--- Lady Carnelian’s Point of View ---

I had barely closed my eyes and placed my head against the woollen pillow, when I heard a pair of footsteps approaching my tent.

"My lady!"

It was Cynewic. I reluctantly opened my eyes again. I could see the outline of his head poking through the tent flap.

"I thought I told you not to come in here," I said sternly. "Even if it’s just your head."

"My most sincerest apologies!" He really did sound stupid when he tried to put on graces. "But the men have seen creatures out there! Big ones!"

"Creatures?"

I followed the bandit out into the camp. I would have never expected the scene that greeted my eyes. What I had assumed was rancorous laughter was in fact the screams of men being torn limb from limb. Some bandits were sheltering in one corner, trying to fight off a monster with a single sword and shield between them. Others had grabbed flaming pieces of wood from the fire, and were trying to push the creatures back into the forest.

The closest creature was an unholy chimera of man and spider. It was if the bottom half of an arthropod had been stitched onto the upper half of a man. He wore a lantern around his neck, the anger visible in his dark eyes.

The other four creatures were all roughly the same build, but with a different arthropod bottom in each case. Three appeared to be some sort of spider, whereas the fourth was a scorpion. My voice caught in my mouth as I watched him grapple with a man, pinning him to the ground with his claws, before decapitating him.

"Regroup!" I shouted, my voice having suddenly regained its strength. Adrenaline coursed through me, taking the edge off the instinctive fear. This was my world. My destiny. No half spiders were going to take that away from me.

--- Wayfarer's Point of View ---

The disgusting gemstone-hearted humans that called themselves jumi were effortless to attack, as they had no visible weapons or armor, and most of them were sleeping in random places, or drunkenly dancing around a bonfire made of one of my fallen trees, or just urinating and defecating openly all over what counted as my front yard. Djraine, Bander, Sting, and Aneis joined me in attacking them, not sparing those who were asleep. If they were relaxing that much when these others were doing what they were, then they must be part of the same group and also to blame. Another one appeared, seemingly revered by at least a couple of the others near her. Her? There weren’t any other females. Maybe this was a leader? I screamed at it while I rushed with wooden sword in hand, it igniting while it swung. "Die, monster! How dare you burn down my home!"

--- Lady Carnelian’s Point of View ---

The bandit in front of me was tossed aside by the leading creature like a used rag. I drew back as the remaining men practically threw themselves behind me. Young Edwy tried to bury his head in my dress, but I shoved him back into Cynewic's arms. I didn't need distractions now.

I drew out my right arm into a scythe-like blade and dug my feet into the ground, the creature bearing down on me. When the blow came, it was harder than I expected. I was almost thrown back off my feet, and only a bandit cowering behind me prevented me from landing in an undignified manner. I stumbled back onto my feet, just in time to block a second blow.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" I spat. It wasn't the most dignified start to a conversation, but I didn't have time to come up with appropriate pleasantries. Not that I was sure there were any for being attacked out of the middle of nowhere by a centaur spider thing.

"The people of this world call me the Wayfarer!" The creature replied. "This is my forest! It was given to me by... it doesn't matter what their name is. This forest is mine, as it came into existence when I was reincarnated here after I died on Earth!" It paused for breath, before adding, "You've polluted and burned down my home! What would you do if you returned home after work and saw such a thing?!"

The creature's spiel surprised me. It was more intelligent than I had first assumed, apparently. That could be used to my advantage. I drew back, still holding my blade out in case it took another swipe at me.

"You came from Earth too?" I ventured.

"Yes, I did! Multiple times! There are others too. Who were you before you died?"

"I... I don't know my old name. I lived in London. I was hit by a car." I wasn't sure if I should mention my encounter with Roe. If I still struggled to understand it even now, how could I expect this creature to?

"I died in a hospital. My kidneys were failing, and then someone came in and stabbed me in them. Did you ever figure out the name of the fat lady at the office window in the afterlife's receptionist room?"

"I never met a fat lady."

"What about that creepy black cloud that farted out glitter and party streamers?"

"There was just this... voice." I was aware that the few remaining bandits behind me had probably long ceased to understand this conversation. "A voice made out of words. He called himself Roe."

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"Let me guess. An empty white room?"

"More like a blank sheet of paper."

"Why did you come here? Why are you in my forest, burning it down? What do you know of this world and its inhabitants?"

"I know they're rich pickings for people like you and I." Flattery was always a good way to get out of tricky situations. "Some people are born to lead, and others to be led. I think we both know what side of the fence we're on."

"Very much so. I allowed myself to be reincarnated here as I am, because I can use what I know of our alliance's individual national histories, to make sure such things don't happen here, or whatever bad things are going on are stopped and this world can be made better. A hero is one who is smarter and stronger than everyone else, and uses that strength to uplift their lessers. Isn't that isn't what you're here for?"

"I'm here to make this world my own," I said honestly. "If it helps a few of these wretches, then the more the better."

"What do you mean, helping them?" The creature looked disconcerted.

