I Awakened as an SSS-Rank System Maker!

Chapter 34 - Venom in the Threads 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"What? Rank S?!" Lucas’s voice was a whisper of disbelief, even though his face revealed nothing. His heart raced, and a sense of foreboding overwhelmed him. It seemed as though the world around him had frozen for a moment, as if the air itself had grown heavier than a single word.

Rank S.

But of course, no one else could see the system. The message, the danger, the warning—it was all for Lucas to bear alone.

He turned to the others, his voice steady but with a hint of urgency.

"The dungeon boss is Rank S... the Spider Queen!"

Zen’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, and Ren raised an eyebrow. Their doubt was obvious. Zen, always the bold one, scoffed.

"What? What are you saying? This is just an A-rank dungeon. We’ve been through worse," he said, but even he couldn’t entirely hide the skepticism in his tone.

Ren looked at Lucas, his eyes calculating, observant. "Hmm... well, let’s assume that’s the case. First: How do you know? And second: Where is she, anyway?"

Lucas’s mind raced. He had to find a way out of this, a way to keep his secrets. The system was his alone, his to control, but to reveal it now? That would raise too many questions—questions that could lead to answers he wasn’t ready to face. He had to lie, but in a way that wouldn’t sound like a lie.

"I have a skill that detects danger," he said, his voice cold and steady, though a flicker of concern crossed his chest.

Don’t tell them about the system. Don’t do it.

Ren blinked. "Detects? What does that mean?"

Damn it, Lucas thought. His mind raced to find a way to explain himself. But all he managed to say aloud was, "It’s a skill that detects life forces, danger, things like that."

Ren squinted at him in doubt, but didn’t press further. Zen, ever impatient, crossed his arms and leaned forward.

"Well, where is she then?" Zen asked.

Lucas scanned the room, feeling the pulse of danger in the air. The walls seemed to close in on them.

Zen, always the strategist, took a step back, his eyes roaming upward. He froze, his eyes locked on something, something that made him stop breathing.

He pointed, his hand trembling slightly. "Look up..."

Lucas turned his head, his eyes following Zen’s line of sight. At first, he thought it was a trick of the light, or perhaps an illusion of his own mind.

But no.

There, in the shadows of the room, a small figure clung to the wall. It was a girl standing there, her head tilted at an impossible angle. A strange beauty surrounded her, but it was a twisted beauty, an unholy, terrifying presence. She wore a white dress that fluttered slightly in the unnatural stillness of the air, and her eyes—those cold, terrifying red eyes—glowed like two embers in the dark.

Her gaze was fixed on them, and in that moment, every instinct in Lucas screamed for him to run.

But he didn’t.

He couldn’t.

"Damn it..." Lucas muttered, his voice thick with fear he couldn’t hide. "What is that?" He stared, unable to tear his eyes away from the figure. The air around them grew colder, heavier, as if the room itself were alive with hatred.

Ren, his expression still unreadable, moved before anyone could speak. He rushed toward the Spider Queen without hesitation, his black hair swirling around him like something alive. His gloved hand, glowing with magical energy, shot forward.

"Get back!" Zen shouted, but it was too late. Ren had already moved.

He was a mage, yes, but he wasn’t like the others. Despite his magical abilities, he was more comfortable with close combat, his magic blending with his physical strikes. A magical blow, enhanced by mana, collided with the Spider Queen’s cheek.

The sound of the strike echoed in the silence.

Then, to their horror, the Spider Queen laughed. It was a soft laugh at first, almost innocent in its innocence, but quickly turned into a maniacal laugh.

"Hahaha... marvelous... marvelous!" The Queen’s voice dripped with harsh joy. "Hahaha!" The sound echoed off the walls, sending a shiver down their spines.

Ren staggered back, his hand trembling in the Queen’s grasp. The Queen had caught his wrist in a vice-like grip, her long, needle-like nails sinking into Ren’s flesh. Purple blood began to drip from the holes, staining the Queen’s fingers.

The moment the blood touched the Spider Queen’s skin, her eyes gleamed even brighter, and her smile widened with satisfaction.

Lucas’s mind raced at full speed.

What the hell?

His eyes darted quickly from Ren to the Queen. "Damn it!" Lucas muttered to himself, his thoughts racing.

Is she poisoned? What is this?

"Ren!" Lucas shouted, a wave of panic squeezing his heart. He turned to Darlin, who had been watching the scene silently. "Get her to treat him!!" His voice was urgent, desperate.

Darlin, always calm and composed, shook her head without hesitation. She raised her hand, her fingers glowing with healing energy. But even as she moved to help, the Spider Queen’s laughter grew louder, more malicious.

"Oh, yes. Heal him, please," the Queen mocked. "But it won’t matter. He’s already a king."

The words hit Lucas like a slap to the face, freezing his blood. The Queen wasn’t just playing with them. She was toying with them.

"Damn it!" Lucas growled, his fist clenched. His mind raced as he assessed the situation. His eyes flicked from Ren to the Queen.