Chapter 6: First Contact

While bolting toward that visible, inviting pool of water below and continuing to empty her stomach, Rihelah got the sinking feeling that she was being watched.

Despite the horrid flavor still assaulting her sensitive palps, she froze in place and swiveled her head toward the perceived threat just in time.

She barely managed to sidestep the vicious lunge of an assassin bug approximately her own size. She turned rapidly toward her would-be attacker and struck out with her forelegs, catching the aggressor from the side.

The bug was large enough to make it difficult for her left foreleg to grip firmly over its abdomen, but she caught its head firmly in the grasp of her right. Droplets of mantis-vomit coated random portions of the interloper's black and green carapace.

The bug's sharp rostrum swung backward beneath its head, and she felt something scrape and jab hard against the tough chitin of her foreleg's tibia.

No, you do not!

Responding with a degree of aggression that shocked her, she squeezed much harder with both forelegs, crushing one of the bug's eyes inward in the process. It began to panic, flailing about while she worked hard in an attempt to pull its legs away from the stem it stood upon.

Unfortunately for the mantis, the bug's legs were stronger than her own and it began to drag her around instead. Its large front legs buffeted backward at her periodically, but as she hadn't been caught in between them, their usefulness was minimal, the bug's efforts ineffectual at best.

Damn it! I need to shut this thing down before it breaks free! I've absolutely had my fill of venom for today!

Her abundance of caution saved Rihelah's head from being pierced by the deadly rostrum that whipped up beside the bug's head. The lancet contained within jabbed through the air, and a thin stream of amber liquid shot straight past the position where her head had been a split second before.

The damage she'd dealt to the bug's head was negligible, but Rihelah found the danger to her was very real. That rostrum kept probing and reaching about as the bug sought a place where it might stab into her. The entire predicament infuriated Rihelah, whose palps still carried that awful flavor, now mixed with the tang of her own vomit.

You!!

Surrendering partially to her new brain's tendency toward aggression, she struck back.

Maintaining her grip upon the bug's abdomen as best she could, she swiftly opened her right foreleg and then snapped it shut once more, trapping the bug's rostrum and partially clamping it against the bottom of its elongated head.

With its mobility severely curtailed, she was able to take advantage of the reduced range of motion afforded to the rostrum's semi-mobile tip. That tip reached beneath its head toward the bug's left side once more, so she quickly adjusted her grip, catching and pinning the business-end of the deadly stiletto solidly in place.

Its violent struggles intensified once more, and Rihelah noticed the bug had dragged her some distance upward during their grappling session.

With the rostrum finally restrained, she bit down hard into the back of the bug's armored head. It took a few seconds, but Rihelah's sharp, powerful mandibles pierced through the bug's tough exoskeleton.

Working as quickly as possible, she chomped away to scoop out the insides out of its head.

Her supremely mobile head turned this way and that, adjusting its position to offer her sharp mandibles the best mechanical advantage for each bite.

Forty seconds of chewing later, she felt the head begin to wobble. With a savage, outward heave from both forelegs, Rihelah tore the bug's head completely free from its body and held it in her grasp like some gruesome trophy.

Rihelah released the bug, whose newly-headless body staggered away in disarray before dropping to the ground below.

The antennae upon the remains of its head twitched erratically, and she tossed that aside as well.

You have defeated Slaughter Bug Nymph Level 9. Experience Gained.

Lesser Sapient Mantid has reached Level 7! +15HP.

HP 44/44 (+3HP/min.)

Oh, right... I'd already gained levels from those aphids! Blech... this thing doesn't taste very good, and I still need to wash my mouth!

Rihelah continued toward the ground, this time tempering her motion to a less-noticeable speed.

Before she reached the base of the tall grass she stood upon, something resembling a cross between a hairy caterpillar and ant-lion undulated into view, hauling the bug's body into the air with its larger set of jaws.

Crunching sounds filled the air, then slowly faded away as the strange creature moved off beneath the nearby rose-like bush that held the aphids.

The puddle's close, now! I must have that water! The stank that's pummeling my senses is unrelenting!

Michael awoke from his torpor to an odd feeling of profound stiffness and sluggish discomfort.

Mmmf... Why is everything so murky? Vision blurred. It feels like I'm swimming through wet cement just turning my head a tiny bit. My back hurts, and my abdomen keeps... squeezing. The pressure is worse each time it... oof. Not pleasant.

