Reincarnated as a Spider (Draft/Writing practice)

‘Okay… just stay calm… I’m not panicking, you are… just don’t think about……… It’s really hard not to think about it when it’s all that your other self is thinking about!’

• ‘Alice!’

• ‘…i will not… give up…’

• ‘We don’t have to do it right now. At least let’s get home first okay?’
• ‘mh….’

‘That’s some time till then I have to think of something on the way… Alice isn’t usually that assertive, I’d say she’s very tolerant for sharing a body and mind with what’s basically an Alien but… this is the one thing she will not concede on. I know having children is one of if not her biggest wish… I wonder if it is her own decision or some sort of natural instinct of hers. I thought I wouldn’t find a suitable male for her, especially since all the kindred I conjured always seemed to be female. I did not expect the possibility of her just not needing a mate for ‘offspring’. I’m just not ready for it I guess.’

• “You’re spacing out again.”

Faenas’s voice brought her back from her thoughts.

• “Heh? Oh! I remembered something important, what was that again?”
• “Is that so? Anyway unless you’re trying to apply as a ranger you don’t need to be great at archery. There’s not much for me to comment on other than you need to be better at cycling and keep in mind all I've taught you about you’ll be set straight.”
• “Yes, of course.”

Alicia only vaguely recalled some of the demonstrations and in truth she didn’t quite remember everything owing to the mental chaos she just had; bringing that up now after everything was done and over with would have been quite rude. So she just went along with what she was saying.

• “Only thing left to do is to make your bow… Unless you’re fine with some of the reserves we have. I personally wouldn’t recommend it”
• “I’m not very well informed with the process so can I leave it to you?”
• “From scratch it is… Do you have any wood preference? Yew? Green maple sapling?”¹‘The Long Dark’ gang rise up. I do hope you have the revolver for that wolf behind you.
• “Can I provide my own wood?”
• “Some horns too actually, we only have the sinew readily available. Arrows you’re gonna have to either learn how to make your own or have them made by the local blacksmith.”
• “Greimen? Got it, I'll be back with what you asked.”

‘For now I need to get back and get ahold of myself.’

‘Let’s think about it… why am I so afraid of this? Is it responsibility? Not really. It’s more of… I’m just not mentally prepared for childbirth… I wish I just wasn’t a part of. What’s it going to be anyway? A human-spider hybrid like me? Hell I’m not sure if I have a human in me despite looking like one.’

Alicia was purposefully taking a roundabout path, to delay the inevitable for as long as she could.

‘Right, I personally, can just be somewhere else with ｢ Mirror Image ｣ but for how long…? They aren’t just going to hatch immediately, I need a more permanent solution…’

>Suggestion. Educement: Gemini, Enables user to create an indefinitely lasting copy. Further details available. Educement cost: 5.

‘Did you say indefinite? I’ll take it. Gimme! Gimme!’

When coming back to the great oak, Alicia was under immediate impulse to start digging down. Identifying it as Alice’s desires before she could be swept up along with it;

• ‘Alice just wait a tick and take over the image that I'll create. Then you can do whatever you want.’

｢ Mirror Image ｣

↳ 〔Gemini〕

The instant she used a mirror image with Gemini educement, she was assaulted by extreme fatigue and wrenching pain as if something was twisting her guts out of her and then pulling it elsewhere. The sensation is nothing like creating an image out of water using mana which only felt like working with heavy wires. The feeling lasted for only few moments yet to her it felt like minutes of torture but it was done, infront of her a reflection of herself stood. There was no mirror here. Without prompt visible physical changes started to manifest on the double. Blue sapphire eyes shifted into electric violet²#240A40 or RGB: 26/10/64 then became dyed in maddening red,³#F81F12 or RGB: 248/31/18 lengthy hair shrivelling and retreating like withering vines of a plant. The most distinct and perhaps unique change, a missing leg. Alice’s preferred form.

When she realized the splitting process was complete, she immediately moved up to the tree.

• ‘I think this phrase is turning into my motto now catchphrase now but; What the hell was that?’

>Displaying updated metrics…

‘I see that my stats are down… Is that the reason? Why is it down again?’

>Educement: Gemini. Imparts fragment of the administrator’s soul to create a perfect duplicate.

‘So I’m quite literally a halved person huh. Other half is in Alice I’m guessing?

>Affirmation.

Should’ve read the fine print first but this is fine too since I got what I asked for.’

The familiar hollowness in her chest returned. Meanwhile Alice was trying to dig a burrow underneath the tree act which immediately alerted Dryssia to come and investigate, only to be confused at the sight.

