The Imperial Army’s General was leading his men towards the Aurelian Capital. The size of the force was small, it was just a tiny squad, but these men were the most loyal to the General, and they were seasoned veterans. Even still, there was no doubt this was a suicide mission. The men had accepted that reality, and to turn back would mean to betray the Emperor’s will.

A smaller force allowed them to move quicker, and the night terrors were avoided. Soon they reached the Capital.

“No, this can’t be!” The Army General voiced his confusion.

His men experienced an equal amount of shock at the sight.

“General, what does this mean?” One of the subordinates asked.

“I… I don’t know.” He still couldn’t wrap his mind around it.

He didn’t even know if he should call the thing in front of him a city. Yes, there were structures in the distance he could see, but those didn’t look human at all. The neat blocky and comfortably triangular shapes were replaced by spherical nest-like abominations. The materials used were also unfamiliar. The odd shapes gave the impression that the city was alive, and that it was spreading like some sort of malignant cancer.

To prevent immediate detection, they approached the capital using the cover of the nearby vegetation, but still, it was only a matter of time before the trouble caught up with them.

“General, what do you think is inside those nests?”

The Army General snorted at the stupid question. “Monsters. Obviously.”

After all, they still had to meet even a single Aurelian person, and they probably wouldn’t. It was as everyone suspected: the Aurelian People were sacrificed in some sort of dark ritual to summon monsters and terrors.

“Should we turn back?” The subordinate asked.

He glared at the out-of-the-line veteran. “Are you suggesting we desert too? No! Since we are here let's just deal some damage. As much as we can.” After all, everyone was here with a single goal, to fight.

“I suggest we split up and sabotage the nests from the inside. This way we’ll be harder to deal with.” One of the commanders offered.

“Good idea, let's do that.”

The men scattered.

Once the Army General got closer, he quickly realised that there were still people alive there. That brought some hope. Ever so carefully he approached the nest-like buildings still wary of detection. Surprisingly he reached the city border without any problem whatsoever. Soon it became obvious that the Aurelian people were very much alive. They walked in and out of these monster nests as if they just lived inside.

The Army General spurred by curiosity sheathed his sword and decided to investigate. He hid his armour in nearby underbrush wearing only a simple tunic. He approached the nearby buildings confidently, there was no need for him to skulk like some thief.

The old walls of Aurelian Capital were further away, this sprawling complex of weird nests was just outside of it, so he had no problem just to waltz inside. There were a lot of holes in this plan, but from what he had seen so far, he had confidence in it.

And he was right, he was able to infiltrate the labyrinthine streets with no problems. The Aurelian people didn’t even give him a second glance.

“That accursed Angel! They were fools to turn back.” He lamented. “They have no defences here, we could have swooped in and taken out whatever this is.”

He continued walking and investigating both the people and the structures. Indeed the curious buildings, while somewhat spooky, turned out to house only humans. And surprisingly it wasn’t the monster-like designs which were the most perturbing; it was the Aurelian people! They were grotesquely fat and they walked smiling like some sort of idiots.

“What’s going on? Didn’t they have a famine not too long ago?” Then it dawned to him. “It’s almost like they are…” He didn’t want to entertain such an idea but… “Are the demons fattening them up just to eat them later?” It seemed the most plausible solution. “Also, they look too happy. There must be some Illusion or Charm magic at play.” He reached to his belt grasping the Holy Medallion tighter. “The Holy Light will protect me.” He reassured himself, the medallion was there to counter such spells.

Soon, he noticed the first of the demons. It was an abomination, a twisted spider-like creature imitating a human. It had the necessary features to wear human clothing, and he could hear it speaking Common, but in the end it was just a mockery of a person. The charmed thrall was nodding at the spider excessively overjoyed to do its foul bidding.

The Army General reached for the sheath, anger burning inside him. He wanted to kill the demon and free the poor fool. However, he stilled his hand.

“No, it’s not the time. I need to investigate further.”

He walked deeper into the city. He wanted to reach the very centre of this nest-like maze. The very centre was often the place where the heart of the corruption was. And indeed, the deeper he went the more spider monsters he encountered. Surprisingly they were oblivious to his presence.

“Are they foolish enough to mistake me for one of their slaves?” He shook his head. “If so, I’ll use that to my advantage.” He pressed forward with more courage.

On his way, he observed many disturbing sights. In his mind, there was no doubt that the spiders grew the humans here as some sort of animal stock. It was disgusting! The worst of it was the Aurelian people failing to even understand their own situation.

“The foul magic must be extremely strong.” He silently thanked the Holy Light for protecting him so far.

It took him a while to realise, but a strange ritual was taking place. From elaborate stalls, the spiders were handing free food to the humans, mostly some type of fruit, and the people were eating it with uninhibited gluttony, growing ever fatter. The mood was strange, it was almost like they were celebrating something. Also, everyone was wearing blue and only blue, it was rather strange, and he still had no explanation for it.

