(Not much in this chapter. The broodmother will come back in the next one. I still hope you will enjoy this chapter and I apologize for it being so late. I had a great idea for another fiction and you will probably see it soon enough on this site.)

'What to do now?'

At the moment I was gripped vice-like by something, or rather someone, called Broodmother Arachnee. A foreboding name emphasized by the crimson red panel that popped up, black letters spelling my certain doom.

I was surprised, afraid, nervous and tense. Right now my life hung by a single thread, by the whim of something greater than me, maybe even greater than most things on Earth. I could certainly believe that some creatures existed with the fire power of not one but many hydrogenic bombs. Take a dragon for example, hadn't seen one in person but I guessed some must wander these lands.

It was a moving fortress of death. A force of nature be it wind, fire, earth or water, this world was nothing but a playground to such creatures. An even better example was no one less than God himself. I felt his/her/its might, something impalpable, unimaginable to humans and anything else in existence. This world was danger in itself.

And right now, although I doubt this creature's might, one such being stood before me, one that could squash me, silt me into dust with a mere flick. I was shaking in my figurative boots right then and there.

I realized, struggling would either infuriate this... uhm... well, I doubt its human, so I will continue calling it creature. So, struggling would either infuriate this creature with the result of a flatened spider patty glued to the ground, or I would actually manage to flee, fall down onto the ground, get crippled and slowly wither away as an invalid. Both choices were, let's say not what I wished for, they didn't really appeal to me.

The squirming stopped and I let my body go limp, maybe this creature will find mercy in its savage heart and spare my puny life? Who knows. By God I was right!

When I stopped struggling the pressure around me lessened considerably, not enough for me to get out of this cramped situation but enough to give me a long and needed breather.

I could only feel it -as my sight was pretty bad, I realized- the face that came closer towards my dangling body. It was a beautiful face, I just have to admit, with fine features, beautiful I dare say, yes, gorgeous even. Sparkling purple eyes, but not just two but eight, focused onto me, locked on with predatory precision. Cautious and curious I was examined, the glaring purple hue exuded by the eyes making clear that another fit would have consequences.

Having nothing to do I did the same, watching the beautiful lady with not so innocently inquisit eyes but rather with lustful ones. Mind you, I was a healthy adult once and am merely inside a spider's body. Yeah, so relatable.

The staredown continued on for a few minutes, the woman picking me up soetimes by the legs to look at my belly, I presume it was my belly, couldn't really see what she looked at. Through the glossy eyes though I got a good picture of myself, those giant beady mirrors reflected my baleful form.

What can I say? I looked........ disgusting.

I am not even joking! In God's realm, when I first saw the design for this creature, it actually looked somewhat decent, it looked badass for the lack of a better word. But right now?! What is this.... this.... this ABOMINATION?!

Unlike the first image I saw this form of mine was palid, painted in a corpsed-coloured grey with bough thin legs oozing a viscous sludgy substance, or maybe that was just the residue slime of the egg. My abdomen was swollen, the jet-black skin pulsing as dark veins wheeled beneath like thick worms in a grave. At the same time my two wonderfully raven eyes turned into a menacing red with even more sanguine veins eating through to the middle. And if that was not enough, my should-be black marble fangs were wrinkled stumps drooping with nasty acid.

By God I looked like the ugliest creature alive! I never really liked spiders, neither hated them, but this right here?! I hardly stopped myself from retching out my non-existent lunch.

I just wanted to hide myself, hide in a steep hole where no one will ever see me again. Alas, the spider-human-hybrid, or whatever the broodmother's species was, continued to goggle at my shameful form with intense interest and not so mild curiosity anymore. The more she gazed at me the hotter her breath, the more rabid her trembling became.

She began whispering incoherent words, I could barely understand a single sound that was ushered forth from her violet lips. Though the language was unknown to me, completely foreign, I could somehow hear out a mixture of surprise and joy from her words.

Gently, unlike the vice-like grip from before, I was placed on the ground. The tremble of the broodmother's steps echoed through the cavern -I was pretty sure this was a one- as she left leaving me behind with more questions than answers.

I stumbled for the next few steps, this was just my first day outside the egg and yet I feel that something extraordinary is facing my way. It may be dangerous or helpful for future endeavours but nonetheless the anxiousness inside my heart could not be quelled. The broodmother's mumbles had something foreboding to them.

Something nudged me at my sides while I was preoccupied with my thoughts, it was a light push followed up by a high-pitched hiss. My sights ventured down towards the nuisance that kept bumping into me, squeaking at the same time.

