The daily struggle of a spider

Chapter 1: Invalid response

"Will you marry me?" His thoughts hurled back to her question as he flew through the air, remembering her gantle face and soft blue eyes that always entranced him.

THUD. His body slammed into the stone wall, carving a crater filled with cracks into the wall.

"Urk!" He groaned from the impact.

THUD. And fell knee's first onto the stone floor.

'I should've told her yes,' he thought, his vision already fading.

He raised head turning to the battle yet his bloodshot eyes made everything hard to see, but he couldn't afford to rest even with a blurry vision he could still fight as such he tried to stand while his muscles screamed in pain.

"Check on Vex!" A familiar voice screamed as Vex's vision threatened to darken.

'I have to tell her yes,' his grip tightened on the sword as he stood back up.

BOOM! TING! TING!... The sound of explosions moved through the air while their blades clashed.

His vision drifted back to it. It was a tall metallic creature with humanoid form yet no features on it's face, only a pair of eyes, dark hallow eyes that clearly had no life in them.

The path of it's blade was simple yet effective as it butchered through his comrades.

His jaw clenched as he stepped toward it, his legs trembled in defiance against his every step. 

It stopped moving, raising it's metallic left hand, the hand was big enough to crush a man's skull.

Everyone's eyes widened as balls of flames appeared above them, then followed spikes forged from the beaten ground beneath them and from the blood of their dead comrades spears formed above them threatening to descend upon them on completion.

"It can cast spells!" someone screamed as they turned and ran back to the shield bearers.

''No this can't be happening,'' another mumbled looking at the balls of flames that were descending on the whole floor, others fell to the ground betrayed by their trembling legs at the sight of an eventual death and others looked back to those locked stone door as tears poured out of their eyes.

It shouldn't be possible, It had been less than minute since they entered this room and already more than thirty lives had been lost. Their expression were filled with horror, was this truly the end.

"Tanks to the front!" One of the party leaders shouted.

A few souls answered his call rushing to the front, hands clenching tight to their shields while a few dropped the shields stepping back, shaking their heads in defiance.

"It's only the tenth floor!" One screamed before rushing back stone doors and others followed, this was an act of mutiny and under the Bureau's current laws, party leaders could kill any mutineers in a party.

But Vex didn't bother to cut them down as they rushed past him, the act would be meaningless and waste of energy.

"Idiots" someone commented as balls of flames rained down.

[Eathwall] The shield bearers screamed their skill as they drove their shields into the ground, and the earth moved around them at their command forming a dome over those that were near them.

[Crystallize] they said in unity and instantly the earth domes hardened into crystal that could withstand the flames.

Screams echoed as the flames scotched the ground around the domes, burning those who chose to flee the battle.

THUD. THUD. THUD.... And now the stone spikes rained down on the crystal domes, that lay scattered through out the room.

"Thirty seconds!" One of the shield bearers screamed, informing them of the remaining time before the dome crumbles.

"Done," she said as the light from her hands faded.

"Thanks," Vex said and with one bloodshot eye he turned to the metallic creature that stood in front of the marble stairs that lead to a tree with leaves of diverse colours that were oddly in harmony and three fruits that beat as if living hearts.

'That thing is definitely from the upper floors.' His jaw clencled looking at it. It wasn't unheard of for monsters to leave their floor and go to a lower floors but doing this often meant facing restrictions as such monsters rarely did it, but why was this one still so strong even if they were in a hidden room the restrictions should still apply.

"Mark. I'm going to us override again," he said turning to the man learning against the crystal dome.

"Sure, we'll go for the fruits." Mark said turning his gaze to the fruits that was beating as if living hearts hanging from a tree, behind the monster they could never kill.

'I hope thats the condition for clearing this damn room,' Vex nodded glancing at the cracks slowly appearing in the dome, It was clear to everyone that killing that monster was an impossible task and unlikely the conditions needed to clear the hidden room.

"Five, Four, Th.." the tank's counted down, some tanks stood with noses that dripped blood and eyes that were turning red, clear signs of skill overuse.

