The darkness in the deep passage was only broken by the radiant glow of ancient characters etched on the walls. I walked carefully, step by step, my four spider legs moving lightly so as not to make a sound. Even with [Heaven Eye] helping me see everything clearly, I couldn't help but shiver at the eerie atmosphere.
On both walls, countless ancient symbols and paintings of various sizes were carved, most of which had faded with time. These murals seemed to tell a story, but the details were so obscure they felt like a book with many pages torn out.
These murals...
I stopped in front of a large carving, trying to examine it carefully. In it, a group of people bowed before a massive creature, half serpent, half dragon. The creature was surrounded by a strange aura, like a divine being from fairy tales.
Meradis also stopped, glancing over. "Perhaps a god they once worshipped. Do you recognize this symbol?"
I shook my head. "No. But from how they depicted this creature, it seems to play a very important role."
I'm not unfamiliar with this type of creature worship, but I just wanted a closer look at that massive being. It oddly reminded me of those sandworms out there...
I couldn't help but laugh at the image of it compared to those sandworms.
We continued forward. The deeper we went, the stranger the murals became. One showed pyramids rising from the desert, illuminated by a beam of light from the sky. Others depicted people working in mines, digging up what looked like gemstones.
I frowned. "It seems this isn't just a site for worship. It looks more like a resource extraction center."
Meradis nodded. "Indeed. But from the way they carved it, these resources appear to have more than just material value. There's great spiritual significance."
"Do you recognize which civilization this is?" I asked.
Meradis thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Even before, I mostly stayed in the Primordial Forest. This place might just be a simulation of that civilization rather than the real one."
Huh?
There's such a thing as a simulation?
"Yes. The special floors of the Great Dungeon all simulate some land or structure from outside. No one knows the purpose or reason behind it."
So everything I've been experiencing was a simulation...?
It was hard to believe.
We didn't have much time to ponder, as the corridor suddenly opened into a large chamber. Here, a series of traps had been set up in advance.
"Be careful," Meradis said, her sharp eyes scanning the area.
I didn't need her warning. My spider instincts and skills already helped me detect abnormalities in the space. My eyes darted around the room. On the floor were small slits—clearly arrow traps. Above, stone slabs looked ready to drop at any moment.
"They're going all out," I muttered, observing and thinking of a way to get through.
Honestly, it wasn't that stressful. I just needed to activate [Diamond Body] and I'd be fine.
...
Once again, I realized how cursed my mouth was.
Relying on the carvings on the wall, I quickly discovered a trigger mechanism in a corner of the room. If I followed the tiles with different-colored symbols, I might be able to avoid activating the traps.
I moved carefully, jumping from one tile to another, but then I slipped, causing an arrow to shoot out. I wasn't too worried and tried to dodge, but my reaction was a bit slow, and the arrow grazed me—it shattered my diamond armor.
What the hell is this?!
It was just a regular arrow, wasn't it??
My head was full of question marks.
I didn't want to believe it, but seeing the blood, I knew I'd been genuinely wounded.
"Be careful, Shiraori. Don't be careless!" Meradis warned.
I began to be more cautious, examining everything closely and moving more carefully. Everything seemed fine until a monster suddenly appeared from the end of the room.
It was a giant scorpion, its black shell gleaming under the dim light. Its sharp tail rose, ready to strike.
"Watch out, Shiraori!" Meradis shouted, preparing to cast magic.
I didn't wait for her. With quick reflexes, I shot webs directly at the scorpion's front legs, pinning it to the ground. It roared and struggled, but I quickly used ice magic and completely froze it.
"Done!" I said, my breathing still steady.
Meradis laughed. "You're fast at handling things. Alright, let's move on."
Ah, hold on. This scorpion's level is pretty high—I'm not passing up this EXP source.
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All set.
After overcoming the trap-filled room and the surprise monster, we advanced into another long hallway and kept going.
I groped through the dark corridors, ready to cast offensive spells. The hallway led me to a large room, but it had nothing besides giant pillars supporting the ceiling. I kept walking deeper, through twisted passages and confusing turns.
"What the heck is this place... a maze?" I muttered, trying to memorize the route to avoid getting lost.
Not long after, I found a large stone door. Unlike the dark corridors, this door was brighter, intricately carved, and bathed in a faint light.
This looked like the entrance to the main hall, the kind of place where people would gather for discussions, maybe with a king seated at the center.
"Looks like we're almost there," I said, sensing a strange aura coming from behind the door.
The door was decorated with complex drawings, seemingly telling the story of some deity. I didn't have to do anything—the door opened automatically as we approached.
Inside was a massive room, illuminated by pale green light emanating from large crystals on stands. At the center was a large stone table, covered with dozens of old books.
"An ancient library..." Meradis said. "It's extremely rare to find these in an abandoned structure. Hopefully, there's still useful information inside."
I nodded and approached the stone table. The books were written in an ancient language I couldn't understand. I'd let Suzu analyze them, but one book in particular caught my eye.
It was bound in black leather, with a raised eye symbol on the cover. When I touched it, a chilling sensation spread through my fingertips.
"Careful, Shiraori. That book doesn't seem normal," Meradis warned.
"I'll be careful," I replied, trying to open it. The pages inside looked old, but the characters shone as if freshly written.
"What... is this?" I murmured. A large illustration appeared on the first page, showing a massive machine with streams of energy flowing through it.
Meradis frowned. "It looks related to the resource they were mining. We might've just found the key to unraveling the pyramid's entire mystery."
