HBWnovel Chapter 184
Chapter 184
"What... what’s with that look?"
Tang So-Yeong covered her chest with her hands, even though there was nothing to hide.
"Cough..."
At least there was comfort in knowing that Nephila was a better sight than So-Yeong.
"Hmph."
Nephila let out a sound and with a single motion, the black cloth scattered around gathered and wrapped around her body, taking the familiar form I knew.
I should be supportive, not disappointed.
"Cough-cough."
I let out a small apologetic sound, but Nephila only looked at me with a mildly annoyed expression.
"Kieeek!"
"Kiooo!"
Taking advantage of the moment, Tus and Pus bounded toward me. They were visibly larger than last time. They inspected me, tilting their heads in fascination at my new white fur.
"Hioooong!"
Tus cooed and approached my tail naturally, while Pus turned slightly, giving me a hopeful look and subtly presenting her backside.
Though they were bigger, they hadn’t changed at all.
Maybe they could lose a bit of that innocence.
As I half-heartedly entertained the spiders, I glanced back at Nephila. Despite my teasing, I was thrilled to see her healthy again.
Nephila was my lifesaver, the first bond I formed in this world. Sure, there were things I wished for that didn’t happen, but that was probably for the best. If things had gone my way, I might have abandoned all my training to fall into Nephila’s web.
No, a bit of distance was good.
To get a clearer sense of her state, I focused my gaze.
---
**[Nephila Arachne, Lv50]**
Priestess of a religion devoted to a great black-scaled lizard. She has taken the path of a spiritual being to protect her beloved. She can take the form of an Arachne, resembling a spider, or the human form favored by her beloved.
---
Interesting description.
Nephila Arachne... she’s likely a unique species, much like myself.
The status description suggests she’s the only one of her kind.
One thing stood out: her level hadn’t reset to 1 despite her transformation. I guessed that rather than evolving, she had temporarily regressed and was simply restoring her original body.
"Hm..."
Nephila looked at me with a slight hum, not saying a word. Though she could make sounds, it seemed she preferred not to. It was understandable; now that she had entered the spiritual path, she couldn’t speak like humans anymore.
Perhaps White Wolf or the Red Dragon could teach her how.
As if reading my thoughts, Nephila gave me a bright smile.
Silently, she approached and lifted me, gripping me by my underarms.
“Cough...”
Currently, I was about the size of a medium dog, so she could easily pick me up.
She held me up to meet her gaze and smiled warmly.
"Hmph."
Then, her form began to change.
Swish...
The status screen had mentioned another form. Like the Snake Queen, White Wolf, and Red Dragon, Nephila could likely switch between her true form and a humanoid one.
But as I watched her transformation, I realized it wasn’t the typical Arachne form I expected—a giant spider body with a human torso on top.
No, her base form seemed distinctly humanoid. From a distance, she could pass as a regular human, save for the additional pairs of legs near her waist.
So, the true Arachne form was the full spider look, and this humanoid one was more like an adaptation.
"Cough!"
It was a remarkable transformation.
She had both the true Arachne form and a human-like one.
Not that I was impressed because of personal preferences or anything; this change was advantageous for Nephila in many ways.
With those extra legs concealed, she could easily blend in as a human.
And though they were technically legs, they looked flexible enough to act as extra arms.
Unlike other spiritual beings, who often lost combat ability in human form, Nephila retained a distinct advantage.
If she seriously pursued martial arts...
"Hmph."
Then she set me back down on the ground.
...It seemed as though she could read my thoughts as a Priestess.
Waiting patiently, Tang So-Yeong crept up, her hands fidgeting awkwardly.
Priestess Nephila.
Guardian Tus.
Guardian Pus.
And then... just Tang So-Yeong, the doctor.
I needed to decide what to do about her too.
“I... I also...”
The strange way her hands moved was highly suspicious.
“You... come here!”
She seemed eager to touch me, likely intrigued by my new form. As someone with a fondness for reptiles and spiritual creatures, she was probably fascinated by the change.
And since there wouldn’t be any records of me in books, it made sense that she’d be curious.
Though, judging by her clenched eyes, she was probably expecting a tail smack.
“Hm? Why are you just standing there?”
Touching me wouldn’t wear me out.
I could allow this much.
“Hehe. Being good really does pay off sometimes.”
She busily ran her hands over me.
Feeling her fingers press against my scales, I hoped she wasn’t trying to peel any off.
"Cough."
After examining me for a long while, Tang So-Yeong suddenly muttered.
“...Something’s suspicious.”
If she thought that, maybe she should remove her hands from my belly?
“It’s strange for Sir Go to be this calm...”
Slowly, she turned her head.
I also turned my head to look at her.
Perhaps because she came from the Tang Clan, she was quick to pick up on things.
“No!”
She seemed to have guessed why I’d been so cooperative.
“I’ll stay here forever and grow fat!”
I’d been quiet for this very reason.
It wasn’t just the spiders I planned to bring into my territory.
After all, I’d need a vet too.
“I’ll get meat all the time! And snacks! And I
can sleep without worrying!”
“Cough?”
Some of us had struggled to get here.
“I didn’t mean it that way...! But anyway, no! I’m going to put down roots here!”
“Cough-cough.”
Sorry, but your opinion doesn’t matter.
“You’re so mean, lizard! You only come to me when it suits you! I’m not going! No way!”
I wondered if she had grievances against me.
Whatever it was, it was best to settle it now.
Bite.
“Ah! He... he bit me!”
Nibble-nibble.
“Alright! Fine, I’ll go, okay?”
That’s more like it.