So I’m a Spider, So What Vol 2 — Part 1 of 8

Part 1 of 8

So I’m a Spider, So What?, Vol. 2

Okina Baba

Translation by Jenny McKeon

Cover art by Tsukasa Kiryu

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

KUMO DESUGA, NANIKA? Vol. 2

©Okina Baba, Tsukasa Kiryu 2016

First published in Japan in 2016 by KADOKAWA CORPORATION, Tokyo.

English translation rights arranged with KADOKAWA CORPORATION, Tokyo through TUTTLE-MORI AGENCY, INC., Tokyo.

Yen Press, LLC supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact the publisher. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

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First Yen On Edition: March 2018

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Baba, Okina, author. | Kiryu, Tsukasa, illustrator. | McKeon, Jenny, translator.

Title: So I’m a spider, so what? / Okina Baba ; illustration by Tsukasa Kiryu ; translation by Jenny McKeon.

Other titles: Kumo desuga nanika. English | So I am a spider, so what?

Description: First Yen On edition. | New York, NY : Yen On, 2017–

Identifiers: LCCN 2017034911 | ISBN 9780316412896 (v. 1 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316442886 (v. 2 : pbk.)

Classification: LCC PZ7.1.O44 So 2017 | DDC [Fic]—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017034911

ISBNs: 978-0-316-44288-6 (paperback)

978-0-316-44293-0 (ebook)

E3-20230310-JV-PC-COR

Contents

Cover

Insert

Title Page

1: Clearly, God Hates Spiders

J1: Hero Party

2: Pride and Detection

S1: Academy

Interlude: The Duke’s Daughter and Her Teacher

3: Middle Stratum Play-Through, Start!

J2: The Nightmare’s Vestige

4: Wyrm? Not Fish?

S2: Magic Lesson

Interlude: The Duke’s Daughter and the Prince’s Sister

5: Spider vs Fire Wyrm

S3: Fei’s Training Diary

Interlude: The Duke’s Daughter and the Earth Wyrm

6: Zoa Ele

S4: School Life

Interlude: The Duke’s Daughter and the Future Saint

7: The Administrator’s Shadow

S5: Ruling Class

8: Wisdom

S6: Earth Wyrm Attack

Interlude: Despair of the Defeated

Interlude: The Duke’s Daughter and the Noisy Reincarnations

9: Lord of the Fire Sea

Interlude: The Demon Lord’s Aide Sighs at a Meeting

J3: And So the War Began

S7: The Voice That Announces Ruination

Interlude: Spider Demon Lord

Final Act: God Loves Spiders

Afterword

Yen Newsletter

CLEARLY, GOD HATES SPIDERS

You know, I just realized I’m pretty unlucky.

In fact, it probably goes beyond just “unlucky.” My life as a spider has been such a crazy ride that I have to assume that God must hate me.

I mean, wouldn’t most normal people go crazy if they were suddenly reborn as an eight-legged monster for no apparent reason?

Not to mention that my second place of birth is this place, the “Great Elroe Labyrinth”—the largest dungeon in this other world.

All the monsters here are crazy strong, too.

It’s definitely an awful eat-or-be-eaten world.

I was doing all right for a while, since I’d managed to use my new spider skills to make a little home for myself, but then a bunch of humans suddenly burned it down.

After that, I wandered around the labyrinth before accidentally falling into the Lower Stratum, which has a much higher difficulty level than my original haunt in the Upper Stratum.

Down there, this ridiculous monster called an earth dragon assaulted me, and I barely managed to escape in one piece.

Then I had to somehow make my way through an area packed with monsters that could kill me without breaking a sweat if I even thought about fighting them.

And then…that monkey army.

A mob of monkeys attacked me like I was their worst enemy, for whatever strange reason.

They’re relatively weak compared with the other monsters in the Lower Stratum, but even individually, they’re still way stronger than me.

And a whole horde charged me all at once!

I was like, Is this some kind of joke?

I was literally fighting for my life.

If my counterattack failed, I seriously would have died.

Really, I think I deserve some praise for surviving that crisis, if I do say so myself.

Good job, me. Yeah. I worked really hard.

So how could I possibly deserve this kind of treatment?!

I don’t know if God exists or not, but if so, I’d like to lodge one complaint:

Isn’t this a bit much?

A sea of red-hot magma is bubbling in front of me.

But let’s turn back the clock a little. I had just finished wiping out all those monkeys when I noticed something.

It was a little hot.

At first, I wondered if my body temperature had risen following my battle, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Is that a thing that happens to spiders, even?

Okay, not important. The real problem was the sudden change in temperature, which I’d never experienced before.

It didn’t seem particularly dangerous.

The only monsters in sight were the corpses of all those monkeys.

It didn’t seem like a fire dragon had appeared as a sequel to the earth dragon or anything.

So why was it blazing hot?

Then, as I looked around, I spotted something.

An area sloping upward.

Yes, upward. I’ll say it again: Upward!

After that long fall from the Upper Stratum, I had spent a while in the Lower Stratum.

And now there was a path leading straight back up.

