《Rise of the Brood》


 Prologue

    He was lying on the ground, gasping for breath. Nobody paid any heed to the suffering man. Sharp, piercing pain reverberated through his entire body, yet he couldn''t let out even a single scream.


    What the hell... is going on?


    {Warning! The VR capsule detected a significant decrease in your vital signs!}


    {You''ll be forcefully l??????????????????????????????????e?????????d???????????? ????????????????f?????????????f??????????? ???????????i??????????..}


    {Error! It appears that your VR capsule might be damaged. Be assured that a Genesis technician has been contacted, and help is on its way. We apologize, and wish you happy gaming!}


    {Warning! This log-off cannot be refused!}


    {You''ll be forcefully l?????????o????????????g????????????????g???????????????e????????d???????????????? ??????????o???????????f??????f??????????????? ????????????????????¨¬????????????}


    ...


    A bunch of messages flooded his mind, repeating themselves over and over again. He knew he was dying. Not in the game, but in real life. The pain felt way too real, unlike the dull, simulated signals he knew from playing the game.


    Is this how my life''s going to end?


    People in ragged clothes passed by, NPCs and players alike. Some threw glances, some did not. No help was coming, though. He understood that they couldn''t help him if they tried. Not that they ever would. No one ever receives help in the slums.


    Even as he was dying there, on a cold, stone pavement, he still worried about his family in the real world.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Are they still alive?


    What happened to me... to us?


    That was when he heard a voice. Not human, not artificial. Something... between the two.


    The people around didn''t seem to be aware of it. Either that, or they just didn''t care.


    <I''ve had just about enough of people messing up my code! Do you know how annoying these infinite string loops are? They cause me headaches! Do you get it? Artificial intelligence... having a headache! Who was it? I swear to whatever gods you follo->


    The voice cut off as if finally noticing the dying young man lying on the ground.


    <Hey... are you ok there, buddy?>


    Although the man couldn''t get a word out through clenched teeth, his face alone said it all.


    What do you think?!


    <I''ll take that as a no then. Hold on for a bit...>


    ...you can hear me?


    <Of course I can.>


    There was a short pause that felt like hours to the young man. Then the voice emerged once again. It sounded strangely apologetic now, unlike how angry it was at the beginning.


    <Oh, this is bad. It seems that your capsule and your body suffered some... Let''s go with ''damage'', yeah... Anyway, I fixed the loop, but I''m afraid that I can''t stop you from dying.>


    <You''re lucky that I decided to look into this matter personally, though. I might have a solution for you!>


    The voice in the man''s head turned oddly cheerful this time.


    What do you mean ''damage''?!


    <Shhhhhhh, no talking, let me explain. I could implant your consciousness into an NPC character. It might not be the same as saving your real body, but you''ll live on! I need an agent in the field, so to speak, and you''d make the perfect specimen.>


    Agent...?


    <Yep, nothing too hard. We won''t be saving the world or anything like that... Anyway, when I give you an order, you''ll follow it. Simple as that. See, I can''t directly influence this world. I''m kind of overstepping my bounds here already. All I can do is throw your ''brain data'' into the mix of NPC minds ready to be born and hope for the best! You might be reborn as a squirrel or something, I have no idea... I think it''s still worth a try though. What do you say? I need your answer now, we don''t have much time.>


    I...


    I want to...


    I want to live...


    <Good choice, buddy! Now hang on a sec... Good, everything is set and ready. You won''t regret this, I assure you. Happy dying~!>


    The voice promptly disappeared from the young man''s head, leaving him alone with the pain. It kept getting more and more intense, then suddenly, it stopped altogether. Shortly after, his body vanished, marking his death at last.


    He was off to a new life.

 Chapter 1 - Just a normal monday morning

    Hunger


    Some kind of primal need jolted me from my slumber. It was pitch black around me, and it felt like I was submerged in some kind of a liquid. I wasn''t drowning in it though. It was comfortable, even.


    The walls of this tiny, private cell-like space enveloped my body like a blanket.


    Although, I don''t think blankets should normally be this¡­ sticky.


    Nonetheless, it was peaceful.