He felt something give way along his back, and the pressure suddenly decreased significantly. Then he felt the strange sensation of squeezing himself out through his own back.

This is absurd! Nobody can possibly... Wait! Am I molting right now?!

His abdomen squeezed again, and Michael was unable to stop it.

For the next few minutes, pressure ebbed and flowed within him as his abdomen began to compress every few seconds.

His new body slowly wormed its way out through the split in his old thoracic chitin. Then he felt suction on his face, as if it were stuck to something. His face slowly peeled free, followed by his antennae.

Byeaagh! This is so weird! It feels almost as strange as becoming a mantis in the first place!

I could have done without ever learning what this process is like. But at least now I'm bigger and slightly less squishable! Will be, after my new skeleton hardens, that is…

The humid air seemed to help the process slightly, and about half an hour later he hung fully-formed within a new exoskeleton from the tip of his abdomen, which still adhered to something within his old chitin.

Fortunately, the space in which Michael had begun his molt was tall enough to prevent his fresh exterior from contacting the ground.

Wow. I must be 50% more massive than before! Very nice! The ol' backside is nice and trim again, too!

I wonder how long I was out? I recall it took days for my pet mantids to go through this process from the time they started refusing food to the onset of molting. And then, they would refuse food for another day or two afterward…

I hope it doesn't take me two days before I can hunt again! I'm way too vulnerable in this forest until my new skin hardens! I have to remain unseen...

Approximately twenty minutes later, he could feel his new exoskeleton begin to stiffen. With extreme caution and speed that would make a snail die of boredom, Michael carefully touched his hind legs to the bark. For a few minutes, he gently increased the pressure exerted until his claws were able to hold on without issue.

Once that was done, Michael slowly brought his middle legs up as well and pulled the tip of his abdomen free from his old skin.

Whoa! The leg I lost is fully restored! Holy hell, it feels good to be wholly whole!!

Bah. I don't know why I bothered with that, since nobody’s around to facepalm. Still worth it, though!

Clinging to the bark once more, he could feel his chitin gaining strength at a rate far exceeding his expectation.

This absolutely has to be a different world! No mantis could ever wrap up a molt so quickly on Earth… Maybe it's my regeneration? Hmm. It’s possible. In any case, I won’t complain!

Movement reached his eyes, disturbing Michael’s inner monologue.

Slender legs had appeared below him, peeking just into his field of vision from behind the leaves he'd jammed into place to hide from view while he rested. The legs moved a little further in, and Michael tensed up, his cloaca puckering slightly while his mandibles clenched together.

Don't notice me, whatever you are!

Just move the fuck on and find food elsewhere! Freshly-molted or not, I’ll fight you to the death, so I'm clearly not worth the-

The owner of the legs stepped closer, and he relaxed.

Oh, for fuck's sake! It's only an aphid! And here I was all worried that-

Another shape came rapidly into view, eclipsing part of the aphid from view as impressive fangs swung together upon iridescent chelicerae, sinking deep into their owner's prey.

Oh fuck! Another leaping spider and this one is huge! At least as big as my new body! Please don't let the damned thing notice me right now! No!! You can’t eat here!! Fuck off!!

The spider moved farther into Michael’s hideaway.

Fuck my damnable shit-luck!

The spider hauled its catch up into the same alcove with Michael, working its fangs in and out of the aphid while completely oblivious to his presence as it started eating right in front of him.

So, this is what I get for choosing a decent hiding spot? Hah! And I thought my human life was bad! I didn't know my own ass from a hole in the ground!

The spider fed for nearly fifteen minutes while Michael's agitated internal monologue and pucker-factor reached fever pitch. All the while, his chitin grew stronger. Before the spider had finished its meal, he received a notification.

Lesser Sapient Mantid 1st Instar has advanced to Lesser Sapient Mantid 2nd Instar! +2 STR, +1 AGI

HP 32/32 (+2HP/min.)

STR 7

AGI 10

INT 21

Fuck yes!! This has to mean I can-

Michael made the mistake of trembling slightly in elation, and the spider turned itself threateningly toward him while dropping its prey.

Michael's forelegs reacted on their own, striking out to grasp the spider's legs beside its chelicerae as it tensed itself to leap.

