Shai halted in the tunnel, even though the mental pressure was retracted, leaving her open to flee. A spider monster wanted to form a telepathic link? Could it even speak?

Shai was curious, more than being terrified, actually. Unwittingly, her mind drew closer to accept the prompt.

Well, only one way to find out. Shai accepted the telepathic link while ensuring her protective mental barrier remained intact.

"What... are... you?" a high-pitched voice resounded within Shai's mind instantly, leaving her baffled. On the other side of her mental wall, a shadowy figure of a spider materialised, its form too blurred to discern any details, but it clearly wasn't the one that assaulted her earlier.

[Serenity - Empathic Spider - ??? Lvl 87]

Holy hell! she swore and fought to keep her inner turmoil and surprise inside. This detestable eight-legged pest wasn't far away from that colossal basilisk. Well, this one was shorter than the predator after her. Clearly, it wasn't like the mindless spider that only wanted to eat her. Wait, it has a name? Serenity?

"Can you comprehend my words?" it transferred again, each word jotting out a perfect syllable, though it was a language she never learned. The spider's tone didn't seem menacing. It piqued her curiosity.

"I can comprehend your words," Shai responded through the telepathic link, created by the Empathic Spider.

"Answer my question," the voice transmitted again, its coherence improving. "What are you?"

Shai answered, before thinking through. "I am Shai, a perfectly sophisticated and intelligent being who is thoroughly displeased with your manners." Shai's confidence radiated from her response, laced with a hint of cockiness. "Also, isn't it me who should be asking that question? What are you?"

"I am a Guardian of the Gate," the spider replied.

"A watchman, huh?" Shai mused. "Well, what exactly are you guarding?"

The spider ignored her question, focusing instead on its own inquiry. "What are your intentions for coming here?"

Shai's retorted defiantly. "I won't answer unless you address my question first."

"What are your intentions for coming here?" The empathic spider repeated its question, and this time, there was a distinct edge to its voice, indicating that it might not remain polite if Shai didn't answer.

Sighing, Shai composed her thoughts. This was the first genuine conversation she was having after her death, and though her conversational partner was strange and demanding, she decided to answer. She could be forgiving at times.

"No reason in particular," she replied calmly. "A stupid bird chased after me, and I ended up in this place."

"You're not here to trespass into the Gate?" the Guardian of the Gate inquired further.

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Curiosity piqued, Shai wanted to know more about this gate now. "What's inside the gate?"

Serenity ignored her question and continued with its interrogation. "Why have you infuriated my clansmen?"

"Infuriated?" Shai snorted in exasperation. She channelled her inner pompousness and said: "Are you kidding me? They are the ones who want to eat me alive! They chased after me, seeking to claim this young lady's life for no grievances at all. All I did was defend myself from getting devoured. This little lady has been merciful so far."

The Empathetic Spider was silent for a while. "You misunderstood," it, he, she, they—whatever its pronouns might be—said. “Something’s wrong with you. I can feel it from dozens of metres away. You’re a danger to yourself and my clan. It would be better if you leave this cavern as soon as possible.”

Shai snorted, clearly not buying the spider's word. "There's nothing wrong with me. It's the other way around. Can you tell me what's going on with your spider kind? Not just spiders, but everything I've encountered so far—none seemed to be the friendly type. Why were they so eager to devour me, as if they hadn't eaten in months?"

Shai clearly knew the answer. Corruption. She simply wanted to see if she could fish out more information.

For several moments, silence hung in the air, as the Guardian hesitated to share the truth. "You must understand one thing about us, the Empathetic Spider clan," it transmitted. "As much as we sustain ourselves on air, water, and food, and primal essence, emotions are like delicacies to us. Your appearance is like a beacon of those delicacies. Too much raw emotions, grieving, anger, hunger. Even I, who awakened the Concept of Empathy and could control it adequately, feel the urge to capture you, and keep you to myself."

Shai felt a chill running down her spine as the true nature of the empathic spiders became clearer to her. So, they could sense emotions and feed on them, but not everything added up. She had been keeping her emotions tightly concealed. Hadn't she?

The spider continued, delving deeper into its assessment. "There's a dangerous, intoxicating vibe in your emotions," it explained. "Too much negativity, frustration, anger, rage, helplessness, and a deep sense of hunger. Almost as if... you have His touch on you."

The spider's telepathic transmission was accompanied by the unsettling sound of swallowing, deliberately or unintentionally, causing Shai to shudder involuntarily.

"You're carrying deep wounds that you haven't made peace with," the spider continued. "And there's something else that intensifies my struggle to control myself. Could it be that chaotic Hunger I've been sensing since our conversation began? Perhaps you can come out and let me examine you properly."

Shai started to crawl again, ever so slowly, building the power to crawl as swiftly as she could at any moment.

"Shai, was it?" the spider addressed her in a tone that carried unsettling intelligence. "You may consider yourself a perfectly sophisticated and intelligent being, but there's more to you than that. How about—"

The spider abruptly fell silent. Shai's mind grew colder, wondering if the spider had detected her escape attempt. Uncertain of its intentions, she increased her pace.

"It appears that you're not the only one trespassing into our clan," the spider transmitted, its voice growing softer. Shai sensed its presence fading away. "While I would have preferred to capture you for certain reasons, my rational mind warns against such a decision, particularly when it concerns the males of my clan. Your emotions affected me profusely, indicating the need for further training to resist irrational impulses. . .

"But above all, I am bound by orders I must obey. Consider this an opportunity to leave, if you can."

"I would be delighted too," Shai said as the link broke. "You wouldn't happen to have a map of this region, would you?"

But by that point, the link was already severed, and the Spider was gone.

Shai was once again left alone to contemplate her life choices.