Rise of the Eromancer-Chapter 354: Once Again, Threads

"This… should be far enough."

Deeper into the island, Rhys and Clio's steps halted as they reached the top of the small hills of Ithaca—probably miles away from the city.

"Did… we truly need to go here?" Clio's thin gowns were not enough to keep the cold winds that brushed along the night. She looked around, and aside from the small animals and the dancing of the leaves as the wind hit them, there were no other sounds whispering around the glade.

"Of course," Rhys nodded as he glanced at Clio, "Do you truly want other people to see Arachnea?"

"Arachnea…" Clio's eyes narrowed as she looked to the ground, "...I do not know much about this god—but I do know that she was cursed."

"Cursed…?" Rhys asked as he walked around the glade, making sure there truly weren't any people there—waiting to see if anyone followed them.

"Yes." And Clio walked with him, "There are different versions of the story, but the one I remember the most was that Arachnea was a servant of the Goddess Athena."

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

"Athena… sounds familiar," Rhys just gleaned at Clio.

"Goddess of War, Wisdom, and lastly… handicraft–and this is where Arachnea gets involved. Wait, you don't know any of this?" Clio narrowed her eyes in suspicion at Rhys, "You said you knew her."

"She might have told me when we met several times," Rhys finally stopped walking around as he looked Clio in the eyes, "And why was she cursed?"

"The Goddess Athena prided herself on being the best weaver in the entire lands, mortals and gods alike are no match for her skills and needlework," Clio let out a small but very deep sigh while shaking her head, "Well, at one point, her father, the almighty Zeus, requested a tapestry—one that would signify his rule, something that would evoke his majesty with just one look."

"...And I'm guessing Athena's work wasn't chosen?" Rhys shook his head, "And Aracnea's was?"

"Worse," Clio closed her eyes, "Zeus saw Arachnea weaving her tapestry and he chose it—it wasn't even complete. And for the Goddess Athena, that meant that her work was less than an incomplete tapestry of a mortal. And, well… I suppose you could fill in the rest."

"She turned her into a god?"

"A monster," Clio quickly shook her head, "And perhaps due to Arachnea's nature of seeing beauty through everything she touches, she might have very much just… adapted and become a goddess herself."

"Hm… this should be fine," Rhys then gestured to Clio to move behind him, and she quickly did so without even saying anything, "You know what she looks like?"

"Yes," Clio nodded as she hid behind Rhys, "She is said to hold a beauty comparable to the gods—but her lower body is terrifying; that of a spider, with hairs all over."

"Hm…" Rhys glanced back, "...Whatever you do, just don't react wildly–she's much more intimidating in real life."

"...Okay," Clio breathed out, "I'm ready. When are you—"

And before Clio could even finish her words, she felt a chill run down her spine as a silhouette suddenly appeared right in front of her. She didn't even blink, at least he knew she didn't blink—and yet all of a sudden, there was a towering silhouette right in front of her and Rhys.

Towering, perhaps that was not really the correct word at all, as she had already seen the Hydra and it was much more imposing and much larger than the dark silhouette in front of her… It is, however, much more intimidating and sinister… very much so.

"U…Uh…" Clio's eyes trembled slightly as they finally focused on the silhouette—the legs, finally forming for her as she very slowly looked up. And just like that, the terrifying existence was completely drowned by the beauty that presented itself to her… no.

Perhaps this beauty actually made it even more terrifying than before. How could one actually look like that?

"Oh…?" And very soon, Arachnea noticed them too, "You summoned me again, Descendant of Eros? I do recall telling you that I would eat you if you summon me like that again—and yet here we are, once again face to face. I am a very busy person, you know?"

"...You look like you've just woken up, Arachnea," Rhys could really only sigh as Arachnea started trailing her finger on his cheek, cutting it with just the slightest of force—and once again, he was reminded of the difference between him and the gods just like that,

"And I figured since you were so interested last time, you might be interested this time too."

"More interested than meeting an old friend?" Arachnea let out a small smirk—and it looked ominous. Truly ominous. Clio wondered why that was because Arachnea was extremely beautiful, but after staring at her for several seconds, she came to realize why.

Arachnea did not have any wrinkles on her face at all. She was like a doll, the most beautiful doll Clio had ever seen—and her long, black silky hair did not help at all.

…She didn't look real at all.

"And who might this young lady be? Another one?" Arachnea then finally placed her eyes on Clio, tilting her head as she looked at her.

"My…" Clio hesitated at first, but she just swallowed her fear, literally, and stepped away from Rhys and kneeled down to Arachnea, "...My name is Clio. I am the Princess of Calydon."

"Another princess?" Arachnea's eyes turned wide as she placed her attention back to Rhys, "You seem to be getting a lot of them—Calydon? Did you just say Calydon, mortal?"

"Y…yes."

"Hm…" Arachnea's eyes narrowed as she looked around, before ultimately looking up; her eyes, turning even wider as they reflected the giant moon above her, "...Oh, so that is why I do not feel woozy—we're back home. My, my… when you said this would be interesting, Descendant of Eros, you didn't say this interesting—I suppose Hades has finally explained everything to you?"

"I don't think he explained anything at all," Rhys sighed.

"You truly are learning how to deal with the gods," Arachnea let out a small giggle as she just started walking around the glade; her giant breasts, jiggling with each step of her numerous limbs—and finally, for some reason, it was only now that Clio realized that Arachnea was completely naked.

She looked so beautiful, that it wasn't even the first thing she noticed at all.

"And so, Rhys Wilder…" Arachnea stopped crawling around as she faced Rhys again, "...Why did you call me to this place? Do you seek to go home because you miss life in the Underworld? This place would grow on you, you know—except for the part where everything just rewinds again and again."

"Hm…"

"No reaction…?" Arachnea's eyes narrow, "Oho… it would seem you already know the secrets of this world."

Arachnea then closed her eyes; her nose fidgeting while her head tilted to the sides like a puppy, "Oho… and I do believe you've met with Apollo and he told you everything?"

"I met with… her, yes," Rhys nodded.

"Oh, so he—she's running around as a woman again?" Arachnea's eyebrow rose, "Since you called me, she should be here soon. And so, before she could ruin our fun—tell me, what did you call me for?"

"I want you to sponsor me in the Coliseum of Champions."

"Oh my…" Arachnea almost gasped upon hearing Rhys's words, "...Out of all the words I expected to come out of your mouth, that is at the bottom of my mind. But I suppose it makes sense—you are an attention seeker, Descendant of Eros—what else can you do if you wanted to become famous in this strange world you find yourself in as fast as possible?"

"It's not for that reason," Rhys shook his head, "I am trying to find my father."

"Your father, hm?" Arachnea hummed, "I thought you did not have one? How are you so sure that the father who abandoned you is here…? Because Hades told you? Have you not tried to search on the Surface? You have barely traveled there, Rhys Wilder—why are you truly here?"

"Th—"

"Just kidding, I don't really need answers," Arachnea giggled as she crawled closer to Rhys; this time, grabbing him by the chin and leaning closer—and with that as her only warning, she let out her long tongue and just brushed it across Rhys's lips, "I am done with answers—what I need is fun…

…and since you are joining the Coliseum of Champions, I do believe I am about to have fun like I haven't for millennia. Very well, I will be your sponsor."

"Thank you, Arachnea," Rhys breathed out.

"But I do have a condition—and this is final and true," Arachnea's voice turned cold as she looked Rhys in the eyes, "There are no more exceptions, reasoning, or excuses—If you lose even once without reaching the top, Rhys Wilder…

…I will eat you, and I will take my time because you humiliated me in front of the god who has been humiliating me for as long as I can remember."