Chapter 17: Spider vs Fire Wyrm
Thoughts in italics
Monologue in normal text
Skills in bold []
System in bold normal text
sounds in bold italics
Hello everyone! Just dropping a message about my inactivity.
I don't know if I've said it or not, but I'm currently taking a "vacation" from college for personal reasons, which is the main reason why I've started writing stories.
While it's true that "The Legendary King" is being co-written with Transcended Potato, this story "so I'm kumoko? So, what about that?" I'm doing it alone, which is why it's being updated more often.
But actually, I have a problem.
Since I'm not working on anything, my mom has been demanding me to look for a job and that's one of the reasons why I'm slow in posting chapters.
I am currently working.
What I'm getting at with this is that I actually created a page for myself.
...yeah, even I didn't think I was gonna make it.
I think you know where I'm going with this, don't you?
Actually, I created the in response to a joke that when I was talking to Transcended Potato, he actually works and it takes forever to get new chapters out.
And more because he also works on other people's chapters for free, but that's another case.
I honestly don't want it to come to that, but I don't have a choice.
If you want me to be excellent, here you have the page: thenewshinka
If you don't want to, then no problem, either way I'm a writer who does this sort of thing for fun, I wouldn't mind turning this into some sort of job but whatever.
The update time for chapters if the page doesn't work will be 1 or 2 chapters every 1 or 2 months, depending on if I have time.
Thanks for reading this and I sincerely hoped I wouldn't have to create a page to be able to write, but beggars can't be choosers, right?
Well, whatever, you can read now or whatever.
WARNING:
This fanfiction will contain spoilers from the Light novel, read at your own risk.
Leave your comments, it would help me a lot
thanks for reading
That catfish was delicious. What a feast.
My Taste Enhancement skill even went up to level 7.
I guess I was too focused on eating, Huh.
But you can't blame me!
I love to eat, when I have such a delicious food like catfish, it's natural for me to dive into this kind of stuff!
Obviously, I want to savor it as it has become my favorite food on this cape!
I still have plenty of stock left, but since I have Gluttony then I don't have to worry about how much food I can eat.
Besides, Gluttony has already reached level 10, and although as far as I know there are no more levels after level 10, who knows, maybe he'll surprise me.
It's a very surprising and amazing skill, so I'm glad I have it.
But there is something else that worries me
And that would be the Pride's ability.
The Pride, along with Gluttony, are 2 of the seven deadly sins.
And while Gluttony has been very helpful, I can't help but feel suspicious of this ability.
I remember that this guy's Skills had a mind-altering effect on his host.
Although I haven't detected anything so far, so it probably won't happen, but I can't help but feel worried.
Well, there's no point in thinking about it right now, I have to keep exploring.
Plus, I just got hungry, which only means one thing.
Time to look for more catfish.
Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat fish! Where are youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu?!
I wander the Middle Layer in search of catfish.
However, I don't see a single one.
Hmm. I guess if they're submerged in magma, I won't notice them.
And I still can't swim in the magma.
If they are normally found deep down, then they will be hard to find.
If you ask me, I should already have a useful ability to find enemies.
Thinking back, I seem to have been able to grasp things more accurately than one would expect with mere intuition.
I mean, I've never been caught off guard by a surprise attack, and every time I feel like I'm in danger, I'm usually right.
Do I have a sixth sense for this kind of thing? Is it some kind of natural ability for spiders or something?
I'm probably detecting things like airflow without realizing it, in which case, it makes sense that I didn't realize there was a catfish that close before.
If my senses depend on air flow, then of course I can't detect threats under the sea, or magma in this case.
I may not be able to sense attacks coming from underground, and I have yet to see if it would be the same in water.
If that is the case, then being near magma is dangerous.
If something suddenly jumps out and drags me down, that will be the end of my story.
Also, it's risky to be around magma in general, at least until I can swim in it, so I've been trying to avoid it for the time being.
This is a problem.
From now on, I'll have to stay far enough away to be safe even if a monster appears.
You know, like right now.
If I had to describe the creature that just jumped out of the magma, I'd call it... hmm, an Eagle?
Yeah. An eel-like monster with scales and limbs.
