Nis approached with a cheerful smile.
Her smooth black hair elegantly floated in the air.
And beside her was…
“Ack!”
A metallic spider levitating in the air.
Entirely!
“Mi… Mindblowing!”
“Ho ho ho! Let me proudly introduce you to my masterpiece—Rote!”
『 ☆☆☆☆☆ 【Rote】 Proten Arachnid LV175 』
It floated gracefully.
Could this be real…?
Not only had the level increased, but the stars had too!
Had its potential increased as well?
The wonders revealed by the status window were brief; however, the scene unfolding before me felt like a clip from the viral news footage.
“Superconductor…?”
I recalled the superconductor craze that heated up the world in my past life.
Back then, magnetic levitation videos flooded social media, showing magnets spinning mid-air.
At the time, it felt amazing, but…
This spider floating before me was hundreds of times more astonishing.
All eight legs hovered slightly off its body, perfectly balancing.
Its entire body shimmered with a faint black light, reflecting the crystalline beauty of ice walls like stars in the night sky.
The superconductor spider moved slowly, gliding like swimming underwater.
Each leg moved gracefully, as if walking on an invisible cushion.
The fact that such a being existed was staggering.
“Hooh… What exactly did you do to this spider?”
Even Master examined the spider with great curiosity.
“Ho ho ho… In Prostia’s dungeon, there’s a peculiar mineral called Proten. I just combined it with the spider!”
“Ne…?!”
The terrifying image that instantly came to mind was something I definitely shouldn’t visualize.
“Ugh… At least it’s still alive…”
Yet why did “Proten” sound so familiar?
I’m sure I’ve heard it somewhere before…
I shook my head, deciding it was probably just a misunderstanding.
Nis’s eyes were fixed on my reaction.
“Ah!”
《Wow! It’s absolutely stunning!》
My roots scratched excitedly on the ground, writing in excitement.
The petals trembled with excitement.
“Ho ho ho~ As I thought, Riko understands best!”
Nis beamed with satisfaction.
The black dress fluttered gently.
“Alright, this is Riko’s from now on. Please take good care of it~”
“Wha… Me?! It’s mine?!”
My roots nervously etched trembling letters.
The petals, startled, opened and shrank back in surprise.
“Of course~ Didn’t I say it’s a gift for you?”
“Mine…? Me, of all people, with such an incredible spider?”
Floating gently.
Rote drifted toward me in the air, slowly.
However…
Flap! Flap!
Wriggle! Wriggle!
Rustle! Rustle!
All at once, the Verlezes retreated.
The spiders hurriedly scurried up the ice wall into the corners of the ceiling, followed by Miel and the butterflies flying higher into the shadows.
The Frost Hoppers leapt along the walls to escape, and even the Blizzard Hornets, who always acted so confidently, buzzed away to a far distance.
It was as if they had encountered a ghost, recoiling with sheer panic.
“Uh… Why is this happening?”
The reaction from the spider species was especially extreme.
All their legs were trembling as they huddled together, resembling a scene out of a horror movie.
Even Glesia, who was typically so laid-back, abruptly got up and fled with an unusual speed unimaginable during normal circumstances.
It was like watching a resolute office employee rushing to resign.
Using her six legs to gather her belongings as though packing for a quick vacation, Glesia disappeared with astonishing speed.
“Wait… Did Glesia just move that quickly…?”
Only Cecilia remained perched peacefully on my petals.
“Hmm, at least Cecilia is…”
But upon closer inspection, Cecilia was trembling while hiding her eyes behind her flame-like wings.
“Oh… She’s enduring because she cares for me…”
My heart ached.
Rote had unwillingly been modified into this form, now even being treated as a monster by its friends at the top tier of vermin.
“Pathetic… Nobody asked for this…”
《Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you…》
I softly etched the letters with my roots, tracing gentle curves as if consoling a wounded child.
“So, what’s the ability?”
Without paying attention to the Verlezes’ reactions, Master attentively examined Rote with a keen look.
“First, as you can see, the ability to levitate!” said Nis cheerfully.
“Ah! And looking now, it seems to be capable of consuming other insects!”
“That’s…!”
The reason friends ran off after being strangely modified…
“Is that all?”
Master’s cold gaze turned toward Rote.
“Hmm~ We’ll have to find out more over time!” Nis said, sticking out her lips playfully.
“Then, let’s see how well it performs! With this boost, Rote is definitely a strong contender!”
