During this time, Noah was unaware of the discussions taking place; he was in the process of taming his first creature. Unlike what he thought was going to occur, where he would gain a form similar to a spiritual body and battle it out with the spider, taming it through domination, what he was experiencing now was a setting consisting of a dark environment. The scene was comparable to the darkness that could be witnessed in space, but instead of stars and planets, there were spheres, spheres of energy that continued to pulsate with strong emissions.
Noah observed his own form within the realm of energy, his essence taking on a unique appearance unlike anything he had ever experienced before. His form shimmered with a blend of white and black, with chaotic strands of black weaving throughout the white energy. The erratic flares of the black strands added an element of unpredictability to his appearance, contrasting with the calm, steady energy of the white.
In contrast, the sphere representing the spider exuded a uniform gray hue, with subtle specks of white scattered throughout. Noah pondered the significance of these colors, unsure of their true meaning. While he had initially assumed that white represented intelligence, the presence of black within his own form left him questioning his assumptions. As he studied the two spheres, Noah realized that there was still much he had yet to understand about the nature of this mysterious space.
Right now, they were in the middle of a battle. Battle wasn't the right word to describe their present conflict; it was more comparable to a tug of war through sheer will. Noah felt as if there was an invisible barrier persistently trying to force him out of the space they were in. He could feel that repulsive force growing desperate the more he forced his way through to the spider's center. Instinctively, he knew that was the only way to obtain his first creature.
The initial confrontation made Noah aware of the difference in having a surplus of points in his spirit. He could tell that the spider was retaliating; he could feel a slight pain alongside the repulsing force as he moved closer, the pain wasn't that far different from a small migraine. Still, he continued to push on without a change in his speed as he progressed.
'Isn't this too easy? Wait…maybe it's similar to Pobémon, and since it was weakened, it's not able to fight back as much…maybe I should take a few seconds to grieve for those people's sacrifices after this is over for their "help".'
Luckily, no one could hear his thoughts. If people wanted to kill him now for beneficial gains, it's not hard to imagine how many enemies he would gain after hearing his current thoughts.
But it also appeared that Noah spoke too soon. The closer he proceeded to the spider's core, he no longer had to worry only about the force pressing against him; he could literally feel what the spider was feeling in real-time. At first, he scoffed at the sad attempt to try to gain his sympathy. He didn't care how the spider felt initially; it's not like he was gonna treat it badly after he tamed it; the spider was just exaggerating.
He could feel the fear emitting from it, not only fear but also its despair and helplessness.
'Ma-maybe….I should comfort it first and give it a chance to choose…this doesn't feel right an-eh? Something's not right…' Noah's thoughts raced as he grappled with a sense of unease. The idea of comforting the creature and offering it a choice tugged at his conscience.
Slowly, the spider's feelings were growing more intense, and without realizing it, the spider's feelings were influencing Noah's own. Cold sweat dripped down his imaginary spine when he thought of what could've happened if his spirit wasn't high enough. This altercation was an eye-opener that he shouldn't be too arrogant without vigilance.
It's been a long time since Noah has felt such unresponsive helplessness; even when he was beaten, he would at least feel anger or vengeful. It reminded him of the times he spent living under his parents, when he would crave social interactions, when the quiet nights felt painful. The irritation he was feeling now was at an all-time high that it helped alleviate any other emotional struggle the spider was projecting.
"Fuck you! Hate me, despise me, but don't be such a wimp and kill my vibe! You almost made me second guess taming you."
Just like how Noah was able to feel the spider's emotions, the spider was able to feel his.
The disappointment the spider felt coming from Noah gave rise to confusion; it could feel the disappointment being directed towards itself but couldn't understand why.
All its life it had struggled to survive, always having to be cautious of its many predators. Then one day it grew in size and became more aware. One of the predators it always avoided could now become its prey, the tall beings fell one after another under its fangs, and yet this same creature finds it disappointing?
The spider desired to prove him wrong; at this point, it no longer cared about losing to the creature trying to control it, but It would not let Noah belittle its existence.
'Yes! That's it! Maybe I was right in choosing you, struggle and struggle more. How could I rely on you in the future if you give up on yourself now?'
Noah could feel the spider's determination building; a moment later, he felt a pressure heavier than before pushing against him. Noah's own energy core began to shine more intensely while the black wisp of energy spiraled about even more as his excitement grew.
Even though he knew that he would eventually succeed in taming the beast, he couldn't lie that he was enjoying this otherworldly 'battle'. His pure enthusiasm began to also affect the spider's emotions. It was unavoidable for it to become 'corrupted' from Noah's passion; ever so slowly it began to enjoy its struggle against the human creature.
———
"Derrick! Are you even listening to me? Let's go already! This is our chance! No one can blame you for not being able to save them; the least we can do is live for them!"
If there were only slight tears before, Isabelle's face was now drenched with liquid. Although she was curious about the situation involving Noah, she was mentally exhausted and emotionally unstable. She wanted to go somewhere she could feel safe, but she wasn't aware of the extent that power could corrupt, especially a tangible power that could let you create your own authority.
Derrick's eyes glazed over for a moment. It wasn't her words that were causing him to waver; it was her crying face that impacted him. Slowly, he raised his hand towards her face in an attempt to wipe away her tears. He wanted to tell her not to worry, that what he was going to do was for the both of them.
"Belle….I-!" The time she most needed to be comforted he wasn't able to do so. The irritation in his heart was being eaten away by the guilt seeing the pain he was putting her through. It appeared that his sanity was beginning to return, but just when he almost reached her face, with her hands still holding his other arm, he saw it..
"What? Is he really serious about taking the spider from that guy?"
"Didn't he see how that guy killed all those zombies? And he still wants to steal his kill?"