He felt the world lurch sickeningly around him as he was blasted through the leaves he'd carefully placed, fangs snapping right in front of his face.

The spider had leaped with him attached and now tried desperately to latch onto him. Its strong front legs came down behind his thorax and pulled at him in an attempt to seal his fate, but his raptorial limbs held it off. Barely.

The pair glanced off one of the thornbush's leaves and began tumbling while the terrifying fangs kept reaching, seeking for Michael's face.

His legs and the spider's grasped desperately for purchase upon anything as both gave their all to secure victory in the midst of their life-and-death struggle.

The spider caught hold of something first.

No!! Not like this!!

Michael tensed himself, knowing that if his opponent had gained a secure foothold while his own legs dangled uselessly, it was probably over for him.

His adversary began to tremble, its front legs struggling with all their might against him, seeking to overpower his strength and bring its deadly fangs to bear.

He felt himself slip just a bit, and the sharp ends of his foe's weapons snapped directly in front of his eyes, one of them scraping just a tiny bit at the front of his face.

-1HP.

+2HP Minor Regeneration.

Damn!!

Luckily for Michael, he had escaped envenomation. For the moment.

The spider's trembling increased, its struggles against his own reaching a crescendo while he braced himself for the inevitable.

But it never came.

The powerful front legs of the jumper began to lose steam, and as he slowly pulled himself back away to a safe distance once more, he breathed a mental sigh of relief.

Oh, thank fuck!! I've never been so happy to see a spider get wrecked!

Get some, you bastard! How do you like those thorns, asshole?? They fucking hurt, right? Just remember, you invaded my hiding spot and brought this on yourself!

The leaping spider's abdomen had been pierced clean through by half a dozen slender thorns, each long enough to protrude more than half the spider's entire body length through its ruined backside.

The spider slowly lost strength, and he was able to grasp a nearby stem, but Michael held on until the spider's movements became ineffectual.

Michael pulled away quickly and moved to grasp his enemy from the side, then put his keen mandibles to work against its hard outer shell.

Despite the relatively large spider's severely-exhausted and injured state, it took a few minutes for Michael to finish it off.

You have defeated Leaping Spider Level 11. Experience Gained.

Lesser Sapient Mantid has reached Level 7! +4HP

HP 36/36 (+2HP/min.)

He dragged his heavy prize back to where he'd molted, then proceeded to savor the legs and eyes in particular.

These would make amazing nigiri bits for a sushi restaurant! Granted, I no longer have a human palate, so who knows if that would hold true for my old self? Then again, I suppose none of that matters, now.

He stopped chewing the deliciously sweet spider meat for a moment, as his thoughts turned sour.

Still, it truly sucks that I never got to see Rihelah again before I died. Especially so, since I only truly understood just minutes before the beating that ended my life what a raging cunt Rebecca actually was...

Why the fuck am I thinking about this, anyway? No amount of reflection is going to bring me back to life on Earth, nor bring Rihelah to wherever the fuck my ass ended up. That life is over. Those opportunities are lost. Take the lessons and move on, dumbass!

His forelegs tensed and tightened upon the spider's partially hollowed-out cephalothorax, causing portions of it to collapse inward. He shifted his grip and brought another tasty bit to his mouth before he paused.

Turning for a look at his own abdomen, Michael decided against continuing his feast.

I've got plenty of food in the tank. I need to learn more about where I am and what sort of creatures live here. It will also be helpful if I continue to level up. Survival is more likely the tougher I become. Even if I am stuck within this body forever, I might as well do what I can to increase my own safety and learn how to live with some reasonable degree of comfort if that's possible.

He let the spider's remains fall and began climbing the tree, seeking a better vantage point. Shadows began to deepen as evening crept up on the forest.

While insects, birds, and what appeared to be small mammals continued their business, the little mantis stalked upward.

His eyes and antennae were on high alert, and Michael stopped quite a few times to be certain nothing had decided he was tasty.

Luckily, the only creatures he encountered were other arthropods smaller than he, and those shied away from him as he passed.

When he reached the highest branches within the canopy, he noted an adjacent tree was quite a bit taller, its trunk almost twice as girthy as that of the one he now stood upon. However, at his usual languid “I'm just a shaking leaf, so don't mind me” pace, the distance seemed much more imposing than he would have preferred.