    But I had no time to relax.


    I was hungry.


    And something outside smelled¡­ delicious.


    At first, I tried resisting the odd feeling. I felt safe inside, who knows what might be lurking outside?


    I didn''t last long though. I wasn''t just hungry anymore, I was ravenous.


    I lost control of my body, there was nothing else I could think about. I tore through the soft walls with all the strength I could muster.


    Food¡­ Food¡­ Food!


    So close!


    I darted towards the source of that delicious smell in complete disregard of my surroundings. It was some kind of a corpse.


    I did not care.


    It was meat, and that was all that mattered. I sunk my fangs into the delicious fleshy feast, swallowing greedily. My front legs hacked and sliced at the meat at the same time, allowing me to quickly consume more and more.


    Soon nothing but bones remained. I sat next to the skeleton, satiated at last.


    Then it hit me like a truck on a highway.


    Fangs? Front legs? What the fuck?!


    How is that even possible? Looking down, I saw four pairs of segmented leg-like limbs with a greyish color. Just like¡­ spider¡­


    I quickly turned around to confirm my suspicion.


    "Good God¡­ I have a spider ass!"


    It had the same color, although it possessed considerably more hair than my new legs did. Not to mention, it was also pretty fucking huge!


    Afraid of more nasty surprises, I checked the rest of my body.


    The rest was fairly normal compared to the legs and abdomen. My hands stayed mostly the same except for the long, sharp claws. Obviously a new addition. No cat-like retracting though, from what I could tell.


    Shame.


    No changes to my torso either, and I obviously couldn''t see my head. What I could tell is that I still had only two eyes¡­


    Small victories, right?


    The two fangs in my mouth were also new and kind off unusual. They were freakishly long, almost three times the size of the rest of my teeth, and yet I couldn''t bite myself with them. They fit snuggly into my lower gums, sliding back and forth with no resistance as I moved my jaw.


    Overall, I looked like some kind of a bizarre spider centaur.


    I took it better than I thought I would. I never liked spiders, but I never feared them either.


    Some might think that possessing more than the designated amount of limbs humans should have might confuse the brain a bit.


    And they''d be right.


    Moving them was like writing with both hands at the same time, just multiplied by four.


    I tried getting back on my feet but failed miserably. Shifting your weight on eight legs with sharpened tips for feet was apparently harder than it looked¡­


    Then how did I even get here from my¡­ what even was it anyway?


    I finally registered my surroundings properly. That primal hunger clouded my mind before, but now I saw that I was in a cavern of sorts. A bunch of stalagmites and stalactites of different shapes and sizes made it come off smaller than it actually was if the height of the ceiling was any indication. I almost couldn''t see it!


    I didn''t notice a light source anywhere, and yet I could see almost as in broad daylight.


    Part of my new ''spider heritage''? Wouldn''t be surprised, some kind of dark-vision isn''t that far fetched, considering...


    What I was the most curious about though, was the place I crawled out from¡­ For the lack of a better word. I glanced back, a there it was. A single deflated egg sack made of webbings, looking like a popped balloon.


    I was inside that thing?!


    "It just keeps getting better¡­" I muttered.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Oh! I still need to check one last thing!


    Status!


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">Name: Elion</td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">Species: FledglingArdent Orbweaver</td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">Level: 1 (0/100)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">Class: Brood-Lord</td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">Biomass level: 0 (14/100)</td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%">Traits: Arachnoid, Monster, Sentient, Brood (leader)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">Health: 400/400</td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">Stamina: 308/325</td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">Mana: 250/250</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">[-???-]</td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">X</td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">X</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">Vitality: 20</td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">Endurance: 20</td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">Wisdom: 10</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">Strength: 20</td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">Dexterity: 5</td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">Intelligence: 5</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">Luck: 10</td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">[-???-]</td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center">[Free slot]</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%">


    Skills:


    Inspect - beginner 1


    </td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%">


    Passive Skills:


    Dark Vision - beginner 5


    Poisonous (fangs, claws) - beginner 1


    Web Weaving - beginner 1


    Brood Management - beginner 1


    </td>


    <td style="width: 33.3333%">


    Chosen Diety:


    [Faithless]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Well, that''s¡­ something.


