After killing a handful of sword and phase spiders, a return to John is greeted with:

***
A brawny man sits at his desk here, a worried look on his face.
John the Lumberjack says to you 'I've heard you've been killing spiders. Nice job!'

(You have gained experience points!)
John the Lumberjack says to you 'You might find this handy if venoms should get its grip on you.'
***

No echo on being handed the three tan pills.