For a moment, there was silence (both literal and spiritual) as Zorian stared into his opponent's unblinking eyes. Zorian isn't one of those people who have a phobia of spiders, but it's hard not to be intimidated by this creature that can read your thoughts and is completely at its disposal by inducing paralysis. He couldn't even try to overcome the effects physically, the paralysis was purely mental – he really couldn't control his body.

The situation is not entirely hopeless. As a mage, Zorian was almost inherently resistant to mind reading. For any aspiring mage, it is essential to have the ability to clear distractions and emotions and train one's mind in other ways. That said, it's tiresome to control your mind for long periods of time. A distracting thought flashed through his mind, and he slipped...... It's an important secret for that damn spider, and it's only a matter of time. If the creature is frustrated by his resistance and decides to apply a metaphorical sledgehammer to his mind, then resisting mind-reading won't do him any good.

The spider speaks first. Or rather, communicate with him telepathically first, as that seems to be the only way it can talk to him. It does make sense – spiders don't have mouths to talk to. Ha

[You're not trained,] spiders are stubborn. [I'm sorry.] I would love to swap technology with human psychics. Still, given your race's unhealthy attitude towards psychic magic, this is to be expected. ]

… What?

[Why is it confusing?] You can't be ignorant of this gift,] said the spider, funny at the thought of this. [Look, there it is!] You've just felt my emotions. If not empathy, what do you think it is? ]

Zorrian's brain froze instantly. He, is there empathy? This...... It's ridiculous! He is neither sociable nor friendly enough to develop empathy!

[What a strange thought,] the spider mused. [Alanea like me is open, but there are also many loners among us.] I'm sorry to say that some people even use their empathy to deliberately sow discord in the web. ]

Focus! It's a scary time to get distracted. A serious problem to consider.

[You must be mistaken,] Zorian thought back, knowing that the spider would understand what he was thinking. [More likely, you accidentally attached your emotions to the telepathic message you sent me.] ]

[No need to insult,] the spider immediately sent it back.

[I'm the Spider Matriarch.] If you want to deny the obvious fact of your capacity for empathy, I'll cooperate now. What I want to know is what dispute you have about my website. As far as I know, we've never done anything to you, so I'm confused: why would you issue a warning to our enforcers. ]

What she is - oh. He warns Thaivin to beware of telepathic spiders, and the enforcers search for the creatures. Right. Of all the things he'd been worried about for the past week, it never occurred to him to let the spiders track him down and set enforcers on them.

[Will you believe me, but I never intended the enforcers to go after you,] Zorian sent. [All I did was warn a friend to be careful of you when going to the sewers.] Everything seems to spiral from there. ]

Why don't I believe you? I'm reading your mind,] the spider noted. (Mysterious.) Or, for that matter, why do you feel the need to warn your friends to beware of us, we will not actively attack humans. ]

"Looks like it has something to do with the time loop you're trapped in?" Spider asked innocently.

[For an amateur, your ability to control your thoughts is quite impressive, but it's a form of psychological defense that only works if you know your mind is being read.] I observed you and your team for a long time before carrying out this ambush.

Although you are open, your friends and sisters are almost defenseless against my power. When I searched through their memories, they didn't even notice, let alone skim through their thoughts.

He thought for a moment and sighed inwardly. It's hopeless. The spider had completely outwitted him, and now it had cornered him.

The creature seemed a lot milder, but he almost preferred it to be ferocious - he could easily recover from death, ha. But what a skilled psychic mage can do to him, and then accompany him again in the beginning.

[You insist on seeing me as a threat, which to be honest, makes you feel quite tired,] a message from the spider, with obvious irritation.

