Civilization

"What? What is ha-AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" - Ian

I woke up in the desert once again, but this time, I saw an extra line on the system message. My back burns and I scream. I feel the flesh on my back ripping and tearing. I drop to the ground, clutching my sides with my hands. I feel my nails dig into my skin and my eyes shake violently as I screech in pain.

The pain never stopped, but my body would refuse to collapse. Each time I felt my mind go blank from the pain, something stops me and the pain intensifies. I claw at my face and reach behind me, only to feel two small bumps on my back. All at once, I feel the pain escalate 100 times as much as before as I feel something come out of my back like someone grabbed a bone in my bone and ripped it out without caring.

[ You have died. ]

[ Live on then, Yet Hang: 3476:19:01 ]

I open my eyes and my body shakes at the experience. It was so fast, so quick, and so violent. That death was worse than anything I had faced before. I would much rather die to the acid spray from the monster spiders in the previous challenge than experience that pain again.

[ You have become part spider and are now recognized as an Arachne. ]

"W-w-what? W-w-what do y-y-you mean?" - Ian

[ Your race is now changed to Arachne. ]

[ As the first player to become an Arachne, you will receive a reward. ]

[ Skill: Predator Instinct ]

Predator Instinct (Passive) - The user becomes more aware of their surroundings. They are able to track those they have determined as prey, as well as gain heightened senses when the prey is cornered ( +10% Strength, +10% Agility).

Name: Ian

Race: Arachne

Faith: 4275/10,000 ( Reach 10,000 to pick a Religion )

Happiness: 20  ( Happy ) 905/1000 ( Reach 1000 for a Golden Age )

Culture: 10 / 500 ( Reach 500 to choose the first Social Policy )

Health Points (HP): 30/60

Mana Points (MP): 15/15

Strength: 35

Vitality: 30

Intelligence: 30

Dexterity: 25

Agility: 45

Luck: 31

Skill: Enhanced Agility, Quickstep, Cleave, Charge, Stealth, Eye of the Roc (Passive), Predator Instinct (Passive), Limb Regrowth (Passive)

Limb Regrowth (Passive) - If the user loses a limb (leg, arm) then after some time the user will regrow that limb. The time it takes depends on the severity.  Skill associated with the Arachne Race

"I-I." - Ian

I shakily reach over my shoulder without turning my head with my arm. I gulp down my saliva as I reach a little more to feel a cold, hard, curved surface. I turn my head to the right and I see a jet black spider leg arched over my shoulder.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" - Ian

I turn my body aggressively to the side, but see the spider leg escape away from my sight in the same direction. Of course, it does, it is attached to my body.

"What the hell? What the hell? What the hell? What the hell? WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" - Ian

I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't believe what was even happening. My body had become a part spider. I had become an Arachne. My head was a mess and I had 2 of these spider legs attached to my back.

I didn't even notice the sandstorm around me and the spikes that were stabbing into me. I die again and I half expected the pain to come back, but no pain this time. I still feel shaken up about the spider stuff that just happened, but it's not like I can remove them.

I try to understand them instead.

It's just so weird…

I can control the spider legs as if they were my arms. I stretch it out to measure the reach, and the tip of the legs could stretch further than my own hands. It was like looking at a scythe stretching out, since the leg was always bent at the joint. I could bring them close to my face and stretch them to the sides, but I couldn't turn them around to touch the ground.

Goosebumps spread across my whole body every time I try to move them, and I could feel my stomach churning at the experience.

I spent the next couple of attempts learning about the spider legs and how to control them, almost vomiting a couple of times in the process. My body felt cold the longer I got used to my new body.

Learning to move all 8 parts of the legs was exhausting and strange in so many ways. There was a small joint attached to my back that connects to a joint that allows movement for the first big section of the spider. This section looked to be the largest section of the leg and probably acted like the thigh because after that was something similar to a knee. It allows the next 4 sections freedom of movement in almost 360 degrees.

The tip of the leg was split into 2 in the middle, with a smaller tip and a longer tip. It resembled a spear or a claw, which I didn't expect. I thought spider's legs were like knives with just a singular point, however, looking at my spider leg I can clearly see a claw-like resemblance. The legs are able to extend and contract at fast speeds, but the more I pushed myself to use it, the more nauseous I felt.

[ You have died. ]

[ Live on then, Yet Hang: 3378:42:58 ]

After dying one more time, I exited the game as morning came. I took off my shirt the moment I woke up and asked Rebecca to check my back and neck.

"Nothing is there. What happened?" - Rebecca

"NOTHING IS THERE?! Check again, please!" - Ian

"There is nothing, Ian. Tell me what happened?" - Rebecca

"My race became Arachne. The curse activated and I-I have 2 spider legs on my back." - Ian

"I thought the curse wasn't until 6 months? How many times did you die?" - Rebecca

"Enough times… The curse is still counting down, it's not like its gone." - Ian

"Then it's like a transformation curse?" - Rebecca

"Yep, and I guess stage 1 is done. I'm going to become a spider by the time the curse finishes. I'm so screwed. AHHHHHHHH!" - Ian

"Calm down, Ian. It will be okay. Get up let's have some breakfast first okay? I'll make you some toast." - Rebecca

"Okay… Okay…" - Ian

I tell the group chat about what happened, and I got a lot of worried replies.

"Ian, do you want me to go back to HavenFall?" - Kingston

"No, there shouldn't be much to do there. I think." - Ian

"If you want me to come back, tell me, okay?" - Kingston

"Got it…" - Ian

"Ian, what happened in the game is just a game, okay? Just think you got a buff for now and try to figure out how to get rid of the curse later." - Evan

"It has only given you a new way to fight, right?" - Sam

"I guess…" - Ian

"Just take it as it is for now." - Evan

"He is telling us because he is worried, we shouldn't push him, right?" - Sabrina

"The curse affects his skills and stats. While it is somewhat concerning because of what happened yesterday, we still don't know anything about it." - Rebecca

"Then we just need to wait." - Sam

"Waiting is what I've been doing for a while now…"- Ian

"I told you before when I went berserk, it influenced me in real life. I got angry. Like a lot. However, it went away. So this weird feeling will go away too. It's just in the game, you will have additional limbs." - Kingston

"Right, it will influence the way you play in the game." - Evan

"Anything that happens, we are here, so just talk to us." - Sabrina

"I'll come as soon as possible on a plane if you need anything." - Sam

"Thanks, everyone." - Ian

I turn off my phone and went out to see Rebecca preparing breakfast. Vegemite, butter and toast, and a cup of tea as well. Rebecca sat down opposite me, putting her hair into a ponytail before taking a bite out of her toast.

"So, what are you going to do today?" - Rebecca

"I don't know. Learn more about spiders? Like what they do with their front 2 legs, maybe something like that." - Ian

"Yea, that sounds like a good idea. I'm going to go out later, so just relax at home, okay?"  - Rebecca

"Yea I will. Do you think everything will be okay?" - Ian

"Why are you so hesitant? What happened to the Ian that had a lot of confidence?" - Rebecca

"This situation is so scuffed. I don't know what to make of it. Don't worry, I'll figure it out." - Ian

"Okay." - Rebecca

After breakfast, Rebecca left the house, and I was left alone. I researched spiders and found that spiders spread their front legs out to make them look bigger. The bigger they are, the less likely they will be attacked because they look stronger. The claws on the spiders are made for spinning as well as detecting vibrations, sound, scent and air currents. I wonder what else my 2 spider legs can do, since I only got movement down during the last couple of attempts. Hopefully, it will help me in some way for the second challenge.