SIHG 08

The inside was a completely different world.

The moment we stepped in, monsters began swarming toward us like a military legion.

‘Has the number of monsters increased because this is no longer a game but reality?’

It wasn’t gentle from the very beginning.

And these dungeon monsters weren’t just hostile toward us—they targeted the Crown Prince first.

“Your Highness! Th-there! Be careful behind you!”

Max tried his best to guard the Crown Prince.

“Lady April, please be careful and stay with us!”

Yeniel also moved as if to shield the Crown Prince alongside Max.

But there were simply too many.

Green-skinned monsters resembling orcs and goblins rushed in, exhaling dark poison.

The closer they got, the more we could see the toxic breath corroding the dungeon floor and walls.

“Everyone, evade them! I will summon an offensive spirit! Sheiflein!”

At Sian’s call, a fierce wind erupted.

It formed into blade-like arcs, like a crescent of wind, and rained down upon the monsters.

A storm of death.

All the monsters that had surrounded us were soon slaughtered and collapsed to the ground.

It must have consumed a large amount of mana, because Sian frowned slightly while catching his breath. As if nauseated by the sensation of taking lives, he covered his mouth briefly and lowered his hand again.

“Reperel. Push these things away with wind.”

Even as the wind spirit scattered the toxic air and stench of blood, the foul odor still clung heavily to the air.

Yeniel and Max covered their mouths, but the Crown Prince seemed accustomed to it.

“Thank you, Sian.”

As we passed through one zone, another type of monsters appeared in the next area—dark lizard-like creatures.

These monsters, which mimicked human voices, were cut down by Sian’s spirits while screaming like human wails.

After passing through two or three zones like this, we reached a resting area.

It felt like a real fantasy dungeon, but as expected of a horror game, everything was grotesque and unsettling.

Kill, kill, rest, then kill again.

How long had we been going like this?

We soon arrived at a massive cavern while moving cautiously.

A faint smell of rot filled the air. A pitch-black darkness that normal people would never want to step into. The floor was damp and unsettling.

If I had claustrophobia, I would probably be screaming to get out by now.

“Why is this place so wide and dark?”

Max muttered in a trembling voice.

Until now, monsters had appeared frequently, but as we went deeper, their numbers had gradually decreased—until now, none appeared at all.

As if something here was so dangerous that even other monsters avoided it.

Suddenly, a massive shadow fell over us.

A gigantic spider—large enough to be the size of several people combined—descended silently above us.

Its grotesque red compound eyes rolled as it stared at us. A chilling spider screech echoed.

Yeniel bit her lip in distress.

“Your Highness! It’s a demonic beast! A corrupted servant summoned by a devil!”

Looking closely, the surrounding ground was filled with large cocoons wrapped in white threads.

As our eyes adjusted to the darkness, we could finally see the floor beneath our feet.

It was covered in spider webs—white threads everywhere.

And what we had thought were stones—

“Ahhh!”

Sian, the strategist, turned pale and stepped back.

They were all bones. Human skulls and hand bones, or other limbs and ribs I couldn’t even identify.

There were also bones and dried corpses of other monsters we had seen in this dungeon, all trapped in webs.

‘…I remember.’

This was that section with the giant spider.

A pursuit segment where a spider two or three times larger than Yeniel kept chasing us from the webs above.

The main point was a tense escape where Yeniel’s low speed and stamina almost caused her to be caught.

I had thought it was just a monster designed to create visual horror.

But something was different now.

The ground trembled, and the cocoons scattered around us began to tear open.

From inside came multiple baby spiders.

“Baby” was a generous term—they were the size of a human forearm.

While we were distracted by them, the massive spider above us descended to the ground at some point. With a heavy thud, it landed.

It came down. That spider.

‘What is happening?’

There was only one thing we needed to do—run.

The entire group began running desperately.

“Which way?!”

At the Crown Prince’s shout, Max pointed ahead.

“T-that way!”

Beyond this area lay the next zone. A staircase made of tall steps.

The stairs led to a white building that looked like a temple.

“As Sir Max says…! That way!”

While running breathlessly, Yeniel also nodded in agreement.

‘Huh?’

As we ran toward it and evaded the spider, I realized my body was moving naturally.

Memories of pressing keyboard keys were guiding my movements.

Since this was reality, there were sudden variables like monsters charging unpredictably or roaring to collapse the ceiling. Baby spiders even emerged from underground.

But—

‘What? This is easy…’

As I kept running, those variables gradually became predictable. I could see patterns forming.

‘If I act too relaxed, it’ll look suspicious. I’ll seem like some mastermind setting traps.’

I dodged the sudden baby spiders without drawing attention.

I moved in positions where I wouldn’t get hit, while thinking about how to look like I was desperately escaping.

Then—

“Lady April!”

Unexpectedly, Sian called my name and grabbed my hand.

“What are you doing standing there blankly? Run! Hurry!”

No, I could avoid most attacks perfectly if I stayed here.

Still, like the real April would, I let myself be pulled along without resistance.

A spider-web-free area came into view in the distance.

The spiders seemed to move only along the webs on the ground, so that place should be safe.

The problem was a small baby spider rushing toward the Crown Prince.

“Your Highness! In front—!”

Hearing Yeniel’s urgent shout, the Crown Prince raised his arm to block the charging spider—but it was too late.

A piercing scream from the baby spider echoed, and at the same moment, the Crown Prince let out a low groan.

The Crown Prince had been hit.