Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: Mod7
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Chapter 3 - Threats
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“…”
Suddenly, the Spider Queen turned around. She had sensed our presence.
Arachne, realizing the danger, quickly pulled me into the bushes.
Even Arachne, accustomed to violence, seemed unnerved by her mother’s strange behavior.
“…”
We held our breath, remaining silent.
The sounds of crackling flames and muffled struggles filled the air.
“You brought this upon yourself. You abandoned our love, and now you’ve harmed my precious daughters.”
Despite her regal tone, her actions were depraved and repulsive.
Each act was designed to inflict pain on [him].
When the charred remains of his severed legs turned black, the Spider Queen extended her sharp fingernails, carving new lessons onto his body.
Scratch-
The sickening sound of tearing flesh and muscle echoed through the forest. [He] trembled, his body convulsing in pain.
I couldn't look away, despite the horrific scene. Nausea churned in my stomach, but I clamped my hand over my mouth, afraid of being discovered.
[His] emaciated body, the body that had saved me,
Was being slowly broken by this monstrous creature.
“You were always like this. If you had understood how much I loved you, you wouldn’t have left. I should have done this a long time ago.”
Yet, there was no despair, no resignation in his eyes.
His clouded gaze, fixed on the Spider Queen,
Held a spark of defiance, the unwavering will to survive.
“…I still love you. Even though you abandoned me and our daughter, I still love you.”
Crunch-
Her fingernail pierced something it shouldn't have. [His] body jerked violently, as if possessed by a demon.
I couldn't bear to watch. I turned away, seeking solace in the darkness.
“Ah.”
The Spider Queen’s voice was a strange mixture of ecstasy and grief.
“Remember my face. Let me be the last thing you see.”
The Spider Queen finally left, after taking [his] legs and eyes.
Her torture wasn't over, but
Arachne and I didn't wait. We approached him.
I understood why he had worn the mask. I didn't want to describe his face.
Even putting it into words felt like a desecration. I couldn't imagine the horrors he had endured at the hands of the spiders.
His face, mangled beyond recognition, was far more disturbing than the scars on his body…
“Ugh.”
Arachne grimaced.
A wave of emotion welled up inside me, but I suppressed it, forcing myself to remain calm.
“What did Mother do to his face…?”
And then it hit me.
The unimaginable pain and suffering endured simply for being male…
“How could she do this to her own mate? His face…”
Arachne wasn't wrong.
Her words perfectly reflected the spiders’ values.
“Father, can you hear me?”
But I understood the Spider Queen’s motives.
She wanted the other spiders,
Even her own offspring,
To be repulsed by [his] appearance.
“It’s your daughter. The one you tried to kill.”
Arachne stepped closer, placing her hand on his head.
“I heard a lot about you from Mother and my sisters. I always wanted to meet you. Not like this, though.”
[He] reacted.
Even in his agony, he could hear his daughter’s voice.
“I spent so much time thinking about why you tried to kill us, how I should avenge my sisters, but it doesn’t matter anymore. Being with Mother is the greatest torture you could endure.”
Tears flowed.
Or perhaps it was blood.
Like tears,
Blood streamed from his mangled eyes.
“Let’s go. I don’t even care why you tried to kill us anymore. Juho, if you don’t want to end up like him, you better listen to me.”
Arachne grabbed my hand.
But,
I couldn't just leave him.
“Juho?”
I placed my hand on his mangled cheek. His lavender skin was dry and wrinkled, devoid of life.
“Can you hear me?”
I leaned closer to his disfigured face, the face even his own daughter found repulsive. I spoke into his ear, and…
“…”
He nodded weakly. I thought I saw a faint smile on his lips.
“You weren’t waiting for me, were you? Please tell me you weren't. You have another plan, don’t you? Do it. Now.”
I, who still had all my limbs,
Whose body was relatively unharmed, was crying,
While he, barely alive, smiled.
We only had one way to communicate now.
His three remaining fingers, barely able to move.
He wrote on my forehead.
A simple,
But clear message.
[Kill me.]
“Juho, what are you doing?”
Arachne’s grip tightened on my wrist, her voice sharp, but,
“…”
I took a deep breath, suppressing my fear and despair, and then-
“You fucking bitch! You fucking monster! Come out here!”
I shouted.
I didn't know I could yell so loud.
My voice echoed through the forest, loud enough to shake the base of the Ancestral Tree.
“Huh…?”
Even Arachne was startled, unable to comprehend my sudden outburst. [He], cradled in my arms, chuckled, his body shaking with a mixture of pain and amusement.
“Arachne, if you don’t help me now, we’re both dead. Or you can just run. You’ll probably die alone in the forest, but that’s your choice.”
I laid out the situation clearly, using simple words and phrases.
“What do you think your mother will do when she sees us?”
“What the hell are you doing?!”
“If you have time to yell, just release your father. We can’t stay in the spider kingdom anymore. We need a hostage to escape.”
Rustle-
Before I could finish, the Spider Queen rushed towards us.
Her face contorted in rage as she saw us, her mate, Arachne, and me, together.
“What are you doing here! Arachne, what is the meaning of this?!”
She must have been busy selecting her next torture instrument. She held a long nail and a hammer-like tool.
“M-Mother…”
Arachne realized she was trapped.
Even if she abandoned me now, she would lose her mother’s favor. She would be condemned to a life of fear and subservience.
“Juho, you…”
She glared at me, then cut the webbing that bound her father, freeing him.
Yes,
Now I could properly support him. Before, the difference in our size had made it difficult…
His body, weakened by blood loss and missing limbs, felt surprisingly light.
“Don’t come any closer! Arachne and I…! We’re leaving! Understand?!”
We were accomplices now.
Arachne, gritting her teeth, had no choice but to join me.
“Keeek-”
For the first time, the Spider Queen looked uncertain.
She could have tortured him indefinitely with her masterful techniques, but the situation had changed.
She had to consider the possibility of his death. Tears welled up in her eyes, her legs trembling.
“W-wait… please, just don’t hurt him.”
She had no choice but to yield.
She had tortured him mercilessly,
But she couldn't bear the thought of him dying.
“Keeek-!”
“Mother!”
The other spiders, alerted by the commotion, rushed towards us, but,
“No! Stay back!”
They were helpless now.
“No, come closer. I’m going to kill this bastard. Come on in.”
My legs trembled,
My breath hitched,
And my head pounded,
But I held [him] aloft, perched on Arachne’s back.
“Come on! Fucking…! I’ll snap his neck!”
If I had been alone, they would have attacked and subdued me, but
With Arachne below, they hesitated.
“I’ll get you later…”
Arachne glared at me, but
That wasn't important right now.
[He] had asked me to kill him,
And I intended to honor his final request.