Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: Mod7
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Chapter 3 - Confinement
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Pale was the word that came to mind. Their skin was a strange mixture of lavender and white.
Not only their skin, but even their hair was white. This contrasted sharply with their black, spider-like lower bodies.
“Remarkable. I’ve never seen a male like this before.”
“Eldest Sister, I want to hold him too.”
Just as they found me strange,
I found them equally strange.
“No claws, no strength, no carapace…”
Compared to the other alien species I had encountered, humans were incredibly frail. Our weaknesses were far more prominent than our strengths.
“Yet, he’s so flawlessly beautiful.”
“Amazing. How has he managed to survive?”
I forced a smile, wiping away the cold sweat. The fact that I could understand their words only intensified my anxiety.
“What’s your name?”
The largest spider, who was carrying me, asked. Her human-like upper body was indistinguishable from a woman’s, yet she effortlessly lifted and carried me.
“Juho… my name is Juho.”
I swallowed my fear and gave them my Korean name. A faint smile flickered across their cold faces.
“Juho. You’re a special one.”
Were they happy because we could communicate,
Or because they had captured a male who could speak their language?
I had no way of knowing.
“Sisters, I have an idea. A better idea than taking him with us. Let’s keep him here and take that other male back to the forest.”
“What?”
One thing was certain.
The four spiders surrounding me were plotting something.
“Eldest Sister… Mother won’t approve.”
“What are you talking about? If she doesn’t find out, how will she know?”
The largest and most beautiful of the spider women persuaded the other three. Her elegant gestures and soothing voice were persuasive.
“Isn’t that right? Sisters, don’t misunderstand. I’m doing this for your benefit. If we take this male back to the forest, Mother will claim him and produce more offspring.”
I didn't know much about their society,
But I could infer certain things from their fragmented sentences.
“Don’t you want to experience a male for yourselves? Look at him. He’s so beautiful.”
Her elegant yet sharp fingernails grazed my cheek and jaw.
I couldn't hide the cold sweat. The sharp sensation lingered.
“Sisters, I agree with Eldest Sister.”
The smallest and youngest spider enthusiastically supported the idea of keeping me hidden.
She didn’t seem particularly interested in me, but she seemed eager to please her eldest sister.
“But, Eldest Sister…”
“Is this really the right thing to do?”
The second and third sisters hesitated,
But their gazes were fixed on my body.
“Trust me. We could even become independent. I care for you three more than the other sisters. We share the same father.”
The four spiders created a small secret within the cave.
They didn't take me back to their lair. They left me here, confined within the cave.
It could have been worse. At least I wasn't impaled on their legs like that other alien.
“Damn it! It won’t cut…!”
But this wasn't a good situation either.
The spiders had taken the unfortunate alien and sealed the cave entrance with a thick layer of webbing.
“Amy, you can’t produce any sort of blade from your head, can you?”
“No.”
“Right, of course… never mind.”
At first, I had thought it was ordinary spider silk. I had planned to cut through it and escape as soon as they left.
But it was incredibly strong. I chipped a sharp piece of rock and hacked at the webbing, but only a few strands broke.
The layered webbing was frustratingly sticky and resilient.
After several minutes of fruitless effort, my arms ached, and my throat was parched. A human couldn't cut through this.
“Sigh… Let’s take a break. It’s okay. The spiders, unlike the mermaids, won’t stay here, right? This is better. I can definitely escape.”
I stopped my futile attempts and sat down, thinking.
Perhaps digging through the cave wall would be easier than cutting through the webbing.
But how long would that take? The cave walls were solid rock.
“Doctor, it would take at least 30 days to dig through the cave wall.”
“…Thanks for the quick calculation.”
I hadn't even spoken, but Amy, sensing my gaze on the cave wall near the entrance, answered my unspoken question.
30 days.
Not a short time,
But not an eternity either.
I could do it.
The spiders wouldn't kill me. Or rather, they couldn't.
So I could endure.
Survival was my priority.
30 days would be nothing.
“Okay, let’s begin.”
***
Having already escaped once, my body, without a moment's hesitation, prepared for another escape.
Yes, survival on this planet required unwavering determination.
I couldn't give up just because I was trapped in a cave.
“Amy, warn me if the spiders are coming…!”
Crack!
Thud!
I chipped away at the cave wall. The hard rock resisted my efforts.
I didn't have the right tools.
Thwack!
But I did have,
One surprisingly effective tool.
The rod [he] had given me.
While one end emitted light, the other end, the handle, was made of solid metal.
I used it to strike the rock face, chipping away small pieces.
I could do this. All I needed was time and effort.
I would do whatever it took to survive. That damn green alien who had betrayed me was probably dead by now, but I wouldn't die.
Especially not in a place like this.
I would only die back at headquarters.
Back at headquarters,
I would report, in excruciating detail, everything this goddamn planet had done to me and the other crew members.
They would send reinforcements. Since this planet could support life, they might even eradicate the monsters and claim it as a new human territory.
Yes, I had a mission.
A reason to survive.
The captain, Reyes, Dan,
They were all giving me strength.
I wasn't sure if the captain and Reyes were alive, but I assumed they were. And if they were, they were surely praying for me.
I would return. I would survive, no matter what, and return to the stars.
I hadn't come here to become a captive breeding male for mermaids and spiders. If that were the case, I would have stayed with the mermaids. Aria was probably kinder than the spiders.
“Gasp…!”
Crack-!
Lost in the repetitive labor, my thoughts wandered. Covered in sweat, I continued digging.
“Doctor, the spiders are approaching.”
“Ah…! Wait…!”
Yes, I just had to keep chipping away, little by little, every day.
The spiders had their own lair,
And they lived with their Mother,
So they couldn’t possibly monitor this cave constantly. Surely not.
Click-
Click-
The spiders arrived. They effortlessly manipulated the webbing with their hands, entering the cave with ease, unlike me.
“Juho?”
The largest spider smiled gently, calling my name.
“Have you been a good boy?”
“Y-yes…”
The second and third spiders followed close behind. The youngest was busy repairing the torn webbing.
“Now then…”
She gently lifted me into her arms,
And brought her face close, as if savoring my scent.
“Ah…”
I was covered in sweat, and I probably smelled awful, but her eyes fluttered, and her face flushed.
“W-wait a minute… gasp…”
Just like the mermaids,
Every creature on this planet seemed to have an overtly sexual interest in me.
…Well, this was better.
Better than dying.
I could endure this.
It was only 30 days.
“This is… more stimulating than I expected…”
It was supposed to be only 30 days.
Supposed to be.
“Mmm… Agh! Wait…!”
The forced copulation continued for hours.
Usually, it was the male spider who was in danger during mating.
It was called sexual cannibalism.
But these spiders seemed intent on killing their males through a different method.
“Please… j-just a moment… I really can’t anymore…”
Even though they understood my words,
The spiders didn't stop.
“No, no… please…”
Only one,
The smallest spider, refrained…
While the other three,
Relentlessly demanded my seed, hour after hour, without a moment’s rest.