[I'm here to talk, not to fight. The enforcers didn't even find us, let alone send any of us, so I have no reason to feel bad. It's not a revenge – it's an attempt to defuse the situation before it gets out of hand. I know the kind of us look terrible in your eyes, but please don't imagine me like a drooling beast trying to eat you, we're no worse than humans

[I'm not sure this will reassure me.] Humans can be very scary,] Zorian noted. [But I see what you mean.] So what now? The enforcers will soon get tired of their search and let you go, I have no intention of doing anything to you and your ...... The network takes any further action. So is the problem solved? ]

[Well, yes,] the spider agreed. [You don't really think I'm going to ignore the whole time loop business, do you?] ]

[Actually, I kind of expect you to," Zorian admitted. [That's not what you really care about-]

[Oh, I beg to differ," the spider chimed in. [I just discovered that my memories are effectively erased on a regular basis.] I was very worried. ]

There was a sense of determination and stubbornness in the spider, and he didn't know how he could read the body language of the giant spider, but apparently he could. Maybe she had a point in saying he had empathy.

[Look,] Zorian tried, [If we're going to have a serious discussion about this, I'd be very grateful if you would get me out of paralysis.] ]

[I don't quite believe you.] The spider told him bluntly. [You'll scream, things could get messy.] ]

[I wouldn't do that," Zorian assured. [That would only put my sister and friends in danger.] I'm sure you can handle anything anyone in this house throws at you. Hah]

[Well, I'm not.] I've lived too long to underestimate the mage. Spider said. [Tell you, though.] Why don't I let you go for the time being? Later, when you calm down a little, you can enter the city tunnel and have a friendly conversation in the neutral zone, where it will be safer. ]

Actually, this ...... Sounds like a good idea. Well, except for the question of why -

There's a reason why I accept the idea that you're trapped in a time loop, not because I think you're crazy. I have important clues to help you solve this puzzle and break the cycle, but I won't share them until I'm rewarded. We can agree on a fair price.

Zorian swallowed heavily, finally realizing the gravity of the situation he was facing. Is her group so organized? He knew that the spider in front of him was a representative of a larger group, she was the "Spider Matriarch", maybe just a loose group, at most a dozen spiders.

Suddenly, those dark eyes stared at him, as if they were more threatening than they had just been. Oh my God, what the hell did he do?

[I'm glad to be able to understand each other, take a break now and we'll talk when you're less nervous.] ]

A suffocating telepathic force pressed gently but firmly in his mind. He tries to resist, but the psychic attack seems to completely ignore his mental defenses. Zorian quickly fainted. When he woke up a few minutes later, he was the only one left in the room, and there was no sign of any giant spiders in the room.

。。。。。 Two.....

Subsequently, Zorian thought for a long time about the matriarch's "proposal" and finally decided that he really didn't have much choice. Some of the words that were said in a short exchange, very interested. The potential benefits of striking a deal with her are simply too great to ignore.

In any case, it's a good idea to do some preparation before facing the matriarch.

Obviously, spiders are considered semi-mythical due to their rarity, they are sentient and magical in nature, but from there the details vary greatly.

Zorian can see three possible explanations for this. One, spiders have a surprising number of subspecies, all of which have very different appearances and abilities. Second, the author is making something up. Thirdly, Aranea is a mage in the human sense, with a flexible spellcasting system that is capable of producing a variety of effects. Judging by his luck, this is definitely the third – the most worrying possibility. A group of enemies limited to psychic magic is a dangerous one, but can be dealt with with with enough preparation.

A group of mages use a brand new spellcasting system, but he's not familiar with its limitations? This is effectively the definition of unpredictability. Equipped with a flexible spellcasting system, it is capable of producing a variety of effects. Judging by his luck, this is definitely the third – the most worrying possibility. A group of single-move ponies limited to psychic magic are a dangerous foe, but can be dealt with with with enough preparation. A group of mages use a new spellcasting system.

The spider is easily attacked by light and is a nocturnal mover, and he is pretty sure that his spell formula skills are good enough to piece together some flash grenades. — It's not much, but if the situation worsens, it will hopefully buy him enough time to escape.

Luckily, empathy isn't a particularly sensitive topic, so he can turn to Ilsa for help. However, he also noticed that the landlord was interested in esoteric branches of magic, even though she was not a mage herself. She has enough books in her house to fit a small library. It wouldn't hurt to ask, he thought, the key was that she was approachable. Ha

One night, while she was washing the dishes, he approached her.

