The last thing that they needed to do to determine the usefulness of the ability was to test it. Alice raised a barrier in between them, and gestured toward it with her fist.
“With just the lightning up, give that a punch as hard as you can. It will tell us how your muscles are recovering, as well as if the lightning can already stand up to an Awakened Rank impact. If it can’t, it will break around your fist when you hit the barrier.” She explained.
Karl snapped a fast punch at the barrier, and frowned. His strength wasn’t fully recovered, and the physical strength wasn’t as high as he would have preferred, but the lightning crackled against the barrier, making it glow bright blue, and held firm.
“Well, it’s an Awakened Rank ability, for certain. Karl will need to keep the lightning up as much as possible for a while, but the barrier is as good or better than that Awakened Rank training armour.” Alice informed the others.
“Is it safe to touch? As in, can you sit down in a chair without scorching it?” Daniel asked.
Karl took a step back and saw the faint scorch marks where he was standing.
“I’m going with no. Even through my shoes, it’s burning the ground. But it’s not burning off my uniform, which is a big win for my dignity.” Karl replied with a shrug.
“Yeah, best not to tempt fate. You aren’t recovering as fast as the big Cerro or the Trice with their [Indestructible] innate ability, but it’s still much faster than I had expected.” Daniel agreed.
“I feel well enough to sit for a proper dinner now, so how about we go eat?” Karl suggested as he released the Refreshing Lightning ability.
[Eat?] A soft feminine voice hissed in his mind.
[Are you hungry for something different?] Karl asked delicately, hoping to make a good first impression on the spider.
[No, blood is life, life is power. I need a bigger nest before I lure prey.] She replied.
The spider reminded Karl of when Hawk was a baby, all about food. Always with the mice requests. Of course, if he hadn’t had a massive growth spurt, those requests might not have stopped, but the focus on making the beast’s situation right for comfortable eating was the same.
The group sat down to a proper dinner at a restaurant down the street, while the spider peered out of Karl’s mind, content in its small nest, but intrigued by the world around them.
[They killed it and burned it? Why do they do that to the food?] The spider asked.
[For humans, it tastes better this way, and we can digest it more easily.] Karl informed her.
[Interesting. I will try some.]
Karl put a bit of steak in the Beast space, and the spider happily tore it apart before eating it in delicate bites that directly contrasted with the ferocity used to portion it.
[Not bad, it simulates the warmth of living food. Humans are strange, but smart. It is very tender, and they put something on it for flavour as well. I approve.]
Karl smiled at the response, and Alice gestured for him to share with the group.
“My new spider friend gives her compliments to the chef. She approves of making the meat hot and tender, as well as the seasoning.” Karl explained.
“Does she have a name?” Alice asked.
Karl knew she was listening, so he waited while she came up with an answer.
[Even if you don’t that is fine. I can help you come up with what you would like to be called later.] He soothed the spider.
[What should I be called? For I am the bringer of death, the one that all are fearful to speak of, the shadow that stalks the night and haunts the dreams of prey. I am power and stealth, what name could suit such a mighty being?]
Karl could sense the immense pride, but it was for her speech, and not for herself. She was very proud that she had come up with something good, and she had no concept of what an edgy emo teen was, so she had no idea how much she sounded like one.
“She hasn’t yet picked a suitable name. If I come up with one, we will decide on it later.” Karl informed the others.
[We will come up with something suitably impressive for you. But maybe it will be simple. Thor named himself after the God of Lightning, so perhaps you would like to be named after the Spider Goddess, Arachne?] Karl suggested.
There was a pause as she considered it. The spider didn’t know anything about human gods.
[Is she a cool god?] She asked.
[Very cool, and the most talented of gods at weaving.] Karl agreed.
[That name is too coarse. I will be Rae, short for Arachne.] She decided.
“Change of plans. She will be called Rae, short for Arachne, the Spider Goddess.” Karl explained to the group, who were all waiting, while he had a silent conversation in his mind.
“Hawk, Thor and Rae, all superb names.” Daniel complimented the beasts before continuing to eat.
“Please let us know when we can meet her.” Alice replied with a smile, and Karl felt the spider looking out of his mind.
[Later, not now. It is too bright and too far from my nest.]
“Maybe tonight. She isn’t fond of bright places while she’s still growing.” Karl explained.
“Oh, that makes sense. We will meet tonight if she is up for it, and then after we have done some basic tests tomorrow we will head back to the Academy. I’m sure they’re concerned about you, and Sergeant Rita is probably going to murder me for ruining her lesson plans again.” Alice laughed.
Karl gave her a questioning look, and the mage continued.
“Well, you’ve got three pets now, right? Hawk is well versed in working with you, but he’s never worked with the others, and they haven’t done any survival training at all. Once they are back at the Academy, the Sergeant will want them all trained to work in a team for safety and to enhance their power.” She explained.
That got Thor’s attention.
[There is safety and power in numbers. Together is much better than alone.]