The maids' eyes burned crimson. Their bodies trembled, screamed, twisted... then, suddenly, they collapsed like puppets whose strings had been cut.
Yunho stood in shock, his body still pulsing with an energy he couldn't comprehend. In his hand, the queen's heart was dissolving—and in his chest... a new heartbeat.
> [ You have become the rightful heir to the "Throne of Spiders" ]
[ Title granted: "King of Threads" – Phase One ]
[ Leadership Skill Activated: "Queen's Will" – (Passive): All lower-tier spider-type creatures automatically submit to you ]
His eyes widened.
"M-M... King? Me?"
But there was no time for celebration.
The cave floor began to crack, and the air filled with eerie whispers... as if the very walls were speaking, weeping—or warning.
> [ Warning: Balance has been broken ]
[ First Dungeon Gate opened – Rank: E ]
[ Collapse in: 180 seconds ]
"Dungeon? Gate? Collapse?"
Before he could process it, one of the cave walls split open, revealing a dark passage glowing with a red light—like the flames of hell.
And from within... came footsteps.
Slow. Heavy. But many.
"They're coming? After all that?!" Yunho shouted, stumbling back.
Before he could run, a transparent thread shot from his chest toward the fallen maids.
> [ Soul Thread Activated ]
[ 3 Souls Acquired – Class: Spider Maidens ]
[ Would you like to summon one of them? ]
"Huh?! Summon?" he muttered in disbelief, then screamed, "Yes! Summon the strongest one!!"
A violet light erupted from the ground, and one of the maid corpses lifted into the air. Her body moved again, but this time... with dimmed eyes, staring at him in submission.
She knelt.
"My lord…"
Yunho's eyes widened, his heart pounding like war drums.
"I… I'm a leader now?"
Then came the roar from the dungeon gate, and the approaching footsteps of monsters grew louder.
"No time for speeches!" he yelled at the maid. "Defend me! Kill them all!"
She responded calmly, "As you command, King of Threads."
She leapt into the darkness, and the sounds of ripping and screaming followed.
Yunho, caught between terror and thrill, whispered to himself, "This… is only the beginning."
And in that moment, as if the universe were rewriting its laws around him, he realized:
He was no longer a shadow in the crowd…
He would become the ruler of the dungeons—with threads of fate in his grasp.
---
He stood amidst destruction, his breath heavy, blood covering half his face, his body barely able to stay upright. The Queen Spider's heart still pulsed in his hand… but now, it pulsed for him.
> [ Queen's Heart Consumed ]
[ Inheritance Energy Activated: Celestial Thread ]
[ System Responding… Initializing… ]
[ Transformation in Progress… ]
[ Sync with Heir: 100% ]
"This is insane…" Taiho whispered, staring at the three corpses nearby.
They were the queen's maids—humanoid with radiant eyes, created to serve her. They weren't slain... they died the moment their mistress did.
They were extensions of her soul, tethered by an invisible thread.
But now… something else was happening.
> [ Innate Soul Thread Activated ]
[ Control Link Transferred from "Spider Queen" to "Taiho" ]
[ Creatures Revived as: Royal Thread Maids ]
[ Loyalty: Absolute ]
Taiho stepped back, stunned as their bodies slowly rose from the ground.
Their eyes reopened—not crimson like before, but glowing violet.
One of them bowed, hand on her chest:
"We belong to you now... as we once did to her."
Taiho shivered.
This wasn't just a combat system...
It was a royal inheritance.
Perhaps even a curse.
---
Inside the first dungeon, the air was thick—like the smoke of a burning soul.
The ground was made of gray stone, the walls draped in abandoned webs that buzzed faintly, as if breathing.
The system issued a warning:
> [ Current Area: First Dungeon ]
[ Rank: E ]
[ Active Hunters: 6 ]
[ Dungeon Rule: "Survival of the Fittest" Active ]
[ Limited Resources – Player Kill Allowed ]
Taiho gasped.
"So… in this world, humans aren't just fighting monsters."
He was still exhausted, though the spider's heart was gradually restoring his energy.
Behind him stood one of the maids—with white hair and glowing violet eyes—silent and still.
"Do you have a name?" he asked.
She replied softly:
"We were never given names, my lord… but if you wish, you may grant us one."
He thought for a moment, then said:
"You… you'll be Sera. And you'll be my sword until I get out of this hell."
Sera smiled, bowed, and said:
"As you command, Heir."
But time was not on his side.
---
Two stone corridors away, a group of hunters watched him through a small device resembling a magical mirror.
One of them—a bald man with a spider tattoo on his neck—said:
"This idiot… he went in alone with just one girl? Is he stupid or arrogant?"
A woman leaning on a spear replied:
"I saw the records from that area… no one survives the queen's chamber alone. Yet he did."
A third man—slim, with yellow eyes—added:
"Maybe he has a system. Let's wait till he opens the first chest… then we strike and take everything."
Their leader shook his head:
"Just wait… I want to see what he does next."
---
Elsewhere, the monsters stirred.
Fungi-covered snakes slithered forward—half-life, half-rot.
One lunged at Taiho with terrifying speed.
He raised his hand to activate a skill… nothing.
He screamed, "Why can't I get even one damn skill?!"
> [ System: Skills not unlocked until "Second Heart" is consumed ]
[ Current Mission: Kill the monster – or die ]
The snake was one meter away.
"Sera!"
The maid moved with near-supernatural speed.
With an invisible thread, she sliced the serpent cleanly in two.
No weapons… just threads, flowing like extensions of the queen's heart.
She said calmly:
"A word of advice, my lord—don't wait for the system to build your glory… create it yourself."
Taiho smiled despite his fatigue and whispered:
"This is just the beginning… my heart is finally alive."
But from the shadows…
Eyes were watching.
And killing intent was rising