Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill
Chapter 269 - 269: Royal Demon Palace (2) - Abandoned Mines

The entrance to the mine was way smaller than before. Rocks had collapsed, blocking a good portion of the opening. It was still possible to squeeze through, but definitely much harder than it used to be.

And that wasn't even the worst part.

Since the place had been abandoned for so long, vegetation had taken over. But not just regular plants—this was a type of poisonous magical vine.

"See those shells over there?" Jhen asked, pointing to some cracked pieces scattered on the ground. "Those are eggshells. Something's living inside the mine. We need to be careful."

As if poisonous plants and a partially blocked path weren't bad enough, now they also had to deal with some mysterious magical beast.

Jhen crouched next to the shells, inspecting them closely, trying to figure out what kind of creature they belonged to.

"As much as I know most of the creatures on this island… I have no idea what this one is."

That wasn't good. Walking into an unknown place with an unknown creature lurking inside was one of the worst situations they could be in.

But before they could even think about stepping into the mine, there was the matter of clearing the poisonous vines blocking the entrance. William, thanks to his high resistance and regeneration, volunteered to handle it.

He drew his sword and used his fire magic to burn through the thick vines. Every time he cut a piece, a cloud of toxic gas hissed out. William held his breath as best as he could, but even just the gas touching his skin was enough to cause burns. His skin darkened where the gas made contact.

And it hurt. A lot.

"This crap hurts like hell," William groaned as he finished clearing the way. "You guys owe me for this."

With the entrance clear, the three of them stepped inside the abandoned mine. Jhen took the lead—she was the only one familiar with the place. Even after all these years, she still remembered the general layout well enough to guide them.

Obviously, the interior had changed. Some sections had collapsed, making it harder to navigate. Vegetation had spread through the tunnels too. Typical signs of time and neglect.

It was pitch black inside. Jhen had a magical lantern strapped to her waist, glowing bright enough to light a good radius around them.

William didn't need it. Thanks to his enhanced vision, he could see perfectly in the dark. In fact, because of his superior senses, he noticed something the other two completely missed.

There was a trail… A footprint. Something strange.

"Check this out," he said, crouching next to it. "Any idea what this is?"

Jhen came over to take a look—and the moment she saw it, her expression shifted. Her face went pale.

"I know this… This belongs to a very powerful kind of monster. A half-human, half-spider creature. I'm not sure it's a good idea for us to be here."

"What do you mean? How strong are we talking?" William asked, starting to feel a bit uneasy.

Jhen was no joke. She was a lot stronger than him—at least when he wasn't using his full set of transformations. If even she looked worried… then this wasn't some regular enemy.

"It's strong. Really strong. And fighting it in this cramped space? Worse. We don't even know how many there are. I think we should head back for now and come up with a better plan," Jhen suggested.

Everyone agreed without hesitation. After all, Jhen was the one guiding them through the mine—they couldn't do this without her.

But as soon as they reached the entrance… they saw it.

A web. A massive, thick web completely blocking the way out.

They all rushed to try cutting through it, hacking with swords and magic—but nothing worked.

"This is insanely tough," Jhen muttered. "It's a special type of web that takes time to produce. They knew exactly when we came in… and they used that time to trap us."

These creatures weren't just strong. They were smart. The moment the group had moved away from the entrance, the spiders had gone straight there and sealed it off. They'd been watching… waiting.

"Our only option now is to move forward and fight," Jhen said, her voice grim. "But I'm warning you—there's a real chance we die in here."

She wasn't exaggerating. The tension in the air skyrocketed. William gripped his sword tight. Victoria did the same with her weapon. All three were terrified—any sane person would be.

But there was no choice left.

They headed back into the tunnels, retracing their steps. Jhen kept her eyes sharp, scanning for danger.

William, with his enhanced senses, did the same. Not just his sight—but his hearing, his smell, even that uncanny sixth sense he had whenever someone was watching him.

In a place like this, every sense mattered.

Then—he saw something.

Up on the ceiling. A figure.

It was one of them. A spider-woman hybrid. Its lower body was that of a giant spider… but from the waist up, it was a woman.

A disturbingly beautiful one.

The contrast was unsettling. William could easily imagine a scenario where these creatures lured men in… before tearing them apart.

"There," he said sharply.

Jhen and Victoria whipped their heads toward where he was pointing—but the lantern's light wasn't strong enough to reach that far.

"What are you seeing?" Jhen asked.

"A spider. With the upper body of a woman."

"Damn it… That's worse. The females are even stronger than the males," Jhen muttered, her tone growing darker.

And then—it happened.

The first one wasn't alone.

More figures started creeping out of the darkness. From the ceiling. From the walls. Moving through the shadows. At least ten of them.

All spider-women hybrids.

They didn't attack right away. Instead, they circled the group, skittering along the walls and ceiling, keeping a calculated distance.

The worst part was how limited Jhen and Victoria's vision was. The lantern only lit so far. And these creatures… they moved fast. Too fast for a fair fight in this terrain.

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