Chapter 13: gods hates spiders

I just want to apologize for not being able to upload chapters sooner.

I couldn't because I had things to do in my personal life.

Anyway, here is the chapter, a little short but I hope you enjoy it.

Thoughts in italics

Monologue in normal text

Skills in bold []

System in bold normal text

sounds in bold italics

WARNING:

This fanfiction will contain spoilers from the Light novel, read it at your own risk.

Leave your comments, it would help me a lot

thanks for reading

You know what? Sometimes I think D hates me.

I mean, if I've had some "luck" in being reincarnated as a spider so I can become strong enough to fight portigas and the fact that I can buy skills cheaper than kumoko itself, then in a way I'm lucky.

But then I remember the chain of events I've been through as a spider and I'm not even sure if they were all the ones the original kumoko went through and it makes me think that D is probably mad at me.

I mean, normal people go crazy after being reincarnated once, but twice? And the second time as an eight-legged monster for no apparent reason?

Not to mention that my second birthplace was with a dysfunctional family and my third birthplace was with a family that literally ate each other.

Also, the place where I am is the "Great Elroe Maze", the largest dungeon in this world.

There are many kinds of monsters I could have been reincarnated as and I was reborn as a spider, lucky? Yeah, I don't think so.

And more than this world is like an Undertale, but instead of being "kill or be killed" in this world it's "Eat or be eaten", literally.

I was fine at first, I managed to create an operations center or my first home by making the most of the first abilities I had as a spider, but then some stupid humans came along and burned it all of a sudden, all because of a stupid egg.

Sorry, I got a little angry.

Anyway, after that, I wandered aimlessly through the maze until I fell to the Lower Stratum, which has monsters evolved or higher level than me.

The only good thing I can take from that is that I got several good skills.

Then, Araba came and destroyed my second home, and I barely survived that.

Then, I managed to slip unnoticed through a bunch of ferocious monsters that could have killed me in seconds.

To top it all off, that army of wolves came to attack me with some monkeys "helping" them.

I mean, I understand about the wolves since they must have a similar skill to the monkeys, I think it was called revenge or something like that, but the monkeys attacking me too and then teaming up with the wolves on top of that?

I was like, "you've got to be fucking with me, right?"

Sure, they were relatively weak compared to other Lower Stratum monsters, but even individually, they were still stronger than me.

And a whole fucking combined horde attacked me at once! Sure, they were only a few monkeys, but still, their presence was annoying.

It literally felt like I was throwing away this third chance at life and I'm not sure if I'll get another one.

Honestly, I deserve some kind of trophy or something for surviving that crisis.

I mean, I worked really hard to survive that.

I think I deserved a fair break.

So, could you please explain to me...

What did I do to deserve this kind of treatment?!

I don't know if D or whoever is watching me, but if you're there, I'm calling HR (or is it arachnids?) about this.

Let me explain.

As a spider, I am very weak to fire.

And where do you think I am?

In the middle stratum, which is basically a volcanic area, with rivers of lava everywhere you look.

Chances are you're wondering, how did I get here, to the spider death trap?

So, let's recap a little.

After killing and eating one or two to see what they tasted like (oddly enough, they tasted like chicken), I realized something.

It was a little hot.

And I'm talking about my body temperature.

At first, I was wondering if my temperature had risen because of my battle, but I doubt that was the case.

Was this a spider thing?

Well, not that it was important. The real problem about it was that it was a very sudden change in temperature, which I've never had before.

It didn't seem to be dangerous.

The only monsters in sight were me and the multitude of corpses of the wolves I killed and others I hadn't noticed before.

Someone else fought several meters away from me, but against an army of monkeys, but not in sight.

Could it be the other "reincarnated" spider I saw in the araba incident? Is there even another reincarnated spider in the same situation as me?

...I'd better not think about it.

Whatever, at least this time another earth dragon or fire dragon isn't appearing.

So why was it so hot?

With that question in mind, I set out to look around for something.

And then I found it, an area that was sloping upwards.

Yes, you heard right, upwards. I'll repeat it again if you want: Upwards!

