40+ Advance Chapters on my [email protected]/Saintbarbido.
-Loth's P.O.V-
Waking up felt like being caught in a storm, my whole body swaying back and forth.
I blinked, trying to shake off the weariness, only to find myself trapped in a web-like cocoon.
I couldn't move—my arms and legs were bound, and my head was wrapped so tightly I could barely turn.
Only the sound of skittering below broke the silence, a sickening reminder that I was in something's grasp.
"W-where am I?!"
Panic laced my voice, mirroring the frantic beat of my heart. My last memory was running from something...then I was suspended, staring at eight monstrous eyes...
Shit. The spider got me. I must have passed out due to terror.
So how was I not dead?
Then it hit me—the creature must be taking me to its lair. If I didn't escape, I'd be arachnid poop this time tomorrow.
Summoning all my strength, I struggled against the cocoon, but my body felt sluggish, every movement useless against the sticky strands.
Suddenly, we stopped.
I held my breath, hoping for a miracle, but then came the searing, blinding pain as something sharp bit into my shoulder.
"Aah! F—fu—!"
Liquid fire shot through me, a wave of agony that intensified with every heartbeat.
My screams echoed, blending with the squelching sound as the spider's fangs pulled back, leaving a raw wound. I bit down on my lip so hard it bled, stifling a sob.
The spider's shadow loomed over me, its front legs waving as if taunting me to try something else.
'This f*cking bug...'
Something snapped inside me.
I hated the fact I was made someone's plaything.
I hated that Dryad for lying to me.
But most of all I hated this monster. It was nothing but a bully that thought it could push me around because I was weaker.
Well fuck it all. I was done being helpless, done with being a victim. Sick of being the Prey.
A warmth kindled within my chest, bubbling into a fierce, volatile power. Driven by instinct, I willed it to rise, to explode out of me.
A vibrant pink energy surged from my core, and with one desperate push, I sent it outward.
The cocoon exploded, releasing me in a shower of webs.
The spider reacted fast, stabbing its long sharp limbs toward me, but a shimmering pink barrier sprang up between us, blocking the attack.
The shield held, though cracks spidered along its surface.
Rolling to the side, I narrowly dodged as the spider shattered the barrier as easy as glass. A testament to it's sheer power.
I scrambled to my feet, and immediately ran for it. But It had learned from the previous chase, and jumped over me, blocking my path.
I looked around for a different way out, but it was for naught. Its webs coiled around the trees like bars of a cage, boxing me in.
There was no escape but through it. Which meant fighting.
A low growl rumbled up my throat.
"Not gonna let me go are you?"
It hissed, a twisted sound of amusement, skittering around me, preparing to pounce.
"I'm not dying here, you overstuffed bug. Fuck with me and I'll crush you."
Even as I warned, My hands were trembling.
I tried to call that energy again, but the anger that had fueled it was slipping away, replaced by my aversion to violence.
Without that raw emotion, the pink light merely fizzled at my fingertips.
"Come on… come on…"
The spider tensed, sensing weakness. It sprang forward, fangs ready.
At that moment, the will to survive overcame everything I'd been taught, everything I was.
It felt like that moment changed me, defining the person I needed to become in this world of Gods and Monsters.
With death staring at me, clarity flooded my being. And I knew what to do.
I stood my ground and faced it head on.
Fueled no longer by anger, but courage, the power responded, forming a weak, incomplete dome around me just in time to absorb the impact.
The spider recoiled, surprised, and I seized the moment, pushing the barrier outward with every ounce of will I had left.
My control was shaky, but the barrier twisted into a spinning disc, guided by my will, and slashed across one of its jagged legs.
The spider shrieked, a keening cry that pierced my skull, green ichor oozing from its severed limb and the dismembered piece on the ground.
It backed away, retreating into the forest, leaving a dark trail.
Alone, I collapsed, the pink light fading as my adrenaline ebbed.
My hands shook, my head swimming from the effort.
"I did it...I survived..."
All thanks to the strange warmth lingering inside me, a power I'd never felt before but somehow recognized.
No time for questions. One thought took precedence: the Dryad. She had led me here, into this death trap.
My shoulder throbbed as I turned and began stumbling through the jungle, retracing my path.
