When I climbed out of the expanse past the spawn point the t section was a bit different.

It seemed as if spider made lair there.

Naturally I was on high alert but either the spider was gone or dead. He was nowhere to be seen neither in his webs nor on the ground.

Great.

It did scare me a little bit because spiders should spawn rarely in second floor or bellow. Even there they usually dominate because those bastards deploy impossible to track amount of strategy and almost every single one of them is unique despite being same base specie.

I brushed past few webs on purpose as well just to make sure there is no spider. But no reaction could be seen or heard anywhere .

Nice. It might have spend too much energy on the webs and had to go hunt to replenish. Or some other raider went past this place and already dealt with it.

Going past the lair I remembered there is a small reward for checking the status of bait runes in the expanse that is given out by the association.

Hm… no harm in getting few more gold coins.

I decided it is worth it to spend about half hour to confirm the status of the runes and turned back through the now confirmed lair and into the spawn tunnel leading into the expanse where the bait runes are.

It was a mistake.

As I was about to enter the tunnel leaving the lair a web was stuck to me and a huge force smashed me into the ceiling. I got dizzy but was almost fast enough to draw my sword and try to do something with it. But almost…. Wasn’t nearly enough. I have no idea how is this possible but I was stuck all around me with web. Never heard of both of the phenomenon now puzzling my mind at the same time realizing I will never get back home ever again.

There was a spider while camouflaged. This type of spider should not be around at all.

On top of that this level of control of spider webs is reserved to the special spider that should be only on the floor ten or bellow. They are known for being extremely intelligent and feeling the emotions of creatures they came into contact with.

I started crying.

It is over.

My life is over because I wanted ten more gold… while having full bag of monster parts easily worth over thousands of gold.

Please no god. Please no… but all begging in the world wouldn’t save me from a monster. I really don’t want to die, please no. I cried and then the spider came to me. Obviously I was scared, I knew I am about to die. I just did. I know if the spider injects the poison into me I am going to slowly die until he decide to eat me while I probably will be alive during the process as well.

The spider gently patted me with one of his many legs and to my surprised just cocooned me right there.

Weirdly enough I have been extremely calmed by his gesture. I still knew I am going to die but the gesture alone was an act of kindness I have never expected from any monster ever.

Surely the spider did it to probably make his life easier for himself or maybe he didn’t wanted to get hammered by negative thoughts while cocooning me properly but I had no way of knowing. I think he genuinely tried to be nice and it only got confirmed when he didn’t bite me.

When he finished the cocoon I no longer knew what is happening around. I didn’t see anything. I only felt the looming presence of the spider. Time seemed to slow down and I had all the time I needed to think through everything.

I was now very sure it is only a matter of time before I die but the cocoon was not a regular one. I had felt weirdly empowered by something. It also made me quite sleepy and I dozed off regularly so after some time I had no idea how long I was there.

Despite all of that it was sort of comfortable and the longer I stayed there the more I felt happy and content.

I had no way of knowing the time but I was sure more than a week passed.

In that time I know for a fact the spider caught something else as well because some other strong presence could be felt nearby.

Weakened for sure. But still menacing.

I think after getting my roommate whoever it might be… another probably a week maybe few days only passed. I felt weird movements of the spider he probably stalked someone and slowly but surely closed the distance, then he ran away.

At the time I was sure he went to hunt only and I started thinking that it is about time I die because the cocoon feeling was no longer getting better.

I think whatever process happened to me I either already finished it or its super close.

To my surprise the spider was back really soon.

No doubt victorious… but he had not succeeded.

Heh a little bit of smile for the unfortunate hunter.

I wish I could’ve seen what is happening outside.

I got pretty used to the cocoon and I relatively well accepted my soon to be death, but as I contemplated my memories and choices the spider ran away again only to be soon back.

Just what is happening. My roommate was also shortly afterwards released and murdered by something.

I don’t understand. There Is no pressure down there. Nothing strong enough so I would feel it from the safety of cocoon.

But I knew something is up. I knew it.

And admittedly a little bit of hope started creeping up my hearth please god if you exist, please consider just this, give me one more chance.

Please.