Elroe Gunerave | Lv 2 | No name
Stats:
Hp: 1,001/1,001 (Green)
Mp: 511/511 (Blue)
Sp: 899/899 (Yellow)
971/971 (Network) +57
Attack: 893
Defense: 821
Magic: 454
Resistance: 433
Speed: 582
Skills:
| | Fire Wyrm Lv 4 | | | Dragon Scales Lv 5 | | | Fire Enhancement Lv 1 | | | Hit Lv 10 | |Evasion Lv 1 | | | | Probability Correction | | | High-Speed Swimming | | | Heat nullification | | | | Life Lv 3 | | | | Instantaneous Lv 1 | | | | Strength Lv 1 | | | Solidity Lv 1 | | | Overeating Lv 5 | | | |
Uh-oh. This eel is very strong
Elroe Gunerave: An average wyrm monster that lives in the Great Elroe Maze, Middle Layer. Omnivorous, but has a preference for eating other monsters.
It's that strong, and it's only "average"?
Actually, judging by its skills, I wonder if this eel is also part of the catfish family of the evolutionary line.
So, it's delicious
...
My mouth is already watering
...really?
What? I can't help it.
No, control yourself Kuroko, now is not the time to think with your stomach.
The eel is about 50 feet away.
He's already totally taken a shine to me.
I have higher speed and stamina stats than her, but the others leave mine biting the dust.
Worst of all would be his red bar, which is much bigger than mine but has little food stored, while mine may be smaller but I've managed to store a good amount of stored food (here I want to clarify that by "stored food" he means the food he has stored so that his red Sp doesn't wear out).
Even if I could escape if I wanted to, I can't let a meal as good as this one get away.
Besides, their yellow Sp is low anyway, so I can only maintain my top speed in short bursts.
I also have Flight about to level up, so I can use it in case of emergency.
The real question is, can I win this?
When the question occurs to me, my view of the eel splits into 2.
Must be my Foresight skill.
The blurry version of the eel looks like it's about to spit something out.
So, the basic tactics are the same.
But this explosion is even faster and bigger than the ones made by the seahorse and the catfish!
I get out of the way in a hurry.
Thought Acceleration is working, but the speed of the projectile is so high that I can barely notice it.
It lands right where it was before with a boom.
Even with the help of Foresight and Thought Acceleration, I could barely avoid it.
What the hell...? I thought I got away faster than that.
Probability Correction: Add a positive correction to any skill with a probability-related power.
So, it's this skill's fault. Maybe this one will increase the eel's accuracy.
If that's the case, it might be hard to keep evading even for me.
I may be in serious trouble
Dodge another Fireball.
The next one attacks me before I can recover.
At this rate, even thinking about escaping would not be an option.
Explosion replica reduces the power a bit.
If I move at full speed, I can dodge them, but my yellow meter would drain quickly.
If I'm constantly running, my yellow Sp bar will run out before I can blink, leaving me breathless. Then I'll be finished
Foresight and Thought Acceleration help me predict the trajectory of those flaming shots and avoid them.
But the eel can also anticipate my movements and correct the trajectory of its shots.
Who's smarter than who? It's like a high-speed, high-stakes game of chess.
The big difference is that while the eel doesn't lose much if it misses, I will be hurt if I make a single misstep, which will lead to more missteps, too many missteps and I will die.
Proficiency has reached the required level. [Thought Acceleration Lv 1] skill has become [Thought Acceleration Lv 2].
Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Foresight Lv 1] has become [Foresight Lv 2].
I'm very grateful that my Skills have been upgraded at a time like this.
The speed of the Fireballs seems to slow down a bit.
That said, my perception of my own movement speed also slows down, so I have to be careful.
I avoid more Fireballs.
So, thanks to Foresight, I see the eel trying something different.
He still looks like he's going to exhale some, but he's sucking in a lot more air than before.
It's time to unleash the top speed I've been reserving.
I ran past the monster as its attack blurred the landscape around me.
Behind me, mighty flames burn it all.
Flame breath: Emits flames over a wide range,
This is a move that can be used when the Fire Wyrm skill reaches level 4.