• “Hey Dryssia do you know a tree that’s good for making a bow?”
• “T-There’s two of master?!”
• “You can tell we’re the same huh?”

Still bewildered; eyes switching between Alicia who's standing in front her and Alice who’s invested into her excavation project.

• “Master and other master? have very similar energy signatures.”

• “Now more than ever you need to call me by my name. I’m Alicia, and that girl over there is Alice, my other self you could say.”
• “Uuuuh…”

Tree nymph seemed to be having a really bad case of headache as she clutched her head, eyebrows crumpled and quivering.

‘She was having trouble with just my name and now there’s two. Sorry can’t help you with that. Now if she was asking for a greenhouse or something like that…’

• “Wait here a second, I need to go and make sure she’s not damaging the roots.”

Approaching Alice she definitely noticed her yet without a social cue like turning around and maintaining eye contact or greeting it seemed as if she wasn’t known, maybe even ignored. So as it may be, having shared a body and to an extent a mind, Alicia was well accustomed to Alice’s thought process and her nature.

• “Need a hand?”
• ‘no… fine…’
• “You should learn how to speak properly, it might come in handy later.”
• ‘will try…’
• “Try not to damage the roots too much alright? Also be sure to secure the walls and the ceilings and listen to what Dryssia has to say, we don’t want the tree collapsing.”
• ‘mm…’

‘She’s still using Telepathy even with a mouth capable of speech… She might need some time to get used to a humanoid…ish body. Dryssia should be able to help her if she doesn’t get scared away… Speaking of which…’

• “Dryssia, make sure she doesn’t go too far. Tell me if something isn’t right.”
• “Okay!”
• “As I was saying earlier. Do you know a tree or something that’s good for making a bow?”
• “Uhm… what is good for a bow?”
• “Well that's a question ain’t it?

Let me think since it’s under constant stress, something that has a high elastic limit and a fair bit of stiffness.”

• “Elyastik limit?”

‘Right she doesn’t know anything about these terms.’

• “Err I'm trying to have a bow made so any tree limb or branch that can bend well while resisting the force of bending and still retaining its original form.”
• “Hm… I don’t get it? Are Dryssia’s branch not good enough?”

‘Why are you referring to yourself in third-person now…?’

• “If you think it’s good enough then sure.”
• “Okay let me bring something.”

Running off to the base of the tree she rummaged through her beloved basket, usually filled with her personal collection of tree nuts, herbs, ferns and seeds. From within she picked up an acorn and returned while seeming to whisper something to it. After finding a spot she liked, she crouched down and started to scoop out some soil before planting and covering it back up with the dirt. Covering it with her palm over it; then as she raised her hand beneath it fresh green vines had sprouted. And as her hovering palm lifted away from it, the sapling started to vigorously grow, following the movements of her hand. It looked as if she was pulling it up with some unseen wires, until it reached around her height.

The sapling she created was a strange one, for one it had not a single leaf or branching limbs. It was better suited to call it a branch than a sapling from appearance alone. A branch that somehow grew on its own from the ground. It's bark was unusually smooth. And most bizarre of all was that when Dryssia plucked it off from the ground, it was revealed that it had no roots to draw nutrients from the earth. This object was no natural tree.

• “I don't quite understand what Master wished for but this child is very strong. I gave it as much energy I could spare to strengthen it. It will work hard to help you. It will need some food from time to time but if it's with Master there should be no problem!”
• “Food? Wait, you're telling me this thing is alive.”
• “Yes! This one feeds on magical energy. It will be fine even if Master doesn't supply energy for a while.”
• “Thanks.”

‘Hope Faenas can process this… what was the other thing she asked again… bones? Right horns… doesn't the trolls collect those? I'll check up on them.’

Although she knew the path it was no less dangerous. Encounters with giant wasps, killer hornets, acidic oxypoda⁴Oxy = Acid. Pod = Leg. Think centipedes. among other things belligerent was much more taxing on Alicia.

‘These guys are getting tougher.’