That could only mean this was the path out of the Lower Stratum and into the Middle Stratum!

Yahoo! It was my chance to escape the extreme danger zone!

With that thought in mind, I excitedly scaled the incline. At the top, I encountered a vast red vista.

And that brings us back to the present.

Whaaaaaaaat?!

What’s going on here?

I don’t get it.

No, no, no. It can’t be!

Why is there magma here?

How can there be magma underground like this?

Well, I guess this is a dungeon beneath the surface, so maybe it makes sense, but…

Unreeeeal.

Wait, it’s so hot my HP is actually dropping.

The temperature isn’t just a little warm. It’s scorching!

Hmm? Something feels hot near my rear.

Gah?! The thread coming out of my butt is on fire?!

Put it out! Put it out! Or at least cut it off!

Whew, that was close. My behind came this close to combusting.

I guess that’s on me for not realizing I had silk trailing from my butt again, but still, I can’t believe it ignited!

It’s not like the whole place is covered in magma, either—there seems to be patches of solid ground I can walk on—but how am I supposed to navigate a place like this when it’s already boiling at the entrance?

Someone bring me a cold drink, please!

Huh? There’s a monster in the magma.

It looks like a sea horse with arms and legs, just swimming in the stuff. Uhhh, okay.

I’m a bit scared to look, but I’d better Appraise it.

<Elroe gunerush LV 7

Status: HP: 167/167 (green) MP: 145/158 (blue)

SP: 155/155 (yellow) : 156/165 (red)

Status Appraisal Failed

Oh, I got to see its status on the first try. Lucky me.

Hmm. Going by these numbers, it isn’t really all that strong. Still, it’s stronger than me!

Guess I might as well investigate further with a double Appraisal.

There it is! Great Elroe Labyrinth, Middle Stratum! So this really is the Middle Stratum!

…For real?

Wow, there’s noooo way.

The whole Middle Stratum is like this?

And I have to go through this to get to the Upper Stratum?

How the hell am I supposed to do that?

Terrain that hurts me just by stepping on it. Rivers and ponds of magma that would incinerate me if I fell in.

And if the monsters that live here are resistant to fire, doesn’t that mean they might very well be able to make fire, too?

Do you know my spider silk’s primary weakness? You do, since it just burned up a little while ago, right?

It’s FIRE!!

Seriously, what am I gonna do?

Me without my thread is like natto without the Bacillus subtilis natto bacterium!

That wouldn’t even be fermented beans anymore, just rotten trash!

That’s how useless I am if I can’t use my silk.

It’s not much of an exaggeration to say my spider thread is the only reason I’ve survived this long.

Without it, I can’t make webs, can’t trap enemies—I can’t do aaanything!

Ah, the sea horse noticed me while I was lost in thought. Our eyes totally met just now.

Well, I’m still pretty far away, so it’s no big deal… Wait, what?!

It just took a deep breath and spit something at me?!

Ah, a fireball.

Yaaaaghhhh!!!

I have to dodge. If that hits my body, cinders and ash will be all that’s left.

Arrrgh, you gotta be kidding me! How does a fireball even fly through the air like that, huh? What are the physics behind it?

It’s the most stereotypical fantasy move I’ve seen since the earth dragon’s breath attack.

Though this doesn’t seem as insanely powerful in comparison.

Anyway, how unfair is it that this sea horse guy can use long-distance attacks from the middle of all the magma?

A second fireball shot rockets toward me, but I avoid that, too.

It’s not like I can’t dodge them. But still, this is not good.

I mean, my only long-distance attack is throwing my spider silk.

Just for kicks, I make some thread and give it a try.

Unfortunately, it catches fire in midair as soon as I throw it.

Ugh, this isn’t going to work. I hurry and separate the thread.

While I’m busy with that, the sea horse fires a third shot at me.

I dodge it. Even without taking a direct hit, though, my HP’s still going down from all this heat.

Ugh, I hate to admit it, but running away is my only option.

I turn my back on the sea horse, hurrying back down the slope I climbed earlier.

Pulling way back, I don’t stop until I’m once more surrounded by monkey corpses.

Phew, now my HP won’t keep dropping due to heat.

I have HP Auto-Recovery, so a little break should replenish me.

But man, this is garbage!

Based on numbers alone, I probably could’ve taken that guy.

The sea horse’s stats were technically higher, sure, but that’s nothing new.

But this time, I couldn’t lay a finger—or a leg, or a thread—on it.

I gotta say, this is pretty serious.

I’ve fought stronger enemies by making webs before, but never when they had a territorial AND a healthy stat advantage.

This enemy could render everything I’ve accomplished so far moot.

On top of that, my thread—my strongest weapon—won’t work here.

Is it just me, or am I totally screwed?

To get to the Upper Stratum, I have to conquer the Middle Stratum.

But I don’t think that’s going to be possible.

Should I look for another way, then?

The only other route I know is through that bee-infested pit.

Plus, wouldn’t that mean going back to where that earth dragon hangs out?

Nope. No thank you. Not gonna happen.

So should I find another opening? Are there any other convenient shafts like that?

It’s not out of the question.

