Unlike what I had anticipated, behind the door was not an independent stone chamber as before, but a long corridor lined with numerous statues of various forms.
These statues were neither gold nor wood, their entire bodies crafted from a special kind of mineral.
Among them were humans and monstrous creatures with lion heads and tiger bodies. They were all in different poses, seemingly scrutinizing any newcomers.
I cautiously observed my surroundings, not rushing forward.
In such a peculiar place, it was impossible to be too careful. I only had one life, and if I triggered some mechanism, I could very well die here for nothing.
We proceeded cautiously, with bizarre statues on both sides, their gazes seemingly fixed upon us, instilling a sense of dread.
I walked at the forefront. Fearing traps ahead, I would toss something forward every couple of steps. Only after confirming the path was clear would I continue.
Although I knew this approach wasn't foolproof, as many traps are designed to be triggered by weight, I had no better option at the moment. Thus, I pressed on, leading the way with utmost caution.
In the blink of an eye, we had covered a considerable distance, which allowed me to relax my vigilance slightly. Along the path we had taken, there was nothing else besides the diverse statues.
However, just as I was fully focused on scouting ahead, I suddenly heard Sivir shout from behind.
"Watch out!"
I spun around abruptly, and my body instinctively rolled forward.
With a bang, something crashed down onto the spot where I had been standing.
Recovering my senses, I saw that it was the very spider we had encountered earlier.
Even in its dormant state, the spider had been frighteningly large, but now its appearance was truly terrifying.
With its body spread wide, it resembled a winged monstrosity, easily half my height! Its eight scarlet eyes stared intently at us, filled with a cruel gaze.
Seeing such a monstrous creature, my heart sank with a wave of dread. If Sivir hadn't warned me just then, and it had pounced on me, I would likely have met my end.
"Move!"
Although I had dodged the spider's ambush, Qu Xiangyun and the others had frozen in place.
Seeing this, I quickly shouted at them. The spider seemed startled by my voice and lunged at Qu Xiangyun.
Caught off guard, Qu Xiangyun screamed and collapsed on the ground. I had no time to think, instinctively drawing my revolver and firing a shot that struck the spider's body.
Despite its terrifying appearance, the spider was still flesh and blood. The shot tore a large hole in its chest, revealing the corridor behind.
A human would die from such a wound, let alone an animal. The spider's hairy legs twitched a couple of times before it fell silent.
Finally, the accursed creature was dead, and as I breathed a sigh of relief, I suddenly heard Sivir exclaim, "Look up!"
Following her gaze, we saw a large hole in the ceiling where the spider had fallen from.
Not good!
At that moment, a dense scuttling sound emanated from the opening, sending shivers down our spines.
This spider had come through that hole, and now, countless more were crawling towards us from it!
We were now separated by the spiders. Qu Xiangyun, Sivir, and I were in front, while Professor Gu Gefu and Hathaway were on the side we came from.
"Damn it!"
Spiders were now falling from the opening with a pitter-patter. We had no choice but to run forward, urging Professor Gu Gefu and Hathaway to retreat temporarily.
In the dark corridor, the chilling sound of scuttling and bursts of gunfire filled the air.
We fought and fled, the number of spiders overwhelming, as if they were endless. For every one we killed, two or three more charged at us.
Professor Gu Gefu had warned us when we encountered the sleeping spider that we must not be touched by them. Their barbed legs were covered in potent venom; a single touch would paralyze a person before they were devoured.
As we ran, we finally spotted the bronze door ahead.
But at that moment, Sivir suddenly screamed and then, as if driven mad, ripped off her jacket and threw it on the ground, revealing her alluring curves.
Though I had always known Sivir had a great figure, seeing it firsthand still made me blush and my heart tighten.
"Sivir, what are you doing?!"