Arthur's eyelids trembled, and very slowly, he opened his eyes a little, vaguely making out a human-shaped figure reaching a hand toward him.
He felt something soft brush against his face, and a gentle warmth spread through his body.
The tension in his features eased, and he let out a relieved breath before closing his weary eyes again. Little by little, clarity began to return to his thoughts.
Countless scattered memories flashed through his mind, until they finally settled on a very old, hazy one, from when he was eleven years old.
He remembered his loving parents as they prepared to leave on a business trip… a trip they never returned from.
He remembered the last hug his mother gave him before she left, a warm, gentle embrace, filled with the affection he had long since lost.
As if he had returned to that very moment in time, he felt at peace, tranquil and calm.
A faint smile appeared on his face. He forgot all the suffering he had endured; it no longer mattered to him.
He didn't think about anything—he didn't care about anything—choosing instead to simply savor this quiet moment.
And why wouldn't he? He didn't even know whether he was alive or dead. Perhaps what he was seeing and feeling were merely the final flickers of his consciousness before fading away.
Unfortunately, the beautiful moment didn't last long.
The pleasant warmth quickly vanished, replaced by a hellish pain that dragged him back into harsh reality.
'Ah… my body. Has all this suffering still not ended? Didn't I die?'
He let out a faint groan, frowned in irritation, then opened his eyes once more. This time, his vision was far clearer and sharper.
And the first thing he saw before him was an exceptionally beautiful human woman, dressed in white, gently touching his face with her soft hand.
When the woman noticed that he had woken up, she withdrew her hand and looked at him coldly, her strange red eyes filled with deep mystery.
All of Arthur's thoughts froze. For a moment, he even forgot his pain and could only stare at her dumbly, stunned by her breathtaking beauty.
His heartbeat quickened, a long-forgotten sexual attraction awakening inside him.
'Am I dreaming? What is someone this beautiful doing in front of me? Maybe I really am dead after all… No, something about this feels wrong.'
He calmed his restless mind and forcefully suppressed his desire. With great difficulty, he tore his gaze away from the enchanting woman and scanned his surroundings.
He found himself inside a vast forest, the ground around them soaked in blood and littered with scattered chunks of flesh.
That horrifying scene made him realize instantly, he wasn't dead. He was still in the real world, and everything he was seeing and experiencing was real.
His body trembled involuntarily. Slowly, he stole another glance at the woman, and this time he noticed something he had overlooked before.
The lower half of her body wasn't human at all, it was that of a spider, small, with four black legs. Even the white clothes she wore were, in truth, nothing more than interwoven strands of white silk.
"Ahem."
He swallowed with difficulty as his entire body stiffened, cursing inwardly.
'Damn it… it's the savage spider.'
As if she had read his thoughts, the spider-woman's lips curled into a cruel smile.
She extended her soft hand once more, but this time, there was no gentleness.
She grabbed him by the throat and lifted him high until their eyes met, then spoke coldly.
"So, what else are you hiding, little pup? Surprise me. Don't make me feel that the little vitality I spent healing you goes to waste. Otherwise…"
She released her killing intent, tightening her grip on his throat until his breath was severed completely.
Arthur trembled. Though he couldn't understand her language, he knew with terrifying certainty that this was a warning.
His life was held in the palm of her hand; if he failed to meet her expectations, whatever they were, he was finished.
Panicking, he quickly nodded his head, showing clear signs of submission and obedience.
The spider-woman's grin widened as she let out a mocking huff. "Heh! Good."
She loosened her grip, withdrew her killing intent, with a flick of her hand, she shredded the silk webs binding him and tossed him aside like a ragdoll. Arthur hit the ground hard, landing on his back.
Pain flared through him, but he scrambled to his feet instantly. Like a well-trained pet, he stood with his head bowed low, not daring to meet her gaze directly.
He didn't even consider running. It was obvious that escape was pointless. Instead, he chose to play it safe and comply with her for as long as possible.
'What does this damned spider want from me? She devoured every scrap of meat I had, yet she still craves my scrawny body? Dammit... Why do I have to go through all this? I just want some rest.'
Surviving certain death didn't make him feel relieved or happy—it only made him more tense and more angry.
An urge to scream rose within him, and from the bottom of his heart, he prayed that this would end quickly. He was truly exhausted from constantly living on edge.
Taking a deep breath, he forced his emotions back into check, trying to maintain some semblance of positivity.
As a fragment of his usual composure returned, he thought with grim resignation…
'What am I supposed to do now? I can't even communicate with this bitch, so how am I supposed to know what she wants?
Tsk... I'm out of meat to offer, and I don't possess a single valuable or useful thing she might need. This is beyond frustrating.'
The two stood facing each other, separated by only a few meters.
Since neither made a move to speak, an awkward silence settled over the area, making the atmosphere even more bizarre.
The seconds passed painfully slowly. Arthur could barely keep himself composed. He was extremely tense, sweating heavily, like a prisoner awaiting the judge's verdict.
'Say something, you damn monster! What's taking you so long? Are you going to eat me or what?'
He stole a quick glance at her face, cautiously studying her stern features. Her eyes were fixed directly on him, yet at the same time, they seemed distant, as if lost in thought.
Given Arthur's experience with human interaction, he immediately understood that she was feeling hesitant.
'Wait—is she unable to decide what to do with me? That's not good.
Besides, what is making her hesitate this much? My body is completely drained of vitality right now; eating me would be like snacking on a worm.
Speaking of which... I feel slightly better. Did she do something to me?'
Following that thought, he quickly inspected his body. He found that all his wounds had been sealed with a white layer of webbing, acting as crude but effective medical bandages.
'This...?' He was genuinely stunned, but a flicker of relief soon followed. Her choosing to heal him was a promising sign; it meant his chances of survival had spiked.
Still, he didn't allow himself to get ahead of the situation. He regained his composure and watched her intently.
At that moment, he noticed her suddenly spin around quickly, looking to the north with a stunned expression.
'What's happening? Is something coming?'
Arthur tensed, sniffing the air sharply. Hundreds of familiar scents came from that direction. He narrowed his eyes, bared his teeth, and muttered in anger,
"That damn wolf pack is still chasing me, and this time there are way too many of them."