Kael threw everything he had into the climb.
At first, he relied on raw strength, forcing his body upward with sheer will. But it didn’t take long before reality caught up with him.
He had been wrong.
Strength alone wasn’t enough.
The cliff face was uneven and unpredictable. Some parts were solid and easy to grip, while others crumbled the moment he put weight on them. There were sections that looked sturdy but turned out to be slick, offering no real hold. Every movement had to be tested, adjusted, corrected.
It slowed him down.
And behind him, the scraping sounds grew louder.
The Iron Leg spiders were closing in on him.
"Damn it..."
Kael clenched his teeth. This wasn’t a fair fight. He was struggling to climb, while those things moved like they were born for it. Their spike-like legs pierced straight into the rock, anchoring them with ease.
This was their territory.
Not his.
Just then a vibration ran through the rock beneath his foot.
Kael glanced down, and chill ran down his spine. One of the Iron Leg spiders had already caught up with him.
Its body tensed, all eight legs drawing in as if coiling for something.
Then it leapt.
"Are you serious?!"
Kael reacted on instinct. He released his right hand and let his body swing sideways, hanging off the cliff by three points of contact.
A split second later, the spider slammed into the spot he had just left.
The impact rang out like metal striking stone, shaking the cliff. A chunk of rock broke loose and fell into the fog below.
Kael didn’t waste the opening.
While the creature was still recovering, he twisted his body, secured a new grip, and drove his leg forward with everything he had.
His kick connected.
The spider lost its hold instantly and dropped, its body disappearing into the fog without a sound.
Kael didn’t look down.
A notification flashed briefly in his vision, confirming the kill, but he ignored it and kept climbing.
There was no time.
Another spider closed in.
This one didn’t leap. Instead, it lashed out, one of its sharp legs thrusting toward him like a spear.
Kael jerked his body to the side. He avoided a direct hit, but not completely.
The tip grazed his leg.
A sharp pain flared as blood spilled.
He gritted his teeth but didn’t slow down.
The spider pressed forward, relentless.
Kael shifted his grip, hanging with one hand as he reached out with the other. His fingers locked onto a loose piece of rock. With a hard pull, he ripped it free and slammed it downward.
The rock struck the spider’s head.
It didn’t do much damage, but it didn’t need to.
It was just a distraction.
In the same motion, Kael reached into his inventory and pulled out a vial.
He didn’t hesitate.
He threw it.
The vial shattered on impact, spilling a thick green liquid across the spider’s body. A sharp sizzling sound followed almost instantly as the substance began to eat into its shell.
The creature screeched.
Moments later, it lost its grip and fell.
Kael kept moving.
Behind him, more screeches echoed, followed by multiple notifications. Some of the others had been caught in the splash.
He exhaled sharply. "That works..."
But he didn’t relax.
He only had two vials left.
He couldn’t afford to waste them.
Time passed, though it felt stretched thin under pressure. Kael climbed, fought, and endured. He lost count of how many spiders he had killed.
His body didn’t come out untouched.
His gear was torn in several places. His skin was scraped, bruised, and cut. Blood stained his clothes, and his hands were starting to go numb from the constant strain.
The spiders, on the other hand, showed no sign of slowing down.
"They just don’t stop..."
If this kept up, he wouldn’t last.
Then, suddenly, something clicked in his mind.
Why hadn’t he thought of it earlier?
He was surrounded by enemies perfectly adapted to this environment.
If Sovereign’s Claim worked the way he thought, then...
Kael didn’t hesitate.
He activated it.
A screen appeared before him.
[Sovereign’s Claim activated.]
[Selecting random target within range...]
His eyes stayed fixed on it.
Then—
[Target selected.]
[Target: Solid rock]
[Trait extracted: Endurance +1]
"...You’ve got to be kidding me."
Kael nearly cursed out loud.
All these spiders around him, and it chose a rock?
He felt a slight boost in stamina, but it was nowhere near enough to change the situation.
Then suddenly—
A surge of strength rushed through his body.
Another notification flashed.
[Monster Essence Integrated x17]
[Strength +8]
[Endurance +5]
[Agility +10]
Kael’s eyes widened.
This was clearly Void Absorption at work, and the sheer effect of it caught him off guard.
He already knew it was overpowered, but this... gaining stats just by killing monsters? If other hunters ever found out, they’d probably try to kill him out of pure jealousy.
He didn’t dwell on it.
He was still in danger after all.
With renewed strength, Kael pushed forward, climbing faster, striking harder, moving with more confidence. The spiders still attacked, still relentless, but now he could keep up.
The distance to the top began to shrink.
Slowly.
Painfully.
But surely.
His body took more damage along the way. His muscles burned, his grip weakened, and every movement hurt. Still, he didn’t stop.
He couldn’t.
Finally, after what felt like forever, the edge came into reach.
Kael forced his arm up, fingers locking onto the top.
With the last of his strength, he pulled.
His body rolled over the edge, and he collapsed onto solid ground.
He lay there, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling as exhaustion consumed him. Every part of his body ached. He didn’t even have the strength to move.
Then a screen appeared.
[FLOOR 1 COMPLETE — HELL DIFFICULTY]
[Rating: A]
[Enemies defeated: 23]
[EXP gained: 840]
[Tower Coins gained: 600]
[Infinite Reward Multiplier — Activated!]
[Multiplier: x5]
[Reward Adjusted:]
[EXP gained: 4,200]
[Tower Coins gained: 3,000]
[You’ve leveled up x5]