“Where can a spy do the most damage? According to common sense, it would be a position of authority. A commander in an army can purposefully position their own troops to lose, or allow an enemy to pass by with little resistance. But such a defeat would be suspicious. Would not those above them question that level of incompetence and surmise that it was purposeful?

  According to another voice, those boorish romance novels young women are so fond of reading these days, it would be as the lover of someone with authority. Subtly convince the ones in charge to make poor decisions, and have all of the suspicion fall on the innocent lover instead of the true threat. But any thorough investigation would eventually uncover the spy, and they would be executed. Along with their naive lover. Funnily enough, this literary trend has actually reduced the number of extra-marital relationships nobles have taken up recently, mainly out of fear for something that almost never even happens.

  But the true best place a spy can do the most damage happens to be as a commoner. Sure, they may not have great authority, but at the same time, nobody will be looking for them. Nestled amongst a large population, they can subtly influence them to wreak havoc, while melding back into the masses to prevent detection. An angry mob is easy to whip up, and it is quite difficult to try hundreds of people at once.

  Of course, such a position requires skill and tact to truly make the most of, but this program will train you in doing so. There’s a whole kingdom up North that is ripe for you to sow all sorts of chaos.”

  -Meeting notes from the Johovian Spy Network, one month before its post-war eradication

---

  The [Alpha Hunter] strutted onto the tribe’s web and called forth to all of the nearby spiders with [Command Subordinates]. Many web spiders answered the call, from basic juveniles who operated solely on instinct, to their more evolved forms who were at best just cannon fodder, or at worst, a burden. But that wasn’t all. One of the more woefully unqualified spiders to answer the call to arms was, interestingly, Click.

  The lead spider regarded their diminutive rival with the equivalent of trepidation. A little bit of bowing and pleading later, and the [Alpha Hunter] forgot its concerns. It most likely believed that this was an opportunity to rid itself of its greatest competition! In all honesty, with the risk Click was taking to make their plan a reality, it really was a possibility. But one that was worth it.

  The hunt went on surprisingly smoothly. The fifty-strong group remained entirely unmolested for an incredibly long time. Click was even able to let loose their own hunter spider instincts, albeit heavily faded, and find some relaxation in doing what they were apparently born for. It also helped that the [Alpha Hunter] hadn’t bothered to steal any of their kills like it did with Click so long ago. In fact, Click didn’t see that idiot for the past few minutes, where could they have gone off to?

  “URROAAHHH!!!”

  Oh, that’s where.

  The lead spider had gone off on its own in search of more “worthy” prey, and it had found just that. It was currently in a fight against a lone predator that was reminiscent of the one from the previous big fight. And just like that fight, the [Alpha Hunter] was absolutely manhandling it.

  Some of the hunter spiders and the more battle-hardened web spiders attempted to help out, while the newly recruited web spiders stayed put. Click couldn’t blame them, and in fact, even joined in on the inactivity.

  But the [Alpha Hunter] didn’t seem to care about who was helping or wasn’t, and continued to pummel the poor creature. It let out another howl, yet didn’t try to flee the battle.

  Click’s eyes went wide as they realized what the predator was trying to do. The [Spider Commander] quickly turned around in a circle in search of any sign of movement, be it through sound, sight, or even smell.

  There was nothing. That didn’t mean there really was nothing, and the spider understood how skilled their opponents were. Click wasn’t about to let themself be caught in the ambush and looked around for a place to hide. There wasn’t much, beyond a small alcove underneath a very large rock, and the [Spider Commander] took their place there.

  As if on cue, a new trio of predators jumped into the fray and began to tear apart the smaller spiders attacking one of their own. They’d gotten at least a dozen or so spiders before realizing that the [Alpha Hunter] was still locked in battle against the lone scout, and so they switched targets.

  But that wasn’t before one of the spiders in the group began shaking. The sensation was beginning to spread to the one next to it, but Click reacted before it could go any further than that.

  [Command Subordinates]! The small spider shouted in their mind and targeted the two taken by instinct. All of a sudden, that instinct was overridden by the Skill, and something new commanded the spiders.

  Click mentally ordered the shivering duo to still themselves, and they did. If the [Alpha Hunter] could override a web spider’s instincts against hunting, the [Spider Commander] should be able to override a spider’s shiver-flee instinct! And they did.

  The small spider continued to watch the battle from their little hidey-hole. They would’ve preferred to be on the safety of a stalagmite far, far away, but their Skill didn’t work at such a distance. It at last had enough range to cover an entire battlefield, but only when Click was part of that battle.

  Another lucky hit sent the Alpha flying and the predators began to slaughter the rest of the hunting pack.

  Click tightened their focus and fired off a barrage of Skill invocations as the wave of death brought forth the spiders’ primal instinct.

  [Command Subordinates]! A trio that all began to shake at once was immediately quieted, along with the six more surrounding them that began to show signs of the shakes. Click removed their control and all nine began to fight once more.

  [Command Subordinates]! The corpse of a spider was chewed up and thrown into a throng, blood and guts coating over a dozen others! Most of them were web spiders, and Click had them cover up the body in silk, so that the others would not be able to see.

  [Command Subordinates]! No shaking was happening that time, but Click felt the lead spider was simply taking too much time to return to the battle, and directed one of the others to lead a predator over to them.