I don't get hit directly, but the convection burns my back.
Luckily thanks to Flame Resistance not enough to lower my life.
That's fine, but if things keep going at this rate, things will get worse, and if I get a direct hit even once, I'll be finished.
But I can't think of a single plan.
All I can do is keep moving and weaving and wait for my chance.
The feeling that my life can be taken away from me in one attack has me very worried.
Another Fireball flies at me.
Between the Eel's Hit Lv 10 skill and Probability Correction, its aim is incredibly accurate.
If I didn't have Evasion, Thought Acceleration and Foresight, I doubt I could dodge it.
Mastery has reached the required level. Skill [Evasion Lv 5] has become [Evasion Lv 6].
Great! It's not enough to turn the situation around, but I'll take any advantage I can get.
I check the remaining Mp of the eel while avoiding another Fireball.
He's definitely down but unfortunately, he's still got half of it left.
Since Flame Breath has a wider reach, it seems to use a lot more Mp than Fireball.
That's great and all, as it means you can't afford to shoot it multiple times, but I hope you try to preserve your Mp by not using it at all.
There's no guarantee that Foresight will save me every time, so I'm not sure if I can keep avoiding it. I'll have to keep an eye on the eel as close as possible.
Before I finish that thought, Foresight shows me the one of the eel carrying another Flame Breath.
I run away at full speed once again.
But this time, instead of shooting forward, the eel moves its head sideways and sweeps the ground with fire!
Flame breath already has a huge attack range, so now it's spreading ridiculously far.
Oh, shit! Oh, shit! He's getting too close to me.
I'll have to stop and use Gluttony to try to eat the attack, I haven't tried it yet but it's better late than never.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh! It burns, it burns, it burns, it burns! Because fire has to be so spicy!
Oh yeah, I don't burn as much but it stings like a habanero pepper.
I bathed in fire but only got a few burns, most of the fire I managed to eat.
Imagine a spider sucking fire into its mouth, well that's me.
That hurt but at least I didn't get hurt too much.
Proficiency has reached the required level. [Flame Resistance Lv 2] skill has become [Flame Resistance Lv 3].
Phew, you finally leveled up, I had to bathe in fire to level you up but at least you leveled up.
Wow, at least my burns don't hurt as much.
With increased fire resistance, my Hp recovery rate became faster and I regained the life I had lost from that attack.
The amount of recovery may not be as good thanks to the fact that this place still affects me, but it's still better than nothing.
I'll check the eel's Mp.
Good. Now it's less than half now.
The Mp consumption rate seems to be about 10 for Fireball and 50 for Flame breath. But even without half its Mp, I'm guessing the eel could still use Flame breath about 4 times as much if it wanted to.
I'd rather not have to take another fire bath like that anytime soon.
I move to put some distance between me and the monster.
Trying to avoid it, the eel throws a Fireball as it follows me.
Just what I was looking for.
I doubt he can carry that Flame breath while he's moving.
If I keep going around and goading him to spit out more Fireballs, he'll eventually run out of MP.
If I can hold out until then, I should have a chance to counterattack, I hope.
For now, I'm still evading.
I constantly do everything I can to get as far away from him as possible, but my top priority is to keep him from hitting me.
I carefully choose my escape routes so as not to be cornered by the magma.
One wrong step and I'm toast.
It's like I'm on a tightrope
Proficiency has reached the required level. Ability [Hp Rapid Recovery Lv 4] has become [Hp Rapid Recovery Lv 5].
Yosh!
My skills keep leveling up, probably because I'm so focused on this battle.
Flame Resistance and Hp Rapid Recovery are the 2 skills I want to level up the most, and now it's happening!
I celebrate just for an instant. But that instant was almost fatal. The eel starts its Flame breath.
This is completely unexpected. Foresight didn't even warn me.
There's no way I can escape this and I don't want another fire bath.
Breath comes out of the eel's mouth.
Immediately, I kicked the ground with all my might, leaping into the air.
The stream of fire almost burned my legs.
Fighting through the pain, I use Energy Conferment while stretching a thread across the ceiling.
Energy Conferment uses red Sp to make things stronger.
