Single for Eternity

Ignoring the admiring gazes of the retreating miners, I pressed forward, my focus solely on whatever lurked ahead.

As their footsteps faded behind me, I picked up my pace, moving at speeds no normal human could match.

Within seconds, I reached the end of the tunnel.

There, in the dim light, a massive gash of a hole loomed above me—a jagged tear in the ceiling, leading into the unknown.

A faint, guttural rumbling echoed from within.

Something was up there. Watching. Waiting.

I barely had time to process before—

BAM!

A thick, white, sticky substance shot toward me at blinding speed, wrapping around my torso before I could react.

Webs.

SWISH!

With a sudden, violent pull, I was yanked off my feet, my body launching upward with tremendous force.

I didn't even have a chance to struggle before—

CRASH!

I slammed hard against the cavern wall, the impact sending cracks splintering outward. Thick clouds of dust and debris choked the air, clouding my vision.

My body barely had time to process the first hit before—

WHAM!

Something massive struck me again, its impact like a war hammer crushing into my ribs.

My body careened backward, slamming into another rock wall with enough force to dent solid stone.

Dust filled my lungs. My vision blurred.

The world tilted.

Before I could fully recover, another swinging force came crashing down on me.

I barely twisted in time, but the attack grazed my side, leaving behind a sharp, stinging sensation.

Instinctively, my hand shot to the wound.

Warm liquid.

Blood.

Not much. Just a small cut—but enough to piss me off.

I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

I had fought twice now in this world.

And every single time, the enemy landed the first hit.

It was a pattern at this point.

If I were in some cliché transmigration novel, I was sure seasoned transmigrators would spit in my face right now.

I was a disgrace to the keyboard warrior community.

'Who the hell was setting my difficulty level?! This was clearly unfair!'

[ System: Host, I told you. It's your karma. ]

'Yeah, shut the fuck up.'

[ (￣ヘ￣; ) ]

I didn't have time for the system's bullshit.

I had bigger problems.

This thing—this spider bastard—was hunting me.

And right now, I was at a disadvantage.

...

I steadied my breath, focusing not on my eyes, but on my senses.

The bastard was stealthy. Too stealthy.

It was fast, but there had to be something—some sign—I could use to track it.

Then—

BAM!

Another brutal attack slammed into my gut, sending me flying once more.

This time, however—

I smelled something.

A putrid, rotten scent, like crushed insects mixed with decaying flesh.

So that's it.

That smell had to be its weak point.

I gritted my teeth, forcing my aching body to move.

Eyes closed, I honed in on that scent, waiting for the next attack.

And there it was—

SWOOSH!

A sharp rush of air above me—its next strike coming from above.

I barely twisted in time, dodging by mere inches, but I still felt the burning graze against my skin.

Damn.

This thing was fast.

I touched the fresh wound.

Still bleeding. But my body's durability held up well.

That didn't change the fact that I was getting thrown around like a rag doll.

This thing…

This damn spider was like a boss-level monster.

Why the hell was I always running into these?!

'Did the gods just hate me? Was I cursed?!'

[ System: Host, you must accept your fate. ]

'Go drown in a river, system.'

[ (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ ]

...

This time, when the next attack came, I made a decision.

I didn't dodge.

I let it hit me—a powerful smash straight to my ribs.

But this time, I retaliated.

CRACK!

My foot shot forward, colliding directly with the source of the attack.

A sickening crunch echoed through the cavern.

Screeeeech!!!

The spider screeched in agony, its inhuman wail piercing my eardrums.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

In a fit of rage, it slammed me down over and over again.

My skull met rock.

Dirt and iron filled my mouth.

By the time it finally stopped, my body lay limp against the cave floor.

My senses blurred.

Everything turned hazy.

I felt the rough texture of stone beneath me.

I felt my body healing, slowly but steadily.

But the bastard didn't kill me.

It just… stopped.

It lost interest.

Like the manticore before it.

It was waiting for something.

Maybe it thought I was dead.

Or maybe—

It was saving me for later.

Minutes passed.

I wasn't sure how long.

When I finally managed to force my eyes open, I realized something.

I was alone.

The spider was gone.

I pushed myself up, staggering slightly.

Then, I surveyed my surroundings.

I was inside a cave enclosure, the hole I had been hurled through still visible above me.

It was spacious, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Just stone walls, the faint shimmer of minerals reflecting light, and—

Webs.

Nothing else.

No corpses. No bones. No acid burns.

Strange.

A predator this strong should have left evidence of past victims.

But this place was spotless.

That's when it hit me.

The one obvious hint I had overlooked.

Webs.

My brain clicked into place.

This bastard is a spider.

Like a horror movie protagonist who ignores the most blatant warning signs, I had completely failed to check one crucial place—

The ceiling.

THUD.

My blood ran cold.

A shadow shifted above me.

I didn't move.

Slowly—agonizingly slow—it crawled downward, moving with silent precision, until its massive form loomed right behind me.

A low growl rumbled against my back. The hair on my arms stood on end.

It lowered its head, stopping just at my shoulder.

The cold, damp breath of the monster sent shivers down my spine.

I clenched my fists.

'Round 2—begin.'