To Luc, there was a difference between being a scaredy-cat and a coward. A scaredy-cat was someone who would piss their pants and run screaming back to their parents if they saw anything that frightened them. On the other hand, cowards were those who did everything they could to avoid situations they did not like. Luc considered himself to be the latter of the two.

However, staring up at the monstrosity of a spider, Luc couldn’t help but feel a little bit of fear creeping into his mind. He had heard of people going out to slay monsters as a profession, but none of the monsters they talked about were anything of this scale. From its eight legs, as wide as human thighs, to its sharp mandibles dripping with a purple liquid, the giant spider was a terrifying sight. Most people would’ve been frozen in fear just from seeing it. But Luc had seen things far scarier than a giant spider.

You’re nothing compared to my father when he’s mad!

Luc glanced around the room. Turning the crown had opened three exits in the round chamber. In all the stories, one of the exits was the correct one, with the others leading to certain death. Unfortunately, Luc didn’t have the mental aptitude or the patience of the heroes in stories, so he went for the second-best option: choosing by random.

Releasing a wild roar, Luc turned to the exit behind him and sprinted for it as fast as he could. As soon as he started moving, the spider struck out with one of its legs. The tip of its leg, exoskeleton converging into a jagged blade, struck the ground next to Luc. Its leg punctured the stone tiles of the ground, causing the floor near Luc’s feet to ripple and tremor. Luc crashed to the ground, skinning both knees in the process.

Luc had no time to think as a second leg swung down at his chest. Rolling to the side, Luc narrowly avoided the blow, feeling a searing pain as the leg clipped his back. Gritting his teeth, Luc forced himself to his feet and dashed towards another one of the exits.

The giant spider was quick for its size, instantly scuttling in front of Luc, blocking his path. Skidding to a stop, Luc leaped to the side to avoid another set of sharp legs jabbing down at him.

What do I do what do I do? Luc’s mind raced as he tried his best to keep away from the spider’s attacks. No matter what he did, the spider always seemed to have a counter. In his brief experience fighting, Luc’s best tactics were running away, unfair distractions, flopping, and playing dead. None of my specialties are going to work against this monster!

One of the spider’s legs clipped Luc and he tumbled to the ground, crashing against the side of the coffin. Gasping for breath, Luc propped himself up and watched as the spider moved in towards its prey, each leg making a small dent in the ground wherever it stepped. Squeezing his eyes shut, Luc began to pray to the gods to spare his life. As his eyes closed, his Status popped up.

/

Bloodline Skills:

[Kneel]: Command the unfaithful to serve you.

The spider approached Luc, raising its front legs into the air, ready to deal the finishing blow. Luc mustered the last of his energy and got to his feet. Taking a deep breath, he raised his arm and pointed a finger right at the spider’s face. Then he spoke.

“[Kneel].”

The spider paused for a moment, unmoving. Did it work?

/

[Kneel] was unsuccessful.

“What do you mean ‘unsuccessful’?” Luc roared, tearing at his hair.

The spider swung down with his forelegs, smashing into the ground. Luckily for Luc, the spider didn’t seem to have the best leg-eye coordination. Its two legs slammed down on either side of him, tearing into the stone floor and creating a cloud of dust to swell into the air. The quake knocked Luc onto his hands and knees. Camouflaged by the dust swirling in the air, Luc crawled around the coffin, trying to buy some time. He knew he couldn’t outrun the spider. He definitely couldn’t overpower it, especially with his useless cursed Bloodline. There was only one thing he could do.

Luc hopped into the coffin with the dead body and pulled the lid of the coffin closed.

Holy Mother of all gods, that smell! Luc curled into a ball and cupped his hands around his nose and mouth, trying to keep the stench of the dead body out. It was silent for several moments. Then Luc heard the diminishing thuds of the spider moving away from the coffin.

Did I really fool it?

Luc couldn’t help but smile. Looks like I’ll add hiding to my list of combat specialties. That reminded Luc that the curse prevented him from learning any normal skills, instantly wiping the smile off Luc’s face.

A loud hiss interrupted Luc’s thoughts.

Luc froze. He had completely forgotten about the hiss he had heard earlier from inside the coffin. Now, he could feel something rustling against his back. Because space was already cramped with two people squeezed inside a one-person coffin, Luc did not have the space to roll over and see what type of monster was in the coffin with him.

“Oh Holy Mother of all gods, please spare me,” whispered Luc, realizing that he had completely embraced the slight glimmer of hope the exits provided him. After surviving for this long, the last thing he wanted was for some monster leaving inside of a dead man’s coffin to drain him of life.

Something sharp jabbed into Luc’s back.

Luc could take it no longer. He shoved the lid of the coffin aside and leaped out. His foot caught on the edge of the coffin, sending him sprawling to the ground. Glancing up, Luc saw the giant spider shooting back down the wall that it was climbing. Heart racing, Luc turned back to the coffin, wanting to see what exactly had been about to drain his life.

Inside the coffin was a small creature, about the size of an adult cat. At first glance, it looked like a miniature version of the dragons Luc had seen in pictures. However, instead of being covered by scales, this creature was covered in white fur. Its wings were more similar to a bird’s wings, made up of feathers rather than leathery skin. A pair of floppy white ears hung from its head, and two small brown horns protruded from the top of its skull. Glowing blue eyes peered up at Luc. Tail swishing back in forth, the creature pulled its lips back and hissed at Luc, diminutive sharp fangs gleaming in the torchlight.

There was a crash as the giant spider hit the floor. Eight legs working maniacally, it scrabbled towards Luc, smashing the ground beneath it to smithereens. However, in the midst of its approach, it paused abruptly.

Luc glanced back over at the fuzzy white creature, which had crawled onto the edge of the coffin. Could it be that the spider doesn’t know which one of us to kill?

At that thought, a brilliant idea formed in Luc’s mind. As a coward and the heir of Tosa, there were certain beliefs he maintained. One of these was the belief that he had to survive, no matter what methods he used and who he betrayed. The solution was too obvious. If only there was a way to get this white monster to obey him…

Once again, Luc raised his arm and pointed his index finger, this time at the white creature.

“[Kneel].”

For a brief moment, Luc stared at the white monster, the white monster stared back, and the giant spider watched both of them with all eight of its eyes.

/

[Kneel] was successful.