Chapter 5: 5: Arach

I stretch lazily on the sand as the first rays of the sun disturb my sleep. Arach, my golem, looks at me as I stand up. I shake my head as I notice the others have taken turns keeping watch through the night. That was something I didn't need to worry about with Arach around.

The golem can understand simple sets of instructions. Like, guard me while I sleep. Kill monsters and bring me their crystals. I know Arach understands these commands through the link between us. But I don't see how that works.

I study Arach for a moment. I thought about this a lot last night. Arach's more of a mindless machine that follows orders than an undead creature. So I don't see what the big fuss is about. Part of me wonders if I'll be able to make different types of golems in the future. 

Damn, I'm thirsty. My throat feels drier than the desert as I walk to the sea's edge and start drinking from it. I still can't get over the fact there's no salt in it. Just fresh drinking water. Though, that's a good thing. Otherwise, we'd all die of dehydration.

Hmm? The people keeping watch are waking the others. Arach's bones rattle behind me as I take an apple from my pack and bite into it. Sweet! I'd noticed it yesterday, but the apples and intensely sweet tasting. It reminds me of some of those cakes I'd see pictures of that threatened to give me diabetes just for looking at it.

However, it still tastes like an apple. I sigh as I take another bite while the others start splitting into two teams. Kyle takes Laura and David ends up with Sam. Well, at least they'll be valued for their ability to sense danger.

I frown as Sarah ends up with Kyle as well. Before long, Kyle's party has five members, and Sam only has four. I groan at that sight. I guess that means I'm with Sam. At least I'll have David for company.

Kyle's team sets off as I approach Sam, who frowns at me. Why do I get the feeling I'm not welcome? Her eyes dart to the lumbering spider behind me before raising her hand to stop me.

'Where are you going, Rick?' Sam asks as the others glare at me.

Well, except for David, who lowers his gaze. Oh. I see what's going on. May as well get this out of the way, then.

'We're splitting into two teams, right? Kyle has already left, so I assume I'm on your team?'

'No,' Sam replies while shaking her head. 'Since you have that thing, Kyle wants you to stay here and guard the circle. What if we come back and monsters are gathered at it? Or what if you are wrong and new people will arrive every day? Don't worry. You'll still earn crystals when we return to buy stuff from you.'

I shrug and show an uncaring expression at Sam's smug look. 'Ok. No problem. You guys have fun and be careful.'

I wave at them and return to the edge of the stone circle. Arach rattling along behind me. Damn them! She really means that they want to give me a useless job so I can't hunt with them! They don't want me claiming a share of the crystals for helping to kill the beasts and then taking more for crafting their equipment!

They're trying to limit my growth! I tremble as I glance over my shoulder. Sam's group is now entering the forest. Well, fuck you! I'm not going to let that happen! 

I sigh as I grab hold of Arach and climb onto its back. It's challenging while holding my spear, but I get there in the end. The bones are uncomfortable to sit on. I groan as I already know my rear will be bruised by the day's end. I shiver as the first chilly breeze of the day rolls over the beach.

'Let's go, Arach.' I say as I point at the forest with my spear.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Arach's moving faster than I thought it could, making it difficult to hold on. Seems like a bruised arse is closer than I expected. My teeth rattle with every little bump as Arach races into the forest.

'Slow down.' I command as I glance between the trees. Worried that I might miss something if Arach kept up the pace. 

It's strange, being in the forest alone. There's no idle chatter to break up the sound of the leaves rustling overhead. My body trembles as I stare at the alien forest. There are so many bright colours that it almost feels like I'm tripping. 

'We need to find stag monsters.' I say as I picture the beasts from yesterday.

A sense of acknowledgement from Arach enters my mind as the golem turns on the spot. What is it doing? I frown as I stare down at my mount. It can't be. Is it actually trying to look for one?

Suddenly Arach sets off southwest. Well, at least finding our way back will be easy enough. Since the beach is to the north. But what caused Arach to go in this direction? I don't see anything that suggests monsters are this way.

I keep my eyes peeled as Arach steadily marches on. The golem adjusts its course every now and then, which makes me confident it's tracking something. My mind races as I try to understand how Arach is doing it. I don't see any tracks or markings on the trees.

Arach suddenly slows down and clacks its mandibles together. I get a sense that Arach is trying to warn me. I frown as I stare into the forest ahead. There! Arach really was tracking a stag! 

'We need to hunt and kill it.' I say as I get feedback confirming my order.

'Shiiit!' I scream as Arach suddenly leaps at a tree!

I scramble to grab hold of the bone plate I'm sitting on as Arach's claws dig into the trunk. Sweat forms on my brow as I turn to look at the ground below us from my horizontal position. Oh shit, please don't fall. I swallow as I try to calm my nerves. 

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Arach starts climbing the tree as I hold on for dear life. I almost drop my spear several times before the golem clambers onto a branch. At least I'm the right way up now. I sigh as I take a moment to appreciate the view from up here.

Now that the shock of what Arach did has passed, I can appreciate how amazing that was! It'll be a lot safer to explore the forest up here. The thick branches twist and wynd like pathways between the trees. I take several deep breaths as I locate the stag.

It's noticed us. I shake my head as the stag stamps its hoof and shakes its head. Good, it has no way to get up here. But how do we kill it? I jolt as Arach sets off along the branch until we're directly overhead. I frown as I sense Arach staring at the beast. As if the golem is thinking about something.

Wait. No! Nope! Stop! But it's too late. Arach has already jumped down from the branch directly toward the stag! I close my eyes when I see the stag rear up, and its malicious antlers point directly toward us. My whole body shakes from the impact as I wait for the pain that is sure to come.

