The Return of the Iron-blood Sword Hound

Chapter 171: Madam Eight-Leg’s Offspring (2)

Vikir closed his eyes.

He reminisced about a past, his fight with that terrifying monster, ‘Madam Eight legs’.

Danger Level: S

Size: ?

Location: Red and Black Mountain Range.

Also known as the ‘Lady of Death,’ Madam Eight-Leg’s precise species remained unknown. In ancient times, deep within Abyss, there existed enormous spiders, and Madam Eight-Legs was believed to be a descendant of those sinister creatures, retaining their massive form.

Her body was filled with repulsive venom, and her web was nearly indestructible, aside from the hellfire of the underworld. Even Vikir, a seasoned hound, had nearly met his end in that battle.

This gigantic queen spider was so formidable that even ancient monsters who ruled the Mountains found her challenging to deal with, providing her offspring with an independent territory in a secluded part of the Abyss.

And now, right before Vikir’s eyes, there was the last descendant of that fearsome spider.

Krzzt-Krung!

Vikir held a small, round, dust-like creature that looked like a doodle made by a bored artist. It had two flimsy legs poking out from which it sat and walked clumsily.

“Madam’s… offspring?”

Madam’s child, or the offspring of Madam Eight Legs. This small, insignificant creature was currently sitting on Vikir’s palm, its tiny legs wiggling as it emitted a soft chirping noise.

It resembled an affectionate puppy in its behavior.

‘…Is it because it was raised by wolves in the early stages?’

This must be why they emphasize prenatal care, Vikir thought. He could now somewhat understand why expectant mothers played foreign language lessons or classical music to their unborn children.

Just then, Vikir made a peculiar discovery.

Squelch!

A white, gooey substance was beginning to ooze where the baby Madam had just licked. As soon as it touched the air, it solidified into fine threads, as thin as a spider’s silk.

‘…Is this spider thread? It’s incredibly sturdy.’

Vikir stretched out the string of silk that the baby Madam had produced from its mouth. Ordinary spider threads had a tensile strength far superior to the same amount of steel, and they were even more elastic. But this was no ordinary spider; it was the descendant of Madam Eight-Legs, and the silk it spun was the ultimate wire.

…Snap!

Vikir exerted considerable force before managing to break the thin thread.

That was all he could pull from it.

“Elasticity, strength, and it’s even adhesive…”

Furthermore, while ordinary spider threads would melt when exposed to fire, this silk exhibited exceptional resistance to flames.

‘Well, if it weren’t for Cerberus’s Hellfire, I wouldn’t have been able to cut through this spider thread.’

Vikir recalled his battles with Madam Eight-Legs.

Krzzt-Krung! Hrk-hrk!

Meanwhile, the baby Madam continued to frolic on Vikir’s palm as if craving the affection of a mother, given its lack of a mother.

Vikir suddenly felt a sense of pity for the little creature.

‘Your mother was indeed a fearsome monster.’

He couldn’t help but picture her gruesome habit of devouring her own offsprings, and he thought it must’ve been better for it to part ways with her.

——————

…Well, anyway.

Perhaps due to the imprinting effect, Madam’s offspring now followed Vikir quite obediently.

Just then, with a gulp, the baby Madam lay flat on Vikir’s palm.

‘…Are you hungry?’

[Hrk-hrk-hrk!]

It looked like a lump of black crumbs, much like a burnt brownie left behind by a clumsy baker.

‘By the way, what do I feed this little one?’

Should I give it insects, or maybe meat?

Vikir rummaged through a drawer and retrieved a few biscuits, a piece of salted ham, and a slice of cold spinach pie.

However…

Nom-nom-nom…

The baby Madam didn’t seem particularly fond of the biscuits and ham; it merely nibbled on them out of courtesy. In fact, it promptly spat out the spinach pie as soon as it touched its lips.

‘…This little one is quite particular,’ Vikir mused.

Vikir gently placed the baby Madam on the back of his left hand. The tiny creature settled in like a wristwatch, with its two legs embracing Vikir’s wrist.

“Alright, let’s go find something for you to eat.”

Vikir left the dormitory room, though there weren’t many places he could visit. First, he considered the library, a good place to gather information.

Vikir walked across the campus, heading towards the library. As he entered the grand entrance of the library, part of the Colosseo Academy, the sight of the vast shelves filled with various books greeted him.

He made his way to the section dedicated to nature, biology, and creatures.