It was nothing other than a teensy-weensy spider with leathery and grey skin. Its eight beady eyes, glowing in a soft red, cumulated onto my body. An instant later it bared its fangs and pounced onto my still dazed figure.

I nearly laughed when the small critter lounged forward, its body dwarved several times by my own, bringing me to the realization that I was pretty big for a newly born creature, in all likeliness.

If this creature had vaguely resembled a human I might have doubts in killing it but right now my mind couldn't care less about this insect that wanted to attack and kill me at best.

As I was still somewhat clumsy with this new body of mine I used my bigger physique to simply squash the puny spider beneath me. With my hindlegs I heaved my front up, the spiderling missing my head and plummeting to the ground. Without mercy I let myself fall forward, the impact amplified by gravity and smashing the insect apart into scattered fragments.

A sickening squelch rang in my ears -I wonder where spiders have their ears- followed by a wet sensation around my stomach.

It took a moment before I realized I had just killed one of my own brethren, maybe even my direct brother or sister, in cold blood. Though with the creature's resemblance of a mere insect my self-loathing thoughts quickly vanished. I was not a merciless killer, far from it, but even on earth I had no qualms in killing a spider, or have you? Right now, as long as they didn't take on a humanoid form and could display some kind of emotion other than: Kill! Eat! Hate!, I had no concerns in killing them. Survival of the fittest my friends.

I moved from the moist and sticky spot, strings of viscous green slime clinging to my body.

While I gazed at the caved in remains of the small spider, so innocent but simply oblivious to the danger I posed, a hot feeling spread, no, swamped my entire body. It was an raging inferno of emotions that took control of my following actions.

Slowly I approached the carcass, feverish clicks reveberating through the cold stone. My mandibles openned, were pryed apart, to reveal my crimson maw. As this all transpired my own self was pushed on the backseat, conscious but unable to control my body I watched the gruesome spectacle.

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*SCHICK!* My whole body sprinted forward and into the cadaver, two of my legs and claws used as cleavers to tear the body apart in a firework of gore. In glee I plunged my face into the sticky mud, slurping the bitter innards in pure bliss and delight. If I had a human face it would be flushed from the sheer joy that lifted my spirits.

It took a few moments, a few licks over the cold stone ground here and there to savour the last morsels of taste and a second to collect my wits.

'Just now.... Did I eat someone of my own family? WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!', the innards glued to my mouth only strengthened the disgust inside of me.

*DING!* *SCHOOM!*

NOTICE!By killing and devouring one of your own kind you have unlocked a new title: Cannibal

Title unlocked: CannibalOnly the wicked can seek and find pleasure in the death of their own kind. 

As one such vile creature that not only ended the life of its own ilk but continued to defile its sacred corpse with voracious hunger you were granted the title: Cannibal.

5% increase in damage against the title holder's own species.

'Wow... even this system deplores my actions....', before I could ramble on another notice popped up.

NOTICE!Through unlocking a title the 'Title screen' was unlocked.

UPDATE NOTICE!STATUSName:NoneLevel:0Race:Ophitula HatchlingAge:19 yearsBODYMINDHP:10/10MP:220/220HP regen.:1/minMP regen.:100/minVitality:1Intelligence:50Strength:1Wisdom:50Stamina:1Willpower:50Agility:10Tenacity:1.5%NEUTRALDamage:2Charm:0Defense:1Charisma:0TITLE/S:Cannibal

NOTICE!You killed one 'Common spider Hatchling'+2 exp

NOTICE!You gained 1 Level up and 10 stat points (SP).

NOTICE!Through specific regulations all skill points will be allocated evenly into each stat until level 10.

'AH!!!! Sooooooo many new notice windows! Fuck off!', I screamed and squirmed likewise as the light blue pannels bombarded me in their noxiousness.

UPDATE NOTICE!STATUSName:NoneLevel:1Race:Ophitula HatchlingAge:19 yearsBODYMINDHP:29/29MP:224/224HP regen.:3/minMP regen.:102/minVitality:3Intelligence:51Strength:3Wisdom:51Stamina:2Willpower:51Agility:11Tenacity:1.6%NEUTRALDamage:3Charm:0Defense:2Charisma:0TITLE/S:Cannibal

(I rounded the Mana points from 224.4 to simply 224. Charm and Charisma cannot be grinded through level ups.)

'So... that was my first kill in this world. Anticlimactic, huh....', I thought, relaxed and with a belly full with spider slushy I let myself be embraced by a spoon full of sleep. I just hope that nothing bad will happen while I am asleep. Yeah... better get drowsy in a spider infested cave, what is the worst that can happen?