Vex looked at the floating blood spears still hovering over their heads,

"One." The count finished and instantly the crystal dome crumbled as the tanks fell on to their shields unable to stand.

[Override] instantly as his skill activated, the blood spears stopped turning back to their caster and again the monsters gaze drifted back to Vex then.

"Everyone go for the tree, NOW!" Mark shouted as he rushed passed Vex.

"Damn it," Mark cursed, the monster didn't move this time as it had previously when Vex took control of it's skill.

Now it stood firm in their path and non would pass as it raised its blade again then.

The blood spears reached it and its blade cleaved them instantly, turning its gaze to the people rushing past it.

'The skill need's manual control.' Vex thought with a bleeding nose, he dropped his sword and moved his hands through the air to manually control the blood.

The monster swung its blade at the nearest person, the blood reformed into spears and instantly moved to pierce it.

The monsters eyes unwavering as its blade quickened cutting through the woman then turned to the blood spears.

Vex smiled as the others reach the stairs nearing the tree.

The monster cut through the never ending torrent of blood spears that constantly reformed then it's gaze drifted to the tree as Mark reached the top of the stairs and the tree only a few steps away then.

Vex's eyes widened as from the monster's shadow stepped out clones rushing toward the stairs at an unmatched pace.

"BEHIND YOU!" Vex and the few left behind screamed then.

Instantly the monster stood beside Vex, its blade aimed for his head.

'When did it get here?' He asked internally, his eyes frozen on the approaching blade and the blood spears stopped clashing with the monster at center of the room.

'I should have said yes,' He shut his eyes, with a heavy heart remembering how Valeria was still waiting for his answer then.

THUD! One the remaining tanks slammed into the monster beside Vex, its blade scratched Vex right eyelid.

'I'm still alive,' He smiled for a moment then turned his gaze back to the monster's, instantly the blood spears moved again attacking in all directions, rushing to the one beside Vex aswell as the one's clashing at the stairs and the one at the center of the room.

The monster's stopped as Mark cut off a fruit from the tree.

The room was instantly filled with smiles as the stone gates opened and some cried in disbelief.

The clones beside them dissolved into black liquid that rushed back into the monsters shadow.

A massage appeared before their eyes.

[Seed of beginnings abtained]

[Hidden Room cleared]

Their smiles widened looking at those massages then.

[Rewards will be distributed according to ■■■■ evaluation]

"Evoluation?" Some asked looking around the room, this was something they had never seen nor heard of, the tower always awarded people according to their contributions.

''Who evaluating use?'' As he asked the hairs on his neck stood.

It was still there. Some gulped at the realisation that seemed to hit everyone at once.

What would happen if your evaluation was low? Would that thing evaluate them fair even after losing?

The towers evaluation could be trusted, because it did not judge people's contribution by attack only but by how they influenced the battle or mission, even a healer or porter could gain rewards for their contributions.

But a monster being responsible for an evaluation was unheard of and was likely to be lacking compared to the tower.

[Evaluation complete]

[Highest evaluation: Vex Leeon]

[ 2 place: Mark ...

...

.

.

[Rewards still in process..]

'I going to get married,' Vex smiled all his efforts were not in vain and now his could return to his girlfriend.

"Yeah!" Mark screamed with a smile on his face and the others followed with cheers, but some couldn't smile since they had lost comrade's, friends and even families. Even if death was inevitable in the tower that didn't mean climbers were not affected by it, the pain of losing those you care about was something climbers could never adjust to.

"We did it," Mark said, looking at Vex.

"Yeah and I'm going to get married," Vex said with a smirk.

Marks eyes widened, "what?" 

"When did you propose to Valeria?" Mark asked partly frantic.

Vex bitterly smiled as he turned his gaze to the monster choosing not to answer.

"Don't tell she's the one who proposed." Mark said with a smirk and placed his arm on Vex shoulder.

'I shouldn't have told him.' Vex said nothing as Mark laughed at his silent reply.

"Ok, I won't question your manhood." Mark said, "tell me what did you get as your rewards?"

