However, Gaya, ever skeptical of Silvaris's intentions, couldn't help but voice her suspicion. "That fucker must have a catch," she muttered under her breath, her instincts telling her that the task couldn't be as straightforward as it seemed.
"Those who stand last when a lucky winner gets to the top and secures the map will be teleported to the next level," he revealed, adding another layer of complexity to the challenge.
"What does he mean by 'stand last'?" one of the adventurers asked, confusion evident in their voice. The phrase was ambiguous, hinting at a potential twist in what had seemed like a simple race to the top.
"I know you greedy fuckers will kill each other while trying to get to the top, just like you've been doing," Silvaris said, his voice laced with amusement at the anticipated chaos. Several of the adventurers, confident in their abilities, boasted about their flying and speed spells. "I'll just fly to the top," bragged one of the elves, his arrogance palpable. "My speed spell will get me there first," claimed a dwarf, ready to prove his worth.
"It can't and won't be this simple," Gaya remarked, voicing the skepticism that many felt but few had articulated. Her intuition warned her of the hidden dangers that lay in wait for them.
"As you idiots might have noticed, you still have access to your celestial energy, so you are allowed to use spells, but..." Silvaris's laughter filled the air once more as he paused, drawing out the moment.
"Here it comes," Gaya said with a roll of her eyes, anticipating the catch that Silvaris was about to reveal.
Pausing for effect, Silvaris finally disclosed the twist. "I have an ancient beast here that will sense the use of celestial energy. So, use your spells wisely, or you'll be hunted down by my baby girl," he warned, his tone taking on a sinister edge. This revelation changed the dynamics of the race drastically. While the use of spells could give adventurers an edge in reaching the summit, it also made them targets for the ancient beast that thrived on the very energy they would need to rely on.
"This level's gonna teach you idiots another aspect of the fine art of thievery. Knowing when to unleash your arsenal of spells and when to just fucking roll with luck," he declared.
"You'll get the bloody point soon enough," he promised, a hint of ominous foreboding in his tone.
"See you on the other side," Silvaris concluded, his voice fading away, leaving the adventurers to ponder the implications of his parting words.
Once Silvaris's voice had faded into the cold, snowy air, the adventurers, now wary of the hidden dangers and the ancient beast lurking in wait, moved cautiously instead of charging forward with the haste they might have shown before. The crude advice resonated with them, instilling a sense of caution that had perhaps been lacking in earlier levels.
The adventurers, now thoroughly spooked, proceeded with even greater caution. The atmosphere was charged with a tangible sense of fear, each step forward made with the utmost care to avoid attracting the attention of whatever had just claimed the life of their fellow adventurer.
Among the whispers of the wind, whispered conversations began to emerge among some of the adventurers. "If we can't use spells to get to the top first, maybe we should start thinking about thinning the herd," one suggested in a hushed tone, casting furtive glances at the others. "Yeah, fewer competitors, better odds for us," another agreed, the moral implications of their strategy overshadowed by the desperate drive to survive and succeed.
As Michael and Gaya navigated through the treacherous ice storm, their senses were on high alert. Suddenly, Michael's reflexes kicked in as he leaned to the side, snatching a flame arrow out of the air that had been shot through the swirling snow with deadly precision. The arrow, intended for them, glowed ominously in his grasp.
"So, the fuckers want to thin the herd, huh?" Gaya remarked with a cold edge to her voice, pulling out her crossbow in preparation for retaliation. Her readiness to defend them both was palpable in her swift response.
Michael, holding the flaming arrow, simply crushed it in his hand, extinguishing the flame with a snicker. "Looks like it," he remarked dryly, his amusement at the attempt on their lives tinged with a cold edge.
Amidst the tension, a dwarf, perhaps out of habit or a desperate need for warmth, cast a spell to envelop himself in a brief cloak of warmth. In the midst of the tension, a dwarf, perhaps out of habit or a desperate need for warmth, cast a spell to envelop himself in a magical aura that staved off the biting cold. "Ah, that's better," he sighed in relief, oblivious to the danger his action had just invited.
It took a few moments for the realization to dawn on the dwarves around him. "You bloody idiot!" one of them exclaimed, horror striking as they understood the implications of using celestial energy in this environment. "What have you done?" another shouted, panic setting in as they grasped the severity of the situation.
The group of dwarves around him began to panic, understanding the grave error that had been made.
It didn't take long for their fears to materialize. The ancient beast, drawn by the sudden use of celestial energy, emerged from the storm like a predator homing in on its prey. The dwarves, caught in the midst of their realization, had no time to react as the beast began taking them out one by one.
"By the gods, run!" one dwarf managed to scream before being silenced by the beast's ferocious attack.
"It's got Dagr! Oh, fuck, it's got Dagr!" another cried out in horror, witnessing the brutal efficiency with which the beast dispatched his friend.
As the chaos unfolded and the dwarves met their grim fate, Gaya's sharp eyes once again caught sight of something that sent a chill down her spine even in the midst of the icy storm. Countless glowing eyes pierced through the blizzard, a horrifying spectacle that was both mesmerizing and terrifying. Accompanying the eyes were the silhouettes of massive, hairy legs moving with a grace that belied their monstrous size. As the creature emerged further from the veil of snow, its form became clearer, revealing the unmistakable outline of a giant spider.
Watching the spider retreat back into the storm after its attack, Gaya felt a revulsion she couldn't shake. Spiders, with their many eyes and legs, had always been a source of unease for her, but this creature was something far beyond the ordinary. "I hate spiders," Gaya muttered under her breath.
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