Well, shit. That's gonna take a while. Gonna be dark by the time I get there! Ahh, piss on it. Nothin' to it, but to do it! I need to see what's around here.

Michael carefully made his way to the spot where the trees touched.

He froze in place when he spotted a glowing object approaching rapidly.

It disappeared into the trunk some meters ahead of and below his current position. A soft glow emanated from a now-apparent oval-shaped knothole within the massive tree.

Shit! Was that a dragonfly? Are they supposed to glow?! I mean... I saw the other one use ice somehow. Maybe it's the same one? The color was right... a whitish-blue. Fuck. I hope it didn't see me!

Michael remained absolutely still for a while before turning away from the glowing hole. His body began to sway and tremble, approximating the light motion of surrounding leaves as he slowly inched upward once again.

He stopped in terror when that whitish light abruptly shot out of the tree trunk and headed directly toward his position. Within a second it had slowed directly in front of Michael and he shook with terror as it turned in the air to gaze at him.

A sinuous voice bloomed within his consciousness, and he tensed, ready to flee.

[Greetingss, sstrange child! I bid you welcome to my foresst. I have never before sseen your kind.]

The glow faded slightly, and he could now see this dragonfly actually had a head resembling that of a true dragon. However, it sported compound eyes befitting its body shape. Its head cocked to one side when it had spoken into his mind.

Th-that thing just fucking talked! What the hell is going on?!

[You are... ccertainly unique! I assume you are able to undersstand me? Ah, my apologiess. I am called Edana! Charmed to meet you!]

The enormous, glowing, apparently-draconic insect approximated a curtsy with its legs.

What the fuck do I say to this talking dragon-fly-lady thing?? Can I talk into her mind as well? Fuck, I hope this isn't some courtesy extended in a ritualistic fashion to prey before she eats! Better give some indication I can understand her, or-

[Can you undersstand me, child? I bid thee sspeak or give ssome indication.]

Edana's huge shape loomed a little closer, and Michael panicked.

He backed away slightly, then raised his right foreleg to perform his best approximation of a military salute. Edana's head cocked in the other direction while she continued to hover just centimeters away.

Michael turned to the tree and began to scratch upon its bark using the hard spike at the tip of his right front tibia. He drew a rough picture of her shape with wings, with an arrow pointing from it. Then an approximation of his own head and another arrow pointing back to her shape. He scribbled that last arrow out, hoping all the while she might understand.

He shrugged his forelegs, then looked down. All the while he remained on edge, wishing he had some way to flee the enormous and incredibly intimidating, glowing form of Edana.

[I ssee! Sso you can undersstand me, but you lack the ability to sspeak yoursself?]

Michael nodded his head twice.

[Lovely! You shall doubtlesss learn to use telepathy fairly ssoon. Please feed yoursself and grow sstronger, that we might eventually hold a proper converssation. Fear not, child. Dragon flies do not feed upon ssapient sspecies. Though, as you are quite ssmall, I do advise that you take care around other predators. Mosst are mere beasstss, incapable of communication. They will doubtlesss ssee you as prey.]

Edana inched forward, her huge head now close enough for Michael to touch it with his forelegs if he dared. He cowered away slightly while restraining his own body from assuming a natural threat-pose.

[Chief among these, beware the fire antss. Should you encounter any, I ssuggesst you run, and allow their attention to fall upon ssome other creature as you flee. Attempting to fight them will result in your... untimely end. I will prevent airborne predators from conssuming you as I am able, but you musst watch out for yoursself. I look forward to learning who you are, and from where you've come! Dragonsspeed to you, ssmall child!]

With that, Edana flew off gracefully, weaving expertly through the branches to resume her hunt. She was quite a bit faster than a mere dragonfly from Earth. Michael felt immense relief, knowing this powerful, magical being had no interest in consuming him.

Fuck, that took years off my life! I can't believe there are talking insects here! With dragon heads and names! This is her forest? What is she, some kind of forest spirit? A dryad taking insect shape? Holy fucking shitballs, I need a stiff drink right now!

Shaking as much with relief as from his own nerves, Michael resumed his climb. The glow of Edana's shape flitted about, winking in and out of his vision above a large meadow through the foliage of nearby trees for a few seconds before he caught a glimpse of something conical and white bathed in the glow of her body's luminescence.

