Arachnecs

Arachnec are an undead, spider-like species that have lower bodies like a spider and an upper body that can't quite be described as humanoid. One Arachnec Deadstalker Jake sees had an upper body made of bones stitched together with spiderwebs, five long spindly arms, eight spear-like legs, and no visible head. Jake estimated the creature to be about seven meters long and five meters tall.^[1] Jake notes that the Arachnec bear a resemblance to the Arachne race in the wider multiverse, likely due to Records bleeding through.^[2]

The Arachnec Nestmother is an undead spider with a woman's upper body. She has no trace of decay in her appearance and has ghostly pale skin and white hair. Her body is covered in white hair, like a tarantula.^[2] She has a fully humanoid face with elf-like ears. She has a song-like speech and utilizes mental magic-infused speech.

The Arachnec Grand Weaver has a white, humanoid body that appears to be made of bone, with two legs and arms, and an odd rectangular head with eight glowing eyes. He also has eight legs sprouting from his back with strings connecting each appendage, forming a spider-web-looking construction.^[3]

Arachnec are highly intelligent, recognizing immediately that Jake is from beyond the Boundary of their world. Being a full grade higher than Jake, they coerce him into visiting their nests, hoping to learn more about him so they can travel beyond the boundary. Ultimately, driven by their ambition and realizing the level limits the System has placed on the universe outside of their world, the Arachnec conspire with their hated nemeses, the Venusians, to attempt to trap Jake in a Soul Contract that would force him to focus on their progression.

During his involuntary visit, Jake met several archetypes within Arachnec society, including:

• Arachnec Deathstalker
• Arachnec Corpsemender
• Arachnec Monitor
• Arachnec Guardian Monitor
• Arachnec Rotspreader
• Arachnec Archweaver
• Arachnec Nestmother
• Arachnec Sychtefiend
• Lich
• Arachnec Grand Weaver

The Arachnec live in large nests, hidden underground, connected by a teleportation network they call the Tunnel Mound^[4]. Each nest has the ability to absorb energy from the land it's rooted into, growing stronger. Jake describes the Nest as a massive underground mountain, interspersed with countless barriers sealing off spawning chambers filled with eggs and caretakers. The Nest is filled with powerful death affinity, a virtual death trap to anything not already dead. In analyzing the environment, Jake identified Blight, the affinity that had given name to the Blightfather. By Jake's reckoning, most peak C-grades and even some weaker low-tier B-grades would die within an hour in the environment. Each nest is considered an invaluable resource and they very rarely are destroyed.

The Nest is led by the Arachnec Nestmother, an A-grade who has powerful mental magic. The overall faction is led by Arachnec Grand Weaver with a powerful aura.

The Arachnec are in a constant battle for territory against the Venusians. The mere presence of Arachnec affects the environment and strengthens the death affinity within the area.^[5] They grow by spreading death and absorbing the resulting miasma. It is an efficient method, but one that has made them many enemies.^[1] If the Arachnec are drive from an area, the death affinity will eventually be worn away and the land will return to normal.

The Arachnec also have the ability to raise the dead and create minons of those they've slain. The essence of any of their kind who are slain will return to the Nest, allowing new Arachnec to quickly be born.^[6] Jake mentally compares it to the eternal feuds between the Holy Church and the Risen and the Endless Empire and Rigoria, factions that are constantly clashing over resources due to their natures precluding peaceful coexistence.

• Jake internally admits that he has an inexplicable dislike of spiders. He's not afraid of them but the moment he sees the spider-like Arachnec, he had an instant desire to kill them with fire.^[1]