Dusk had set in, and before long it would be night. But I kept going. The need to pay back the Dryad's animosity drove me forward.
Each step made the bite mark pulse with a burning ache, the venom spreading like wildfire through my veins.
My vision blurred, the colors around me blending as the forests shadows crept closer, ready to claim me.
"Stay… away…"
Summoning the last of my strength, I unleashed the strange energy, bathing the darkness in light.
Monstrous shapes slunk back, hissing as they retreated.
The power ebbed quickly, dimming from a constant warmth on my chest to a flickering spark.
Finally, the exhaustion, hunger and the venom became too much. My steps grew heavier, and my legs eventually buckled as I sank to my knees.
So I crawled on my hands and feet, breaking my nails and barely aware.
By sheer luck, I reached a familiar part of the forest.
And through the moonlight, I saw the old Dryad's tree, looming like a silent judge.
I stumbled forward, my strength failing me completely. The last thing I saw was the rough bark of her tree before darkness claimed me.
---
-General P.O.V-
Night had settled over the grove, where two Dryads whispered quietly near the unconscious boy lying at the foot of an ancient tree.
The younger Dryad's eyes narrowed as she examined Loth, her gaze flitting toward the elder Dryad with annoyance.
"He's been poisoned. We should end his suffering," she muttered, her voice cold as her tree's roots crept toward him.
They struck a shimmering green barrier.
"Why did you stop me?!"
The old Dryad scoffed. "You're only interested in saving yourself. When he wakes up, he'll want vengeance for your deception."
The younger Dryad stiffened. "You're wrong! I—"
"I've lived long enough to see past such lies," the elder Dryad retorted, her gaze unyielding. "You provoked someone who'd done you no harm. Pray he shows you mercy."
The younger Dryad's expression grew complicated as she stared down at Loth, a bit of regret flickering in her eyes. Without another word, she melted into her tree, hoping he wouldn't survive.
The old Dryad sighed, her gaze softening as she looked down at the boy's face, pale with faintly blue lips from the spider's venom. He was near death.
"I won't let you die so easily, young one," she murmured, voice resolute.
Kneeling beside him, she extended her gnarled, bark-like hands, her roots enveloping him in a protective cocoon of wood and leaves.
---
-3 Days Later – Camp Half-Blood-
The first thing Loth became aware of was soft, uneven light streaming down from above.
His head throbbed, and a dull ache lingered in his shoulder, but the sticky sensation of webbing was gone.
He shifted, realizing he was lying on something much softer than the beach he'd awakened on.
Blinking against the light, he found himself in a cozy cabin lined with strange artifacts and weapons, each radiating a faint mystical aura.
His body felt strong— warm, the pink energy had seemingly recharged.
He was also naked, his Ben 10 pajamas nowhere to be seen. Glancing down, he saw his shoulder heavily bandaged.
"It doesn't hurt… and I'm not dead. How?"
"A bit of nectar and three days of sleep, my boy," came a calm voice.
Looking up, he saw a man with a wise, kind face, his lower body that of a horse. Loth's eyes widened in recognition.
"Centaur."
The centaur nodded with a bit of surprise. "Clear-sighted too, I see. Lovely."
Beside him stood a scruffy man with an amused grin, the faint smell of alcohol clinging to him.
"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood," the centaur said gently. "I'm Chiron, and this"—he gestured toward his companion—"is Mr. D, our camp director."
Loth's mind spun, piecing things together. The centaur, the magical artifacts, the tangible aura of power—he was in Camp Half-Blood.
Mr. D raised his glass with a smirk. "Strange kid. Not many survive a run-in with one of those forest spiders, let alone wake up with… whatever that flashy power boiling in your heart is."
Loth frowned, memories of the barrier and the spider's retreat flooding back. Clenching his fists, he felt a faint, electric tingle still lingering beneath his skin.
"What happened to me? How did I get here?" he asked, voice hoarse.
Chiron exchanged a glance with Mr. D, his expression grave. "We were hoping you could tell us," he replied. "You were found on the edge of camp, inches from death."
A memory surfaced—the old Dryad's gentle gaze as she'd looked down at him. She'd saved him.
"I guess...not all Dryads are bad." he murmured. Just like not all of them were good.