Even after waking up, Arthur didn't move. He remained lying there, staring at the sky. He blinked and breathed, yet his face was rigid and unlike usual.
The familiar spark of life had vanished from his eyes, and his features had grown colder, darker.
He didn't think. He didn't sigh sarcastically as he always did. In fact, he didn't feel anything at all, as if darkness had finally swallowed his emotions and his heart—the same heart that had always endured every trial and suffering.
Gradually, he felt himself drifting away, and at the same time, a flood of old memories passed through his mind.
But this time, he didn't remember his mother's warm embrace or the precious gift from his father that he had cherished. No—everything he saw was only the suffering and pain he had endured throughout his life.
It was as if he were staring into a dark mirror of the past. He saw himself as a child, standing broken before his parents' graves, crying bitterly.
Another memory flashed by, his aunt slapping and scolding him, just because he had let his childhood show and played with her spoiled child's toys.
He remembered his teenage years, being bullied and mocked by his classmates simply because he couldn't afford school trips or expensive clothes.
More memories passed before him, leading up to the day he woke in this harsh, cruel world, and the day his body had been torn apart by dozens of feral wolves.
Finally, the chain of memories stopped at the face of the spider-woman, who was watching him suffer with a small, almost imperceptible smile.
Crack!
The mirror shattered, and with it, the cold numbness surrounding his heart and thoughts crumbled away. In that instant, every suppressed emotion exploded at once.
He felt a searing burn in his chest, pain, rage, hatred, and regret. But above all, he felt broken. He threw back his head and howled with everything he had; or more accurately, he screamed from the depths of his soul, his mournful cry echoing into the farthest reaches of the forest.
…
Deep within the fortress of webs, the spider-woman, encased in her cocoon, opened her eyes at the sound of his voice. With utter indifference, she let out a long sigh and drifted back to sleep.
…
In the den of the wolf pack, atop a massive rocky peak, the White Wolf turned. He stared toward the source of the sound with a puzzled expression. He then looked down at the massive army of wolves scattered across the territory and shook his head with a hint of disappointment.
…
In another part of the forest, Alvin sat beside a dying campfire that was flickering its last breaths. He sharpened his pitch-black sword slowly, his hands trembling.
In his mysterious eyes, there was a cold, sharp glint fueled by rage.
Beside him, Selene lay on a simple bedroll. Despite the late hour, she wasn't asleep.
She stared at the distant sky with a sorrowful face, the events of the previous day replaying in her mind without end.
…
Growl!
In a remote part of the forest, marked by a massive trail of splintered trees and trampled earth, a colossal beast prowled.
It resembled a dragon, yet was closer to a giant lizard, covered in thick, bone-hard scales. Its yellow eyes with vertical pupils scanned the area with agonizing slowness. With every step it took, it crushed everything in its path.
Its roar, sounding like the grinding of tectonic plates, was incredibly terrifying. From its maw, filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth, thick smoke and fiery sparks erupted with every breath it exhaled.
…
Arthur did not fall silent until his throat was completely parched and his voice had vanished. Once he had emptied the contents of his heart, his features contorted. He gnashed his teeth with such force they nearly shattered and swore an oath.
"I will have my revenge... I will kill you all."
A strange smile crept across his face, and the echo of his manic laughter rang through the area; it seemed he had finally lost his mind.
Time dragged on. Arthur didn't move an inch, remaining frozen in place, lost in thought.
Through the small gap in the webs, sunlight filtered in and fell upon his body, bringing a touch of warmth and signaling the start of a new day. Yet, nothing changed.
The light faded, replaced by the darkness of night, then day again, and then night. Days passed slowly, and with them, Arthur's strength returned.
His injuries healed, his beautiful fur grew back, and his vitality surged. However, the psychological damage remained—deep, jagged scars that would never fade.
On the fifth day, he finally moved. He rose from the ground and shook himself violently, shedding the accumulated dirt and filth.
He looked around, licking his dry lips, and without a moment's hesitation, he began to walk.
Following a faint breeze, he navigated through the network of tunnels until he reached a small opening that led back out into the forest.
But the moment he took a single step outside the web, his body froze in place. He felt the minute threads spread throughout his anatomy twitch, constricting and crushing his internal organs. Then, impossibly, the spider-woman's voice echoed directly inside his head.
'So, you've finally decided to wake up. That was faster than I expected.'
She let out a light, mocking chuckle, making her dominance over him crystal clear. She was intelligent, but that didn't mean she possessed the balanced emotions of a human or a higher being; her reactions were often erratic and exaggerated.
Arthur didn't flare up in rage. In fact, he didn't seem to care about her insults at all. With a hollow indifference, he opened his mouth and asked,
"So, what do you want from me?"
His composure, his articulate speech, and his sheer intelligence caught the spider off guard.
She hadn't expected this; she thought he would respond with a few fearful, broken words. She fell silent for a moment before replying.
"Go. Bring me everything you can hunt. And make sure you bring plenty, or I'll just eat you instead."
As soon as she spoke, the threads inside his body slackened, and her presence vanished. Arthur regained his ability to move.
With visible deference, he answered, "Very well. I shall do my best."
There was no point in a verbal spat. He bowed his head in a show of submission and departed to find water to drink and prey to hunt for his new mistress. And so, a new chapter of his life began.
. . . . . . . . . .
End of Volume One [The Lone Wolf]
Hello 👋 Author here.
Volume One has come to an end, and I truly hope you enjoyed it. Your support and interaction during this time have been motivating and encouraging—thank you for that.
In any case, I truly hope you enjoyed it. Your interaction during this time has been motivating and encouraging, and I wanted to thank you for that.
The first volume was a bit short, but at the same time, it was packed with many heavy events—some exciting and intense, and others painful for the protagonist… or rather, most of them.
Honestly, sometimes I feel like I might be overdoing it with Arthur's suffering, but this is a harsh world with no room for mercy. He has to adapt, endure, and fight for his life. A true predator is born from suffering—that's what I'm trying to show.
The spider woman arc may not sit well with everyone. Arthur becoming her slave might ruin some expectations about the story, but don't worry—just be patient. The journey ahead is still long, difficult, and full of the unexpected, and I hope we'll see it through together.
In any case, starting from Chapter 31, Volume Two [Clash of Dominance] will begin. I'll be writing it with full passion and will do my best to build it in the best way possible.
I always welcome your suggestions and discussions. If you have any ideas, feel free to share them with me—and if they're good and fit the story structure I've planned, I might even include them.