Reincarnated As A Demon

Chapter 2 The Spider and a Dragon

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“I-It’s d-d-dead! Ahhh!”

Oh my goodness! What in the world?!

Zerha spun in circles, wild-eyed. Did somebody save me?

She whipped her head left and right, searching for a rescuer. But the cave was silent except for the distant drip of water echoing off gemstone walls. No footsteps, no voices. Nothing.

There’s no one here except me… but I didn’t do anything to the snake! W-Who killed it? I better get out of this place this instant!

She took a step, but suddenly the world tilted. Her body felt as if someone had poured liquid lead into her veins. The shimmering gems blurred around her, swirling in dizzy spirals. “Ugh…” she groaned, pressing a hand to her temple. Nausea clenched her stomach, and the cave seemed to spin faster and faster.

Her legs gave out as darkness crashed over her.

Then a few hours later…

Zerha blinked her eyes open. Above her loomed the jagged ceiling of the cave, glinting with countless gemstones of red, green, and blue. The brilliance hurt her eyes.

“What the hell happened…? F**k.”

She rolled onto her side and pushed herself up. Every muscle in her body throbbed. Her new red dress, singed and torn in places, felt grimy against her skin.

“I need to get out of here!”

She reached for her backpack and slung it over her shoulder with trembling fingers. Time to find the exit. I hope no monster will show up!

Zerha began walking, cautious steps echoing in the vast chamber. The gems sparkled like stars, casting strange shifting shadows. Each shadow made her flinch, half-expecting a monster to jump out.

…..

After minutes of walking, a sharp skittering noise sliced through the silence. Zerha froze. The hairs on the back of her neck rose.

A humongous spider crept into view, emerging from a tunnel. Its legs were as thick as tree trunks, covered in spiky black bristles. Dozens of glossy black eyes reflected the gem light like droplets of oil. Its mandibles clicked rhythmically, staring at the human in front of it. It’s been too long since there was a human lost in the place.

Zerha’s eyes bulged.

I’m really unlucky, huh…

“AHHHHH!”

She turned and ran. Earlier with the serpent, she noticed that she’s bare footed. Even though her feet are now full of bruises, she didn't mind it and ran for her life. But the spider scurried after her, impossibly fast for its size. It easily closed the distance and reared up, aiming its bulbous abdomen at her.

Suddenly, it shot a burst of silvery web toward Zerha. She twisted sideways, gasping. The web threads missed her body, but severed a stalagmite behind her clean in two. The rock toppled and crashed into the ground, scattering debris everywhere.

W-what the f***ng hell?! The threads are sharp enough to slice through solid stone?! What has this world come into?!

The spider fired again. This time, some of the threads scraped across Zerha’s cheek. A thin line of red opened up, and blood trickled down her face.

“Ugh!” Zerha winced. The pain was sharp and immediate.

If those threads hit my whole body, I’ll be shredded like paper!

For a moment, raw fear gripped her. She trembled, unable to yell.

How can I escape? How can spider webs be so sharp that they cut rocks like butter? Just who the hell sent me to this place?! Is this my punishment before ascending into the light?!

The spider suddenly paused its attack. It crawled upward onto the cave wall and began weaving web after web, darting from rock to rock. Zerha stopped running and stared in confusion. What is it doing? This huge arachnid is moving so weird…

She took a cautious step, ready to bolt. She should grab the chance while the spider is busy doing something. But then she noticed that every possible path she might have used to flee was now choked with webs. Each filament glittered with faint rainbow colors, and looked as deadly as a row of blades.

“Sh*t!” she cried out. It cornered me?! So there WAS a plan behind all those weird spider gymnastics!

Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t!

Zerha nearly burst into tears as her panic reached a new level as the spider slowly lowered itself toward her, mandibles clacking as if it was eager to taste her flesh.

Okay calm down Zerha… think. THINK! How can I beat this thing?!

She clenched her fists. Wait. Why am I even thinking about fighting it? I should just escape! But escaping is also hard! The paths are all covered with shiny sharp threads!

Zerha stared at the threads in front of her. How do I cut these f***ng threads?