I caught bees in my web when I was still in the Upper Stratum and saw a similar hole somewhere else, so maybe the bees have a nest there, too.

But there’s no way of knowing for sure.

So should I try to push through the Middle Stratum?

Or should I explore the Lower Stratum some more, searching for another tunnel that may or may not exist?

What should I do…?

Well, I guess I’ll put that aside for now and focus on evolving first.

Thanks to the huge amount of EXP I gained from defeating the monkey swarm, my level instantaneously went waaay up.

It’s not like it completely slipped my mind when I found that uphill slope and got ridiculously excited, okay?

I definitely did not forget.

Evolving entails an involuntarily loss of consciousness, so attempting it in the Lower Stratum, where so many dangerous monsters lurk, requires some bravery. But it’s not like I won’t even try.

For one thing, I’m concerned my ability to level up may be capped.

Despite killing all those monkeys, my level didn’t go higher than 10.

It’d be one thing if I simply hadn’t gained enough EXP to boost it, but what if my species has level restrictions that won’t let me advance further unless I evolve?

If this were just a game, I could test it by trying to level up once before evolving, but my life is on the line here.

I don’t really wanna risk dying for the sake of an experiment.

Anyway, I have two options for evolution: taratect and small poison taratect.

Hmm, which should I choose?

Since the “small” part of my current name is missing from the “taratect” evolution, I’m guessing that choice will make me bigger.

The first time I evolved, I had the option of going from “small lesser taratect” to “lesser taratect,” so it’s probably safe to assume that I’d just grow if I picked this one.

The real problem is the “small poison taratect” option.

Since it adds the word “poison,” it must strengthen my poison specialty, right?

Man, it’s times like this I really wish I could Appraise my species options…

Wait… Appraisal?

Glancing at my status, I noticed something strange.

At the bottom of the stat list, the words “Evolution Available” were displayed in blinking letters.

What’s this?

I’ll try double-Appraising it.

Whoa! Appraisal, are you for real?!

Holy crap! Since it’s being displayed in letter format, that means I can double-Appraise it!

Now I can Appraise the species I can evolve into!

Appraisal is getting so useful that it’s starting to scare me.

Anyway, I’ll investigate my choices right now.

<Taratect: A standard adult of the spider-type monster species taratect. A carnivore with poisonous fangs.>

Yep. I’ve made up my mind. It’s gotta be the Poison one.

I mean, it’s a rare species! Rare!

Who would choose a “standard” species over a “rare” one, am I right?

And with that, I hurriedly construct a simple little home on the wall.

Time to evolve! Good night.

And good morning.

Hmm. Looks like I woke up all right.

I survey the area from my humble home.

All I can see are the corpses of the monkeys, no other monsters. Nice, nice.

Since I seem to be safe, let’s have a look at my postevolution status, shall we?

<Small poison taratect LV 1 Nameless

Status: HP: 56/56 (green) 2UP MP: 1/56 (blue) 2UP

SP: 56/56 (yellow) 2UP : 1/56 (red) 2UP

Average Offensive Ability: 38 2UP Average Defensive Ability: 38 2UP

Average Magical Ability: 27 1UP Average Resistance Ability: 27 1UP

Average Speed Ability: 537 21UP

Skills:

[HP Auto-Recovery LV 3] [Poison Attack LV 9 NEW] [Poison Synthesis LV 3] [Spider Thread LV 9 1UP]

[Cutting Thread LV 4] [Thread Control LV 8 1UP] [Throw LV 3] [Concentration LV 5 1UP]

[Hit LV 4] [Evasion LV 2] [Appraisal LV 8 1UP] [Detection LV 4]

[Stealth LV 6] [Heretic Magic LV 3 1UP] [Shadow Magic LV 2] [Poison Magic LV 2 1UP]

[Overeating LV 4] [Night Vision LV 10] [Vision Expansion LV 2] [Poison Resistance LV 8 1UP]

[Paralysis Resistance LV 3] [Petrification Resistance LV 3 1UP] [Acid Resistance LV 4] [Rot Resistance LV 3]

[Faint Resistance LV 2 1UP] [Fear Resistance LV 6] [Heresy Resistance LV 2 1UP] [Pain Nullification]

[Pain Mitigation LV 6] [Life LV 2] [Magic Mass LV 2] [Instantaneous LV 2]

[Persistent LV 2] [Herculean Strength LV 1] [Sturdy LV 1] [Skanda LV 2]

[Taboo LV 2] [n% I = W]

Skill Points: 200

Ooh. There’s some kind of new “UP” display.

This must be because my Appraisal level went up, right?

There’s a skill point display now, too, and Appraisal seems to be working happily.

Does the UP thing compare it with before evolution, maybe?

Awesome! My stats got better! Just a little bit…

I thought they might rise a bit more dramatically, since I evolved into a rare species, but I guess not.

Although my speed is stupidly high as usual.

Well, that’s fine. My status hasn’t changed that much in all this time.

My skills certainly have, though.

Those improved while I was fighting the monkeys, too, so I got a bunch of new ones.

Poison Fang turned into Poison Attack somehow?