“That’s…?”
At that word, an unsettling premonition ran down my spine.
Nis’s mischievous smile seemed to hint at something dangerous lurking beneath.
Master sighed.
Then Cecilia, flapping her fiery wings, ascended valiantly, projecting courage from her small frame.
Flap! Flap!
『 ☆☆ 【Cecilia】 Blaze Lumiere LV102』
“Uh… Cecilia is going to fight?”
Worry blossomed within me.
Cecilia’s level was merely slightly over 100, whereas Rote was now a five-star at LV175…
“Still, it’s just a friendly match… Right? She won’t get hurt; I can always heal her…”
But the unsettling thoughts wouldn’t completely leave.
In the center of the arena, Cecilia and Rote faced each other.
The contrasting images of the small fiery butterfly and the levitating spider resembled a dramatic scene from a movie.
Master elegantly waved a hand, immediately forming a transparent ice barrier around us.
The smooth icy wall rose in a circle, crafting a Colosseum-like arena like ancient Rome.
“Wow… You can even make structures with ice!”
《Absolutely stunning!》
I excitedly scratched the ground with my roots, my petals bouncing with joy.
“It’s to protect you from Cecilia’s flames.”
“Ah!”
My heart warmed.
I thought it was just for show…
But it was a thoughtful gesture meant for me!
“Of course, Master… Always so attentive to detail…”
《Master! You’re the best♡》
I inscribed the words, adding extra hearts and even decorating with flower patterns.
Master tenderly brushed my petals with a gentle hand, sending a shiver throughout me.
Ah!
This was just like dating at the arena, Roman aristocracy style!
My petals bloomed on their own then shyly closed.
“Hoh… I want one too. A Riko for my dungeon…”
“Nis.”
Nis, who was speaking playfully, was cut off coldly by Master.
Yes!
I belong to Master alone!
Finally, the match was about to begin.
All the vermin had gathered on Cecilia’s side, cheering her on, flapping their small wings and legs to support her.
“Hmm… Rote was your friend too… It’s a bit unfair…”
Despite this, I couldn’t help but root for Cecilia.
My daughter, after all!
Both Master and Nis watched with anticipation.
Excitement gleamed in Master’s eyes, while Nis’s crimson pupils sparkled.
Flap! Flap!
Cecilia made the first move.
An unbelievable torrent of flames erupted from her small body.
Fiery red blazes spread outward, coloring the entire chamber a deep red.
The flames filled the space, causing the frost walls to slightly melt, though they refrosted quickly under Master’s magical force.
“My goodness~ Such powerful flames!”
Nis marveled in delight.
“Riko has raised a fine child.”
Master replied quietly but with evident pride in her voice.
“Hehe… Our daughter was praised!”
My petals spread out with pride.
But when the flames subsided, Rote remained perfectly intact, floating smoothly, its glossy surface unscathed.
“So… Amazing defense!”
“Hooh…”
Master’s sharp gaze pierced through Rote.
“Ho ho ho~ It’s my masterpiece, naturally!” Nis beamed.
At that moment, the reactions from the insects were intriguing.
The spiders, who had hidden in the corners, had their compound eyes shining brightly. The antennae of the others, hanging upside down from the ceiling, all stood on end.
Even Glesia, who had run away, peeked her head out from beyond the ice wall.
“So… You guys think it’s great too.”
Cecilia, seemingly frustrated, enveloped herself entirely in flames and charged toward Rote, resembling a streaking comet with a fiery trail.
“Go! Plasma Drive!”
But Rote remained stationary, showing no signs of movement.
“Uh…”
Boom!
In an instant, it happened.
Cecilia was bounced back like a rubber ball.
Meanwhile, Rote remained perfectly fine, and it looked even shinier somehow.
“Th… The strongest tank…! The attack didn’t work…!”
Then Cecilia fell limply to the ground, her once blazing wings fading into a faint glow.
“No!”
My heart sank.
I quickly sprinkled Cecilia with pink pollen full of healing properties.
Its sweet fragrance dispersed while the pink pollen enveloped Cecilia’s body.
The moment Master dissolved the ice barrier, I carefully lifted Cecilia with my black roots and placed her gently back on my petals.
Her little body was still trembling a bit.
“Are you okay…?”
Crunch! Crunch!
Cecilia began nibbling on my petals, her trembling body showing determination to grow stronger and take revenge for this humiliation.
