Interlude 5: Has science gone too far?

“Are you even going to try to put up a fight? Come on, now. I took my time to drill all the way down here to surprise you and all I get greeted with are giant spiders and a plethora of nasty webs.”

I hurried after the Spider Empress, massive weapon in tow. I was deep underground in a place where no human life remained. Following me from behind was my servant, Protoform Epsilon, and the dark goddess who sent me to the world in the first place, Morgala.

“I have created enough spider minions to grind this entire place to dust. Do we really need to give chase? She has already lost the will to fight.”

I stopped to address Morgala’s question. “Well you see, I would love to collect parts from her to make my own half-spider, half-human organism. Her biology fascinates me. As a scientist, I can not allow a specimen like her to evade me.”

She placed her hands on her waist and smiled devilishly. “I see. Well then, carry on. I will use her corpse to rule the remainder of the spiders.”

Epsilon only solemnly stared at the exchange between the two of us. I guess she really didn’t care. Fighting and storage were all she was good for, after all.

She left the thinking to me.

I hefted a large rocket launcher over my shoulder. It made getting through this massive den of spiders a breeze.

I started running again, the other two staying behind to clean up the stragglers that kept getting in our way. I wore my black armor once more, even though it was a pain to run in. The increased strength did make carrying this weapon of mass destruction a lot easier to bear—and I was all about speed.

My pursuit continued as I circumvented various cocoons and webs within the catacomb that I planned to burn to the ground with the flame thrower device I made recently.

As I ran, I followed her skitter marks that were imprinted on the ground. Her black and red abdomen shined gracefully in the dark and even emitted a dim red light, making it even easier to hunt her down.

She disappeared behind a large cobwebbed corridor. It looked like we had finally reached the man-made structures of the fallen human civilization.

I looked back and shouted, “Epsilon! Sword!” She remedied it even from far away, by launching a large black obsidian sword from her mouth and sending it sailing through the air like a jet into my welcoming hands.

Hello, my old pal.

I effortlessly hacked away at the cobwebs and ran after her. Her corpse would be mine.

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A few days prior...

After convincing the citizens of the Gargoyle King to work on a project for me, I was tasked with slaying the next of the rebels of the Lord of Calamity on another continent.

I had already taken care of the Beast Master in the far north as well the Gargoyle King in the land of craftsmen in the west. Now, with Epsilon and Morgala—who joined us as a job for herself, we ventured down to the south where a large country had been engulfed into the ground to become a haven for the spider brood.

Getting there was pretty easy with the Flight Boat I made. It was practically a submarine with wings and even though I had enough electricity to power a city for a year, I was able to get it to run on magic alone.

Pretty impressive, right?

When we reached the disgusting country, I took it as an opportunity to test out my Mega-Drill. It could run for a few hours on its own and allowed us to go straight into the heart of the Spider Empress’s home.

And just my luck too; we drilled right into where she was laying quite a few spider eggs and startled her.

Of course, the creatures of this new world have never seen the advanced tech from my own home and it caused her to panic and flee while unleashing wave after wave of her spider underlings to buy time.

Normal girls would usually be scared to death by spiders, but not the two that hung with me. Epsilon was an artificial creation, only existing to follow my orders and act as both a bodyguard and backpack for me and my specimen. Morgala, on the other hand, was a dark goddess who sent me to this world in the first place. She was sent by the King of Dark Heaven to replace all the rebel generals that I killed with her own blood revenant versions to maintain order in the conquered nations.

She was also an expert in curses and could take life in the masses.

The corpses of spiders killed by a purple miasma littered the floor like cigarette butts in France, while their souls became the bloodborne of her army.

Her powers fascinated me, but there would be no way for me to experiment on her as I was now.

I would also need to keep her in that vessel which was another problem in itself.
And so, she took care of most of our problems while I blew through hole after hole with my rocket launcher every time she dug into a new wall. Catching the Spider Empress Elaira would be a pain unless I actually got serious.

Speaking of the specimen, her features were quite the sight. From the waist up, she had fair snow-white skin, four stunning green eyes, and beautiful short red hair that looked as smooth as velvet. Her bottom half was that of a black window with eight dark long legs and a large black and red abdomen.

Her form filled me with excitement. I really wanted to know how she worked.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now, back in the present, I slash and cut my way through what felt like an endless wave of cobwebs. Was she producing them herself on the go or had she planned this to make an escape?

Her level was decently higher than my own, but my tech had closed the gap with ease and trampled on it.

Now it was a game of cat and mouse and I was not going to let my prey get away.