Thanks to Appraisal, I know what changed at a glance, but it’s still pretty inconvenient.

Whoops, my SP went down from evolving and all, so I better eat some of my monkey stash and refuel.

I’ll keep checking my status while I eat.

I knew my SP would go down, but it looks like my MP did, too.

That didn’t happen last time I evolved, so I almost didn’t notice.

Since I need it for Poison Synthesis and Thread Control and stuff now, I’ll have to start paying more attention to my MP now.

Man, Poison Synthesis really saved my hide in the monkey battle before.

When I first picked it up, I thought it was kind of strange, but it’s surprisingly useful. I’ll probably rely on it more from now on.

Speaking of Poison Synthesis, since it leveled up, the fields Amount of Damage and Duration have been added.

Apparently, I can now control how strong my poison is and how long it lasts.

So if I want the enemy to suffer for a long time, I can extend the duration, and if I want to do a lot of damage all at once, I can add to the power.

Basically, I can customize my poison as much as I like.

However, the degree to which it can be customized is apparently dependent on the skill level.

When I tried customizing my spider venom, the power and duration wouldn’t go past 9.

Boy, that spider venom is strong.

Speaking of poison, let’s Appraise that Poison Attack thing now.

Since Poison Fang is gone and now I have this, it must be a variation of Poison Fang, right?

Huh? That’s the whole explanation?

Hmm? Wait, isn’t that kind of a crazy effect?

Does that mean I can add poison to all my attacks now?

In that case, can I also poison my threads?

What a scary skill. I’ll have to try it as soon as my SP recovers.

Aah! But my silk burns in the Middle Stratum, so I can’t use it!

Noooo! I got such a wonderful skill, but it’s useless!

Ugh, all right, let’s put that aside for the moment.

The last poison-related skill is Poison Magic, right?

I’m sure I can’t use it anyway, but its skill level went up, too.

Now I have the Poison Shot spell. It’s a magic spell that lets you fire a ball of poison.

This is a long-range attack, isn’t it?

I think back to the sea horse in the Middle Stratum.

To defeat it, I’d have to either drag it out of the magma or shoot it with a long-range attack.

Dragging it from the magma would be pretty much impossible with the means currently at my disposal.

As for long-range attacks, since I can’t use my thread there, all I’d be able to do is throw whatever rocks I could find.

Even with the Throw skill, tossing a rock with my low stats definitely wouldn’t be enough to put a dent in a monster.

Given that, coming up with a new long-range attack is my only option.

All things being equal, this new long-range ability seems very attractive indeed.

Yep. I don’t really want to go roaming around the Lower Stratum rubbing elbows with monsters like that earth dragon, looking for an exit that might not even exist.

That settles it, then. I’ll push on through the Middle Stratum.

Besides, having proven so ineffective against that magma sea horse still irks me.

My pride won’t allow me to just ignore the Middle Stratum and search for another route now.

I’m totally getting my revenge.

But first, I’ll spend some time here strategizing countermeasures.

I have to find some way to avoid taking damage from the heat of the Middle Stratum.

Then I’ll acquire a long-range attack.

Once I clear those hurdles, my conquest of the Middle Stratum will commence!

HERO PARTY

Led by our guide, Mr. Goyef, we press on through the Great Elroe Labyrinth.

The reason for our excursion this time is a report of an unusual taratect, a spider-shaped monster species.

Our job is to hunt it down. However…

“Yaana, would you let go of me, please?”

“N-no, thank you! You know how much I hate bugs, don’t you, Julius?!”

Yaana, a saint, clings tightly to my clothes. She is literally dragging me down.

She’s always hated bugs, so this is her usual reaction whenever we face off against insect-type monsters.

The Great Elroe Labyrinth is home to many such foes.

And to top it all off, Yaana’s afraid of the dark.

Clearly, this is the last place she wants to be.

Yaana has an unparalleled gift for Light Magic and Recovery Magic, but she isn’t in any state to use them at the moment.

“See? This is why I said you should stay behind. You’re just gonna hold us back.”

“Hyrince. I told you I can’t do that, yes? A saint must be by the hero’s side at all times. How could I disobey the Word of God?”

Hyrince stares at Yaana in disbelief.

Then he grudgingly shrugs and hefts the large shield in his hands.

Hyrince is a childhood friend of mine.

He’s also the second son of Duke Quarto, from my birthplace, the Analeit Kingdom.

So Hyrince is nobility, but only as a duke’s second son. I am also royalty, but the son of a concubine and second in line for the throne.

Since we are similar in both age and unusual social standing, it’s only natural that we became close.

Beyond those ties, Hyrince is second to none in putting up an iron defense with a shield in his hands, so even after I became a hero, he’s stayed by my side as a powerful warrior.

He’s very reliable, and my best friend—even if he does have a bit of a sarcastic streak.

“Well, I suppose it’s not just you, little Miss Yaana. Just about the only members of this group who can tolerate dismal surroundings like these are Hawkin and myself, no doubt.”

“Y’know, boss, I can’t say I blame ya for assumin’ that, but I ain’t actually all that fond of places like this, either.”

