"Sophia, right? My name is Shiraori now. Elliot gave it to me. You can call me Shiraori, or Shiro is fine, or you can use my old name, that works too." Kumoko didn't really care about names.
She had gone without a name for so long in the Elroe Labyrinth. It was only after evolving into an Arachne that Elliot, for convenience's sake, gave her a name.
Her Appraisal panel, which once had a blank space next to her race and level, now displayed the two characters for "Shiraori" (White Weaver).
It fit. After all, her body couldn't produce melanin; her hair and skin were both a snowy white. So, the name was perfect.
"Alright then." Kumoko suddenly picked up the infant from her cradle, a strange smile playing on her lips.
This smile sent shivers down Sophia's spine. But stemming from a deep-seated fear, she found herself completely paralyzed, unable to even struggle.
This monster, Wakaba Hiiro... did she really evolve from a spider? How can a single smile render me immobile?
"I've Appraised your abilities. Very impressive," Kumoko said. "At least, much stronger than the spider I reincarnated as. But your base stats aren't that great. Like spiders, vampires are fragile. So, from now on, I will be conducting some 'elite training' with you, to make you stronger."
What does that mean? What the heck is elite training?! Sophia suddenly felt that this Arachne before her was a devil in disguise. No! I don't want any training!
Unfortunately for her, she had no choice in the matter!
And so, the training began in an orderly fashion. The group journeyed towards the capital of the Sariella Kingdom, which was said to be the Demon Lord's main base.
Along the way, Kumoko began training the weakest members of their little party. She hoped that by the time they reached the Demon Lord's stronghold, they would be a bit stronger, at least able to protect themselves.
After all, the person they were going to face was one of this world's major powers. Even though it didn't seem like the Demon Lord was out for total annihilation, it was always a good thing for their side to be a little stronger.
….
The weather was clear, not a cloud in the vast sky. Brilliant sunlight poured down like a golden waterfall, but within the dense, lush forest, the canopy blocked most of it from reaching Kumoko.
A cool forest breeze blew gently, carrying away the stuffy heat, making one feel incredibly comfortable.
Kumoko even felt the urge to take a nice long nap. But she couldn't. As a teacher, how could she abandon her students?!
The current Kumoko was fully immersed in her role as a teacher.
The "children" she was giving an elite education to were none other than the vampire, Sophia, and the half-elf, Emilia.
At this very moment, a baby, her breathing faint, was forcing her tender legs to walk up a mountain path.
Each step was incredibly heavy. An infant's leg strength was nowhere near enough to support her body weight.
This frail body... even crawling was a bit difficult, let alone walking.
But amazingly, she was doing it! Of course, not by her own strength. Above her head, fine spider threads were attached to her arms, back, and shoulders, pulling her along like a marionette, forcing her to walk.
Sophia's breaths grew heavier and heavier. She realized that even though she possessed the great power of a vampire, as an infant, she couldn't use it at all. Possessing the dual races of [Human] and [Vampire], she was much closer to a human during her infant stage.
So, despite her enviable talents, right now, she was just a weak baby! Any random monster, or human, could easily kill her. The memory of her parents' deaths was still vivid. She had to get stronger, fast!
But even though her mind was willing, her infant body simply couldn't muster any strength. She felt like she was about to die. Every step was a dual torture to her body and soul.
In front of her, another half-elf girl was also training. Sophia knew that was Emilia. Not a reincarnator.
But her training progress was much faster than hers. She had heard that Emilia could already fight ordinary magical beasts. Besides her morning training, Emilia also had to go into the forest before lunch to hunt some large herbivorous monsters.
Hiss— I'm a reincarnator! How can I lose to a native of this world!
And beside her, a young dragon sat in the shade of a tree, watching her train with wide, curious eyes.
This young dragon, named Kanna, didn't look much older than her, yet she didn't have to undergo this demonic training.
This made Sophia feel very unbalanced. (If Sophia knew Kanna's stats were in the five digits, she wouldn't be saying that).