Vex gaze snapped back to Mark, "you received your rewards?"

"Yeah," Mark said casually, "after the fruit vanished, I got my rewards."

'What?' As Vex wondered a metallic hand pierced through his chest.

Everyone eyes widened looking at scene.

"What?" He asked as blood flowed past his lips.

[Reward: Seed of new beginnings]

[Warning! Seed is an instant use item]

[Warning!! Usage requirement not met, please meet the usage requirement: Death]

[Warning!!! Evaluator has volunteered to help you achieve Death requirement]

'What hell is this crap?' His eyes furrowed reading through the notifications.

The world seemed to go silent, he could see Mark shouting and swinging his sword at the monster.

[Warning!!!! Evaluator is permitted usage of full strength to help you achieve requirement]

Mark froze as pressure they had never felt descended upon them, the ground and the walls cracked around them.

All they could feel was their heart's beating against the their ribs, their breathing quickened as their lungs betrayed them refusing to take in air.

"Mark," Vex said with a mouth overflowing with blood, "tell her.. yes."

SNAP!

Instantly everyone vanished, Vex stood alone looking up at the indifferent monster staring down at him.

It was an unpleasant sight compared to the thought of Valeria. 

He shut his eyes and buried himself in her memories as it pulled out its hand and vanished.

The world faded around him, his body crumbling to the ground. THUD.

[Seed activiting: What life do you want?]

"Huh?" He could barely opened his eyes as the notification echoed through his head then.

He smiled seeing a spider walk by, it reminded him of the day Valeria saved a spider from his boot, he always thought she was too sweet for her own good but it was that naive innocence he loved most about her.

'I should have killed that spider,' he thought hoping to hear Valeria sweat voice again, even if it was an argument, anything would do.

His conscious faded with that hopefully smile still on his face as his lifeless eyes stared at pebble "Will you marry me?" His thoughts hurled back to her question as he flew through the air, remembering her gantle face and soft blue eyes that always entranced him.

THUD. His body slammed into the stone wall, carving a crater filled with cracks into the wall.

"Urk!" He groaned from the impact.

THUD. And fell knee's first onto the stone floor.

'I should've told her yes,' he thought, his vision already fading.

He raised head turning to the battle yet his bloodshot eyes made everything hard to see, but he couldn't afford to rest even with a blurry vision he could still fight as such he tried to stand while his muscles screamed in pain.

"Check on Vex!" A familiar voice screamed as Vex's vision threatened to darken.

'I have to tell her yes,' his grip tightened on the sword as he stood back up.

BOOM! TING! TING!... The sound of explosions moved through the air while their blades clashed.

His vision drifted back to it. It was a tall metallic creature with humanoid form yet no features on it's face, only a pair of eyes, dark hallow eyes that clearly had no life in them.

The path of it's blade was simple yet effective as it butchered through his comrades.

His jaw clenched as he stepped toward it, his legs trembled in defiance against his every step. 

It stopped moving, raising it's metallic left hand, the hand was big enough to crush a man's skull.

Everyone's eyes widened as balls of flames appeared above them, then followed spikes forged from the beaten ground beneath them and from the blood of their dead comrades spears formed above them threatening to descend upon them on completion.

"It can cast spells!" someone screamed as they turned and ran back to the shield bearers.

''No this can't be happening,'' another mumbled looking at the balls of flames that were descending on the whole floor, others fell to the ground betrayed by their trembling legs at the sight of an eventual death and others looked back to those locked stone door as tears poured out of their eyes.

It shouldn't be possible, It had been less than minute since they entered this room and already more than thirty lives had been lost. Their expression were filled with horror, was this truly the end.

"Tanks to the front!" One of the party leaders shouted.

A few souls answered his call rushing to the front, hands clenching tight to their shields while a few dropped the shields stepping back, shaking their heads in defiance.

"It's only the tenth floor!" One screamed before rushing back stone doors and others followed, this was an act of mutiny and under the Unions current laws, party leaders could kill any mutineers in a party.