Jeskan and Hawkin share a quick exchange.

“Wait, really?”

“Yep. I always did my best thievin’ from other people, y’see. I can sniff out a fishy business deal with no trouble at all, but I ain’t so good with dark caverns and the like.”

Hawkin is a former thief who had apparently been caught and made a slave before being picked up by Jeskan.

Though a former thief, Hawkin had lived with a code, stealing only from corrupt aristocrats and sharing the wealth with the needy.

Hawkin may have been weaker than the others in terms of combat, but as an ex-thief, his skills and detailed knowledge of the underbelly of society make a great addition to our party.

Hawkin’s employer, Jeskan, is a resourceful former adventurer.

As the eldest in the group, his abundant experience makes him a big brother figure to our young entourage.

Me, the hero; Yaana, the saint; Hyrince, the shield knight; Jeskan, the former adventurer; and Hawkin, the former thief.

With the addition of a sixth person, the labyrinth guide Goyef, our group sets out to bring down the monster.

The Great Elroe Labyrinth is home to all kinds of troublesome creatures, but the greatest challenge is its sheer size.

It’s said that without a proper guide, people become permanently lost, even with a map.

“Everyone, please be careful. There’s a monster ahead.”

Our labyrinth guide issues a warning.

Dropping the idle chatter, we prepare for battle.

A deerlike creature appears, with a horn that looks like a sharp blade.

“An Elroe mowajitz. Danger level C. Be careful of their horns and flames!”

Mr. Goyef shouts a brief assessment.

The horns certainly look sharp. And it can use fire, too?

There are eight of these deer monsters in total.

A flame lights the end of each of their horns.

With their burning prongs thrust forward, the eight deer line up side by side and charge!

Yaana and I use Light Magic to intercept them before they reach us.

Yaana’s spell pierces two, perforating their bodies and killing them instantly.

I hit the four that had pulled in front, bringing them down.

Jeskan stops another by swinging a sickle and chain, and Hawkin finishes off the beast with a throwing knife to its head.

Hyrince meets the final deer’s charge head-on with his shield, using the creature’s own momentum to ram it against the wall.

Then he lops off its head with a sword swipe while it’s still dazed.

“Splendidly done. So even a group of C-ranked monsters are no trouble for the hero and his party.”

Goyef sounded genuinely impressed.

“I knew you were quite gifted with a sword, Sir Hero, but your magic skills are excellent as well.”

“Sir Goyef, Julius may be known throughout the world as a sword-wielding prodigy, but he doesn’t actually know his way around a blade all that well.”

“It’s true. In terms of pure technique, I’m probably stronger, really. Though I would still lose because of the difference in our stats if we were ever to fight in earnest.”

Hyrince and Jeskan aren’t pulling any punches.

They’re right, but I wish they wouldn’t spread that information around so freely.

I have a reputation to protect, after all.

“He’s beside himself just trying to make sure his brother and sister don’t overtake him.”

Hyrince grins, as if having heard my thoughts.

At times like these, having a childhood friend can be awfully annoying.

“If anything, he’s better at magic. Right, Julius?”

“I suppose. The master who taught me was a mage, so that could be why. Master really was amazing.”

In more ways than one.

Still, I didn’t actually get to learn all that much from my master.

Since Master was from another country, we weren’t able to study together as teacher and student for very long, for political reasons.

But my master’s teachings are still firmly imprinted on my mind.

“Ahh, so that’s why the structure of your magic was so perfect.”

“That’s right. Even though he’s a hero and I’m a saint, Julius is somehow even better at magic than I am. Since the whole point of my existence will be rendered meaningless if he uses too much magic, I’ve asked him to refrain from using it outside as much as possible.”

“Julius, you know you don’t have to listen to this foolish woman, right?”

“Who are you calling a fool?!”

Watching Yaana and Hyrince go at it like a comedy duo, I can’t help but smile.

Meanwhile, Jeskan and Hawkin have finished breaking down the monster corpses.

“Mr. Goyef, can we get anything else off these besides meat and the horn?”

“It’d be ideal to take the whole body, since the hide and such are usable, too… But that’s not very practical, so yes, that should be enough. The horn can be used to make an excellent knife.”

“It’s much lighter and stronger than it looks, huh? Betcha I could use it for a throwin’ knife.”

The pair’s knowledge as a former adventurer and thief, respectively, never ceases to amaze me. They are always on the lookout for a chance to turn a profit from monster corpses.

Beastly remains often turn out to be a treasure trove of materials.

They can produce weapons, armor, daily necessities, and even food.

“Sorry, Mr. Goyef. ’Fraid our lot is always like this when left to ourselves.”

Hawkin’s whispered apology reaches my ears thanks to the Auditory Enhancement skill.

“Not at all. Everyone is quite friendly, perhaps more so than I expected. It only makes my job all the easier.”

“I’m glad to hear ya say that. People’re always watchin’ us just ’cause we’re the hero’s party. Times like these are our only chance to just be ourselves, y’know? Aside from me an’ the boss, this is a pretty young crew, too. Havin’ this kinda childish conversation really suits ’em.”

