In the nest-like spidery house, the Spider King was speaking not with just a spider but with enhanced spider woman, a drider, or well the Drow Assistant. He approached a stand-at table, intricate and well crafted; it had no seats since driders couldn’t use any. And all was well, but no - not really! This wasn’t just afternoon tea with your local friendly drider, this was The Tea apparently, but that only would become clear later.

the table was illuminated by a set of blue wax candles; fresh from the mould. Moreover, the candles were enchanted and burned with Dark Flame, the glowing purple reflected from the pale drider skin and her obsidian chitin making the woman right in front ever more seductive. Moreover, she wore only a silken gown, thin and almost transparent, it clung to her round spidery shapes leaving little for imagination; the cloth enhanced her natural charms further. Worse, a tempting smell wafted from the spidery woman, alluring and hard to resist. No doubt she did everything in her power to get that cumulative Beauty +3 passive.

As soon as he stepped in her nest, right after his eyes landed on her spidery shapes, he knew he was trapped with no chance of escape. As if to prove the point, without prodding or assistance, the doors behind sealed themselves tightly shut.

The Drider Assistant gave him a look only a predator was capable of.

“My King, please take a seat.”

There were no seats of course, yet he still approached the table. And lo and behold, manipulated by a thread, a swing-like contraption lowered from the ceiling for him to sit. On the table It wasn’t just candles, there right in the middle, there was a peculiar dessert. He was very curious about it, it didn’t look familiar at all. The dessert jiggled ever so slightly, it tempted the Spider King with the sugary secrets it held within.

‘Cut Me! Slice Me Open! Devour My Insides!’ It begged sweetly in a tiny voice.

He had to blink twice because he heard it so clearly!

Perhaps it wasn’t all just his imagination because, “Ha-ha! I couldn't help myself!”

“Ventriloquism!” This was what it was, he named the ability to speak for the puppets.

“What a curious perk.” She smiled at him. “No, I don’t have that. Not yet.”

But she knew what it was! – He realised.

She gave him another smile, “Let’s get to it!”

The drider sliced the desert not with a knife but with a thin silky thread instead. She cut through the crispy and golden outer shell to expose the yellow custardy inside. Then she deposited a slightly jiggly dessert not in a cake plate but in a solidified silk bowl; or was it woven silk; or however she’d managed to make a solid bowl out of DriderSilk!

“I named it Flan!” She put the bowl right infront of her bewitched target. “Care for some tea?”

The Spider King nodded enthusiastically.

Magically so, she spun a whole cup from scratch using nothing but her silk again. Once again, the idea that silk could only be used to make cloth was shattered. He inspected the cup curiously. It was completely solid with no holes and all, and probably harder than ceramics.

“Is anything wrong?” She asked curious.

The cup was perfect! Well, not quite masterwork but still of very high quality.

“I’m just amazed by your skills.” He put it down for tea.

“It’s only natural, I’m a half-spider.” She reached for the nearby teapot.

The hot tea was poured into two silky cups. Unlike the common tea the liquid was only slightly coloured and mostly transparent, but from the rich fragrance, it was clear that the tea was very potent.

“I see you’re also curious about what this is. It’s WaterLily Tea, an ingredient the Mer should start producing on a larger scale if you ask me.”

“Is that so?” He bit a slice of dessert and chased it with the tea. “Mmm!” Both were amazing.

But also:

[You have obtained Web Strider], this one came from the Flan.

[You have obtained Soothing Regeneration], and this one from the WaterLily Tea.

“Oh!” He exclaimed. “I should have expected it to have extra properties.”

“That is so. The dessert grants you a temporary perk to run and scale through the web with increased ease, doubling your speed when you are on any spidery contraption. Very useful for spiders, but also for those who would normally find themselves trapped in the web.” She explained helpfully.

“And for the tea?”

“That one just increases your stamina regeneration. Simple, but also very useful.”

And just like that, without even noticing he had already devoured his otherwise sizeable Flan slice.

“I must admit. This is amazing!" He eyed another slice greedily.

“Of course it is. I made it with my own eggs.” She said proudly. “And with a dash of friend’s milk.” She whispered the latter.

“This only makes me wish we had more eggs like that. Then we could share these desserts with everyone.”

“Well…” She gave an embarrassed look. “There is only so much I could lay. And I don’t want to share them with anyone else. My eggs are only for the Spider King!” She announced with conviction.

“Is that so… it’s a shame, but not really.” He looked directly at her bewitching purple eyes. “I’m very honoured, and you always treat me with the best food. Thank you Drider Assistant!”

“I’m your personal assistant after all.” She looked deeply into his eyes. “I’ll forever look after you.”

He realised that he hadn’t noticed that somehow their hands had found each other. They were just holding hands across the table, but the mood was getting rather pink.

“Spider King?”

“Yes?”

“Can I see your Spider form?” She asked expectantly.

The request was sudden but there was no reason to not entertain his assistant even if a little bit.

