The Incredible Statue

This lair has many forks, but the main path seems to be just one.

Lucas Hall isn't planning on taking any chances down the side paths.

These side routes are usually narrow, only one or two meters wide, some even running along the rock ceiling.

If danger strikes inside, it would be hard to retreat.

He continues along the main path, walking for about a kilometer, when the ground starts to change.

The floor is covered in a layer of spider silk, already dried and not sticky. Walking on it feels like walking on carpet.

The space here is surprisingly large, over ten meters wide. Lucas doesn't understand why these spiders would dig such a huge hole.

Up ahead is very dark. The faint glow from the mushroom on the ceiling is not enough to see very far.

He keeps moving forward.

However, what Lucas doesn't realize is that as soon as his right foot steps onto the web-covered ground, the vibrations travel along the silk deep into the cave.

There is a massive spider here, two times bigger than the giant spiders. It even has a human body attached to its head.

But unlike other giant spiders, the human body on its head isn't shriveled up. Instead, it's fleshed out, with skin now glowing a red-gray color.

This human body has two arms and two legs attached to the sides of the torso, but they're oddly placed, the limbs mismatched in length, giving an eerie feel.

The human body also has a head, which seems to have been the last part attached. It's shriveled, tilted to the side.

After receiving the vibrations from the web, the eyelid of the head trembles slightly...

Lucas, unaware, walks a few more hundred meters. He hasn't seen any moving spiders, so his vigilance drops.

It seems the Dead Spider Potion is more potent than Lucas expected.

Not a single living spider has been found in this nest.

By now, Lucas has collected eight pieces of giant spider organs. Including the one he had on the ship, he now has a total of nine.

If all goes as planned, the Nightmare Star is about to level up to level 3!

As he walks, Lucas suddenly grows tense, raising his gun to aim ahead.

In front of him, there is an enormous spider, bigger than the giant ones. Its body is covered in red fur, and its shell and limbs have thorns like spikes!

This spider exudes a lot of pressure on Lucas.

[Seeing an unknown creature decreases your sanity by 10]

This spider is probably the "mother" the giant spiders spoke of. Its head has a full human body attached, looking like a half-human, half-spider mythical creature.

It stands still, its body not rotting, possibly dead recently, or it could be playing dead.

No matter what, Lucas decides to shoot first!

He originally intended to shoot at the human body on its head, but then changes his mind.

This corpse could be of great research value. If he damages it too much, Seraphina will definitely complain.

To test whether it's dead or not, breaking its legs should suffice.

If it's alive, he can always give it a big shot later. This size won't die so easily!

Lucas fires a shot at one of the spider's legs.

Bang!

The sound of the gun echoes through the cave.

One of the spider's legs breaks off from the base, leaking foul-smelling, sticky dark red fluid, but it remains motionless.

"Is it really dead?"

Lucas stands in place for a moment, then fires another shot, breaking two more of its legs.

Still, the spider doesn't move.

Only then does Lucas cautiously approach, keeping his gun trained on the giant spider. He kicks away the severed limbs, finally daring to inspect its properties.

[Name: Fire Furry Spider Queen (Evolving)]

[Description: The queen of the fire furry spiders, responsible for laying eggs and sustaining the colony. It possesses considerable intelligence and is the leader of the colony.]

"Evolving..." Lucas looks at the human body attached to the spider queen's head, "Drying out the human body and attaching it to itself—this is evolution?"

He takes a photo with his journal and sends it to Seraphina.

"Do you want this creepy giant spider? If not, I'll just add it to the gacha!" Lucas asks.

Less than ten seconds later, Seraphina replies.

"I want it! I've finished dissecting the gluttonous guest, the only valuable part is its stomach. I'll use its gastric fluids to make potions for you, guaranteed to open your appetite!"

"Ugh... no need for that, my appetite's always good. Maybe you could try making something else?" Lucas swallows.

"I'm on my way now, send me the coordinates!"

Lucas glances at the crystal ball, ensuring no other players are near before replying, "I'm in the nest. I'll send you the entrance coordinates. Just follow the main path, all the spiders are dead, but be careful. If you find any alive, let me know immediately!"

After giving the instructions, Lucas sends the coordinates to Seraphina.

Suddenly, he feels something strange at his feet, as if something is crawling up.

Lucas immediately becomes alert and looks down.

It's a fist-sized fire furry spider, covered in goo, seemingly just hatched.

Lucas flicks it off and stomps it to death without hesitation.

He hates spiders crawling on him—their many eyes and legs... He just can't stand them.

More small spiders crawl toward him, each about the size of a fist. He kills all of them, stomping them underfoot.

The spider queen's eyelids move again, but the light is dim, and the movement is so small that Lucas doesn't notice.

He continues walking.

After walking another dozen meters, he emerges from a cave and is met with a sudden, open space.

Rows of eggs glowing red fill the space, illuminating everything.

This must be the Fire Furry Spider's egg chamber. Those small spiders must have just hatched.

But Lucas doesn't focus on the eggs; instead, he's drawn to a pile of stones in front of him.

These stones are massive, the largest ones over a hundred meters long, seemingly naturally piled together. However, upon closer inspection, something is unusual.

Eight long, narrow stones are resting on an oval boulder, resembling the body of a spider, with eight legs.

Moreover, the stone pillars are covered in withered vines and grass, looking like the hairs on a spider's body.

The more Lucas stares at it, the more it resembles a spider.

He can't help but be fascinated by the natural craftsmanship, examining it more closely when he notices something new.

At the front of the large oval stone, there's a block of stone that stands upright.

This stone has no carving marks, seemingly eroded by nature, but the longer Lucas looks, the more it appears to be human-shaped. It has six arms and four legs, almost resembling a graceful and dignified woman sitting atop the stone.

Lucas immediately looks away, his face tingling with cold sweat. He can't bring himself to look again.

[You have discovered the incredible statue, sanity -20]

At the same time, whispers begin to echo in his ears, indistinct, but Lucas can understand their meaning.

It is...

"Offer... up...,"

Lucas's brain feels as though a silver needle has pierced it, pain radiating to his skull. Tears can't help but flow from his eyes.

The activity log pops up with a message, projecting directly onto his retina.

[Oath Preceding Task Triggered, Offer your loyalty to the Ten-Limbed Spider Mother]

[1. Offer one-third of your flesh. The Spider's Kiss will stitch your wounds and recreate your body...]

[2. Offer the bodies of ten comrades. Lure them to the island, and the Spider's Kiss will bestow you with power...]

[3. ...]

[This is a preceding task. Upon completion, you will become a follower of the Ten-Limbed Spider Mother. You may formally pledge the oath in the next sea and undergo metamorphosis, gaining supernatural power...]

"Supernatural power... metamorphosis... Ten-Limbed Spider Mother..."

Lucas repeats the words, finally understanding everything.

The Fire Furry Spiders are followers or offspring of the Ten-Limbed Spider Mother, and they serve as the guardians of this temple.

And the Ten-Limbed Spider Mother is a great being, a deity!

She occasionally bestows her favor, implanting her offspring in the bodies of the lucky ones, guiding their fate...

More whispers flood into Lucas's consciousness, attempting to persuade him.

"Offer... up..."

"Offer... up..."

"Offer... up..."