Chapter 760: Call the Spider (Patreon)

[Would you like to transform Norn into a Dark Lord Soldier?]

Luke selected yes.

[Soldier Slot used!]

Norn began to glow. “What’s this, Boss? It tickles.”

Luke took a few steps back. Norn pulsed with light in the center of the throne room as her body slowly expanded. Glowing particles swirled around her like living dust, and the Core answered with a blinding flash. Beams of energy shot from it and struck Norn’s carapace like lightning.

For one tense moment, Luke thought something had gone wrong. But Norn didn’t scream, writhe in pain, or even complain. She simply stood there, bathed in that strange light. Then the Kingdom Core went dark. Its surface turned black for several seconds as dozens of lines of text and runes raced across it.

[Norn has become a Soldier of the Dark Lord!]

When the light faded, Norn had changed. She was bigger. Darker. More eyes dotted her head and body. Her fangs had grown longer and sharper, and her legs looked heavier, stronger, more dangerous.

“Whoa, Boss! Norn doesn’t know what happened, but Norn feels really strong now.”

[Norn, the Weaver Spider - Lvl 144]

Her level hadn’t changed, but there was no question that something had. Her presence felt heavier. Sharper.

A new system window appeared in front of Luke.

Name: NornRace: Arachnid FaeRank: DTitle: Hunt GuardianDark Rank: Soldier

Skills: [Evolutionary Hunger (Ancient)], [Leg Strike (Common)], [Spider Leap (Common)], [Web Harp (Rare)], [Illusion Weaver (Epic)], [Spider Burrow (Epic)]

Soldier Skills: [Oath Cocoon (Rare)]

I can see my soldier’s status screen? Interesting. Makes sense, too.

Because Norn was a beast, her system was very different from Luke’s. Still, the strangest detail was right at the top.

Arachnid Fae? So she’s some kind of fairy-like creature? A spider fairy.

[Hunt Guardian]: Norn’s desire to protect the kingdom’s lands has been granted. Within the Dark Lord’s Kingdom, her Perception and connection to the [Kingdom Core] become significantly stronger. She can easily track signs, footprints, and other traces left by anyone who enters the territory. She also receives an increase in power while inside the Kingdom. She is not merely a soldier. She is a line of defense against invaders.

Norn suddenly turned toward the throne room doors.

Her body went still.

“What is it?” Luke asked.

“Three rats,” she said. “Inside the eastern wall.”

“They’re Franky’s rats,” Luke said. “They wander around whenever he’s asleep.”

So that’s the Perception boost.

Luke turned his attention back to the soldier interface.

This probably isn’t her actual system. It’s more like a soldier profile. It only shows me what matters. I can’t even see how many cores she needs before she evolves. So it doesn’t work the same way as a servant.

Luke studied Norn for several seconds, taking in the changes.

“What else is different?”

“Norn is much bigger now, Boss. And Norn has more eyes,” she replied, clearly pleased.

Luke could see his soldier’s skill descriptions. That alone was useful.

[Evolutionary Hunger (Ancient)]: The Arachnid Fae bloodline carries an ancient hunger inherited from the being that first gave rise to its race. This skill grants the creature a ravenous appetite and a nearly bottomless stomach, allowing it to devour everything from ordinary matter to unusual substances such as energy, stone, metal, and magical residue. After consuming large quantities of the same material or energy, there is a small chance its body will develop adaptive mutations. These may strengthen its carapace, alter its venom, increase its resistances, or awaken new physical traits.

Now I understand how she got so much stronger during all those years trapped beneath the tree.

He would talk to Illyra about it later.

“Are your skills still the same, Norn?”

“Norn got a new one.”

Let’s see what ten Soul Energy bought me.

[Oath Cocoon (Rare)]: The Arachnid Fae wraps an injured ally in a cocoon of dark webbing, protecting them from outside attacks. While inside, the ally’s pain is reduced and their body is stabilized. The skill cannot instantly heal severe injuries, but it slows their condition from worsening, buying time for retreat, treatment, or a counterattack.

