Scott and Orion, their eyes trained on the massive appendages, took in the full presence of the creature before them. A colossal arachnid with strikingly human-like features stood before them, her figure draped in intricate, heavy metal armor, etched with artistic webs. As she emerged, her eight eyes fixated on the fork in the path ahead, her four arms—two of which wielded thick, crimson-spears—hanging at her sides, each one armored to match the rest of her form. The creature’s presence was intimidating yet oddly graceful, enhanced by the shimmering jewelry that adorned her neck and chestplate.

The towering arachnid’s head subtly tilted as her attention shifted to the two much smaller figures a few paces away. "And you are?" she asked, her voice a rich blend of curiosity and commanding power, yet surprisingly gentle for her size.

Before Scott or Orion could respond, a system notification flickered into existence before her eyes, the digital projection bright and unmistakable. The briefest flicker of recognition lit up all eight of her eyes. The moment was tense; even without seeing the message, Scott and Orion could guess its contents.

"So, you're part of the infamous group," the arachnid continued, a trace of amusement threading her voice. She took a deliberate step forward, prompting the duo to instinctively retreat a pace. "Tell me, how did creatures so small manage to upset the gods?" Her smile widened, genuine curiosity gleaming behind her sharp gaze.

Scott and Orion exchanged a glance, silently gauging the situation. Despite her imposing size and the bounty they both assumed she'd just seen, the creature hadn't yet shown hostility. It was a surprise, but neither of them let their guard down. In this unknown realm, they couldn't afford to.

Her smile faded slightly as Scott and Orion remained silent. A crease formed on her otherwise smooth brow, confusion replacing amusement. "Can’t they talk?" she muttered to herself, her gaze shifting between the two. "What a pity. So small, and they can't even speak." Shaking her head, she mused aloud. "I wonder which path they took. Should I keep going straight?"

Just as the massive arachnid began to shift her weight forward, Orion spoke up. "We can talk."

The arachnid’s eyes locked onto the mage, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. "Why didn’t you say anything earlier?" she asked, almost sounding reproachful. Before they could answer, she fired another question, her curiosity clearly piqued. "What are you? And how is it possible that you understand my words?"

Orion, his expression calm but calculated, responded with a question of his own. "This is your first time meeting a human, isn’t it?"

The creature's head cocked again; her features twisted in confusion. "Human?" she repeated, as if testing the unfamiliar word. "If that’s what you are, then yes, it’s my first time seeing one of your kind. But... how do something as small as you survive in the world?" Her gaze swept over them, a mix of wonder and disbelief clear in her many eyes.

Even stacked atop one another five times over, Scott and Orion wouldn’t have reached half the height of the arachnid, let alone her massive spear. The idea that such small beings could exist, let alone draw enough attention to warrant a godly bounty, seemed incomprehensible to her.

Orion smiled slightly; his eyes sharp with intrigue. "It would take far too long to explain how," he replied with a shrug, easing back into a more relaxed stance. He gestured casually toward the path they had come from. "We’ve only just arrived from there. Not much to see yet—just a few feet down the road. This is the first fork we've encountered." He paused, his gaze sweeping back toward the arachnid. "What about you? Which way did you come from?"

The creature’s eyes flicked toward the path behind her, then back to Scott and Orion, her posture relaxing just slightly as she considered their question.

"This is the first time for me too," Slivanya admitted. Her voice was measured but honest. "It seems you were pulled in here the same way I was. This is my first time venturing beyond my territory."

Scott, unable to contain his curiosity, suddenly asked, "What are you?"

Slivanya’s eight eyes narrowed slightly, scrutinizing him. "What do you mean, what am I? I am Slivanya." There was a subtle irritation in her voice as her eyes flickered between Scott and Orion. "And you... Are you a human too?" Her doubt was evident. While both of them appeared of the same race, something about Scott unnerved her—the voidweaver’s fractured eye in particular, which seemed to contain entire worlds set ablaze.

"I'm Scott," he said curtly, offering no further explanation.

"So, one of you is a human, and the other is a Scott," Slivanya said, her tone mildly confused but curious. She crossed her two free arms over her chest. "How many races exist in your timeline?"

