"HAHAHAHAH—!"
Gailo's laughter echoed through the web-filled space, loud and sudden, shaking the silken strands around them. The oppressive pressure that had weighed down on Tyler's mind vanished instantly, like a suffocating hand being pulled away from his throat.
Tyler sucked in a sharp breath before he even realized he had been holding it.
"…Hah," he exhaled slowly.
Serena, who had been tense on his shoulder with her paw resting against the pocket-dimension pearl, finally relaxed. Her claws loosened, and the faint glow around the pearl dimmed as she stopped channeling mana into it.
"I am just joking," Gailo said calmly, amusement lingering in his telepathic voice. "Don't worry."
Tyler stared at the spider in disbelief.
Joking?
His heart was still pounding from the sudden spike of killing intent, and now he was expected to accept that it had all been a joke?