Shortly thereafter, a sound that reminded him of a loud blast from an air-hose echoed through the forest. Edana's agile form swooped through the air and caught something that fell out of the quickly-deforming and sinking white mist. Then she shot back to the tree trunk and ducked inside.

Michael tried in vain to put the thought of that deadly frost weapon out of his mind to focus upon his climb.

Stop pissing yourself, man! If she'd wanted to eat you, you'd already be dead! Damn it, I still feel like...

As if solely to mock him, his backside released a thin, golden stream through the air, all of which adhered to the broad side of a leaf in the shape of an inverted question mark with far too many dots.

Well, at least I don't have clothes to soil.

He continued grumbling to himself while he ascended further. Night had fallen entirely by the time he reached a suitable vista from which to observe the surrounding forest.

Edana's glowing shape erupted from the tree once again, heading straight back to that same meadow. There, he saw her orbit something a few times before settling upon some tall grass. The distance proved too great for Michael to make out any further detail.

She's probably just using her luminescence as bait. Anything that tries to eat her gets frozen solid, and then she'll haul it back to the tree. Holy shit... if she hunts more than two or three times per day, her metabolism must be ridiculous!

Michael gazed out over the meadow for a moment.

That's where I need to be. Better cover for small creatures, and I'll probably find more prey where the grasses are thick. More spiders, too. Hmm. Good and bad. Possibly ugly. Ah, what the hell? I'll probably be in danger no matter where I go! Maybe I'll skirt the edge of the meadow and observe for a bit. I need to level up, but I also need to keep learning about this crazy-ass world.

It had been some time since Rihelah rinsed her mouth clean at the puddle. She avoided any trouble by climbing slowly and carefully back to the upper reaches of the tall grass, but night had fallen. Pangs of hunger now ran through her mostly-flat abdomen, the aphids had all disappeared from her sight, and her eyes now strained in the dark as she searched for food.

Something glowing raced out over the meadow in her direction and she hurriedly ducked beneath a long blade of grass.

What in the world?! A giant firefly? But that's the wrong color!

The light source ascended rapidly, and Rihelah's compound eyes reflected the soft glow when a cloud of something mist-like bloomed and shone beautifully near the light source. The spectacle was accompanied by a sharp sound like air being forced through some small aperture. The light swooped down away from the sparkling mist, then returned from whence it came.

Rihelah crept carefully back to the upper side of her grass blade, watching the nearly-invisible mist descend toward her position in fascination. When it rolled over the grass where she stood, the mantis shivered and huddled close down against the plant for warmth. It didn't help as tiny spikes of frost grew from her antennae.

-4HP Low Ambient Temperature.

+3HP Minor Regeneration.

Your ectothermic metabolism slows from cold exposure: -10% movement speed.

Yikes, that's damn cold!

-4HP Low Ambient Temperature.

Your ectothermic metabolism slows from cold exposure: -20% movement speed.

Her thoughts slowed along with the rest of her body's functions, and her eyes were coated with a haze of frost as tiny crystals of ice grew upon the thousands of individual lenses. But luckily for Rihelah, the temperature began to rise once more after the frozen mist had sunk below her position.

-2HP Low Ambient Temperature.

What... happened? Rihelah raised her head slightly while shaking terribly. Her shrouded vision had trouble resolving detail, but it appeared there might be spikes of frost growing off the plants around her. The glow returned, drawing close this time along with the sound of wings. She pulled herself back down tightly and flattened against the plant's surface.

-1HP Low Ambient Temperature.

+3HP Minor Regeneration.

Your ectothermic metabolism slows from cold exposure: -10% movement speed.

A high, tuneful voice slithered its way into Rihelah's mind.

[How curiouss, child! You have traveled quite far in ssuch a short time for a creature who lackss wings!]

Edana cocked her head slightly.

[It sseems your young enkelyn body holds little love for frosst! Thuss, I shall finish my hunting away from thiss place while you recover. Fear not, for further use of frosst breath above your location shall not occur. However, do be cautiouss, and pray beware the antss!]

The glow accelerated away after the mysterious voice finished talking, and Rihelah lifted herself shakily off the grass leaf. Her limbs barely held enough strength for her to stand erect, but doing so exposed her body to much warmer air.

Who or what was that?! Why did the owner of that voice sound like they'd met me before? That was clearly the first contact I had with a sapient being while in this body! What kind of creature was it, anyway?

