Arthur collapsed onto the ground from sheer exhaustion and let the venom do its work. About an hour later, he had finally recovered.
All of his injuries had healed, and every trace of the twisted fungus vanished from his body—at least on the surface.
Deep inside him, beside his internal organs, all the malignant spores had gathered into a single pitch-black sphere.
The fungal spores were extremely resilient. Even though the venom continued to destroy them at a steady pace, they never stopped multiplying and growing. As a result, the sphere trembled and pulsed, as if it were a living beast trapped in temporary hibernation.
Even though the danger was far from over, Arthur felt a great sense of relief and let out a long sigh.
'As long as that fungal core remains stable, it won't pose an immediate threat to my life. From now on, I'll need to hunt carefully and avoid taking injuries to my abdomen and back. More importantly… I have to reach Rank C as soon as possible.'
His thoughts went silent, and he shook his head in disappointment, letting out a second, weary sigh.
'Tsk… that's yet another problem I have to deal with. The System is still inactive, and I don't even know if I can ascend without it. Damn it… why can't these problems come one at a time? Whatever.
Complaining won't help me right now. Besides, this ordeal wasn't entirely pointless. If anything… it might actually be a blessing in disguise.'
The irritation faded from his mind. A cunning thought surfaced, and the corners of his lips curled into a small, satisfied smile.
Slowly, he lifted his head and stared at the spider-woman, who was resting silently with her many eyes closed.
He was no longer afraid of her discovering his intentions or sensing his feelings; he had become an expert at hiding them.
Moreover, her healing of him had drained her slightly, not to mention that the webs inside him had grown weaker as they were forced to suppress the fungi from spreading through his body. This gain alone was worth the struggle.
Most importantly, offering his loyalty to the spider-woman under these harsh circumstances had earned him something invaluable: her undivided attention.
He was fully aware that the only reason she had kept him alive all this time was mere bewilderment and curiosity—and perhaps caution.
Even his value as a sentient being capable of hunting for her wasn't that significant; she could have discarded him at any time she pleased. But now, he was certain that everything had changed.
The spider wasn't the only one observing; he, in turn, had been observing her. Throughout their few interactions, he had analyzed her actions and tried to understand her motives.
Thanks to his emotional intelligence as a human, he had gained a solid understanding of her personality.
'This spider might seem domineering, sadistic, and even obsessed with control, but that isn't entirely the case. Quite simply, her emotions as a sentient being are incomplete.
This makes her act in extremes despite her great intelligence. Perhaps, deep down, she is like a small child who wants attention and recognition.'
He furrowed his brow slightly and mocked himself inwardly.
'When I put it that way, it sounds strange—ridiculous, even. I must be losing my mind. She's a monster. It's impossible to judge her by human standards. Still… I don't think I'm completely wrong.
Her emotional side is her weakest point. That's what I need to guide—so I don't give her the chance to deal with me using either her intelligence or her instincts.'
The idea itself was insane in the most literal sense. A single misstep could lead to his death. That was why he had to treat her with extreme caution, never provoking her in the slightest.
Lost in thought, he absentmindedly continued staring at her face. This irritated the spider-woman. She opened her eyes and looked straight into his with a strange expression, then spoke in a cold, indifferent tone.
"Do you want something? I just saved your life, and you're already craving more?"
Arthur snapped back to his senses. He lowered his head, straightened his posture, and replied politely.
"No, my lady. I would never dare ask for more. You've already done far too much for me and saved me several times. Words of thanks alone are not enough. I was merely wondering how I could repay you… as your follower."
The spider-woman narrowed her eyes slightly. For a brief moment, she found herself unable to respond, caught off guard by his excessive politeness. What shocked her even more was that he was being completely sincere.
That was strange. Completely strange.
She couldn't understand how a being could willingly offer up its will to another.
The silence dragged on for a full minute. In the end, she organized her thoughts and finally spoke, her tone laced with mockery:
"Repay me? Don't make me laugh. At your current Rank, you're completely worthless. I gave you only one task—to bring prey—and yet you still fail. Listen carefully. If you want to prove your usefulness, then go hunt."
Arthur opened his mouth, wanting to reply, but the webs beside him suddenly moved. Several silky threads shot out, wrapped around his body, and swiftly dragged him out of the nest. Her voice echoed inside his head once more.
"Don't come back unless you bring a lot of food."
Arthur froze in place for a moment. Then he closed his mouth and sighed.
'I was right. Offering my loyalty really did make her less brutal, less vicious toward me. I need to earn more of her trust—and feed her curiosity.'
With a small smile, he turned away and headed off to search for suitable prey.
Inside the nest, the spider-woman watched him until he disappeared into the distance.
Then she shifted her full attention to the grotesque bear, still bound within the thick cocoon. In a cold voice filled with killing intent, she muttered:
"This evil creature must not be allowed to live."
Despite her reluctance, she mobilized a large portion of her power. Muttering several obscure, incomprehensible words, she unleashed a powerful high-tier spell.
Out of nowhere, hundreds of white, poison-coated stakes appeared around the bear's cocoon. They pierced inward simultaneously, stabbing through the cocoon and impaling the bear until it died. But it didn't end there.
More webs wrapped around the cocoon as it rapidly contracted, crushing the remains inside and sealing them completely before being flung far away.
Unlike the ignorant Arthur, the spider-woman understood just how dangerous this area truly was. The malicious mana permeating the surroundings clearly signaled that something evil was lurking nearby.
The reason she remained here despite knowing this was simple—this hidden threat was something she could deal with.
The same could not be said for the other monsters ruling different regions of the forest, who would most likely attack her the moment they discovered her presence.