Fallen Trees and Omens

In the game's original plot, Arachne the First Weaver was one of the three final bosses in the Insect Lords Expansion Patch. But that expansion didn't happen until the game's second anniversary.

Silas had hoped he wouldn't have to worry about the expansions for now, but the game seemed determined to throw hardships on his way.

He cursed under his breath.

Sam walked beside him, silent, pretending to observe the rolling wheat fields by the roadside. After a moment, Sam coughed.

"Keep what you saw there to yourself," he said. "It would do no good for the caravan.

Silas nodded. "Yes, I understand."

Sam scrutinized him for a moment before nodding in satisfaction. The merchant then pulled ahead, riding on his wagon.

Silas sighed. He didn't like how this story was going. He didn't know what he must be afraid of, the fact that they were being followed by a spider or the possibility of something entirely new lurking ahead? That kind of plot twist wasn't new. 

By afternoon, the caravan faced an unexpected obstacle: three giant trees block the road. The musician strummed his lute, muttering, "An omen," earning glares from the others.

Everyone joined hands to remove the giant trunks. Despite their efforts, it took two hours to clear the path. As the wagons moved forward, Silas felt an uneasy sensation of being watched.

The sun sank behind Mount Vruna, and the night winds made the branches hiss. Traveling in the dark with thick clouds blocking the moon was not an option, so they decided set up camp. The group built more fires than usual. As they had their dinner, no one seemed incline to talk about what happen today. The musician stared at the fire strumming on the strings of his lute as he hummed to himself.

Slowly the people by the fire, dwindled as they get ready to sleep.

Silas stood and recovered the piece of old rug that Sam lend to him. Everyone waited, but when nothing happened, almost everyone drifted off to sleep.

—

Silas jolted awake to the sound of muffled shouting. He rubbed his eyes, realizing the noise wasn't part of a dream. A cold dread settled over him as he pinched himself and grabbed a piece of rock for reassurance.

He kept his eyes on the tree before him, stepping backward cautiously.

Straining to locate the voices, Silas turned toward the first wagon. There, he saw a man, his mouth covered in spiderwebs as he was being dragged into the dark forest. Panic froze him for a moment until one of the guards shouted, alerting the caravan.

Soldiers unsheathed their weapons; Silas instinctively raised his hands to cast a spell but hesitated, lowering them when he realized what he was about to do.

"Count everyone!" Sam shouted. "Stay close to one another. Don't get too close to the forest. Whatever this thing is, it seems afraid of fire."

Women and children were hurriedly gathered around the fire, while soldiers and merchants formed a protective circle. They waited, breaths held, eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement.

The wind rustled the bushes, almost indistinguishable from the natural sounds of the forest. Silas felt a chill run down his spine. Suddenly, two webs shot from the darkness, striking Sam and the soldier beside him.

Their bodies jerked from the impact. They frantically tried to tear the web off, but the sticky strands pulled them toward the forest.

Silas lunged, grabbing the soldier's hand. He planted his feet, gritting his teeth against the force. But the monster doubled its strength, and Silas lost his grip. He watched helplessly as Sam and the soldier were dragged into the shadows, their screams echoing in the night.

Others tried to follow, but fear held them back at the forest's edge. The darkness seemed impenetrable, a boundary they dared not cross.

The rest of the night was a blur of fear and tension. Even the smallest sound had everyone on edge, and the children's cries only heightened the sense of dread. Relief only washed over them as the first light of dawn finally broke through the trees.

A commotion among the remaining merchants drew Silas's attention.

"We cannot just leave them here!" Clara cried, her voice thick with anguish. She was Sam's wife.

"We have no choice. Do you suggest we go and check if they're alive? You saw those monsters yourself, madam. How could you ask us to do that?" one of the soldiers retorted.

"But he's my husband, and he's the one who paid you. You accepted those Shields. It's your duty to protect him!" Clara's desperation cut through the air.