"Watch this," I said smoothly, beckoning Edwy to my side. He approached with wide, trusting eyes, and I placed my hands on his shoulders. "I can make anyone, do anything. Like this."

The small boy twisted in my grasp, and then let out a cry as the virus took hold. His skin bubbled and his tiny body hunched over as his bones rearranged themselves at an astonishing speed. The remaining bandits watched in silent horror, Cynewic shaking his head and murmuring something inaudible. I let go of Edwy, and he fell onto all fours like a dog. He then turned to look at me with newly blood red eyes, his face curled in a snarl.

"Join me, and we can leave this miserable little forest behind. You can live like kings and queens. Or..." I looked down at the mutilated boy. "You can serve me in a more... direct way."

The offer had been made. Now the ball was in their court.

"Djraine, Bander, Sting, Aneis! Help me kill this monster!"

It was not the response I had been hoping for, but I could live with it. The leading creature leapt at me without hesitation. I stumbled back, slashing at it with my blade. Meanwhile, Edwy bounded forward, sinking his teeth into the half spider’s nearest leg.

This momentarily set the creature back, but not for long. It swung at the small boy with its flaming stick, knocking him to one side and cracking his head open in the process. I took the opportunity to transform my other arm into a blade, slashing at one of the other creatures and smashing his makeshift club in two.

I had clearly misjudged the speed at which the leading creature could move, however, as at that moment I felt its flaming stick connect with my shoulder. I was thrown to one side, a moment later tasting dirt and blood.

I saw that I had landed beside one of the dying bandits, and suddenly an idea struck me. With a heave, I stabbed my left blade into his stomach, hoping to morph him into a more useful form. The transformation had barely started, though, when I saw the shadow of the half spider standing over me.

I rolled over, its stick missing my head by no more than an inch, and made a desperate attempt to pierce its throat with my right blade. I missed my target, but caught its left hand, cutting it clean off. One of the other creatures hurled itself to the aid of its master and stabbed my exposed armpit with a wooden spear. I let out an unearthly shriek. My skin felt like it was burning. The virus had other plans, it seemed.

They were all dead. The tall one. The stupid one. Cynewic. His death was the one I regretted most, as he had been an amusing companion at times, and as loyal as a dog. Now he lay lifeless on the forest floor, his eyes still wide with shock.

I could still see Edwy fighting a creature to my left, leaping on its back and sinking his teeth into its neck. His little body wouldn't last much longer. Still, no one was irreplaceable. The important thing was that I knew it was my destiny to prevail. Roe had said so. I could find a new group of bandits when I was finished with these wretches.

They had gathered around me, like vultures around a fresh corpse. One of them appeared to be trying to slice off my limbs, while another was stabbing me again and again with a wooden spear. A third one threw a rock, or maybe it was a severed head, I couldn’t tell, at me, but either way, it didn’t do much damage. The leading creature stood over me, still clutching its missing hand, before striking me hard in the face. It then picked up something from the ground, and a moment later, I felt a hardened spike of rock pierce my collarbone.

I let out a scream, feeling as if my insides were melting. This must be what it was like to morph. I almost passed out from the pain as my bones began to rearrange themselves, my muscles expanding and threatening to break through my skin. I let out a roar, plucking the rock spike from my own breast as if it was a toothpick, and threw it at full pelt towards my enemy.

I rose to my new full height of two and half metres, groaning as my legs struggling to support my gigantic weight. This was... interesting. From what I could see of my arms, I now appeared to be closer to a fleshy monster than human, but I could live with that for now. Once the fight was over, I could work out how to regain my human form.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the morphed bandit being neatly decapitated by one of the creatures. Edwy’s body lay broken on the ground nearby. That was fine, they had served their purpose. I felt more spikes digging into my flesh, and let out a groan of exasperation. This was getting tiring. I turned and swung my newly reformed right fist at the creature behind me, grunting in satisfaction as I sent him sprawling to the ground.

At that moment, I felt something deep inside me tear. I let out a howl and knocked another one of the creatures aside, but I could feel my strength ebbing. What had this spider done to me?

"Please..." I croaked, my enlarged vocal cords and tongue barely able to pronounce the words. The leading half spider continued to watch me with an impassive expression. "My... destiny..."

"Your destiny is to end up on my dinner plate."

It was only then that I realised I had never been promised success. I had only been promised a destiny, and this was my destiny. My role was not to be the protagonist, but merely the villain. And now it was time for my exit. If I was to be forced to leave, then I could at least make it a show to be remembered. I clenched my right fist and with the last of my strength, threw myself at the spider. It sidestepped me, and I collapsed in a heap on the ground.

Stars began to appear before my eyes, and I could tell the end was upon me. No glorious final words, or stirring speeches. Just my own thoughts and the dirt pressed against my face. Dirt. My last thought was going to be about…

----- Wayfarer’s Point of View -----

“Please…”

I don’t know what it was going to say, but it didn’t matter. Whatever that thing was, it was dead now. There was so much to recover from! I thought we were finally able to rest, but it turned out that the opposite was instead true. Hopefully it was true this time, though.