Aeris stood outside the  Labyrinth Dungeon, a dark shadow stretching beneath the stone walls of Priscilla Academy. 

Her hands clenched tight around her Necrotic Sickle, the sharp blade gleaming faintly in the dim underground lantern light. 

She had leveled up, reached a new peak, and with it came newfound power. Necromancer and the new subclass Assassin a delightfully deadly combination.

“Assassin,” she muttered to herself, savoring the word. It felt right. 

A blend of magic and stealth, perfect for her combat style. 

She could feel the dark magic coursing through her veins, heightening her senses as she stepped into the labyrinth's eerie silence.

With a flicker of concentration, Aeris distributed her stat points: ten into magic, five into dexterity, and five into constitution.

 Every choice made her sharper, faster, more dangerous. 

The rogue subclass had already given her skills like Ambush Strike and Lesser Stealth, while her necromancer training provided new skills Ghoulish Summon and Black Miasma tools to deal death and desolation to her foes, like Vali for example.

She inhaled sharply, pulling the shadows around her with Lesser Stealth, blending into the murky, uninviting darkness. 

Tonight was time for grinding. She wanted to test her new abilities far from the judgmental eyes of her peers. 

The Labyrinth Dungeon after hours was perfect. Dangerous, yes, but it would give her the edge she needed.

Aeris prowled deeper into the dungeon, her movements silent as a wraith. 

Ahead, she spotted her first prey two Huntress Spiderlings, their spindly legs clicking against the moss covered stone floor. 

They were low-level, but she needed to gauge her strength. 

Without hesitation, she cast Ghoulish Summon, and ten ghastly figures rose from the ground, ready to rend the spiders asunder 

"Kill them," Aeris whispered, and the ghouls leaped forward, sinking their claws into the spiderlings. 

She watched with cold satisfaction as the creatures crumbled, their bodies twitching before going still.

As the last of the spiderlings fell, Aeris allowed herself a brief moment to breathe. But her relief was short-lived. 

A low rumble echoed through the dungeon, and out of the shadows emerged two Huntress Scurriers, their armored exoskeletons glinting in the faint light. 

They were five times the size of the spiderlings and far more dangerous.

Without missing a beat, Aeris seized her Necrotic Sickle, feeling the dark power pulse through the weapon.

 The scurriers charged at her, their serrated legs slashing at the air as they lunged.

Aeris sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the deadly fangs of one scurrier.

 She swung her sickle in a wide arc, the blade connecting with one of the scurrier’s fangs. 

The rot spread through the beast, its fang withering away. With a snarl, Aeris used her Shadow Chain to rip the decaying fang from the creature’s mouth before driving it through its eyes, silencing it in an instant.

The second scurrier wasn’t far behind, its leg raised to cleave her. 

Dodging swiftly Aeris countered with Black Miasma, and a hissing cloud of dark magic erupted from her palms.

 The scurrier collapsed, writhing in agony as its body rotted from the inside out.

Panting, Aeris watched as the ghouls finished off the remaining spiderlings, though two had fallen in the process. 

She was tired but victorious. The thrill of leveling up surged through her.

System Level Up.

Necromancer: Level 10 → 13.

Assassin: Level 1 → 5.

New skills unlocked: 

First Blood, Backstabber, Shadowstep, and Cloak of Shadows.

"More power," Aeris muttered, adding her stat points: two into dexterity, two into magic, and two into strength. 

She felt the surge of power flow through her, readying herself for whatever lay ahead.

But then, a blood-curdling shriek echoed through the dungeon, freezing Aeris in place. 

The sound grew closer, sending chills down her spine.

From the depths of the labyrinth emerged a colossal figure wreathed in glimmering golden flames.

A drider, but not just any Drider this was one was colossal standing three stories tall.

A torrent of crimson splashed across her eyes as an urgent pop up from the system emerged.

System Message: 

WARNING

Dungeon Boss: 

Velissa, Weaver of Searing Flames.

  LVL: 36

CAUTION: 

Severely Under leveled. 

Recommended Action:  Run

A tinge of fear ripple through Aeris as she took in the oversized Driders glorious visage.

Every instinct urged her to flee but Aeris remained firmly rooted in place, her eyes watching the beast unblinking.

Velissa approached slowly, her eight sanguine eyes gleaming with malice. 

Her lower half was a massive spider, but her upper body was that of a beautiful, nude woman, her light purple skin glistening beneath her radiant flames.

“I had no quarrel with you,” Velissa said, her voice smooth and dangerous. 

“Nor did I ever plan to hunt humans. We spiders keep to ourselves. We eat only the fauna in the labyrinth. And yet…”.

 Her voice grew hot, seething with malice. 

“You slaughtered my children!’ 

Velissa roared sending jets of fire in every direction, striking the ceiling of the dungeon and the stones nearest Aeris.

Aeris’s heart pounded in her chest. 

She had no time to flee. She had to fight. 

Velissa flicked her wrist, and a whip of dancing fire with eight searing prongs materialized in her hand.

Velissa struck, the whip tearing through the air, and Aeris barely managed to dodge, her feet moving on instinct. 

Panic surged within her. She cast Cloak of Shadows, disappearing into the darkness. She needed a plan, she needed to survive.

But Velissa saw through her concealment. 

The drider's whip cracked again, nearly shattering Aeris’s ribs as it grazed her side. 

Desperation clawed at her mind. She used Shadowstep, teleporting behind Velissa, and summoning her ghouls once more.

"Attack!" she commanded, but with a single flick of Velissa's whip, the ghouls disintegrated into ash.

Before Aeris could react, Velissa rushed at her, her massive hands grabbing her, and lifting her effortlessly

The drider brought Aeris close, her flaming eyes filled with sadistic pleasure.

Aeris squirmed under the intense heat her skin drenched in sweat.

“I will kill you human, just as you have killed my children,” 

Velissa hissed, opening her gaping maw.

Aeris unleashed Black Miasma point blank, but it only annoyed Velissa further. 

The drider was invulnerable from the outside. 

A wild idea formed in Aeris’s mind. 

If she couldn't defeat Velissa from outside, there was one other option.

‘Spiders make the most satisfying crunch when you break them, and that little skittering hiss they do when they snuff it, pure music to my ears.  Hey Drider got anymore of those eight legged eyesores for me to play with?’

Aeris mocked provoking the Drider.

‘Die!’ Velissa howled raising Aeris toward her salivating maw.

As Velissa’s mouth opened wide, Aeris steeled herself for a one way trip to the belly of the beast.