From Zero to Overpowered

7 THE GAUNTLET

The moment Kai’s boot touched the white floor, he knew he was in trouble.

He tried to lift his foot, but thick strands of silk clung to the sole, stretching like gum before snapping back with a wet thwip sound.

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[Environmental Effect: Sticky Web]

[Movement Speed reduced by 30%]

[Warning: Standing still for more than 3 seconds will result in Root status.]

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"Keep moving," Kai muttered to himself, forcing his legs to march. "Don't stop. Don't freeze."

The tunnel was a nightmare of white. The webs were everywhere—draped over stalactites, coating the walls, and spanning the ceiling like a grotesque canopy. The air was thick with the smell of ammonia, stinging his eyes.

Skitter. Skitter.

The sound came from above. Not one source, but dozens.

Kai looked up. High in the shadowed webbing of the ceiling, countless small red dots appeared. They blinked in unison.

"Spiderlings," Kai cursed.

They weren't the boss. They were the children. Each one was the size of a dinner plate, with pale, translucent bodies and dripping mandibles.

They dropped.

Like rain, the spiders descended on silk threads, landing on the floor around him with soft, fleshy thuds.

Hiss!

Kai instinctively reached for his deck. His thumb hovered over the [Wildcard].

"No," he stopped himself. "Save the mana. I need it for the big one."

He shifted his hand and pulled two other cards instead.

"Summon: [Scavenger Rat]!"

The giant rat materialized in the sticky mess. Immediately, it squealed in panic as its paws got stuck in the web.

The noise did its job. The swarm of Spiderlings turned their attention toward the struggling, noisy rodent. They swarmed over it like a carpet of pale legs.

"Sorry, buddy," Kai gritted his teeth. "Buy me some time."

While the swarm was distracted eating his summon, Kai lunged.

He activated [Rusted Dagger]. The sharpened iron blade materialized in his hand.

Kai slashed.

Squelch.

The dagger sliced through three spiders at once. Green blood sprayed onto the blade.

Sizzle.

Smoke rose from the metal.

"Acid," Kai realized with horror. "Their blood is acidic!"

He didn't stop. He couldn't. He hacked and slashed, moving constantly to avoid getting stuck in the floor. Every time he killed a spider, more acid coated his weapon. The iron pitted and hissed, the sharp edge he had just honed dissolving before his eyes.

The Scavenger Rat finally died, dissolving into light under the weight of the swarm. The remaining spiders turned toward Kai.

"Get back!"

Kai stomped on one, crushing its carapace, and stabbed another in its many eyes.

The fight was messy and brutal. It wasn't about skill; it was about extermination.

Finally, the last spider curled up and died.

Kai stood panting in the corridor, his boots covered in green slime and white silk. He looked at his weapon.

The [Rusted Dagger] looked terrible. The blade was notched, corroded, and thin as a needle in the middle.

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[System Alert: Weapon Durability Critical!]

[Durability: 2/10]

[Weapon damage reduced by 50%]

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"Just great," Kai spat. "One or two more hits, and this thing snaps."

He unsummoned the dagger to save it for the final fight. He grabbed a Small Mana Stone from his pocket and crushed it, topping off the Aether he used to summon the rat.

[Aether: 12/12]

"I'm ready," Kai lied to himself.

He pushed forward, ripping his boots free from the webs with every step. The tunnel began to widen. The oppressive ceiling receded.

He stepped out into a massive, domed cavern.

It was a natural amphitheater of stone and silk. The floor here was actually clean of webs—a smooth, circular arena of black rock. But the walls... the walls were lined with the husks of victims. Humans, goblins, even a large cave bear, all wrapped tight in cocoons.

In the center of the ceiling, hanging upside down in the darkness, was a shape.

It was massive. Larger than a carriage.

Kai stepped into the center of the room. "I know you're there."

The shape shifted.

Eight massive eyes, glowing with a malevolent crimson light, snapped open in the dark.

A low, chittering sound echoed through the chamber, vibrating in Kai’s chest. It sounded like laughter.

The [Iron-Weaver Broodmother] unhooked her legs from the ceiling and fell.

BOOM.

She landed in front of him, shaking the ground. Her body was armored in natural black chitin that looked like plate mail. Her legs were tipped with spikes. Her mandibles dripped with purple venom.

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[Boss Encounter Initiated]

[Enemy: Iron-Weaver Broodmother (Level 8)]

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Kai looked at his crumbling dagger card. He looked at the giant monster.

"Okay," Kai whispered, his hand shaking slightly as he reached for his deck. "Let's see who eats who."