Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Between Instinct and Reason
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"Found you."
A nest densely packed with spiderwebs sprawled out in the center.
Cocoons the size of grown adults dangled in heavy clusters.
Some were already shriveled and twisted dry, while others still looked fresh and moist.
He prodded one that seemed the most recent with the tip of his hexagonal rod.
Wriggle.
"Ughhh..."
There was a reaction.
"Old timer? Hans?"
In place of a reply, a muffled groan echoed back.
He drew his dagger and carefully sliced through the spider silk.
The tough threads snapped one by one, revealing the inside.
With just his face poking out, the old man looked exactly like a pupa.
After three days trapped, his face was half corpse already.
He'd been skinny to begin with, but now his eyes were sunken and his lips cracked like parched earth.
"Ugh..."
"You with us? Recognize me?"
The old man's eyelids fluttered before slowly peeling open.
His unfocused gaze wandered the air until it locked onto him.
His pupils dilated in an instant, lips twitching as if trying to speak, but no sound came out.
"Water first."
He pulled out his canteen and held it to the old man's lips. He gulped it down like a madman.
Like a shipwrecked survivor stumbling into an oasis, his throat worked furiously.
Most spilled down his chin, soaking his clothes, but it didn't matter.
"Pah...! Huff, huff..."
Only after draining the canteen did a spark of life return to the old man's eyes.
"You're... that new kid, right?"
"You remember. Good."
"What're you doing here... Run! This place is hell!"
The old man suddenly grabbed his collar and shouted.
His grip was weak as a kitten, but the raw terror came through clear.
"Calm down. I already smashed all the spiderlings."
"No! The small fry aren't the problem! She's coming... She's coming!"
"She?"
"The... ugh!"
Before he could finish, the old man's head lolled forward.
Passed out.
Pushed himself too hard, probably.
"Ah, at least finish your sentence before blacking out."
He clicked his tongue and moved to cut the remaining silk binding the old man.
Then a heavy chill hit him out of nowhere.
Shhh... shhh...
Something was descending from the ceiling.
Bits of stone dust pattered onto his shoulder.
He looked up on instinct.
"...Whoa."
An honest gasp escaped him.
A white silhouette was lowering from the darkness.
A woman.
Or more precisely, a monster with only its upper body as a woman, dangling there.
A massive spider body with an unbelievably beautiful woman's torso rising from it.
Lush golden hair swayed, flawless white skin glowing even in the dark.
But what really grabbed the eyes: not a stitch on her, completely naked.
'Holy shit, for real.'
Especially those tits.
Two full mounds defying gravity, topped with cute pink nipples.
'Perky as fuck. Damn.'
Impossible not to stare.
And the proportions were insane.
If you ignored the creepy spider legs sprouting from that slim waist, she was his perfect type.
"Hee hee hik..."
The thing let out a creepy giggle as it slowly descended.
The woman's face turned toward him with a seductive smile.
A long red tongue slithered from her mouth, licking her lips, as she extended a pale arm and beckoned.
"Come here... baby..."
Even her voice was mind-melting.
His head went foggy, like he was hallucinating.
So much raw sex appeal—he wanted to rush over and bury himself in her embrace right then.
Her tits would smother his face if he did.
'She's fucking hot.'
He swallowed hard.
Honestly, he wanted to fuck her brains out.
If she weren't a monster—or if her lower half was human—he'd have dropped trou already.
But.
'Too bad. You're fake.'
He knew this comic's lore.
That beautiful woman wasn't real.
Just evolved bait to lure and devour humans.
The true body was the giant spider below, not that woman shape.
It mimicked intelligence, but it was puppeted by the spider's nerves.
A flesh doll wired with meat and ganglia.
"Come here... Big sis will hold you..."
Now right in his face, she tilted her head and giggled again.
Pushing her tits together like seducing a lover, eyes dripping allure.
Beauty that could hypnotize anyone.
He gripped the hexagonal rod tighter.
"Nice try, you bitch."
"...?"
The moment confusion crossed her face.
"Die, you cunt!"
Whoosh-!
The air ripped with a sonic boom.
Target wasn't the woman—it was the spider head below.
Boom-!!!
A thunderous crash.
Full swing from strength 23, buffed by [Steel Body].
Plus the [Black Iron Hexagonal Rod]'s smash power—spider chitin crumpled like tofu.
Green fluids erupted in a geyser.
"Kieeeek!!!"
The spider shrieked in agony.
The woman part, predictably, did nothing.
Just meat puppeted by the spider.
"Where you running?!"
He chased the writhing beast and swung again.
Splat!
One more bash, and the massive body went limp.
The woman's torso flopped like a marionette with cut strings.
"Underwhelming."
He shook the fluids off his rod.
In the original, she was a solid floor 2 boss, but without the seduce pattern landing, just a big spider.
Time for loot.
Dagger out, he sliced open the spider's belly.
Stench hit hard, but he endured.
"Jackpot."
Deep inside, a fist-sized purple orb.
Mentioned in passing in the comic, never shown—lucky break.