The soldier laughed bitterly. "To protect him, yes. But to recover his body? I'm not paid for that."

Murmurs spread through the crowd. Silas noted that while the soldier's words were true, they were harsh. Yet, Clara wasn't deterred.

"You think you can just leave his body behind? He had the Arkon Seal in his pocket! Go ahead, leave my husband. See how you fare when the Arkon Merchant Guild refuses your products." Her voice wavered with grief and resolve.

The soldier glared at her. "Don't listen to her—"

"The Arkon Merchant Guild is ruthless. They worship money as their god," Clara shot back.

The Arkon Merchant Guild, or simply Arkon, was the largest merchant guild in the game. In Silas's experience, they were just another NPC faction selling overpriced gear. But here, they wielded real power. Silas saw doubt flicker in the eyes of both merchants and soldiers.

A ping sounded, and a familiar box appeared before Silas.

[Quest II: Hidden Memories in Silence]

[Description: Help the remaining soldiers find Sam in the forest.]

[Find Sam 0/1]

Reluctantly, the soldiers agreed to Clara's demand. The three remaining soldiers would lead the mission, with five civilians joining them, including Silas. He was handed an unused sword and a wooden shield for protection.

As they prepared to enter the forest, those left behind on the road watched with a mix of hope and fear. Silas took a deep breath and followed the group into the shadowy woods, determined to find Sam and whatever secrets the forest held.

"Careful," the soldier said, halting before a bush tangled with thick spiderwebs.

They trudged forward, using the scattered webs as their guide. The webs became denser as they ventured deeper until they found an area blanketed in spiderwebs.

The soldiers and civilians alike stared in awe. It looked like a giant egg shrouded in webbing. 'A spider's lair,' Silas thought.

"What's this?" one of the civilians asked, but no one answered.

They circled the giant egg, searching for an entrance. Realizing its vast size, they decided to split up. Silas felt relieved at the suggestion. This would give him a chance to use his powers freely.

He had read somewhere that spiders only wrapped their meals in webs to consume their blood later.

Once away from the others, he cast [Flickering Fire] at the thick web walls. The fire instantly cut a hole big enough for him to enter.

Inside, he was engulfed in darkness. The air was thick with a pungent smell, similar to rotten meat. Silas recognized it from the times he and his father had accidentally left food to spoil in their refrigerator.

Sparse light filtered through small holes in the ceiling, illuminating the webbed chamber. Silas raised his fireball higher, revealing the scene inside. The spiders seemed to have left, but cocoon-like figures littered the ground. Some had holes and signs that their blood had been sucked dry.

Silas approached one, gulping down his fear. He dreaded what he might find inside the cocoons. Pulling at the web, revealed a dead horse inside.

"What was I thinking?"

As he attempted to open a fifth cocoon, the one beside it jolted. Silas yelped, his voice echoing in the enclosed space. Burning away the web, he recognized the man's familiar shirt. Silas extinguished his fire, unwilling to risk exposing his identity. He hacked away the remaining webbing.

[You have successfully found Sam!]

[Quest II: Hidden Memories in Silence]

[Description: Meet the members of the search party and quietly leave the forest]

Silas approached the panting merchant. "Mr. Sam," he said, his voice echoing softly in the dark chamber.

"Mr. Sam," he said to the panting merchant.

"Did you come here alone?" Sam asked.

"No, I was with others," Silas replied.

"We have to leave this place. Help me up. The spiders left suddenly after hearing a strange sound, but they might come back anytime." Sam sprinted towards the hole Silas had opened.

"What about the others?" Silas asked.

Sam looked back and shook his head. "I don't know. I heard muffled shouts earlier this morning… I assumed they were dead."

Silas stared at him, noticing the rapid shift in Sam's eyes. The man was lying. Silas thought about searching for the other kidnapped members but decided it would be too risky.

"Okay, let's go," he said. The mission prioritized rescuing Sam.

'I'll go along with his story,' Silas told himself.