I had told myself not to use my threads unless in extreme situations but then I remembered I had this skill, so I'm going to use it every time I use my threads to level it up.
My threads are getting stronger but I'm not sure how long they can last here in the Middle Layer.
With that in mind, I quickly pulled the string to get on the roof.
Then I cut the silk and sent it to the incoming Fireball coming towards me, blocking the Fireball with some success, it still manages to hit me but I eat what's left over with Gluttony.
Proficiency has reached the required level. [Spatial Maneuvering Lv 4] skill has become [Spatial Maneuvering Lv 5].
I look at the eel from the roof.
He stares up at me from the magma, not throwing another Fireball at me just yet.
It's great that he managed to escape up to the roof and all, but overall, this situation is still untenable.
When I'm glued to the ceiling, I inevitably move slower than when I'm on the ground.
I already had my hands full avoiding the attacks of the elver on land. There's no way I can stay on the roof like this. I have to get back down as soon as possible, or it will take me down.
However, the eel is not in very good shape either.
His Mp has dropped considerably.
Looks like he could throw 3 more Flame breaths or 16 Fireballs.
Compared to when we started, that's pretty low.
But it's still more than enough to knock me down.
Will I go back down to the ground or will it hit me first?
This is no time to be stingy with my skills.
Mental Warfare, activated!
Mental Warfare is an ability that consumes Red Sp to temporarily increase physical stats.
Red Sp is my lifeline, so I've never activated this before. But in this situation, I can't be reluctant to spend SP.
I set off immediately, aiming for the nearest wall.
But apparently, the eel anticipated this.
He throws a Fireball as if to block me, apparently knowing exactly where I wanted to go.
This would be hard to dodge by clinging to the ceiling.
I'll have to stop worrying about my red SP bar for now.
I avoid the approaching Fireball with as much speed as I can muster.
My best option is to go all in with Mental Warfare and hope that Sp Lessened Consumption and Sp Recovery Speed will make up for the loss.
I have to get to the wall before my yellow meter runs out. Keep shooting, and I keep dodging.
However, this makes it difficult to get close enough to the wall.
While I'm busy with my acrobatics, my yellow Sp keeps going down.
Oh, shit. If I run out, it'll be even harder to stick to the ceiling.
I have to avoid that result at all costs.
But it's no use. The eel's impeccable aim prevents me from getting anywhere.
Finally, the yellow Sp runs out.
Fatigue immediately attacks my body. Before I can think, another Fireball comes relentlessly.
Damn it! I can tell I won't be able to dodge it, so I deliberately release my grip, jumping into the empty space.
The Fireball explodes near me, the blast grazes my body.
I manage to avoid a nosedive, taking advantage of Energy Conferment again.
The reinforced thread shoots out, sticking to the wall, and I instantly slink along it.
Another shot passes through the space where he had just been.
Swinging through the air like a pendulum, I narrowly avoid falling into the magma and manage to land on the ground.
Without even a pause, another Fireball flies at me.
This time I eat it with Gluttony to replenish some energy while I use the momentum of my landing to move away.
This is hard. As punishment for continuing to move even after my yellow meter expired, my breath is worn out and my exhausted body aches.
I force myself to ignore it with the Pain Nullification and Pain mitigation powers... because I can see the eel about to unleash another Flame breath.
Putting my spent body into action, I take off at top speed.
The edges of my vision are filled with red flames. The heat approaching from behind is palpable.
I keep running, trying to avoid another fire bath.
Somehow, I manage to avoid the Flame breath.
Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Evasion Lv 6] has become [Evasion Lv 7].
I let out the air I was unconsciously holding in my lungs.
My yellow Sp is starting to recover.
There will be no more Fireballs or Flame breaths now.
The eel has finally run out of MP.
With no more means to attack from a distance, the eel slips to the ground.
It turns out that its head is the only thing resembling an eel.
The rest of its body bears a strange resemblance to a Chinese dragon.
Even without his Mp, his eyes are still fixed on me.
This thing definitely wants to eat me.
Well, the feeling is mutual.
At first, I felt like he decided to crush me because I was a nuisance to him, but at some point, his Fireballs took on a more serious tone.
