The Spider Navigator, all six legs tapping with restless precision, skittered down the hallway toward the King's cabin. Her spidery uniform—a crisp, intricate web of spidery fabric spun for her—hung neatly on her slender frame. It was an immaculate look, a testament to her diligence, yet she couldn’t help but fidget with the collar. Normally, a uniform like this was enough, but now, she felt like she ought to wear something else. Something more… feminine.
There, by the King’s cabin door, stood Darkness, the shapeshifting slime. Or rather, crouched. Darkness had taken on her human form, a lithe, rogue-like figure adorned in tight black leather, her slimy body expertly imitating the folds of buckles and belts as if they were armour. Her eyes—deep and dark, like the void—were pressed close to the keyhole. She spied through it, her form comically contorted as she leaned against the heavy ironoak doors.
The Spider Navigator approached, her spidery feet skittering at the floor, though Darkness, lost in her observation, failed to notice her. "Hello, Darkness," she chirped in a sweet spidery chirp, giving her a polite wave.
Darkness nearly jumped, spinning away from the keyhole with an exaggerated yelp that sounded more like a certain wyrmling’s signature phrase than anything else. "Meow! Spider Navigator!" she exclaimed, quickly straightening herself and trying to regain her composure. Her body wobbled slightly, the fluidity of her slime form betraying her nervousness.
The Spider Navigator tilted her head curiously. "What are you doing here, Darkness?" Her spindly legs tapped quietly as she moved closer to the door.
Darkness, looking bummed out, pouted like a child caught in mischief. "Meow... Well, I was put on guard duty. Kicked out, actually. The King is busy inside." She tried to puff out her chest as if to show she was taking her duty seriously, but her rogue-like stance, combined with the slight jiggle of her slime form, made it hard to take her seriously.
"Guard duty?" The Spider Navigator chirped in thought, her mind weaving through the current events. She tried to peer past Darkness toward the keyhole, but it wasn’t her nature to pry—at least not yet. "I need to see the Spider King. I have... important matters to discuss with him."
Darkness's expression was conflicted. Her rogue mask slipped slightly, revealing the playful creature beneath. "No can do, meow! He’s in a very important discussion, something about national security!" She leaned in conspiratorially, eyes glinting. "…the making of the Ultimate Cream Cheese."
The Spider Navigator chirped in acknowledgment, though her mind was elsewhere. "Ah, of course. The Ultimate Cream Cheese." She nodded thoughtfully, her spidery legs tapping a pattern on the floor. "I suppose that sounds important." Her gaze shifted to the door. "But my matter is important too. I will wait."
Darkness jiggled slightly, a complicated mix of amusement and nervousness playing across her face. "Well... I guess that’s fine, meow," she said, relaxing a bit and leaning back against the door. "But don’t expect it to be quick. They’re... testing their weapons."
As they waited in silence, the occasional muffled sound seeped through the heavy wood of the cabin door. It was impossible to ignore the voices inside. The Spider King's deep, authoritative voice resonated, rich with excitement, while the softer, yet strong voice of the Centauri Champion echoed back in response.
“Centauri Champion, you have the most lethal of weapons. Have I told you that?” came the Spider King's voice, brimming with enthusiasm.
"You’ve mentioned it more than once," the Centauri Champion replied, her voice carrying the weight of a warrior who knew her worth. “Now, go ahead!” she challenged him.
“Don’t mind if I do!” an excited voice boomed a reply.
Darkness flicked her head toward the door, her ear pressed close once again. "Oh, meow... This is getting good," she whispered, her tone suggestive, as if she were eavesdropping on something much more salacious than a weapon test.
“Your weapons… they feel so good in my hands. Their just perfect!” The Spider King exclaimed with delight.
“I’m happy to be of service. Now use your special technique,” The Centauri Champion urged.
“Don’t mind if I do!”
The Spider Navigator’s curiosity piqued. "Weapons? Special techniques?" She moved closer, tapping her legs softly as she positioned herself next to Darkness. "What sort of weapons are they testing?"
Darkness gave a knowing nod. "It’s the Expert Milking Technique, meow! The Spider King’s favorite."
The Spider Navigator chirped in understanding. She had heard of it before—an ingenious method developed by the Spider King to extract BlueJelly in vast quantities, a remarkable skill that had strengthened the Spider Kingdom’s economy.
"Ah, the Expert Milking Technique..." The Spider Navigator mused, her mind momentarily distracted from her anxieties. "But he’s found a way to weaponize it?"
Darkness nodded with a smirk. "Seems like it, meow!"
“As expected of the Spider King!” she chirped feeling proud of her King.
Suddenly, the sounds from the cabin grew louder, as if the battle within had reached its climax. Thuds, grunts, and the clang of shuffling hooves filled the hallway as the Spider King and Centauri Champion duelled with ferocious intensity.