"Hello landlord, can you spare a moment?" He asked. "There's one thing I want to talk to you about."

"I told you to call me Imaya," she said, pausing what she was doing and glaring at him gently. "Of course I can talk to you, but I have to finish this first. Pull up a chair and wait until I'm done. ”

When she was done, Imaya sat down at the table and motioned for Zorian to join her.

"So......" she began. What was it that made me, a grumpy guest, so heavy on me for advice? You've been avoiding me, I almost thought you hated me. ”

"I don't hate you, uh, Imaya," Zorian said, correcting himself after seeing her angry expression. "I'm just busy, that's all. My little sister has almost a monopoly on all my free time. ”

"She's a tough person to deal with, isn't she?" Imaya speculated. "Still, I don't see what a busy boy like you wants from me. You're trying to seduce me, are you? Hah"

"What!? No! Zorian said angrily. Oh my God, she's at least twice as old as Zorien! "I'm not—"

He stopped when he saw an irrepressible smile emanating from Imaya's body.

"Very interesting, Miss Landlord," he said, with a blank face, deliberately not calling her "tonight" to provoke her. "Very, very interesting......

"Uh...... It's actually about magic. I've noticed that you have a lot of books on esoteric magic at home. ”

"I love it," Imaya said. "I've always been interested in magic, especially rare magic. I even attended Mage Academy as a teenager, just like you. In fact, that's how I met Ilsa—we were classmates at the time. But that was a long time ago. ”

"So I guess you've read all of them?" He asked.

"Every single one," she confirmed.

"Is it possible that it has something to do with empathy?" Zorian asked. "Specifically, how do you tell if you're an empathe?"

"I did read some on the subject, even though I don't have the book here." She glanced at him curiously. "Why? Do you want to be an empathetic person? ”

"Hmm...... Maybe," Zorian admitted. "I mean, it sounds unlikely to me, but I recently met a true empathy who seemed convinced that I was one of them.

"Hmm." Imaya snorted. "If another empath tells you you're one of them, why do you think it's unlikely?"

"Shouldn't empathy be obvious to people with empathy?" Zorian asked. "Well, it's not obvious to me. In my head, I can't think of anything that would show that I was one of them. ”

"Nothing?" Imaya asked curiously. "I find it hard to believe – being an indicator of empathy is so common that many experts insist that there's nothing supernatural about empathy – some people are just better at reading people's body language and environmental cues than most. You're more likely to just ignore the signs. For example, can you honestly say that you've never had an instinctive 'feeling' for someone you've just met? ”

"Well, no, I can't say that," Zorian admitted. "I've always felt that way. There's nothing out of the ordinary, though. ”

"It could be so," Imaya said. "How often do you get such a hunch? How reliable are they overall? ”

"I'm ......," Zorian hesitated. I feel this way every time I talk to someone. As far as I can tell, they tend to be fairly accurate. Why? Is it so unusual? ”

Imaya looked at him suspiciously. "One thing, yes. Every time you talk to someone, you say? How about random strangers minding their own business? Do you have these 'feelings' ...... them too? ”

"Uh, sometimes?" Zorian admitted, moving nervously in his seat. "Some people have very strong personalities, you know? You don't even have to try to recognize them from the crowd. ”

"Every time I get into a crowd enough, I feel a strange mental pressure, and if I stay in it long enough, I get headaches."

Zorian moved uncomfortably in his seat. He hates telling people about stress because most people immediately think he's either delusional or made it up. For example, when he was a child, when he tried to describe the phenomenon to them, his family never believed him, but believed that he was making things up so that he would not have to follow them to various social events. Eventually, they grew tired of his claims and threatened to send him to an insane asylum if he didn't admit he was lying, so he never brought up the issue again.

"It's ...... An interesting question," Imaya said cautiously. "Tell me, is the pressure constant or does it change according to some criteria?"

"It's different," Zorian said. "The more people in the crowd and the denser it is, the stronger the feeling......"

He suddenly realized something, and his voice gradually weakened. Oh my God, he's so stupid!