Not healing, but close enough to save someone who should’ve died.

“Good. Welcome to the army, Norn,” Angie said.

Luke had already tested the ability on Charlie and Angie. Neither of them could become soldiers. Being servants ruled them out.

He looked at the ring and opened the relic’s interface. Turning Norn into a soldier had cost ten Soul Energy.

[Soldier]: The first Dark Rank within the Dark Lord’s Army. This Rank may only be granted to monsters, beasts, or supernatural creatures under the Monarch’s command. It cannot be applied to humans or ordinary citizens. Upon receiving it, the creature officially joins the Dark Lord’s Army, and its Race Evolution Path is rebuilt from the ground up, strengthening it without increasing its level.

The initial transformation grants a unique mutation that enhances the creature’s body, instincts, obedience, and growth potential. More importantly, Soldiers may evolve, learn new skills, and ascend to higher Ranks by demonstrating strength, loyalty, merit, and affinity with the Dark Lord’s cause. Each higher Rank unlocks increasingly powerful evolutionary paths.

Soldier Slots: 1/1Cost: 10 Soul Energy

(The number of available slots may increase as the Kingdom grows in population, influence, and Kingdom Core authority.)

It didn’t take the Soul Energy from the Kingdom Core, even though she was standing right beside it.

The Kingdom Core’s ability really was tied to the Relic.

Without the Relic, I’d probably lose the ability to activate the Core’s skill too.

It was an unusual relationship. Luke, the Relic, and the Core were all connected somehow.

Now I just need to find out what she can become next.

“We should get going, Norn. I need to get you out of here before sunrise,” Luke said.

***

Two weeks had passed since Norn became a soldier. The spider had grown more powerful, and Luke had spent much of that time trying to understand exactly how the transformation worked. He had even taken her far away from the Core to see whether the transformation weakened or faded with distance. It didn’t. Norn had evolved somehow. Her level hadn’t changed. She had.

The difference between a [Soldier of the Dark Lord] and a [Servant of the Dark Lord] was becoming clearer. A Soldier followed an enhanced version of its natural evolution path. A Servant was different. Luke’s bloodline pushed them toward their greatest possible form, even if that meant turning a simple skeleton into a vampire. If Charlie had become a Soldier instead, she might have evolved into nothing more than a stronger kind of skeleton.

But that didn’t make the [Dark Lord’s Army] weak. The skill to bring monsters under his command, strengthen their natural evolution paths, and help them awaken new powers was nothing to dismiss. Luke had tested Norn several times over the past two weeks, and the results were obvious. She was stronger than before. Even at the exact same level.

This place is finally starting to take shape.

The trees around the castle had been cut down. Some villagers worked with the lumber, while others turned the logs into planks, simple furniture, structural supports, and even a stable for the two horses Luke had brought back.

Charlie organized everything as best she could, and anyone who knew how to build or repair things inevitably ended up following her orders, often without realizing it.

“Lord Moon.” A villager bowed as Luke passed.

A path now connected the village to the castle grounds. Little by little, the villagers had begun to feel safe enough to return to their homes, but many still preferred sleeping in tents near the castle. It wasn’t about comfort. It was fear. Luke understood why.

Everyone had been given weapons taken from the invading orcs, even if most of them barely knew how to use them.

More survivors had also arrived from the surrounding villages. Most stayed in the village below. Among the few Angie trusted enough to allow onto the castle grounds was Theron, an experienced fisherman and hunter who had known the villagers since childhood.

Still nothing from the goblins...

"Your plan with the orcs has completely fallen apart, Luke", Artemis said.

I could’ve sworn they’d come back. Especially after attacking those villages. Whoever led that raid must’ve noticed that one of the squads they sent out never returned. I thought they’d send more orcs here.

Luke’s plan had been simple, dirty, and effective. He would use Norn to lead the orcs toward the goblin village. He would let the attack look real, then step in before it went too far. Illyra had agreed, even if she disliked the idea. It was the fastest way to make the goblins believe they needed Luke’s protection. But the orcs never came.

