The depth was immense, the forest dense and impenetrable, where sunlight barely touched the fertile ground. In this shadowy realm lived a tiny spider, one that had little hope of survival. She was so small and fragile... One of her legs had been taken by a predator.
"So cute..." One day, a woman arrived and observed her calmly, not with the disgust that others felt. Instead, she took care of the spider.
The woman was like her, a rejected soul. Her body was a deep red, with black and gold eyes, and large horns adorned her head.
The spider didn't know it, but she was as bad as evil itself. She was a demon.
"I know what it's like to be like this..." she continued, her words slipping out as if she were speaking to herself. "I was rejected for my appearance, my name, my nature... I am a demon, created for evil and judged for it." She sighed, her hands radiating a warm energy that calmed the tiny spider, and in doing so, she saw herself reflected in the little creature.
"I have a name, it's Buer... it's the name the Demon King gave me when I was born... But I don't like that name very much. If you can understand me, even a little... just call me Alice," she said while nurturing the small spider with her energy.
Keep the adventure going with m|vl-em|p-yr
The energy Alice used to nurture the spider was gentle and continuous, like a flame that, instead of consuming, nourished and restored. Over time, the little spider began to change. She grew stronger with each fiber and each spike that sprouted from her legs. Her body darkened, taking on an intense black hue, like the night itself. Her legs became long and firm, capable of traversing the dense forest floor and repelling smaller predators. She was no longer the common spider she once was; now, she carried within her a spark of something much more powerful, and alongside Alice, she was reborn as a new creature.
Alice and the spider became inseparable, a strange duo traversing the forest together. Alice talked to her, sharing stories and secrets about the demon world and its harsh realities. The spider, in turn, listened, or so it seemed. Over the days, she learned to respond to Alice's gestures, understanding her touch and her voice, as if the bond between them transcended the physical.
Days turned into months, and then into years. Alice taught the spider about the dangers of the world, about the nature of humans and other beings that inhabited the forest. She showed her how to build resilient webs, how to find shelter and hunt; but more than that, she taught her about loyalty, affection, and the value of staying true to those who matter. The spider understood all of this, her soul reflecting the strength and wisdom that Alice shared. She began to adopt traits of the demon's energy, becoming increasingly imposing and calculating—characteristics of a true predator.
However, the harmony lasted only until the arrival of humans.
It was on a quiet night, when the forest was asleep and only the wind whispered through the treetops, that the heavy footsteps of hunters echoed through Alice's territory. The snapping of branches and the rustling of leaves alerted the demon and her spider companion. Alice sensed the danger, her instincts picking up on the hostile presence, but her limited power couldn't ward off the threat.
The hunters, relentless men armed with spears and torches, sought any sign of the demon who, they claimed, was poisoning the forest with her presence. They believed that destroying Alice would restore the "purity" of these lands. Without hesitation, they advanced with fury and ignorance, destroying everything in their path.
Alice tried to protect her small friend. She placed the spider safely within the hollow trunk of a tree and ordered her to stay there, even if something terrible happened. The spider, still developing, obeyed, but not without a tremor of desperation coursing through her scaly body. She curled up inside the trunk, watching with her bright eyes as the clash unfolded before her.
The hunters were merciless. Alice fought with every ounce of power she had, but their spears and swords tore at her flesh while the flames from their torches burned her demonic skin. She fell, her strength waning, but never ceasing to protect the spider's hiding place. The humans called her a monster, a demon, but the spider saw her as a friend, a caretaker, a protector. She felt Alice's pain with every blow, and in her young, dark heart, something she had never felt before began to form.
With one last breath, Alice fell to the ground, her body, once imposing and full of life, becoming just a shadow of what it had been. The humans left her there, believing their work was done, and departed without caring for the pain they had caused.
Strax then began to shrink, the transformation from his dragon form to his human form being a gradual process, as if each scale were slowly retracting to reveal the skin they knew.
[You have unlocked the ability: Dragon Transformation]
He read and smiled slightly...
[You have unlocked the ability: Diamond Web]
[Diamond Web: Ability inherited from Buer – A web strong enough to cut through rocks and minerals; the web's resistance is based on the user's level.]
"We need to take her body to the Duchy..." Strax murmured, his gaze fixed on the charred body of the spider, a grim reminder of what had happened. "At least the head is intact."
"How are we going to transport it? The forest isn't the best place for this," Samira said, and as Strax approached her, holding the Ouroboros Blade, he tore off Buer's head.
"We only need this," he said, grabbing the massive head in his hands and tossing it through the portal of the [Inventory].
"Besides, someone go grab the body of one of the little ones; we need an antidote," Strax said, looking at Beatrice's arm, which had been bitten.
"I'll go," Rogue said, jumping back into the cave's hole.
"You all are acting way too normally! Your husband turned into a dragon!!!" Veronica shouted, her eyes wide with disbelief as she watched Strax's wives handle the situation with a nearly unsettling calm.
"We already knew," Samira replied with a nonchalant shrug, as if transforming into a dragon were an everyday occurrence for everyone. "He has his abilities. What matters is that he's okay."
"But... this is a huge change!" Veronica insisted, her voice filled with exasperation. "He was there, all imposing, breathing fire and everything, and now you're talking like it's just another day at the office!"
Beatrice stepped forward, a playful smile dancing on her lips. "Should we kill her to hide the fact that he's a dragon?" she said with a menacing grin.
All the women followed suit, looking at her with mischievous smiles.
"W-Wait!"