Tales of the Endless Empire Chapter 133: The Spiderqueen

"What troubles you, my love?" Eryndor asked his wife, Isis. They sat together in one of his grand palaces, their gazes fixed on a newly crafted statue. A lesser god had created it in their honor, depicting the two of them standing triumphantly over the lifeless body of one of the Spiderqueen's daughters. The Spiderqueen, an ancient deity herself, was still three eras younger than Eryndor and Isis. Yet, within her domain, her power far exceeded even Eryndor's.

Over two hundred ears ago, one of the Spiderqueen's younger daughters had dared to assault one of their worlds. It was a bold, almost reckless move for the young goddess. But once Eryndor and Isis, with the assistance of nurous lesser gods, severed the connection between the nascent web and the Spiderqueen’s great network, the ambitious invader found herself trapped in the very snare she had attempted to weave. This was the way of the Spiderqueen's kind—they expanded her vast domain by entwining more and more planets into her cosmic web.

Attacking Eryndor and Isis was audacious, to say the least, but the distance of the main web from their realm made it feasible to disrupt the connection. Were it not for the Spiderqueen being preoccupied with a war against another empire of spider gods, such an offense would have spelled disaster for Eryndor and Isis. Since her ascension, no one had managed to defeat the Spiderqueen—a remarkable feat, given how many gods had tried and failed to destroy her after her rise to godhood.

Now, the Spiderqueen's expansion seed to have halted, at least in the direction of the apex gods—those powerful factions she seed unwilling to confront directly. Little was known about her. How many gods supported her? What horrors unfolded on the planets within her web? Most believed her domain served as a breeding ground for her young, as no gods or other lifeforms had ever erged from its confines.

"It is the girl I blessed," Isis finally replied, her voice tinged with anger. "After one of my avatars in the tutorial instructed her briefly on how to refine a healing skill, she took all the advice and knowledge I offered—and then rejected my blessing." The final words ca out as a hiss.

Eryndor stiffened in shock. Such defiance was almost unheard of. Most gods lost their blessed followers to death, not rejection. For a mortal to spurn a blessing was a rare and intolerable affront. Mortals who dared such rebellion had to be hunted and made an example of. Yet, this girl was in the tutorial, the realm where Ankhet would soon erge. Every ally was needed in the coming trials. Still, Eryndor's hatred for anything that wounded his beloved wife burned hotter than any strategic considerations. He already began plotting.

"We can spin this," he murmured. "Make it known that the girl is in league with the undead. It would justify her execution while uniting others against a common enemy."

"She will regret betraying your trust," Eryndor vowed, his tone resolute. He sent out imdiate instructions to his blessed and the minor gods who had imbued mortals within the tutorial with divine favor. The girl's days were numbered. Marked as a traitor to the great and benevolent Isis, her survival in the tutorial would soon be impossible.