  [Skill level up! Command Subordinates (15)]

  The battle continued, and while the predators almost entirely focused on the [Alpha Hunter], the rest of the hunting party faced continuously climbing casualty rates. Eventually, there were only several spiders left, and even as they began to shiver, their leader ignored them. It wasn’t the critical mass required to override its own bloodlust, and it would no longer ever be.

  More sharp bites and flying claws, even more jukes and dodges. Things were beginning to slow down, however, as the [Alpha Hunter] slowly burned through their steam. The predators sensed this, and sensed no intention from it to flee once more, so the previously lone scout began to go after the remaining spiders.

  Click looked at them and felt a strange pang of emotion. They were being dragged to their deaths for Clicks’ gain, and something about the whole situation didn’t sit well. Whatever the feeling was, Click shook it off with the understanding that they would’ve died eventually otherwise. If not a part of this hunting party, then another one. The [Spider Commander] still threw one more [Command Subordinates] in their direction to have them flee to safety.

  It was too bad that their path ran right next to Click’s little alcove. A lone predator, in pursuit, caught the scent of one other spider. Click swore, or at least the spider equivalent of telling themselves off. Seeing the paw right in front of them triggered Click’s fight-or-flight instinct, and in such an enclosed space with no escape, the [Spider Commander] chose to fight. They should’ve done nothing, and they could've gotten out of there.

  [Skill level up! Venom Gland (8)]

  Instead, the choice led to the predator tackling the rock and pushing it off with a rage-fueled howl. The [Spider Commander] was completely exposed with no other spiders to command.

  Click jumped to the side as angry fangs came crashing down. They barely managed to jump out of the way when a speeding paw struck their back and sent them flying.

  [7 Damage taken! HP: 15/23]

  An entire third?!

  Click didn’t understand numbers, but proportions were a trivial concept. And they could very well wrap their head around the idea that if they got hit like that twice more, they would most certainly die. And with the mass of black fur running towards them, that reality was coming quickly.

  The [Spider Commander] thought for a moment, how were they going to get out of this? They couldn’t beat the predator in a straight up fight, especially not alone, and they had no chance of getting away either. The only spider that could do either of those was…

  A brilliant idea popped into Click’s head. A brilliant and downright terrible idea.

  [Command Subordinate]! There were no other lesser spiders on the battlefield left to command. But there was…

  The Skill failed, but Click hadn’t. [Command Subordinate] wasn’t able to take control of the [Alpha Hunter], but it most certainly caught its attention. And it was pissed.

  The lead spider jumped out of its three-on-one battle and ran towards the [Spider Commander] with absolute hatred in its eyes. It even beat out the predator that was about to leap onto Click and even pushed it off balance.

  Click did the only thing it could against the [Alpha Hunter] and bowed in supplication. That didn’t help this time, and the larger spider struck with all of its might. The [Spider Commander] went flying again, and when it landed, it suffered a nasty hit.

  [4 Damage taken! HP: 11/23]

  Honestly, it wasn’t as bad as getting hit by a predator, but Click was still more than halfway towards death. That didn’t sit well with them.

  But what did sit well was how the gloating figure of the [Alpha Hunter] became a prime target for the rest of the predators. The attack that was meant for Click ended up hitting the larger spider instead, as sharp fangs dug into its chitinous carapace and lifted it up.

  The predator shook its mouth in a frenzy before throwing the [Alpha Hunter] into the air. Without any kind of built-up webbing Skills or any other specific biological advantage, the spider was completely unable to maneuver as it sailed through the cave. And into the jaws of another predator.

  Another hard bite, shake, and throw, another catch and repeat. Each time the fangs sunk into the [Alpha Hunter], it must have taken at least a dozen damage. And with only fifty health, plus whatever it would’ve gained in the last week through level ups, it wouldn’t be long before…

  Thud

  The corpse of the [Alpha Hunter] landed on the ground, completely torn to shreds. The predators didn’t stop and continued to desecrate the body until it was nothing more than a horribly mangled pile, and then turned it into an impromptu litter box as a final act of disrespect to their sworn enemy.

  The creatures let out a loud howl, one that lasted longer than any Click had heard them utter before. The predators were joined by many others throughout the cave.

  Under the cover of the predators’ final battle cry, Click slumped back towards home, towards the protection of the white pillars. After all, it was the dawn of a new era. They would be the one in charge of the tribe now, and it would thrive under them.

  [Experience +50 | Next Level: 107/90]

  [Level up!]

Juvenile Dungeon Spider Commander (Level 10)	Name: Click
Soul Link: Rockfort Hamlet Dungeon Core Ṁ̶̡̄̒͜o̷͚͍̊͒̃̓̿ǰ̵̧̢̭̫̪a̷͇̋̿̿̽͘ ̵̨̛̥͎͉́̋̈͘D̵̝̭͇̓̎̅ȋ̷̯͔̤̑͋̑t̴̛͉͈̟̽̑͑h̸̪̲̩̗̀̉̃͝͠ä̵͕̼̠́̊̓̕b̴̗͕̏͊̂̓̚ä̷̡̰̱͕̒̌̋	Classes: N/A

Statistic	Amount
Health Points	24 (+1)
Body	18 (+1)
Intellect	152 (+0)
Soul	22 (+1)

  [Level requirement achieved for evolution]

  [Choices available: Dungeon Web Spider, Dungeon Hunter Spider, Dungeon Ambush Trapper Spider, Dungeon Spider Commander]

  [Please select a choice-]

  Dessert is always lovely.