“I see. Having heard so many legends about him and all, perhaps I’m guilty of viewing Sir Hero through rose-colored glasses myself.”

“Most people do. And it don’t help that Julius is pretty good at livin’ up to expectations. ’Parently his little bro’s started lookin’ up to him, too, so he can’t even be at ease with his own family.”

There’s a strange tone to Hawkin’s words.

All of us have Auditory Enhancement.

Naturally, we all hear what is being said.

Hawkin must know this, too.

So we were meant to overhear it.

Is this Hawkin’s way of showing concern for me, telling me I should try to relax a bit more?

I don’t know whether to feel grateful or offended.

“Well, shall we move on?”

Mr. Goyef stows the materials gathered from the deer and starts walking.

The rest of us follow.

“Mr. Goyef, how many days will it take to reach our destination from here?”

The Great Elroe Labyrinth is enormous, so it takes days to get anywhere, even without taking monster battles into consideration.

I was told how far our destination was beforehand, but underground, where day and night blend together, it’s all too easy to lose any sense of the passage of time.

“Let me see… About three more days, perhaps?”

“Three days, huh…?”

Another three days to achieve our goal.

However, there’s no telling whether our target will stay put for that long.

If it moves on, it will take much longer than planned to complete this assignment.

“I hope it doesn’t go anywhere.”

“Indeed. Especially since the area where the creature was sighted is so close to the Middle Stratum. If it flees there, we won’t be able to follow, of course. It’s no place for human beings to enter. But since taratects are vulnerable to fire anyway, it’s preposterous to think one would enter the Middle Stratum.”

I nod in agreement with Goyef, and we keep walking toward our destination.

PRIDE AND DETECTION

I wanna use magiiiic!

If a little white demon came up to me right now and said, “Make a contract with me and become a magical girl,” I’d totally say yes at this point.

But then I’d have to get rid of him afterward, of course.

Actually, if something like that really did rear its head, I’d kill it first and ask questions never!

All right, enough messing around. I have to seriously think about what to do for a long-range attack.

Being able to use magic would of course be ideal, but there are several problems with that.

First of all, there’s the reason I can’t use magic in the first place—which is I don’t know how.

It’s like I have a game but don’t know how to turn on the power. This is a pretty fundamental problem.

Aside from that, I’m also starting to suspect that there are skill requirements to enable magic usage.

Why? Because I just found one that seems to indicate precisely that.

It’s called Magic Power Perception.

I mean, magic exists, and so does MP, so I guess it makes sense that “magic power” would exist, too. Actually, that might be what “MP” stands for.

But does that mean that without this skill, you can’t properly sense magic power or something?

That could very well be the case. In fact, I can’t think of any other explanation.

So is this “magic power” required to use magic?

Inquiring with the Divine Voice (temp.), I discovered a skill that seems to fit the bill.

It’s called Magic Power Operation.

So I need to perceive magical power and manipulate it. Then I can invoke magic.

That’s what it looks like to me, anyway.

In other words, without these skills, maybe it’s not possible to use any spells?

I’m guessing that’s the case.

Then basically, I’ve been trying to play a game without a power source or a controller.

Luckily, as it happens, I have 200 skill points.

I need two skills, and 200 is the exact number I’d need to acquire them both.

This is basically like God telling me to get those skills, right?

Hold your horses for a second, though.

Remember all the hardships I’ve endured so far.

Has God ever been that kind to me? No. Absolutely not!

I can’t underestimate just how bad my luck is. There’s definitely a catch.

And this time, I know exactly what that is.

It’s called Detection.

I got the Detection skill at the same time as Thread Control.

After defeating that snake and evolving for the first time.

Since I always relied on surprise attacks, I couldn’t afford to fall prey to one myself.

Hoping for a skill that would alert me to enemy presences right away, I opted for Detection.

As it turns out, that was a big mistake.

Basically, Detection is too powerful.

Isn’t that wild?

All the perception-based skills in one go.

And it only cost me 100 points. Unfortunately.

The problem with this skill is it invokes all those sensory skills at once.

You can’t pick and choose or employ them individually.

So what happens when they all kick in at once? Well, I get a really horrible headache.

It doesn’t feel like my head’s going to crack open so much as just violently explode.

My guess is that Detection is simply too high in regard to performance, and my brain’s processing speed can’t keep up.

And unlike other skills, there isn’t much improvement after leveling up.

I mean, since it’s already too damn overwhelming to begin with, making the skill stronger only worsens my headaches. That makes it even more useless than before.

Though as a bonus, since it perceives so many things simultaneously, Detection advances really easily.

The only times I’ve ever used it are when I first got it and once more after that, when I got a headache and went “What the hell was that?!” before cautiously testing it again.

Then there was the time when Appraisal gained the ability to display skills, so I decided to try it again after checking its description.

With just three uses, it leveled up three times.

Seriously, I wish I could apply that growth rate to some of my other skills instead.

And of course, each time Detection levels up, it gets even harder for me to use.

There’s no saving it at this point.

Which is why I decided to semipermanently seal off the skill.

But here’s the big problem.

To use magic, I probably need to use Magic Power Perception.

