Chapter 256: 252) Experiment Code: "Man-Spider"
Tenebrius fulfilled exactly what he promised. He visited Amelia far more frequently than before, though not every day, as he still had to attend to his work with the Dragons of Albion. Nevertheless, three to four times a week, Amelia's office was filled with a distinct energy whenever he was present.
Amelia couldn't stop being amazed. Despite the changes she had implemented to make access more difficult, Tenebrius kept appearing effortlessly. Although his presence wasn't well-received by many in the Ministry — and could clearly harm her political aspirations — she wasn't a superficial or ungrateful person. She had considered giving him an official pass to ensure he could enter without trouble in the future, but she hadn't done so yet. In the meantime, she increased security measures. Yet, somehow, he kept finding ways to get in. On a couple of occasions, he even arrived before her, already working at her desk. At first, it gave her quite a scare, but eventually, she resigned herself to it.
It wasn't the most professional situation to have an "intruder" with access to Ministry documents, but Amelia trusted him and, deep down, appreciated the help. While Tenebrius handled minor paperwork, she could focus on truly important matters, whether related to her actual job or her plans to become Minister.
However, not everything was good news for Amelia. And no, I'm not referring to the fact that she was hiding a presumed criminal — or ex-criminal, in this case. What really exasperated her were the attitudes she defined as "childish" from Tenebrius. Though, to be fair, Amelia was exaggerating a bit. All he did was bring her coffee or breakfast, shower her with exaggerated compliments about her beauty or character, or try to start casual conversations about her interests and life. It was evident these actions were part of a subtle courtship, but for Amelia, they were just distractions disrupting her strict and monotonous routine.
The most ironic thing was that Amelia discovered the worst wasn't when he was there, but when he wasn't. Of course, this wasn't about the workload — which Tenebrius helped alleviate — but rather the other kind of attention she received in his absence and the rumors it generated. He had the "audacity" to send her breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner directly to her office, ensuring she didn't go a single day without eating well. Not only that, but he also frequently sent gifts. Sometimes they were flowers, mugs with phrases like "The Most Just Woman of All" or "Amelia: Beauty and Power," and once, a majestic floral crown accompanied by a throne-worthy chair. Although Amelia scolded him for that last gesture, managing to reduce the size of the gifts, she couldn't stop the small tokens of affection entirely. The flowers and food kept coming without pause.
The entire Ministry was buzzing with rumors about Madam Bones' mysterious admirer. While no one dared mention it in her presence for fear of the consequences, everyone talked about it behind her back. Amelia, of course, noticed the murmurs and couldn't help but feel annoyed. Paradoxically, though, her employees enjoyed the situation. Often, Amelia didn't eat everything that arrived, and the leftovers were shared among her subordinates. When she wasn't in the office, the food turned into a feast for the employees.
The food came from the prestigious Dragons of Albion, renowned not only for their culinary magic but also for how expensive some of their dishes could be. Some of the delicacies delivered to the office weren't even available to the general public. Although no one knew who was trying to win Amelia's favor — or even if it was a man or a woman — everyone agreed that this person was bold... and quite wealthy. The employees, for their part, gave a thumbs-up every time a new package arrived, because who could complain about free gourmet food?
...
I was at the [Fief], working once again on experiments conducted in the basement of one of the houses. Although as Tenebrius or Red I had other matters to attend to in various places, here there was always a clone of mine dedicated solely to this research.
If someone were to descend into this basement and see what was happening, the first thing that would come to mind would be a horror movie. The atmosphere was oppressive: a dark space with stone walls and no windows, intensifying the claustrophobic feeling. Several tables were filled with potions, magical artifacts, tools, and materials. But what would truly send chills down any intruder's spine was what stood at the center of the room.
If someone were to descend into this basement and see what was happening, the first thing that would come to mind would be a horror movie. The atmosphere was oppressive: a dark space with stone walls and no windows, intensifying the claustrophobic feeling. Several tables were filled with potions, magical artifacts, tools, and materials. But what would truly send chills down any intruder's spine was what stood at the center of the room.
"Tess… we'll kill… humanssss…"
"We'll devour… your fleshhhhh…"
"We'll… destroyssss you…"
Multiple female voices echoed through the basement. They were harsh, monstrous, and spoke incoherently, as if trapped in a blend of agony and rage. All those voices were directed at me while I meticulously documented the progress of my research in a notebook.
"Silence," I said, without looking up from my notes, fully focused on recording every important detail.
When I finished, I stood up and approached the center of the room. I looked around, assessing the progress of my work and what was now the core of my research. Reaching this point hadn't been easy; the resources, energy, and time invested had been colossal. But I had no regrets. I was doing all this for my children.
At the center of the room, several large metal frames were arranged in a circle. Their centers were crossed by metal grids glowing with a faint magical light. The truly unsettling part wasn't the frames but the women tied to them. They weren't particularly attractive, but they all had a youthful and vibrant appearance, or at least they would have if not for their constant struggling and erratic movements.