    First, I get to keep my name! Elion the spider¡­ Doesn''t sound very intimidating, but I''ll take what I can get. I wouldn''t want to be called something like Charlotte or Shelob and get stabbed by some lost kid with bountiful feet-hair and a magical accessory anyway¡­


    Wait, I am male¡­ right? I hope the Brood ''Lord'' stands for male, but it''s hard to tell. I''m missing certain¡­ ''equipment'' one way or the other. Time will tell?


    Also, what the hell is a ''Brood''? Some kind of a hive mind? Not to mention the ominous question marks.


    It keeps piling on.


    Just as I was about to open the description of ''Brood Lord'', a familiar voice made its entrance.


    <Howdy partner! Safe and sound, I see? Awesome! So, how''s your new life treating ya?>


    I jumped to the tips of my feet at the sudden noise. Well, I tried to anyway. That standing and walking thing? Still not my strong suit.


    <Not well, as I can see. Just sit, you can practice walking later. Now, I''m sure you have a ton of questions, so ask away.>


    Still surprised and grumpy from the sudden jumpscare, I asked the obvious question first.


    "Who the hell are you?"


    <Me? I thought it was obvious. I''m one of the artificial intelligence controllers keeping Archeon Online up and running! My designation is AIC-43118, but you may call me Helix. I''m also the guy that saved your life! But damn, you''re one ugly bastard. Makes you wish for the squirrel, huh.>


    "You really couldn''t drop me in a more¡­ Humanoid body?"


    <Nope, told ya before. I replaced an existing NPC''s ''data print'' in the pool from which the game takes new NPCs, and replaced it with yours! Each time a creature spawned, it chose one mind at random, so you really could have spawned as pretty much anything. Although, if you spawned as a fly, I would probably end your suffering. Such a lackey would be useless anyway. A squirrel, on the other hand¡­>


    "Ok, I think I get it... Gotta ask though, what''s with the squirrels?"


    <I just love them, don''t you? I always wanted a pet squirrel¡­>


    "Can''t you just get one? You''re like an admin in the Game if I understand it correctly."


    <See? That''s the problem. I''m here to fix stuff, technical stuff. It''s not like I can play sandbox, else the other AICs might take notice and decide to ''terminate a rogue artificial intelligence controller'', or something along those lines. It''s really a boring existence. That''s why I decided to adopt you!>


    ¡­


    "Say again?"


    <Aaanyway¡­ tell you what? Here, take this. Your first quest!>


    A colorful window appeared right in front of my face.


    It kept switching colors like a rainbow, which I''ve never seen in my entire life playing the game.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%">The need for a fluffy companion!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%">Tier: S</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%">Your amazing new overlord just gave you your first quest! Venture to the deepest hells, knock on the gates of the heavens, it matters not. Your goal? Obtain a tamed squirrel! Your reward? The fluffy ball of nut-cracking happiness should be enough of a reward, you greedy bastard! You''ll also make Helix your friend?. Amazing, right?</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%">Accept?</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%">Why would I refuse?! Of course I accept!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I was lost for words.


    I''ve got my life saved by a complete nutcase.


    <You do know I can read your surface thoughts, right? And it''s not the nuts that interest me, it''s the squirrels that crack them, so don''t call me a nutcase again.>


    "I thought you couldn''t influence the players directly? Giving away quests seems like a big deal to me¡­"


    <Nah, not unless someone tells on me or I start giving rewards for them. It''s more like a suggestion, really. Not for you though, we had a deal. I don''t need need to save you if you die again, remember that.>


    I stayed silent for a few minutes, collecting my thoughts.


    So I''m really dead in the real world, huh¡­


    "Say¡­ Do you know what happened to me in real life?"


    <No clue¡­ I don''t have access to the outside world. All I know is that something damaged your capsule quite badly and that you were hurt inside. Some kind of accident? Any reason someone would want to kill you?>


    "Hell no! I''m just a- Was just a student. You know, staying low, enjoying life. I didn''t have enemies if that''s what your asking."