"Get back over here! We're following him so he can protect us! What do you think will happen if you do that, idiot?"
Derrick was oblivious to the noise at first, but when he saw movement heading towards 'his' spider. his paranoia reached dangerous levels, fueling his determination to protect what he saw as his rightful prey.
"Shit! Shit! Shit! Everyone is trying to take what's mine…" He turned to rush towards the individual heading towards Noah and the spider, only to realize Isabelle still had a hold of his arm.
"BITCH! LET GO! I could've already killed them if it wasn't for you!"
"Ahh!" He swung his arm with such brute force that he slammed Isabelle to the ground. The force was enough to make her feel as if her arms were about to be pulled out of their sockets. Who knows the damage she would have taken if she persistently decided to hold on.
"Der-" sniffs "Derrick…..wh-why…." She didn't attempt to stand, she could only lay there as she started to bawl her eyes out. The death of her friends wasn't enough to break her; even the harsh words of her boyfriend weren't enough. It was the action of being thrown away as if she were a waste of space that broke her.
The few people that stayed wanted to help her, but they all seemed to hesitate. They stuck with them because not only did they feel guilty, they knew that they had a better chance of surviving with Derrick while Isabelle could heal. Now they didn't have a reason to stay while the fear of death encouraged them to abandon ship. They were becoming afraid of this 'new' Derrick, and seeing the state Isabelle was in, they would have to coddle her during her depressed state while also trying to protect themselves.
But not everyone was as cold-hearted. A girl ran out from the group to support Isabelle, letting her cry in her arms. This would have been a perfect time as any for the rest of the group to leave the two behind, and yet no one budged. Seeing the approaching figure lurking ever so near to Noah and the giant spider made it impossible for any of them to avert their gaze.
Despite their growing anxiety and fear, the surrounding students found themselves unable to tear their eyes away from Noah and the unfolding events.
"This is it! This thing should level me up a bunch, right? Just imagine the drops I would get… those suckers are scared for no reason. Who would need this guy's help if you could become strong enough to help yourself? If he did manage to kill it, then we would all just continue having to rely on him, but I'm not stupid like them…."
"Huff! Huff! Huff! If you put one hand on that spider, then that'll be the last thing you'll ever do!"
Derrick was breathing hard, and it wasn't because he was tired, but because of how angry he was. Everyone seemed to be treating him as a fool. Would they keep treating him as a pushover when he runs his axe through them? His irrational state of mind couldn't help but consider.
The boy from earlier was just a few feet from the spider before Derrick stopped him, his movements paused under the clear threat.
He knew who the voice belonged to, but this left him confused. He was there too when he heard the girl Isabelle trying to convince him to leave. 'He gave up! Why is he still here?'
Sweat trickled down his neck as he slowly turned towards the voice while still holding his dagger. Fear was clearly evident in his eyes when he observed Derrick's unstable mental and emotional condition. His trepidation momentarily gave him the idea of reconsidering, until he saw the crazed and desperate look in Derrick's eyes screaming 'I have to have it.' Derrick wanted the spider just as much if not more than he did, most likely for the same reasons. This is the safety of his life that's on the line, plus the thought of the prestige he could obtain was causing his dagger hand to become itchy.
"And who are you to tell me what I can and can't do? I can tell you're not in the best condition. You still think you can stop me?" The boy tried to stand his ground while stealthily taking small steps towards the spider. He didn't actually believe he could beat Derrick, whose weapon was a couple of feet longer than his. In his mind, he could take the initiative and quickly land a killing blow to the spider. Doing so would leave him satisfied with just obtaining the experience. He could risk leaving the loot that would come along with the kill; at least he could keep his life.
"Y-you!" How could Derrick not realize the boy was moving closer to his prey? He realized he made a mistake wasting time with his threats. He should've just attacked and been done with it. The boy's actions only further steeled Derrick's resolve to kill a fellow human. The boy needed to die too.
'Fine…I was already about to become a murderer anyway, what's one more?' He gripped his axe with both hands and charged towards the boy first. He'll take what was his afterward.
"Matt, get out of there, dummy!"
"That's what he gets…"
"Can you all shut up! Look! More of those zombie things are being attracted over here; there's too many of them! Fuck it! I'm leaving! That guy can't protect us if he's dead too."
Due to the constant surprises and suspense between Derrick's group battle against the spider and the altercation between Noah and the spider, everyone was unaware of how big of an attraction they were to the zombies and animals alike in the vicinity.
The only reason they weren't attacked yet was because of the hundreds of other students grabbing their attention, either by running away or engaging them in fights. Noah would be surprised by the small groups who were adapting so well in this chaos.
Then you had Mark's group that was heading towards the girls' dormitory. His small group now had an additional two people. He could be seen mowing down zombies and the like, resembling a one-man army. The steel of his sword glowed with a soft light that caused smoke to emit from the zombies whenever the sword made contact with their flesh.
———
"Yo-you're crazy! You're gonna regret this later." The boy confronting Derrick quickly turned towards the spider. He was afraid, he desperately wanted to flee, which he would've except now he was in striking distance. It was now or never.
'If I can at least go up by two levels I'll definitely be stronger than you…who knows…maybe I can take you on and still get the loot after heh-!"
Bleh!* Not only did Derrick freeze in his steps, but even the students who were about to flee stopped as they witnessed the boy's last moments.
He was just about to kill the spider, well, at least he tried to. No one paid attention to the spider, which hadn't moved this entire time, but now all they could see was the boy impaled in his left thigh and neck by two long hairy legs that were attached to the same spider that shouldn't be able to move.
"FINALLY! I can finally call myself a monster tammmmerr?…..Uhhh what's going on here?"