The Spider Navigator pressed her ear closer, the thrill of the battle sending shivers through her spindly legs. Darkness, equally enraptured, was now fully focused on the keyhole, her body squishing slightly as she leaned into the door.
"Our Spider King is a formidable fighter," the Spider Navigator chirped with pride, her voice carrying the unmistakable air of admiration. She tapped her legs softly in anticipation, her earlier anxieties fading as she became engrossed in the scene unfolding on the other side of the door. At least the sounds of it.
"Meow, you’re telling me!" Darkness whispered back, her face flushed with excitement. Her slime body wobbled slightly, as though the mere thought of the King’s prowess in battle was enough to unsettle her form.
Inside, the sounds of the duel intensified, and it was clear the Centauri Champion was being pushed to her limits. Her heavy breathing and the sharp slaps of her weapons against the Spider King’s techniques reverberated through the door.
"Spider King..." the Centauri Champion’s voice was strained, but there was an undeniable challenge in her tone. "Isn’t it time you showed me... your spear?"
The Spider Navigator blinked, her spidery mind weaving together the significance of that request. Of course, the Devouring Spear, the King’s signature weapon. Her curiosity grew tenfold, eager to hear how the King would respond.
There was a brief silence, punctuated by the sound of rustling, perhaps the King retrieving his legendary weapon from his Inventory.
Darkness, her eye still glued to the keyhole, jiggled with anticipation.
"..."
"???"
The silence that followed the shuffling and creaks inside felt dense, almost uncomfortable. Even with all of her legs grounded, the Spider Navigator found herself fidgeting, uncertain. The King's voice boomed once more, cutting through the tension like a knife through silk.
"Centauri Champion!" The Spider King’s voice carried a certain regal strength. "A Human can’t be measured by Centauri standards, but I am no mere man. Observe! Transformation: Spider!!!"
A delighted clap echoed from within the room, followed by the overjoyed voice of the Centauri Champion. "Ohhh!"
"This is only the beginning!" The Spider King continued, his voice brimming with the pride of his transformation.
"OHHH!!!" The Centauri Champion’s excited neighs followed, and the distinct sound of hooves clattered wildly against the wooden floor, vibrating through the door.
Outside, the Spider Navigator tilted her head, the yellows of her eyes glinting with curiosity. She knew, of course, the Centauri Champion was notorious for her love of duels, always yearning for challenges worthy of her prowess. There was no doubt in the Spider Navigator's mind that the Centauri Champion had never fought the King in his true form. The thought of witnessing such a battle excited her, a tangle of fascination starting to weave its way through her mind.
But her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the Centauri Champion neigh a challenge. "Come at me, my King, come!"
The Spider King’s response was swift and decisive. "Don’t mind if I do!"
The Spider Navigator’s head tilted further. She wanted to see it, to witness the show of secret weapons and hidden techniques.
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Darkness was still glued to the keyhole, her obsidian eyes wide with anticipation, her body nearly melting into the door. She seemed to be in the perfect position to witness the spectacle, and it irked the Spider Navigator that she was missing out on such a rare moment. With a slight huff, she tugged at the hem of Darkness’s faux leather outfit, the slime’s human form perfectly mimicking the texture. "I want to see too!" she chirped, tapping her spidery claws impatiently.
Darkness slapped her claw away, her voice turning into a series of distressed meows. "Meow! Wait!" She turned her focus back to the keyhole, pressing her face against it as if she could merge through the door itself. "It’s about to get good!"
Inside, the tension in the air built like a rising tide, and the Spider Navigator could hear the Centauri Champion’s voice crack with challenge. "Spider King! Don’t you dare go easy on me! I want your full force!"
The King’s hesitation was palpable, his voice faltering ever so slightly. "Full force?"
"Yes!" the Centauri Champion roared. "I want to feel all of your might! Don’t hold back! Bring it on!"
There was no denying the excitement now. The Spider King’s voice roared back with a thunderous, "Don’t... don’t mind if I do!"
The Spider Navigator let out a small giggle, her mandibles clicking together in amusement. "The Centauri Champion is a fool if she thinks she can handle the full power of his spear," she chirped, her excitement brimming. "She doesn’t stand a chance. He’ll wipe the floor with her!"
Darkness, still glued to the keyhole, gave a small, knowing nod. "That spear is mighty... Meow, how is she not afraid?"
The sounds from the duel grew more ferocious by the second. The pounding of hooves became thunderous, shaking the very walls of the cabin, and the sharp thuds of the bodies colliding told of the fierce struggle inside. Furniture smashed, shelves clattered, and it sounded as though the entire cabin was being torn apart in the heat of battle. It didn’t take a genius to see that duelling in such a confined space was a dangerous decision, but the Spider Navigator wasn’t one to question the King’s methods.
