Glitched

Short interlude chapter as I go on break. Interludes will be canon, but they are not necessarily required material. This specific interlude contains implied torture and minor depictions of torture(In the name of science). You've been warned.

It had been a day since our attack, and things were finally beginning to settle down in the afternoon. According to the eldest human, reinforcements would take at least three days, and that’s assuming they came here at top speed. If someone even took up their request. 

At this point it was becoming clear that their request for reinforcements was more of a formality than a real expectation of immediate assistance. They didn’t seem to have a direct connection to request support from their kingdom's official army. That’s probably why they waited until the last minute to try and flee. It seemed that we had caught them off guard, their complacency working in our favor as we seized control of the forest and asserted our dominance over their kind.

My children were out keeping watch in the forest, expanding our area of control best they could. The three who could spin webs stayed back to expand our nest, while the other seventeen kept watch from the edges of the forest. Covering the entire expanse of the forest was impossible with just three, but they were making decent progress.

Which brings us to me. And the present. Today was the day I would begin testing on my specimens. My first subject: A female adult.

***
The captive human before me squirmed, her eyes darting around in terror as she noticed me drawing close once yet again. Her futile struggles against the bindings only tightened my grip on her fragile form, eliciting a muffled whimper from her gagged mouth. With her hands bound above her head and feet strapped to the trunk, there was little room for her to wriggle around. 

She was covered in blood, her torn clothing clinging to her body in tatters. The smell of fear and sweat hung heavy in the air, mixing with the earthy scent of the forest around us. 

I leaned in close, my mandibles clicking near her ear as I spoke,《Do you know why you're here?》

She shook her head, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. 

《You are here,》I continued, my voice low and menacing,《to teach me what it means to be human.》

With that, I reached for my stolen sword, its blade glinting in the dim light of the forest. With careful precision, I traced a shallow cut along her arm, relishing the way she flinched at the sting of the blade.

With a flick of my wrist, I jabbed the pointed end of the blade into her arm, eliciting a sharp cry of pain. Crimson blood welled up around the wound, but I paid it no mind as I observed her reaction with keen interest. I had lost count of how many jabs I took at her pale skin, but each stab seemed to elicit a different response. 

It was fascinating how much sensitivity changed if I moved, up, down, or across her body by the slightest bit. One thing was sure though. She was feeling the pain.

Agony, lots and lots of agony from something so mild. A sword was starting to seem a bit too much for such a fragile body. The blade was clearly dull, and yet it pierced her skin with such ease. All the dripping blood made such a mess too. Then again, my observers used large tools on my tougher body for a reason.

If I had a smaller instrument this would’ve been less messy, but I would make do with what was available. 

With a deliberate slowness, I reached out a hand towards her face, tracing the lines of her trembling jaw. Her skin was soft, delicate compared to our rugged exoskeletons. It was inefficient for obvious reasons, but fascinating at the same time. The stark contrast between our species, and the power dynamic that had shifted in our favor.

《Are you afraid, little one?》I hissed, my voice low and menacing, dripping with the promise of pain and suffering. The human's eyes widened in response, a silent plea for mercy radiating from her gaze. She was clearly at her limits, eyes nearly dead as she did her best to avoid looking at my face.

Yet mercy was a foreign concept in my world. My world was one where the weak were preyed upon, where survival depended on one's ability to assert dominance.

Leaning closer, I continued, my words a chilling echo of the horrors yet to come.《"You will soon come to understand the true meaning of fear. We are just getting started.”》

With a swift motion, I withdrew a sharp instrument from her skin, its gleaming edge catching the dim light filtering through the forest canopy. It drew close to her disheveled face, and her eyes came alive as she realized the fate that awaited her, her struggles growing more frantic by the second.

But there was no escape from the inevitable. I had plans for her, tests to conduct, bodily functions to observe, boundaries to push. And as I plunged the blade into her delicate flesh, drawing forth a symphony of screams and cries, I knew that this was only the beginning of her torment.

Human Skin

The human skin is the outer covering of the body and is the largest organ. It plays an important immunity role in protecting the body against pathogens and excessive water loss. Its other functions are insulation, temperature regulation, Aesthetics and communication, sensation, storage and synthesis of vitamins, and absorption. Severely damaged skin will try to heal by forming scar tissue. This is often discolored and depigmented.