Chapter 184: Nephila Arachne
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 184: Nephila Arachne
“Wh-what’s with that look?”
Tang Soyeong clutched her hands over her chest, which barely needed covering.
“Geeeeh….”
Should I take comfort in the fact that Nephila was at least better off than Soyeong?
“…Hmph.”
Nephila made a sound like that, then waved her hand once.
Fwip!
The black cloth scattered around her gathered and wrapped around her body.
She was now in the form-fitting attire I recognized as Nephila’s.
I should have been cheering, not feeling disappointed.
The Divine Beast of the Gaegaek Cult had just done something he shouldn't have.
“Gek gek.”
I let out a gek-gek of apology.
Nephila wore a sullen expression.
“Kieeng!”
“Kioong!”
Seizing the opportunity, Tus and Pus rushed toward me at high speed.
They’d gotten bigger than last time.
Tus and Pus examined my body for a while, then tilted their heads, curious about my new white fur.
“Hioong!”
Making a cute sound, Tus naturally approached my tail.
“Kieeng….”
Pus presented her rear slightly with an expectant look in her eyes.
They were bigger, but they acted the same as always.
You two could stand to lose a bit of that初心 [beginner’s mindset].
While dealing with the spiders, I turned my gaze back to Nephila.
I’d joked about being disappointed, but seeing Nephila healed like this made me want to jump for joy.
Nephila was the savior who had risked her life to save me, and the first being I had formed a bond with after coming to this world.
Of course, there was a slightly disappointing aspect, but wishing for that too would be far too shameless of me.
I might have just tossed aside my training and everything else to dive right into Nephila's web.
It was because things weren't perfect that I could treat her like this now.
I focused my eyes to get a more accurate look at her condition.
【Nephila Arachne LV50】
The priestess of a religion that serves a giant black lizard.
She has entered the path of a spirit beast out of a desire to protect the one she loves.
She can change between the form of an Arachne, which is closer to a spider, and a human form that her beloved prefers.
The description is a bit unusual.
Nephila Arachne.
She’s probably a unique species, similar to me.
Judging by the status window’s description, there couldn’t be another species like this besides Nephila.
There was a lot to examine.
First, despite having undergone a metamorphosis, her level hadn't dropped to 1.
I guessed this was because Nephila hadn't evolved, but had temporarily regressed.
She had simply recovered her body’s condition.
“Hmph….”
Nephila hummed and just stared at me.
Seeing as she wasn't saying anything, it seemed she couldn't speak yet.
She could probably make kieek sounds, but it looked like she didn't want to.
Now that she had entered the path of a spirit beast, it was only natural that she couldn't speak human language.
I wondered if Baek Rang or the Red Dragon could teach her.
As if reading my thoughts, Nephila broke into a wide smile.
Sarak.
She slowly approached me.
Then, she grabbed me under my armpits with both arms.
“Gek gek….”
Right now, I was about the size of a medium-sized dog.
In other words, I was light enough for Nephila to lift.
She held me up to meet my gaze and smiled brightly once more.
“Heheung.”
And in that moment, Nephila’s form began to change.
Pssss….
The status window had clearly stated she could take another form.
The Snake Queen, Baek Rang, and the Red Dragon could all switch between their true forms and human forms.
Did that mean Nephila could also change back into a spider?
No, that wasn't it.
Her initial form was what anyone would imagine an Arachne to look like.
A giant spider’s body with a human torso on top.
Her changed form was different.
The base itself was a human body.
At a glance, you could mistake her for a normal human.
The only difference was the two pairs of legs near her waist.
It seemed the form she had just been in was her true Arachne form, and this was her human form.
“Gek!”
This was an incredibly positive change.
She had her Arachne form and a form that was close to human.
…And I don't mean positive because of my personal preferences, but because it would be beneficial to Nephila herself in many ways.
If she covered those legs well, she would look human.
Besides, though I called them legs, given the nature of spiders, they looked like appendages she could easily use as arms.
Unlike other spirit beasts whose combat power weakened in their human forms, Nephila possessed her own distinct advantages.
What if Nephila started to seriously train in martial arts?
She had six arms alone.
It would be like three masters launching a combined attack.
Plus, she had the ability to use spiderwebs.
It seemed she had evolved in a way befitting a priestess of the Gaegaek Cult.
Of course, her internal energy and her… pouch might be lacking compared to Baek Rang or the Red Dragon, but considering the time we spent together on the acacia tree, this was remarkable progress.
Nephila’s growth was probably unprecedented in all of the 100,000 Great Mountains.
A normal spider had reached this level in less than a year.
Although, considering her high intelligence even before, it was possible the Tang Clan had done something to her.
“Hioong…!”
“Kioong!”
Tus and Pus made a fuss seeing Nephila’s new form.
It was just my guess, but it seemed Tus and Pus treated Nephila as their eldest sister.
Nephila seemed to be an older spider, and she had formed a bond with me first.