She thought as she was trying to find a way to deal with the rockhide lizard that was blocking her path. The creature was a few heads taller than the average person. Normally they resided in the rocky hills near the mountains, this one seemed to be lost judging how far from their natural habitat it was. What gave Alicia the most trouble was it's armored hide covered in rocky outcroppings.⁵Ankylosaurus + Triceratops. Fantasy edition. Her weapon didn't have the greatest affinity against such defenses. After all she wanted to avoid chipping it's edge. The weak points of the lizard were the tiny gap between the scales, where the plates met. Thrusting towards those weaknesses and perforating it to bleed it out was the safer option, unfortunately…

‘I can't pierce it…’

Her method involved paralyzing venom and a single solid hit and waiting for it to succumb to the circulating toxins. However it all lynched on her being able to pierce its hide in the first place. With that option inapplicable she had to go for a riskier approach. The craggy plates didn't cover its underside or its joints that needed to be flexible. Granted the hide was more than a match for most first rate weapons… Getting underneath the lizard was extremely dangerous, after all a small mistake and the lizard's feet bearing the massive weight of the beast would all come down on her.

‘Not a lot of options here…’

Compared to its impressive defenses, its speed and offensive capabilities were lackluster save for its tail. Betting on outmaneuvering it she charged straight at it. Obviously threatened by her approach the lizard brandished its horns on its head and braced for her. Just before she came into striking distance she quickly changed her direction sideways. For most quadrupeds their flanks were the most vulnerable part of their body, this was no exception for the lizard thus instinctively it focused on trying to face her and not expose its side.

‘There ya go… stay on the script…’

As soon as it started to turn towards her she jumped on its rugged back,

« Sure-Footed »

Mineral arrayed bumpy surface and the violent swaying of the creature was not to prevent her from making it to the otherside. The stones on its back were not part of it truly, much like a grown nail or hair they had no nerves and were quite numb to most sensations. The creature didn’t feel a thing when Alicia jumped on and over it. When it turned to where it thought she was there was no sign of her it was momentarily confused not knowing what had happened or what to do. That brief window of opportunity was that she needed to slide underneath it and jam her blade coated in venom.

• “Phuh…”

Quickly crawling out and letting out a sigh as the behemoth fell…

‘It’s not that they’re getting stronger… I’m just not at my 100%. It isn’t bad but it’s noticeably more difficult. These guys should be a walk in the park to deal with… not like this though.’

• “Ah my shoes are getting worn out… Should I bring this…? The horns on it are probably usable… but with its size I don’t want to drag it all the way… Well just the head should be fine gonna have to leave the meat, regrettably… You know what since I was already on my way I’ll just go to their tribe and tell them where it is they can do maybe put it to good use.”

In the trolls’ tribe many were out and about assisting with preparation of the previous day’s catch. Sha’ko was no different though he was relegated to the role of overseeing and managing.

‘There… Now I need to pull him aside…’

Because of his work it was easy to spot him even in a crowd. Herself… She was skulking behind the cover of trees and teepees. As for why…

• ‘Sha’ko, it’s me Alicia. I need to tell you something.’

Caught off guard he almost responded with his voice…

• ‘! Spirit of the hunt?’
• ‘Stop giving me weird names! Turn around and go behind that hut.’

Giving few more instructions before excusing himself he followed her directions.

• “There you are, here catch.”

Saying so she lobbed the head of the Rockhide lizard to him.

• “You want the rest?”
• “Why of course!”
• “I’ll tell you where it is if you go for it quickly it might still be there.”
• “A spirit has given us bounty. I shall rally a team immediately!”
• “Hold on a minute before you go hollering, I need you to extract its horns.”
• “If it is no secret, for what is it going to be used for?”
• “For a weapon.”
• “If you will, I’ll bring a better candidate. In the meanwhile please enter the village and enjoy our hospitality.”
• “No.”
• “Bu-”
• “NO! I’m not going to hang around there and be worshipped like some sort of cult leader. I’ll be waiting here and I won’t move a single step towards your village.”

Few moments later Sha’ko returned with a bag carrying a familiar skull…

• “Isn’t this the head of that boar I gave you guys while ago?”
• “Yes, Great Warboar’s head. We have polished it and removed the horn. This is a much better material to use compared to the Rockhide’s horn.”
• “I’ll… take it…”

‘Ah so here you are again… the first thing to successfully horn me… Tons more tried to as well you know? None of them did a number on me like you did… Now I guess I’ll be using your horn to horn others… That should be all that Faenas wanted for my bow… Alright the return trip should be much better.’

Auratic

Hello it is I your favorite shitposter. I decided that I was over thinking things too much and not writing as much as I was thinking so I have made the executive decision to turn off my brain and just write. Some of you might argue that I was already doing that. Should get more chapters out.

Spoiler

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I found this guy on the wall against my bed. Had to deal with him, the only acceptable way, of the fly swatter. Only problem, when I swatted it I didn't find its body on the swatter or the floor or anywhere. Not sure if dead. If I go missing just know that this spider decided to exact vengeance on me and killed me in my sleep.