That afternoon, Luke entered the castle and looked through a window at the people working below.

I still haven’t invited them to become citizens.

His gaze moved across the tents, the new path, and the villagers hauling lumber toward the castle.

Once I do, there’s no hiding what I’m building here.

A hidden settlement could be ignored. A new kingdom could not. He didn’t know how the villagers would react. He needed to choose the right moment. Once word got out, he wanted to be ready. Not with some half-built settlement, but with a place capable of sheltering a large number of people.

Luke had explored the forest beyond his territory. Several villages were scattered throughout the region. Some had already been completely destroyed. Others still sheltered survivors of the orcs’ previous attacks. But all of them lay on the outskirts of Nyvma, which wasn’t even considered much of a city by continental standards. That was why Luke needed to build a name for himself.

The orcs were coming. Unless major reinforcements arrived, those villages would probably be crushed. For many of the people living there, the only way to survive would be to seek refuge in Nyvma. It was already happening. A slow, desperate mass migration. And when the orc army arrived, Luke would be there to destroy it. He wanted to see what the orcs were really capable of.

He also wanted levels.

As he walked through the castle, Luke came across three Crypt Rats attacking a row of training dummies. They darted around the targets in quick, coordinated bursts, biting at their legs and retreating before striking again.

“Still running Angie’s tests?” Luke asked Franky.

“That winged rat challenged me. She said I couldn’t train my rats and make them stronger. I’m going to prove I’m a great mage.”

She played you perfectly... He really is a child.

Angie wanted to find out whether Franky’s rats could be trained to fight as a unit. If it worked, they could learn formations, coordinate their attacks, and follow more complex orders.

In exchange, she was teaching Franky how to read, along with several other useful subjects.

That night, Luke crossed the forest by leaping from shadow to shadow with the cloak’s power. When he reached the Great Tree, he called for Norn. The spider scurried excitedly out of the cavern.

“Dinner time, Boss?”

“Dinner time.”

Luke tossed her a large piece of roasted meat from one of the beasts Angie had killed. For Norn, the meat was only the base of the meal. Healing potions were still her favorite sauce.

“Boss, what happened to that potion from before?” Norn asked.

Luke paused. “What potion?”

“The one Norn tasted from what was left in the cauldron. It was really good. Norn felt warm all over afterward.”

Luke went still. The aphrodisiac potion? One drop actually affected her?

"I warned you, Luke", Artemis said. "You’ve got a real talent for accidentally drugging women."

It was an accident.

"Exactly. A natural talent."

“Norn, that potion is gone,” Luke said.

“A shame. It tasted really good, Boss.”

Luke looked at the enormous spider chewing happily on her meat.

I don’t even want to know what would’ve happened if she’d drunk the whole thing.

"I do", Artemis replied immediately. "I’m drooling just imagining it."

Quiet.

“How are the goblins?” Luke asked.

“Super safe. Nothing came near them.”

Norn lowered the meat.

“But Norn found tracks.”

Luke looked at her. “Orcs?”

“No. Paw prints. Lots of them, all moving together.”

Luke frowned.

As the Kingdom’s borders continued to expand, more creatures were bound to wander into its territory. The forest was full of monsters, and large tracks weren’t exactly unusual. Still, he would check them out later.

There were other goblin villages throughout the region, along with caves in the distant mountains where ratmen lived. The forest was much larger and far more populated than it had first appeared. You just had to know where to look.

“Norn has been practicing her attacks. Norn is much stronger now,” the spider said, raising her legs and striking the air.

She was using one of her skills.

[Leg Strike (Common)]: The Arachnid Fae raises its legs and concentrates power within them before delivering a brutal blow to the target. The impact can crush enemies, break bones, crack stone, and destroy fragile obstacles. Though simple, this technique is extremely dangerous when used in a downward strike that takes advantage of the creature’s weight and natural physiology.

“Norn wants to fight! Norn is excited.”

“You will. If the reports are right, the orcs will be here in a few days.”