Now that she could even take on a human form, the two looked at Nephila with eyes full of respect.
“Kieeek….”
Pus, however, gnashed her fangs as if frustrated about something.
They probably wanted to become like that too.
Nephila was worthy of being called a priestess, but our Left and Right Guardians didn't quite fit their titles.
I could give them the positions for now, but as the number of followers grew, it would become harder to maintain.
If Baek Rang or the Red Dragon started to question it, I wouldn't have an excuse.
Seniority was one thing, but it was right to give high positions to those with ability.
Of course, that didn't mean I had any intention of demoting Tus and Pus to regular followers.
I would rather raise Tus and Pus to be worthy of their positions; I couldn't just cast aside our founding contributors.
Honestly, my personal growth had reached a certain plateau.
I could get stronger by raising my level or refining my internal energy cultivation method, but it wouldn't be very efficient.
Even if I caught a big shot like a Magnosaurus, I wasn't sure if I would even gain a single level.
Besides, I had gone through two evolutions at once, so I had no idea how long it would take until the next one.
It was probably best not to expect an evolution for a while.
That didn't mean I would neglect my personal training, but it would be more efficient to seek growth in other ways now.
And that other way was to invest in my followers.
As my followers grew stronger, I too would receive the benefits.
The Gaegaek Cult would become stronger, and there were direct rewards like experience points and divinity.
“Gek gek.”
I looked at Tus and Pus.
They might not reach the level of Baek Rang and the Red Dragon, but they needed to at least become as strong as the current Nephila.
If it were up to me, I'd just carry them on my shoulders for the rest of my life, but I couldn't do that forever.
And because they were precious to me, it would be troublesome if someone later took Tus and Pus hostage.
“Kieek….”
I met the eyes of the fluffy spiders.
Personally, I was also curious about what these two would look like in human form.
I had seen a glimpse of it in the illusion shown by the Heart Demon, but there was no guarantee that it was accurate.
Which meant they could possess an even more magnificent Internal Energy Pouch than what I saw back then.
“Gek gek gek….”
Tus, Pus.
I’m counting on you two.
“Kieng?”
“Keeng?”
Nephila stared at me for a moment, then gently hugged me.
“Heheung.”
It felt nice.
Nephila’s face was close to my ideal type.
I also liked her warm body temperature, which was unlike a spider’s.
And it was nice to hear her heart thumping.
It was nice, but….
I couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment.
“Geeeeh….”
Crunch!
“Ge-ek!”
Nephila suddenly bit me.
“Gek ge-gek!”
Thanks to my Dragon Scales, it didn't hurt, but I was startled.
“…Hmph.”
Then, Nephila placed me back on the ground.
…Being a priestess, it seemed she could see right through my thoughts.
As if she had been waiting, Tang Soyeong cautiously shuffled over.
The Priestess, Nephila.
The Left Guardian, Tus.
The Right Guardian, Pus.
And just Physician 1, Tang Soyeong.
I needed to think about what to do with this one, too.
“M-me too…!”
The way she was awkwardly wiggling her hands was extremely suspicious.
“I-Illuwat!”
It seemed she wanted to touch me.
She seemed to like spirit beasts, especially reptiles, so she must be interested in my new form.
Especially since I probably wasn't recorded in any books.
Yet, the way she squeezed her eyes shut made it seem like she was expecting to get hit by my tail.
“Huh? Why are you just standing there?”
It's not like I'll wear out from being touched.
I can allow this much.
“Hehe. Living a good life really pays off sometimes.”
Her hands moved busily.
She was putting pressure on her fingers as she touched my scales. Surely she wasn't thinking of prying one off, right?
“Gek gek.”
After touching me for a good while, Tang Soyeong suddenly spoke.
“…This is suspicious.”
If you're going to say that, shouldn't you take your hands off my stomach?
“There’s no way Hero Go would be this docile….”
Tang Soyeong slowly turned her head.
I slowly turned my head as well.
Maybe because she was from the Tang Clan, she seemed to be a bit quick on the uptake.
“…No way!”
It seemed she had a rough idea of why I had been so still.
“I’m going to live here and get fat for the rest of my life!”
This was the reason I had stayed still.
The spiders weren't the only ones I was taking to my territory.
I had to take at least one veterinarian with me.
“I get meat every day! And snacks! I can sleep without anyone bothering me!”
“Gek?”
And here I was, going through all sorts of hardships.
“Th-that’s not what I meant…! Anyway, no! I plan to be buried here!”
“Gek gek.”
Sorry, but your opinion doesn't matter.
“Y-you mean lizard! You only look for me when you need something! I’m not going! No, I can’t go!”
Did she have some pent-up frustration with me?
Whatever it was, it seemed best to let her vent before we left.
Chomp.
“Kyaaak! Y-you bit me!”
Angnyangnyang.
“Alright! I’ll go! I’ll go, okay?!”
You should have just said so from the start.