"Now that you have your treasure, my dear, you should take a peek at the benefits," Roselyn said, her voice dropping to a low, melodic hum. "They are quite nice, though everything comes with a price. Keep that in mind. Now, leave me for a while. Your armor won't be ready until morning. Since the sun has set, I strongly encourage you to stay inside. The forest is dangerous at night, though nothing will dare come close to this sanctuary."
I pulled up my status menu as I walked, curious about what she meant. True to her word, a new notification was pulsing with a soft gold light.
[NOTIFICATION: Monster Contract Established]
Familiar Name: Rose
Species: Shadow Spider / Young Arachne
Contract Benefits: All Stats +3 (Scaling with Rose's Level)
The Price: EXP gain is now split between Master and Familiar.
"Wow, this is incredible," I whispered. "It'll slow my leveling down, but Rose... you're more than worth it. I hope we grow stronger together."
I paused, looking back at Roselyn. "It says she's a 'Young Arachne,' but she still looks like a normal shadow spider. Why is that?"
Surprise flickered across Roselyn's face for a brief moment. "It means she has the potential to evolve into an Arachne, though she isn't strong enough yet. Only about ten percent of my children possess that spark. Perhaps she chose you because she knew you could bring out her true potential."
"Thank you for helping me understand, Roselyn," I said sincerely. "I'll leave you be. See you in the morning."
"Promise me you will keep little Rose safe, Silver. And promise me you will not die."
"All I can promise is that I will do my best."
"That is all I ask," she smiled. "Good night, Silver. Oh—and try not to burn the place down attempting to cook. Webbing is quite flammable."
I laughed nervously, glancing at the silk-covered walls. "I'll be careful. Good night."
I headed back to my small clearing with Rose following closely. She seemed a bit down, glancing repeatedly at my shoulder. "Don't be sad, Rose. If it makes you feel better, you can lay next to me tonight."
She didn't respond, and I wasn't sure what was wrong, but I figured I'd learn her "language" in time. When we reached my spot, I cleared the floor, only to realize I had a major problem.
"Well, this is awkward. I promised you a cooked meal, but I don't have a way to start a fire. I'm sorry, Rose."
Rose let out a series of chirps that sounded suspiciously like she was laughing at me. Even the other hatchlings joined in.
'You do know you can use the System to start a fire, right?'
I jumped. Roselyn's voice was echoing directly inside my head.
'Everyone gets a basic camping set. It's in your inventory. I assumed you knew, since you asked about the fire... check your tabs better next time, my dear.'
"I don't know if you can hear me," I muttered aloud, "but thank you. I swear I only had one item when I got here."
'I have connected our mana, so I can hear you. Your inventory has two tabs: one for tradeable items and one for Bound items. You should have a camping set there.'
Sure enough, I toggled the screen and found the Bound tab. It held a hatchet, flint, a fishing rod, and a bundle of firewood.
I struggled with the flint for a while, but eventually, a small, cheerful fire was crackling in the cave. I roasted the mutated rabbit meat—well, mostly burned it—but it wasn't half bad. Rose practically swallowed her portion whole.
[BUFF ACQUIRED: Well Fed]
Effect: Stamina recovery increased by 20% for 4 hours.
With the warmth of the fire and the buff active, a heavy exhaustion finally hit me. It had been a long day—from dying by a Lego to bonding with a spider-princess. I curled up on the cave floor, Rose settling in beside me.
Tomorrow, I'd have new armor. Tomorrow, we'd be stronger.