[Hmm, hmm, what to do with this sucker’s soul~]

 

Elle hummed over Dion's corpse. On her hand was a translucent green sticky clay-like substance, which she squished repeatedly like a stress ball.

 

It was the soul essence she got from Dion, as part of the deal where she'd take the enhancements back if Dion failed to endure. It should've been immediately absorbed by Elle, but her soul manipulation let her get a hold of it with great concentration.

 

(It wouldn't go into my inventory or dimensional storage, so I guess I have to use it now. I should find a way to store souls soon if I wanna incorporate it into my gear crafting and body enhancements.)

 

Elle squeezed hard on the green soul essence while thinking so. Then, she felt a weak tug on her fingers.

 

[Oh, you're still here.]

 

Elle murmured, then she turned to her side. There, the giant spider stood. It resisted the wires attached to it ever so slightly, which was what tugged on Elle's fingers.

 

[You're on the verge of evolving, aren't you? But it doesn't look like your body can handle any more if I pour more magic into you.]

 

The spider's body was covered with cracks as it was about to evolve, but it was only artificially induced when Elle injected high amounts of magic into the spider to make it perform as she wanted. At this point, it was only the reinforcements Elle used on the spider that kept it from exploding.

 

[I've no use for this soul right now and I've no way to store it for later, so I'll let you have it.]

 

Elle manipulated the green soul essence and moulded it into magical symbols, then she made it go into the spider's body. She also raised the reinforcement magic on the spider to the best she could. The tugging on Elle's fingers intensified.

 

After that, Elle injected magic through the wires little by little.

 

*Crackle Crackle*

 

The cracks on the spider's body spread further until it was completely covered. At first, the cracks were like spiderwebs with the center at where the wires attached. This time, it was like that of a broken tempered glass.

 

The wires detached from the spider on its own, then the spider crumbled into a big pile.

 

[Hou?]

 

The pile moved as if something was buried in it. Then, something black emerged from it.

 

[[You have subordinated Shadow Arachne!]]

 

What came out was an Arachne. A humanoid with a spider lower half. It was smaller than its previous giant spider form. As long as it doesn't straighten its legs up or stand on its hind legs, it was just as tall as Elle

 

Although the humanoid part had black skin, black hair, multiple red eyes, and barbed blades for arms, it looked uncannily similar to Elle. Fortunately, it did not completely take the figure of Elle, as the bulge of its chest part looked like how it would've been if Elle wore a sports bra instead of it being her actual breasts. This saved Elle from having to give it clothes.

 

[Can you speak?]

[Yes, master.]

 

The arachne had the same voice as Elle and spoke without emotion. Its expression remained in a poker face.

 

[Why did you subordinate yourself to me?]

 

Elle doubted the arachne's motives. Just because she led it into evolving, doesn't mean it should automatically become her subordinate.

 

[It has to do with the skills that master has bestowed to me, and the intelligence I gained from evolving.]

 

Elle opened her status menu to check the arachne's skills. There, she tapped on Unnamed Arachne below Bub. There, she found familiar skills, spider skills, shadow skills, the skills she originally gave to Dion, and a peculiar skill.

 

Chapter 31: Arachne Envy and The End of Intertwined Quests

 

~~~

Envy Lv7

Greatly increase growth rate.

Gain similar but degraded version of the skills of the target of envy that matches the race.

Decrease status against enemies with higher level.

Severely decrease status against the target of envy.

Defer growth upon reaching {Skill Level x 10%} of the target of envy's level.

Target of envy: Elle

~~~

 

(I guess it has no choice but to help and serve the envy target if it wants to maximize the merits and avoid its demerits, and it became smart enough to know so.)

 

[Alright. I'll be calling you "Dia" from now on. We're leaving now, get into my shadow.]

 

Dia, the shadow arachne, stepped on the shadow cast by Elle from the weak light source from a small hole on the roof of the cave. It, then, sunk into Elle’s shadow. Its then eight red eyes opened on the head part of the shadow. This was one of the shadow skills Elle saw Dia have when she skimmed over its skills.

 

{Can you now hear my thoughts?}

{Yes, master.}

 

Telepathic communication with the owner of the shadow was also one of the skill effects.

 

(Oh, it might be bad to have killed my hitman client when I need to raise my rank quickly..but, he might get noisy if he wakes up. Hmm..)

 

Elle used Blasphemous Resurrection on Dion. Since he didn't have fatal injuries, he wouldn't die the second time.

 

When Dion started to breathe, Elle used Siren's Voice in full throttle while humming a tune of a lullaby. She also used Succubus Pheromones subtly. With that, Dion resurrected into sleep.

 

With nothing else to do, Elle opened her dimensional storage underneath the loot dropped by Mike, then she walked out of the cave. Using her wires, she controlled the sleeping Dion's body like a marionette and made him walk along her. It was also to practice taking control over a person.

