For the next several hours, Jake explored the third floor of the dungeon. Unlike the first two, this one sprawled out like a labyrinthine network of caverns linked by long tunnels. There were no wall-mounted torches illuminating the path, but thankfully, the oppressive supernatural darkness of the previous floors was absent. What surrounded him was normal darkness, through which his enhanced sight allowed him to see exceptionally well. All around, luminescent mushrooms flourished on the ground, walls, and ceiling. They ranged in size from tiny inch-wide caps to colossal specimens measuring several feet across. Each semi-transparent fungus emitted a soft glow, casting shades of blue, green, yellow, and other vibrant hues.
As for the enemies, the third floor was teeming with large spiders. So far, he had encountered three types of them. The first type was the weakest and least dangerous, roughly the size of a cat. They hardly posed a threat to Jake, as their fangs were not powerful enough to pierce his tough exterior. Apart from their fangs, they had no other weapons or abilities at their disposal. Although they attacked in large groups, even their numbers presented little danger. Jake easily crushed them with his fists or beneath his feet. More often than not, instead of facing him by themselves, these smaller spiders scuttled alongside the larger, more menacing types of arachnids.
The second common type of these nasty eight-legged creatures was called great spiders. These spiders were the size of a large dog, and their fangs were significantly more powerful than those of the cat-sized spiders. Jake had learned through bitter experience that a great spider’s fangs could penetrate his sturdy armor with surprising ease, piercing his flesh deeply enough to cause mana to leak out. They were not only large but also fast, and when multiple great spiders attacked, they posed a considerable danger to him. However, it was not just their speed and powerful fangs that made them so threatening. Their most dangerous feature was their ability to shoot globs of sticky substance from their spinnerets. This substance was incredibly adhesive and could effectively glue him in place within seconds as it dried.
The third, and so far the final type of arachnid Jake had encountered, was the acid giant spider. Unlike the regular giant spiders, these had a particularly dangerous ability—they could launch globs of acid from their mouths. There was one unfortunate incident when Jake found himself on the receiving end of such an acid glob, and he quickly discovered that it could eat through his carapace with alarming speed. Since that harrowing experience, he made it a top priority to dodge those acid projectiles whenever he faced these deadly spiders. Fortunately, he eventually found an epic amulet in one of the quality chests that increased his resistance to acid by a substantial 25%.
During his meticulous exploration of the third floor, Jake leveled up several times, progressing from 85 to 92. Since none of his skills and abilities had hit the 100% mark, he couldn’t upgrade them to the next rank yet, so he allocated all his earned skill points to his attributes. He increased his Body from 75 to 90, his Mind from 75 to 85, and his Magic from 93 to 103.
While exploring the third floor, he occasionally encountered chests, but they were only primitive and quality ones. He hadn’t yet stumbled upon a single majestic chest on this floor, which made sense because those seemed to only appear beside extremely powerful enemies, like the shadow caster he had fought on the second floor. All the enemies he had faced so far were regular ones, and he hadn’t yet encountered an elite enemy on this floor.
In the chests he discovered, Jake found various pieces of armor and melee weapons, both of which he ignored since he didn’t need them. His natural protection and weapons were far better. He also came across mana consumables, which he promptly extracted mana from. As for secrets, Jake had meticulously explored several areas of the third floor by that point, but he hadn’t uncovered any hidden treasures or secrets yet.
Jake was currently moving along another cave tunnel. Like many other caves and tunnels he had traversed, everything was covered in thick layers of cobwebs. The fine strands glimmered slightly in the dim light of the luminescent mushrooms clinging to the walls, stretching across the walls and ceiling like a ghostly tapestry. He constantly looked around, anticipating an ambush from a swarm of spiders. To his surprise, he hadn’t been attacked in this tunnel yet. He couldn’t help but wonder why it was the case and where it might lead.
Each step crunched softly underfoot. As he ventured further, the webs grew thicker and more tangled, sticking to his skin and brushing against his body. It became harder to see ahead, and he soon came to a point where the tunnel was completely obscured by a dense mass of webs. He couldn’t even see the walls anymore. He morphed his hands into claws and, with swift, deliberate strokes, began to cut his way through the thick webbing, the talons slicing cleanly through the sticky strands. With every slash, he cleared a path, and the sound of his claws slicing through the webs and snapping the taut silky strands was oddly satisfying.
Finally, he reached the end of the tunnel. He stopped at the entrance to a vast cavern, scanning the area before him. Luminescent mushrooms grew all over the walls, illuminating the whole space. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, glimmering faintly in the dim light of the mushrooms. In the center of the cavern stood the wreckage of what was once a grand arch. Only two sturdy bases remained, jutting up from the floor, their surfaces broken and rough. Jake slowly walked around the debris. It was obviously the portal that was supposed to bring him to the next floor of the dungeon. However, it was devastated, split into several huge chunks that lay scattered around the area. Even though the portal was destroyed, the air felt heavy with the remnants of arcane energy, magic still lingering in the space.
Jake paused to gather his thoughts. To unlock the portals and progress to the next floor, he had to solve different kinds of puzzles on both the first and second floors. Perhaps the puzzle on this floor involved finding a way to fix the portal by assembling it back together. Determined, he stepped forward to inspect one of the smaller pieces. It was dusty but still showed arcane symbols etched into the surface. Bending down, he gripped the edge and tried to lift it. The cold stone felt unyielding against his palms. Despite his best efforts and his supernatural strength, the piece only rose a few inches before thudding back onto the ground, the sound echoing in the silence.
Jake straightened up, frustration bubbling inside him. There was no way he could piece the portal back together. The shattered pieces of the arch were impossibly heavy, almost as if the portal were resisting his attempts to restore its power. He looked back at the two bases of the broken arch protruding from the floor. If the portal was beyond repair, how was he supposed to get to the next floor? Was he now stranded in this part of the dungeon?