As Thorian and his team followed Alacritas, they finally reached a part of the forest where the dirt had turned black. Enraged Rabarians and Thri-keens rushed at them, but their powers made these monsters no issue.

Delving deeper into the forest, Thorian and his company found the three chasms specified in the quest.

"Good luck to all of you," Thorian announced as he prepared to enter the largest one.

"This will be no trouble," Zogarth laughed. "We'll finish our work quickly before joining you."

With a nod, Thorian, Nox, and William walked into the largest chasm.

"This place certainly looks ominous," William commented, observing the walls around them. They were covered in a mixture of gore and blood, trapped within a silky substance.

"Keep your eyes wide open for any dark cracks or crevices," Thorian warned. "These spiders might be waiting to trap us."

Simultaneously, Thorian activated both his Elemental Sight and Predator’s Gaze. As he looked around, he could see dark green trails of mana all around them.

However, just as he noticed a suspicious clump of mana, Nox unsheathed his sword. "I will take care of this," he announced before rushing with blinding speed toward the source of danger.

In less than a second, he reached a dark crevice and struck it with his sword. A terrifying screech emanated as a large spider fell to the ground dead. However, it was not alone. A large swarm of spiders followed right after.

Nevertheless, using his shadow manipulation, Nox impaled the incoming spiders with his shadow tentacles. The monsters fell one after another to Nox's onslaught.

In less than twenty seconds, all the spiders lying in wait had been slain by Nox.

"Good work," Thorian approached Nox. "I didn't know you had a tracking spell."

"I got it alongside my weapon when I first woke up," Nox explained. "It's called Beastly Senses."

It must be similar to my Predator’s Gaze, Thorian mused. But instead of enhancing his sight, it enhanced his overall senses.

"Your skills are truly astonishing," William approached Nox with surprise in his eyes. "I didn't even sense that such disgusting creatures were hiding so close to us. I understand now why you told me to be so cautious."

"High-level tracking skills are paramount for such excursions," Thorian explained. "Without them, you wouldn’t even know what killed you."

"Is it possible to gain such abilities?" William asked curiously. "Even my assassins don't have access to them."

Thinking for a second, Thorian explained, "Certain class advancements, especially for assassins, provide access to them. Otherwise, the easiest way currently available is through dungeon rewards. Sometimes, they give very powerful skill scrolls that you could use."

William nodded in understanding. "I can't wait to clear these dungeons then; they will immensely bolster our strength."

Smiling at William's eagerness, Thorian turned to face the deeper parts of the chasm. "Nox, stay close to William. The spiders below must have noticed our presence, and they will most certainly try to ambush us with larger forces."

"I will," Nox nodded, grinning. "And don't worry, with me next to William, nothing will happen to him."

"Thank you," William smiled as Nox walked next to him. "Having the world’s strongest bodyguard by my side is truly heartening."

Hearing this, Nox chuckled, “World strongest bodyguard? Now that’s a title I would love to have.”

As they delved deeper, they faced more attacks from large spiders. However, with Thorian at the frontline, he easily incinerated them using his fire manipulation. He refrained from using his higher-level fire skills too early, as the smoke they produced would make breathing difficult. While both he and Nox would be fine due to their evolved bodies, William would struggle to maintain consciousness without proper air to breathe.

Finally, the group descended far enough to see the lowest level of the chasm. However, Thorian immediately noticed something strange. Using his elemental sight, he saw that the entire lower floor was filled with green mana.

"We have a problem," Thorian warned, looking back at his teammates. "Nox, take William back up a couple of levels." He then addressed William, "Once I activate my spell, do not breathe. The air will be filled with smoke, and you might faint."Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

"I understand, but don't worry," William shook his head. "I can hold my breath for a very long time."

"Then start the moment Nox puts you down," Thorian nodded.

Following Thorian’s order, Nox ascended the chasm with William, ensuring his safety. Upon his return, Thorian peered down to the chamber below. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a medium-sized fireball, illuminating the depths to reveal a horde of large spiders lying in wait, poised to attack upon their descent.

Tornado.

With the Elemental Scepter in hand, he summoned his spell, the stale air of the chasm transforming as winds gathered force, swirling into a formidable vortex. The multitude of spiders below, caught in the tempest's grip, were wrenched from their positions, their cries melding with the howl of the wind as they were tossed helplessly.

Fire Pillar.

At his command, flames engulfed the whirlwind, creating a blazing inferno that consumed the airborne spiders. The lethal dance of fire and wind left nothing but ashes in its wake.

"Finish off the rest," Thorian directed, his tone leaving no room for dissent.

Nox leaped into action with unparalleled speed, his form a blur as he traversed the chamber. Each movement was precise, each strike lethal, swiftly dispatching the remaining spiders that had either evaded the fiery tornado's wrath or suffered only minor injuries.

With the threat diminished, Nox rejoined Thorian, who then summoned torrents of greater water balls to douse the lingering flames. Manipulating the wind, he dispersed the smoke, cleansing the air of its acrid taint.

Feeling the atmosphere clear and breathable once more, Thorian turned to Nox with a nod of approval. "Bring back William; the threat has been neutralized." His words, firm yet calm, signaled the end of their ordeal, paving the way for their companion's safe return.

Hearing these words, Nox chuckled. "Honestly, every time I see your abilities, I am so surprised. You’re slowly becoming some sort of elemental god, able to change the weather at will."

After saying those words, Nox immediately disappeared, making his way toward William. Meanwhile, Thorian looked down in thought, pondering what Nox had said.

It seems that I got desensitized to the absurdity of the apocalypse after living through it for ten years. But it’s true that for anyone normal, who had just been introduced to it, these abilities are no different from the realms of the gods.

Yet, Thorian knew this was only a matter of relative perspective. To him, the gods stood at a much higher place. They were capable of destroying continents with a single spell. And even without mentioning such exalted beings, a fourth-tier advancement class wielder was strong enough to destroy a well-defended city on their own. As for the awakened, the transcendants, and the gods above them, their powers reached absurd levels.

As Nox brought back William, the latter looked around at the devastation left by Thorian’s spell. His face was a picture of complete shock as he stared at the hundreds of incinerated spider corpses lying all around the lower floor.

“Is this the power you used to defeat Nalia?” William asked Thorian. “When I saw those roaring flames, I thought you had summoned a portal from hell. I almost felt bad for these poor spiders.”

Hearing those words, Thorian chuckled. “If I could have defeated Nalia using only this amount of power, she would not have given me so much trouble. This was merely a combination of two first-advancement skills. My second-advancement ones are much more powerful.”

William’s jaw hanged slightly before he heartily laughed. Without saying another word, the party made their way down to the lower level, where they found a great cave opening. As they stepped inside, a notification appeared in front of Thorian.

Warning: You have entered a dangerous area. This is the lair of the field boss: Shadow Queen’s Royal Guard. Are you sure that you want to continue?