Malphegor
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Ch. 82: The Change: Spidey
🕑 Added 2024-09-16 15:42:00 +0000 UTCIn the evening, after returning home, Kagami immediately went into his own room.
Taking out the summoning scroll that Yuki had given him, he began to study it carefully. Every detail matters. I can't afford any mistakes.
Yuki had explained that to designate a specific animal as a fixed summoning companion, both the summoner's and the animal's blood must be dropped onto the scroll to form a summoning contract.
Although Kagami could summon any spider from around the world, he could not summon Spidey.
This was because his method of summoning spiders involved tapping into the spider's perspective, but he was unable to access Spidey's view. Therefore, he couldn't designate it as a summon.
The reason for this was that Spidey wasn't an ordinary spider. Instead, he was an incarnation of a being that looked like a spider but wasn't truly a spider. As such, the powers of the Spider God couldn't be used on Spidey, as it was like trying to use the power of the Spider God against itself.
However, by utilizing the blood contract with the summoning scroll, Kagami believed he could directly summon Spidey.
Summoning is a space-time ninjutsu, essentially transferring something from point A to point B. The caster does not necessarily have control over the summoned entity; it is simply a transfer of material.
In theory, anything made of mortal material could be transferred through this summoning technique.
Although most Ancient Ones are made from materials that transcend the mortal world, their incarnations are typically composed of ordinary matter, allowing mortal beings to perceive them.
Kagami speculated that this incarnation of Atlach-Nacha, could likely be transferred through summoning, as it was composed of such matter.
Now, he just needed to form a contract with Spidey and see if summoning him would work.
Is this really necessary? Am I going too far? Kagami hesitated for a moment, his hand hovering over the breeding box. No, I have to do this. It's the only way to ensure my survival.
He spread out the summoning scroll and removed the wooden board covering the breeding box.
In the darkness, a grotesque shape calmly spun webs within the box. The space was now too small for Spidey.
You've grown so much.
He reached into the box and grabbed Spidey. Its limbs and abdomen were cold and soft, but the hairs on its spider legs were hard, like steel bristles.
It's heavier than I expected. And those hairs... they're like needles. Kagami struggled to maintain his grip.
It was almost impossible to grab Spidey with one hand, so he used one hand to press it face-up against the tatami mat while the other hand drew a kunai.
The moment Spidey saw the kunai, he began struggling wildly, as if he knew what Kagami was about to do.
A faint squeak sound came from its mouth, accompanied by a secretion of clear, saliva-like liquid. Paired with his thrashing limbs, it looked as though Spidey was furiously cursing Kagami, spitting in rage.
It's as if it knows what I'm about to do. Does it understand?
Though Kagami was holding Spidey down, it wasn't as easy as it looked. The stiff hairs on its spider legs were razor-sharp, and brushing against them could easily tear the skin. He had to carefully avoid them.
He had to enhance his strength with chakra to subdue Spidey. Without chakra, a normal seven-year-old child would easily be overpowered by Spidey's strength.
I'm just a child, yet I'm restraining this... creature. What does that make me? The thought flitted through his mind, but he pushed it aside.
Even with the chakra-enhanced strength he used, an adult might still struggle to suppress this two-palm-sized spider.
If Spidey continued to grow, his strength would become even more formidable. It seemed that now was the best time to form the contract.
Kagami slowly brought the kunai closer to Spidey's abdomen. Since his spider legs were hard and bony, it didn't seem like much blood could be drawn from them, so he aimed for the plumper abdomen.
This is necessary. I have to remember that.
"Stabbing it once shouldn't kill it, right? It shouldn't die from a little cut, even a regular spider wouldn't."
He wasn't entirely sure, though. He didn't really understand a spider's tolerance for injury, let alone Spidey's unique body structure. But since it was an incarnation of a Great Old One, Kagami figured he should be able to withstand a minor injury. He just needed to be careful.
He lightly pressed the kunai against Spidey's soft abdomen and made a small cut, but surprisingly, there was no mark left behind.
"How is that possible?"
Kagami applied a bit more pressure, yet after slicing again, there was still no sign of injury.
