Cave of Nightmares

The following day, I woke up in a rush and quickly tidied up after myself. Thankfully, my poor helpless body didn’t fall victim to any monsters during the night. Seems like my ferocity yesterday scared 'em all away. I’ll call that a win!

Determined, I walked in the direction Kamei had gone when we split up. The journey was surprisingly smooth—almost too smooth... Oh well. After several minutes, I found myself standing in front of a cave entrance. My expression null as I gazed at it from a distance.

Looking down, I noticed footsteps leading inside.

“Well, Kamei definitely went this way.”

Caves in every form of media are practically guaranteed disaster zones. Kamei must be pretty brave to wander in here. But as I looked around, there didn’t seem to be any other way forward. I swallowed my pride.

“I guess this cave is the only way for me to go.”

Armed with only a wooden spear and a shield I managed to make out of branches and weeds, I knew if I’d encounter monsters— no, I will. Damn it! And there’s no town nearby where I can try to upgrade my gear, either.

Maybe I can level up inside the cave... Yeah, that’s what I’ll do, if Nod even works that way.

Slapping my cheeks and shivering slightly, I marched bravely into the dungeon ahead.

The cave was somehow a mix of both damp and dry. It smells incredibly moldy here. Stay in here too long and you’ll totally get sick. There are wet spider webs on every corner and moss growing from the rocky walls.

There seems to be more downwards, with stone staircases and a lot of paths to choose from. If only I had a map, but it shouldn’t be that bad. I’ve played plenty of games before, not that this is any similar. I just have to trust my instincts and keep exploring. I'll find the way out eventually.

“Man… I don’t even have a flashlight.”

As I ventured deeper into the cave, strange noises echoed from further down. It sounded like some kind of wild animal, and my heart skipped a beat.

“Nah, I’m good.”

Without a second thought, I turned around and went the other way. Naturally.

I got jumpscared by insects. I was never a fan of going outside. Wait! That just makes me sound like a NEET! I swear, I touch grass…well, at least now I do. I mean, look at me! I'm in a cave facing who-knows-what monsters. If that doesn't count as “touching grass,” I don't know what does!

To be honest, I was always more of the adventurous type and got myself into all sorts of trouble. Pushing my limits was always just my thing. But now, I truly am at my limit.

Times change, life happens. School got tougher, responsibilities piled up, and slowly, I started spending more time indoors, buried in manga or games, and before I knew it, I wasn’t that same active, adventurous kid anymore. But that doesn’t mean I’m scared of everything or lazy. I just… needed a break from the world for a while. And now, here I am, in a literal world of nightmares, and guess what? I’m still standing. So yeah.

Now that I think about it, Inari used to be the opposite of me. She was the quiet, reserved one, always avoiding social situations and preferring to keep to herself. It’s funny how things have changed—now it feels like we’ve switched places. She used to be the one who wouldn’t go near people, while I was the outgoing one, always ready for the next adventure. I wonder what happened to cause such a shift between us.

Just as I was lost in thought, I suddenly had to lock in, realizing I was about to walk straight into a gigantic spider web blocking the path ahead. I jerked back, a bit shaken.

“Oh, that could’ve been bad.”

I took a moment to examine the area, thinking I could just slash through the web with my blade. But the thought of whatever made that web lurking nearby made me hesitate.

“There’s definitely monsters that way. I’m going the other way.”

But, of course, to nobody’s surprise, the second I turned around, I found myself completely trapped. The other exit was sealed shut by more webs. Aren’t I a lucky guy!? Today must be my birthday.

“A-alright, that’s it. Show yourself, beast!” I yelled, taking a stance with my makeshift weapons.

And from the shadows above, a giant spider dropped down. No weird gimmicks or magic—just a regular spider, about 50 times its normal size. Somehow, that was more terrifying than anything else I’d encountered. There was no running this time…

Did I mention that I was practically scuttering on the floor, terrified?

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Pathetic, I know. I’m surprised you’re still reading this.

Thousands of creepy eyes sank into my cold, frail bones as the spider crawled towards me. Lifting its front legs, it poised to crush my underside. Immediately, I jumped to my feet and started running. Where to? Good question, there was literally nowhere to go.

I dodged the arachnid’s attacks, one after the other, its massive legs slamming into the ground with enough force to shake the cave.

“Come on, Yuuki, think! There’s gotta be a way to beat this thing!”

My mind raced as I desperately tried to recall anything useful. Did spiders have a weakness? Water? Fire? Bug spray?! Wait—what about their webs? If I could somehow use the webs against it...

Suddenly, with adrenaline-infused inspiration thanks to the indomitable human spirit I carry, I grabbed my makeshift spear and darted toward one of the thicker webs, the spider hot on my heels. If I could get the spider tangled up, maybe I’d have a shot.

The spider lunged at me again, and I managed to sidestep just in time, causing it to slam into the web behind me. The sticky strands clung to its legs, slowing it down, but not nearly enough.

“Why are you webbing yourself, huh!?” I mocked.

I scanned the cave, looking for anything else I could use. That’s when I spotted a cluster of loose rocks above the spider.

“Alright, Yuuki, time for some hero stuff!”