And Magic Power Perception is tied to Detection.

Strength and Herculean Strength, Solidity and Sturdy: They’re both pairs of upwardly compatible skills.

I got Strength and Solidity when I gained the Monster Slayer title, while Herculean Strength and Sturdy appeared when I got the Monster Slaughterer title.

Strength and Solidity raise my attack and defense power, respectively, by their number of skill levels, while the improved counterparts raise the skills by ten times the number of skill levels. On top of that, they also increase my level-up stat increases.

They basically seem to be lesser versions of the Skanda skill, which I seem to have had since I was first reincarnated here.

Anyway, when I acquired these skills, Strength merged into Herculean Strength and Solidity into Sturdy.

It seems to me that once I acquire a superior skill, the lesser versions get incorporated into it.

In which case, I get the feeling that if I acquire Magic Power Perception, it’ll wind up merged into Detection, since the latter is clearly higher ranked.

Meaning it’s impossible for me to use any parts of Detection individually.

Aggghhh, does this mean that if I don’t do something about Detection, I’ll never be able to use magic for the rest of my life?

Noooooo!

After coming this far, a skill I semipermanently sealed off is going to stand in my way?!

Hmm. Isn’t there anything I can do here?

Since my brain’s processing power can’t keep up, I guess it’d be good if I had some kind of skill to compensate for that.

That doesn’t mean I’m stupid, though. It doesn’t, okay?

Detection simply goes overboard.

But it seems like I just discovered a new feature of Appraisal.

I already knew that skill points are displayed when I level up now, but it turns out that if I double-Appraise that, I can see a catalog of all the skills I can acquire with my current skill points.

Man, Appraisal is no joke.

Now I don’t need to check in with the Divine Voice (temp.) every time I want to know if a specific skill exists or not.

And since the list is displayed in Appraisal, that means I can double-Appraise the skills, too.

So I can investigate the effects of a skill before I acquire it.

Now I’ll never take a useless skill by accident again…I hope.

So I immediately look over the skill list, hoping to find one that will let me do something about Detection.

But along the way, I am distracted by the discovery of a truly insane skill.

I’m so shocked that I do a double take, close the Appraisal, then Appraise it again for good measure.

That’s how massive the difference is.

In more ways than one.

I don’t really get it.

Neither the meaning of the summary nor the reason a skill like this can be acquired for a mere 100 points.

I try Appraising all the vocabulary I don’t recognize, like “n%,” “W,” and “MA field,” but the result for all of them is just <cannot be Appraised>.

All I can really glean from the description is that this skill will grant me more experience points and proficiency, and that it will have some kind of effect on growth.

That alone sounds pretty extraordinary.

“Pride” is a word you hear often as one of the seven deadly sins.

It’s said to be the gravest sin of all—even the root of all other sins.

When it shows up in a game, it’s usually the name of a last boss-level enemy or a strong but cursed weapon. You know, that sort of thing.

Judging by the name, this skill can’t be a good thing.

The fact that I can’t find anything else that increases experience or proficiency only heightens my skepticism.

If this were a game, it wouldn’t be too unusual for there to be a few skills like that, but no. Pride is the only one.

So instead of a bunch of minor skills like that, there’s nothing but a single super-advanced skill with a sketchy-sounding name.

If I learned anything from Detection, it’s that being technically superior doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good.

Aside from the fact that it’s basically preventing me from using magic, Detection can’t hurt me again unless I activate it.

But something that increases EXP and proficiency is probably the kind of skill that’s constantly in effect, right?

What if it’s another trap like Detection, but this time I can’t switch it on and off?

I can’t shake the feeling that that’s exactly what’ll happen.

However, its known effects are certainly attractive.

Even knowing that it’s probably a trap, there’s still this temptation to jump right in. Legit, it’s like a deal with the devil.

The description of the Pride skill reminds me a bit of my “n% I = W.”

They’re similar enough that it’s probably no coincidence.

I still don’t know what the mystery skill does.

At least it doesn’t seem to have any negative or positive effects.

So it’s possible that this one has no downsides, too, yeah?

…It’d be better if I don’t jump to conclusions like that.

But in my heart, I’ve already decided. Honestly, I probably decided as soon as I first saw it.

I have a funny feeling about this.

Like, I almost have to take it.

For better or worse, I think I’ve gotta have this skill.

There’s this sense like it’s not really up to me.

I don’t know why I’m so drawn to Pride.

Sometimes fate works in mysterious ways, though, so I want to trust my intuition here.

Anyway, I really don’t have a choice.

The instant I laid eyes on it, my intuition told me, “Grab!”

Yes.

<[Pride] acquired. Remaining skill points: 100.>

All right.

I did it!

<Proficiency has reached the required level.

Skill [Taboo LV 2] has become [Taboo LV 4].>

Uh-oh!

Now I’ve done it!

Hoooo, boy.

How did it come to this?

I mean, come on. Is this really happening?!

What the hell? What the hell? I’m gonna say it one last time, okay? What the hell?

My Taboo skill level rose. By two levels, no less. What’d I do?

And some crazy title popped up. Yay?

