Chapter 194: Bigger on the Inside


    Damn... She really got me there. I don’t think there’s any monster that I could say willingly killed itself. I mean... I could argue that the monsters were idiots for throwing themselves at me. But that just sounds cocky.


    "Moving on!" I said quickly, trying to brush aside the subject. "So I introduced myself. Do you go by ’The Terror’ or just Terror?"


    "Neither, please... I hate that name; I can’t believe someone could force a name on me!" The spider responded mentally.


    "Funny story; I had my name forced upon me, too," I replied. "Even Though I’ve grown to like it, mine actually sounds like a name more than a title. Do you have a past name or one you’d prefer? What about Terry?"


    "No... I can’t remember my past life’s name..." the spider responded somberly. "And please, no name even remotely close to this stupid terror nonsense. I wish I could get rid of it."


    "Technically, I could change it for you, but it comes with some attachments," I admitted.


    "What sort of attachments?" She asked curiously.


    "I could bond you as my monster companion, and then I’d be able to rename you, I think? It’s what happened to me."


    "I... I don’t know if I’m ready for that level of commitment," she said, clearly hesitant.


    "I can understand; I’m not even certain if I can bond you," I confessed. "It also puts a different Emblem on you, probably to show civilized society that you aren’t a hostile monster."


    "Wait. It would let me leave this dank cave and rejoin society?" She asked.


    "Oh, right, I should probably explain. So I’m moonlighting as an adventurer, despite being a monster, and I’ve got a whole secret identity sort of thing going on. Anyway, some adventurers have a monster companion, and from what I understand, you’d be my responsibility, but it would let you enter cities."


    "That’s crazy. You’re a monster pretending to be an elf?" She asked.


    "I also pretended to be a human at one point... And a goblin... And a pegasus... I do a lot of shapeshifting."


    The spider stared at me in disbelief with her eight eyes.


    "That’s so unfair..." She eventually responded.


    "It was an evolution option; it took a lot of work to get. Maybe you’ll get a humanoid spider form later?" I suggested.


    "Nothing I’ve seen before, and I’ve evolved three times already..."


    "You started at tier two then? That seems a little unfair... Then again, you started in these caves while I started on a farm and in a relatively peaceful forest. If you ignore the packs of murder wolves, anyway."


    "Tier... Two?" She asked.


    "Oh. Do you not have [Identify]?" I was shocked.


    She shook her little head.


    "It’s a skill that lets you see a monster or person’s race and class levels. Well, mine recently leveled up, and now I can see the tier of monsters. You’re currently tier five, and I’m tier four," I explained.


    "Wait, I’m a tier higher than you, but I still lost?"


    "Well, I also have a lot of class levels, and I probably have a higher combined level than you. My [Apex Hunter] didn’t even trigger on you, sadly..."


    "You have a class?" The spider asked in disbelief. "I’ve been wondering about that for forever. Mine’s been blank since the start; I thought I’d get one from an evolution eventually."


    "Yeah, that’s why I joined the adventurers in the first place. I heard they could get me a class and snuck myself in. They have this magic crystal that lets you pick one."


    "C-could I use the crystal?"


    "I don’t see why not. But you’d need to join the Adventurer’s Guild... Or sneak in. Maybe I could ask to use one privately and let you use it?" I entertained the idea.


    "Why only maybe?"


    "They have this whole... Linked system setup... Thing, a wish from the gods, it’s kind of crazy. There could be a restriction that only guild members could use the crystal, for example."


    "Oh..." She replied dejectedly.


    "I mean, I could be wrong!" I replied reassuringly. "I’m just a bit pessimistic and neurotic about these sorts of things. There’s also the issue of trying to sneak you in; the dwarven city is heavily fortified."


    "If you’re trying to reassure me, you’re doing a lousy job!" She shouted, sounding exasperated.


    "Sorry..." I shrugged.


    "No... I’m... Ugh..." She started trying to reply. "It’s just a lot to take in."


    I pulled out some fresh, hot food from my [Core Storage] as if it had just been cooked. The spider stared at it enviously, and I placed it in front of her.


    The author’s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Here. Since you lost your lunch earlier." I offered.


    She stared long and hard at the food. "Why are you doing this?"


    "Well... I feel a bit bad coming in and taking your home away. I’d probably feel the same if someone took away my tree back in the day. Hell, I felt that way even when I lost my goblin cave... Even though they were secretly betraying me. Well... A few anyway, most of them were decent; I hope Yuzz is doing well."


    <[Dimension Magic]


    An extremely advanced form of Magic.


    Allows one to manipulate Dimensional Mana.


    Grants one default spell per level.>


    I blinked.


    Gods, that’s a big one. But I don’t think I have Dimensional Affinity?


    <Skill [Dimension Magic] requires Dimension Affinity.>


    Thought so...


    <Error. Existing Dimension Affinity has been locked.


    The user must pay a fee to unlock.>


    Wait... I have Dimension Affinity? But it’s been locked? By who?


    <Authority: Gramps. Has requested Dimension Affinity to be locked.>


    Gramps! Why!?


    <The user must pay the fee to unlock.>


    Sure, what’s the fee?


    <Unlock Dimension Affinity for 10 Trait Points? 11 Trait Points remaining.>


    Shit! That’s so expensive! Ten whole points!? I mean, I can afford it... I’m sure it’s worth it, right?


    <Quest received: Teach The Terror (Spider) the fundamentals of Magic.


    Reward: Discounted unlock payment (variable based on results).>


    Woah! What the heck? A quest for a discount? Sign me up!


    <Authority: Gramps has petitioned for this Quest to be declined.>


    <Authority: Mother has vetoed this petition.>


    I was staring at the messages, utterly dumbfounded, when suddenly, a panicked voice echoed in my head.


    "Syl!?" The spider shouted, breaking me out of my stupor. "Are you still there? You’ve kinda gone blank as a statue for a bit there..."


    "Oh... Sorry, I was receiving a Quest." I replied, still somewhat confused about the whole situation.


    "A Quest? What for?" The spider asked.


    "Mother wants me to teach you magic, I think..."


    The spider looked startled.


    "That controlling bitch! She’s the reason I attacked you in the first place! She told me a powerful elf was coming, and I was doomed if I didn’t get better at magic as soon as possible and stop slacking off! The nerve of her! What a control freak after she put me in this horrible body!"


    <Quest received: Slap The Terror (Spider).


    Reward: 1 Trait Point unlock discount.>


    Before Gramps or anyone else could remove this Quest, I rapidly formed a tendril and slapped the spider across the face.


    "What was that for!?" She demanded.


    <Quest complete.>


    <Unlock Dimension Affinity for 9 Trait Points? 11 Trait Points remaining.>


    "Sorry! I got a quest." I tried to explain, although it wasn’t a very good reason.


    "You slapped me for a quest!?" She sounded furious.


    "Mother gave me a trait point discount!" I tried to deflect the blame.


    "That bitch!"


    I half expected another quest, but sadly, it looked like I wouldn’t get another discount so easily.