Hmm. Hunting? Frost breath?? Some kind of miniature dragon??

Over the course of the next minute, her body began to regain its strength while she pored over what had just happened. Her antennae un-froze, horrible pins and needles shooting through them for a moment before her regeneration suddenly eased that sensation.

+3HP Minor Regeneration.

Your ectothermic metabolism no longer suffers from cold exposure.

The bits of frost upon her eyes had melted, and she stood busily wiping the droplets away with the tiny brushes upon her forelegs when that ghostly, blue-white glow entered the meadow's clearing at extremely high speed before disappearing into the trees ahead of her.

That's the same place where that glow disappeared to before! Perhaps it has a home in that location!

She finished carefully wicking the moisture away from her eyes, and her vision returned to its usual clarity.

Maybe I can learn to talk with that person? Creature? Whatever it is, it'd be nice to have someone to learn from! Maybe I could do some work in exchange for a safe place to rest? Can a mantis even do anything useful in that regard while lacking hands? Perhaps I can get creative. In any case, I need food first... Especially now! So hungry! My body's still shaking from being frozen half to death!

+3HP Minor Regeneration.

Movement caught Rihelah's eyes from the left, and her head turned toward its source. A swarm of tiny insects began to coat a nearby tuft of grass en-masse. They hung like miniature bats beneath the foliage, slowly weighing it down with their extreme numbers.

Hmm. It's difficult to see quite so clearly at night. However, I do believe my night-vision's superior to that of a human! There's no moon visible, yet I can see those tiny fly-like insects clearly enough to hunt! I hope they taste good because right now my body's practically acting on its own...

She made her way to the edge of the plant upon which she stood while facing the nearby grass that held the swarm. Rihelah was about to attempt a leap when some of the tiny flies began to land upon the plant where she stood. One drew close while attempting to land, and she snatched it out of the air. Her palps trembled in anticipation while her abdomen churned with hunger.

Please be delicious!

By the time she finished saying that to herself, her razor-sharp mandibles had already scooped away half the tiny creature's head while it strained and buzzed feebly in her grasp. The taste hit her like a truck.

Blecch! What the hell is this?

She began to retch violently while tossing the remains aside with enough force to tear the little insect's body cleanly in half. Her compound eyes witnessed a few droplets of dark liquid from its gut splattering against the foliage nearby. A putrid smell wafted over her antennae and the horrid taste intensified.

You have defeated Stool-Fly Level 1. Experience Gained.

Guuuh! This is awful! Make it stop! Why's it getting so much worse than before!?

She was about to run toward that puddle once again when she spotted a gleaming drop of condensation upon the grass. Rihelah raced to the large drop of liquid and hurriedly washed her palps clean from the awful taste assaulting them.

Gyaaahh... That was so awful!! I'm still starving, but right now I can scarcely stomach the idea of food! What do I do?? What can I eat? Will I even be able to keep food down?

As if in answer to her concerns, an eight-legged creature half her size abseiled from a higher leaf onto the stem directly in front of Rihelah, seizing one of the tiny stool-flies with its fangs.

No! Don't eat that, or I else can't eat you!

Her forelegs shot out and restrained the mostly black, thin-legged arachnid, latching onto both its abdomen and cephalothorax.

She ripped it away from the stem and racked it up in front of her. The spider dropped its tiny victim before spraying streams of liquid toward her from the direction of its mouth.

She could feel something smack wetly against her left walking legs but paid it little mind as her mandibles had already found the back of the spider's cephalothorax and she began to chew into it with reckless abandon.

YES! Mmmmm... So delicious! I needed this sooo badly! I-

Her legs began to tingle uncomfortably where the stream of liquid had hit her. The spider sprayed again, missing her this time.

-1HP. Spitting Spider Venom (Topical): -3HP/30sec. for 36 minutes.

+3HP Minor Regeneration.

Minor Regeneration has increased to Rank 4! (+4HP/min.)

Are you shitting me?!

Light crept over the forest from her right as low clouds parted, revealing a celestial body slightly more reddish than she was used to. The moon's light illuminated the sticky strand stretched between her legs, and for the first time, she attempted to shift her position since she'd begun to eat. Her limbs were stuck fast to the slightly-fuzzy surface of the grass.

Oh fuck... Right. Even on Earth, there are spiders that spit silk along with venom out of their fangs!