Arcane Innovator

'Time to run...' Was the only thing that flashed in my mind after I heard the monster's howls.

I decided to try to get back home by going another way around the large hill I discovered the last time I was here. I ran as fast as I could. The full moon shone brightly upon the Forest, so the ground was still somewhat visible, but still, I had to be very careful not to trip.

Soon I arrived in a rocky area. The terrain here became rougher, and there were big boulders scattered all around me. ‘At least I’m somewhat hidden,' I thought as I carefully traversed the rough slope.

I was almost on the other side of the hill when my luck seemed to have run out. I saw several shadows moving between the trees down below, and when the moon shone at them, I finally got to see them in their harrowing beauty.

They looked like wolves but were twice the size of a regular wolf, with silvery fur and ruby-red eyes shining in the darkness.

I quickly turned around to fire my [Stone Bullet] at the closest one without slowing down. In the next moment, I heard a painful growl from behind. 'Yes! I hit him!'

My attack must have confused them because they seem to have stopped for a short while, which allowed me to get further away from them. But soon I could hear the howls again. 'Oh, crap! They are surrounding me,' I realized with horror.

I could see their shadows moving parallel to my position, but they kept their distance so that I couldn't get a good shot. 'These wolves are quite smart...' I had to admit. They cut me off from the way forward, and I was forced to change directions.

I desperately looked for a way to save myself from this hopeless situation. But then I widened my eyes as I realized I was at a dead end. In front of me was nothing but a rocky slope with no way around it, and there were no trees for me to climb on.

I heard a loud howl from behind me—the wolves were moments away from catching up. 'I guess that's it...' I thought bitterly. I turned around to at least make a last stand, determined to take as many of them with me as I could before they tore me to pieces.

But then I saw it—a dark hole between the rocks.

'Is it an entrance to a cave...? Should I run inside...? What if something else is in there...?'

My thoughts were a mess, but I decided to forget about caution, as this seems to be the only way for me to save myself right now.

I decided to take the risk and jump into the hole. What matters right now is that the hole is quite small, and they will have trouble pursuing me inside.

I quickly changed direction, running for the entrance with all my remaining strength. Soon I was enveloped by the darkness of the cave as I jumped right in.

I immediately turned around and cast my spell. It was just in time since one of the wolves was on my heels, and I managed to react at the last moment.

The wolf's head exploded and showered the walls of the small cave with blood and pieces of brain. His heavy body collapsed and blocked the entrance. I fell on my butt totally exhausted.

I can still hear growls coming from outside, but they've given up trying to get to the cave. That doesn't mean they're leaving. It was a stalemate that lasted for several hours. I was very tired, but I cannot afford to fall asleep now if I want to live.

I could see an occasional shadow moving across the trees outside. They were still out there waiting. I gathered a few twigs scattered on the ground and ignited them, making a makeshift torch. The cave wasn't too big—around three meters wide and six meters in length.

But it didn't end there. I could see the end of the cave disappearing into the darkness, indicating some sort of corridor going further in.

'So what do I do now...?' I wondered.

I can't just sit here forever. I couldn't see the wolves, but that doesn't mean they aren't out there waiting. I have food for a few days with me since I accounted for the possibility of having to stay in the Forest through the night, but what if something lives further in the cave and decides to come out?

Then I would be sandwiched on both sides. So I have to decide: do I face sure death outside or some unknown danger inside?

I sat there in the darkness for a while, contemplating my life choices. Then I released a long sigh as I stood up, ready to continue.

In the end, I decided to explore the cave. Not that it was the better option. But if there was one thing I was confident about, it was my magical abilities, so even if something jumps at me, I'm pretty confident I can defeat it.

The deciding factor is the cave itself. There is a limited amount of space here, which means only one monster can face me at a time. While outside, wolves can surround and attack me from all sides.

So I gathered my things, cut out a few strips of meat from the wolf's corpse, and stuffed them into my bag. I also gathered a few more twigs from the ground. And with a heavy heart, I carefully proceeded further inside the cave.

As I stepped cautiously into the dark corridor, I couldn't help but feel a shiver run down my spine. The air was thick and moldy, and there was an eerie, unnerving silence.

I took a deep breath and continued forward, my eyes straining to make out any sign of what lay ahead. The light from my torch flickered and danced along the walls, casting long shadows that moved with a life of their own.

I walked deeper into the cave; the ground beneath my feet became increasingly uneven, and the walls closed in around me. I could feel the weight of the darkness around me, pressing me into its embrace.

My heart raced as I heard something skittering across the floor. My grip tightened on my torch as I peered ahead into the darkness, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was lurking there.