But Vex didn't bother to cut them down as they rushed past him, the act would be meaningless and waste of energy.

"Idiots" someone commented as balls of flames rained down.

[Eathwall] The shield bearers screamed their skill as they drove their shields into the ground, and the earth moved around them at their command forming a dome over those that were near them.

[Crystallize] they said in unity and instantly the earth domes hardened into crystal that could withstand the flames.

Screams echoed as the flames scotched the ground around the domes, burning those who chose to flee the battle.

THUD. THUD. THUD.... And now the stone spikes rained down on the crystal domes, that lay scattered through out the room.

"Thirty seconds!" One of the shield bearers screamed, informing them of the remaining time before the dome crumbles.

"Done," she said as the light from her hands faded.

"Thanks," Vex said and with one bloodshot eye he turned to the metallic creature that stood in front of the marble stairs that lead to a tree with leaves of diverse colours that were oddly in harmony and three fruits that beat as if living hearts.

'That thing is definitely from the upper floors.' His jaw clencled looking at it. It wasn't unheard of for monsters to leave their floor and go to a lower floors but doing this often meant facing restrictions as such monsters rarely did it, but why was this one still so strong even if they were in a hidden room the restrictions should still apply.

"Mark. I'm going to us override again," he said turning to the man learning against the crystal dome.

"Sure, we'll go for the fruits." Mark said turning his gaze to the fruits that was beating as if living hearts hanging from a tree, behind the monster they could never kill.

'I hope thats the condition for clearing this damn room,' Vex nodded glancing at the cracks slowly appearing in the dome, It was clear to everyone that killing that monster was an impossible task and unlikely the conditions needed to clear the hidden room.

"Five, Four, Th.." the tank's counted down, some tanks stood with noses that dripped blood and eyes that were turning red, clear signs of skill overuse.

Vex looked at the floating blood spears still hovering over their heads,

"One." The count finished and instantly the crystal dome crumbled as the tanks fell on to their shields unable to stand.

[Override] instantly as his skill activated, the blood spears stopped turning back to their caster and again the monsters gaze drifted back to Vex then.

"Everyone go for the tree, NOW!" Mark shouted as he rushed passed Vex.

"Damn it," Mark cursed, the monster didn't move this time as it had previously when Vex took control of it's skill.

Now it stood firm in their path and non would pass as it raised its blade again then.

The blood spears reached it and its blade cleaved them instantly, turning its gaze to the people rushing past it.

'The skill need's manual control.' Vex thought with a bleeding nose, he dropped his sword and moved his hands through the air to manually control the blood.

The monster swung its blade at the nearest person, the blood reformed into spears and instantly moved to pierce it.

The monsters eyes unwavering as its blade quickened cutting through the woman then turned to the blood spears.

Vex smiled as the others reach the stairs nearing the tree.

The monster cut through the never ending torrent of blood spears that constantly reformed then it's gaze drifted to the tree as Mark reached the top of the stairs and the tree only a few steps away then.

Vex's eyes widened as from the monster's shadow stepped out clones rushing toward the stairs at an unmatched pace.

"BEHIND YOU!" Vex and the few left behind screamed then.

Instantly the monster stood beside Vex, its blade aimed for his head.

'When did it get here?' He asked internally, his eyes frozen on the approaching blade and the blood spears stopped clashing with the monster at center of the room.

'I should have said yes,' He shut his eyes, with a heavy heart remembering how Valeria was still waiting for his answer then.

THUD! One the remaining tanks slammed into the monster beside Vex, its blade scratched Vex right eyelid.

'I'm still alive,' He smiled for a moment then turned his gaze back to the monster's, instantly the blood spears moved again attacking in all directions, rushing to the one beside Vex aswell as the one's clashing at the stairs and the one at the center of the room.

The monster's stopped as Mark cut off a fruit from the tree.

The room was instantly filled with smiles as the stone gates opened and some cried in disbelief.

The clones beside them dissolved into black liquid that rushed back into the monsters shadow.

A massage appeared before their eyes.

