The sound that had seemed so far away at first was now echoing from every direction, closing in on me.

Realizing it was already too late to run, I quickly recast my invisibility spell—broken earlier when I stepped on that spider—and pressed myself flat against the wall, slipping into the narrowest corner I could find.

Just as the last traces of magic settled over me—

THUD!

A heavy impact trembled through the ceiling, and a massive shadow loomed over my head.

…Something was coming down.

Sssslide…

The shadow lowered itself with a slow, dragging motion that made my skin crawl. Only when it reached the floor did I finally get a clear look at it.

A spider—no, something like a spider—easily over three meters tall.

Its body bristled with thin, jointed legs, each one moving independently. On its back unfolded wings shaped like those of a giant moth, scales fluttering softly. And most unnervingly… where its head should have been was the face of a woman.

An Arachne.

A creature that looked as if mythology had been twisted and forced into reality: a spider's monstrous body, a humanlike face, and moth wings decorated with haunting patterns.

It was grotesque.

It was disturbing.

And yet—paradoxically—I felt myself nodding.

Yes. That's a Chimera.

Compared to this, Beta and Iota almost felt… tame. Their appearances hadn't matched the image of a Chimera I had carried in my head.

But this creature?

This was exactly the kind of nightmare I had been expecting.

Lota had looked like a bear with almost no strange features.

Beta had an almost mystical elegance to her appearance.

Neither of them looked anything like what people imagined a Chimera to be.

But the creature in front of me…

This one fit the name perfectly.

The Chimera loomed over the crushed remains of the baby spider I had killed earlier, its gaze fixed on the tiny corpse as if trying to understand what had happened.

On its broad back was a clear marking:

AE-11.

The eleventh specimen.

If Iota—who had already been a handful—was only the ninth specimen, then I didn't even want to imagine what kind of power the eleventh held. My heartbeat grew heavier just thinking about it.

I lowered my body, crouching as silently as possible, barely even breathing. All I could do was wait—wait for it to lose interest, wait for it to turn away, wait for any chance to slip past it.

Luckily, the Chimera didn't seem to notice me at all.

It simply prowled around, its huge limbs shifting the dust and old webs covering the floor.

But then its massive leg swung just a little too close, and I almost brushed against it.

My breath caught in my throat.

I forced myself to step back slowly, eyes locked on its movements, every muscle tense—

And that's when it happened.

My heel touched something fine and sticky.

A spider web I hadn't seen.

The faint tremor traveled up the strands.

A split second later—

KIEEEEEK!!

The Chimera's scream pierced the entire corridor.

My stomach dropped.

"…Damn."

The moment my fingertips brushed the web, my invisibility shattered like thin glass.

The Chimera twisted its grotesque body toward me, letting out a shrill, distorted howl that made my ears ring.

Before I could even think, I threw myself to the side.

Swish—!

A thick strand of web shot past the spot where I had just been standing, slicing through the air with terrifying precision.

"Too close…"

I forced myself forward, pushing off the ground and rushing the creature while its posture was still off-balance. I swung my sword at its leg with all the strength I could muster.

Clang!!

"…Shit."

The blade bounced off with a sharp, metallic sound, sending a painful shock up my arm and numbing my hand.

What the hell was with these chimeras and their absurd durability?

My sword didn't even scratch it.

KIEEEEEK!!

The Chimera's body convulsed, raising one of its massive legs like it was about to crush me into paste.

The moment I saw that, I spun around and bolted down the nearest path.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Its heavy steps echoed behind me, each one shaking the ground just enough to rattle my nerves.

I darted through the maze-like corridors, turning sharply whenever the path split, weaving between walls of thick webbing as I tried to put distance between us.

But no matter how many turns I made, the sound followed—slow, steady, and unrelenting.

As soon as I turned the next corner, I immediately drew upon my magical power.

Then, without hesitation, I spun back around and swung my sword.

"Lightning Slash!"

Crackle!!

BOOM—!!

Sparks burst in every direction as a violent electrical storm tore through the corridor, surging straight toward the Chimera that had just rounded the bend.

But—

KIIIIK!

The Chimera snapped open the wings on its back and shot upward, landing lightly on the spiderwebs stretched along the wall. My attack slammed into nothing but empty air.

It's fast.

Much faster than any opponent I've faced so far.

The Chimera darted from web to web, weaving between the strands with unsettling ease, its movements erratic yet terrifyingly precise. Then, without warning, it shifted direction and came rushing straight toward me.

Tracking its movements with my eyes, I steadied my breathing and prepared to attack again.

Crackle—

Electricity gathered at the tip of my sword, dancing wildly as I tightened my grip.

"Lightning Slash!"

I swung my sword at the Chimera charging directly at me—a straight, unavoidable strike.

Or so I thought.

The storm exploded forward.

But the moment the lightning dissipated and its shape reappeared—

KIIIIK.

The Chimera was still there.

Still unscathed.

The Chimera glared at me from inside the cocoon of spiderwebs it had wrapped around its own body, its eyes twisting with ridicule—as if it were mocking my every move.

In the blink of an eye, it had sealed itself behind layers of thick webbing to block my lightning.

Spiderwebs don't conduct electricity.

But.

Electricity doesn't conduct…?

Then the solution was obvious.

"…Fine. I'll just burn everything."

I pulled in every last thread of magical power left in my body.

Gathered it.

Compressed it until the air around my hand vibrated.

Then I aimed at the strand of web that connected directly to the Chimera.

"…Flame Lightning."

Bang—!

A small sphere shot out, drawing a brilliant arc through the air.

The moment it touched the Chimera's body, the sphere burst with a violent shockwave.

CRACKLE!!

And then—

Whoosh—!

The spiderweb caught fire in an instant.

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