As I moved further into the cave, the air grew colder and damper. I stumbled over a loose rock and almost fell, my heart pounding in my chest. But I quickly regained my footing and pressed on, determined to discover another exit from this damn cave.

I continued forward through the downsloping corridor, and I could hear the sound of rushing water. It was growing louder with each step. I followed the sound, the darkness slowly giving way to the soft glow of reflected light.

'Could it be an underground river?' I thought curiously. And then I saw water flowing through the cave, its crystal clarity glimmering in my torch light.

I stood there for a moment. The underground river was like nothing I had ever seen before. The walls around it were covered in moss and ferns, and the water seemed to glow with otherworldly light.

No, not the water. The moss was glowing. I looked at it all in wonder. I guess I won't die of thirst, at least.

But the next moment, my breath caught in my throat as I saw movement out of the corner of my eyes. I spun around, my torch's light casting a beam across the cave. But there was nothing there—only shadows playing tricks on my mind.

'Ah! I hate this place...'

I can't wait to be back in our humble house and in my own bed. 'It must already be morning outside...' I figured. My parents are probably already looking for me all over the village. All I can do now is try to get out of here as fast as I can.

I decided to take a break on the river shore. I refilled my waterskin and then set out to eat a bit of my meager provisions. I still had the meat from the wolf I killed before, but I was too tired to bother cooking it.

After resting for a few minutes, I decided it was time to continue exploring. I was so tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep. However, I couldn't fall asleep here in this big cave with no protection and not knowing if there was any sort of danger.

I saw a small corridor diverging from the main cave and went forth to explore it. I took a few more steps forward, and suddenly the ground gave way beneath me.

I tumbled down a slope, my torch bouncing and rolling as I fell. When I finally stopped, I was in a small alcove, surrounded by nothing but darkness.

As I stood up, my heart pounding, I realized that my torch had gone out, leaving me in complete darkness. I fumbled to relight the torch, my fingers shaking with fear and adrenaline.

When I finally managed to ignite it, I looked around. The alcove was small, and I could see that there was only one way out - a narrow tunnel that led deeper into the cave.

Well, I guess this alcove will do. I was too tired to continue or to think clearly, so I might as well sleep here. It is better protected than the main cave, and the tunnel is small, so no big monster can come through it.

I used my bag as an improvised pillow, and in no time I fell asleep. The stress of the previous day left my body. I didn't know for how long I slept, but it must have been a while since I was hungry again when I woke up. I ate some more and looked at the tunnel.

I hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of darkness pressing down on me again. But then I remembered why I had come here in the first place—to find an exit.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the tunnel, my torch held high. The walls were damp and slippery, and I had to use my hands and feet to crawl through the narrow passages.

I felt like I had been crawling for hours when I finally emerged into a large chamber. The air here was thick with a foul smell, and I could hear the sound of dripping water echoing off the walls.

As I straightened my battered body and walked further into the chamber, I saw something quickly moving out of the corner of my eye.

I spun around, my torch casting a dim light across the room. And that's when I saw it—several pairs of glowing red eyes staring back at me from the darkness.

It was as large as a full-grown man, and it had eight long, spindly legs that clicked and clanked against the rocky ground.

Its body was covered in a thick, mottled hide that seemed to shift and change color in the flickering torchlight. Its eyes were large and bulbous, glowing with a menacing red light that seemed to pierce right through me.

Its pincers were long and sharp, dripping with venom that glistened in the dim light. And its fangs were like two jagged daggers, poised to strike at any moment.

All I could think about in that fleeting moment before it lunged at me was, 'Why? Why does it have to be spiders!? I hate spiders!!!'

As it leaped at me, I could feel its powerful muscles tensing, ready to crush me with its weight.

For a moment, I froze, my mind unable to process what I was seeing. I stumbled backward, my heart pounding with fear. The monster was quick and agile, its legs moving at an almost impossible speed.

But then my survival instincts kicked in. I grabbed one of my pebbles, as I had done thousands of times before, and pointed my hands forward.

In order to keep this disgusting thing away, I didn't bother to measure my power at all and fired my spell at it with everything I had. My eyes glowed with ethereal light, and I was suddenly enveloped by a strong gust of wind.

The spider-like monster halted its attack at once. All its eyes narrowed, sensing an immense danger. It tried to lunge back, but it was too late.

I fired my spell at it at point-blank range with the speed of a falling meteorite. It connected almost instantly and went right through it.

The hulking monstrosity was splattered, the power of the impact turning it into a bloody mist. But the shot didn't stop there; it continued uninterrupted all the way to the wall of the cave, and then everything was drowned out by the sound of a huge explosion.

The wall gave in, and the whole cave collapsed around me, and I was once again surrounded by total darkness.