The Spider Queen

"So long brave hero! I await your glorious return!" Khul yelled as Sophie's back got further and further away.

The goblin-like alien continued to watch until the figure of the chosen one could no longer be seen.

An expression of deep devotion and madness appeared in his eyes as he once more knelt to the ground and offered prayers.

Sophie on the other hand was not as optimistic as Khul but seeing that there were no other leads, defeating the monster seemed to be the only one to pass this stage of the trial.

Well… if this monster actually existed.

The soft grass tickled Sophie's feet as the hybrid girl walked into the towering forest.

The sunlight still brightly illuminated the undergrowth of the forest as the leaves on the trees appeared to be partially translucent.

Every detail of this strange grassland was perfect.

Sophie plucked a few leaves with her hand and observed that every leaf was identical.

From the shape to the size and even the minute details such as the stem and veins running through their centers.

It all seemed so….

Artificial.

Was this place merely a simulation or an illusion? But what about Khul?

If this place was a simulation… did his people ever really exist?

Questions lingered in Sophie's mind, but she could do nothing but push forward and try to find out the answers later.

The directions Khul had given to the monster's lair were fairly simple.

She only needed to walk around five kilometers in a northeastern direction and then observe the nearby area at a waterfall.

The monster she had to slay lived in a small cave to the side of the waterfall and it was there where the battle would take place.

Sophie reached into her storage bag and pulled out a vial filled with a purplish green liquid.

Although her qi was blocked, the advantages of an Arachnais physiology remained. Sophie tilted her head and poured the bitter contents into her mouth.

The foul-tasting liquid was absorbed by the venom glands located just above her fangs and Sophie's golden eye darkened.

Now she was ready for any unexpected circumstances.

Curiously enough, as she walked through the forest it became clear that the path pointed out by Khul had been intentionally made easy to travel along.

There were no bushes or weeds blocking the way and not a single tree grew in the area of the path.

Cool breeze brushed the sides of Sophie's face as the hybrid girl closed her eye for a brief moment of peace.

Succeeding in the trial would only be possible if she kept a cool head and reigned in her emotions.

Whether she got the so-called prize at the end was irrelevant as Sophie simply wished to be the last survivor.

There were people still waiting for her to return home.

"Ouch!" Sophie grabbed her knee in pain as she experienced a sudden stinging sensation.

She looked down and saw a tiny red spot just above her kneecap that was rapidly swelling.

Sophie glanced around the surrounding area but found nothing.

Had something bitten her?

Sophie was instantly on guard and focused on her danger sense for any threats that could pose her harm.

Nothing.

Sophie carefully moved forward but she had only taken a few steps when another stinging sensation was felt.

This time the pain came from the stump where her left arm used to be. Sophie raised up her elbow to get a better look and saw a large red welt begin to form.

Again, she swept the surrounding area but found nothing out of the ordinary.

The environment inside this artificial world did show some abnormalities because apart from Khul…

Sophie could not hear the sounds of insects or any other lifeform.

But there was clearly something attacking her.

"Arghhhhh!" Sophie groaned with pain as multiple stings could be felt on every part of her body.

This threat was unseen and invisible.

Sophie lashed out in all directions with her bladed appendages, but her sharp barbs found nothing to pierce.

No… she couldn't stay in one spot.

Sophie bent her knees and sprang forward to break into a frantic dash. The stings only got worse and worse, but she ignored the pain and desperately tried to reach the waterfall.

Maybe jumping into the water would get rid of these invisible attackers.

The ground was smooth and even which meant that Sophie could easily run without having to worry about loose rocks.

Every second of the journey of five kilometers felt like a lifetime. Sophie felt the parts of her body that had gotten stung begin to swell up.

"Just keep moving. Just keep moving," Sophie chanted as the pain threatened to overwhelm her.

The enhanced strength and agility of the Arachnais race began to show its effects as the surroundings blurred.

Sophie ran the entire distance in under ten minutes and soon the roaring sounds of water could be heard coming up ahead.

There in front of her eyes was a magnificent waterfall that was well over ninety feet.

Thick green shrubbery and vegetation grew on the rocks that were moistened by the thin water droplets and mist.

She was a mere ant compared to the towering mass of water that crashed into the lake beneath with a thunderous boom.

Sophie without hesitation dove into the clear water and felt relief as the stings immediately stopped.

She could still feel the swellings and bumps, but the water seemed to act as an antidote for the stings as the cool sensation appeared to be healing the wounds.

Sophie tentatively raised her head out of the water and stared at her body beneath the clear water.

The healing effect of the water was far better than she had hoped.

Sophie watched as the visible red welts that were leaking blood and greenish-yellow pus slowly dried up and faded away.

She ducked her head once more into this lifesaving liquid and swam for a few minutes to collect her thoughts.

Sophie yawned sleepily and took a cursory glance at the surrounding area to search for the mysterious cave.

It was hard to see at first but hidden behind a bushy thicket was a narrow entrance to what appeared to be the cave she was looking for.

Strangely enough, the sunlight that shone through the bushes blocking the cave's entrance immediately disappeared so Sophie could not make out any details about what was inside.