 

{Dia, do you sense the person observing us from one of the tunnels?}

{I am aware.}

{Good. I want you to attach a spiderling on their shadow.}

{Yes, master.}

 

On their way out, a small shadow that was shaped like a spider detached from Elle's shadow and crawled towards one of the many tunnels of the cave.

 

---

 

{Say, Dia, can you tell me anything about monsters?}

{We are just around before we realize, and we have an unexplainable urge to get stronger and attack people. It seems my urge to attack people disappeared when I became your subordinate.}

{I see. Anything else?}

{I apologize. That is all I know.}

 

Elle had idle talk with Dia on their way out of the fissure. As they went, the surroundings changed gradually. Broken bricks laid here and there. The ground changed from bare ground to a damaged and deteriorated brick pavement that had cracks, grass growing in between the bricks, missing bricks, and partially lifted by roots of trees.

 

Ahead of them was the exit in between two pillars that were broken in half and surrounded by piles of bricks and debris. On closer inspection, it could be guessed that there used to be a grand arch over the exit. It must've collapsed, and the debris was set aside to keep the exit usable.

 

When they exited the fissure, they found themselves on top of a gentle upward slope where they could see a vast stone city, or what used to be. It was now in ruins and half consumed by vegetation. Some houses had a tree growing out of it. There were also huge trees that had destroyed the man-made infrastructure around it. Vines climbed over walls that were still standing. At a short distance, there was a tilted clock tower that was half consumed by vines.

 

[[You are entering the territory of Thirden.]]

[[Required guild rank: None]]

[[Recommended level: 60]]

 

(No sign of the caravan.)

 

They went towards the clock tower. When they reached the bottom of the tower, Elle released the wires on Dion and used it to climb the tower from outside. Dion flopped to the ground into an awkward position and with no sign of waking up.

 

On top of the tower that was about ten storeys high, Elle got a view of the whole ruins. It was a vast ruins surrounded by impassable rock mountains except on one side the opposite of where they came from.

 

The mountains had entrances similar to where Elle came from, with people going in and out.

 

On the side without mountains was a bottomless cliff with nothing but a sea of clouds below and beyond. It was as if half of the ruins sunk into nothingness. 

 

A part of the ruins by the cliff had a different atmosphere and was surrounded by a makeshift wall made out of debris. Within those walls, the ruined establishments had minor and temporary repairs done on the holes. There were also wooden houses built on large trees that grew within the walls.

 

Elle found the caravan in front of one of the gates of the wall. They were being attacked by a five meter high, one eyed, beige skinned giant. A Cyclops. It wielded an uprooted tree like a club.

 

The caravan was denied entry into the gate, probably to prevent the cyclops from entering. They will have to deal with the cyclops first if they want to get in. They at least received help from long ranged attackers stationed on top of the wall.

 

Elle jumped off the tower and landed smoothly beside Dion. She grabbed and casually lifted Dion by his ankle, then jumped back up the tower.

 

*Flap* Elle took out and used her demonic wings to support her jump and reach the top of the tower. Still asleep, Dion flailed limply on the way up.

 

On top of the tower, Elle applied strong reinforcement magic on Dion. She had to be efficient since Dion’s failed enhancements prevented him from receiving high amounts of buffs.

 

Elle took a throwing stance, aimed at the caravan that was that was at least a kilometer far, then *BANG!" she threw Dion at a speed that broke the sound barrier.

 

In just three seconds, Dion reached the front of the gate and blasted through the chest of the cyclops from behind it, which tore the cyclops’ upper body into bits and left only its lower body standing on its own. Dion then slammed to the ground, bounced and rolled a bit, and stopped right in front of the players that were defending the caravan merchants.

 

*Twoooom* A boom echoed throughout the ruins and reached Elle with a few seconds delay like thunder from afar.

 

The caravan members and nearby observers stood confused for a few seconds, then the delayed collapse of the cyclops' lower body snapped them out of their daze. They cheered at the death of the cyclops and lifted Dion, who had woken up confused and aching all over, over their heads as they celebrated and paraded towards the just opened gate.

 

With her wings already out, Elle flew towards the caravan that slowly entered the gate. Half of the caravan had already entered by the time Elle arrived. She dispelled her wings and landed at the back of the line.

 

*Step*

[Oh, Ms Elle. Where's the leader?]

 

The merchant leader, who looked over everyone from behind and noticed Elle as she landed, asked. Elle shook her head in response.

 

[Oh..no worries, he will still be rewarded accordingly.]

 

With the caravan reaching its destination, the quest should be complete regardless if some participants died midway. They would no longer be able to contribute to the quest moving forward since their death, but their achievements before that still counted.

 

{The secret watcher joined the merchants without anyone noticing.}

 

Dia, who was still in Elle's shadow, reported telepathically.