Why won't it cut? What are you made of, Spidey? Kagami's frustration mounted.
To his astonishment, its seemingly delicate belly had withstood two cuts without a scratch.
Increasing the force once more, he used enough strength to make a visible wound on human skin, but Spidey's abdomen remained untouched.
This surprised Kagami even more, making him realize just how resilient Spidey's body was.
This strengthened his resolve to make Spidey his summoning companion.
After several failed attempts to cut, he decided to stop slicing and instead stabbed directly.
This isn't right. But I've come too far to turn back now.
He thrust the kunai forcefully into Spidey's abdomen, causing the soft flesh to compress, but the kunai still didn't penetrate.
It felt like the kunai was striking metal—soft to the touch, yet impossible to pierce.
Then, suddenly, the kunai sank in, breaking through its abdomen. It didn't just pierce the surface; it nearly skewered Spidey's entire body!
No! I didn't mean to go so deep! Panic surged through Kagami.
Green blood oozed out, dripping onto the summoning scroll.
He had achieved his goal, though he had mistakenly demonstrated how not to treat a puncture wound. He hurriedly pulled the kunai out.
Spidey's body flipped over nimbly, and the human face on his back glared at Kagami with pure rage.
It hadn't died!
Despite the forceful kunai strike distorting the expression of the face on Spidey's back, he didn't seem weakened at all.
Suddenly, the transparent liquid from its mouth dripped onto the tatami mat with a sizzling sound.
The previously pristine mat was immediately corroded, leaving a small hole the size of a grain of rice.
That wasn't ordinary liquid; it was acidic!
You're an interesting spider. Kagami's understanding of his pet was shifting rapidly.
He had no prior knowledge of Spidey's secrets or its attack methods. However, today's experience revealed some of them.
Spidey's body was far tougher than human skin, likely able to withstand most thrown weapons. Its attack methods seemed to include the sharp bristles on its legs and the corrosive liquid secreted from its mouth.
As for its vitality, a pierced abdomen was certainly not enough to kill Spidey.
Though Kagami had managed to extract its blood and learned more about its body, his next concern was calming Spidey's fury.
I've gone too far. How do I fix this?
While Spidey wouldn't hurt him, if it stormed off and caused trouble elsewhere, that would be a big problem.
So, he quickly gave two rabbits to Spidey.
As always, the sight of Spidey's feeding fascinated Kagami. The spider didn't tear into the flesh as one might expect. Spidey's legs twitched as the rabbit's soul slowly came out from its body.
It never gets old. How does he do that?
The soul hung in the air for a moment. Spidey's mandibles clicked together, and in an instant, the soul was drawn into the spider's maw. The rabbit's body slumped, lifeless, only after its essence had been consumed.
This time, however, something felt different. As Kagami watched the second rabbit's soul being extracted, an odd urge overcame him. He reached out and touch it.
I shouldn't, Kagami hesitated. But... what would it feel like?
Unable to resist, he slowly extended his hand towards the floating soul. His fingers passed right through it, feeling nothing but a slight chill where the substance should have been.
Spidey, mid-feast, suddenly turned towards Kagami. The spider's many eyes focused on the boy, and a sharp hiss escaped its mandibles. The face on Spidey's back twisted into an expression of possessive anger.
Kagami quickly withdrew his hand, realizing his mistake. It thinks I'm trying to steal its food.
"Sorry, Spidey," he murmured. "I wasn't trying to take it. I was just... curious."
Spidey's hiss subsided, but its eyes remained fixed on Kagami as it finished consuming the soul.
After eating, the rage on Spidey's face didn't subside completely, but it was no longer as hostile toward Kagami
With no other option, he went to get more rabbits. What does a soul taste like to it?
Even after consuming them, the anger on Spidey's face remained, but Kagami noticed that his wounds were healing rapidly.
Eventually, its injuries fully healed, and the face on its back returned to its usual unreadable expression.
It's not attacking me. Does it understand why I did it?
As he watched Spidey settle back into his usual state, a new resolution formed in his mind. I've crossed a line today, Spidey. There's no going back. But this is all for survival.