"Quite a few, to be honest," Orion chimed in, stepping forward with interest. "What about you? What race are you, and what other races exist in your timeline?"

Slivanya stood tall, a trace of pride in her voice. "I am a commander of the Eight-Legs, a proud warring race. There are many other races in my timeline, but none so small as you—or with only two legs."

Eight-Legs, warring race… Scott mulled over the name as he observed her more closely. Slivanya’s presence was intimidating, yet she hadn’t attacked. Something about her made him wonder if she, like Ember and Orion, had a power level far beyond his comprehension.

Orion, however, seemed utterly fascinated. Closing the gap further, he smiled and fired off a barrage of questions. "Can you tell me more about your race? What’s the vegetation like in your timeline? You mentioned a territory—what’s that about? What are the ranks within your army? How many—"

Scott yanked Orion back before he could continue, ignoring the mage’s confused look. His attention was fixed on Slivanya. "Why aren’t you attacking us?" he asked bluntly.

Unlike Orion, Scott didn’t care about Slivanya's world or its intricacies. What troubled him was her restraint. By all accounts, she should have struck them down the moment she saw the bounty notification.

Slivanya's eyes narrowed, her confusion deepening. "Do you want to be attacked?" she asked.

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"That’s not what I meant," Scott retorted, shaking his head. "You saw the bounty notification, right?" She nodded, and Scott pressed further. "So, are you not interested in the rewards, or are you ignoring it on purpose?"

"It’s neither of those," Slivanya replied, her tone matter of fact. "I will not tarnish my name by hunting down creatures as tiny and weak as you. That would be an abuse of my strength."

Scott blinked, not entirely expecting her response. Before he could say anything, Slivanya continued, her voice softening slightly. "I have never cared for a two-legged creature before, but if you are willing, I would like to adopt you." A smile spread across her face, her eight eyes glinting with genuine interest. "I can guarantee you will be well taken care of."

Scott and Orion exchanged bewildered glances, Orion barely managing to suppress his laughter.

“You want to adopt us?” Orion repeated, trying to ensure he had heard correctly. Slivanya nodded cheerfully, as though the offer were a great honor bestowed upon the two.

Scott started to respond, but Orion, catching on to something, shot him a subtle wink and stopped him. Then, turning his attention back to the massive arachnid, Orion asked, “So, are you adopting us as your children or—”

Slivanya erupted into laughter, her eight eyes sparkling with amusement. “What nonsense! Why would I adopt a human and a Scott as my children?” She could barely finish the sentence, still chuckling.

Orion’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Then why adopt us?”

“As my pets, of course!” Slivanya declared with pride. “My territory would be the envy of other commanders once they hear I have two two-legged creatures.”

Both Scott and Orion exchanged dumbfounded looks, stunned by her response.

“Umm… so, how do you plan to deal with the swarm of enemies after our heads if you adopt us?” Orion asked, clearly trying to maintain composure.

Slivanya’s expression shifted to one of icy resolve. “No one, absolutely no one, has the right to desire what belongs to me. Whoever they may be, they will be dealt with,” she vowed, her voice unwavering. “If you choose to follow me, you will be well cared for. I’ll even find you a mate from among your own races when the time comes, and your offspring will also be under my protection.”

Scott blinked, taken aback by the offer, before asking, “And if we refuse?”

Slivanya tilted her head slightly, her brow furrowing in confusion. “What do you mean? If you refuse, you refuse. I cannot force my desires upon you.” Her perplexity was clear—why would they even consider saying no? She couldn't fathom the kind of lives the voidweaver and the mage had led to ask such a question.

Once again, Scott and Orion exchanged silent looks, surprised by her straightforwardness. Of all the things Slivanya had said so far, this was the least expected.

After a lingering silence, Orion cleared his throat. “I’m sure being adopted by a proud commander like yourself would be an honor, but unfortunately, we’re not interested,” he said diplomatically.

Disappointment flickered across Slivanya’s features, though she attempted to mask it. “I understand. I won’t impose myself—” she began, but then suddenly stopped mid-sentence, her gaze snapping toward the divergent path ahead.