 

{We only need to find out their affiliation and purpose. Continue observing.}

{Yes, master.}

 

[Welcome to Thirden dungeon city! We're glad your merchants made it safely, Mr Phraim.]

 

The gate guard greeted them and spoke to the merchant leader.

 

[This should be the end of the quest. We will be reporting to the merchants guild now. Please tell the others in the escort leader's place.]

 

The merchant representative left with the rest of the merchants after asking Elle to inform the other players, which, of course, Elle didn't bother to do. It wouldn't affect her negatively at all, and would instead affect Dion, the sub-leader, in Mike's absence.

 

Elle left the group and went on her way towards Thirden's guild street. Along the way, she found other players who were more uniquely dressed among normally dressed players and NPCs. Tuxedo, modern casual, bikini armor, boomerang pants, school uniform, nurse cosplay, fat cat full body mascot. Elle's vantablack clothes and armor no longer stood out.

 

---

 

Elle first went to Alchemists Guild to deliver the magic item she received in Seconden. She went to a free receptionist.

 

[How can I help you?]

[I'm here to deliver this.]

 

Elle held her hand out and opened her dimensional storage over it. The bubble that contained the box of the magic item fell into her hand. *Pop* The bubble burst when it touched Elle's hand, then the box landed on Elle's palm.

 

[You stored it magically? You contaminated it!] ?

 

An old man behind the counter pushed the receptionist aside and tried to snatch the box, but Elle withdrew her hand before he could.

 

[Only defective goods get contaminated that easily. Don't worry, I protected it.]

 

Elle placed the box on the counter desk between her and the old man. The old man hurriedly opened the box and inspected the magic tool. It was a brass scale.

 

[D-defective, you say?? You-you're right, it's completely fine!]

[That should be the end of the delivery quest, right?]

 

Elle asked towards the receptionist who was set aside by the old man who was now preoccupied with the tool.

 

[Yes..it seems the guild master is satisfied with it.]

 

The receptionist looked coldly at the old man, who was actually the guild master, as she responded.

 

[We'll send our report to the rogues guild. Thank you.]

 

Elle was about to leave, but [Wait!] the old man stopped her.

 

[Won't you teach us how you protected the tool from magic contamination? You also said it's defective, that means you know about better tools? Rather than teach us, please join the Alchemists Guild, I'll immediately promote you to a high rank!]

[You can't, guild master!]

 

The receptionist tried to hold the old man, who was about to jump over the desk.

 

[Not interested in joining. Though, if I need something from the Alchemists Guild, I'll consider sharing some alchemy knowledge.]

[Yes! If there's anything you need, please come to my office here in Thirden branch. Show this to a receptionist when you do.]

 

The old man left some kind of business card on the desk before getting pulled away by the receptionist. Elle opened her dimensional storage under the card, and went on her way.

 

[Even if you're the guild master, you can't just do things like that!]

 

From outside the alchemists guild, Elle heard the receptionist scold the guild master.

 

---

 

 

{Those are copies of the parchments the observer inserted in a box.}

{Good work. I don’t think we can get anything more out of him. You can withdraw your spiderling now.}

 

Elle held a bunch of sheets made out of Dia’s web. Despite not being able to read, Dia almost perfectly copied the papers filled up by the observer.

 

(Reports in the form of “Feedback Forms”, huh? He’s probably a high rank spy commissioned to secretly rate the quests related to the caravan, including those from underground guilds.)

 

Elle read the rest of the sheets on her way to rogues guild.

 

Although it seemed as if Dion neither gained nor lost anything out of the deal with Elle despite the amount of suffering he went through, later he would find among his stats an empty skill "Failed Enhancements" at a high level. The skill has no positive effects and would greatly reduce the total amount of enhancements or buffs, permanent or temporary, his body could take.

 

Unfortunately for him, the way to remove the skill was not yet available publicly and would be quite costly when it does become available. He will most likely complain to the Hitman Guild as the reports said.

 

---

 

[Congratulations on your rank up!]

 

The Rogues Guild receptionist congratulated Elle’s rank up after she received an A+ rating on the escort quest and S on the magic tool delivery.

 

[Is this enough to get to Fourthen or Fifthen?]

[Almost. Maybe you’ll need to do one more major quest or two minor ones.]

 

(Maybe Hitman Guild will be able to do something about this..)

 

Elle thought as she went to leave and look for a Hitman Guild entry point, when *Bang* the Rogues Guild's front door burst opened and a pale young girl with red eyes and slightly pointed ears came in. Her long blonde hair was tied to a pair of high pigtails. Cute little fangs could be seen when she opened her mouth to call out to Elle.

 

[Big sis!]

 

---

 

I thought the place had the vibes of the Forest Kingdom from NieR Automata and its BGM as Elle exited the fissure.