Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Mod7
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Chapter 6 - Humanity
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Jenny was cautious. A creature of surprising intelligence, she was likely plotting her next move.
She would come for me eventually. She couldn't abandon me. I played a significant role in her life, in her understanding of the world.
But there was a problem.
While Jenny would save me, she probably wouldn't save Isaac and Aria.
She was like Arachne. She cared about me, but she didn't extend that same consideration to my companions or the other females.
“…”
Even if I could somehow convince her to spare Aria,
I had to save Isaac. I couldn't lose him, not after finally finding another survivor.
But how?
What could I possibly do?
All I could do was wait for Jenny, while trying to appease Arachne.
Did I even have the time or the resources to worry about Isaac?
Was there even a possibility of rescuing him? Was human ingenuity, human technology, truly useless on this planet?
“…Sigh.”
I closed my eyes, trying to sleep. There were no easy answers to the questions that plagued my mind.
Sleep was the best option, a sweet respite that often sparked creative solutions.
So, I forced myself to sleep,
Waiting for an opportunity, adapting to this new, strange routine.
There was nothing else I could do.
If I kept my head down, perhaps a chance would present itself.
Someday…
***
Day 76 of isolation.
09:38, planetary rotation standard.
Overcast.
18°C, pleasantly cool.
“Juho.”
Arachne stroked my hair, her voice gentle as she said my name.
We were alone in her web, enjoying a moment of intimacy.
“You look gloomy. Why don’t you smile?”
My heart skipped a beat. I hadn't realized my expression had darkened.
Arachne gently massaged the tense muscles in my face, trying to soothe me.
“You don’t dislike being with me, do you?”
“…No.”
“I know. I was just teasing. I know you’re worried about your friend.”
I touched my face, trying to compose myself.
While I was worried about Isaac, I couldn't afford to show weakness in front of Arachne.
She wouldn't change her mind, no matter how much I pleaded. Especially not now.
The spiders’ forces had been decimated. Arachne needed more soldiers.
And that meant allowing her sisters and Isaac to produce more offspring.
It was a rational decision.
I would have done the same.
“That’s your weakness, Juho. You waste your energy on trivial matters, instead of focusing on what’s important.”
Arachne chuckled, petting me as if I were a child.
While her touch was gentle, her words were laced with mockery.
“Do you hate me?”
“No.”
Arachne didn't mistreat me or force herself on me.
But her eyes were always watching, observing, analyzing my every thought and emotion.
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m just… tired.”
I turned away, feigning indifference.
While I had an obligation to spend time with her, to fulfill my role as her partner,
She wasn't so foolish as to break my spirit, to completely crush my will.
“Really?”
And that made me even angrier.
Arachne was subtly trying to seduce me, to draw me in.
Her voice, a husky whisper, sent shivers down my spine.
“Then let me help you relax. I was thinking… if you cooperate, if you show me that you’re truly committed to our relationship… perhaps I could release one of your friends.”
Her words,
Offering a glimmer of hope,
Were incredibly tempting.
“…What do I have to do?”
“First, stop looking so glum. You’re my partner, Juho. If you can convince me that you’re not plotting something, releasing one male is a small price to pay.”
Arachne was thinking long-term.
She was talking about,
Months from now.
“We’ve lost many of our sisters, thanks to you. We need your friend to replenish our numbers.”
Her face was close to mine now,
Her lips almost touching my ear as she whispered.
“Six months. I’ll give you six months. If I see that you’re making an effort, I’ll release your friend.”
She was clever.
In six months, a new generation of spiders would be born, and Isaac’s value would diminish.
Most males died within a few months, weakened by the spiders’ relentless demands and their cruel treatment.
So, she would use him, extract his value, then use him as a bargaining chip.
A shrewd plan.
She knew I couldn't abandon Isaac…
She offered a sliver of hope, demanding obedience in return…
Six months.
Half a year.
At the end of that seemingly endless period, Isaac would be free. Even if his body was broken, he would survive.
“…Are you serious?”
“Of course. I won’t lie to you anymore. You’re my partner.”
I couldn't imagine a better offer.
Arachne held all the cards, and this was a generous offer, from her perspective.
It was only cruel from a human standpoint.
But for Arachne,
This was the epitome of mercy.
Merciful, clever,
Ensuring my loyalty,
Without alienating the other spiders.
She could always capture another male. Finding a replacement within six months would be easy.
“O-okay… just promise… promise you’ll release Isaac…”
“Juho, look at me. I told you I wouldn't lie. I promise.”
Her eyes were so close.
Her delicate nose, her beautiful eyes,
Her red eyes, a stark contrast to her white hair, captivated me.
