Chapter 70: Papa~ Mama~
"Wait!"
"Wait!"
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Ronandt scrambled to his feet, frantically chasing after several spider monsters, begging them to take him as a disciple. Unfortunately, those spiders didn't give him the time of day. He wailed with dog-like persistence, hoping to catch their attention. By the time his voice went hoarse, he was still being completely ignored.
Refusing to give up, he plopped down on the spot, deciding to wait for "that Lord" to return. And so, he waited... and waited... and waited...
Gradually, he became shocked by the spider army's suicidal training methods and began to grasp their true essence. *Holy crap, so magic can actually be leveled up like this!*
In the middle of the white legion, a group of newborn spiders launched continuous magic attacks at another group. The target group stood perfectly still, letting the spells hit them. At the very moment they were about to die, a third group of spiders cast healing magic, dragging them back from the brink.
In just a short while, the skill proficiency of all three groups skyrocketed, instantly reaching the level of average human adventurers. Then they swapped roles: magic damage, magic defense, HP and MP recovery speed, resistances—everything climbed steadily.
Not only that, the mass-produced spiders would head to the Middle Stratum to bask in the flames, raising their Fire Resistance—the natural weakness of spider-kin. This assembly-line style of all-around stat boosting left Ronandt flabbergasted.
"So skills can be raised like this..."
He had an epiphany. He grabbed his staff and blasted himself with a fireball.
*BOOM!*
The searing heat made his whole body tremble. Seeing his HP hitting rock bottom, he immediately cast healing magic on himself.
"It rose! It actually rose!" The old man danced with joy, looking like he'd been reborn.
This scene confirmed to the Parallel Minds that this guy was indeed mentally ill. *Stay away, keep the distance.*
After a period of training, Ronandt's clothes had been entirely incinerated, but he didn't care one bit. He joined the spider army in their hellish training. However, his "training" was child's play compared to the spiders. The spiders' mutual attacks would kill them if they slipped up; it was less "training" and more "war." Many spiders actually died at the hands of their comrades.
To the Parallel Minds, this was irrelevant. They were just mass-produced units; no matter how many died, it didn't hurt their feelings.
"Dammit, why didn't I meet the Lord sooner? If possible, I should have been practicing since I was a kid... no, since I was an infant!"
"If I had, I would definitely be seeing the ultimate light of magic by now."
"Ah~ Subarashii..."
Amidst his lamentations, the naked old man continued to chuck magic bullets at himself. He was starting to fall in love with this workout. "The Labyrinth is truly a wonderful place. If I could, I'd stay here forever."
"Hahahaha...!" His manic laughter filled the labyrinth, sending chills down the spines of the nearby spiders.
"..."
Shirazawa silently disconnected from the Parallel Minds and fell into deep thought. He'd seen crazy, but he'd never seen *this* kind of crazy. He hadn't expected the "Naked Sage" to appear so early. While he respected the man's dedication, it was a total eyesore.
"Whatever, let him be."
The spider army was a hidden card Shirazawa was preparing to deal with Potimas; Ronandt's presence wouldn't affect the plan. Thanks to Shirazawa's intervention, the Parallel Minds—who originally should have rebelled—remained obedient, and the spider legion was growing well.
In the original timeline, influenced by Mother's soul, the Parallel Minds secretly built an army to wipe out humanity, eventually attacking the territory of Count Keren to speed up their leveling. Ultimately, Shiro had to kill them herself due to their ideological clash. Since Parallel Minds return to the main body upon "death," it isn't a true death (unless it's a soul-fusion case like the Body Brain). To prevent that tragedy, Shiro hadn't touched the Parallel Mind skill for a long time afterward.
But "AFK farming" via clones was just too sweet. Shirazawa didn't want to give it up. So far, so good.
Coming back to reality, he found Shiro further modifying the Puppet Spiders. She had added white silk stockings to their legs, and the six arms were now covered in silk-based "flesh" and faux skin, making them look even more realistic. Unfortunately, they still couldn't speak.
"How about we give them vocal cords?" Shirazawa suggested to the frustrated Shiro.
"Vocal cords? Will that work?"
"Let's try it. Not like we have anything else to do."
"Alright."
The two hit it off immediately. It was a complex project—simulating a throat and tongue with silk—but with Shirazawa's help, they quickly found a way. By that evening, the little spider girls successfully activated their vocal functions.
"A-ba~ A-ba~"
"Uh..." Shiro covered her face in embarrassment. They could make sound, but they still had to learn how to actually speak.
"Papa~ Papa~"
The little spiders cheered. Their voices were soft and sweet, like sticky rice cakes. Shirazawa had taught them their first word, and he felt deeply gratified. *I finally feel like a man again...* o(╥﹏╥)o
"Good girls~ Papa will give you something yummy." He pulled out some of Shiro's secret snacks and fed the two lolis.
"A-ba! A-ba!" The little spiders were thrilled.
Shiro stared at Shirazawa with a weird expression. Something felt off. *Wait, aren't these technically our 'aunts' (Ariel's kin)? If Ariel hears her subordinates calling you that, aren't you going to get beaten up?*
"Mama~ Mama~"
*Wait... what did they call me? Mama?*
Shiro suddenly felt that if getting beaten up by Ariel was the price, it was a price she was willing to pay.
"Good girls~ Mama will give you something yummy too."
"Oh!!"
Shiro opened her "vault" and shared her treasured snacks with her "daughters." Even though it was just candy, biscuits, and bread, it was filled with the radiant glow of maternal love. It was intoxicating.
The only problem was that the "daughters" often couldn't tell who was Papa and who was Mama. They looked too similar—it was hard for the kids!
The next day, the trio returned from the town. Ariel was left utterly dumbfounded by the scene before her.
"What the hell?"
Shiro looked awkward while Shirazawa remained much more composed. The sheer complexity of the family tree left Ariel speechless. To ensure her kin didn't become "corrupted," she resolutely recalled the spider sisters and decided not to summon them for a while.
This infuriated Shiro, who had just started enjoying being a "parent." She promptly declared she was giving Ariel the silent treatment. The two entered a cold war that lasted half a year.
And then, Sophia was the one who suffered.
Sophia: *Dammit! Why is it always me who gets bullied!!*
...
Six months later...
...
Author's Note: The heartwarming daily life is coming to an end. Next up is the Deification Arc—stay tuned! Thank you for the comments and gifts; I'll keep writing hard! Let's go!
LanLi: Hmmmmmmm.
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