"Free us!" screamed one of them in a shrill, heart-wrenching tone.
"Take this flesh… away from us!" shrieked another, her voice fractured and furious.
"We'll kill you!" added a third, though her movements were so clumsy she seemed unable to exert any real force.
"Silence. You should be grateful to be the ones who survived," I replied coldly, recalling the long list of failed experiments that had led to this moment.
Then, one of the women, seemingly calmer or simply exhausted, asked:
"What do you want?"
"To investigate a few things before making important decisions," I said as I approached each of them, evaluating them carefully.
When they tried to attack me, I kept a safe distance. Their attempts were futile, but still bothersome. I extended my hand toward their bellies, using my blood magic to stimulate certain parts of their bodies. This process required precision and patience, and it took me some time to complete with each of them.
Finally, I finished. I stepped back and observed the results.
"Alright, I think that's enough for now. Let's hope everything goes well. I don't want to keep wasting acromantulas... they're not infinite," I sighed, exhausted but determined to move forward with my plans.
Those weren't really human women, or at least, they hadn't been for long. In this makeshift laboratory, I had repeatedly brought acromantulas, attempting to carry out the complex human transfiguration. Transforming anything into a human was an extremely difficult task, reserved for those most skilled in the art of magic. But transforming a conscious creature with magical resistance, like a magical animal, was even worse. Turning acromantulas into humans was a challenge that exceeded even my most pessimistic expectations.
The process required huge reserves of magic, which were only possible thanks to the use of blood magic as an enhancer, in addition to rituals and a considerable amount of consumable resources. It also required meticulous work and exhaustive anatomical study. There were numerous failures; many spiders ended up being discarded before achieving specimens that survived the change and were stable enough.
It was time to continue with the experiment. The clone that had been working here dissolved into a pool of blood, and my real body entered through the door while I undressed. Yes, it was that kind of experiment.
I had a mix of curiosity and fear about my ability to modify my children. I couldn't risk using my editing abilities directly on Gemma before being completely sure of the effects. This experiment would serve to gain that certainty. My plan was to reproduce with these experimental subjects and test my ability before applying it to Gemma. If something went wrong while modifying a fetus, I couldn't allow her to suffer the consequences.
Sure, it would have been faster and cheaper to do it directly with human women. However, kidnapping, raping, and experimenting with them wasn't an option, especially now that I was learning to control the goodness that Elise had implanted inside me. That's why I chose the harder path: using my old enemies, those bloodthirsty acromantulas, for this purpose.
I knew the odds of success were slim. Trying to reproduce with a giant, intelligent spider seemed absurd, but there were rituals and methods to improve my chances. I also knew that, if possible, I could have done it directly with their arachnid bodies, which would have simplified everything. But I was completely unaware of their reproductive anatomy. I didn't know if everything would fit or if my swimmers would even reach the right place. That's why I decided to transform them into humans. Also, I must admit that the idea of getting excited with a man-eating spider was... difficult. Not impossible, but difficult.
The now humanized spiders didn't understand why I was undressing. They kept yelling and threatening me, at least until I started my work...
...
Andra was waiting for me outside the basement with a glass of juice to hydrate me and an expression hard to decipher as she looked toward the door. It wasn't my most dignified moment, but I accomplished my task.
To wash away the "arachnid metaphorical taste" of the experience, I sought refuge in the breasts of several of my girls. They didn't understand my need to vent, nor did I explain it to them, but they enjoyed it, and I was able to relieve myself from the psychological burden.
The next day, I returned to the basement, this time with my real body, and repeated the procedure. The third time, I confirmed the results: I could use my editing abilities on each of them.
I was happy, though uncomfortable. But happy, after all. Now came the second part of the experiment: editing the future Red-Spider hybrids in different ways to observe the changes both in them and in their mothers. It was curious how, besides the options I had already seen with Gemma, the [Spider] race now appeared among the available ones. I made some adjustments here and there before concluding this step.
The humanized acromantulas were freed from their restraints, though not completely. I moved them to a more spacious and comfortable place where they could mate more easily. They were still prisoners and under strict surveillance. Their transfiguration lasted a while longer before reverting to their original form, which hindered some of the investigations I wanted to do, but I accepted it. Despite their anger, they couldn't deny the new lives that were about to come.
The spiders created silk sacs for their eggs. Each one laid a single egg, something extremely rare for their species. Moreover, those eggs were already fertilized, which was also abnormal for them. Although many things seemed to be out of the ordinary, the eggs—quite large—were already deposited. All that was left was to wait.
However, I wasn't exactly patient. Wanting faster results, I used blood magic to nourish the eggs directly, accelerating their development. I provided everything they needed to ensure their growth, and with that, I significantly shortened the waiting time.
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