Scott and Orion, sensing the shift, followed her gaze. Scott instinctively reached for the War Hammer of the Mad God, and it morphed into its original form, the chains unfurling. Just as the hammer took form, five arrows hurtled toward Scott, but he effortlessly swatted them aside with a single swing. The heavy thud of approaching footsteps echoed next, indicating a group drawing near, though none had yet revealed themselves.

Orion summoned his staff, and Slivanya straightened her posture, her eight eyes focused ahead. The footsteps grew louder, but there were no more projectiles, and the source remained unseen.

Moments later, the first figure emerged from the shadows. A towering, beastly man, several feet taller than Scott and Orion, with a body seemingly wrapped in fur as if it were clothing. Mud dripped from his bushy beard, and his face was smeared with a mix of blood, face paint, and other unidentifiable substances. In each of his massive hands, he gripped a crudely crafted but deadly sharp battle ax. His bloodshot eyes locked onto Scott and Orion with primal hunger.

More figures appeared behind him, one after another. Soon, over fifty hulking men stood before them, each as fearsome and muscular as the first, if not more so. System notifications appeared in front of each man, but they ignored them, their greed-fueled gazes fixated entirely on their bounty—Scott and Orion.

Oddly, none of the barbarians paid much attention to Slivanya. A few cast fleeting glances at the champion, but their focus quickly returned to the prize that lay before them.

In less than five minutes, over two hundred barbarians emerged from the path. Most were armed with battle axes; some carried bows and arrows, while the rest wielded spears, maces, clubs, or war hammers.

“Are they humans or Scotts?” Silvanya asked abruptly, her voice slicing through the tension in the air.

Orion chuckled softly as he removed his glasses, sending them to his inventory. “That’s not for me to say. They’re new to me too,” he replied, observing the savage gleam in the barbarians’ eyes.

Although they resembled human males, they were much taller and more muscular, with the sharp teeth and claws of wild beasts.

“I do not mean to take advantage of your situation,” Silvanya said suddenly, her voice carrying softly but powerfully. “But should you agree to be my pets, I will exterminate this army for you. What do you say?” Her gaze shifted from the barbarians to Scott and Orion.

For the first time, the barbarians’ attention wavered, their bloodthirsty stares turning toward the massive arachnid. She remained unperturbed. Amidst the silence, one barbarian hurled a massive spear at Silvanya’s head. Yet, she continued focusing on her potential pets, awaiting their response. The spear sliced through the air, its tip igniting in a brilliant azure flame as it barreled toward her skull. The barbarians smiled in anticipation.

A sharp clang rang out, like metal striking metal, and the spear shattered upon impact. The barbarians’ eyes widened in disbelief.

Orion smiled. “Sadly, we must decline your offer once again. I do hope we can still be friends. What do you think?”

Silvanya studied the pair silently while the barbarians gawked, fear creeping into their expressions. They had never encountered such a powerful foe—someone who didn’t even flinch at their surprise attack. Now they knew Silvanya hadn’t been boasting when she claimed she could annihilate them.

Though they couldn’t grasp the full nature of the relationship between the three, the barbarians understood one thing: Scott and Orion had foolishly rejected the champion’s offer.

“Right now, neither of you is worthy to be my friend,” Silvanya declared, her voice calm but firm. “However, it would be shortsighted to judge you based on your current strength. I can tell you’ve yet to live a full century. While I can’t consider you friends, calling you acquaintances seems appropriate. Who knows, perhaps in the future, you’ll reconsider becoming my pets,” she said with pride.

Seconds later, two metallic tokens materialized in the air, floating toward Scott and Orion. “These are the emblems of the Silvan territory. Should you find yourselves in my timeline, show them to anyone across the world, and you will be escorted to my domain,” she explained.

Scott and Orion silently accepted the smooth, glossy tokens, examining the spider insignia etched on their surfaces.

“Goodbye, and good luck,” Silvanya said suddenly.

Without another word, the towering arachnid champion strode past the barbarians, who watched her departure nervously. In moments, she vanished, leaving Scott and Orion once again the focus of the barbarians’ hungry stares. With renewed confidence at Silvanya’s departure, the barbarians raised their weapons, greed filling their eyes.

Champion synchronization complete! All restrictions have been lifted! A Challenger with Authority has been detected! Authority usage is now unrestricted! The Authority of Madness has awakened!