Chapter 164

▪️SPIDER QUEEN QUEST

Eerily glowing within the darkness, eight immense blood moons illuminated the entire area with their crimson glow suspended high up in the air…

—No, those red orbs were not actually moons but were in fact, four huge pairs of eyes with each orbs radiating a deep crimson hue!

These terrifying eyes met the stunned gazes of the remaining players, with each orbs expressing a different kinds of emotions such as—indifference, ferocity, madness, and fury…

In an instant, a bone-chilling coldness washed all over the remaining players, leaving their minds blank with astonishment.

“Damn!”

“What in the world!”

“What is this!?”

Suddenly, the colossal creature finally stirred.

Accompanied by a thunderous sound, a colossal shadow engulfed the players as the eight-legged behemoth looms ominously over them from above.

They gazed up with astounded expressions at the terrifying presence before them…

Suddenly, a terrifying pressure gripped them, wrapping its tendrils around their very essence. It was a weighty pressure that sent shivers rippling through their bodies, rendering them immobile and powerless to resist its heavy might.

A gargantuan existence that blotted out the sky then slowly revealed itself, adorned with menacing, metallic scythe-like legs that gleamed with an icy light, and an exoskeleton bristling with razor-sharp spikes, akin to shimmering steel plates…

This was a gargantuan crypt spider! The largest they have ever seen so far, measuring approximately around dozens of meters in size!

Within its presence, they all felt infinitesimally small, akin to mere ants beneath the feet of a colossal predator.

Hell, they had never experienced such a mind-numbingly shocking sensation, even in the face of the Black Dragon Meryer!

And underneath it, numerous small and large spiders, along with few crypt spiders the size comparable to the one gatekeeping the underworld, began to converge.

They all swarmed around the gargantuan spider, as if defending their ruler with each of them casting a cold, unyielding gaze towards the players.

They then moved in a synchronized manner with their icy crimson eyes instilling a sense of dread.

“T-This…fu*k it, this is way beyond our current level…”

“R-Run!”

Terrified to their very core, the remaining players finally regained their composure and hastily turned around, fleeing in absolute fear.

Seeing the players fleeing, the gargantuan spider let out another furious roar;

“Hissss!!!”

It’s voice reverberated with unbridled anger and upon closer inspection, one could discern charred markings on a part of its exoskeleton that’s looks to be the result of the recent explosion.

Responding to its command, countless crypt spiders instantly pursued the fleeing players!

The gargantuan spider, too, moved its massive scythe-like legs and closed in swiftly behind its minions.

With each of its movement colliding with the rocky landscape, the entire tunnel trembled and buckled, as if caught in the throes of an earthquake…

The offering circles painstakingly drawn by the players crumbled in tandem alongside the tunnel’s collapse.

“F*ck! The offering circle is ruined! Run!”

“How can there be such a huge ass creature!? Isn’t its size too damn ridiculous?”

“Dude, stop talking and just run!”

After what felt like an eternity, they somehow miraculously reached the courtyard and paused for a few seconds to catch their breaths before they began ascending the staircase which led to the surface.

However, the oppressive pressure from behind began to affect them once more and slowing down their movements. As a result, the spider swarm quickly caught up and mercilessly overwhelmed them.

“Hissss—!!!”

The gargantuan spider bellowed, unleashing yet another menacing roar.

Meanwhile, the surroundings of Rivendell trembled, as if caught in the midst of an earthquake.

“What’s going on? An earthquake?”

“I swear I heard something just now…”

All the players exploring Rivendell suddenly became vigilant, with their senses heightened by the sudden abnormalities that occurred.

To their utmost horror, they then witnessed a swarm of crypt spiders pouring out from every direction. With their red eyes gleaming in frenzied fury, these spiders attacked the players with wild abandon, even showing no regard for their own lives!

The players who were blindsided were taken aback by such reckless onslaught.

“W-What’s happening?”

“Why are these spiders going crazy!?”

“N-No, there are simply too many! Let’s go out of these ruins first!”

The players currently exploring the ruins found themselves embroiled in a chaotic battle as they all began to retreat under the threat of the frenzied spider swarm.

“Hissss—!!!”

And at that moment, everyone once again heard that loud primal enraged roar.

In response, most players hastily abandoned their exploration of the ruins and made a hasty collective retreat back to Rivendell’s surface.

Meanwhile, the tremors further intensified, shaking the entire land even more violently than before.

Suddenly, amidst the chaos, someone caught sight of Boxlunch and one of his team members emerging from a mine shaft. Their appearance were completely disheveled with their faces etched in fear as they raced away frantically.

The players who had noticed them wore expressions of surprise since Boxlunch’s party, known as the most formidable team in the entire server, had never been seen in such a desperate state.

“Boxlunch, what happened to you guys?”

A player curiously asked as the duo passed them.

“Run, everyone! A terrifying gargantuan spider is quickly approaching!”

The tank who was fleeing alongside Boxlunch shouted.

Gargantuan spider?

The nearby players exchanged bewildered glances.

Had they encountered another giant spider just like the one guarding the underworld?

“You mean just like that huge gatekeeper spider?”

Someone asked.

“No, this one is even larger!” The tank exclaimed, before turning his gaze back and sprinting with even greater urgency.

Bigger?

Just how big could it be?

The clueless players were astounded.

They wanted to ask more questions, but their attention was swiftly drawn to the ground as it suddenly split open before several debris was pushed upwards into the skies before plunging down like meteorites.

