"What the heck is this foul-mouthed creature?" Nolvet growled, backpedaling as the massive spider bared its fangs, its red eyes burning with ferocity. "Never encountered anything like this... and why's it staring at me like that?"
Before he could act, the spider leapt—landing right on Nolvet's mouse-sized head.
For a moment, his divine mind went blank.
Instinct took over.
He dashed forward, tiny claws skidding across the stone floor. His heart pounded. Every breath burned. His godly pride shattered with every panicked step.
"Damn this... mouse form!" he cursed. "In my true body, this thing wouldn't last a blink!"
But here—now—he was slower. Weaker. Helpless.
And the spider? Agile. Ruthless. The tapping of its legs echoed like war drums as it closed the gap with every stride.
Nolvet stumbled into a dead end. Towering rock walls boxed him in. No exit left or right. His mind, used to omnipotence, blanked at the very idea of no escape.
"Am I really going to die... like this?"
Then—light. A faint beam from above illuminated the predator.
His eyes widened. The glint off its shell triggered a memory.
"Wait... I know this thing." He narrowed his eyes. "I created this species in the human world. Arachnida Type-C—half a fingertip in size."
He squinted harder. "The shell... the joints... the weak points."
Knowledge flooded back.
The spider lunged.
Nolvet dove, scraping his side against the rock, and began crawling. His mouse form, though weak, clung to rough surfaces with ease. Climbing, dodging, darting—this was his element now.
The spider hissed and flung silk webs at him, one of which grazed his tail. Then came venom—green, viscous, sizzling against stone.
He kept moving.
A narrow, brittle ledge loomed above. Cracks etched across its base.
"That'll collapse if pressured," Nolvet realized. "But he's too cautious to charge in unless he's sure..."
He stopped—deliberately exposing himself. Pretending to falter.
The spider lunged, seizing his tail.
Pain exploded through Nolvet's body as venom surged into the wound—but he gritted his tiny teeth and kicked off.
That final tug was enough.
The ledge crumbled.
The spider shrieked as rocks tumbled, slamming down on its body. Cracks split its shell. Its legs twitched—and then stilled.
Silence.
Victory.
But Nolvet collapsed too, his breathing shallow, his tail now turning a dark, sickly green.
Poison.
He couldn't move. Couldn't think. Vision dimming, he lay on his side as a soft beep echoed in the air.
A screen appeared before him:
> You have earned 7 Points for defeating: [Poison-Fanged Arachnid – Rank F]
Another window popped open—blurred at first, but he made out the words:
> STORE — Choose an Item
1. Lighter (5 pts) – Burn materials
2. Iron Nail (3 pts) – Improvised weapon
3. Low-Grade Antidote (2 pts) – Cures basic poison
Nolvet barely glanced. His vision darkened. But he instinctively pressed the third option.
A thin beam of light dropped a small vial beside him.
He drank it. Bitter. Warm.
His body began to relax.
And just as sleep took him... he felt it.
The presence.
Not one, but hundreds.
Deep in the shadows—at the edges of the cavern—glowing red eyes opened. Dozens. No... hundreds of them.
Watching.
Waiting.
End of Chapter 2