Siren's Illusion Sac
An organ that emits powerful hallucinogenic gas. Used in alchemy or magic enchanting. Can serve as material for top-grade aphrodisiacs.
Top-grade aphrodisiac material.
That phrase alone made it priceless.
This alone would fetch at least 5,000 Lumina.
'Not selling, though.'
Aphrodisiac? His heart raced just hearing it.
Needed other ingredients and skills, sure, but endless uses.
Selling this would be moronic.
Or dickless.
He also nabbed the silk glands and fangs.
Then his gaze drifted up.
The limp woman's upper body.
Dead, but still stunning.
'Fuck...'
Instinct stirred.
Fake flesh or not, the lore said the texture was identical to real.
'Wait, fake flesh doll? Like a real sex toy?'
Might be fine then...
"Ahem."
He glanced around.
Hans was still out cold, dead to the world.
No witnesses.
He reached out and grabbed those tits that'd stolen his gaze.
"Whoa, fuck. Insane."
The feel was unreal.
Soft, overflowing between his fingers, springy and chewy.
He flicked the pink nipple.
Firm jiggle.
Rubbed, kneaded, pinched with his palm.
"Haa..."
Ragged breath slipped out.
He knew it was fake, but it felt too damn real.
His dick throbbed heavy.
Jack off here?
Or drop pants and titty-fuck her?
Rare chance.
Hand on his belt buckle.
Then paused.
"...Nah. That's too much."
Below, green spider guts pooled from the smashed body.
Stank to high hell.
Worse, picturing himself railing a monster corpse killed the mood hard.
Horny or not, he had standards.
He was human, not some beast.
"Shame, but that's it."
One last hard squeeze before letting go.
He stood, savoring the lingering feel.
Save it for the succubus later.
He cleaned up and checked the other cocoons.
Just in case more survivors.
"Tch."
All corpses.
Half-melted, mummified, skeletal.
Sad, but that's the mine.
He'd lighten their load instead.
Sorry to the dead, but the living gotta live.
Looted their pockets.
Miner tags and coin pouches.
"500 Lumina, 300... This guy's loaded? 1,200."
No point them taking it to the grave—he'd put it to good use.
Tags to the guild for death reports and minor bounties.
Pocketed those too.
"C'mon, old timer."
Hiked the passed-out Hans onto his back.
Skinny as a feather.
On the way out, blood scent drew monsters.
"Grrr..."
Five cave wolves blocking the path.
From the spider fight, he gauged floor 2 trash didn't need the rod.
"Move, mutts."
He booted the charging wolf's jaw.
Splat!
Head exploded, body slammed the wall.
Instant kill.
"Yelp!"
The rest froze, intimidated.
They circled wary, then lunged.
Quick soccer kicks.
Splat, crunch.
Ribs snapped; they flew like bowling pins.
This level? Skip floor 2, head to 3.
Out of the mine, it was already night.
Hans still out on his back.
Breathing steady, so alive.
"District 5, right?"
The shittiest slum in the mine village.
Old man lived there.
Granddaughter Lisa, was it?
He headed there.
Narrow alleys crammed with shacks.
Rats squeaked in the dark; a musty stink wafted.
"How the hell do people live here?"
He'd slummed in district 4 coops, but this was worse.
Asked around, reached the crumbling end house.
Door hung loose, windows patched with plastic.
Two living here sick like that? Pitiful.
Frustrating too.
Don't overextend without skills.
Knock knock.
"Anyone home?"
No answer.
Asleep?
"Lisa? You there?"
Called again.
A faint rustle inside.
He eased the door open.
Dim room.
A small shape huddled on a rickety bed.
"Grandpa...?"
Frail voice.
Her arm outside the blanket was stick-thin, face dotted with black spots.
Mine Poison Disease.
Rare illness from mine toxins—body stiffens slowly.
"Sorry, not your grandpa."
She flinched at his entry.
"W-who are you?"
"Friend of his. Brought him from the mine—passed out."
Set Hans on the bed's edge.
Her eyes widened.
"Grandpa! Grandpa, you okay?"
Lisa crawled desperately to him.
Disease made even that hard.
Sight twisted something in his chest.
'Fuck, world's a bitch.'
Some suck honey; others scrape by.
But his part ended here.
Saved the life—that's enough. Not a charity.
"Exhaustion. Feed him water, let him rest deep. He'll pull through."
"Th-thank you... So much..."
'What heroine? Tiny brat.'
Ridiculous.
Lisa bowed, sniffling.
Dirty clothes, but her eyes were clear.
'Fuck... Looks so pitiful.'
Staring more would hurt, so he turned.
"I'm out."
His pouch crossed his mind.
Siren Illusion Sac.
And the miners' coin pouches.
Hesitated.
Pulled one pouch—1,200 Lumina from a dead miner—and tossed it by the bed.
"Give this to your grandpa when he wakes. For your meds."
Not his money anyway. Free cash.
Good deed done. Brag later for repayment.
"Wh... Why give this...?"
"Shut up and take it."
He left the flustered Lisa behind.
"Starving. Time for chow."
Pockets fat—hit a decent spot, gorge on meat.