chapter36

on my walk to the mission area I started feeling cold feet as I go closer, as I still couldn't understand, the nightmares weren't even that bad after the first couple, why now?

though it at least helps keeps me cautious that is for sure as I go by a few spider patrols hiding away at the caverns as I also am keeping an eye for any clouds as if I was hoping for it to rain as I cross further into the area of the nest that is until I started seeing the ranged spider Jerry talked about as I hide in a cavern watching them

they are slightly bigger than acid spiders with their legs acting as stable footing being much thicker than them as their back ends are more of a scorpions then a spiders like a hybrid as the stingers are replaced with organic barrels as whatever they would shoot would would Most likely not be healthy as I go pass them and start to hunt for some light spiders

_

I put the device Cook used to call me down as I couldn't help but sigh as I saw metal in the background as they looked over to me having a curios look on them

" Well then, who was the lucky man?"

" Really now metal, it's Cook, she is asking if you're better off knowing you can replace your metal with the spiders."

" Oh, I'm in just a jiffy, and of course, cook is the worry worth about me, I'm practically her mum! though she could be such a spoilsport sometimes ain't that right zim!"

as she looks over to nothing besides her as I couldn't help but sigh, though, at least I don't have to deal with slimer poor guard

" ok, you don't have to be rude about it, scrap, though can you check over me when I deal with the remains? I would rather not turn myself into iron bars after just getting a new supply from them after all. "

they say in glee as they start heading off in a direction as chuckle a little at the antics as I follow after them

_

the caverns near the nest are much more long and twisted as they get combined and lengthened together as walking through them is a maze to get to the center, luckily for me I don't have to get much closer to start finding the bugs nearby the first greenery I have seen outside a dark moss in a corner, maybe

it clearly leads deeper, as I use the net to collect the thing, as at closer inspection it looks much more like a tick than a spider at all As it's legs are barely moving with its bulbous body for its size as it put it in the terrarium putting the cavern back into darkness as the "jar" opens up letting the bugs light shine through a wall of glass I just thought was a normal sleek surface to make the thing not attempt to climb out, as it also unveils a button that when I pressed it closes it up again and taking away the light as it's probably in case the spiders or at least some of them don't see in the dark but in which case, why would they make the caverns and tunnels then?

I guess that is something to ask Jerry about when I get back to him, as I press the button again, and start following the moss to get towards the light bugs feeling a slight pull closer, and yet another pull pushing me away as the feeling as I get closer becomes stranger as I collect the light spiders as I get by them as I go through the dark tunnels seeing the lack of spiders around as if they aren't all around above me, yet the pressure is what getting to me as I see an enterance into the nest even with a silk spider on it As it's weaving threads to the cavern walls with its silver coat and long legs to traverse the area, yet I know it's not what I feel the pressure from, it hadn't noticed the pressure though, as if blind to it as I hear a rumble underneath as I bolted only hearing a brief screech then nothing all the pull toward the center being meaningless in comparison to survival as I bolted over to the outside of the caverns carrying behind me the jar and net ready to throw them in vase whatever was there decided I'm next

until I reached the outside breathing heavily as I rest a moment against the webbing of the nest, using the sticky pads on the armors hands and feet to stick to a wall and cover myself out of view to take a breath and calm down looking over the spider patrols for an exit time

it, took longer then I would like to admit is all I will say as I got down and eventually go back toward the base as it hit me the pressure of whatever that was, certainly wasn't a spider as it clearly killed the silk spider when I rushed away, as for what it could be, I'll definitely not try to look for it now, but maybe Jerry has an idea of what it could be since they did traverse into the nest themselves

sp as I started to Travers Into the blonde haired new guy though the more I look the more I realize how much muscle is on their body to really show they have been trained by the muscle duo as I see they have a mace like hammer on their back as they notice me as I walk over to them

" Ah hello Jake"

and they already know my name, I guess I'm getting some people remembering me more than I thought this has happened twice now already as I look over to him trying not to look like I was shaken back at the nest

" Ah, hello, the disciple."

I should really get to remembering their name though, I haven't heard of them as much esle but the disciple of the muscle duo that have been making their rounds lately as a construction team, though they seem to lean more into the hunting aspect since their here in the first place

" Ah right, that's what people call me huh, maybe I should've said my name more often,"

they say in a way that is between embarrassed and exasperated in a way, though I don't know why, maybe I'm just seeing things

" Well, what is your name?"

" Call me Clark."

" Hmm, okay then, I guess see you at the base then."

" Yeah, indeed, see you too,"

as we go opposite directions, Clark toward the nest, me toward the base as I soon see it in the distance and let out a sigh of relief as I get to it

entering the base I head over to cooks area seeing that they are just there writing something but putting it away the moment they see me as they look over to the jar terrarium I am holding as I set it down as press the button to show that I have collected five of them and left before they can say how much that gave me in points as I went straight to where I knew Jerry's home was as I knocked on the door checking the sky in case clouds decided to appear, as i realize he isn't home yet I just, take a seat on the ground and wait a bit

-

ok waiting a bit wasn't enough as they haven't appeared until the night As reached the area to which he showed up excited yet tired as i get up to greet him as he walks over clearly listening

" So, any idea of a digging spider of some kind? or something else that probably almost killed me?"

" definitely not, though I can see how you found it, and yet I was unaware of it up to now,"

" really?, so, how come? since I'd hope that you don't disappear suddenly like that, probably would make me do something stupid. "

" The thing I guess is that you went through the caverns, correct?"

" Yep, it's where I found most of the light spiders."

" yes, maybe the being you felt only hunts in the caverns since it's something sensitive to light, so it stays under to avoid, probably drying up, since if the sunlight wasn't such an issue we most likely would have seen it sooner already, maybe it even uses the acid as it's monster since the acid floods seem to immediately go into the ground, much quicker than reasonable"

" So, how did you not notice it till I said about it? you were inside the nest. How hasn't it surfaced at that point inside the nest not once?"

" I, don't know, but, I think, that maybe why the metal spiders exist, to keep the nest protected against that thing under neath, keeping it in the caverns but out of the nest, since from personal experience only the silk spider, acid spider, and the obviously light spiders could reasonably fit in those caverns, and I have another question to answer, you remembered where that even happened correct?"

" A bit yeah, wait,"

" Indeed, tomorrow you can go over with the light spiders mission to go back to see any differences from last time!"

as I sigh with a slight smile at their beaming expression and nod thinking about just how much Jerry likes to study this stuff, probably will bring Chris and Cole as well, besides, it's outside the nest

_

she finished off her testing of the metal as I hold up the future plans that ent sent from what he said was from his, "conversations of interest" at least my brother is doing somewhat fine down there as I look at metal as they disassemble and melt down the carapace as they start forming it into the metal that would be needed for the future peircing weapons to hopefully make it easier for the humans to take these spiders down, as I lean on a counter after making sure nothing is on it currently watching her taking a piece of the metal carapace and starting to form it into something by turning it to thread and using a metal printer

" What you making metal? a new part?"

I saw as I started to notice metal seeming more intent on this than normal, though still multitasking as she is smiling her smile, watching it as they did so

" Ah, it's simply a gift for my daughter! she isn't here most of the time and what she brought"

as she points to the carapace

" I must give her something back if nor at least as a mother."

" Huh, how did you think of that?"

"Zim gave the idea, so it will surely be a hit, but still, I worry she won't like it."

" No worries, I'm sure she will"