Thinking on how to approach this situation, I end up deciding just to call them here in front of me and then learning about them by just talking to them directly. After that, then we can decide what’s the best way to move forward.

Before I send out the call, I remember Gong letting me know that those three have names now.

Their names are: Ru Ning the roach; Tai Ye, the spider; and Dana, the red blob.

Both the Roach and the Spider had their names chosen by Gong, while the red blob chose their name themselves. She seemed to mutter that the joke doesn’t work the same, since she messed it all up. Dana starkly refused any other names than that, though.

Now knowing their names, I finally make the call to reach out to them.

 

And so, I requested those three to exclusively to come to me.

 

I can practically feel the air shiver with anticipation, as almost all the ambient noise that I have grown used to from the spiders goes silent.

Almost immediately after, I can feel scurrying of pedipalps across the connection. A flurry of excited feelings, coming from the spider, Tai Ye.

They’ll be arriving soon.

 

Ru Ning is quite a distance away, so it will take a while to get here.

Dana, on the other hand, is all over the place.

Literally.

It seems she is doing something similar to what Gong is doing with her spiders, in terms of intelligence gathering/surveillance.

Except, Dana is doing it on the microbiological scale. If I’m reading my scan correctly, each individual part of her can see and move independently. She can also move them as such, with no issue. Making her both the eyes and ears for their group.

Additionally, she is a scarily powerful weapon… since she can literally burst people apart. She apparently learned that you can’t do that to everyone, such as cultivators. Since at the higher levels, their bodies are too strong. In addition, if the cultivator is skilled and calm, they can force her out with Qi. A disadvantage that the spiders and other small creatures don’t have.

Generally, though, she seems to prefer to keep to her role as informant and support. She really doesn’t like going into people.

 

With my thoughts going down that path, I just notice that Tai Ye has gotten within the range of my scan.

They arrive quickly, practically screeching to a stop in front of me. Since I last saw them, they have gotten a tiny bit bigger, standing at just a bit bigger than a sedan. However, it seems that most of their growth has happened inside of them, rather than size wise.

The spider waves with one of its arms, reminding me of the first time I met them officially.

I communicate to them using our connection and get a sort of a feminine tone to their ‘voice.’

Using the opportunity, I asked them about some of the things they’ve been doing lately.

I quickly discovered through this conversation what kind of personality that they have. They’re slightly playful, joking around about some of the situations they’ve gone through. While a bit nervous when first talking to me, they seem to quickly fall into a rhythm and relax.

I made sure just to let them know that this it was just me checking up on them, and making sure that each of them are alright, which they really seem to appreciate.

After a few moments, Ru Ning arrives.

How they arrive is scary. They are now about the size of a normal person with their arms in a T pose, both in height and width.

That isn’t what’s scary though.

From my scan and their point of entry, I found that it was going at least 80 km/h. In a crack in a wall. Granted, that crack was larger on the inside and extended for quite a distance… but still.

The crack was so small that I thought there would be no way possible that they would be able to fit through it. Clearly, I was wrong, as they not only fit through it easily but extremely quickly as well.

Like how I started with Tai Ye, I chatted with Ru Ning. They seem to be more reserved, professional even.

The feeling I get is that of a corporate bodyguard or even an executive. Straight to the point and not someone you want to mess with. But he’s basically still just a roach. Somehow, he still feels more manly than I do.

I start thinking of him as a guy, because of this.

Generally, he understands that I want. To make sure they are being careful over here.

He does seem to enjoy listening to Tai Ye though. Taking some sort of pleasure at the whimsical manner of ‘speaking’ that she has.

Finally, Dana arrives. Bubbling up from the ground, with no cracks to be found, she appears in a humanoid feminine form. It’s still featureless, but the intent is clearly there.

They’re trying to appear as a woman.

 

Strangely, both Tai Ye and Ru Ning Go silent in anticipation.

Staring at her intently.

 

This builds up my expectations, which are deflated when the mental equivalent of a one word ‘Hi’ comes through.

 

The other two feel absolutely floored and confused.

Taking a look at Dana, it just feels like she is nervous and quiet. I decide to leave it alone and let her be who she is.

So ultimately, I explained the same thing to her and just let them know to be careful and keep an eye out, in case I need them.

 

They seem excited for it and say they will prepare for that day.

And with that, they head off to do their thing and I’m heading off to do other items. Most of which is just making sure everything will run smoothly without me here. the day seems to pass quickly,

as I head over to my bed later that night.

The anticipation is getting to me, as I lay awake in the bed.

 

Laying there, I consider all the things that have gotten me here. Going through the market area. Meeting the girls. And discovering a lot more about how this world works, and what my place in it might be.

My mind turns to demi humans on the other side of these caverns. Of how far I’d be willing to go to make sure that people, like Gong, would have the ability to live a normal life.

I really don’t know.

I haven’t been pressed to that point yet. To where I would need to decide between them and myself. I’m still soft, as I’ve seen from my training with gong. I have plenty to learn. But that no longer matters.

It is the end of the night, before we have to head out to our respective locations for pick up. There’s nothing else to do.

From here, I’ll have to learn as I go. For good or bad.

We’re finally here.