"Meow... this is too much..." Darkness whispered in awe, her form beginning to wobble as the intensity inside the room reached new heights. Her slimy body could no longer maintain its human form under the weight of the chaos, and with a soft, almost defeated splat, she melted into a puddle on the floor.
Seeing her opportunity, the Spider Navigator darted forward, her spidery legs moving with elegant precision as she pressed her eye to the keyhole. "My turn!" she chirped excitedly.
"..."
What she saw inside was... unexpected, to say the least. There were no weapons—no gleaming swords or shining spears—just flesh of bodies. The Spider King and the Centauri Champion were locked in a duel of strength, yes, but not in any form the Spider Navigator had anticipated. Their bodies moved in sync, clashing with an intensity that was mesmerizing in its own right.
"As expected of the Spider King," the Spider Navigator whispered, her voice filled with awe as her eyes tracked the movements of the King. His spidery form was a marvel of grace and power, each of his spidery limbs working in perfect coordination, subduing the Centauri Champion with ease.
"Meow?" Darkness bubbled up from her puddle on the floor, her voice incredulous. "How can you watch this so calmly?"
The Spider Navigator was utterly enraptured, her breath catching in her chest. "This... this is incredible! I’ve never seen such a duel before! The technique! The grace!" Her voice was a flurry of excited chirps, her legs tapping energetically on the floor. "What is this? What are they doing?"
"They’re making the Ultimate Cream Cheese, that’s what they’re doing," Darkness gurgled, her slimy form undulating with unease as she tried to process the scene inside.
The Spider Navigator’s many eyes widened, glistening with pure, spider-like wonder. "Oh! The technique! His unique skills!" She was practically bouncing on her spidery feet, each tap a sign of her growing excitement. "It’s... it’s amazing!"
Darkness, still a puddle on the floor, groaned. "Aw, don’t step on me..." she muttered as she tried to slither out of the way of the overly enthusiastic spider.
The Spider Navigator, however, was lost in her own world, her mind weaving the scene into a perfect web of memory. Every movement, every technique the King executed was committed to her memory with meticulous care. His majesty, the sheer might of his body, the way he moved with such power and precision—it was awe-inspiring. And the Centauri Champion? She was utterly subjugated, her body trembling under the King’s dominance.
"My King..." the Centauri Champion’s voice trembled, weak and breathless. "Finish me... Give me your SweetRelease!"
The Spider Navigator blinked. SweetRelease? Was that a new type of dessert? She had never heard of the Centauri Champion begging for mercy quite like that before. Moreover, the Centauri Champion’s performance was lacklustre, she didn’t deserve any desserts! If she were in the Champion’s place, she thought with a shiver, she would never beg for such a thing. No, she would face defeat head-on. But then, the more she thought about it, the more enticing the idea became. Losing to the King in such a duel... it didn’t seem so bad.
No, in fact, she wouldn’t mind losing at all.
“Huh,” her mind was becoming all webby all of a sudden.
…
With the ultimate defeat of the Centauri Champion, the sounds of battle stilled. Darkness regained her composure, her form shifting back to the human guise she favoured. Meanwhile, the Spider Navigator stood motionless outside the door, her spindly legs trembling with a mix of nervousness and anticipation. The echo of the battle still resonated in her, her mind awash with thoughts she had never entertained before. The duel had awakened something within her, something deep and unsettling.
Feeling the moment was right, Darkness knocked lightly. “Spider King?”
“I told you to wait outside, Darkness,” a voice boomed from within, full of authority.
“Meow! But you have a visitor.”
“Oh… It’s not the maid, is it? The room is a mess, but tell her I will clean it up this time.”
“No! It’s the Spider Navigator.”
“A Spider Navigator?” The voice from within carried a note of surprise.
“Yes! Apparently, it's important.”
The Spider Navigator offered a thankful nod to Darkness, her four yellow eyes glinting with gratitude.
“One moment!” The sound of hurried shuffling followed from behind the door. “Okay, you can let them in.”
Darkness opened the door, and it even hadn’t been locked. But before the Spider Navigator could squeeze through, Darkness's hand stopped her gently by the shoulder. Leaning in close, she whispered, “Keep the whole eavesdropping thing a secret, meow?”
“I know,” she chirped, squeezing past the half-opened door, her small frame slipping through the crack.
Her eyes scanned the cabin, this time taking in the details properly instead of through the keyhole. Much of the destruction from the battle had already been tucked away in the Spider King’s magical Inventory, and ingenious idea to quickly clean his room. As expected of the Spider King! However, the cabin was left almost eerily bare. Yet, the signs of chaos still lingered—deep dents where hooves had struck, and long scratches from where his spider legs had sought purchase. The occasional sticky purple web clung to the ceiling, but that by itself wasn’t that bad. But those stray puddles of milk pooling in the dents of the floor were an entirely different matter. Actually, there were droplets of milk clinging to the walls and even the ceiling, and the maid would certainly have her hands full cleaning it all up.