“Sure, [Transformation: Spider].”

His body changed growing both in bulk and size. Skin was replaced by chitin and his legs by spidery appendages. He wasn’t quite a drider, he ended up more spider than human in his case. Normally the transformation would rip his clothes, but he had developed a counter to all that. He just shoved his robes into his Magical Inventory during the critical moments of transformation.

“Spidery Magnificent!” She exclaimed excitedly at his ‘naked’ spider form. “You should wear this form more often. It suits you rather well, our Spider King.” She emphasised his title.

“Should I?” He wondered. “But I look rather monstrous. I would spook my subjects.” He said with worry.

“Spook them?” She questioned. “You’re surrounded by spiders!” She reminded him.

“I mean my more humanoid subjects. Like Aurelian Humans, and perhaps, Drow and Kobolds.”

“Now-now…” She shook her head. “For one I know that the Drow like the spidery aesthetics. And the kobolds, I don’t think they would mind. The Aurelian Humans, yes, It might have been spooky for them at the beginning, but having that changed a lot since when?” She reasoned.

“Hmm…” He was thoughtful at her words.

“What’s the hesitation for? I think you’re rather se… I mean handsome in this form. Very regal!” She pointed at the natural protrusions on his head, they formed a spidery crown.

“Maybe you’re right. I should embrace my inner Spider.” He nodded.

“Yes!.” A nearly wrapped bundle lowered from the ceiling. “In that case. For you. Try it on.” She said nervously.

He unwrapped the bundle revealing the gift inside. “[Inspect]”, he checked curious.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Item: Spidery Robes of Magnificence

Quality: Masterwork

Bonuses

+50MP, +10 Spider Rep

Active Perks

[Master Stealth]

Passive Perks

[Web Mastery], [Deflect Magic: Lesser] [Beauty +1]

Resistances

[Reinforced +4], [Dirt Resistance], [Elemental Resistance: Lesser]

It was a beautifully woven DriderSilk robe. The robe was dyed black so as not to stand out from his naturally black spider chitin. The cloth was very light, but that didn’t take away from its durability, after all, it was Reinforced +4; a rating which probably made it near indestructible. Plus it had lesser resistance to all four of elemental magics!

“Amazing! The Web Mastery will work well with my Spin Web!” He put the robe over his shoulders leaving the front open. “It fits my spidery frame very well! And doesn’t get in the way of my many spidery legs. Truly a masterwork!”

“Obviously! I’m a half spider, so I know all the challenges well and thus can work around them.”

“Indeed, the spider clothing is no easy affair.” He admitted. “And with this, I feel no longer naked!” He admitted again.

“Oh!” The Drow Assistant exclaimed as if realising something, her pale cheeks flushed with crimson. “I think I can feel that Beauty +1…”

“Do you?! Am I really more beautiful?”

“…”

“Ah, perhaps I shouldn’t have asked. It’s not like I’m fishing for compliments or anything. But you know, it’s unfair that you ladies get +2 with the cream and the perfume. I feel left out!”

“Huh? But who stops you from using it too?”

“…” It was his turn to pause. “Fair point. I just think those things are for women only.”

“Nonsense!” She refuted that point quite strongly.

“I wonder…” He had some KelpCream in his inventory, and he had purchased some perfume for The Lamia Queen just recently. “I hope the Lamia Queen won't mind… here it goes.” He lathered some cream on his hands and his face and sprayed the perfume on the neck. “What do you think? Did it take effect?”

“…” She looked at him with two big but dangerously predatory eyes. “I lured you here… to trap you… and have my way… but it seems… my King… that it is you… who trapped me… in your spidery web.” She said between hot breaths.

“Gah! Drow Assistant where are you touching? I’m a married man!”

“But… spidery whispers had reached me… there is an arrangement… in place.”

“I have to get clearance! And this is too sudden!” He protested.

“Beauty +4… Can’t resist!” She touched there should not be touched.

Cream +1, Perfume +1, Clothing +1, that’s only =3, “It doesn’t add up!” He pointed out.

It seems she didn’t care much about math or his protests at this point because threads of spidery DriderSilk shot up from above trying to bind him in a net.

“Gah!” He moved with expert precision and navigated the tangled mess with finesse. “Ha! That’s Web Strider for you!”

“Tch! It seems I’ve made… A miscalculation…” She flicked the table only to lunge at him in a spidery Pounce.

“I don’t think so! [Shadow Step].” He dodged with no problem.

“Stop dodging… and fertilise… my eggs already!” She demanded.

“OMG! Beauty +4 is scary. It's worse than charmed!” Or perhaps not, because after glancing at her status, she was exactly that – Charmed. Yet, he had no control over her. “Very Dangerous!” He dodged another freshly spun net.

“Stop dodging!” She demanded. “Your essence will be… mine, [Pounce]! ” She jumped again using the power of all eight of her legs.