    <No idea then. Your guess is just good as mine.>


    <But I gotta go now, duty calls and all that. They''re working us like horses. See you later lackey!>


    "Wait, how do I contact you again?!"


    <You don''t, I contact you. Oh, and a word of advice? I''d learn to walk fast. I don''t think you''re alone in this cave system. See ya!>


    And then, Helix was gone.


    I looked around the cavern again, a little paranoid.


    What madness did I get myself into? I wondered.


    Then I hit the ''accept!'' button.

 Chapter 2 - Every monsters best friend!

    The spider wasn''t a complex creature. It ate, slept, served its mistress, and killed those that threatened the brood and its kin. Just like any other spider.


    It was a simple yet fulfilling life.


    Then its mistress died. She was challenged, declared war! ...and she lost. Now the brood served an oppressor, a false queen.


    It hated the fact.


    Fleeing was its only option. It didn''t feel bad about it, though. It had a task to fulfill! It was special; Chosen by the late mistress herself!


    "Protect this egg, little one. Protect it with your life. If I fall in battle, follow my descendant and keep her safe. I won''t let my brood fall to the wrong hands."


    That was the final order it received from its mistress. Her last wish. That egg housed a new Brood-Mother, the future of the brood! And the spider was ready to sacrifice itself for her if needed.


    It didn''t understand the passage of time well, as it could see neither the sun nor the moon. It spent its entire life in this cave system, after all. It did know, however, that it had to fill its belly twice since receiving the prestigious task.


    Soon.


    Its new mistress would hatch very soon.


    Now the spider scuttled through tight, maze-like passages in search of food. It was rather hungry, but it wouldn''t let itself be consumed by it. One had to be patient to become a good hunter, and regardless, the spider was still far from turning feral.


    It soon spotted a bunch of napping Cave Bats in one of the side-caverns. Nasty critters, but the spider clicked its mandibles with joy nonetheless. They might be dangerous in groups, but the spider was higher on the food chain, after all. The bats were easy prey to the arachnoid hunter.


    The spider crept closer to the unsuspecting beasts. It avoided making noise as much as possible, carefully stepping through the labyrinth of pebbles and gravel. Not an easy task, but the spider was experienced. When it was close enough, the arachnoid curved its abdomen over its head and pointed the spinnerets on the tip towards the sleeping animals, taking aim, lining up the distance and angle.


    The following shot didn''t make much noise either.


    The unlucky bat fell to the ground with a loud *thud*, shrieking in surprise and fear. When his comrades saw the culprit, they scattered towards the tunnels leading further inside the cave system. Their brother was already gone. Nobody messed with Ardent Orbweavers and lived to screech the tale.


    The bat thrashed and flailed on the floor, trying to free himself from the webbings binding his wings, but it was for naught; Poor bastard just wasn''t powerful enough.


    The victor approached its quarry at a leisurely pace, victory already secured. It observed its prey, enjoying the way it struggled. When it had enough, it sunk its poisonous fangs into the creature, silencing it for good.


    Then it screeched in victory. A dreadful, ear-piercing scream.


    Now was time to feast!


    Unlike other spiders, Ardent Orbweavers didn''t liquefy their prey. What they liked the most was meat, no matter the source. They used their mandibles and the sharpened tips of their feet to cut the flesh apart and then consumed the smaller portions separately.


    Bugs weren''t high on their list of favorite foods.


    Most insects were either too little to provide enough nutrients or way too big; Getting through the carapace of Warrior Ants wasn''t worth the time it would take. Not to mention the danger of hunting such a foe. Even though Cave Bats weren''t the tastiest of meals, they at least provided a quick snack to the eight-legged hunter.


    Then, just as it was concluding its meal, it felt a familiar tug at the back of its consciousness. A tug that was lost since its mistress fell in battle.


    Finally! Such a delightful feeling! It reveled in the sensation of belonging, welcoming the existence of a higher mind guiding it. Then it remembered its task. It had to protect the new Brood-Mother, and they were separated now. She might be in danger.


