the mammoth was majestic, sure, but it was also injured. Very injured. It could barely move, in fact. It just lay down where it was, on top of the bodies.

Devian got down to meet it.

As he got there, he noticed something really strange: he was as big as its head, and thats saying something considering how huge the mammoth is.

When did I get so big? I only possessed this body a couple hours ago…

Possessing must have more consequences than I figured.

Holding that thought, he returned to the more pressing matter. The wounds on it were definitely bad, but not lethal. There was hope for it.

Knowing it was sleeping, he took that chance to remove some of the arrows stuck on it and weave the skin back together. His strings were strong enough to hold, fortunately.

Good thing it was too wasted to notice him, he wouldn't want to face hell like all those humans did.

Halfway through, he thought about paralyzing the skin around the spear stuck in its belly so he can remove it. He changed his mind, doubting he could without waking the beast up.

And so he worked in a boring monotone, break an arrow, remove it, stitch the wound, repeat.

He didn't even know why he cared, he just did. Maybe because he was so lonely?

The mammoth woke up on the second day, just barely. It glanced at Devian as he tore another arrow out, but it probably didn't think he was a threat or it just didn't have the energy to react.

Weaving became even more difficult for Devian, for having a bigger body made him less precise, which would cause a painful growl from the mammoth every time his legs sank in the wrong area.

On the third day though, he was surprised to see a couple of spiders heading his way while he was working on the mammoth. He dwarfed them by quite a lot, and he didn't know what to make of it. they could communicate though, him being a spider too.

After a long conversation, he learned quite a bit of info. Apparently, spiders are separated into many clans, even though they hunt alone. They reveal the location of their dead prey after every kill for the queen to feast on it. Their queen, V'aslv as they told him, recently died from an inscestor ambush (basically huge flying mosquitoes)

Those spiders, being the only survivors, sought to turn to another queen which was usually the strongest of the bunch. Devian, due to his recent growth rate attracted these two. He strongly emphasized on his body being male, but to no avail. These two were determined to serve under him

That was how Devian got his first minions. He discovered he quite liked being a boss.

He ordered one to bring food, a huge task since there was a bloody mammoth involved, but spider-1 didn't complain, he just set out to do it. Too bad the humans were too rotten for us to eat. What a waste.

Spider-2 had to help him heal the mammoth.

And that was it for a couple of weeks.

At the end of each day spider-1 would appear dragging a carcass 4 times his size. The newcomers would barely eat each time and the king's share would go for the mammoth of course but Devian noticed he's been eating more and more each day. Poor spider-1, he barely rested at all between kills, but he's been getting considerably stronger from it.

Spider-2 had more experience with webs and strings.

Nearing the end, you could notice the change in the mammoth's health even though he was a bit thinner. Sure he had many scars all over but that hardly showed under all his red fur.

So, after exactly two weeks, the mammoth could roam in the forest again. And it was all thanks to Devian.

Just before it left, it gave him a deep concentrating gaze, which felt discerning enough to read every thought in his mind. It didn't feel like mammoths were all brawn no brain anymore.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

It inclined its head forward, as if giving a thankful nod, and set out into the forest.

It was truly the most prideful moment of his life.

More on, he had an idea about what he was going to do from now on.

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Devian quite liked being a leader.

Now that he didn't have to worry about food and scouting, he could easily explore the vast world.

The first thing he looked for was another spider base, to get a better idea of what's the world about.

He rested at day usually, because as he got bigger (4ft) camouflage became extra hard. He needed the night's shield in order to pass by stronger creatures unnoticed.

Unfortunately, his safety measures were to no avail, and he had his first fight with a human anyway.

A foolish one accidentally stepped on him, which made him fling up his arms (or whatever they're called) at him. 

With a surprised yell the human fell backwards blindly swinging his staff.

Devian, oblivious of what was going on couldn't react properly and was hit on his leg which made an uncomfortable snapping sound.

Now crippled, Devian shot a web at him holding him down for while. Meanwhile spider-1 had woken up and he dashed at him sinking his legs into the human's neck. That was the end of him.

Unfortunately, he wasn't alone. In fact, he was just the scout.

Stepping back slowly, slightly limping on his crippled leg, Devian ordered spider-1 to take cover, and spider-2 to climb a tree.

Just then, half a dozen spearmen appeared. They must've heard the scream, for they were armed and ready.

They looked like they knew what they were doing, like the fought a similar spider before.

So, For now, Devian stayed back spitting poison all over; he had learned how to spit more efficiently by accumulating them in his mouth and releasing them all at once.

That surprised them, which was good. That meant no other spider had done that before.

They were close now, and even though some had paralyzed body parts, they didn't falter.

Were he not injured, he would've preferred dodging, but he couldn't, so he took an amateur defensive stance, not knowing how spider could stand defensively.

Thankfully, he threw up three of his arms just in time to block the first spear strike, and then he counter-attacked, thrusting his leg straight through his stomach.

One down, five to go.

He signaled spider-2 to throw a some strings at the next man, and with him distracted, Devian charged at the next-in-line plunging his fangs through his skull.

Spider-1 took care of the tied one easily even with the size difference, then waited for further orders.

Now surrounded, Devian focused on defence again, blocking thrice then thrusting at a leg.

The fallen spearmen was killed by spider-1, for he ambushed him just in time.

Biting the other one in the knee, he blocked a strike from behind then finished his kill with another thrust.

Lastly, spider-2 jumped off the tree right at the last man, using the momentum to pierce his shoulders and hold him to the ground.

Just like that, the fight was over in a couple of minutes, each fighting for his survival, and nothing else.

Normally, Devian would've collapsed in place after so much pressure, but instead, he found he was strangely appealed by the bodies at his feet.

He wanted to taste them, eat them even; but this wasn't simple hunger. This was more, way more.

Letting desire take over, he brutally devoured every one of them.