Her Final Gift

As I looked into the eyes of my dying mother I could tell she was on her last breaths. My eyes involuntarily filled with tears as I approached her and laid a hand(?) on the side of her face. Even though I had never met her my emotions were everywhere all at once. I felt a mixture of shock, anger, sadness, and even fear. I hadn't even lived a day and I already had everything I have ever known taken away. Looking away from my mother and scanning the room I saw several destroyed eggs and several other spots that indicated that some eggs were stolen. Those humans must have taken my siblings away, but where did they go and why did they need something as weak as an Arthro? A small noise from my mother brought me out of my thoughts and I turned back to her. A brief moment of silence followed before she lifted one of her clawed hands and hovered it over a pool of her blood next to her. Before my eyes, some of the blood lifted from the puddle until it was a ball the size of a piece of fruit. The blood ball then gained a more solid form before changing from a deep crimson to dark purple. Mother then brought the floating purple orb to me and placed it in my clawed hands. And with that, she dropped her arm and breathed her last.

An emptiness filled my being as I stared at my now-late mother. After a minute I composed myself and looked down at the small orb she had given me. The smell that came from it was captivating and my stomach began to rumble. Every part of my mind was telling me to devour the orb and satiate my newfound hunger. Eventually, I gave in and took a large bite out of the orb. The taste was indescribable and I immediately wolfed down the rest of it. After finishing the orb I felt a strong and dizzying pain in my head. New information flooded through my mind and it felt like I was back in the void. After several minutes of writhing the pain finally subsided and I could think again. The influx of new knowledge was so overwhelming I had fallen to the floor. After getting up I decided to check my stats and…

[Chiaco: Level 1]

[Skills: None]

[Survival Chance: Very Low]

[Age: 2 Hours]

…I suddenly had a name. My mother had given me a name, how did I know? I have no idea, but I just knew she was the one who named me. Sadness filled my mind as I realized that I never knew my mother's name. Looking back at her body I vowed that I would honor her and give her a final resting place. Once my vow was made I turned around and exited the cavern. As I followed the human tracks toward the outside world I took the time to comb through my newly acquired knowledge. The orb Mother gave me that I subsequently ate was known as "Concentrated Mana". This process is used to transfer knowledge and information from the caster to the desired target. In this world, Mana has a unique signature that is dependent on the person, akin to DNA. Unfortunately, this spell can only be used if the caster is dying and is almost impossible to cast by a strong healthy person. For monsters, the spell is less of a spell and more of an instinct used to help a creature pass needed survival information to its offspring. Other than the identity of the orb there was also information on how to level up and evolve, and a rundown of the humans and their different cultures. The last will be useful to avoid humans that are dangerous and may not be friendly to outsiders. Eventually, I make it to an area with a small alcove and the entrance just up ahead. It's not super close but I can see a small blip of sunlight further down the cavern. I crawl into the alcove and am greeted with a cubbyhole-sized cave that is just the right size for me. Time to put my new spider abilities to good use.