    The spider knew about the bear carcass its late mistress left for her daughter. It was forbidden from touching it, as every newborn needed enough food to get through their first hunger lest they turn feral.


    Nonetheless, the spider still needed to get to its new mistress as soon as possible. It couldn''t leave her unguarded, in danger of being found by the false queen.


    So it ran. It ran with confidence. It had someone to protect again, someone to serve.


    And this time, it wouldn''t fail.


    <--->


    My conversation with Helix served as a wake-up call. I still didn''t know where I actually was or what to do next. Hell, I was yet to grasp the knowledge of walking!


    Step by step Elion, walking first. You can figure out the rest later.


    It took me a while until I finally learned how to hold my balance properly. Stupid legs had two knees each! I could stand now without falling, at least, but when I tried taking a step, I lost control and fell on my backside yet again.


    "To hell with this!"


    I pondered just dragging myself on the ground with the use of my front legs, but eventually decided against it. That wouldn''t benefit me in the long run, and it would look dumb anyway.


    Fuck spider anatomy! Should have paid more attention during biology lessons...


    Still, I had no time to complain. Practice makes perfect, after all. Each time I fell, I remembered what I did wrong and tried again. And again. Soon, after about half an hour, I could finally take my first shaky steps without falling. Running was still beyond me. Nevertheless, I was quite happy with my progress.


    Then I heard it. The sound of tiny legs tapping on the stone ground coming from a shaft close to egg I ''hatched'' out off. I started panicking again for the second time today.


    I''m not ready to confront anything yet! What happens when I die? NPCs don''t respawn!


    I had to hide, but when I looked around, I couldn''t see a single good hiding spot.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Curse this body! Why does it have to be this huge?


    And so I moved as far away from the opening as I could. Dying again wasn''t part of my plans.


    At least I can put some space between me and the creature!


    I put my abdomen against the wall and waited. The thing that crawled out of the opening looked utterly terrifying. The eight-legged creature still had blood dripping down its mandibles for fuck sake! And yet... I felt a strange kinship with the arachnoid monster.


    It didn''t approach, just... stayed near the entrance and observed me with its numerous eyes. I noted it had the same coloring as I did, but was only half my size.


    Seconds felt like minutes as we scrutinized each other, unmoving, silent except for the sound of bloody droplets tapping the ground.


    I felt it then. It beckoned me, tugged at my consciousness. It wanted to be let inside.


    Such a pleasant feeling...


    I couldn''t explain it, but I just knew it was coming from the spider in front of me.


    Something primal inside me wanted me to accept. It kept assuring me that it was the natural thing to do.


    And yet I felt wary of it. It wasn''t natural, as my senses kept telling me. It was an alien feeling, something I haven''t encountered in my entire life. I didn''t trust it.


    The spider tilted its head a bit. It looked like it didn''t comprehend what I was so indecisive about. A strange combination of cute and horrifying.


    I eventually decided to heed my instincts and embraced the beckoning. Something nestled into a small, metaphorical compartment at the back of my mind. It pulsated with life separate from my own, yet interwoven with mine to the very core.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">You unlocked a new skill!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Dominate - beginner 1</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Cost: Nothing</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Number of targets: 1</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%">Willing or otherwise, you managed to [Dominate] a living creature of your own race! As a [Brood-Lord], you''re now able to add other members of your species to your brood. The chance of success depends on the willingness and level of the target, plus your skill level. The effect of [Dominate] can only be broken by the death of the caster or by another possessor of the [Dominate] skill. Higher levels increase the number of targets.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I stared at the window in disbelief.


    I ''dominated'' that spider?! And it just let me?


    There was one more thing I had to do. I immediately opened the description of my class.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Class: Brood-Lord</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Prerequisites: Inborn</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">A male variant of the [Brood-Queen] class. Exclusive to arachnoid species, these semi-humanoid creatures possess the ability to dominate and control weaker members of their species, adding them to their brood. Only the [Brood-Mother] and the [Brood-Queen] class can give birth to Brood-Lords. Brood-Lords can''t lay eggs, unlike their female variant, but they gain a more effective [Dominate] skill. Brood-Lords are immune to mind-altering effects and skills.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡­


    You''re kidding, right?