Epsilon was most likely too far now to send me anything else, but it didn't matter. I had what I needed to get to her.

One of the few movies I was able to watch at the orphanage was a popular one around children for one reason or another. It starred a man who got captured in the middle east. He had no one to turn to and was forced to create a weapon of mass destruction for his enemies. He reluctantly agreed because he feared for his life. Of course, he actually used the material to work on something else in secret, and with the help of another captive, he was able to make a suit, and not just any suit—a super suit. It was a combination of man and machine, where the sky was the limit.

I always looked up to the man in that film. He used his brains and money to become a hero for the world.

The important part of this story is that man could achieve anything he put his mind to with his genius. I felt the same way.

Now, I pressed a few inputs into the golden holographic display on my right arm and magnetically equipped my sword to my back.

Blue lights shone from my boots, illuminating the ground around me before pushing me up into the air with great force.

I was flying, only a few feet above the ground, but that's all I will need.

I flew after her, effortlessly blowing through the cobwebs with my supersonic speed. Nothing could stop me now, though I only toyed with them from the beginning.

Everything that happened was within my calculations when I planned this raid. It was nice to be able to try some of my new gadgets on living things as well as creatures that still had a will to live.

It was riveting. The looks on their faces were the best; the Spider Empress was no different. Her face was a concoction of dread and fear. She truly didn't expect me to get ahead of her.

A trifling matter.

“H-how did you g-get past me?” she trembled with tears in her many eyes. “I haven't ever seen magic like that…”

I had already deactivated my thrusters and hefted the rocket launcher over my right shoulder once more while giving her a sadistic smile. “That’s because it isn't magic. It’s an aberration of this world—a monster that consumes all in its path.”

And I have many more like it.

“A m-monster…?” All her legs were trembling, while her abdomen touched the ground. “Impossible….”

I gripped my weapon of mass destruction and aimed it right at her. “You don’t need to think too much about it. Just repent and know I will put your body to good use.”

I pulled the trigger, lighting up the large cobwebbed-infested room.

It was beautiful. A perfect cacophony of explosive carnage and ruined forms.

I dumped the charred corpse onto the dusty ground. It was not pretty. Morgala and Epsilon both gazed at my handiwork while I crossed my arms and smirked.

“She went down without much trouble. Technology really does make you a god in this world, doesn't it?”

Morgala looked up from the spider's corpse and locked eyes with me. “If we were on opposing sides,” she said while brushing some of her shoulder-length hair behind her back, “I would possibly be quaking in my boots. You truly are a terrifying man.”

Epsilon nodded along before looking up at me as well with the same emotionless visage as always. “The usual, My Lord?”

“Do I even have to say it?” I replied. “You can try out the new game I made when we get out of here.”

“Mhmmmm…” A faint smile crept across her cute face, while her petite body seemed to slightly shake with excitement as she pulled up her blue hood. “I would...like that.”

Seems like her emotions and wants are developing along nicely, though I didn't expect her to be such a gamer.

Morgala held up her hand before Epsilon could do her thing. “Wait a moment. I have my business to take care of first.”

Epsilon and I both took a step back, awaiting the spectacle that was to come.

“Thank you,” Morgala said after watching the two of us give her space. “Interference would be...troublesome…”

I wonder what would happen? Would one of us become entwined with the dead? Maybe become a pool of blood? I really want to know.

She shot out her left hand, releasing a malicious-looking crimson aura from it. After enveloping the charred corpse of the Spider Empress, a ball of blood took form above her and transformed into a blood-colored replica.

It landed down next to her and stares at Morgala, most likely awaiting commands.

“You are the Empress. Guide your subjects for as long as they live. That is your job. Now begone!”

The Bloodborne Spider Empress stared at her creator for just a moment before skittering off into the darkness.

“Well now that that's done…” I tossed my rocket launcher and sword over to Epsilon who gobbled them up in an instant. “Only five remain.”

“That is the case, however, don't get lazy. The others are not as weak as the three you have already quelled...especially him.”

Him? Could she mean the leader of this rebellion? The Demon General Abaddon?

“Yeah, yeah. I got it. I already know who we should go after next, but I really hope I won't have to kill him.”

Morgala raised her eyebrow at my declaration while Epsilon was already deep into her game console. “So you have chosen Okaran? It is true that this should be an opportune time to win him over. Your technology and victories should be enough to sway him, but....”

“But?” I parroted.

“...But you must not allow him to write the story,” She looked to Epsilon and then back at me, “For all of our sakes.”

I put a hand to my chin and winked. “I don’t think that will be a problem.”