. "Time to see what this dungeon has in store for us. Though if I'm being honest, probably nothing. I mean, the whole world is abandoned."

Viewer 3: They might just retcon that into more lore.

"True that," I said, smiling at the thought. This game had a way of surprising you.

The dungeon was more like a cave, with narrow passages that twisted and turned. As I walked, I encountered weak spider creatures scuttling across the ground. They were small and didn't pose much of a threat, but their sheer numbers were unsettling.

Squash! Just stepping on them was enough to kill. I got some XP—barely enough to increase my XP gauge by a mere percentage after killing seven or eight spiders. Their bodies disintegrated into pixels, leaving behind a faintly glowing residue. It was clear that these creatures were meant to be more of an annoyance than a real challenge.

"At least give me a drop item," I commented, slicing through another group of spiders. "But I'm guessing the real challenge is deeper in—hopefully."

The cave grew darker as I pressed on, my light barely illuminating the path ahead. The sound of my footsteps echoed through the cavern, mixing with the occasional chittering of spiders. I kept my guard up, expecting something more dangerous to appear at any moment.

But the danger never came, and the cave just went on and on.

"Guess I'll take a break?" I glanced at the chat, seeing that my viewers were having a blast. I had five viewers right now—not bad, not bad at all. "Hopefully, it won't be something super bad and insta KO me," I laughed.

I spent like five minutes going through my abilities and skills and magic and whatnot. I didn't really find much. Just Blade Dance which I could use four times a day, two hours apart. I didn't have magic or other skills, yet.

Anyway,

After navigating a series of winding tunnels, I finally reached a large chamber. The air was thick with mold, and the walls were covered in a sticky, silken substance. In the center of the chamber, an ominous figure loomed.

A giant spider, its body grotesquely enlarged, stood at the far end. The creature's lower half was that of a spider, with long, hairy legs and a bulbous abdomen. Its upper half, however, was that of a woman, with a humanoid torso and arms. Her face was twisted, her eyes glowing with a predatory light. Yet, for some reason, my dumb ass found that hot.

 'Probably the well endowed chest.'

"Not gonna lie, I'd bang that," I muttered, gripping my sword tightly. "Looks like we've found the boss."

Viewer 4: Spider Mommy!

Viewer 5: Bang her? I'd let her bang me!

The spider-woman let out a chilling cry, her voice echoing through the chamber. "Intruder," she hissed. "You dare enter my lair?"

"Yeah, and I'm here to take you down," I replied, barely containing a snicker. "Or something like that."

The battle began with the spider-woman lunging at me, her movements surprisingly agile for such a large creature. I dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding her sharp, venomous fangs. She retaliated by swinging her human arms, her nails elongated into deadly claws.

"Woah!"

I swung my sword, aiming for her legs, but she was quick to evade. Her claws raked across my armor, leaving deep scratches. My health bar dipped, and I quickly downed a health potion to recover.

Yeah, should have bought more.

"She's fast," I kept my eyes on the spider-woman. "But we can do this. Probably."

The spider-woman leaped into the air, landing behind me with a thud. I spun around, bringing my sword down in a powerful arc. The blade bit into one of her legs, and she shrieked in pain. Seizing the opportunity, I launched a flurry of attacks, each strike aimed at her vulnerable joints.

The spider-woman countered with a blast of webbing, which caught me off guard and ensnared my legs. I struggled to free myself as she closed in, her claws poised to strike. With a burst of strength, I tore through the webbing and rolled out of the way just in time.

"Almost," I panted, feeling the adrenaline surge through me. "But god, she's hot."

Daisy: Focus on the battle, not her rack.

The fight continued, a relentless back-and-forth of attacks and dodges. The spider-woman's movements grew more erratic as her health dwindled, but she was still a formidable opponent. Her claws lashed out, and I parried with my sword, feeling the vibrations travel up my arm.

Suddenly, she reared back and unleashed a torrent of venomous spit. I rolled left, trying to dodge, but some splashed onto my armor, sizzling as it ate through the metal. My health bar flashed red, and I knew I had to finish this quickly.

Summoning all my strength, I activated my special skill, Blade Dance. My character launched into a series of rapid strikes, each one glowing with a blue aura—basically, dancing in the meantime. The spider-woman howled as the attacks landed, her health bar plummeting with each strike.

With one final, decisive blow, I drove my sword into her abdomen. The spider-woman let out a final, anguished scream before collapsing, her body disintegrating into pixels.

>> Boss Defeated: The Spider-Woman

I stood there, panting and covered in virtual sweat (and actual sweat under my suit), as the victory notification flashed across my screen. My viewers erupted in cheers, their messages flooding the chat.

Viewer 9: Epic fight! Well done!

Daisy: That was intense! But maybe next time, try to focus more on the fight, not her boobs.

'But she has such nice tities.'

A treasure chest materialized where the spider-woman had fallen. I opened it; three potions, 200 coins, new poison-resistant armor, and a knife? "Not bad," I said, inspecting my new gear. "Looks like this solo venture paid off." And I wasn't as weak despite being low level.

Somewhere around the fight, my viewer count had actually gone as high as 12. No new subs, but hey, this was a huge milestone!