Her gaze lingered on the Centauri Champion lying on the bed. Beneath a heavy cover, the Champion’s eyes were distant, glazed over with something beyond comprehension—an expression of unearthly bliss frozen on her face. She had lost the duel, but from the look of her, losing to the Spider King must have been... something else entirely. The Spider Navigator couldn’t help but wonder if the experience was as thrilling as it looked.
Then, she looked at him—the Spider King, in all his majestic and terrifying glory. His true form was still imposing, and though the mysterious weapon he had wielded was now concealed, the memory of it lingered in the air. She could feel the weight of his presence in the room.
“Spider King!” The Spider Navigator gave a spidery wave, but the action felt awkward as her cheeks flushed with an unspidery heat.
“Spider Navigator, did something happen?” His tone was calm but curious.
“Yes!” She chirped, her spidery claws fiddling nervously with the hem of her uniform.
“What is it?” he asked, his own concern starting to mirror her anxiety.
“It’s about the course you set. The Centauri Castle.”
“Ah.” His spidery brow furrowed for a moment, then a flash of realization crossed his many eyes. “Oh, that’s right. We’re meant to keep the Galleon Whale secret from the Demons.”
Spider Navigator nodded quickly, her claws now fidgeting with her hat.
“Don’t worry about it. The Centauri Territory is now secure, the ship can land there without being found. We’ll have the spider mages erect a cloud of darkness to keep its landing concealed.” His reassurance was calm, authoritative.
She nodded again, this time fiddling with the buttons of her uniform as she swallowed back her words.
The Spider King raised an eyebrow, clearly sensing there was more. “Is there something else?”
Her mandibles twitched, her chirp caught in her throat. This was the moment she had dreaded and longed for in equal measure. Her spidery core buzzed wildly, and for the first time in her life, she was unsure of how to proceed.
“It’s okay. Speak up,” he urged gently, his mandibles clicking softly.
“Spider King… I want to Evolve.” Her words tumbled out at last, and she looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes. Four of them. Double the usual trouble.
His reaction was unexpected. A warm smile spread across his face, and his voice took on a softer tone, almost fatherly. “Ah! You’re so cute,” he said, as if talking to a child. “But you see, as unfair as it is, I just can’t force Evolve you, my precious spiders. The world is unfair, I know.” His spidery hand came down to gently pat her head.
She clasped his hand with her claws, her voice firmer now. “You won’t have to. I will evolve on my own. Die and moult anew, just as so many of us have before. I just need your permission.”
“Oh!” His surprise was genuine, but his smile remained. “No permission is needed. Go ahead, my cute Spider Navigator.”
“Really?” She asked, still holding his hand as if fearing of losing its warmth.
“Yes, become the best spider you can be. The best spider a spider can be,” he encouraged with a reassuring smile.
Her heart soared at his words, and the tangled web of confusion in her mind began to unravel. “Thank you, thank you so much!” Her voice was filled with a kind of giddiness she hadn’t felt before. But one more question burned in her.
“One more thing,” she hesitated, glancing at the Centauri Champion, still lost in her bliss.
“Yes?” The Spider King’s attention remained fully on her.
“You like females, right?” The question was blunt, but she couldn’t suppress it any longer.
His response was delayed by a blush that crept across his features, a rare sight. “Well, yes… Why?”
Her claws brushed shyly past his fingers. “I... Don’t mind me,” she stammered, unable to fully voice what she truly meant. The words felt too heavy to chirp aloud. “I know what I need to do. Thanks!” She quickly let go of his hand and scuttled out of the room, her mind weaving a webby plan.
The Spider King blinked in confusion, left unsure of what had just transpired.
The Spider Navigator tapped her legs giddily as she returned to the command deck, a lightness in her step that was filled with a youthful zest. He had called her cute—and she hadn’t even evolved yet! And It would only make sense for the Spider King to like a feminine spider variant even more!
“Hehe,” she giggled, a strange joy bubbling up at her core as she sat at her command throne. Her mind buzzed with possibilities, imagining the new form she would take, the evolution she would undergo. "So much to plan. So much to research!" she chirped happily.
“Spider Navigator?” The Mer Princess, halfway out of her tank, blinked at her in confusion. “Where have you been?”
“Hehe,” she giggled again, ignoring the Mer Princess’s question. Her thoughts were consumed by the future, by the parts she needed, the body she would mould for herself.
The Mer Princess bubbled from her tank, curious. “You seem happy. Won’t you share what happened with me?”
There were things she saw… and the things she wanted to experience herself…
“National secret. No can do,” the Spider Navigator chirped back, her mind already drifting towards her next threads, the body part she would need to acquire.
The weapons of lethal charm…