A few minutes later, the scout returned from outside after supposedly checking the perimeter. “Area’s clear,” he announced casually. “No monster activity nearby.” Several hunters visibly relaxed after hearing that. But Miles’ eyes narrowed slightly. Again, the scout looked too calm. Like a man following a schedule he already understood. Eli leaned closer beside Miles. “You keep staring at him.” Miles slowly slid the knife back into its sheath. “He’s hiding something.” Eli’s face paled slightly. “You really believe that?” Miles stood without answering. His gaze swept across the terminal one final time. The nervous hunters. The forced conversations. The scout’s unnatural confidence. The hidden exchanges between certain members. And Alexis— Slowly becoming isolated from the rest of the expedition without even realizing how deep the trap around her truly was. The expedition resumed moving before sunrise. Cold gray light filtered weakly through the cracks above the ruine

The roar that erupted through the underground chamber did not sound like something born from flesh and blood. It sounded ancient. Massive. Predatory enough to make the entire cavern tremble beneath its presence. Dust cascaded from the ceiling in thick streams while cracks spread across the stone walls surrounding the expedition. Several hunters instinctively raised their weapons toward the dense gray fog ahead, their breathing turning uneven as the sound continued echoing through the tunnels long after it should have faded. Then came the clicking. Sharp. Rapid. Metallic. At first it echoed faintly from somewhere deep within the darkness. Click. Click-click. Click-click-click-click. But within seconds, the noise multiplied until it surrounded them completely. The sound was everywhere. Above them. Behind them. Inside the walls themselves. A hunter near the front slowly lifted his flood lamp upward. The ceiling moved. For one horrifying second, his mind refused to pro

Morning sunlight filtered softly through the curtains of the new apartment Miles had purchased shortly before leaving for the expedition. Unlike the tiny cramped room Mia once lived in, this apartment felt warm and spacious. Clean wooden floors reflected the morning light while modern furniture filled the living room with quiet elegance. The faint aroma of fresh tea and breakfast lingered gently through the air. Yet despite the peaceful atmosphere. Mia barely touched her food. She sat quietly at the dining table wearing an oversized sweater while staring absentmindedly at the untouched breakfast before her. The dark circles beneath her eyes revealed that she had not been sleeping properly since Miles left. Across from her, Gladys placed another plate carefully onto the table before noticing the barely eaten meal. “You’ve hardly touched anything again, Miss Mia.” Mia immediately looked away. “I’m not hungry.” Gladys raised an eyebrow knowingly. “You’re worried about Master Mil

The tunnel beyond the spider colony no longer felt like an escape route. It felt like the inside of a tomb. The surviving members of the expedition dragged themselves through the narrow maintenance passage in exhausted silence, their boots scraping unevenly across wet concrete while dim emergency lights flickered weakly overhead. Every few steps, someone stumbled against the wall. Someone groaned in pain. Someone stopped long enough to cough blood onto the floor before forcing themselves forward again. Nobody had the strength to talk anymore. Not after what happened inside the nest. The smell alone followed them like a curse that refused to fade. Spider venom mixed with blood and rotting webs, clinging stubbornly to armor, clothing, and skin. Beneath it lingered the sharp scent of burned flesh left behind by desperate magical attacks. No matter how far they walked, the smell remained. Behind them, somewhere deep within the darkness they had escaped from, faint clicking sounds

The pressure inside the station intensified rapidly as fear and anger fed into each other. Halmer’s jaw tightened. “You think panicking will improve the situation?” he said coldly. “No,” the first hunter shot back immediately. “But maybe telling us how you plan to fix this would help!” Halmer’s expression finally hardened completely. In one smooth motion, he pulled a combat blade from his waist. The metallic sound echoed sharply through the station. Instantly, several hunters reacted. Weapons were raised. Mana stirred. The wounded rifleman pulled out his firearm despite his injuries, pointing it directly toward Halmer. “You gonna threaten us too now?” he demanded. For a moment, the entire cargo station froze. The divide within the expedition had become completely visible now. Trust was gone. Fear had turned inward. And everyone could feel how close they were to tearing each other apart. Miles watched the confrontation silently from the edge of the station before his g