While he dodged the net, the room was not a football field, there was only so much space to move, so in other words, the net was dodged but not the drider herself.

“Got you!” She reached with her hand. “[Paralysing Touch]!”

“Two can play this game!” He stretched his arm. “[Spin Web: BindingRope].” After all, he had that Web Mastery.

Her arm was bound by the robe and hence the deadly touch was avoided.

“Tch!” She clicked her tongue in frustration. “You are… no amateur… at spidery!”

He pulled the rope to unbalance her further. “Yes, I am not.!” More of the purple magical threat shot from his arm.

“I can’t… I can’t Dodge it… what thread is this?” She asked bewildered at the impossible.

Yes, normally it would be impossible to trap a drider with a tread, but this was no mere thread.

“It’s my special Web.” He spared no mana to finish his spidery spell. “[Bind]!”

“Ah!” She struggled against it. “…” Defeated she gave him a hungry glare. “To be… bested … like this… I like it!!!” She breathed even hotter.

“OMG! Are you into it?”

“Bind me… Tighter!!!” She was so into it! “Do with… my body… as you please…”

“What a heck! This is not the tea I came for!” He pointed at the scattered teapots and cups, not to mention still-lit candles.

“It is… this is The Tea… as it is meant to be!”

“Nope. Not the time, not the place. [Web Drain]!” He invoked sapping her stamina.

“Ah!!!” Unfortunately, she was also into it.

“…” He scratched his head. “I know.” He reached into the inventory and doused himself and her with plenty of DarkWater.

And just like that the dangerous cream and the perfume were washed off.

“Better he asked?”

“No!” She replied defiantly. “Look what you made me do!”

“I didn’t make you do anything!!!”

“You need to take responsibility.”

He looked at the Traped but no longer Charmed drider. She was as completely wet, and her almost transparent gown now was truly transparent. “I will.” He sighed, yet he was happy, no, not at the sight, but at the fact that her Beuty also dropped to only +1 reducing the danger level for him.

“You will? Then ask your wife… so we can have The Tee next time. As it is meant to be.”

“…” He gave her a curious look. If in a messy way, she still had made it very obvious how she felt. “I will ask.” He said it simply.

“Okay. Now untie me, please.” She paused. “Or not…” She gave a cheeky grin.

“Ha-ha… I will.” He undid his magical thread dispersing it into purple motes.

“Tch...” She clicked her tongue. “Anyway, I wanted to show you something else.”

“Did you?”

“Yeah, we just got distracted. That’s it.” She straightened her still-wet gown. “Observe! [Elemental Web: Fire]!” She spun a fiery web into a humanoid puppet. “[Imbue: Dark Spirit Stone]!” A dark pebble crumbled in her hand. “[Create Puppet]!” The puppet took life and jumped out of her hands.

“Wow! Is it intelligent?”

“It is not.” She said with slight disappointment. “Not the way you think it is. It is just a construct, but it can follow basic commands well. [Elemental Web: Water], [Imbue: Dark Spirit Stone], [Create Puppet].” She finished the combo spell creating another. “Fight!” She commanded.

The puppets began slapping each other rather viciously.

“They deal the elemental damage of their affinity, but the values remain rather low.” The Drow Assistant explained.

“Oh?” He watched fire fight water, and water fight fire. “They have only 10HP and each attack takes off 0.1HP.” He observed.

“Look closer.”

“I see! Fire is weak to Water and thus takes double damage.”

“It is so. So which one would you think will win?”

It was rather obvious: the Fire Puppet was on 2HP already and the Water Puppen on 6HP, however, It sounded like a trick question, yet still, he decided to entertain it. “The Water Puppet, of course.”

“It would be so, if not for…” She gave a malevolent grin. “Do your Special Fire Puppet #1!”

The puppet stretched its arms wide and looked at the ceiling.

“[Arach Dominus]!!!” It shouted in a tiny but full of authority voice.

And then, *Boom*, it exploded in a fiery explosion.

“It spoke!” Spider King exclaimed in yet another moment of amazement. “Oh, and it took out its opponent. So it’s a draw.”

“It is a draw.” She nodded. “Incidentally, it’s the only spell they know.”

“Very interesting.”

“The explosion deals a significant amount of elemental damage, but it’s not quite powerful enough to kill a standard humanoid.”

“Very interesting… But why did you make them?”

She tilted her head. “What do you mean? They're cute! And they’re useful. And there is no limit I can command!”

“That’s rather broken! Nerf it, nerf it now!”

She tilted her head gain but to the other side. “The limitation is the Spirit Stones. It’s rather expensive for a single puppet of 10HP, don’t you think so.”

“Yeah, you’re right… now show me the rest of the varieties.”

And thus in addition to Fire and Water, Earth Puppets and Wind Puppets were created; a hundred of each kind. The Spider King looked at the tiny army with sparkling eyes.

“Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Hero, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished.”

“Spider King? What are you on about?”