Later, from the corner of his eye, he noticed one of his companions being dragged by a spider monster. The poor man was tightly bound in a web. The Army General wanted to save his comrade here and there, but then he would give himself away.

His eyes met with the captured man; the man looked at him beggingly. The Army General gave an apologetic look and averted his eyes.

An eerie but chirpy voice coming from behind startled him. “Newcomer. Do not be perturbed.”

He reached for his sword ready to act.

“Worry not. That’s just a troublemaker. We’re just putting him on a time-out.” It chirped an explanation.

He didn’t detect any hostility from the creature. His body screamed to act but his mind demanded to remain composed.

“You’re not a troublemaker?” The spider chirped. “Are you?”

“No, I’m not.” He uttered cautiously.

“Then, here’s a gift.” The spider handed a bundle of cloth. “You’ll fit in better.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

He took the bundle slightly confused.

“Do you have a human nest already?” The spider inquired.

He nodded in affirmation without giving it much thought.

“Then, go and make some new friends!” The spider turned to leave.

Needless to say, he was extremely confused of what just happened. He unfurled the cloth bundle; it was a blue tunic everyone was wearing. It was a somewhat simple design, something a peasant would wear.

“Is it enchanted?” He inspected it further with suspicion. “Shame I’m not a mage.” He couldn’t tell. The worry was that it might somehow affect his mind if he chose to wear it.

The simple tunic was only simple at a glance. The fabric actually was smooth to the touch and the cloth was very light. At a second glance, it looked rather expensive. He grasped for the medallion and donned the blue tunic over his old one. As far as he could tell, there was no mind-altering spell woven into it. He released a strained sigh of relief.

“Hmm…” He hummed thoughtfully. “I do fit in better, don’t I.” The only thing missing was layers upon layers of fat, but otherwise, he was fitting in the crowd.

Ever since he came here, the Army General couldn't help but notice that the streets were unnaturally clean and clear of pests and even malodours. Soon he found a reason, a small spider scuttered around picking up the trash and debris, and another spider was sweeping the street with a peculiar brush, it was also likely that the little monsters caught and ate the pesky critters of the city leaving it pest-free.

“Strange. I would expect them to force humans to do tasks like these.”

On his way, he passed a line of stalls, each and every managed by a spider. Unlike others, these didn’t hand out free food, there were items on the tables. The spiders behind the stalls looked with clear intelligence, but also malice in their four yellow eyes. Some of them beckoned for him to purchase this and that, but he ignored those calls.

“So strange. The humans still possess their money and are encouraged to spend it.” He couldn’t understand the angle of this spider trick.

If these demons wanted money, they could just take it from the Aurelian people. Maybe this was just a part of an elaborate Illusion to keep the Aurelian people in check. After all, it was very clear who was in charge. He had passed a few spiders like that: big, tall, and formidable. Those two were of the warrior kind. They had no weapons, only a strange stick, but as an Army General, he could tell straight away that the two spiders were experts at using it. He gave a wide berth to the spider warriors.

He kept going deeper and taking the unusual sights in. For now, he chose to ignore the alien buildings and concentrated on the monsters. They came in different sizes and shapes, some more human than others, but all undeniably terrifying and powerful demons. One thing was obvious, the more human-like the spider was, the more status and power it wielded.

He wanted to ignore the odd and peculiar buildings, but there was one he could not ignore. It was large and magnificent, standing out from the surroundings. The architecture was very strange, but there was a peculiar beauty in it, which even he, a man with no refined tastes, could still appreciate. Unmistakably, It was a temple to one of the Dark Gods. Aurelian people formed an orderly que patiently waiting to go inside.

Overtaken by a macabre curiosity, and despite the better judgement, the Army General joined the queue. The wait was uncomfortably long but he persevered. Two spider guards parted their sticks letting him past the entrance. He gasped in surprise at the sight. He wasn’t too sure what he was seeing but this wasn’t an ordinary temple.

“Move, man! You’re clogging the entrance.” A heavy and impatient hand pushed him.

He turned in alarm to the dull sound, *Bonk*.

“Don’t be rude.” The spider ruthlessly disciplined the inpatient man.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, please don’t purge me. I can’t live without Spidery Delicious! Please!!!” He was on his knees begging.

Purge? That’s a rather strong punishment for a small slight like this. With obvious worry, the Army General stepped away to clear the doorway for others to pass.

“Is it me you need. To apologise?” The evil spider waved it’s stick wickedly.

“Ah! But of course.” The rude man stood up and looked at him. “It’s my treat, I’ll buy you anything. We’re friends, right?”

The army general nodded unsure. Luckily this was enough to placate the murderous spider.

“Come let’s sit together.” The stranger urged him to one of the tables.

They sat down. The stranger was blabbering this and that, to be honest, it was hard to follow.