"Yes?" Imaya urged. "What emotion?"

“…… For some reason, emotional. Zorian said lamely.

There was a brief silence at the scene, and then Zorian got up from his seat and began to pace the room angrily.

"Your capacity for empathy is so strong that you can literally feel the emotions of the crowd, like tangible mental pressure is exerted on you," Imaya said after watching him pace back and forth for a while,

"And you don't think there's any indication that you're under pressure." An empathe? ”

"It's ...... Over there. It's always been there, and it's been with me since I was a child. Do you know how much trouble this has caused me? Shouldn't empathy be a favor? Most of the time I try my best to ignore it, hoping in vain that it will disappear in time. ”

"Well, yes," Imaya agreed. "Empathy is often described as a great gift. But there have been many reports of empaths being so powerful or unstable that you're in a relatively mild situation, considering some of the horror stories I've read. It could have been worse. ”

"Zorian?" Imaya asked after a moment of silence. "May I ask you a sensitive question?"

"Of course," Zorian agreed. The least she could do was satisfy her curiosity.

"I have a feeling that you don't like being an empathizer even before you know what you're doing now," she said. "Why is that?"

"No," Imaya said, a wicked smile on his face. "I'll have to hear about that."

Zorian rolled his eyes. It's embarrassing, and he deserves it.

"Well, you don't tell anyone, okay?"

Imaya imitated the appearance of closing his mouth.

"That's because empathy is often described as a female ability, a girl's ability," Zorian admits.

"Ahh "Of course boys are bothered by such things......"

"A lot of people say I lack manhood and that his family is the worst culprit in this regard, especially his father, but he will keep it a secret.

"I'm not going to tell anyone," Imaya said. "If it makes you feel better, there's not much evidence that women are more likely to show empathy than men."

"I think," Zorian said. "Very few magical abilities are gender-specific."

"And I think those people don't know what they're talking about," Imaya said with a seemingly innocent smile, but there was a hint of naughtiness hidden behind it. "I think you're a very handsome young man who will one day make some girls feel very happy."

"Thank you, thank you. What's another question you'd like to ask? Zorian said.

"I suppose you'll try to develop your abilities further?" Imaya asked. Zorian nodded. "Well, I want you to keep me informed of your progress. It's a very interesting story. ”

Zorian agreed, though it was essentially an empty promise. She will no longer remember it all after the next reboot. After the conversation, Imaya continues to do her chores, while Zorian returns to her room and plans to go to the Spider Garden.

。。。。 Three.....

"Well, this is it," Zorian said aloud as he stood in front of the sewer entrance. The matriarch didn't tell him where she wanted to face him in the sewers.

"I'll give you another chance to turn back. You don't have to risk your life with me, Kyle. ”

He glanced sharply at Morlock, who was following him, trying to gauge the other boy's emotions with his newfound ability to empathize. Sadly, the boy's emotions were too well controlled at the moment, and he was clearly determined to stay the course. He already knows about the time loop, and he's obviously very smart, not because he wants Kyle to go with him. Kyle, on the other hand, insists that it is extremely stupid to attend such a meeting alone, and that Zorian needs a partner to cover him.

Zorian reluctantly agrees, he's not too willing to risk someone else's life, Kyle seems amused that Zorian cares more about his own safety than he does, considering that once the loop restarts, Kyle will return to normal, while Zorian probably won't, but Zorian's sense of morality hasn't adapted to the meaning of the time loop, and the thought of him letting Kyle die in the tunnel and leaving his daughter alone in the world bothers him a lot...... Even if it's only for a week or so.

"I told you to give it up," Kyle sighed. "I'm definitely going with you. If nothing else, then the 'Spider Matriarch' and I will be able to have a conversation about psychic magic. ”

Finally, they entered the tunnel, with Zorian leading the way in front. He carefully chooses his path, occasionally leaving behind them a magic trap in the form of a block of stone covered with spell formulas. If they must escape, the location of the trap is to surprise any pursuers. A force field is created to delay the attackers, forcing the pursuers to slow down in order to process the cubes and give them enough time to reach the surface.