And I mean, Abyss Magic definitely sounds like a superior kind of magic to me. And it’s level 10!

This is weird, right?

Anyway, I guess I’ll start by Appraising the effects of Abyss Magic and Hades.

Wait. Something weird is going on in my status.

My MP, average magical ability, and average resistance ability.

Wait a sec, aren’t these way higher than they were a minute ago?

Why? Is this another effect of Pride?

I mean, well, it’s not like getting better stats is a bad thing…

Yeah. Better not overthink it.

Okay, Appraisal time.

<Hades: Manifests Hades>

Uh…yikes. What should I even say?

Unreal. This sounds all kinds of dangerous.

What’s the deal with this “hell” series? I mean, clearly “manifesting Hades” sounds pretty dicey, but what about the rest of it?

What kind of Appraisal results are these?

I mean, it’s got nothing to do with the effects of the spells. Who wrote these results? That’s what I’d like to know.

Just out of curiosity, I try to see if I can use Hades, but not a single thing happens.

I’m not sure whether I feel disappointed or relieved.

Man… I seriously feel like I did something messed up.

What kind of terrible, hidden side effects is this freaky skill hiding?

Just as I feared, it doesn’t seem like I can switch it on and off.

And it’s pretty weird that I got a title just for acquiring it, right?

It doesn’t exactly sound like a good one, either.

And leveling up the Taboo skill is supposed to be bad, too…

The Appraisal description even talked about not raising it.

I’ve definitely seen numerical values that you’re not supposed to raise in games before.

Like karma meters and that sort of thing.

The kind of stuff where, as it rises, the story heads toward a bad ending or villagers start acting afraid of you and the like.

I mean, not that there’s any story, in this case, or people for me to meet, but still…

Thinking about it, the only two skills I’ve seen with Appraisals that don’t clearly explain their effects are Taboo and n% I = W.

And Taboo is something I’m not supposed to raise.

There’s definitely something going on here.

If I keep pushing it, I just know something horrible will happen.

Maybe if I max out Taboo, the wrath of God will kill me on the spot or something.

Ahhhhh! That’s too scary!

A-all right, there’s no need to panic just yet.

It’s still only level 4. And it’s not as though I know for sure that’ll happen.

Hmm. The fact that this new skill has no immediately obvious downside is scary in itself.

Taboo doesn’t seem to have any effect right now, and it looks like Pride isn’t doing anything bad, either, but…

…the last thing I need is suddenly realizing I’m being strangled little by little with silk floss or something.

On the other hand, that most likely means nothing’s gonna happen anytime soon.

Well, there’s no helping it now, so I may as well save my panic for when the time comes.

Though, hopefully, I won’t panic too much then, either…

Anyway, I should probably save the rest of my skill points for now.

Since I just learned this crazy magic and all, I definitely want to try it, but I don’t think I’m going to get anywhere until I figure out what to do with Detection.

The Magic Power Operation skill is probably necessary, too, in which case I need two skills: Magic Power Operation and something to deal with Detection.

Since I only have 100 points left at the moment, I’d have to choose between one or the other.

So for the time being, I may as well wait until I have 200 points to spend again.

Boy, it sure is quiet.

Usually, I can hear all kinds of sounds in the distance, but right now, I don’t hear much of anything.

I don’t see any monsters around, either, which is peculiar in itself.

Maybe it’s because of the monkeys?

I’m sure a huge mob on the move would chase away other monsters.

So that’s probably why it’s so quiet.

Hmm? I got a skill?

Let’s see.

<Prediction: When making predictions, adds a bonus to thinking ability>

Huh. Well, I certainly don’t mind having it, but it doesn’t seem super-useful, either.

I mean, it’s not like it lets me automatically know the answer to things or anything.

It just means the gears in my head turn a little faster—and only in specific circumstances.

Wait, I think this was on the list of skills I can get with 100 points, too.

So this is worth the same number of points as Pride…?

Doesn’t that seem strange?

Anyway, there really isn’t a single monster around here, huh?

I’m not sensing any danger, so I don’t think it’s because there’s a really strong monster scaring the others off or anything.

Even squinting, I don’t see a thing.

Oh? Another skill?

Let’s see.

Thanks a lot!

I mean, I guess that’s fair.

But I don’t think I really need this, either. Spiders’ eyes are already pretty good, y’know?

And this was on the 100-point skill list, too…

Come to think of it, there were some for enhancing the other senses, too.

If squinting really hard was the only condition for acquiring Vision Enhancement, maybe I could increase the proficiency of the other ones by focusing on them one at a time, too?

Well, let’s give it a try.

First, ears.

What sort of ears do spiders have anyway? I should probably know this, but I have no idea.

Oh, hey, it totally worked.

All right, let’s try the rest of them, too.

I’ll do the taste one next time I eat something, I guess.

Man, though, I can’t believe skills come this easily.

I guess I hadn’t really thought about it, since a spider’s five senses seem solid to begin with.

The key to gaining proficiency is consciously focusing on the action, I guess.

Otherwise, I probably would’ve gotten these skills a long time ago.

Part 1 of 8

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