By the time he started using his Flame breath, he was definitely coming at me full force.
It seems he didn't mind that his attacks were continuously dodged. Even if he tried to escape now, I doubt he would leave me now.
His Mp may be gone, but his SP is still going strong.
My Sp, on the other hand, has shrunk quite a bit.
Since I kept moving after my yellow Sp ran out, my red Sp has dwindled to the point where my reserves are almost completely depleted.
I still have some reserves I got from the attacks I ate, but if it comes down to a battle of resistances between us, I seriously doubt I'll manage to win.
So, I can't run.
It's not like I was planning to.
I accepted the fight against this guy for the sole purpose of devouring him and that's what I'm going to do.
That leaves me with a choice. I have to fight and win.
Based solely on the numerical values of our statistics, I don't stand a chance.
But numbers aren't everything.
If there's one thing I've learned from my battles here, it's that skills are the biggest deciding factor, for better or worse.
Considering the huge difference in our stats, it's a miracle he survived.
And the source of that "miracle" has to be my skill set.
It is only because I have been exploiting them to the maximum that I have been able to compensate for the inherent difference in our strength and even force the eel to come ashore.
The gap is our stats may be leaning towards him, but without a doubt, the gap between our skills is leaning towards me.
If I play my cards right, I can cross that chasm.
Not to mention, I can see all the eel's skills.
Since he's out of Mp now, the only things I have to worry about are the combination of Hit, Evasion and Probability Correction.
That, and the defensive power granted by Dragon Scales, the ultimate level 3 ability granted by Fire Wyrm.
The final threat is the size of the eel's enormous body.
That alone is enough to make him a formidable foe.
But I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. Namely, my strongest means of attack: my Deadly Poison Attack.
The target's defenses mean very little against my powerful poison.
It can even erode Dragon Scales, devouring the flesh beneath.
In the end, my Skills are all I can rely on.
That's the only area in which it outperforms the eel.
Although, even that is debatable depending on how well you use them.
We both have shortcomings in terms of defense.
It will be a sudden death match, with the winner being the one who closes his attack first.
Which means my winning move would be...
This second round on the ground begins without a bell.
(SECOND ROUND... FIGHT!)
The long body of the eel coils back and forth.
After our exchanges so far, he seems to distrust me.
This eel is quite intelligent compared to most other monsters, though not as intelligent as wolves or monkeys.
Which only makes my job harder.
Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Foresight Lv 2] has become [Foresight Lv 3].
Proficiency has reached the required level. [Thought Acceleration Lv 2] skill has become [Thought Acceleration Lv 3].
The eel moves along with System-chan's voice.
With his body spread out, he hits me with his tail.
I dodge it, of course, but the attack doesn't end there.
The tail swings sideways, focusing on me again.
I move further back to avoid it.
This time, the eel's head comes towards me, swapping places with the tail.
That's exactly what I've been waiting for.
As the world slowed down around me thanks to Thought Acceleration, I fixed my eyes on the eel's mouth.
Just as I judge that he's about to get too close for me to dodge, I activate Poison Synthesis.
Then I evacuate immediately.
It's the same strategy I used against catfish. However, it has a huge effect.
The poison goes down the eel's throat, just as I planned.
Your Hp decreases rapidly.
In agony, the elver's body moves violently.
I retreat beyond the reach of their writhing.
In the end, if both sides are strong enough to kill each other with a single blow, the winner will be the first to land an attack.
Which means that whoever has the best strategy to deliver that blow will win.
That, and my evasive skill surpasses the accuracy of the eel.
Even with Probability Correction and Hit Lv 10, I couldn't beat my combination of Evasion, Thought Acceleration, and Foresight.
So as soon as the eel was lured ashore, my chances of winning skyrocketed.
Even so, it's not over yet.
Despite all my talk about a single killing blow, that attack probably won't be enough to kill her.
Even the catfish didn't die after a single attack, so there's no way that would work on an even stronger species.
In addition, the eel still has another ability on its side.
His Hp is recovering rapidly before my eyes.
Life Transition: Consumes SP to recover HP
This is a level 3 ability of the Fire Wyrm skill.