“… recently I tried Mega Jammy XXL Whippy Galore Extreme, it was alright but not crispy enough for me…”

A small spider had descended from the ceiling a few minutes ago and was just staring at them patiently. The atmosphere was awkward and the Army General still struggled to understand what this place actually was. That was until he looked at the other tables.

“They’re eating?” He uttered under his nose but still a bit too loud.

“Ah yes, let's order. I’d like…” The stranger followed with some strange incantation. “How about you? Wait…” He paused with a large grin. “You’re too famished to be from the capital. You’re new aren’t you?”

Oh no! Was he caught?

“It’s your lucky day! I know just the best combo. Spider, please get him…” The stranger uttered some words with no actual meaning.

Some time passed, and to sum up the experience… The Army General, afraid of the food being tampered with, didn’t really want to put the unholy offering into his mouth, but he had no choice, he was in the temple and he had to follow the ritual and… The experience was out of this world!

Surprisingly the local tender remained the Imperial Coin, and he had plenty of that tucked in the punch under the belt. But the stranger insisted on paying for the meal. The Army General left with his belly stuffed and a content grin on his face.

“The food is better than in the royal palace. The quality, the amount, the price…” It just boggled his mind. “Now, I understand why everyone is so… well-rounded.”

Of course, he was offered a strange dark bubbling potion to go with his meal, but that clearly was poison, so he skipped that.

“Maybe as long as I avoid the potion, it's alright?” He didn’t feel mind-controlled at the moment or anything.

He pressed further into the city to look for the one who enthralled the Aurelian People, the head demon.

Later, he met another of his companions. The man had successfully infiltrated the city as well, and just like him he had a stuffed stomach and was wearing a blue tunic.

“Army General!” The companion approached with a smile.

“Second Commander!” He too was glad someone else had made it.

They shared their experiences. The experiences were almost identical but… there was something wrong with the Second Commander.

“I wish I could live here… I mean it!”

“What do you mean?!” The Army General exclaimed with worry.

“What… but you saw it yourself. Rent-free lodgings, dirt-cheap food… Everyone is so smiley and warm, and I haven't seen a single beggar or a thief. They have it easy here, don’t they? Well, the girls are on the plump side but honestly, I don’t mind.”

“No!” He stepped back, the Second Commander was clearly Enthralled.

“General? What’s up with that look? … Geh!”

He knocked the Second Commander unconscious and ran for it.

“What the hell was he talking about? The city is infested with monsters!” He held the medallion and asked the Holy Light to protect him.

…

The Army General roamed the streets, slightly lost at the labyrinthine nature of their design. Each day was more bizarre than the other.

The spiders worked through day and night to lay packed dirt streets with peculiar cobbles; stones smooth and appealing suited better for a mansion than a path. He saw spiders building lanterns, not just any lanterns but Magical Lanterns, something he had only seen in the Holy Capital. In between the streets, the sprawl of the nest housing was being expanded at an unnatural pace. Then he investigated one of the nest houses he was shocked to find it had running water and a sewage system in place. Many other different structures were being made, some extremely large in scope.

Why?! Why would spider demons go so far to enhance the human city? If this kept on, soon it would rival the splendour of the Holy Capital itself.

Later, he had to check for the Illusion status because he saw a white ship sailing through the sky. Utterly impossible! But it was no illusion. At this point he was beyond terrified. The demons and monsters here clearly possessed the technology to rival, no, to even overshadow the Magitech of the Holy Empire. Scary, terrifying, and bloodcurdling!

Much later, he understood why the Aurelian Capital was being transformed. A horde of monster races and demons flowed into the city. Obviously, all the new buildings were here for them, and the human cattle were only temporary occupiers. Soon, there will be a slaughter and a feast. The Army General had no desire to stay here and witness it. He ran away from the Aurelian Capital.

He sprinted at top speed, afraid to be stopped, pursued and caught. But no one chased after him. He had come here with a goal but that goal had changed time and time again. Even if he risked being declared a deserter and a coward, all he wanted to do was just to report all of this to the Holy Emperor directly.

He saw the monster procession, the horde of spiders. The level of their technology. One, no, even four armies would not be enough. And the monsters soon will feast and multiply further, expanding the border of the monstrous Aurelian Capital with their growth. The Holy Inquisition had underestimated the threat severely!

The alien nest-like structures of Aurelian Capital were growing distant, but even then, he still was sprinting. Despite the distance, his ears picked up on an ungodly roar. It sounded like a chant for a dark ritual, or maybe it signified the end of it.

“Long live the Monster Realm, Long live the Aurelian Dutchy!”, it reached his ears again and again.

The words carried power, making even someone like him, a seasoned and experienced general, shudder in fright.

He wondered if perhaps that impostor Angel was right. Maybe she knew what awaited them here and that’s why she turned the army back. A part of him, was now glad that she did that.

[You have entered the Monster Realm], a system message pushed him further to despair.

It clearly spelt the doom of all the Aurelian people. The Army General said a quick prayer for the lost souls and then continued to run with increased vigour. He had to make that report!