“Spiders… spiders… ‘S’…”

As Vikir scanned the shelves one by one…

“Oh! Vikir, my dear big brother~!”

Through a gap between bookshelves, he spotted two round eyes. When he turned, he saw a girl with white hair looking in his direction, smiling brightly.

It was Sinclaire.

She hurried over and turned the corner of the bookshelves, walking towards Vikir. She moved like an excited little puppy; if she had a tail, it would be wagging vigorously by now.

“Vikir, you coming to the library? It’s my first time seeing you here.”

“Well, I come here from time to time. It’s my first time meeting you, though.”

“Are you here to study or to borrow books?”

Sinclaire’s chest bore a badge confirming her position as a library assistant.

Feeling that things were going well, Vikir asked, “Do you have any books about spiders?”

“Oh, curious about how to kill spiders? You’ll find plenty in the pest control section! Why, do you have a spider in your room?”

Well, there is a spider, but…

At that moment, Vikir felt a slight trembling in his left wrist.

Grrrr…

The baby Madam wore a displeased expression, resembling a hastily scribbled eyebrow, as if she was angry. She even made a growling sound to appear intimidating.

Vikir discreetly covered his wrist and revised his question, “Not about getting rid of spiders, but about how to raise them.”

“Ah, spider breeding? Well, there are some related books in that direction. Are you going to raise them? Do you like spiders?”

“Not particularly… but I think I might grow to like them.”

“Oh, you like spiders? Is it because they have a lot of fur? Many legs? Many eyes? What about scorpions, centipedes, and mantises? How about beetles? Well, spiders aren’t insects, I suppose.”

Sinclaire’s curiosity seemed limitless, and Vikir couldn’t help but think she was far from the quiet, studious individual he had imagined her to be.

After a while, Vikir borrowed a few books and quietly made his way to a secluded spot.

“…Now, let’s see. How to raise spiders.”

Vikir slowly flipped through the pages of the book.

‘It is critical to keep the temperature and humidity stable… Mold susceptible… There is no need for lighting… When molting, be cautious… Individual species have different molting periods… Toilet training necessitates patience… Pay attention to prenatal and early childhood education… Using a muzzle during walks is a method for large spiders..’

Most of the information was common sense and general advice.

‘Hmm. It says to feed them small insects or pieces of meat as a baby. Why won’t this one eat it?’

Vikir looked down at the baby Madam on his left wrist. She was still huddled up, appearing displeased.

Then, he stumbled upon something interesting. Some “extraordinary” spiders from mythology or folklore would consume “venom” during their developmental stage.

“…They eat venom?”

Vikir turned the page to find more information. It seemed that young spiders, born with great potential, developed differently based on the types of venom they consumed during their early stages. To grow into a formidable adult spider, they needed to consume a variety of strong venoms.

“…So that’s it. They consume venom.”

Vikir immediately took action. He bit his finger, drawing blood. It was the potent venom from Madam Eight-Legs.

However, when he offered the venom to the baby Madam…

[Ack—Bleh—]

She shivered, spat it out, and slumped to the side.

“What’s wrong now, you little troublemaker?”

Vikir turned the pages again. It seemed that recently hatched babies should start with milder venoms and gradually work their way up. As they aged and grew stronger, they would be able to digest more potent venom, eventually becoming a top predator in the local ecosystem.

“…I see. Madam Eight-Leg’s venom, even for me it’s unquestionably something even I wouldn’t dare to experiment with.”

Her venom contained various extreme properties, from potent acidity and neurotoxins to hemorrhagic toxins, skin irritants, muscular toxins, gastrointestinal irritants, odorous toxins, convulsant toxins, respiratory toxins, and even shape-changing toxins, among others.

The venom was too intense for the newly hatched baby Madam to handle.

“Alright. I’ll find milder venom for you. In the meantime, you’ll have to make do with insects.”

Vikir caught a butterfly and offered it to the baby Madam. She reluctantly accepted it, but her expression indicated she didn’t find it particularly tasty.

At that moment, a voice reached Vikir’s ears from a distance.

“Vikir! Where are you?!”

Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw Figgy rushing toward him, holding a newspaper in his hand.

“Vikir! We’re in big trouble!”

“How did you know I was here?”

“Guess where else you’d be! You’re always either in the dorm, classroom, club room, library, dining hall, or gym! But that’s not important right now… Look at this!”

Figgy handed Vikir the newspaper with excitement.

“We’ve become superstars!”

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