He casts a psychic shield spell on himself, and if something goes wrong, Kyle will immediately cast a spell on Zorian. Kyle seems convinced that the spiders have a way to communicate with humans other than telepathy, and advises them to use the spell from the start, but Zorian knows that he will have to keep an "open" mind if he wants these conversations to go any way. Productive way.

As they approached the place, he felt a telepathic touch pass through his mind. Just as he had seen a sentient spider for the first time, the spider was rude and more powerful than the feather-like touch that the matriarch had shown when she "visited" Imaia's house.

A psychedelic image and unfamiliar emotions hit his mind like a sledgehammer, causing him to stagger back in shock. Kyle immediately assumes a defensive stance, but Zorian motions for him to step back. By this time, he was quite sure that the spider he had come into contact with was not hostile.

Obviously, humans and spiders have very different minds, so much so that telepathic communication is difficult.

Suddenly, the "communication" stopped. However, this presence remains, and Zorian soon senses a spider connecting with him

[Ah, you've finally found us.] The unique voice of the matriarch sounded in my head. [Very good, please stay where you are, I'll be coming to you soon.] ]

"She's coming," Zorian said to Kyle, who nodded solemnly.

The matriarch soon came into view, flanked by two other Alanya guards. The fact that he was able to recognize the matriarch among the three spiders, despite the fact that all three spiders were very similar in his eyes may just be another proof that he does have empathy.

[I was going to have a private conversation between the two of us,] the matriarch said what he thought. [But since you think it's appropriate to bring a guard, I've decided to do it too.] Oh well, at least you didn't shut me out like your friends did, so you're still better than most people I've talked to. ]

"Kyle isn't just here as a guard," Zorian said loudly, defending Kyle's interests. "He's certainly as involved in this as you are, and I want him to be fully involved in the discussion. Do you have a way to communicate verbally for his sake? ”

The matriarch seemed to think for a moment, and suddenly began to wave her four front legs in front of her, depicting some kind of complicated posture in the air. Zorian tries to decipher what she wants to convey, and then realizes that she didn't mean to talk to him.

She's casting a spell.

"There," a female voice came from the direction of the matriarch, even though her jaw didn't move at all. "This is the arachnia of the 'Devil's Mouth' spell that you are no doubt familiar with. It's just a sonic illusion, but it should be enough. ”

Hehe. So they really don't just have psychic magic in their arsenal.

"Thank you," Kyle said cautiously

"Such a simple request, I will not refuse at all." The matriarch also said cautiously. She was obviously suspicious of Kyle himself, probably because his mind was protected by the Psychic Shield spell.

"Please, child," the matriarch scoffed. Zorian heard the words with his flesh-and-blood ears, and it was clear that she wasn't going to give up on communicating with Zorian the "right way" either. "I can get rid of your stupid human mind magic if I want to. No, how can I trust him if he won't even let me read his emotions and thoughts? It's rude. ”

"Rude!?" Outraged by the accusation, he asked. "You think you have the right to break into people's minds as much as you want, without permission, and you still call me rude!? You actually peeked at my private memories, damn it, I have reason to protect myself! ”

The matriarch telepathically sighed at him, but didn't make any noise for Kyle. "Me too," she said calmly. "Your friend is a potential enemy I need to know more about, and you are one of the weaknesses I can target in order to get the information I need. After all, your mind is completely unprotected. ”

"Then why don't you double-check Zorrian's memory? Isn't that faster and more in line with your task? Kyle asked.

"Hey!" Zorian protested.

"Because he's open," said the matriarch. "In Alaneya, there is an unofficial custom to ask permission for non-enemy psychic spirits, regardless of ethnicity, before delving into the minds of non-enemy psychics."

Kyle narrowed his eyes. "What if a person doesn't ...... 'psychic'?"

"He who has a flickering mind is fair prey," said the Spider Matriarch contemptuously.

"Alright, let's stop each other up and get down to business!" Zorian clapped his hands and said, hoping to stop the argument before it got out of hand.

