So I'm a Snake, Who Cares?

The mysterious ruin's magic circle perfectly replicated the original dungeon's traps, and during the dungeon's formation, that summoning array activated.

The Queen and hundreds of her children were summoned at once.

It had already been two weeks since then.

The Queen and her offspring were starving.

"Kieek."

"Kaak."

Several spiders eyed the prey hungrily.

But other spiders escorting them bared their fangs threateningly.

"Kieeeeek!"

Meaning don't touch it because it's the Queen's food.

Thanks to this, the two wrapped in cocoons received a very brief stay of execution.

"Uhueng."

Crying sounds came from one cocoon.

It was the cocoon containing Phili.

"Kueng, phu."

With spider webs covering his mouth, it was a strange crying sound.

Plus knowing there were many spiders around, he couldn't even cry freely.

"We're all going to die. Eaten by spiders. Hueng."

If he were alone, he probably couldn't even cry like this.

Phili cried because there was at least one person to listen.

"It's okay."

"How is this okay, hueng."

The spiders paid no attention to whether Phili cried or not.

Happy to have caught prey for their queen, they just walked rhythmically while shaking the cocoons.

Amain's voice reached Phili's ears as he cried.

"It'll really be okay."

Amain was also trapped in the cocoon next to him.

But strangely, his voice was calm.

He really seemed to think it would be okay. How could he be so calm?

Had he gone crazy from fear?

"Master will come save us."

"Professor Obern...?"

"Uh... um, well yeah."

Professor Obern.

He didn't seem as horrible as when first meeting him.

But in this situation, could he defeat all those spiders and come save them?

Whether he had such ability, or would even do so, was uncertain.

He could call for help, but their lives were hanging by a thread right now.

"We're going to die having our fluids sucked out. That's how spiders eat other insects."

He'd read that in a book.

Tears welled up once again.

That's when it happened.

How long had it been since their kidnapping?

The spiders set the cocoons on the ground.

"Kikik, kikikik."

And dozens of spiders made strange sounds all at once.

Like they were calling someone.

Soon came the sound of the spiders that had brought them here rushing away.

Far from being relieved, it was ominous.

"No no no..."

Phili started a prayer medley.

From the Holy Light Church to the Goddess of the Hearth, to all the gods he knew.

He even prayed to Obern, showing just how extreme his fear was.

However, no god answered him.

Through the translucent spider web cocoon, he could see a shadow falling in front.

Thud.

Something approached right in front of his nose.

Something long.

Probably a spider's leg.

If that was just one leg, it must be an enormous spider without doubt.

His teeth chattered.

He couldn't even dare scream.

Even at the moment that spider's leg was about to pierce the cocoon.

Rip.

"Kyaaah!"

No, he ended up screaming after all.

Because it suddenly became bright before his eyes.

He hadn't instantly moved to heaven.

What he thought was a spider's leg was actually a not-so-large snake.

A white snake with a slightly foolish face.

Ah, that crystal snake decoration from Obern's staff.

No, was it actually not a decoration?

Was it Obern's familiar?

Even in that brief moment, complex thoughts flashed by.

The snake suddenly patted Phili's shoulder with its tail. Explore new worlds at empire

'Was that... encouragement?'

Maybe so.

And soon Phili discovered how the snake had gotten him out.

A dagger appeared in mid-air and cut through the neighboring cocoon without hesitation.

Amain popped out from inside.

"Huk!"

Amain wore a dazed expression.

Tears suddenly welled up in his eyes.

"Master!"

Then he went and hugged the snake tightly.

Even so, clinging to a snake while calling it Master.

Though he didn't show it, Amain must have been very scared too.

"Phili, it's okay now! Master is here!"

"Th-that's just a snake! Come to your senses!"

Phili was scared that Amain had gone mad.

Now that they were free, shouldn't they quickly run away?

"The spiders, the spiders are still..."

But many spiders still remained around.

Spiders clung to the walls all around.

And pitch darkness lurked deeper inside.

Phili looked into the darkness and screamed.

"Ah, aaah!"

That wasn't darkness.

It was a house-sized black spider crouching there.

Something like glass beads glinted in the darkness.

One, two... three... eight.

Eight eyes.

The giant spider.

App, approaching.

It came closer, spreading legs like logs.

Death approaches with nowhere to escape.

But, the snake stepped forward in front of Amain and Phili.

A small snake that barely reached Phili's knee, let alone comparing to the spider.

As if trying to block the spider.

"Master will take care of it!"

"I said come to your senses!"

Amain seemed completely crazy.

He raised his fist toward the snake and shouted.

"Master, use Gigantification!"

For a moment, it seemed like Amain had awakened command magic.

Because the snake immediately grew huge.

That small snake became calf-sized, then larger than a person.

Finally, it grew as large as that house-sized spider.

Then it opened its mouth wide and.

Ping-!

Shot a beam that burst the spider's eyes.

"Kweeeek!"

The spider let out a thunderous scream.

And the snake too.

"Saaaah!"

With an equally fierce roar.

It launched upward with a boom.

Bang!

That leap was, truly, unbelievably fast for its size.

Crunch!

It seemed to bite through the spider as it passed, leaving a clean wound that gaped in the dim light. The creature's movements didn't even falter as the force tore through its form.

A hole was punched through what had looked like the spider's solid body, revealing the strange truth - its flesh held no substance, as if it were made of shadows given temporary weight. The void where matter should have been gaped like an accusation against reality itself, edges perfectly circular and impossibly smooth.

The spider's fluids and innards poured out of that hole.

Phili's jaw dropped.

==

What's this. No big deal at all.

「Killed Ruin Sand Queen Babun lv78.」

「Your level has increased.」

Well then, shall we check if there's an inner core?

The remaining small fry can come if they dare.

Ah... they're running away.

Oh well.