Chapter 13 Insect > Arachnid

Despite my tough talk I was shivering inside my own carapace as I waited to see if the spider would pursue me into the tunnel.

I retreated all the way to the junction, thinking that if worst came to worst I could hide close to the wolf lizards or aggro them onto the spider and try to slip though their den.

Fortunately this spider appears to be as cautious as me!

And why not? All he has to do is sit inside his web and wait for the prey to be delivered, stuck and unable to fight! Practically free Biomass! Truly, being a spider is like easy mode in this dungeon!

My resentment is building towards this web spinning noob. Thinking of all the hardships I’ve been through whilst this chump is sitting here collecting free XP. My rage is reaching towards the sky, to the very heavens themselves!

To ease my fury, the spider must die!

Of course, I only consider this course of action since I have weighed the odds and I think I can win. There are a few reasons for this, firstly, the tunnel is unusually bright, so spotting the spider and its web is not as hard as it would have been just after I arrived in the dungeon, secondly, the spider appears to be small, possibly as weak (stats wise) as I am, if I can remove the natural advantage it gains from its web, I can win.

That only question is, how can I ensure I never fight it in its web? Phase one is already complete. With my two acid attacks yesterday I can presume that the spider has lost at least five HP. Unless it can secure food to replenish its strength I will continue to attempt to lure it to where I can attack it from range.

Simple.

The weakness to my plan, is that I need to ambush the spider a number of times in order to be victorious, however, if the spider can ambush me even once with its poison fangs …. Lights out.

Antennae, forward! Eyes, open! Brain, focused to a razors edge! There must be no mistakes! Moving in this way I advance towards the web once more, inspecting every stone and fold in the rock for hidden arachnids.

No sign of it however, the horrid thing is probably licking its wounds behind the safe walls of its web, provided it has a tongue.

Since I can’t see it, I will process as I did before, trying to lure the fiend here by disturbing the web. As I did before, I prepare some choice stones and line them before flicking them one by one into the web. I use four stones this time, trying to create a larger disturbance to convince the creature a juicy prey has become entangled.

I quickly hide in a shady position and prepare to wait.

And I wait.

And wait.

Half an hour goes by without any seeing even one hairy leg. Not coming out eh? Yellow are ya?! Too chicken to fight face to face like a man?!

This is also fine.

First however, I need to be sure.

One again I prepare some stones, line them up and flick them into the web using my mandibles. I ramp up to seven stones this time, the web shakes and wobbles under my rocky assault.

Once more I retreat and observe. Come at me spider!

Still, nothing. The tunnel, is perfectly still and quiet, not even a whisper echoes off the stone.

I learned during my first hunt that patience is everything to a monster. Death lurks around every corner, no safe guards can afford to be cut. If this spider wants to play a waiting game with me, I’m game. I wait an hour before I make my move.

The spider is either more wounded that I initially thought or is too wary to approach this side of its nest after getting an acid bath last time.

I must move onto phase two of my web disruption plan. Using my antennae I find an area of softer, looser stone and begin to shift it close to the web using my trusty face hands, otherwise known as mandibles.

Once I have enough finer material I begin flicking it up onto the web, sending it wafting and shivering once more. Unlike the heavier stones I was using before, this stuff doesn’t get the web really shaking, but it does do something the heavier rocks couldn’t.

It sticks.

Flick, flick, flick. Again and again I send the fine stone into the web where some of it rebounds and falls, and some if it impacts the threads, remaining hanging in the air.

I don’t need to cover all of the web, just enough for me to be able to pass through without being stuck. Then I will be able to infiltrate the inner sanctum of my foe.

When I’m half way done I take another opportunity to retreat and hide, just in case the spider has at last been drawn out by my constant interfering with its web.

Thirty minutes later and I’m back at work.

Since the spider refuses to emerge I try to cover as much of the web as I reasonably can from the ground with as thick a coating as I can. If I get a leg stuck to this damned web I may not be able to free myself.

Eventually I’m satisfied enough that I’m willing to try and squeeze through. Being as careful as I can I pass my antennae across each strand I plan to walk past, checking for residual stickiness. Finding none, I pass through in the lair of the beast.

This is the most dangerous phase of this conflict. Although I have secured a path of retreat, here in the creatures lair, there could be any number of hidden threads. I must be careful.

Foothold by foothold I creep forward, my eyes scanning every inch of wall and ceiling. A single lapse of concentration will be deadly here. I try to be as stealthy as I can but dark, shadowed areas are becoming harder and harder to find. The flowing blue light the runs through the walls of the tunnels has definitely become stronger over the last few days.

At least this is trouble that runs both ways, although I can’t hide very well, neither can my opponent.

Here inside the nest of the spider I can see threads running along the walls and floor here and there, some of them so fine they barely catch the light. I hesitate with almost every step, trying to be certain I don’t place a foot wrong.

What’s that?

I can see a shape over there, close to the wall! I can’t be sure though, is it a fold in the rock, or is it … a leg!?

Take this you bastard!

Like lightning I blast off a shot of acid.

[Acid Shot has reached level 3]

Ha! Must have been a hit!

Only one thing to do now. That’s right, run for it!

Bwahahahaha! You won’t catch me spider! I’m like the wind across the fjords, like the gazelle leaping across the plains, like the falcon soaring in the clear skies.

Bah, a thread! I’m stuck! It’s got me, ITS COMING TO GET ME!

Will I die here? Before even meeting my colony? I have so many regrets! I’m too young to die! Come to think of it … I’m not even one month old!

[You have defeated Level 1 Puer Aranea]

[You have gained XP]

Please don’t kill me spider! I have so much to live for, I still don’t know if I can evolve like a pocket monster, how cool would that be?! You don’t want me to die before I find out do you?

And ….. And ….

…

What?

Turning around I can see that one of my legs has brushed a spider thread on the ground, by pulling hard I’m able to break free.

Once liberated I return to where the spider was sighted only to see the small creature, severely burned by acid, lying on its back presenting its curled legs to the ceiling.

…

I’m sorry spider. I misjudged you.