I move slowly and carefully deeper into the cave, straight toward the absurdly oversized spider.

  I’m calmer than I expected. Probably because, in the worst-case scenario, I can always rely on Rin.

  Still—it’s really disgusting.

  The smaller spiders move out of my way.

  “Smaller,” of course, is only relative to the nightmare sitting in the center.

  I don’t know whether they’re trying to surround me or planning to attack, but so far I don’t feel any hostile intent. It’s more like… curious stares. As if they’ve discovered something interesting.

  This must be how animals at a zoo feel.

  So far, my plan is working.

  I noticed it earlier, right at the entrance to the large cavern, and it hasn’t left my mind since.

  Leana didn’t spare the grotesque scene around us a single glance. Instead, she stared at me with that piercingly serious expression of hers.

  Even if her role is to observe me and not interfere, she’s taking it a bit far.

  But something else doesn’t add up.

  A massive, horrifying spider brood lives right next to the elven village—yet there are no guards, and children play in the forest nearby.

  Because of that, I came to a conclusion.

  And now I’m walking straight into the spider nest, wrapped in the most intense goosebumps I’ve ever experienced in my life.

  After what feels like an eternity, I’m standing directly in front of the giant spider.

  It hasn’t moved, but it hasn’t taken its many eyes off me either.

  It’s waiting.

  Up close, it’s even bigger. I can see the countless hairs covering its body now. The white venomous fangs practically glow against the pitch-black carapace, which seems to swallow all light around it.

  My heart pounding, I slowly stretch out my right arm toward the mega-spider.

  Eight eyes watch me intently.

  Then—slowly—the spider lowers its massive head and presses it against my open palm.

  My heart jumps into my throat.

  And for a moment, I swear it feels like the spider is… purring.

  I must be imagining things.

  Still, no matter how I look at it, the terrifying spider is currently cuddling my hand.

  Carefully, I begin to scratch its head.

  The spider seems… happy.

  This situation might actually be cute—if it were a small puppy and not a ten-meter-tall spider with a literal death symbol on its abdomen.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  I’m still scratching the giant spider, which has now settled comfortably on the ground, when I hear Leana behind me.

  “Well done. You completed the quest without any trouble, and Archie has accepted you. You now have permission to ride his offspring.”

  There are two deeply disturbing things about that sentence.

  First of all—Archie?

  Who looks at a force of nature like this and thinks, Yes. Archie.

  But then Archie wiggles his back legs while I scratch under his—chin?

  I think it’s his chin.

  Do spiders even have chins beneath those deadly fangs?

  Not important.

  What bothers me much more is the phrase “ride his offspring.”

  In every fantasy story I know, spiders are mounts for villains, demons, or monsters lurking in the woods, waiting to murder you. Especially giant spiders like Archie.

  Elves, on the other hand, are always the good ones. Elegant. Graceful. Gliding through the forest.

  No matter how I look at it—

  Elves do not ride spiders.

  This is not normal.

  I turn toward the cave entrance, full of conviction.

  “Elves don’t ride spiders!”

  Behind me, Archie lets out a soft, pitiful whine and nudges his head against my back.

  Leana tilts her head and looks at me as if I’m speaking an entirely different language.

  “Of course we ride spiders. It’s only logical. Spiders, like us, are exceptional hunters. When we fight monsters in the forest, they don’t flee—they provide additional combat power. They are silent, extremely fast, and not limited to the ground.”

  “With our spiders, we can move freely throughout the entire forest. There is no obstacle they cannot overcome.”

  That’s not the problem.

  But I can tell this argument is going nowhere.

  Defeated, I give up and scratch Archie a little more.

  “Who’s a good boy? Yes you are.”

  Internally, I apologize to every small spider that fell victim to my arachnophobia in my previous life.

  Rin and Leana step away from the cave entrance and join us. After a moment of hesitation, Rin can’t resist either and starts scratching Archie as well.

  It’s just too tempting.

  “We don’t have all day,” Leana says impatiently. “Stand on the hill over there and wait for your spider.”

  Such a shame.

  I give Archie one last pat and move onto the small mound in front of him.

  The moment I step away, Archie once again looks like the massive, deadly spider he actually is, calmly surveying the cave.

  Then his gaze fixes on a dark corner.

  A spider emerges into the light.

  It’s black, with a red stripe across its abdomen.

  Stylish—if that’s a word that can apply to spiders.

  It stops in front of me and lowers itself to the ground.

  That’s incredibly cool.

  “Focus,” Leana says. “Climb onto the spider’s back and give it a name. Then ride it in a small circle. After that, it will be loyal to you until death.”

  Alright.

  I climb onto the spider. It’s similar to riding a horse—except for the legs. All the legs.

  I sit at the joint between head and abdomen. Surprisingly, I can even lean back a little.

  Their build reminds me of black widows from my old world.

  Disturbing.

  Weren’t black widows among the most venomous spiders on Earth?

  I shove the thought into a dark corner of my mind.

  Right—my new partner needs a name.

  “Male or female?” I ask Leana.

  She glances at the spider. “Male.”

  I think for a moment.

  It has to start with A. Because the parent—maybe father, maybe mother—does too.

  And it should be something related to battle.

  I’ve got it.

  “Ares.”

  The spider stands up.

  I grab on.

  “Ares, let’s go!”

  I press with my legs like I would on a horse.

  It works.

  Ares takes off—blindingly fast—but somehow he knows exactly where I want to go. The smallest shifts in my body are enough.

  This is so much better than riding a horse.

  For the first time in ages, I feel that exhilarating sense of truly living in a fantasy world again.

  Rin receives her spider shortly after and names it Buttercup.

  I don’t know what’s wrong with naming conventions in this world. I’ll never get used to it.

  Leana, ever dutiful, ruins our fun again.

  “You’re both doing well. Let’s return to the village and prepare for the real beginning of the journey. We’ll be traveling for quite some time. Take everything you need. You’ll receive spider saddles for better grip and transport.”

  Leana’s spider, by the way, is named Teddy.

  I’m not saying anything anymore.

  Archie watches us leave like an abandoned puppy, letting out pitiful little whines. It nearly breaks my heart.

  Leana only says the village children are already on their way to play with him.

  Outside the cave, elven children rush past us laughing and disappear into the darkness.

  Leana rides with me on Ares, and within minutes we’re back in the village.

  Now I understand what she meant by extremely fast in the forest.

  Rin and I part ways with Leana at our treehouse and prepare for departure. By midday, we meet again at the southern gate, fully packed, spiders ready.

  It seems the real part of our quest line is finally about to begin.

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