Right then, a metallic spider leg, spanning several meters in length, slowly emerged from the gaping chasm, leaving them utterly dumbfounded.

“Damn it!”

“Damn it!!”

An involuntary curse escaped everyone’s mouth in unison as they all gawked at those towering spider legs.

Accompanying the colossal legs, a horde of smaller crypt spiders also emerged from the crevices.

They all seems to be gathering on the surface, densely packed and multiplying at an alarming pace until the spider’s numbers reached the thousands in an instant…

Just like…a swarm of locusts blotting out the skies.

The only thing missing was their ability to fly.

And at that very moment, the earth quaked once more, before giving birth to a creature of absolute terror…

A gargantuan crypt spider emerged, standing tens of meters tall!

Its appearance bore resemblance to an ordinary crypt spider, but its abdomen was much more larger and its visage even more ferocious. The exoskeleton upon its body shimmered with a metallic sheen, as its eight red eyes resembled ominous blood moons suspended high up in the heavens…

As the players looked up at this gargantuan creature, they were left dumbfounded, completely frozen in shock from where they stood.

This was not simply a large spider; it was beyond gargantuan!

The spider guarding the underworld seemed like a mere juvenile compared to it!

Fear gripped everyone’s hearts, as they all promptly turned and fled with all their might.

As they ran, they also voiced their astonishment:

“Is this the true boss of Rivendell? Was the spider guarding the underworld just an elite monster?”

“Could the developers somehow have made a mistake? This level of difficulty doesn’t seem entirely possible for mere iron-ranked players!”

“Could a player accidentally provoked it?”

However, the spiders moved even faster…

“Hiss—!!!”

With a sharp hiss, the swarm of crypt spiders launched an assault upon every player at the surface!

“This is bad! They’re so fast!”

“There are just too many of them!”

“Oh no! I’ve been caught!”

For a moment, the sounds of screams(?) echoed all throughout Rivendell, with some players even playfully acting out their demise.

And the gargantuan crypt spider pursued them, using its long, metallic legs to impale the fleeing players with deadly precision.

“This boss is too powerful!”

“Goddammit… another one of these impossible bug-like bosses! Can’t the devs create something normal for once!?”

“Hahaha! Look! Look! It’s skewering players like barbecues! Hahaha…”

“Stop laughing idiot! Don’t look! Run! Unless you want to end up being skewered too!”

Chaos consumed all the players within the vicinity of Rivendell.

“Finally, it has been lured out and just as I suspected, it is indeed the Spider Queen!”

Evé felt a sense of joy as she gazed upon the gargantuan crypt spider while seamlessly switching between different perspectives of various players.

“It possesses a strength that is approximately at the peak of the Golden Rank, and it also commands around twenty thousand spider minions! However, the majority of them are mere small spiders with strength ranging below the Iron-Rank.”

After witnessing the players’ futile attempts to fend off the attacks, she had gained a rough understanding of the enemy’s overall strength.

Indeed, reaching the Gold Rank meant becoming a true high-ranking existence!

And for magical creatures like these spiders, reaching the Gold-Rank also means attaining their own intelligence.

“I must acquire this Spider Queen! By getting her, I will also gain control over the entire crypt spider population! And there is also the added benefit of obtaining a Gold-Rank follower!”

Eve’s heart stirred with determination.

“Furthermore, if I can subdue this Spider Queen, I can also provide some benefits to the players… If my memory serves me right, ever since the beta has been launched, the players have been clamoring on the forums when the mount system will be implemented. Hehe, I wonder if they would enjoy riding spiders?”

Evé chuckled inwardly as she imagined players riding an eight-legged creatures.

Glancing at the panicking players amidst the chaos, with some of them boldly capturing screenshots, she raised her hand and issued a new quest.

【❗ 】

【WARNING! WARNING!】

【Players “Boxlunch,” “Calabash,” “I’minvincible,” “Happy-go-lucky,” “Chopin” have triggered the Hidden Boss!】

【Hidden Boss Quest Activated—】

【Quest Description:】

【As one of the most mysterious hivemind species within Saigües, the crypt spiders have always resided underground.】

【They have occupied Rivendell for a thousand years and pose as formidable enemies that the Elven race must face in order to fully reclaim this once-great city…】

【However, as a collective-minded species, once the Spider Queen is brought under control, there is hope for the Elven race to subdue an entire crypt spider colony, swiftly gaining control over the spider population within Rivendell!】

【Now, the dormant Spider Queen lurking deep within the ruins has been awakened…】

【It is time to take action!】

【Quest Target: Spider Queen (Level 100/Gold Rank)】

【Quest Objective: Defeat and subdue the Spider Queen】

【Quest Rewards: Mount system, 3 Perfect Revival chances, abundant experience points, and contribution points】

【Quest Tip: The Spider Queen possesses great power. Only by summoning the incarnation of the Goddess can you successfully defeat and subdue her!】

【Brave chosen ones, fight for the honor of the Goddess and the Elven race!】

【❗ 】

【Urgent System Notification:】

【Players “Boxlunch,” “Calabash,” “I’minvincible,” “Happy-go-lucky,” “Chopin” discovered an vulnerability within the Offering System】

【 A patch has been implemented, and the Offering System will no longer accept living sacrifices.】

“Spider Queen? Mount system? Offering vulnerability?”

As they read through the series of new messages, all the players were left stunned by this sudden turn of events.