"We're talking about time loops and how you can help me with that. Before we get to that, though, I really have to ask – when you say I'm 'open,' are you referring to my empathy? ”

Kyle gave him a surprised look because Zorian had never told him anything about empathy.

"Being open means having empathy, but they're not the same thing. Empathy is just one of the abilities you can use, and it's an achievable goal – which is why you can use it, even though you're completely untrained in the art of the mind. Openness often manifests itself in a low, uncontrolled amount of empathy at first, coupled with a gift for divination and occasional prophetic dreams. ”

"I ...... What? Zorian fumbled, trying to sort out the new information. Just when he thought he had understood something, something like this happened. So what exactly is "open" or "channeling"? Was she saying that he was a full-fledged telepathic or something?

"Yes, you can do it with enough training," the matriarch confirmed. "I can teach you more...... As long as we come to some kind of mutually acceptable agreement on this time loop business. ”

"What exactly do you want from Zorian in that regard?" Kyle asked, confused.

"Gee, dear Kyle, you want the same thing from him." The matriarch said with a hint of sarcasm. "I want to go into this time loop."

For a moment Zorian didn't know what she was talking about, but then his eyes widened and he understood what she meant.

"Do you want to keep your memories alive every time you reboot? Do you go around in circles with me and Zach? Zorian asked incredulously.

Kyle moved uneasily in his place, refusing to look him in the eye, while the Spider-Matriarch stared straight at him with no shame on her face.

"I ...... I think I understand why you want that," Zorian said hesitantly. "I mean, I'm not too happy with where I'm in, but even I can see that I've benefited a lot from it. But you all seem to have misunderstood - both of you. He glanced at Kyle, but the Morok still avoided his gaze.

"The problem is, I don't know how to get anybody into the loop. I don't even know the details of how I got into it, let alone how to replicate it. I can't bring you into it. ”

"We didn't misunderstand, Zorien," Kyle sighed. "We're not stupid. We know you can't do it now. We know that you won't be able to do that when this time loop ends. He glared faintly at the matriarch. Or at least I know. Maybe the great Spider-Matriarch knows something that this poor fool doesn't know. ”

"I agree with Morlock," said the matriarch. "It's unbelievable that you're taking us into a time loop like this."

"You've completely lost me by this point," Zorian complained. "And what do you want?"

"My idea is to store memory packets in your mind and let your soul transport them when time resets." The matriarch said lightly. "It's better to send your whole soul back, but it's enough for my purposes."

"I would agree...... Why? Zorian asked, confused. It sounds like it would require some serious messing up of his brain. In any case, it was far beyond his comfort level.

"I'm sure I can find something to tempt you," said the matriarch, shrugging inwardly and emphasizing her message. "You need information about the cycle I have. You want to learn how to control your empathy. You need my help to fight the invaders. Do you need me to continue? ”

Zorian sighed and didn't answer her, instead turning to Kyle.

"I want you to connect with some people and let you figure out how your connection with Zach works with their help. Then you can use that knowledge to take me into a time loop," Kyle said. "This may take a few reboots, and I don't have anything as enticing as our esteemed matriarch, but on the other hand, it will certainly help you learn more about the time loop in the process. ”

What isn't said is that Kyle is a necromancer, and letting them mess with his soul is just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than having spiders mess with his mind.

"All right," Zorian said. "Then let's discuss the details of the matriarch's proposal. Just out of curiosity, do you have a name? If we're going to do business, especially sensitive things, I want to know who the hell I'm talking to. ”

The patriarch answered without words. Instead, she let out a brief burst of telepathy.

"The spear of determination goes straight to the heart of the problem?" Zorian asked curiously.

"It's close to my real name," the matriarch said. "Just keep calling me 'Matriarchess.'

"Okay then," Zorian said. "You tell me there's a reason why you take time loops seriously. Why don't you tell us what you mean by that? ”

Before the matriarch could reply, a loud roar pierced the relatively quiet tunnel, followed by several similar sounds. When Zorian realized the identity of the creature that made the roar, his face lost color.

A horde of war trolls is coming their way.