As the night approached, the ominous rumbling of a distant storm filled the air, adding to the already eerie atmosphere. The rocky canopy that enclosed the area created a somewhat claustrophobic effect, limiting my view of the outside world. As I hung suspended in mid-air by a truly gargantuan spider web, I couldn't help but notice the intricate silver lines that sparkled in the rays of falling moonlight.

  A labyrinthine desert of towering jagged rocks stretched away from the crevice in the cliff-side, gnarled and twisted forms creating an unnerving landscape which I had traversed with minor losses. My left boot was missing and my cloak was in tatters. The air in the crevasse was thick with the scent of decay.

  It was impossible to ignore the ossified remains of the countless adventurers who had met their doom in this very spot. Skeletal smiles, forever etched onto their lifeless faces, were a haunting tale of a fate that awaited all that came to this dark place. The bones of their fingers clung to the web, as if they were desperately attempted to hold onto life in their last moments.

  Even more bones of various beasts and men were piled beneath the web on the ground, a testament to the tenacious ferocity of the spider. The monster of this crevasse was a master of the hunt.

  The web began to vibrate.

  As I looked up, I saw a large, dark shadow gracefully traversing through the web, heading towards me. Chitin armor glistened in the moonlight, reflecting the silver rays and making the creature look almost ethereal.

  Smaller silver and black hairs on its body between chitin plates glimmered like a thousand silver stars against a midnight canvas. Long black hair hung behind it like an ebony wave formed from crystalline-like dreads.

  Glowing, silver eyes locked onto mine with sinister hunger burning within their depths. I felt a chill sweep across my spine as I stared into the beast's predatory gaze, feeling a sudden wave of overflowing emotions. My heart felt like it was going to burst, pounding furiously.

  The arachnid's mouth opened, white sharp teeth glinting, drops of paralyzing agent coating the canines. I knew that these fangs were long and sharp, capable of piercing through flesh and bone with ease.

  This was it. The pivotal moment I've been waiting for seven years. Just as the monster was about to make its move, I suddenly spoke, crashing the silence between us.

  "There you are! Mind hurrying it up? I've been waiting for over two hours for you to get your furry butt over here!" I said, my gaze transfixed upon the hungry-looking... female spider.

  The female arachnid, with her delicate silver eyes, tilted her head to the side, betraying a hint of surprise. She spoke in a strange tongue, which was a combination of hissing, clicking, and words. "What? Waiting... for... me? Snack... talk?" she inquired.

  As I was well aware, big enough monsters were capable of holding a conversation, thanks to the All-skewering dream, the Voidstorm and the Anima, the soul-spark that connected all life on Auroboria to the System and gave it the ability to comprehend the common tongue.

  Despite the perilous situation, I maintained a calm demeanour, allowing myself a small smile.

  With a casual and fearless tone, I addressed the towering spider as she approached me. The moonlight illuminated her distinctive features, highlighting her unique appearance.

  "Wow, you're taller than I am," I exclaimed, acknowledging her impressive size. "A far bigger specimen than what was described by the Adventurers Guild!"

  The spider's eyes began to glow from within, igniting with silver and red spirals as she assessed me with an identification hex. She had enough Anima within her for magic, which was an excellent sign. My gamble had paid off in droves.

  The spider tilted her head, studying me carefully. My relaxed and casual tone seemed to have confused her, causing her to pause her natural instinct to attack and take a bite out of me.

  "The Adventurers Guild? They hunt our kind. I hunt them too. I have consumed many of them," she declared, gesturing towards the corpses littering the web and piles of bones on the ground. "You do not smell afraid. Odd. Odd is bad. Why do you not resist, threaten, or weep?"

  As she spoke, her speech became clearer, revealing her to be quite cunning and intelligent, just as I had suspected.

  I could sense her confusion growing as she observed my fearless demeanour. Her expression and posture conveyed her obvious thoughts to me - [This human is not afraid... Why?]

  The void-born tilted her head again, slowly retreating as she began to suspect that I might be a sneaky hunter, possibly in possession of a hidden artifact or blade, plotting to strike her down while she was distracted.

  One of her arms reached behind her, revealing a primitive-looking rock sling woven from her own webs. If I said the wrong word, a rock the size of a grapefruit might crack my head open like a ripe melon.

  Clever girl.

  Despite the danger, I couldn't help but admire her creativity. A tool-using spider was a rarity.

  With a gentle wave of my hand, I gestured towards the white skulls that littered the area. "Don't be afraid. I'm not here to kill you like these idiots," I stated.

  The female spider arched an eyebrow in surprise, her silver eyes reflecting her disbelief and curiosity. "You...don't want to kill me?" she asked, still somewhat uncertain about my intentions.

  I nodded, my expression calm and reassuring. "No, I don't. I'm here to study you," I explained, hoping to put her at ease.

  "Why?" she asked, her chitin-covered arm still tense with suspicion.

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  I could sense her apprehension, but I remained patient and composed. "I'm an Arachnologist," I declared with a smile, hoping to convey my genuine interest in her species.

  The female spider tilted her head, her expression shifting from suspicion to curiosity. "You’re a… what?" she inquired.

  I took a deep breath, ready to explain my profession in greater detail. "An Arachnologist is someone who studies arachnids, which comprise spiders and related invertebrates such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, and harvestmen," I began, my voice laced with excitement. "I have dedicated seven years of my life to studying spiders and insects, from the smallest dust mite to the biggest life-walking titan in Auroboria!"

  As I spoke, I could see the female spider's eyes light up with greater curiosity.

  "You study spiders?" she asked, her voice laced with incredulity. "Why would anyone want to study us?"

  I smiled, trying to put her at ease. "Well, the world of arachnids is incredibly diverse and fascinating. From your intricate webs to your unique hunting techniques, there's so much to learn from you. You, my dear, play a vital role in our ecosystem."