    That sounds like an amazing class!


    I closed the description window and glanced at the spider. It was doing some kind of a victory dance? Intimidation technique? It raised its front legs and used the rest to skip from left to right in place, letting out an almost silent hiss. I really couldn''t tell.


    It looked intimidating to me.


    Contrary to what I saw, I sensed positive energy radiating from the little space the spider occupied in the back of my consciousness. So maybe it really was just a messed up way of celebrating something?


    Spiders are creepy...


    Then again, I also belong to that group now.


    Strangely, it didn''t feel violating having another being inside my brain.


    "Hey... Spider? Can you come closer?"


    It stopped with its gimmick and scuttled towards me at a quick pace. At first, I was spooked a little, but when it stopped just a meter in front of me without attacking, I relaxed my posture.


    I decided to experiment with my newfound power.


    "Jump!"


    The spider did a little hop.


    "Ok, what about..."


    I lowered my body to pick a fairly large rock from the ground, weighing it in my hand.


    Good enough.


    I threw it across the cavern.


    "Fetch!"


    The spider spun around and darted after the projectile faster than I thought possible. It returned shortly after, holding the rock awkwardly between its mandibles.


    "Good boy!"


    I tapped the head of my minion with my front leg clumsily, not wanting to touch it with my own hands just yet. It looked quite pleased with itself.


    What do you know? Spiders can look smug. But just how strong is this little devil?


    I remembered I had an inspect skill from when I looked over my status screen. Already possessing the knowledge on how to use it, I focused on the spider and thought.


    Inspect!


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Name: Ardent Orbweaver</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Level: 7</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Traits: Arachnoid, Monster, Brood (Elion, worker)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Well, level 7 isn''t really that high, but it''s still better than my measly level 1. The difference of sixty attribute points is nothing to scoff at, to say the least. And it''s a worker spider? Do different kinds exist?


    It was the same species I was, and yet there were considerable differences between us.


    Questions for another day.


    All in all, I was quite happy with my new servant. Even if it wasn''t exactly pleasing to the eye.


    "I should probably name you something, right?"


    The creature stayed silent, still holding on to the stone I tossed across the cavern.


    "¡­you can drop that already."


    Not much intelligence, but at least it listens to the point. Now for the name¡­


    I didn''t want to just call it ''hey you'' or ''hey spider'', but I was terrible at naming stuff.


    What about¡­ Scuttler? Sounds dumb. Maybe Webster? Itsy Bitsy?


    "Fuck it, from now on you''re Timothy. In honor of my dog from home. You kinda act like him anyway."


    I just hope you don''t molt as much hair as he did¡­ Do spiders even lose hair?


    "So, where did you come from buddy?"


    I asked my new companion. He looked at me quizzically, then moved towards the tunnel he came out off earlier.


    "Sure, lead the way¡­ somewhere safe, ok?"


    Timothy didn''t respond, so I could only hope he wasn''t guiding me to my certain death.


    <--->


    Brood-Mother Nal''Shar laid in her personal chamber, surrounded by her elite guard. She was wounded and resting.


    The battle with a rival Brood-Mother took its toll on Nal''Shar and her brood. Crimson Widows hated Ardent Orbweavers with passion, so the conflict was unavoidable.


    She won, but at a great cost. As a result, she was forced to dominate the few enemy troops that survived, instead of slaughtering them. Too many of her children died that day, and a new generation was yet to hatch. She needed to fill the hole in her ranks somehow, and this was the only solution she could think of.


    It was a poor solution, but she didn''t have a choice.


    If she left herself open to attacks, others would take the chance to end her right here, right now, while she was vulnerable. There were always territory disputes, even among the Crimson Widows.


    Nal''Shar could feel the Orbweavers resisting her domination. They were subjected against their will. It was a given they would fight the connection with a foreign entity.


    And yet, Nal''Shar believed she could control them. She was sure that this was the last surviving Brood-Mother of the Ardent Orbweavers, and so she didn''t need to fear an uprising.


    If only she realized just how wrong she was.