9 - Spider's Invasion

Aria awoke to the soft chime of an alarm, her eyelids heavy with lingering drowsiness. She groaned, rubbing her eyes before glancing at the clock on the wall.

8:00 AM.

She sighed. Why must it be so early…?

Pushing herself up, she stretched, the stiffness in her muscles reminding her that today wasn't just any day. It was the day of her first gate raid.

After a quick shower, she changed into her guild-issued uniform and walked over to the desk where three folders lay neatly stacked. Each contained details about different E-rank gates she could've chosen. Her fingers hovered over the two unopened ones as doubt crept into her mind.

"Maybe I should've picked one of these instead..."

But it was too late for second thoughts.

Shaking off her hesitation, Aria reached into the drawer and pulled out the dagger Halstein had given her. She held it in her hand, feeling the weight of the blade, the coolness of the metal against her fingertips.

"This feels..."

She trailed off, unable to find the right words. The dagger felt both natural and unfamiliar, like something she should be used to—but wasn't.

Before her thoughts could wander further, she slid the weapon into its sheath and secured it to her waist with a small chain. With a deep breath, she turned toward the door and made her way downstairs.

As she stepped into the guild's main hall, the familiar buzz of activity filled the air—hunters chatting, the tapping of keyboards, and the occasional clatter of weapons. Just as she approached the receptionist's desk, her name was called.

"Aria Noctis."

She tilted her head slightly. "What is it?"

The receptionist, a sharp-eyed woman dressed in professional attire, barely glanced up as she typed on her computer.

"The 'Spider's Invasion' gate is starting earlier than expected. It got pushed up last night. You have one hour."

Aria's eyes widened in surprise. One hour?!

"Do you have a map or something I can use to get there?"

The receptionist finally looked up. "No need. The guild has already arranged transportation for you. The car is waiting outside."

Still processing the sudden change, Aria simply nodded and turned on her heel, heading for the exit.

Outside, parked near the entrance, was a sleek black car with the guild's emblem—a silver dragon—painted on the side. The tinted windows made it impossible to see inside.

Aria hesitated for a brief moment before stepping closer.

"Uhm… are you the driver?" she asked cautiously.

The driver's side window rolled down, revealing a man with dark sunglasses and a bored expression.

"That's right." His voice was flat, businesslike. "The door's unlocked. Get in. We don't have much time."

The window rolled back up before she could respond.

With a small exhale, Aria opened the back door and slipped inside. The moment she shut the door, the car pulled away from the curb, heading straight for the gate's location.

Her heart pounded in her chest—not from fear, but from anticipation.

The car's interior was quiet, aside from the low hum of the engine as it sped through the city streets. Aria sat in the back, her hands resting on her lap, fingers lightly tapping against her knee. She stared out the window, watching the scenery blur past, her thoughts racing.

Her grip tightened on her dagger's hilt. The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror, noting her tense posture.

"First time?" he asked.

Aria blinked, turning her gaze toward him.

"Yeah," she admitted.

The driver smirked slightly. "You'll be fine. E-rank gates are barely a warm-up for most hunters. Just stick with your team, don't rush in alone, and you'll walk out in one piece."

Aria nodded, though his words did little to ease the unease coiling in her stomach.

Fifteen minutes later, the car pulled to a stop in front of a secured area cordoned off by barriers and warning signs. A shimmering blue portal hovered in the air ahead—a swirling vortex leading to another reality. The gate.

Several guild officials and paramedics stood by, ensuring everything was in order. And just ahead, three individuals stood together, clearly her assigned teammates.

Aria stepped out of the car, straightening her posture as she took in her surroundings. The other hunters were already better equipped than she was, their armor and weapons gleaming under the morning sun.

Her confidence wavered for just a moment, but she took a deep breath and walked forward.

When Aria opened her eyes, she was no longer at the gate.

She stood amidst an ocean of flames.

The air shimmered with unbearable heat, embers drifting lazily like fireflies. The ground beneath her feet was cracked and scorched, remnants of a long-lost ruin stretching endlessly into the distance.

Yet, despite the inferno, a chill ran through her veins.

A voice called out—deep, distant, familiar.