  The spider seemed to ponder this for a moment, her many eyes glistening. "You're not like the others," she said, her voice softening slightly. "They come here to hunt me down or to steal my web. But you... you just want to learn?"

  I nodded, feeling relieved that she wasn't going to attack me. "Yes, that's right. I want to learn everything I can from you--your intricate weaving techniques, your hunting strategies, your behaviour, and your unique anatomy."

  At this, the female spider's expression changed once again, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "You want to study me so that others of your kind can kill me with greater ease? Is that it?" she asked, her voice darkening.

  I shook my head vehemently. "No, no! I simply want to learn from you, to gain a deeper understanding of your world. And who knows? Perhaps by studying you, we can find ways to coexist!"

  “Co-exi-st?” She repeated with a hiss, weighting her rock. “I’ve heard better lies than this.”

  "Yes, coexist! I don't want to kill you because I know that you’re not like the others. You're clever. I wouldn't think of hurting someone with such a rich Anima. What's your name?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from me getting my head caved in.

  The spider-girl hesitated before answering. "I do not have a name," she said, her voice low.

  "Spider-monster culture doesn't preclude having names, hm?" I muttered with a ponderous look.

  The female spider squinted at me, her gaze piercing.

  "I'm going to name you Zary. On the account that you look like stars etched onto the cloudy shawl of midnight. The longer version of it is Zariya, a goddess of old Slavic folklore, a feminine personification of dawn breaking through the night,” I spoke, focusing all of my will upon my words. I felt something snap within me like a twang of a violin string suddenly ripping and exhaled in relief.

  It worked!

  Zary regarded me with confusion.

  "Zary...Zariya?" she repeated, testing out the name. "I… I have never had a name before. Why would you give me one?"

  I smiled. "Because you deserve one. You're not just any monster, Zary. You're special. And I think it's important to acknowledge that. Names have power. I would not imbue you with a name if I wanted to kill you. Check your System if you want to see if the name actually set in. It wouldn't be assigned unless I meant to name you and put belief of the absolute truth in my words, see?"

  Zary seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding. Her eyes flashed with silver from within as she called up her stats.

  "Hrm. Zary. This is... very unexpected," she said, clearly taken aback.

  “I'm Alecai Tromiss, by the way,” I said.

  “Alecai,” she repeated, looking down at me.

  "See? I by giving you a distinctive name, I gave you a part of my soul," I said. "A very small part, enough for the System to label you."

  Zary's eyes narrowed as she glared at me, her fangs glistening in the moonlight. "An interesting trick," she suddenly hissed, "sneaky prey sometimes pretend to be dead when they are not dead at all. The rock to the head fixes that."

  I took a deep breath and held her gaze, trying to convey a sense of honesty and sincerity. "I assure you, I have no intention of tricking you. I just want to talk to you and be your friend," I said. "Look, I got myself stuck in your web on purpose. I can't even move my arms or legs."

  I attempted to wiggle my arms and legs, but the web held me tight. Zary looked at me with a hint of skepticism, her eyes scanning me from head to toe.

  "You seriously expect me to believe that you got yourself stuck in my web on purpose? Why would you do that? Are you some kind of an idiot?"

  I took another deep breath and tried to explain my motivation. "No, I'm not an idiot. I just wanted to talk to you without you feeling threatened by me," I said.

  Zary's expression softened a bit, but she was still wary. "And what if I was a spider less inclined to a conversation?" She curiously tilted her head. "What if I bit your neck and pumped you full of venom? Then what, little clever human?"

  I had expected this question. I could feel my heart racing, but I refused to back down. "Bite me," I said. "Go ahead. I dare you to bite me."

  Zary's eyes widened in surprise, and she hesitated for a moment. I could tell I was derailing all of her expectations, going off-script, confusing her thought pattern. But I held my ground, determined to prove my sincerity.

  Zary's eyes widened in surprise at my request. "What? You... want me to bite you?" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

  I nodded with conviction. "Yes, I do. I want to prove to you that I've spent the last seven years waiting to meet you. Bite me, and you'll know that I'm telling you the truth."

  Zary looked stumped. This was wrong, impossible. Humans simply didn't drop into her web on purpose and ask her to bite them. Her instincts were telling her to be cautious, to question my motives.

  How do I know that you don't have a hidden weapon on your body that will strike me when I get close?" she asked after a deep pause, her voice laced with suspicion. "I don't think so. Rock to the head is safer."

  I took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "I understand your concern, Zary," I said, my voice steady. "But I assure you, I have no hidden weapon. If you don't want to bite me, that's fine. I'll just wait here until you're ready to trust me. I'm not going anywhere."

  As I leaned back against the sticky strands of the web, I could feel the storm outside intensifying, the wind howling and the rain pelting against the rocks. Zary watched me for a moment before retreating back into the shadows, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

  I waited patiently, listening to the sound of the rain and the occasional rumble of thunder. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Zary returned. In her hand, she held a very long stick with a knife tied to it with some web, a primitive spear. The blade of the knife glistened with a violet hue, indicating that it was coated with her potent venom.

  One of her arms held an old, wooden arbalest, pointed directly at my head. The tip of the arrow was also likely coated with her venom, making it a lethal weapon. I couldn't help but wonder how she had used this arsenal to fend off the pompous Adventurer party that had tried to kill her a few months ago.

  "Lick the knife," she said, her eyes fixed on me.

  I hesitated for a moment. If I miscalculated things, if Zary was bigger than I expected then…

  “Lick the knife or get arrowed,” she ordered.

  I sighed, took the metaphorical leap forward and licked the tip of the knife. My tongue started to tingle. Tremors ran across my body and my heart stopped.

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