Chapter 363: Stage Transition
Chapter 361
".....?!!"
The blinding light dimmed back down at an astonishing rate, and with it, the Aspirants’ vision was gradually restored.
The flash had been as bright as a sun directly in their eyes—searing and disorienting.
Before his eyes even had a chance to fully adjust to the new lighting, Ray was already on high alert. His hands balled into tight fists.
Lightning crackled deep within the depths of his eyes as he twisted and turned, letting his heightened perception flood the environment.
But when he did—when he truly sensed what was surrounding them—his skin crawled.
His fists slowly loosened at his sides as a profound wave of fear filled his entire body, matching the sheer terror he had felt during his encounter with the Kraken.
Slowly, one by one, the other Aspirants blinking open their eyes after confirming the flash was gone.
And the moment they looked around, their expressions completely fractured.
"....?!"
What appeared before them sent absolute shivers running down their spines, mirroring Ray’s silent horror.
Taking a good look at their surroundings, Ray swallowed hard as he scanned the perimeter of their new location.
They were now standing inside a subterranean chamber entirely unlike the grand hall of the Spire.
The chamber stretched so far into the distance that its boundaries disappeared into complete darkness.
It felt less like a room and more like a vast underground world, massive enough to accommodate thousands of entities without ever feeling crowded.
The ceiling soared dozens of meters overhead, lost in heavy shadows.
Towering stone pillars, each as thick as ancient trees, rose from the floor to support the immense weight of the earth above, their surfaces wrapped in thick layers of dusty spider silk that swayed gently in the stale, stagnant air.
Suspended from that distant ceiling were well over a hundred enormous cocoons, each one hanging by thick strands of webbing like grotesque chandeliers.
Faint, unmistakable silhouettes could be seen trapped within the silk casing.
Human silhouettes.
Some remained perfectly still, while others twitched ever so slightly, indicating that a fraction of life still lingered inside the victims.
Spider webs stretched from pillar to pillar, draping across the chamber like ghostly curtains.
Some strands were thin enough to glimmer faintly in the dim light, while others were thick enough to resemble heavy ropes, crisscrossing the cavern in an intricate, suffocating maze.
At the very heart of the chamber, hundreds upon hundreds of spiders gathered in an endless, writhing mass.
They were the exact same type of arachnid beasts the Aspirants had been forced to combat during the previous gate break.
Their collective movements filled the air with an unsettling chorus of clicking limbs and scraping carapaces as they crawled over one another, guarding the center of the nest with unwavering vigilance.
The atmosphere was suffocating, reeking of decay, silk, and death.
It was painfully clear that this was the absolute heart of the lair.
And far, far beyond—positioned safely behind the writhing mass of monsters—was Nebula, whose body was continuing to undergo a monstrous transformation.
Though his outward appearance suggested he was entirely composed, Ray was anything but calm inwardly.
He immediately cast his Inspect skill on the horde before them.
The system breakdown made his chest tighten.
The vast majority of the swarm consisted of Advanced-rank beasts.
However, roughly five percent of the mass were categorized as King-rank beasts.
They stood firmly at the rear of the swarm, positioned a few meters ahead of the changing Nebula like elite, sentient elite guards who wouldn’t let anyone breach the perimeter.
Trisha swiftly drew her weapon, her meta-force instantly coating the scabbard until a razor-sharp ice sword was formed tightly in her grip.
Though she took a firm, defensive stance, Ray didn’t miss the subtle tremor in her limbs.
Kai didn’t conjure his crystal weapons just yet.
He kept his hands shoved deep into his pockets, his gaze narrowed straight ahead as if coldly calculating their remaining options for survival.
’Hang on....’
Ray’s heart skipped a beat as he quickly turned his head back in the direction of the mass of beasts.
His heightened perception caught something else positioned five meters behind the changing Nebula.
It felt oddly, unsettlingly familiar.
Unfortunately, due to the rows and rows of chitinous beasts packed in front of them, he couldn’t get a clear line of sight.
His ears perked up instantly.
He hurriedly turned his head around to see Van, Caster, Felix, and Chloe shifting subtly.
A flash of an emotion flickered in the boy’s eyes as he looked at his companions.
Even with the terrifying change in environment, they still looked ready to defend Nebula.
"Damn it. That does it. I’m tired of standing around here while she’s growing stronger," Trisha uttered coldly.
Frost began creeping from her feet outwardly, freezing the stone floor into the distance.
She was just about to kick off and launch an attack when a chilling voice echoed from far behind the mass of beasts:
"Stop them."
It didn’t take more than a second for Van, Caster, Felix, and Chloe to move.
Ray remained right in his spot, arms folded across his chest and his back turned to his brainwashed friends who were charging directly toward them.
Kai spun around, a dense crystal club manifesting in his grip as he swung it toward the charging group of Aspirants.
Trisha whirled around on hearing the command, ready to intercept the strike, when a small, calculated smile curved across Ray’s face.
He kept listening to Nebula’s bones cracking and shifting eerily in the distance.
"Now," he whispered silently.
A single fraction of a second before the Aspirants could clash, Van, Chloe, Felix, and Caster froze in their spots simultaneously.
They looked exactly like puppets whose strings had been cleanly cut, left with absolutely no controller.
"...."
Kai and Trisha exchanged glances of pure confusion as they watched their friends remain frozen in place, unwilling to move an inch.
And then, like fish out of water, the four trembled uncontrollably before crashing to the ground one by one.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The heavy sound echoed out as their bodies collapsed to the floor, completely unmoving.
"Wh-What just happened?" Trisha asked, a stunned look on her face.
"...."
Far ahead, Nebula’s numerous crimson eyes widened in absolute annoyance.
"How?!"
Ray smirked, finally turning around as he summoned his golden lasso.
"I wouldn’t want any distractions for what is about to happen next," he calmly uttered, though inwardly his instincts were screaming as he kept his back turned to the mass of spiders.
With meticulous speed, Ray quickly began binding both Van and Caster together, making sure that they were securely tied down while leaving Felix and Chloe free.
When he was finished, he stood upright and summoned the Infinite Spring bottle into his palm.
Without hesitation, he uncapped the bottle and emptied its contents directly onto Felix and Chloe’s faces.
"Wake up, the both of you."
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