Cellestra walked close and knelt while smiling.
“You’ve been busy I see.”
I nodded with my limbs.
“Why did you bring that here? Do you want
to prepare it?”
I nodded again.
“Alright. Let’s get you and your catch inside then.”
She picked up the fish and walked back towards her ho. I followed her as she opened the door and went inside. Once inside, she placed the fish in the sink.
She then turned around and placed her hands on the floor. I stepped in and she gently placed
on the table, next to the piece of paper with the letters. I noticed she added a question mark on it
“I wasn’t prepared for fish tonight, but I’ll make it work. I was just going out for so herbs, anyway.”
She knelt and added so wood to the stove, before lighting it with her fire magic.
“Nice catch, by the way,” She said before standing up and turning to . “How did you do it?”
I skittered to the paper and started pointing at letters. “Baited out of water.”
“I see.”
She walked over to the kitchen and reached into one of the cabinets and pulled out a small tal bucket.
“I’ll go get so herbs and water to clean that fish. I’ll be back in a bit.”
I gestured yes with my pedipalps.
“Now that we can communicate a lot easier, there are so questions I’d like to ask when I return. Will you be okay with that?”
I nodded again.
“Neat.” She smiled. I’ll be right back.”
She left
behind and wondering what kind of questions she would ask.
I was pretty much done for the day regarding my hunts, and there was still enough ti left to try to get to know the elf better, I guessed.
Besides, she hardly knew anything about . I an, it was hard to exactly tell her who I was, but I should still be able to do it with these letters, even if it took so ti.
My mind wandered off on its own. Why was this elf living here in the forest… alone? Why were her eyes purple? Was that normal for this world’s elves?
I realized I hardly knew anything about her, and she about , yet she had given
a safe place to spend the nights.
From what I had observed so far, I had to conclude she was a nice person.
But sothing was off about her… I didn’t know how to put it…
I shrugged it off as the eyes, but maybe I’d find out soon.
I observed the tarantula in its enclosure while I waited, noticing I had grown to almost the sa size now.
What was in the other enclosure, though? I hadn’t seen anything yet.
My curiosity got the better of
and I skittered over to it, trying to see what was inside. My powerful eyes couldn’t spot anything inside the glass walls. I had to conclude it was empty.
I decided to take a quick look at my progress while Cellestra was still outside.
Na: Kealyna
Race: Large Purple Jumping Spider
Level: 8/10
Experience: 169/240
Evolution Points: 38
Skills:
Language Comprehension - Elven
Improved Regeneration
Weak Venom
Weak Jaws and Teeth
Improved Spider Thread
Very Weak Venom Resistance
Very Weak Poison Resistance
Weak Fireball
Weak Ice Lance
Improved Exoskeleton Hardening
Improved Leg and Pedipalp Strengthening
Excellent Spider Vision
Magic Resistance
Physical Barrier
Mana Reserves
Mana Regeneration
I would still need 80 Evolution Points to enhance all the evolution-specific skills. I knew with only two levels left, that that was not going to happen.
There was one other option that I could do.
Since my rainbow spider evolution would allow
to upgrade all my currently learned skills to the maximum level of any skill that I possessed, it would be important to get at least one skill to the “advanced” level.
The only skill that I would be able to get to that point would be my spider thread.
Once I had a skill at “advanced” I would be able to upgrade any other skill to advanced in my next evolution form.
I just had to pray that I would be able to get enough Evolution Points during my next evolution to be able to upgrade most of my skills. I had so many skills, I doubted I could…
This evolution planning was a hassle, but I’d get through it. I had no doubt about it.
I decided to enhance my thread and leave my magic resistance where it was for now. A familiar warmth flowed through my behind, and by the ti it subsided, the elf walked back into the room.
She had the bucket filled with water in one hand and so small leaves in the other.
She smiled as she saw
observe her. “Let
just get this fish cleaned and descaled. I’ll be with you in a bit.”
I used my gestures to indicate a nod.
I honestly couldn’t wait to get that speech ability.
I saw the sun set and the world outside the window beco dark. Cellestra had several candles throughout the room that she lit as darkness fell. She then placed so kind of crystal orb around the candles’ flas which intensified the light tenfold.
I’d never seen anything like it. It had
staring, even as she continued with the fish.
“In case you were wondering,” Cellestra murmured. “I do catch these fish every now and then myself. I was planning to get a mushroom stew going for tonight, but this works fine, too.”
That made
wonder. How far was she away from any town? Would she need to get everything from the forest?
Would she even be able to have or make bread?
She didn’t seem worried about any of this. At least, not as far as I could see.
Cellestra skillfully filleted the fish and placed it in an oven tray with the leaves she’d gathered. She then placed it inside the stove before making her way to the sole chair.
“So, Kealyna,” She started. “Since we have so more ti now, please tell
what happened to you. If you don’t mind telling , that is.”
I pointed at the letters with my legs to speak with her. “It is fine.”
I then started with what happened not so long ago.
“Was knight. Protected family from bandits. Died. Got reincarnated as spider. Appears this is different world.”
Cellestra’s smile disappeared as I created the words. She simply shook her head by the ti I’d spelled it all out.
“Unbelievable…”
“Elysa told
my parents alive in this world. They died when I was little.”
“Elysa…? You an, goddess Elysa?”
I made my nodding gesture.
“You spoke to her?” She looked at
in shock.
“Yes. She gave
blessing to get strong. When I kill get experience. Enough experience I evolve. Hoping to get strong to find parents.”
Communicating like this took a very long ti but it worked. Cellestra seed dumbfounded after my story. She walked off to check on the fish before returning, all the while she shook her head.
“A blessing from the goddess. I can’t believe it. Why did she turn you into a spider in the first place? I didn’t think she was evil.”
“She did not. got sucked into portal. Curse placed on . Soone else did. Elysa gave
ssage. ntioned I should be wary of na Hograd.”
“Hograd? He is a god that the humans and so elves worship here. Not the nicest type from what I’ve been told.”
The elf sighed and leaned back. “I’m sorry you have to go through all of that Kealyna. I believe you want to look for your parents, correct?”
I gestured yes.
“I wish I could help you with that, but you see, I’m not exactly what I appear to be, either.”
I looked at her with a mix of curiosity and fear.
“I may appear like an elf, but I’m not that. Not fully, at least. You see, I’ve always been told I was cursed. My mother happened to be near a dungeon when its core exploded when she was pregnant with . It appears the resulting energies have corrupted .”
That sounded bad.
“It’s not that bad, honestly. These purple eyes are a result of that… but there’s sothing else too, that I’d rather not share as of now.”
She sighed. “Don’t worry. I’m perfectly healthy. All this just caused
to be… exiled. I can’t really go to any village. I’ve been forced to live out here… alone. It’s one of the reasons I’m quite happy with so company.”
She paused for a mont and let her eyes roll to the bookcase.
“I’ve been working on finding a way to reverse this ‘curse’. I’ve had no success so far, but I did manage to create so useful potions and healing powders and ointnts that I sotis sell to a rchant who visits
sotis.”
That sounded… sad. I truly felt sorry for her.
If only I still had my body and armor. I could try to help her, at least sowhat, as repaynt for what she'd done for
so far.
This just felt unfair…
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