Zerha reached out and cautiously brushed one of the silvery strands. Then a hair-thin line of crimson appeared on her finger. Blood welled up instantly. She jerked her hand back, cradling her wound.

Whew! The threads are too hard to cut. Maybe even a knife wouldn’t break them… Not that I have a knife!

Her thoughts raced back to the snake. Hold on. That big snake’s venom melted solid rock. Maybe it can melt these threads too! If only I had some of that venom…

Then she remembered something even stranger. When I shouted that I wanted the snake to die, it just… died. And when I wanted a backpack, it appeared. Did I develop magic while I was dying? Like those fantasy movies I saw in movies. Maybe… maybe I can create something again… Maybe my voice has a special power!

Zerha glared at her hands, hope flickering in her chest.

Worth a try…

“Venom!” she shouted, thrusting her palm outward like an anime character powering up an ultimate attack.

But nothing happened.

The spider stopped moving. Its many eyes blinked at her slowly, as if pondering whether she’s a crazy woman.

Eh? Nothing?! Maybe I’m doing it wrong…

Zerha gritted her teeth, sucked in a deep breath, and yelled louder:

“VENOM!”

This time, she dramatically spit out her own saliva, fully believing it might transform into a deadly acid. The spider blinked again. Its mandibles twitched, almost like it was sighing.

Zerha wiped her mouth, humiliated.

That was embarrassing…

The spider’s patience finally snapped. It lunged forward, hissing, and released another deadly flurry of threads.

“Sh*t!”

Zerha dove behind a massive boulder. Her chest heaved as she fought to calm her racing pulse.

What should I do?!!

“Can you not save yourself without my help? What a fool.” All of a sudden, she heard a voice.

H-Huh? Who was that?!

She quickly roamed her eyes around but there was no one.

“Use the serpent’s venom, and be done with it.”

There it was again! Wait, is the voice coming from her mind? Is she already crazy because of what’s happening? Or she’s already crazy before she even died? But hearing that voice. The voice wants her to use the venom from the snake earlier? How? Does the voice want her to go back to the snake’s lair and get some of those acidic substances?! She's not that crazy to do that!

“Make a venom, wrought in semblance of the serpent’s own,” it says again, “and let it be as deadly. I will guide you.”

Zerha was surprised by the voice and became tense. The voice sounded so intimidating. Wait…

Okay. Focus Zerha. Maybe that voice is my guardian angel, so I should believe that voice!

Okay the voice didn’t want her to get a venom but create a venom herself. She squeezed her eyes shut. Deep within her, something pulsed and guided her. A wild, chaotic power. She reached into it, shaping the memory of the serpent’s venom, not its form, but its feeling, heat, fury, acid, and survival. There’s something within her that she can’t understand but she doesn’t have the time to examine it yet. She focused herself on the strange energy she was feeling, then something sticky liquid particles were forming. A blinding light came out from her hands and there it was. A glowing drop of venom rested in her palm.

Her mouth left in awe after witnessing what is in her hand right now. She then snapped out of it and leapt from behind the boulder and yelled:

“VENOM!!”

This time, globs of dark green liquid shot from her palm, sizzling as they hit the spider’s webs. The threads hissed and dissolved into smoking puddles. The spider recoiled, rearing up in shock.

YES! It actually worked!!

The spider hissed and tried to retreat up the wall, but Zerha was done running.

If a little venom works… let’s try a LOT.

She closed her eyes again, channeling the strange energy surging through her veins. Sparks skittered along her skin, crackling like static electricity. Zerha opened her eyes and hurled another powerful jet of venom straight at the spider’s body. The spider raised fresh webs to shield itself, but the venom dissolved them instantly. Acid sizzled against the creature’s exoskeleton. With a screech, the spider convulsed, legs curling inward, and collapsed into sticky liquid.

Zerha lowered her shaking hand, chest heaving. “I… I just… killed a giant spider!”

Then her fingers gingerly touched her bleeding cheek. My face has a lot of cuts… No, this is NOT the time to worry about my face!