Although Sophia desperately wanted to lie down and rest, with Kumoko's threads wrapped around her, like the ancient scholar who tied his hair to a beam to keep from dozing off, she simply couldn't stop walking.
Huff... puff... huff... No matter whether her stamina could hold out, Kumoko had no intention of letting her stop.
To Kumoko, Sophia felt like she was completely at her limit. To Sophia, Kumoko was a demon. But in Kumoko's Appraisal, Sophia still had half her HP, and plenty of SP to spare.
And you dare say you can't go on? Whether Sophia's willpower could endure or not, as long as her HP wasn't at rock bottom, Kumoko wasn't going to let her off the hook.
Of course, Kumoko wasn't doing this to get revenge on an old classmate. After learning about Elliot's clashes with the Elf King and the Demon Lord, and that the elves wanted Sophia dead, Kumoko knew the elves wouldn't just let them go.
Both Mera and Sophia would be killed on sight if they encountered elves now. The journey was long. Who knew if the elves would ambush them on the way? Besides, she was bored on the road anyway.
Improving the vampire's abilities, or just passing the time, this training didn't take much effort from her.
Even so, Sophia really did look like she was about to die. It was hard to imagine a baby making such a horrified expression.
No way... your HP and SP are still at a healthy level. And you're already giving up? Kumoko was a little speechless.
Back in the Elroe Labyrinth, she was constantly in a near-death state, her SP bottomed out, forced to eat disgusting bugs to recover stamina.
She'd heard Sophia was born into a wealthy family, cared for by maids and a gentle mother a prime example of being pampered. No wonder she couldn't even handle a little run.
Fine, fine. I'll let her rest. Kumoko retracted the silk threads wrapped around Sophia.
The next moment, Sophia, as if her bones had turned to jelly, collapsed completely, face-planting into the ground.
"Young Miss! Young Miss!" Mera rushed over anxiously and picked up the vampire's body.
Sophia's eyes had rolled back, white foam was coming out of her mouth, and she looked for all the world like she was about to die.
Luckily, she was still breathing. But seeing the young miss in this state, Mera was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
Kumoko, however, ignored them and turned to gather firewood in the forest. It was noon, time to eat!
Seeing Mera in such a panic, Elliot shook his head and walked over.
"The Young Miss is dying! Lord Elliot, you have to save her!" Mera was frantic, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at the young miss's condition.
"Relax, Sophia is fine."
"But the Young Miss... she's just a child!"
"I'll handle it." Elliot released a faint green light from his hand. Under this light, Sophia's condition recovered at a visible rate.
Her pulse slowed from frantic to steady, and her breathing gradually stabilized. Soon, she opened her eyes. She almost felt like she had just taken a trip to the gates of hell and back.
Wakaba Hiiro... is she deliberately torturing me?
But then, Elliot spoke calmly. "The moment an antelope is born, it learns to run, because it is surrounded by wolves, and lions lie in ambush. Those who want to kill you won't spare you just because you're a child."
"When Shiraori was in the Elroe Labyrinth, her base stats and abilities were even weaker than yours, but she still endured, step by step. She doesn't want you to follow her old path. When you need strength the most, you'll find that because of your own laziness, you are weak and powerless."
To sum it up, it was basically what parents often say to their children "This is all for your own good!"
But Elliot's words were not without reason. If Sophia just wanted to lie flat and be an ordinary person, such demonic training was, of course, unnecessary.
But her parents had been killed by elves, her home trampled by an enemy nation. With such deep-seated hatred, yet still thinking of improving herself slowly... that was her mistake.
"Lord Elliot, your words are too harsh! The Young Miss is still just an infant..." Mera, as her servant, quickly jumped in to defend his charge.
Elliot glanced at Mera and said slowly, "She bears a blood feud. That Elf King personally killed the Lady and was about to kill Sophia herself. Let me ask you, can you, right now, protect her from the Elf King?"
"You don't think... that we will protect Sophia for free forever, do you?"
Mera fell silent.
….
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