Lost in time, Canaris stared at Angelica. His gaze pierced into her soul. She touched the severed head and pushed it. It tumbled and rolled from her, tainting the floor with a blood trail.

Angelica shuddered. Her gaze stared at the monster standing beside her. Its humanoid silhouette towered over her, its pale-white carapace reflected a ghostly glow. Its six arms rested beside its body, two of them holding a strangely shaped spear.

"What did you do?" Angelica said.

"Dispose of an unnecessary viable."

It turned to the rolling head and swung its spear. A ripple of compressed air shot towards it, splitting it in half and creating a dent on the metallic floor below. After the impact, silence filled the room.

"What do you want?" Angelica said. She forced herself to stand up, but her arms gave in. Though she felt no pain or discomfort, a sense of urgency gripped her heart.

"You're dying," it said.

"Are you an Arachna?"

"I have no obligation to answer."

It knelt and reached and pulled Angelica up. She struggled, but her inactive state prevented her from doing anything. Its strength left her no leeway. She balanced herself with its help.

"Why are you helping me?" she said.

"Your well-being is within our consideration."

"Why did you kill him?"

"He's unpredictable. Her highness mustn't come to harm. I'm here to help her." It let go of Angelica and observed her. Though its face was eyeless, its action indicated that it was scrutinizing her.

"You shouldn't have killed him."

"In the end, her highness will announce her arrival to the world. We'll ensure her safety." It seized Angelica and pulled her in.

"She'll suffer." Angelica trembled, but her eyes remained unwavering.

"We've already arranged a plan. Her highness won't be in any danger."

"She doesn't have to trust you."

"We represent the Arachna. Her majesty, by definition of the Great Races, is her highness's mother."

"Mother?" Princess's mother must be the Arachna Queen. "Why did she abandon her?"

"Her highness needs times to accommodate her new identity."

"She almost died twice." Angelica raised her voice.

"I've been protecting her from the shadow."

"You've never helped."

"There was no reason to."

Angelica was a mere plaything for them to test Princess. Was anything real? "What about me?"

It stared at her and tightened its grip.

"As her highness's servant, we welcome you." It released her. Its grip created a dent in her metallic skin. "If we determine you to be a threat, prepare for total annihilation."

An overwhelming power forced Angelica to her knees. She felt the weight of countless mountains stacking over her, suppressing her into insignificance. The pale figure in front of her distorted the world, bending her vision, drawing her eyes to its white face.

"Your loyalty is commendable," It said and grabbed Angelica.

It pulled her closer as if it was smelling her body. It examined every inch of her face, observing every joint, every pore, and every strand of hair. Its featureless face lingered around her, yet she couldn't do anything about it.

"What kind of worm is spying us?" From its joints, blue light emerged.

Fons invaded Angelica. Her inside was boiling. Electric current sprung from her body and danced around her and flooded her sensory perception.

"What are you doing?" Angelica exited her self-perseverance mode and struggled. "You're giving him information."

Blue lights filled her vision as countless memory flashed past her. She slipped into a sea of binary, gradually sinking into a bottomless abyss.

"Mistress . . ."

"Unauthorized entry detected," a robotic voice rang.

The room brightened. A pressure restrained the monster. Angelica escaped its grip and fell on the floor, her mouth gasping for breaths. She sprung up and ran from it.

A layer of mist surrounded the room. It appeared without any sound and allowed nothing to go past it.

"Your highness, my greeting to you," it said, its body unscratched from the impact.

Princess walked out of the mist and glanced at Angelica. She walked to her to examine her. After making sure that Angelica was safe, Princess turned to the monster who was kneeling on the floor.

"You harmed her," she said.

"I was helping her."

"You overload her circuit."

"To disconnect the long-range transmission."

"There is a painless method."

"It's the most efficient way."

A bloody fragrance tapped her nose. She gazed at the severed head and recognized Canaris. From the clean-cut wound, the oozing blood formed a puddle.

"Why?" Princess said.

"To prevent any potential harm."

"How is he potential harm?"

"He isn't loyal, your highness. Should he decide to betray you, the consequence will be disastrous."

"Your action also has consequences." Princess stared at the monster and raised her voice. "Is she also potential harm?"

"We welcome her to join our rank."

It stood up and adjusted its posture to reflect its politeness, though its body towered over Princess. Its six arms folded, leaving the topmost two to mimick her appearance. Despite not having a face, its aura revealed a faint smile.

"State your objective," Princess said.

"Her majesty is eager to see you."

"I don't have to trust you."

"Your highness doesn't need to trust me." It raised its hand and drew a complex formation. "I'll come back and present to you all Arachna within Sector D."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Her majesty wants you to achieve your potential."

The spell formation crumbled into a glowing cube and landed on its hand. It gave the cube to Princess. She played with it but couldn't figure out its functions.

"It's for communicating with her majesty," it said.

"Tell me the message. No need to drag the matter."

"I'm not qualified."

"Let me ask you one thing before you go."

Princess tossed away the cube. It strangely didn't fall and remained afloat beside her. A blue glow illuminated her facial expression, enhancing her reflective carapace.

"Anything you desire," the monster said.

"Do you really trust me?"

It attempted to mess with Angelica, helping the other side obtained the information about her. Not to mention that it let the Spirit alive, netting more people to know about her existence.

An enemy backed by the enigmatic ruler of the Arachna was standing in front of her. The way ahead was hopeless. She was out-numbered, out-powered, and out-smarted. They played their scheme spanning decades to centuries. She couldn't compare.

"Her majesty trusts you. As a celebration of your revival, we'll annihilate the nearby human cities, with you as the main character."

"Then why don't you do it yourself?"

"Her majesty arranges the scheme. My duty is to serve, not to question."

"Then serve me."

The monster paused in surprise. "As expected of your highness. Unfortunately, only her majesty can permit you to use me."

"If I hit you, will you dodge?" She walked forwards, a smile crept onto her face.

"You'll harm yourself, your highness."

"Are you sure?"

The fog thickened and concentrated around Princess. She pointed her claw-like finger at the monster.

"Please spare me, your highness." It lowered its head, not attempting to deflect or defend.

The sound of Princess's breathing echoed, indicating the passing of the snail-paced time. In her pupils, countless windows manifested and expanded. They displayed information in the form of tables, graphs, and models.

The Shifting Mist, an artefact-class vessel, was under her control.

"Do you think you can take it?" she said.

"I trust your judgement." It remained unmoving.

Was killing it possible? She concentrated. Information flashed before her eyes: insignificant energy. Scans failed: power level unknown, the probability of success: less than ten percent.

Princess lowered her hand.

"Your resolution surprises me. Tell me your name," she said.

"Your highness, I don't have any name, but my codename is Paleknight."

Paleknight bowed before her. It raised its head and glanced at Angelica before retreating out of the room. Though its build was gigantic, its footsteps generated no noise.

After everything returned to silence, Princess ran to Angelica and supported her. Though there was no abnormality in her exterior appearance, the internal system was a mess.

"Angelica, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Sorry. I'll take care of it."

Though the enemies were great, so much that she could never hope to defeat them, she was an Arachna.

What could an Arachna do the best? Stay in the darkness while playing with the enemies in the light.