Consumes Sp, and Hp is recovered by an equal amount.
Although he can't fully recover due to the amount of Sp he has, it's still enough to resist my moral poison.
On top of that, while evaluating the results of a new assessment to the eel, I see that the eel has obtained Poison Resistance Lv 1 and Hp Auto-Recovery Lv 1.
The poison in his body is still consuming his Hp little by little, but the peak of the damage has passed.
Still, it's not like I'm going to stand here and watch this thing revive itself.
I make the strongest and toughest thread I can and wrap it around the eel's body.
The eel can break it... probably, but that doesn't matter. All I need to do is immobilize it for a moment.
Fortunately, I manage to do exactly that.
In that instant, I aim at the eel's face and activate Poison Synthesis in rapid succession.
The poison drops hit freely.
The eel rips the bindings and thrashes wildly.
The eel manages to tear the bindings and thrashes wildly.
But the poison has already seeped into his and mouth, draining his Hp mercilessly.
The damage rate is too high for his new Hp Auto-Recovery ability to counter.
And it's too powerful for her new Poison Resistance ability to combat.
A shield erected just a moment ago will not be able to withstand the weaponry I have been perfecting my entire life as a spider.
Without enough Sp to spend on recovery, the attack is too much for the eel.
Experience has reached the required level. The individual Little Poison Taratect has been raised from Lv 7 to Lv 8.
All basic attributes have increased
Skill Proficiency bonus per level up acquired
Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Parallel Thinking Lv 4] has become [Parallel Thinking Lv 5].
Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Sp Recovery Speed Lv 8] has become [Sp Recovery Speed Lv 9].
Skill points acquired
Experience has reached the required level. The individual Little Poison Taratect has been raised from Lv 8 to Lv 9.
All basic attributes have increased
Skill mastery bonus per level up acquired
skill points acquired
Experience has reached the required level. The individual Little Poison Taratect has been raised from Lv 8 to Lv 9.
Proficiency has reached the required level. [Instantaneous Lv 8] skill has become [Instantaneous Lv 9].
Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Persistent Lv 8] has become [Persistent Lv 9].
Experience has reached the required level. The individual Little Poison Taratect has risen from Lv 9 to Lv 10.
All basic attributes have increased
Skill mastery bonus per level up acquired
Experience has reached the required level. The individual Little Poison Taratect has been raised from Lv 9 to Lv 10.
Proficiency has reached the required level. The skill [Arithmetic Processing Lv 6] has become [Arithmetic Processing Lv 7].
Proficiency has reached the required level. The skill [Vision Enhancement Lv 8] has become [Vision Enhancement Lv 9].
Proficiency has reached the required level. [Life Lv 8] skill has become [Life Lv 9].
skill points acquired
Conditions met. The individual, Little Taratect Venomous Tarantula can now evolve
There are multiple options to evolve. Please choose one of the following.
1- Taratect Venomous
2- Zoa Ele
Oooh, evolution.
Wait, evolution? Already?! Isn't it too soon? Last time with the monkeys was too fast too!
Well, I can worry about that later.
For the moment, I want to savour my victory.
I wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!
Wujuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! I won, I won! That eel was super strong, and I beat it!
Unbelievable, isn't it? Am I too strong or what?!
Jeh. Jeh-Jeh.
I fought head on, barely using my strings, but still managed to win.
That means I'm not weak anymore, right? I'm super strong!
Yahooooo!
That eel was a formidable foe. It was no joke. A real fight to the death.
But in the end, victory was mine!
I'm number one! Jeh-jeh-jeh-jeh-jeh
I did it! I'm the winner! Ha-ha-ha!
Information that saves lives
Elroe Gunerave
Also known as an eel. A mid-ranked wyrm monster that looks like an eel with limbs. Evolved form of the catfish.
Its fire attacks are far more powerful than those of any low-class wyrm.
In addition, her great physical strength makes her strong on a practical level, and she is intelligent enough to make decisions based on her situation.
It is not as cowardly as the catfish, but it is still known to flee if it encounters a much stronger opponent.
Danger level: B
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Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!
If things go well, I'll be able to upload chapters more frequently, if not I ask you to be patient.
Nice day!