Memorize

An-Hyun glared warily at the spider, his guard up. An Sol held her staff silently, while Yun-Jung gripped her dagger tightly, exuding an ominous killing intent. Judging by their expressions, they looked ready to charge at any moment.

In contrast, the arachne—no, Vivienne—wore a relaxed and confident smile. Like an older sibling humoring a younger one's tantrum, she chuckled softly before speaking again in her lively tone. Naturally, her words were directed at me.

"You're laughing? You're laughing! Does that mean you agree with me, human male?"

"From your perspective, I suppose it makes sense, spider female."

"Yohohoho! Spider female! Hahaha, what a riot. You've got a sense of humor, haven't you? I like it! It's been a while since I felt this generous. Fine, I'll spare you… Hmm… but only to capture you alive!"

Vivienne truly looked as if she believed she was doing me a great favor. Raising her front legs to fold them like arms, she nodded thoughtfully in an exaggerated manner, which was honestly so ridiculous that it was hard not to laugh.

The others, however, didn't seem amused. Instead, I heard a collective sound of exasperation escaping from their lips.

To me, she was an oddly entertaining monster. With a soft smile, I decided to play along, adding a touch of mischief to my tone as I spoke.

"I'm curious. Since you're already feeling generous, how about showing a bit more mercy?"

Vivienne widened her eyes, intrigued by my words, and responded immediately.

"More? What do you mean, more? Do you want me to spare the others too?"

"Not that. On the way here, we came across the bodies of two players. Did you kill both of them yourself?"

Without the slightest hesitation, the spider nodded in response to my question.

"Yup, I killed them. But why are you asking?"

"Well, you're an alchemist, aren't you? Wouldn't you sometimes need human bodies for experiments? I just can't wrap my head around why you'd leave them discarded like that. Don't you think so, Vivienne?"

"Oh, come on. Those were torn to pieces anyway… huh? Wait a second, how do you know I'm Alchemist Vivienne?"

Seeing Vivienne's reaction, I suppressed a grin and kept my expression neutral. She seemed sharp enough to hold a lively conversation, and perhaps even clever in her own way. But the higher reasoning skills she might have had during her alchemist days were clearly long gone.

Having gotten the reaction I was fishing for, I saw no reason to hold back anymore.

Vivienne's face lit up as she began hopping excitedly in place, thrilled that someone recognized her. (Side note: every time she jumped, the ground shook slightly, making me momentarily worry about the dungeon collapsing.) From my perspective, it seemed likely that she had meddled with body modification or experimented with intentional infections in an attempt to extend her life. Cases like hers were often the tragic fates of lower-level mages or alchemists who lacked the skill to become a lich.

Whether or not she was happy with her current state wasn't for me to judge, but it was clear she was a rare type.

"The first humans to show up were a mixed bunch. Most were worthless, but a few had some talent. Thanks to them, I lost plenty of my useful underlings. That open area with the goblins you all passed through? It wasn't their original territory. The original residents were wiped out, so I had to rush to fill the gap. Ugh, it still makes me mad!"

Vivienne puffed up her cheeks dramatically to show her anger. A moment later, she spat out venom from her jaw, as if to vent her rage, before regaining her composure and continuing in a high-pitched voice.

"Do you think I could just let that slide? No way! I decided to deal with it myself. And what do I see? The moment I reveal myself, one of them—the guy with the bow—runs away immediately, leaving the others behind. Can you believe that? I was so angry just watching him scurry off, abandoning everyone else. Seriously! But thanks to him, the others lost their will to fight, so it all worked out."

"And then?"

"Honestly, I wanted to kill him first, but the others didn't let me be. Especially the male priest—he annoyed me so much with his constant babbling about gods that I killed him first. He tried to save the others and run, but I caught up to him, stabbed him in the leg, and tore him in half at the waist. Hmm, now that I think about it, I chased after the first guy right after that, so I didn't actually check if he died. He's dead, right?"

Vivienne rattled off her story at an incredible speed, her tone lively and animated. She clearly loved to talk.

Meanwhile, my companions stood frozen, watching our conversation in stunned silence. Their confusion was evident, until An-Hyun's expression suddenly shifted to something more serious. He subtly gestured toward the others, likely misunderstanding my intent as stalling for time so they could recover.

In reality, I had only asked out of genuine curiosity.

Since there was no harm in this misunderstanding, I simply went along with it and answered Vivienne's question.

"Yeah, he's dead. So, that archer player—you got him in the end too, right?"

"Hehe, it's been so long since I've had a chat like this. I'm having so much fun! Yep, yep! You know, honestly, even I thought he wasn't much. So I chased him all the way down, grabbed him by the neck, and twisted it right off. He screamed so much! I did good, didn't I? Ohohoho."

Vivienne looked genuinely delighted. She closed her eyes as if savoring the memory, a satisfied expression spreading across her face. Meanwhile, An-Hyun was quietly catching his breath. This guy, he's useless when Sol comes up, but moments like this make him seem like he has potential. Push and pull—sometimes he seems dependable, sometimes not.

Vivienne's eyes suddenly snapped open, sparkling with excitement. With an animated look, she lifted one of her legs and pointed into the air.

"Hey! Ask me about that one too! I don't know why, but I'm having so much fun talking to you~ Hehe."

"…Fine. How did that female player hanging from the ceiling end up like that?"

I asked gently, and the spider twisted her body bashfully, her face blushing slightly. From behind, I heard Yun-Jung mutter under her breath, "That bitch…" Yun-Jung, are you seriously jealous of a monster right now?

