The moment their preparations were complete, Tony and Kratos stepped through the portal occupying the middle stone passageway.

The instant his foot crossed the rippling surface, Tony felt a familiar sensation wash over his body. His vision blurred into countless streaks of azure before everything snapped back into place.

Just then, a refreshing breeze brushed against his face.

The damp, enclosed atmosphere of the cave was gone, replaced by warm sunlight that poured from above, filtering through the vast canopy of emerald leaves.

Tony slowly opened his eyes.

"A forest?"

Tall trees towered, stretching towards the heavens above. Their trunks were thick enough that several grown men linking arms would fail to encircle them. Their vines were also thick, almost the size of pythons hanging between branches, while vibrant moss blanketed the roots that twisted across the ground like serpents.

The air smelled of fresh wood and damp soil.

Wildflowers bloomed beneath the shade of these trees, adding splashes of crimson, violet, and gold across the forest ground.

At first glance, it appeared peaceful. Absolutely silent, every footstep Tony and Kratos made echoed unnaturally loudly.

They ventured forward, deeper into the forest, as they glanced all around them, alert, ready for any danger that would come at them.

"This doesn’t look welcoming," Tony muttered.

"When have dungeons looked welcoming, little brother? Besides, not every beautiful place is," Kratos replied and suddenly halted, stretching his hand across to stop Tony too.

Up ahead, and hence above, silvery stands stretched from tree to tree.

The duo recognized it immediately.

Webs.

Some were so thin they were nearly invisible beneath the sunlight, while others were as thick as ropes. Now that Tony looked intently, he realized the entire sections of the forest were wrapped within gigantic cocoons suspended high above the ground.

Seeing as some of these cocoons still twitched, Tony unconsciously tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword.

Kratos glanced around calmly, his usual playful nature vanishing into thin air, replaced by the version of him that was serious for business.

"It’s not very surprising," Tony said thoughtfully. The cave connects directly to another biome. It’s almost as if each section of the tutorial grounds is its own world."

"Hm."

Kratos nodded. He could sense that Tony wasn’t speaking because he wanted to, but rather because of the dread that must have settled in his chest.

"The Tower likes changing environments. Makes survival more... entertaining," Tony said again, as if this was not his first time entering the tower floors.

"Hm."

Kratos nodded again, still standing indifferently calm, eyes scanning their environment.

Then, a faint scratching sound echoed overhead.

Scratch! Scratch! Scratch!

Looking up, Tony froze. Then, his wrist began to tremble slightly against the hilt.

Kratos noticed this, and a smile slid onto his lips.

Overhead, figures emerged from the shadows between the branches. Massive arachnids crawled across the trees with horrifying speed.

Each creature stood nearly as large as a horse, supported by eight long, spear-like legs covered in black chitin that reflected the sunlight like polished armor. Jagged crimson markings spread across their bodies like veins filled with molten blood.

Their eight eyes glowed an eerie emerald.

From the center of each forehead was a grotesque protrusion that resembled a long crystalline horn, pulsating with azure energy fused with flesh.

"What is that at the center of their forehead?" Tony asked, trying his very best to stay calm, but reflex betrayed him each time.

"Biological cannon?" Kratos answered unsure, eyes continuously sweeping across the area as more and more and more arachnids continued to appear.

Suppressing his aura further, Kratos realized why Tony seemed to be trembling at the sight of these monsters.

It wasn’t that the creatures surrounded them from every direction or that their soul-piercing stare made one feel uneasy.

It was the oppressive pressure they were exuding upon the forest. A very dark aura.

Kratos loosened himself and moved closer to Tony, placing his hand on the latter’s shoulder.

"Calm down, little brother."

That seemed to work as Tony released himself and exhaled softly. But then, his gaze looked around again, his expression slowly stiffening.

This time though, it wasn’t out of fear but out of confidence.

"Survivor-tier," he muttered, then said out loud. "This is the Survivor-tier section of the tutorial ground."

Kratos took his hand off Tony’s shoulder and nodded.

He had thought as much the moment the portal appeared back then in the cave.

But—

Tony’s eyes widened.

Why hadn’t he realized it sooner?

Before entering this dungeon, they had stepped through an emerald portal. And now, they have entered an azure one.

His thoughts rapidly connected as he remembered. The two stone pathways packed in the cave that flanked the middle one had still retained their emerald portal.

Which meant that if he and Kratos had chosen either of those, they would have returned directly to the guild.

But instead—

"You knew, didn’t you?" Tony turned to Kratos.

"I figured."

Kratos had been the one to convince them to step through the middle pathway. What had been wrong with Tony then that it didn’t click in? Was it exhaustion or...

His gaze returned to the monsters. Something still felt terribly off.

Yes, Survivor-tier monsters were naturally stronger than those of the Normal-tier. That much wasn’t surprising.

What unsettled him the most and had triggered his reaction earlier was the aura surrounding these arachnids.

Not only was it violent, chaotic, and carried a malicious intent, but it also seeped into the air like poison, making even breathing feel slightly heavier.

If they would survive in this area, then they would have to eliminate these arachnids in mere minutes, else... his eyes flashed around him once again.

There were multitudes of these creatures spread around them. Is this how this tier appeared normally, or is there an anomaly somewhere?

"These are not F-rank creatures," Kratos stated.

Tony turned to Kratos.

That made sense.

The creatures weren’t merely stronger monsters. The aura felt corrupted.

The fact that his sworn brother had acknowledged the fact alone spoke volumes. After all, he was the battle god and had more experience than he did.

Tony looked back at the gigantic spiders crawling effortlessly across the trees.

Kratos took off the backpack that was resting on his chest and flung it carelessly to perfectly rest against the base of a nearby tree.

"These are called arachnids..."

Tony knew that much.

"Back in my world, they are regarded as creatures of darkness that preferred living in caves, underground tunnels, and even forests, but during the night.

"The fact they’re active during broad daylight," Kratos suddenly smiled, a grin spread across his face. "There’s a mastermind. Something is boosting their strength."

Tony nodded silently. That was the only explanation, so he agreed with his sworn big brother immediately.

Without another word, Kratos’ hands reached behind his back.

SHIING!

Two swords slid free from their sheaths, their polished silver blades gleaming beneath the sunlight.

A terrifying pressure rolled off his body, even more overwhelming than the dark aura of the arachnids.

Yet, unlike the common knowledge Tony knew, the creatures remained still, watching their prey with quiet confidence. It was as if they were waiting for the duo to really get prepared for the battle.

"That would explain it clearly. The fact they didn’t move even under this pressure answers my suspicion," Kratos said while flicking his swords at his side. "Are you ready, little brother?"

Tony blinked. Then a grin slowly formed across his face.

He drew his sword in one smooth motion.

SHIING!

Lowering his center of gravity, he settled into the stance Kratos had drilled into him countless times; his grip trembled before steadying on the hilt of his sword.

His eyes burned with determination, then—

"As ready as ever."

"Good. Make sure to keep up with me."

The moment those words left Kratos’ lips—

BOOM!

The ground under their feet exploded.