Chapter 787 Spying On The Enemy
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(Sylphy's POV)
After our battle against the Insect Demonic Beasts, we chased after Luck because Lara had completely disappeared, teleporting from one place to another, much farther away from we were currently.
And because in that moment, Luck was at the verge of death, being thrown down a river, covered in several wounds, and constantly hitting against several rocks all the time!
Thanks to uncle Arafunn's Familiar, Tempest, who was a super-fast flier, we managed to get to Luck and rescue him. Almost dead, Aquarina gently took all the water inside of his lungs and then we healed, patched him up, and set a tent to take care of him until the next morning.
The boy was sure hardy, and he was also quite cute looking. He was our age, but had a long, fluffy brown wolf tail, big wolf ears, long black nails, and brown fur growing around his arms and legs, and a bit on his chest.
Honestly, Anima was always rather cute, but they were rare on our city, so seeing one like this made me surprised. I have to admit that I took a few minutes just caressing his fluffy tail while he slept... Until Aquarina discovered me and dragged me away.
Maybe this is why I didn't feel so angry when he tried to push me away and touched my shoulders a lot... Though Aquarina had to hit him just when he woke up, she was a real brute with anybody other than me and the other girls (except Celeste).
Anyways, we were quite worried about Lara herself, but by using my Compass Eyes, I was able to channel my eyes and senses into her direction, finding myself in the middle of a hive filled with bugs! She was being wrapped around silk and left to rest at the side of an enormous throne, where a gigantic half-spider woman was sitting there, maliciously... sleeping.
I guess that's Arachne, huh? She was just taking a normal nap. I wish I could just teleport there and blow her into pieces while she was taking her tiny, cute nap... But anyways, using this knowledge, I can already tell they're not planning to kill her, the silk Lara was wrapped around helped her sleep without the need for food or water, and it seemed that Arachne might have plans for her.
She most likely plants to use her as some sort of bargaining chip against us. If she'll keep sending swarms towards us endlessly, the best thing we can do is help Luck recover and grow stronger while we are on our way to her hideout and crush her once and for all...
Oh, and I overheard this little conversation before my eyes could no longer gaze there.
"You have done well, Asarashk. Although you didn't bring the boy, bringing the girl is already a good enough result." The voice who I assumed was Arachne spoke, who have woken up from her meditation.
"Indeed, I deeply apologize for that! I promise I'll bring him as well, at all costs." The one named Asarashk spoke. "My queen, will you give me a reward as you promised?"
"A reward you say?" Arachne wondered. "Don't get too cocky..."
"Eeep! I-I didn't meant to be greedy or something..." Asarashk sighed. "J-Just anything... to show appreciate would do."
"Hmmm, appreciation?" Arachne wondered. "What are you even talking about?"
"Ugh..." Asarashk sighed, feeling hopeless. "N-Never mind, milady..."
"No, where are you going? Speak your mind." Arachne said. "You're the one I trust the most around here. So speak, what do you want?"
"A-Ahahah... W-Well..." Asarashk sounded... embarrassed? "How about we go on a date together?"
"Date? What's that?" Arachne wondered.
"A-Ah... It is when two people share... an intimate moment together and have fun." Asarashk smiled.
"Fun? In such times when I'm trying to conquer the continent?" Sighed Arachne. "Asarashk, you're too childish."
"J-Just forget about it..." Asarashk sighed.
I feel like the one that captured Lara might never have her love reciprocated against... Arachne sounds rather detached, emotionless, and too focused on her horrible goal of filling the entire continent with destruction.
Maybe if things could be different... Perhaps if she wasn't so driven by revenge. But can I even change her? After all the horrible things she had done, after the innocent lives she has taken. Can she change like Celeste did?
Is there any way for me to even change such a being? Even if I beat her... I doubt it'll come out nicely. My father has spoken to me about this sometimes.
Of people that simply cannot change, that are so self-centered on their own malicious motives that nothing can make them change, and if they show some sort of change, it'll be a fake one.
They wait until you lower your guard and backstab you at the end. Aquarina and my friends are all ready to slay Arachne and all her lackeys, I guess. Maybe I should just stop doubting for now and focus.
After apologizing with Luck, we finally had some time to relax with him and talk at long last. And as we introduced him to the rest of our group, including my parents, he slowly got a bit better at talking.
"My village... was destroyed by those bug monsters. Over half of the villagers ended getting killed..." Luck sighed. "And my brother... my brother didn't make it either."
"I-I see..." I sighed, clenching my fists.
"Lara's village too..." He said. "Those damn bugs... Why do they do this? What will they gain with having us? And killing so many innocents that aren't even related... My brother... He didn't deserve to go like that. I... if I could, I would have taken his place."
"Y-You can't just say that, come on man." Zack sighed.
"But it's true... What have I even accomplished in my entire life other than slaying a single boar?" He cried. "Compared to him, I lack the bravery... and I lack the resolve. I lack... so much. And I'm so weak and pathetic... What can I even do? What... can I even change?"
Luck's face seemed filled with despair.
And all of his suffering originated from her, Arachne...
Is this her way of revenge? To make us, the unwilling heroes go through the same traumatic experiences she did.
Just like some say... it is an endless cycle of hatred and vengeance.
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