[Seed of beginnings abtained]

[Hidden Room cleared]

Their smiles widened looking at those massages then.

[Rewards will be distributed according to ■■■■ evaluation]

"Evoluation?" Some asked looking around the room, this was something they had never seen nor heard of, the tower always awarded people according to their contributions.

''Who evaluating use?'' As he asked the hairs on his neck stood.

It was still there. Some gulped at the realisation that seemed to hit everyone at once.

What would happen if your evaluation was low? Would that thing evaluate them fair even after losing?

The towers evaluation could be trusted, because it did not judge people's contribution by attack only but by how they influenced the battle or mission, even a healer or porter could gain rewards for their contributions.

But a monster being responsible for an evaluation was unheard of and was likely to be lacking compared to the tower.

[Evaluation complete]

[Highest evaluation: Vex Leeon]

[ 2 place: Mark ...

...

.

.

[Rewards still in process..]

'I going to get married,' Vex smiled all his efforts were not in vain and now his could return to his girlfriend.

"Yeah!" Mark screamed with a smile on his face and the others followed with cheers, but some couldn't smile since they had lost comrade's, friends and even families. Even if death was inevitable in the tower that didn't mean climbers were not affected by it, the pain of losing those you care about was something climbers could never adjust to.

"We did it," Mark said, looking at Vex.

"Yeah and I'm going to get married," Vex said with a smirk.

Marks eyes widened, "what?" 

"When did you propose to Valeria?" Mark asked partly frantic.

Vex bitterly smiled as he turned his gaze to the monster choosing not to answer.

"Don't tell she's the one who proposed." Mark said with a smirk and placed his arm on Vex shoulder.

'I shouldn't have told him.' Vex said nothing as Mark laughed at his silent reply.

"Ok, I won't question your manhood." Mark said, "tell me what did you get as your rewards?"

Vex gaze snapped back to Mark, "you received your rewards?"

"Yeah," Mark said casually, "after the fruit vanished, I got my rewards."

'What?' As Vex wondered a metallic hand pierced through his chest.

Everyone eyes widened looking at scene.

"What?" He asked as blood flowed past his lips.

[Reward: Seed of new beginnings]

[Warning! Seed is an instant use item]

[Warning!! Usage requirement not met, please meet the usage requirement: Death]

[Warning!!! Evaluator has volunteered to help you achieve Death requirement]

'What hell is this crap?' His eyes furrowed reading through the notifications.

The world seemed to go silent, he could see Mark shouting and swinging his sword at the monster.

[Warning!!!! Evaluator is permitted usage of full strength to help you achieve requirement]

Mark froze as pressure they had never felt descended upon them, the ground and the walls cracked around them.

All they could feel was their heart's beating against the their ribs, their breathing quickened as their lungs betrayed them refusing to take in air.

"Mark," Vex said with a mouth overflowing with blood, "tell her.. yes."

SNAP!

Instantly everyone vanished, Vex stood alone looking up at the indifferent monster staring down at him.

It was an unpleasant sight compared to the thought of Valeria. 

He shut his eyes and buried himself in her memories as it pulled out its hand and vanished.

The world faded around him, his body crumbling to the ground. THUD.

[Seed activiting: What life do you want?]

"Huh?" He could barely opened his eyes as the notification echoed through his head then.

He smiled seeing a spider walk by, it reminded him of the day Valeria saved a spider from his boot, he always thought she was too sweet for her own good but it was that naive innocence he loved most about her.

'I should have killed that spider,' he thought hoping to hear Valeria sweat voice again, even if it was an argument, anything would do.

His conscious faded with that hopefully smile still on his face as his lifeless eyes stared at pebble he thought was a spider.

[ERROR!! Invalid response]

[Tower system will automate life]

[Tower has choosen the last life acknowledged]

[Chosen Life detected on the 20th floor]

[Starting point marked as 20th floor]he thought was a spider.

[ERROR!! Invalid response]

[Tower system will automate life]

[Tower has choosen the last life acknowledged]

[Chosen Life detected on the 20th floor]

[Starting point marked as 20th floor]