Cellestra walked over to the stove, put on a pair of mittens, and took out the tray. She then took out two plates and prepared them.

My knightly heart still ached at the apparent injustice before me.

Part of me was saddened that she couldn’t help me beyond having a place to stay. If she couldn’t go to any village, she wouldn’t be able to ask around for any information regarding my parents.

I expected I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere close to a village either. If my evolutions were anything to go by, I would end up being a large monstrous spider by the time I would get the ability to speak.

I doubted I would get voluntary help.

Cellestra placed the two plates on the table, and we ate in silence.

The meal was wonderful, but I wasn’t focused on the food before me.

I had my own list of things I would do, but my heart was restless. I still wanted to help people wherever I could, and it wasn’t currently doing me any good…

Cellestra’s smile after dinner distracted me from my own thoughts. She took my now empty plate and her own and washed them with the water she had left in the bucket.

After finishing, she returned and started talking to me once more. “I hope you’ll succeed, Kealyna. Are you sure you’re safe out here?”

I used the letters to communicate again. “Will have to make work. Need enemies that are not easy to get experience. Willing to do anything it takes.”

“That’s very… admirable. I would have probably given up the moment I became a spider...”

“Goddess blessing keeping me going.”

“I guess you’re right. You’re lucky to have received that. I’m praying Elysa will help me out someday with this little problem of my own, but it seems nothing compared to yours.”

“Getting better,” I spelled out. “Was worse when I just reincarnated.”

“Yeah. I’ve seen you grow and change color. I was surprised at first, but I figured out it was you fairly quickly. Could you tell me more about this blessing?”

“I evolve and gain new skills. Color affects skill choice. Purple evolution allows magic. Can cast fireball and ice lance now.”

“That’s very… interesting. I know of certain monsters using magic, but they are usually far larger than you are.”

She smiled again.

“Such an odd spider.”

“Not spider. Elf.”

“I’m sorry,” She apologized, seemingly realizing my feelings. “I won’t say that again.”

She sighed. “It’s still hard for me to grasp. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you, Kealyna.”

She stared at the window for a few seconds. “It’s late. I should go to bed.”

“Good night,” I spelled out for her.

“Good night, Kealyna. I hope you don’t mind waiting for me.”

“It is fine.”

There wasn’t a lot for me to say. I would need to sleep as well.

She lowered the crystals that were on the candles, which extinguished the flames.

Cellestra left me behind as she left the room. I took one last look at my current experience before I decided to try to sleep as well. Hopefully, I’d hit my next evolution tomorrow.

____________________________________________________________________________

I woke up from the door opening.

Cellestra stepped into the room and noticed me standing up.

“Morning, Kealyna.”

I simply waved with one of my legs.

She giggled at my gesture.

“Would you like me to put you outside already?”

I thought for a second. There was nothing I had to do inside. I might as well start early.

I nodded with my pedipalps.

“Eager to get to work, aren’t you?” She said with a sly smile, before placing her palm on the table.

I stepped on it and she carried me outside where she put me on the grass.

“Take care out there. I’d hate for my only communication outlet to get eaten.”

I wasn’t going to let that happen. To be fair, the number of creatures that could actually eat me started to diminish quite a bit. Sure, these fish could probably kill me if I screwed up, but I had many tools to prevent that from happening.

I looked at the sky. I couldn’t quite see the sun above the trees yet, but the sky was blue and free of clouds. The temperature was pleasant, too.

It was an excellent day to go fishing.

I kept my eyes open for any predatory birds and skittered my way towards the edge of the clearing. Not far beyond it, lay the stream where I would hopefully fish up enough experience to get my next evolution.

I wondered once more just how often I could evolve and what size I would end up getting.

I quickly shoved it away to focus on the task at hand.

I created a small line of silk with a knot at the end to bait fish to the surface.

I would try to kill a couple of them by getting them onto land, before using my magic later on.

Should I try to bring one home with me again?

I decided against it. I don’t quite know why, but I thought fish again might bore Cellestra.

I cast my physical barrier spell and placed the knot on the water. I pulled on the thread a few times in order to make it seem interesting enough for any fish to surface.

It took about ten minutes before one of the reaperfish caught wind of it. I dragged in the line and made sure that it saw me. It leaped out of the water, and I jumped to the side.

Next up was the struggle for the fish to get back to the stream.

Nope.

I grabbed its tail fins and dragged it back. It died soon after.

You have killed a Small Red Reaperfish: EXP +91

Level Up!

Kealyna has reached level 9!

You have been awarded 7 EP.

I was getting so close now. I started getting all excited again.

I really should stop getting excited at becoming a bigger, more deadly spider...

I took a quick look at my experience and noticed I would need about three more fish to hit the level cap. The idea I had in my mind was to try to catch another fish this way, before using bait in the water to get my last kills with ice lance.

The knotty end of the thread was placed in the water again, and I started playing with it.

This time, one of the fish was quick to react. It jumped out of the water before it even seemed interested in my bait. I quickly jumped to the side just before it got me.

I was surprised, but had been quick enough to evade the fish.

I was going to make it pay dearly for that.

I dragged the fish further away from the water and watched it die down.

You have killed a Small Red Reaperfish: EXP +90

Time to prepare some bait…

I brought the dead fish close to the water and used a leg to impale its side, drawing blood. I then slowly pushed the fish back into the water and observed its body float as red blood flowed downstream.

Within seconds, multiple reaperfish were drawn in by the red liquid that mixed with the water. I prepared my ice lance spell, aimed… and cast it.

You have killed a Small Red Reaperfish: EXP +91

One of the fish got impaled through its side with an icicle and its blood soon joined the other fish’s.

More fish stopped and started eating the corpses in the water that acted as the perfect bait. It only made my goal easier. There was no way I was going to miss another ice lance this way.

I aimed once more and fired.

You have killed a Small Red Reaperfish: EXP +69

You have killed a Small Red Reaperfish: No experience was awarded.

Level Up!

Kealyna has reached level 10!

You have been awarded 8 EP.

Level Cap Reached

Evolutions Available!

I chuckled in my mind. It appeared I’d killed two fish with one ice lance. It was more than enough to get me up to level 10. I read the level-up message and the evolution message as I skittered back to the nearby vegetation.

Suddenly, worry started building within me.

The last message was missing the line about a special evolution being available!

I hurried my way back to Cellestra’s home. I was going to find out exactly what was up with that message there.

I couldn’t shake off the worry that something was wrong, however.

I prayed I hadn’t screwed up.

My focus was brought back to my surroundings as I crossed the green clearing up to the elf’s home. I scaled the wall up to the window and tapped it with my legs.

I could see Cellestra reading one of her books when she noticed me in the window. She stood up and left the room. She soon appeared outside and extended her palm so I could step in.

“You done for the day already?” She asked.

I was brought to safety inside the building and put on the table where I would answer her with the letters on the paper.

Before answering her, however, I took a look at my evolution options and confirmed the special evolution wasn’t there anymore.

Crap…