“So stop scheming and stay by my side. From now on, you use that clever mind of yours for our children and our kingdom.”
She was younger than me,
But Arachne possessed an undeniable charisma.
She had the qualities of a leader.
She was a worthy Queen. She would build a spider kingdom even greater than her mother’s.
Her only weakness was her youth.
While she had always been slightly larger than me,
She was still growing.
Compared to the other spiders, she would undoubtedly grow even more beautiful and elegant.
“Answer me.”
“Alright.”
We didn't waste any more time.
“Tell me what you mean. Tell me what you’ll do.”
Our lips were already touching.
All that remained was a declaration of obedience.
“…I’ll be a worthy partner. I won’t betray you, as long as you protect Isaac and keep your promise.”
As soon as the words left my lips, Arachne kissed me, her mouth devouring mine.
Our tongues intertwined, exchanging saliva, the kiss deepening, becoming endless.
But there were things, unspoken, that remained between us.
While my relationship with Arachne was improving,
My desire for freedom intensified.
Six months.
I just had to endure for six months, and then Isaac would be free.
And then, I would escape.
Before, alone and desperate, I had acted impulsively,
But now,
I had others to consider.
***
After our long-delayed “first night,” which we had made up for with twice the intensity,
We emerged from the web, our bodies slick with sweat.
The cool night air was a welcome relief. The heat we had generated still lingered within the web.
“Let’s go wash up.”
Arachne took my hand and led me to the… bath.
I wasn't sure if “bath” was the right word. It was a large metal container filled with water, slowly heating over a fire.
It was probably a piece of debris from another spaceship.
I had wondered why they had kept it, but everything had its purpose, it seemed.
The water had been collected from a nearby river. Instead of bathing in the rivers and lakes, the spiders carefully collected the water and used it for their own purposes.
They used hollowed-out logs, cut in half and fitted with spider silk ropes, as buckets.
But Arachne and I didn’t have to bother with such mundane tasks. The other spiders took care of everything.
“Do you like it?”
“…It’s nice.”
They had even added tea leaves to the water, releasing a soothing fragrance.
It was relaxing, calming.
But as my body and mind relaxed,
I felt a pang of guilt.
“…Yes, it’s very nice.”
Not far from here,
Aria hung upside down from a tree.
While I enjoyed a luxurious bath,
She was slowly dying.
The passing spiders mocked and tormented her.
They drank water in front of her, taunting her with her thirst, or splashed water on the ground near her.
“…”
I averted my gaze.
While I felt a twinge of sympathy,
I couldn't intervene.
Honestly,
Aria had put me through a lot.
Perhaps this was karma. Just as she had tortured me with water, she was now being tormented by its absence.
“Can you wash my back? I can’t reach it.”
And I,
Enjoyed Arachne’s care and attention.
I carefully poured water over her beautiful back,
And massaged her shoulders.
It was an easy task.
As long as I complied,
No one would harm me,
No one would disrespect me.
“Sigh… this feels so good. Mmm.”
Perhaps,
I was slowly giving up.
When I had escaped the mermaids’ cave, I had been filled with a fierce determination, a burning desire for freedom…
But,
Now, I had an excuse, a reason to stay: [my companions].
I could endure anything for myself…
I could even face death…
But when other lives were at stake,
I hesitated.
As Arachne had said,
This was humanity’s greatest weakness.
Morality,
Reason,
And emotion.
A complex, beautiful, and often self-destructive combination…
My contemplation of human nature,
Was interrupted by a panicked voice.
“Arach- no, Your Majesty!”
A spider approached Arachne.
Blood stained her abdomen.
“We’ve been attacked…! Sylvia is injured!”
I didn't know who Sylvia was.
But I could infer certain things from their conversation.
“Attacked? Sylvia is injured?”
“I-I’m sorry. We were collecting water together, and then suddenly, a creature with a black tail…”
“A creature? Not creatures, but a single creature?”
Arachne seemed surprised.
She acknowledged that their forces were weakened, but she didn't think they were vulnerable enough to be defeated by some unknown species.
“Two of you were together, and Sylvia was injured? Even if she was injured, there were two of you.”
But I had a different thought.
The creature that had been injured by Isaac’s rifle had been attacked. And the other spider had barely escaped with her life.
This wasn't a coincidence.
A creature powerful enough to take on two spiders,
And yet, it hadn't killed the other one, simply letting her escape?
“Its t-tail was incredibly fast…”
“…”
The wound on the spider’s abdomen was a messy puncture, like something inflicted by a barbed harpoon.
Only one creature I knew possessed such a weapon.
Jenny.
She was nearby.
This injured spider,
Was a message from Jenny.