I didn't know whether I had found a treasure... or a curse. But one thing was clear—the real story was only just beginning.
…
Continuing through the darkness, I felt the atmosphere growing increasingly strange. Meradis kept a close distance, her cautious eyes scanning every corner as if searching for something unusual. Neither of us said a word.
Eventually, after a narrow turn, we stopped in front of a large door. Unlike the previous passageways, this place was ornately decorated, with sunken carvings and faintly glowing ancient symbols. At the top of the door, a symbol resembling a sun radiating light was intricately engraved.
"We're here," I whispered, sensing a strange aura emanating from behind the door.
Meradis nodded. "It seems this is the center of the pyramid."
Without any physical contact, the door opened automatically as we approached. Light from inside spilled out, making us squint. Upon entering, I saw a massive chamber with an incredibly high ceiling. The walls were covered in murals and faintly glowing ancient characters, creating an atmosphere that was both mysterious and solemn.
But what caught my attention the most was the enormous machine at the center of the room.
It stood imposingly in the vast space, its intricate mechanical components intertwined. The machine emitted a dim light, identical to the image I had seen in the book earlier, though this one was old and heavily damaged. Pipes and conduits connected to large crystals that pulsed with light like the heartbeat of a living creature.
This is...
I stepped closer to observe. With every step, I could feel the energy radiating from the machine more clearly. Something ancient and powerful was hidden within it.
Meradis placed a hand on her chin, her eyes heavy with thought. "Perhaps this is the core of the entire civilization. This machine might be tied to the resources they extracted, or maybe it was the thing controlling everything."
I didn't respond, only moved closer. The more I looked at the machine's details, the more curious I became. A part of me wanted to understand it better, and before I realized it, I had unconsciously touched its cold metallic surface.
Immediately, a deep rumbling sound echoed, shaking the entire chamber. The machine suddenly flared with light, enveloping the space.
Naiwa??
What just happened??
I didn't even do anything!
I clearly didn't do anything!
I heard Meradis call my name, but her voice was quickly drowned out by a resonating sound, like a tolling bell.
I realized I couldn't stay here and bolted for the exit, but everything was engulfed in blinding white light.
A...!
I hate light!
When I opened my eyes again, the scene before me had completely changed.
The pyramid I had just been in was still there, but now it looked entirely different. The dull gray stone walls had been replaced by vibrant patterns and a golden sheen. Natural light streamed in from large windows, illuminating the place more brilliantly than ever.
"Did we... time travel?" I quickly guessed the situation, finding it hard to believe.
Meradis stood beside me, unable to hide her surprise. She brushed back her hair, her eyes scanning the surroundings warily. "It seems so. This is the time when this civilization still existed."
Into the past...
I was admittedly a bit excited, but thinking about how to return made it hard to feel happy.
I used [Heaven Eye] to observe the outside and saw not just humans but a great many of them. They wore lavish outfits adorned with gold and gemstones, bustling about. Some were carrying large wooden chests, likely filled with gems or documents. The scene was lively yet well-organized, as if everyone was working toward a common goal.
Hmm, their clothing... looks just like that of ancient Egyptians on Earth. Could this really be just a coincidence?
We were still inside the same chamber. No one else was here but us and the machine, which remained but seemed unfinished.
"Let's leave before we get discovered," Meradis suggested.
I hadn't fully processed everything, but I understood. We were about to find another way out quietly when suddenly, the door was pushed open. A group of people dressed like soldiers entered and spotted us.
Their expressions quickly shifted from relaxed to serious. Those outside also peeked in and shouted something in a language I didn't understand, then all of them scattered.
"What was that about?" I turned to ask Meradis, but before she could answer, the guards had raised their weapons at us and were speaking sternly.
They wore gleaming armor and held long spears, their eyes filled with hostility.
I could sense a remarkable power within their weapons.
One of them pointed at us and shouted. Though I couldn't understand their language, I could tell they were calling us intruders.
"Damn it!" I muttered. "We've just been mistaken for intruders."
Meradis sighed. "You're a spider, and I'm a little corporeal spirit. It'd be strange if they didn't misunderstand."
Well... true.
But for now, the important thing is to run!
"No kidding, run!" I shouted, turning to sprint as the first spears were hurled.
The spears weren't large, and their strength wasn't overwhelming, but when they got close, I felt a sense of urgency. It reminded me of the arrow that grazed me when I first entered...
There was definitely something special in their weapons to make them stronger than normal.
I'll study that later—for now, we run!
I didn't want to kill anyone before I figured out what was going on. Besides, from their point of view, we were trespassers—and monsters, no less.
I activated [Diamond Body] and charged forward, slamming into the guards and sending them flying, clearing a path for us. I had held back my strength, so they wouldn't die.
"Let's go!" I told Meradis and led the way.
We dashed into a side corridor, using our speed and skills to evade pursuit. I shot webs continuously to slow down our pursuers, while Meradis used magic to conceal our tracks.
Along the way, we ran into quite a few soldiers, but I knocked them all aside. Some of them even knew magic, but against a skilled corporeal spirit like Meradis, they were nothing.
Thankfully, the path wasn't different from when we entered.
"Let's just get out of the pyramid first," I said while running. "We need a safe place to hide and figure things out."
Meradis nodded. "I saw the exit. Follow me."
As we exited the pyramid, I was overwhelmed by the sight before me. It wasn't just a single pyramid... it was an entire city!
This adventure... seems like it's going way beyond what I imagined.