She hesitated for a few seconds.

Her instincts screamed at her to stay back, yet something deep within her urged her forward. Slowly, she took a step toward the voice. Then another. With each step, the migraine intensified, hammering against her skull like a relentless drumbeat.

She heard a voice call out a letter, "R—"

A shock rang throughout her chest. Her body convulsed, a sudden force jerking her awake.

Aria gasped sharply, her lungs drinking in the cold air as her body jolted.

Her vision was met with blurred figures surrounding her. Voices mixed together in a muffled haze. Her pulse thundered in her ears as her senses gradually realigned.

She blinked a few times, and the flames were gone. The ruins had vanished.

She was back—lying on the ground, surrounded by paramedics and her team.

A teammate knelt beside her, concern evident in his voice. "Are you alright?" He extended a hand toward her.

Aria ignored the gesture and pushed herself up on her own. Her breath was ragged, but slowly, she steadied herself.

"...Yeah." She exhaled, her voice quiet but firm.

As Aria stood up, her mana surged to life.

A deep purple aura erupted around her, tendrils of energy coiling and wrapping around her like spectral chains being slowly undone.

Her breath steadied, the tightness in her chest fading as if something long dormant had begun to awaken. A strange lightness filled her lungs, yet the rest of her body remained more stiff than her lungs chest.

Then—in an instant—her mana sealed itself away.

The energy vanished without a trace, slipping back into the depths of her soul before anyone could notice, as if nothing had happened.

Aria and her teammates walked towards the gate after a few minutes before stepping inside.

A faint hum vibrated through the ground, and in the blink of an eye, the world around them distorted. The towering buildings of the cityscape faded like a mirage, replaced by a vast cavernous expanse. The entrance of the Spider's Invasion Gate stood ominously behind them—a swirling mass of eerie violet mist sealing them inside.

The terrain was harsh. Jagged rock formations loomed overhead, their edges sharp like fangs. The cavern floor was uneven, covered in a fine layer of dust and strands of thick, glistening webs that clung to the ground like creeping vines. The air was damp, carrying the faint scent of decay and something… unnatural.

Aria's teammates took a moment to get their bearings before one of them turned to her.

"Since we're working together, we should at least know each other's names," a young man with sharp brown eyes and short, slightly messy black hair spoke up. He wore a set of light leather armor, a short sword strapped to his waist. "I'm Leon, a frontline fighter. My class is Swordsman."

Next to him, a woman with blonde hair tied into a ponytail and a confident smirk adjusted the grip on her bow. "Name's Rhea. I specialize in ranged attacks as an archer."

The last of the group, a stocky man with a heavy iron shield strapped to his back, let out a short grunt before nodding at Aria. "I'm Dain. Tank. It's nice to meet everyone."

Aria took a steady breath before responding, feeling the weight of their gazes. "I'm Aria." She hesitated for a brief moment, thinking of what to say for a class.

"My class is... Priestess."

She kept her expression neutral, hoping they wouldn't press further.

They all simply nodded and began to walk forward in the gate as it was the only way. Aria followed closely behind the others, her eyes scanning the surroundings cautiously. 

Dain, who led the group, suddenly raised a hand, signaling for them to stop. "Something's up ahead, my skill [Radar] is going off." he muttered, tightening his grip on his shield.

Leon took a step forward, his sword drawn. "Spiders?"

"Most likely," Rhea said, pulling an arrow from her quiver. Her sharp eyes darted across the cavern, searching for movement.

As if on cue, a skittering noise echoed through the space. Then, from the shadows, they emerged—five massive spiders, each roughly the size of a full-grown man. Their exoskeletons gleamed with a slick, dark sheen, and their multiple eyes reflected the dim glow like eerie gemstones.

"Five of them," Dain confirmed, shifting into a defensive stance.

"Stay close and don't panic," Leon instructed, positioning himself beside Dain.

Rhea nocked an arrow, her bowstring tightening. "Let's make this quick."

The spiders moved with unnatural speed, their legs clicking against the stone as they charged. Aria tensed, feeling a strange pull deep within her, but she pushed it aside, focusing instead on the battle unfolding before her. She unsheathed her dagger and her grip on it tightened.