According to the latest reports from Nyvma, the orc army was following the road between the kingdoms and pushing deeper into Rosemark. They hadn’t slowed down.

“When that happens, you can kill every orc that enters these lands. Then we’ll hunt their general together.”

“Hunt! Hunt!” Norn repeated excitedly.

Two days passed.

Luke visited Nyvma three times during that period. Soldiers had set traps along the road, and reinforcements had arrived from other cities. Meanwhile, the residents of Otto’s village debated what to do. The village was far from the road, which gave the villagers an advantage. But the question remained. Should they go to Nyvma and risk being trapped there during a siege? Or stay where they were and gamble that the distance would be enough to protect them? Every village in the region faced the same dilemma.

That day, Luke was far from the castle.

“One more seed.”

[Tree of Mother Freya activated]

A seed appeared in his hand. Luke dropped it onto the ground and watched the earth swallow it. He had been planting those trees throughout his territory. Each seed cost three thousand mana, which meant his reserves were almost never completely full. Whenever he could, he created another seed and stored it for later, taking advantage of the territory’s increased mana regeneration.

Over the past two weeks, he had scattered seeds across several parts of the Kingdom. They would take time to mature, but if he continued planting a few every day, he would eventually gain true control over the forest.

When he returned, he found the villagers tending his enormous field. The first time they saw him planting crops, they had rushed over to help. To them, a noble working his own fields was unbelievably humble. They couldn’t just stand by and let him do it alone. In the end, he accepted their help. From a noble’s perspective, their reasoning made sense. The truth was much less dignified. Luke was only trying to gain a few levels.

“My lord,” Angie said as she approached. “Cecilia would like to speak with you.”

Cecilia was the village chief’s daughter. Luke and Angie had saved her during the orc attack, and ever since, the young woman had treated them both with enough reverence to make Luke uncomfortable.

“Lord Luke, your fields are looking beautiful,” Cecilia said.

“That’s thanks to all of you.”

And he meant it.

“Lady Angie told me you were interested in trading in the city. Last year, I worked at a market stall for a while in exchange for reading lessons. I could introduce you to the owner. I’m sure he’d be happy to resell your crops.”

“I’d appreciate that. Once this business with the orcs is over, it’s something I’d like to pursue.”

“And it will be over,” Cecilia said, trying to sound confident. “Everyone says powerful people from other kingdoms have come to help. Even a king.”

It was the same rumor spreading through Nyvma.

“I hope so,” Luke said. “But orcs may be more cunning than they look.”

Orcs had first appeared on the continent only a year earlier. Even then, there hadn’t been any true invasions. They had simply gathered along the coast and pushed inland little by little, testing defenses and claiming territory. Luke found it strange that no human army had wiped them out before they gained a foothold. But the kingdoms had been too distracted by other conflicts. Civil wars. Power struggles. And something even more dangerous looming on the horizon. An empire.

“Orcs! Orcs!” someone shouted.

The reaction was immediate. People scrambled into position. Some grabbed spears, others reached for bows, and everyone else backed away in fear. Joseph appeared moments later, armed and glaring toward the forest. Few people were more desperate for revenge against the orcs.

“Where?” Joseph demanded.

Something crashed through the brush. Several archers drew their bows. A shape moved between the trees. Too small for an orc. Too unsteady for an attack.

Luke narrowed his eyes. “That’s not an orc.”

If it were, Norn would have warned him.

Another branch snapped.

Luke raised a hand. “Wait.”

A goblin stumbled out of the trees, his clothes torn and blood streaked across his skin. Luke barely recognized him. Pip, the goblin chief’s son.

“The king... the king...” Pip muttered, stumbling forward on legs that could barely hold him. “Where’s your king?”

“I’m here,” Luke said.

Pip collapsed at his feet, gasping for breath.

Luke crouched beside him.

“What happened?”

The goblin looked up, trembling.

“A wolf...” he managed. “A giant, talking wolf.”

His fingers tightened around Luke’s sleeve.

“It wasn’t alone.”

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