Determined to leave, she turned and started cutting through the remaining spider webs with quick bursts of venom, carving out a path toward the cave’s far side.

I’m leaving this place. I’ve had enough. Please, no more f****ng monsters…

But before she could take more than a few steps, the ground shook violently. Zerha froze. Dust rained from the cave ceiling. A deep, guttural roar rolled through the chamber, powerful enough to rattle her bones. From the shadows emerged a massive creature with scales the color of blood. It lumbered forward, horns curving from its head like jagged blades. Molten gold eyes fixed on her with scorching intensity.

A dragon.

It might not be as big as the serpent and the spider but it is still screaming danger.

Zerha’s jaw dropped.

D-Dragon?!

She staggered back, legs trembling.

Now a dragon?! Why are you punishing me?!!

The dragon inhaled, fiery light glowing in its throat. Heat washed over Zerha’s face.

She screamed and bolted.

“WHY IS THERE ALWAYS ANOTHER MONSTER?!”

The dragon whipped its massive tail around. The spiked tip slammed into Zerha, sending her flying into a rock wall with a sickening crunch.

“Ugh!” she gasped, slumping to her knees.

Why does this keep happening to me?! Is it because I picked up the gemstones? Oh yeah! That might be the reason why it's attacking me!! She scrambled for her backpack and held it out in trembling hands like a peace offering.

“H-here! I’m sorry for taking the gemstones! I’ll give them back! I’ll even put them back in order by color! I-I gotta go–”

Before she could finish, the dragon unleashed a torrent of flames. Zerha dove behind a boulder, feeling the searing heat lick her back.

I almost died! How can I f****ng escape from that thing?! Don’t tell me I have to fight it… but it’s a f***ng dragon! I’ll be ashes before I even get close!

She peeked out as the dragon prepared another blast.

Wait… maybe venom could work…

She darted forward and splashed a few drops of venom toward the dragon’s chest. A small sizzling wound appeared on its scales. But moments later, the dragon’s wounds glowed and sealed shut.

What the! It healed itself?!

Zerha ducked back again behind the rock just as another inferno roared past.

Okay… think. The venom works, but it’s too weak. The dragon heals too fast. So… what else do I have?

All of a sudden she remembered the spider. The spider’s threads… They were so sharp they could slice through rock. Maybe that could work!

She closed her eyes, focusing fiercely. She pictured the spider’s threads, their silvery gleam, their deadly edges. A spark leapt between her fingertips. She opened her eyes and saw shimmering silver threads stretching between her fingers.

“YES!”

I don't know if I am talented or not but was it because something or someone is guiding me that's why it was easy too form? Wait, let’s think about that later!

The dragon glared, smoke curling from its nostrils. Before it could strike, Zerha flung her threads outward, weaving them into a giant net. The net lashed around the dragon’s wings, neck, and legs. The beast thrashed, scales flying everywhere, but the threads held fast. The dragon blasted fire, some of the threads were burn but Zerha immediately release another thread and wrap around the dragon.

Zerha planted her feet, gripping the threads with both hands. She pulled them tighter, as if drawing back a bowstring.

Sparks flew. Metal scales screeched and tore.

The dragon’s eyes widened in shock as the net sliced deeper into its flesh. Before the dragon could burn the threads, with one final heave, Zerha yanked the threads. The dragon was sliced cleanly into pieces. Blood and scales rained across the cave.

Zerha stood there, panting, hair clinging to her sweaty face. Her arms trembled with exhaustion as she stared at the shredded dragon remains.

“W-What the f**k… I…I just killed a dragon?!”

A slow grin spread across her face. “As expected… I’m strong. Mwehehe!”

She burst into maniacal laughter, the sound echoing through the cave like a chorus of bells. Still giggling, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and trudged forward, eager to leave. But she paused, a strange thought dawning on her.

Hold on… I woke up in a cave. I have a f***ng horn. And there are monsters and dragons here. I… I don’t know exactly where I am… but this is DEFINITELY another world.

Zerha stared off into the gemstone glow, wide-eyed. “…Did I undergo reincarnation?”