Ascension of the Primalist [A Tamer Class, LitRPG]

The air in the cave was frigid, a stark contrast to the forest’s warmth outside. Each of Seth's steps echoed softly, reverberating off the walls and into the deeper darkness ahead. Beside him, Nightmare moved with silent grace, every muscle coiled, ready to disappear into Illusionary Emptiness at any given moment. The duo slowly advanced while the tingling of Nightmare’s Danger Sense gradually intensified.

Seth reached down to his belt, quickly verifying that he still had his Healing Potions and Marcus's Agility Potion tucked safely in his pouch. Satisfied, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow.

The soft glow from the cave's luminescent moss gave him just enough light to see a dozen feet ahead, casting an eerie blue hue on the walls and floor. As they delved deeper, he began to notice something odd. Instead of the corpses he’d expected, numerous mounds of ash were scattered sporadically throughout the cave. He couldn't even see bones—Professor Reat’s spells had incinerated everything.

How many were there? Seth wondered, glancing from one mount to the next. Dozens, at least.

The moment they neared the end of the tunnel, the cave expanded into a large chamber. The faint light illuminated the contours of a creature in the middle—an enormous beetle, which was easily the size of an Inferno Bear. Its dark carapace gleamed with a metallic luster, while six powerful legs supported its massive body, each limb tipped with razor-sharp claws.

Two giant, multifaceted eyes glinted with an unsettling array of colors, and a set of massive horns jutted from its head like gnarled tree limbs. Its mandibles clicked and clacked, showing glimpses of sharp, grinding teeth that could probably crush rocks—and definitely bones.

Seth's heart pounded in his chest and his core instantly ignited, filling him with its energy as he sighted an arrow on the giant creature. The beetle seemed to be studying them too, its head tilting slightly—there would be no element of surprise this time.