"HAHAHAHAH—!"

Gailo’s laughter echoed through the web-filled space, loud and sudden, shaking the silken strands around them. The oppressive pressure that had weighed down on Tyler’s mind vanished instantly, like a suffocating hand being pulled away from his throat.

Tyler sucked in a sharp breath before he even realized he had been holding it.

"...Hah," he exhaled slowly.

Serena, who had been tense on his shoulder with her paw resting against the pocket-dimension pearl, finally relaxed. Her claws loosened, and the faint glow around the pearl dimmed as she stopped channeling mana into it.

"I am just joking," Gailo said calmly, amusement lingering in his telepathic voice. "Don’t worry."

Tyler stared at the spider in disbelief.

Joking?

His heart was still pounding from the sudden spike of killing intent, and now he was expected to accept that it had all been a joke?

"My last mission," Gailo continued casually, as if he hadn’t just pushed Tyler to the edge of panic, "was to aid a person in curing their powerful curse. I didn’t understand it at first... but now I do."

"Curse...?" Tyler asked.

The word triggered an immediate memory.

The ship. The loss of control. The succubus curse that had turned him into a real smashing machine.

Gailo’s many eyes focused on Tyler, their colors shifting subtly as if scanning something far deeper than flesh.

"Hmmm... there is a curse on your soul," Gailo said. "And it seems there should be a curse on your main body as well."

Tyler stiffened slightly.

"Whoever did this," Gailo continued, "intended to place three curses upon you."

"Three?" Tyler repeated.

"Yes," Gailo confirmed. "I still don’t fully understand the logic behind it. But whoever cursed you..."

There was a brief pause.

"...wanted you to become a lust-filled man. I can also two faint curses that has yet to trigger or fully installed on you."

Tyler’s mouth twitched.

Even without the curse, he already a little lustful. He couldn’t help it.

"That explains a lot," Tyler muttered under his breath.

"Hmmm," Gailo hummed thoughtfully. "Unfortunately, I won’t be able to remove your curse. It is a divided curse. It cannot be removed until all its parts are complete."

Tyler let out a quiet sigh.

"Well," Gailo added, "it appears you are not the one I am looking for."

The words carried no disappointment, just a statement of fact.

"Well... that’s unfortunate," Tyler replied after a moment. "I hope you find a better candidate."

He hesitated, then gestured subtly upward.

"Can you give her back? I’ll leave your place without disturbing you any further."

The web above them shifted.

Gailo moved, crawling along the ceiling with effortless grace before stopping directly above Tyler. Thin strands of web descended, lowering the spider until it hovered at eye level.

Tyler felt slightly dizzy as he met Gailo’s gaze.

The spider’s eyes changed color slowly, cycling through deep blacks, blues, and faint silver hues. Staring too long felt like peering into a kaleidoscope.

"Hmmm..." Gailo said. "Let’s do this instead."

Tyler straightened immediately.

"I’m listening."

"I will give her back," Gailo said. "But you must help me with something."

Tyler nodded without hesitation.

"Alright."

Gailo’s body bobbed slightly as if nodding in approval.

"At least you are loyal to your companions," he said. "That is rare."

Then he continued.

"Here is the matter. I am going to leave this place and travel the world to find a cursed individual suitable for my task. You, however, will stay here."

Tyler frowned slightly. "Stay here?"

"Yes," Gailo replied. "And take care of her."

As he spoke, a small ball woven entirely of delicate white webs descended slowly on another strand. It stopped in front of Tyler.

Tyler reached out cautiously and took it.

The moment his fingers touched the webbing, it unraveled softly, dissolving like mist.

Something landed in his palm.

A tiny, white, fluffy spider.

It was small —no bigger than his thumb— with oversized, round eyes that made it look almost cartoonish. It blinked slowly, tilting its head in confusion.

Tyler froze.

"This...?" he began.

"This is my daughter from the real world," Gailo said. "We entered the Orion Cube together."

Tyler looked down at the tiny creature again.

"She is too weak for now," Gailo continued. "So I ask you to take care of her. I will return after a few decades."

Tyler blinked.

"...Decades?"

"Yes."

Tyler carefully closed his hand slightly, forming a loose shelter for the little spider.

"Well," he said after a moment, "this isn’t a problem at all."

Gailo paused.

Then expressed his gratitude.

"You have my thanks," the spider said. "You may have her back."

The cocoon containing Chole descended gently from the ceiling. The webbing loosened and unraveled, lowering her safely toward the ground.

Tyler rushed forward, catching her carefully.

She was warm, still breathing and Unharmed.

"Kris don’t drink Tyler’s milk without me..." She mumbled. Tyler decided to ignore it.

Relief washed over him.

As he laid her gently against the wall of webbing, his eyes drifted upward again.

Two other cocoons hung from the ceiling.

They were roughly humanoid in shape.

Tyler frowned.

Are those...?

Gailo noticed his gaze.

"No," the spider said flatly. "Those are just corn."

"...Corn?" Tyler repeated.

"Yes. I stored it for winter," Gailo added. "But I forgot to open it."

Tyler stared.

"You... have corn?"

"Yes. And wheat in the other cocoon."

The words hit Tyler harder than the earlier killing intent.

Corn.

Wheat.

His eyes lit up instantly.

If he could get seeds from those... farming would become infinitely easier. He could grow staple crops instead of relying entirely on random plants.

But a concern surfaced.

"Doesn’t your stored food spoil?" Tyler asked.

Gailo shifted slightly.

"Look closely at the cocoons." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Tyler leaned in.

The webs weren’t ordinary silk.

They were layered like frost, interwoven with something crystalline, almost like snow threads pressed together.

"This is my daughter’s innate skill," Gailo explained. "She obtained it from gacha. It is called Cold Weaver."

Tyler’s eyes widened.

"You can ask her to use that skill if you wish to store food," Gailo added.

Tyler looked down at the tiny spider in his palm.

She blinked at him.

Once.

Twice.

"She’s adorable," Tyler thought honestly.

The tiny spider tilted her head again, clearly confused by his stare.

"Her name is Dia," Gailo said. "Take care of her."

Before Tyler could respond, Gailo vanished.

Not faded.

Not teleported.

Gone.

One moment he was there the next, nothing remained but gently swaying webs.

Dia looked around, tiny legs tapping against Tyler’s palm.

She sighed.

Then suddenly jumped.

She landed squarely on Tyler’s shoulder—

—and knocked Serena straight off.

"MEOW?!"

Serena yelped as she fell, scrambling back up indignantly while Dia settled comfortably, curling up as if she belonged there.

Tyler stared ahead.

"Hehehe... New place acquired."

Dia blinked And purred.