As soon as Eisen plucked the bloated tick away, a fresh gush of blood welled up from the inflamed wound beneath the snake scales, revealing a puncture hole deeper and wider than a thumb joint.
The moment its head was severed, the tick's abdomen—swollen like an overinflated sandbag—cracked and peeled away like a brittle shell. In an instant, a cluster of tiny, round, and densely packed eggs burst forth from its belly, spilling all over Eisen's hand!
Eisen's brow twitched as he flung the leaf-wrapped mess to the ground.
"You never know where they've laid their eggs on you," he muttered. "It's useless, no matter how many times you clear them off the surface."
The pile of eggs was immediately swarmed by two or three juvenile Dreadweaver Spiders following Albert. They fell upon the mess with gusto, devouring it as if they had just been served a portion of ultra-fresh insect jam.
Then, like eager puppies, they spun circles around Albert's feet.
"Bugs! Tasty!"
"Want more bugs!"
