The Shapeshifter

"Say, what do you despise the most?"

Alex took but a second to respond and said, "I despise hypocrites! I despise creatures like you who do everything for the sake of vengeance. Why didn't you become someone who protects the others from the likes of the mage in your story? Why become like him? Just to what? Let them feel pain like yours? No. You just want to be pitied— Ugh!"

His words came to a stop as he was hit by one of the spider's legs. Despite its legs looking like one of the sharpest things in the world, it felt like just like a stronger punch that he could bȧrėly take.

The attack by the Spider Queen was so controlled and precise that its sharp legs didn't penetrate Alex's stomach, much less disintegrate it.

This amount of control showed that it possess great control over its body, or it may have done similar things in the past.

Blood continued to trickle down his mouth and he chuckled, "Heh. Did I hit the spot?" Even though most of his body could no longer move, he still felt the need to talk. It was like he was digging an early grave for himself.

"That guy killed my family! Killed my friends! Destroyed my home! He robbed me of my life! You have only been alive for what? A few decades? Don't you dare teach me of things that you know nothing about!", the Spider Queen shouted.

There was so much anger and hostility in the Spider Queen's voice. Although the Spider Queen has so much hate right now, Alex knew that it still has its sanity and will not really kill him.

Though he needs to be more careful with his words. He just need to wait for what it has in store for him. Not that he has anything in mind, it's just that sometimes, one must cling to any possibilities for hope.

...

Back at the forest.

"No need to be surprised. It's just us.", the man behind the tree said.

"Us? You mean you?", Reynard snickered.

The man ignored Reynard and said, "Your numbers seem to have decreased by two. Where are they?"

"Dead."

"Quite the chief you are. You call yourself the tribe chief, yet you can't even protect the lives of the children?", the man scoffed.

"We encountered a cluster of spiders. It was like an avalanche, a stampede! There were so many of them. We can't properly fight back because of the space inside the cave. It was my negligence that caused their deaths."

When Reynard said those words, he looked like he was in pain of losing Drei and Alex. With his head bowed down, his expression moved the man.

"Oh Reynard. Stop it with the act. I've known you since you were a child. You better pray that they're alive. Come on, let's go."

With that, the man turned around and led the way as if he knew where the cave was. Reynard decided to follow the speeding silhouette, but directed for his son, Rezhul, and the others to go back on their own.

... .

Inside the dark cave.

There are two dark figures that could be seen. First was that of the Spider Queen and the other was Alex, who was on all fours on the hard ground that was soaked with his own blood.

"Hey, human. Are you still alive?" The Spider Queen poked at Alex's side. Although it didn't got any answers, it continued to talk.

"Hmm. It's no fun if it's only me who's doing the talking. Hence, I'll make it fun for us. HeHehEhE!"

With a big smile plastered on its face, came its shrill laugh. It released a thin web, attached it to Alex's back, and connected it to the ceiling of the cave.

The Spider Queen looked at him and said, "I sense fear in you. But why is it not showing on your face? Afraid of death, yet not afraid of it at the same time. Heh. I'll make you feel something worse than death. I'll let you feel despair!"

The Spider Queen's old face directly pounced at his neck. The attack was too sudden, Alex thought that there would be more talk. The Spider Queen was now biting his neck, chewing the scant amount of flesh in it, and inserting its old, slimy and gooey tongue in him.

"Aaaaahhhhh! No!", Alex screamed and squirmed, but it only made it hurt more since the only thing that was holding him were a web and the mouth of queen. He could feel something warm going inside of him, but he could not do anything about it.

But then he heard a familiar sound.

*DING*

*Mana detected! Absorb Mana? Y/N?*

He stopped for a second, smiled, and accepted the notification.

The update progress of the system was moving at a pace that he could see, and in no time, it reached 100%.

But it didn't stop there, no! He could feel the warm yet chaotic mana running around his body, wreaking havoc.

His body struggled some more, but the pain that was ȧssaulting him was affecting his whole body.

Being hurt by the huge amount of chaotic mana coursing through his body, a tiny seed of vengeance was planted in his mind, as he glared at the body of the Spider Queen that was still biting him.

*ERROR!*

It was like he was hallucinating, as some red spots are starting to appear in his vision.

*ERROR!*

*A problem has been detected and the system needs to restart to prevent further damage.*

*Collecting some error info!*

Ignoring the pain that he was going through, he started pounding the side of the head of the old spider until his body's weakness overcame him.

Blood was splattered on the face of the Spider Queen. Its face was satisfied by the taste of blood and from the reaction it got from Alex.

*33% complete*

After a minute passed, it removed its mouth from his neck.

Licking the blood from the side of its mouth, it spoke, "Little Mantis, come out quick. A show is about to start!". The Spider Queen beckoned, with its eyes sparkling as if what it was about to see a spectacle.

Then a one-armed mantis appeared out of nowhere and stood beside the Spider Queen. It looked at the Spider Queen's smiling but hideous face, then looked back at Alex who was now lying on the floor.

*99% complete*

*100% complete*

*System restarting ...*

*DING*

*Mana Detected! Redirecting Mana ...*

*Forced Shapeshifting 0%*

*Commencing ...*

Alex stood up and looked at the Mantis and the Spider Queen. He stared at them for a few seconds, when he finally felt an unbearable itch on his limbs.

He looked down and saw tiny hairs growing in his arms.

"W-what is this? What did you do to me? Aaaaahhh!"

*Forced Shapeshifting 25%*

Then he felt something from the side of his body, as if something was struggling to break free.

"Aaahhhh! No! I'll kill you! I'll kill both of you!"

*Forced Shapeshifting 50%*

Then his vision expanded. Even when he was only looking forward, he could clearly see what is on his left and right, the ceiling and a fraction of what it looked like behind him. His brain received a shock and struggled to process the images that it was receiving from his eight eyes.

*Forced Shapeshifting 75%*

He was no longer being supported by his human legs. He was now standing on all eight spider legs.

Maybe it was due to his fervent performance, the skill [Madness] was triggered. He only showed some anger to make his acting believable, yet the exact same anger activated the skill. Alex could not understand why the skill was triggered.

Soon, he felt that his control over his own body was getting weaker and weaker, and his eight eyes became blood red.

It wasn't like his previous use of [Madness], where he could look around and direct, and then allow his 'instinct' to take over.

This time, it was the real madness. His head was being filled with nothing but vengeance, anger and hatred. He could no longer think about anything else.

As his head and body was slowly shifting to that of a meter tall black spider, he spoke, "This is your despair? I'll show you real despair once I'm out of here! I will hunt you down! You hear me? I will hunt you do— Graahhhhh!". He was unable to finish his sentence when his voice turned to that of a spider's.

*Forced Shapeshifting 100%*

*Forced Shapeshifting Complete!*

Looking at the now spider-ized Alex before it, the Spider Queen let out its creepy shrill laughter.

"HehEheEhe! That's it! Hunt me down, he says. Hahaha! You want to hunt me down, yet you can't even fight back! I'll wait for you. That's right, I'll wait for you to grow.. For now, have a go at Little Mantis.", then the Spider Queen looked at the one-armed Mantis and continued, "Beat him up for me, will you?"