I had a spring in my step as my haul in my dinner into my lair. The man who's arm was annihilated by the rock had bled out after a while; however, one is still squirming behind me. I don't recall who it is; it's below me. They're all the same to me.

What's not the same to me is my books that I hug tightly and kiss. Words, glorious words! My only light in this cavernous dungeon is these pieces of foreign literature. These books allow me to revel in the quiet time and peace I deserve, my early life was way too noisy and hectic. It is perfectly acceptable for me to laze around and not do my duties defending the dungeon.

I need Minerva-time. By myself time.

"Help me! Someone!"

This hairless ape seems to want to break it, but I must endure the struggles and constant muffled screams behind me as I'm pulling my possessions back home. She keeps making noises and thrashing around. It's like she doesn't know every Arachne is a sadist, screaming and begging for help will only encourage us to do worse. And I'm one of the nicer ones.

I start carrying my wrapped up food into my room and stick them to the ceiling. Keeping my books in my new satchel strung over my shoulder. This wizard's belongings are extremely helpful, especially the robes because I am not bare and the mist has been dispelled. It was way too convenient to be your average misty haze.

Dungeon Master, why are you watching me? Fucking weirdo. He's always been harassing me since I was spiderling, hell, according to him, he watched my birth so its before that. Atleast I got him. Aaaah, so satisfying watching that orb get destroyed.

Now, back to the human.

I pick up the struggling human and claw the webbing from her face, allowing her to take breaths of air. As soon as she opens her eyes, she screeches upon looking at my room, Now, I take that personally. I took care of my place, there were no bones or corpses... wait. There were no bones and... look, I take pride in my room looking presentable to myself. It isn't messy, and the webs are comfortable when you're laying on them. 

Shut up, you humans have a different definition of comfortable and messy to me. My webs are meticulously produced and attached to every surface, like a soft blanket laying on the environment.

"Look thing, if you want to life, stay silent, or I grant slow death," I utter, my tongue pressing against my fangs in my mouth.

The human does heed my warning and stops shaking, but starts to breathe heavily. Well, more than before. Hm, is this how human express fear? Or gratitude? Or how they apologise? Humans are bizarre creatures, I'll never get them.

"What... you speak? What are you going to with me?" the human quivers, still trying to move as I set her down against the wall. Sticking her in place there.

She shuffles for several seconds before turning back to my unimpressed face. She locks eyes with me and turns into a statue as if she has been petrified. Well, she is frightened senseless and seems moments away from dying of fright. All she has to do is shut her trap.

Easy as can be, but noooo, she has to be concerned about her safety. By the dungeon, how annoying are humans?

Her expressions suddenly steels; I can see the cogs in her brain turning by the shifting expression on her face and method in which she analyses her surroundings and myself.

"Sustain myself of nutrients you give myself," I say, I think improving my Humanese somewhat. "You do appear very tasty."

The human shivers, struggling to get free as she trembles with dread and breaking her concentration on her environment. The hope going in her eyes as she soon realises the futility of her efforts. Took her long enough, she'd need a sharp weapon; I don't believe she has one. Well, judging from this human's actions, she doesn't.

"Of course, if give me the information I want, you won't suffer. Perhaps, if I feel kind enough, I'll allow you leave. Obviously, it's better in here than out there, as can surmise. Here, only one monster kill you; out there, hundreds and hundreds of them will make bloody ribbons of your bleeding corpse," I was saying no lies, those slaves were likely puddles of pulp and gore. A much more merciful and clean death will come at my hands. "Now, first question, why do humans come down here?"

She says nothing, moving her head away from me. My eyebrow twitches, does she not want to give me information willing? I run my claw across her face, just under her eye.

"You can speak with me," I say, watching blood trickle from the inflicted scratch, I start pushing my claw into her face, and from where it is, it threatens to dislodge her eye. "Be cooperative, and I'll let you go, that way you'll have a fighting chance. Though I wouldn't mind some company."

"We just came here to get money from the dungeon, the top floors have run dry of loot so parties have been forced to come deeper," the human responds.

I slowly remove my claw from her face, licking the drop of blood from the tip with a grin, "Why this dungeon?"

"It's the weakest dungeon in Ehinls," the woman slowly opens her eyes.

I knew of the country Ehinls, a smallish Trade Republic with big allies and few enemies. Judging from the book I've read, its government is surprising stable so its a hub for a lot of adventurers. I wonder if there are any libraries in the capital of Thinlsna. I've always wanted to see a library, alas, I haven't gotten the chance in my 150 years of life. If I ever saw one, I would never leave the room.

"What is the name of closest city?" I question, drooling at the mouth already.

"Thinlsna."

"Is library there?"

"Indeed, at the mage guild, there is a large library."

I had never felt as much elation now than ever before. My heart is singing and dancing in my chest, and I am doing the same thing. The woman looks at with puzzled and confused at why this foolish Arachne is doing ballet. First, it's just dancing, and second, I am not foolish. Though my happiness quickly fades as I realise its impossible for me to get there without being dead.

I'd have to dodge not only tesla coils on 'the Gate' but also thousands of humans. It's impossible. 

I disguise the realisation my face.

"Map? Do have a map?"

"Huh, I don't know, perhaps one of my 'companions' had a map, but I'm not to keen on giving it to you or showing you unless my security is ensured," she utters, gaining some confidence in her voice.

"I know how to read, easily I can find map," I reply, voice low.

"Can you navigate a foreign land without protection? Hell, the moment you go to the surface, you'll be killed. That is unless I am your bodyguard."

"Bodyguard, what can do that I can't figure out? I can read, speak, write, and kill," I utter, my eyes sharpening. This poor little thing is trying to vie for control. She wants to live, and I don't think she's given up on living yet. This woman was scared and panicky previously, likely because she thought I was mindless, but she has found something to latch on to and attempt to exploit.

That being my intelligence. Brave but foolish.

She thinks I don't know about the monster tesla coils.

Brutal things, I hate hate hate hate them.

The woman pauses for a second, her gaze hardening, "Thinlsna contains more people than you can kill. Guards, hundreds of adventurers with enchanted weapons and loads of slave warriors who would throw themselves into combat. You easily killed my companions, yet we're only low-level adventurers. You'll be in pieces before you got to the library."

"True, very true," I admit, she is right. "So, want me to spare you in exchange for being a bodyguard accompanying me to library?"

"And a guide, you won't be able to get there without my assistance. If they see you with an adventurer, you won't be killed on sight, they'd want to know more. Maybe you could give them information about the dungeon in exchange for passage to the library. They'd be intruiged with you, they'd want to watch you. Dungeon creatures don't have this much autonomy. You are special."

I think I've gotten enough information from her, her trying to reason and bargain with me has grown boring. Wow, I really have a short attention span when it comes to things that isn't reading.

Her information exchange idea is something I could consider in the future, though.

"Interesting, well, I decline offer, I content. I love books, but not going out of my way to leave the dungeon for them at this moment. I have steady stream of them from you humans. Thanks for giving information about the map though. I'll just pick through ally's corpses now. You offer no use to me other than food. Oh, and I know about the tesla gate so tricking me to walking into them won't work."

She looks at me, stunned that her plan didn't work. This game of bargaining and pleading is over, not sorry to burst your bubble bubs.

I put my claw to her neck. To kill or not to kill, well I will kill her. After all, she's nothing but a snack. What I am wondering is how much I should draw it out.