"Kyaa~ That one up there? Yeah, I didn't like her from the start. She had this haughty look in her eyes, like she was looking down on me. It really pissed me off. I mean, seriously, she ended up like that anyway, so what was the point of acting all superior? I don't like her, not at all!"

"No matter how much you didn't like her…that's a bit much."

I responded conversationally, as if we were just chatting. Vivienne chuckled softly and closed her eyes again, seemingly lost in yet another flashback. By now, I'd had plenty of chances to deal with her, but her storytelling was oddly entertaining. For now, I didn't feel the need to attack her.

That said, as I continued to listen, stray thoughts started creeping into my mind. It wouldn't be long before I decided to take care of her.

"Hehe. You would've enjoyed watching it too! At first, she kept glaring at me sharply, even while tied up. Made me really want to break her. So, I spun things around—she went to the goblins, then Rengas, and even Lamik, who had transformed into that human who ran away first. And for the final act? She became a broodmare for the spiders. Oh, I can still see it so clearly—the sight of that proud woman losing her purity to the monsters she despised. Watching her wail and thrash in despair... The once-composed face streaked with tears and snot as she begged me for mercy. It was just too funny. Eventually, she lost her sanity after laying eggs and birthing them. Heheh! What a fool. If only she'd acted that way from the start, I might've let her live, like the other males and females."

"…So, are there still surviving players?" I asked.

"Yep! I've wrapped them up in cocoons and stored them nicely. They'll live for a while. But I'm torn about what to do with them. Should I use them as nourishment for the kids… or maybe turn them into chimeras? Hmm. The latter does sound more appealing."

By now, the others' breathing had steadied considerably. I figured it was about time to wrap up the conversation and subtly tightened my grip on my sword. Seeing me ready my weapon, Vivienne pouted wistfully and muttered,

"Eh… you want to fight? Let's not bother, okay? I promise I won't do anything bad to you."

"It's a hassle, but I think I need to take you down. My group doesn't seem to like you much either."

"Hmph. Fine. If you insist on your punishment, so be it. But I like you, so I won't kill you. And… alright, I'll be generous again. I'll even spare the cute male beside you."

An-Hyun's face twisted into a peculiar expression, but the tension between him and me only seemed to heighten Yun-Jung and Sol's growing fury. After sweating slightly, I cleared my throat and continued,

"What about the other two?"

"Hmm… Honestly, the priestess seems more suited to be a broodmare. She has a lot of mana, but she looks too fragile. Fragile ones sometimes end up killing themselves before they're of any use. So, I'll pick the feisty one next to her instead."

"You crazy bitch."

"Yep, I'm a crazy bitch."

"Talking crap, huh?"

"I don't have any crap, though."

"You #$%^&*&^%$#@!!"

At Vivienne's sly retort, Yun-Jung unleashed an incomprehensible stream of curses, her voice shaking with rage. Vivienne merely grinned and listened with amusement until her expression abruptly darkened, her playful demeanor giving way to a sudden burst of murderous intent. Watching her mood flip so rapidly, I couldn't help but let out a hollow chuckle. She was far from a normal-thinking spider.

Yun-Jung, who had been spitting out curses with reckless abandon, suddenly clamped her mouth shut when Vivienne's aura shifted perceptibly. Noticing the others adopting a serious stance, I too began gathering my mana. It felt like too much to leave entirely to the group. This time, I was prepared to step in and reveal my abilities if necessary. Just as I resolved myself and took a step forward, I saw the lower jaw of the spider, which had been quietly observing us, open wide, releasing a cascade of silvery threads like a waterfall.

"If I'm going to catch you, I might as well do it without leaving any scars. I'll take you all down at once. Hehehe!"

As Vivienne let out a chilling laugh, thick, shimmering silver threads began pouring from her mouth. These threads were far superior in thickness and volume compared to those from any spider we had faced before. The threads that spilled onto the ground spread out like an open umbrella before curling inward, shooting toward us like arrows.

The speed was astonishing—even I was momentarily caught off guard. The threads struck us before we could fully react, and they immediately began wrapping around our bodies. However, I didn't resist. Instead, I stood still, letting the sticky threads envelope me. A thought had flashed through my mind: if there was no immediate threat to our lives, it might be better to allow ourselves to be taken to her secret lair and figure out a way to escape later.

"Surprised? Heeheehee."

Though I remained motionless, the others fought desperately. Despite having lowered my guard, I hadn't expected threads this fast. An-Hyun swung his spear wildly, trying to cut through the threads, but it was futile. Their thickness and stickiness were one thing, but the sheer quantity overwhelmed him. If An-Hyun was struggling, there was no way Yun-Jung and Sol could come up with a solution. Nevertheless, their frantic struggles only made Vivienne burst out laughing and taunt us in a playful voice.

"Hehehe! It's useless, you know? My threads aren't weak enough to be cut by weapons like that. Don't underestimate silk threads. Just accept it, like the male in front of you. Your eyes, mouth, and ears will all be sealed, but at least I won't block your nose."

…What?

"Wait a second. You're saying you're blocking everything except our noses?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah."

When I asked with a brightened expression, Vivienne blinked in surprise and stammered slightly. But after a moment, she nodded. Confirming this, I glanced behind me. The speed at which the threads were wrapping around us was astonishing—the others were already encased like silken cocoons.

Lowering my head, I could see the threads rapidly wrapping around my body as well. The sensory isolation she described meant that once the others were encased in the cocoons, they wouldn't be able to see or hear anything I did. Suddenly, it struck me: if my actions would remain unseen and unheard, there was no need to allow myself to be taken deeper into her lair.

Having made up my mind, I focused my mind and awakened the Hwajung that slumbered within me.

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