A pitiful screech echoes around me as I open my eyes. Somehow, Arach forced the stage to fall on its back! A piece of its spine has pierced its fur as it lies pinned to the ground. Arach's claws and part of its legs have punctured the beast, preventing it from thrashing around!

I let out a whoop of excitement as a smirk appeared on my face. Sorry, but it looks like I win this one! A few seconds pass, and I wonder why Arach doesn't finish it. Oh. The stag's antlers are trapped on Arach's bone plate underbelly, and its weight is keeping the monster from moving.

I swallow nervously as I realise what I have to do. A long sigh escapes my throat as I lean over Arach's side and point my spear at the stag's head. Crunch! The stag goes still and turns to dust as I stare at the blood-smeared tip of my spear. Great. I thought this would be easy after watching the stags die yesterday. But there's something different about it when you do it yourself. 

Sure, it's a monster. And I shouldn't feel bad for killing it. After all, I need its crystal to survive. I shake off those thoughts before they can taint my determination to survive this place. Arach lowers its body to let me dismount and collect the red crystal. 

I glance up at the canopy as I tuck it safely into my pack and climb back on Arach. How are the others doing? Have they found an easier way to track and kill these monsters? Probably not. It's only the second day, and I got lucky with what Arach can do. 

Note to self, don't sell these golems to anyone. They're clearly meant to be the fundamental strength of the soul stat. Why would I give up that advantage? I frown as I wonder how my golem will compare to tamed monsters. David and Laura will have to tame these stags, and Arach crushed it quickly enough.

But how well can it hold up against two? How many people will it take to overwhelm the golem? I shake my head as I think about that. I need more stats. Enough to control at least two more of these golems. After that, I should raise at least the body stat. If I ever get thrown from my golem or caught without it around, I'll need to be able to defend myself and escape.

'Let's go, Arach. Hunt and kill as many stags as we can!' Arach clacks its mandibles together in acknowledgement before setting off.

It's a bloodbath as time drags on. Arach always seems to know where to find these monsters. It's creepy when I think about it. Not that I'll complain. I thrust my spear into the stag trapped below Arach before collecting its crystal. How many is that now? Thirty? It's been so easy with Arach's help. 

I cover my eyes and glance at the light streaming through the canopy. It's about mid-day. So, what? It's been about six hours since we've been out here? Maybe seven? I climb back on Arach and order it to climb up to a branch where I can take a break.

I lie down on Arach's back while munching another apple. Why are these things so filling? Each one is like eating a small meal. I shake my head and lazily watch the streams of light break through the leaves. I could get used to this. If you take away the monsters and the need to kill them to survive, this place is actually quite nice.

But I can't let myself get lazy. I sigh as I finish the apple and toss the remains away. There could be others out there that have been here longer than us. For all I know, we're just tiny fish in an ocean of megalodons. I chuckle at that thought. For some reason, it gets me excited. All right, it's time to get back to work. 

I take up my riding position on Arach's back as I glance at the forest floor and the colourful plant life below. Let's aim for at least fifty crystals today. I want to build a home to rest in after a hard day of crystal farming. It'll be handy to store loose crystals in as well. I need them for crafting, so turning any spares in for credits is not a good idea.

Maybe I should build up a reserve of both? That sounds good to me. That way, I'll always have what I need. Plus, I wonder if more expensive items will appear when we upgrade the store. The same will likely happen for Soul Forge in the future. I can't see this place expecting us to survive using only what we have access to now.

It almost feels like we're in a primitive age in this place. If that's true, and we'll eventually advance, I wonder at what point technology will appear? Hmm. That could be what the Construct tab in Soul Forge means. Arach certainly acts more like a robot than a living or undead thing.

Does that mean I'll eventually be able to make golems out of stone and iron? Now, that's cool. I chuckle as I urge Arach to track down the next monster. But what does that mean for the other stats? Where will they lead in the future? Will Kyle be able to set miles of forest on fire with a single skill?

What about David and Laura? They'll probably gain the ability to tame larger and more powerful monsters. I shiver at the thought. Then there's Sam. How strong can she become with the body stat? Will she be able to move so fast that my eyes can't track her? Break mountains with a single punch? Who knows. But I don't like the thought of that.

I can only keep pushing forward. My personal growth needs to outpace the rest of the tribe combined. Only then would I feel secure. Although, it's bound to cause animosity. I'm already rocking the boat with what I'm doing now. Hmm. Oh. Arach's already trapped a monster, and I didn't realise. 

Maybe I've gotten used to riding it. I didn't even need to think about holding on tight, so I didn't fall off. A quick thrust of my spear ends the beast's life. Maybe on some level, I'm starting to trust Arach. That could be why I feel safe in letting my mind wander. 

I chuckle as I pat its bone plate beneath me. Better to avoid making a habit of it. I need to stay vigilant. What if there's something out here that Arach can't detect? Yeah, I can't see that ending well for me. I shake my head as I collect the crystal, and Arach leaps back into the trees. 

The wind feels nice as it rushes over my face as Arach leaps between the branches toward our next victim. How far have we come? As I glance down, I notice the ground is rising in a gentle slope. I wonder what lies beyond this forest. A lake? Mountains? A city? Imagine that! How would the people react to someone dressed like me arriving atop a spider made of bones?

Now that would be funny. Well, maybe not. I chuckle at the idea as Arach clacks again. Oh, another stag. Let's keep this up and return before the others. Crack!

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