Chapter 21 : Just tell us the truth - Part 1

Nancy snorted. “Good luck with that. The labyrinth is designed to mess with your head.”

As if on cue, the corridor ahead split into three paths, each identical.

“Which way?” Josh asked, glancing at Lancy.

She studied the paths, her eyes narrowing. “Give me a minute.”

Miles decided to take a gamble. Roll to determine the correct path.

The dice spun, and the result appeared: Right Path. 85% chance of success.

He pointed to the right. “I think we should go this way.”

Lancy raised an eyebrow. “And you know that how?”

“Call it a hunch,” Miles said, trying to sound confident.

Lancy stared at him for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. We’ll try it your way. But if you’re wrong...”

Miles gulped. “I won’t be.”

As they walked down the corridor, Miles’ heart raced. The system had given him a high probability of success, but there was still a chance he was wrong.

To his relief, the path didn’t lead them into any traps or dead ends. Instead, it opened into a large chamber with high ceilings and glowing crystals embedded in the walls.

Josh let out a low whistle. “This place is incredible.”

Nancy knelt to examine one of the crystals. “And valuable. If we can take some of these back...”

Lancy held up a hand. “Focus. We’re not here to collect souvenirs.”

Miles felt a surge of gratitude for her leadership. Without her, the group might have been distracted by every shiny object they encountered.

But even as he admired her skills, one thought nagged at the back of his mind: How high is her level?

The dungeon’s eerie silence was shattered by the skittering of legs and the sharp sound of webbing snapping underfoot. Miles froze, his eyes widening as massive spiders descended from the chamber ceiling, their glowing red eyes locked onto the party.

“Ambush!” Lancy shouted, drawing her twin swords with practiced ease.

Josh fumbled to ready his staff, his voice trembling as he began an incantation. “By the light of the heavens, I—”

One of the spiders lunged at him, its fangs glinting. Lancy intercepted, her blade slicing cleanly through the creature.

Josh staggered back, his face pale. “Holy Magic: Smite!” he cried, directing his spell at another spider.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

A faint glow surrounded his target, but nothing happened.

“What?” Josh stammered. “Why didn’t it work?”

Nancy, standing behind him, quickly cast a buff spell. “Try again, Josh! I just boosted your magic attack!”

Josh gritted his teeth and tried once more. “Holy Magic: Smite!”

The spider remained unaffected, scuttling forward menacingly.

“They’re level 10,” Lancy said, her voice calm but urgent. “Your magic’s not strong enough to pierce their resistance.”

Miles clenched his fists. I have to do something. He drew his dagger, attempting to attack the nearest spider.

But as he moved, the system chimed:

“Warning: Opponent too high-leveled. Attack will fail.”

The spider swatted him aside like a toy, sending him sprawling against the chamber wall. His health dropped by a third, and his hands shook as he struggled to get back up.

“I can’t...” Miles muttered, frustration welling up in his chest.

“Stay back!” Lancy barked. “You’ll just get yourself killed!”

While Josh and Nancy hesitated, and Miles struggled to recover, Lancy became a whirlwind of steel. Her twin swords glinted in the dim light, moving faster than Miles could follow. Each strike was precise and deadly, severing legs, fangs, and webbing with ease.

She leapt over one spider, plunging both blades into its thorax, and twisted mid-air to slash another in half. Her movements were fluid, almost like a dance, and within minutes, a dozen spiders lay dead at her feet.

Miles stared, stunned. She’s... incredible.

The remaining spiders hesitated, their instinctive hunger for prey overtaken by fear. They scuttled back into the shadows, disappearing into the labyrinth.

The silence returned, broken only by the sound of Lancy sheathing her swords.

“Is everyone okay?” she asked, her voice steady.

Josh and Nancy exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions pale and tense.

“What’s wrong?” Lancy pressed, her brow furrowing.

Josh took a shaky step back. “What’s wrong? Are you kidding me?”

Nancy crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. “We’ve been fighting together for months, and I’ve never seen you fight like that. You’re hiding something, Lancy. What’s your level?”

Lancy’s face darkened. “This isn’t the time for—”

“It’s exactly the time!” Josh interrupted. “You just took down a dozen level 10 monsters like they were nothing! Meanwhile, I couldn’t even scratch them. You’ve been holding back this whole time, haven’t you?”

Nancy nodded, her tone accusatory. “You’ve been lying to us. If you’re strong enough to do that, why even bother forming a party with us? What are you using us for?”

“I’m not using you,” Lancy said, her tone calm but defensive.

“Then explain,” Nancy demanded.

Lancy hesitated, her usual confidence faltering. “I can’t.”

Josh’s hands curled into fists. “That’s not good enough.”

Nancy’s eyes narrowed. “If you can’t tell us the truth, then we’re done. We’re not going to risk our lives for someone who’s keeping secrets.”

Miles stepped forward, holding up his hands. “Hey, wait! Let’s not do anything drastic.”

Nancy turned on him. “Don’t defend her. You saw what she did. If she’s hiding this, who knows what else she’s keeping from us?”

Miles glanced at Lancy, who looked uncharacteristically vulnerable. Why won’t she explain herself?

Before anyone could speak further, Miles’ system chimed.

“Item dropped: Strong Spider String.”

A small pile of silk-like material glowed faintly near the spiders’ corpses. Lancy walked over and picked it up, holding it out to the group.

“This is Strong Spider String,” she said. “It can be used to craft armor or weapons with +1 durability. It’s valuable, and I’m offering it to the team. Take it.”

Josh and Nancy didn’t move.

“Take it,” Lancy repeated, her voice firm but not unkind. “You earned it just by being here.”

Nancy hesitated before reaching out and taking her share, muttering under her breath.

Josh, however, didn’t budge. “Keep it. I don’t want anything from you until you start telling the truth.”

Lancy said nothing, her expression unreadable.

Miles watched the tension between them, his stomach knotting. He wasn’t sure how to fix this, but one thing was clear: the party was on the verge of falling apart.