After my long fall from the Upper Stratum, I had spent some time in the Lower Stratum.

And now I found a path that led me upwards.

That just meant that was the path out of the Lower Stratum to the Middle Stratum.

Phew, this may be my only chance to escape from this dangerous area, better not waste it.

With that in mind, I thrilled up the slope. At the top, I was confronted with a vast red vista.

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And that brings us to the present.

When I first saw him, he could practically see my blank stare saying, "You've got to be fucking, right?"

I just don't get it.

It can't be possible, can it?

I didn't remember this!

Why the fuck is there magma here?

Is this even possible?

I mean, it makes some sense since it's underground, but this is the Intermediate Stratum, isn't the magma supposed to be much lower?

Nai wa!

...I didn't realize it, but this place is so hot that my hp is actually dropping.

The temperature isn't just lukewarm, it's burning!

Hmm? Something's heating up near my rear.

Gah?! I didn't realize I dropped a thread while I was distracted, and now it's burning!

Get it off! Get it off! Ahh, quick!

Phew, that was close. My ass was about to burst into flames.

That's what I get for not realizing there was thread forming in my ass, again.

Good thing the whole place wasn't covered in magma, it had what you might call solid enough platforms for me to walk on, but how am I supposed to explore the place if only the temperature burns me?

Please, someone get me an ice-cold drink!

...hmm? There's a monster in the magma.

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

I'm a little nervous to look at it, but I need to evaluate it.

Elroe Gunerush - Lv 8 - Lv 8

Status:

Hp: 167/167 (Green)

Mp: 145/145 (Blue)

Sp: 155/155 (yellow)

156/165net

Failed state Appraisal.

Oh, I got to see your stats on the first try. That's a good thing.

Hmm, if I go by his numbers, he's not really strong. But if I'm not careful it could still kill me in a second.

I suppose I could investigate further with a dual appreciation.

Elroe Gunerush: A minor Wyrm-like monster that lives in the Great Elroe Labyrinth, Intermediate Stratum. It manipulates flames and is protected by them.

There it is! Great Elroe Maze, Intermediate Stratum! Then I really made it to the Intermediate Stratum!

Great Elroe Maze, Intermediate Stratum: an area located between the Upper Stratum and the Lower Stratum. The terrain of the entire area is burning with magma flowing. Many monsters with fire resistance inhabit it.

...are you serious?

Not at all.

Is all of the Intermediate Stratum like this?

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

...yes, I'm going to die here.

The terrain hurts me just by stepping on it. Rivers and magma pits that would incinerate me when I fell on them.

And if the monsters here are fire resistant, doesn't that mean they would also have the ability to use fire?

Remember what my spider silk's main weakness is? You remember, don't you? Since it almost charred me just now.

It's the fucking fire!

Seriously, what am I supposed to do?

Me without my thread is like Batman without his prep time against doomsday or darkseid!

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

It's no exaggeration to say that my spider thread is the only reason I've managed to survive this long so far.

Without that, I can't make nets, I can't catch anything... I can't do anything!

Hey, it seems that the seahorse noticed my presence while I was lost in my thoughts. Our eyes met completely.

Well, on the plus side I'm still a long way away, so it's not a big deal... wait, what's he doing?

Did he just take a deep breath and spit something at me?!

Ah, it's just a fireball.

Yaaaaaaghhhhhhhh!

I have to evade it. If it hits my body, charcoal and ash will be all that's left of me.

Argh, you're kidding! How can a fireball fly through the air like that, huh?

Where is physics when you need it?

It's the most stereotyped typical fantasy move I've seen since Araba's breath attack.

Though this didn't seem to be so unfairly powerful in comparison.

Anyway, how unfair is it that this seahorse can use long range attacks while in the middle of that sea of magma?

A second shot was fired at me, but I also avoided it.

It's not like I can't dodge it, but even so, I can't go on like this forever.

Just for kicks, I make some yarn and try to pitch it.

Unfortunately, it catches fire in mid-air as soon as I throw it.

Ugh, this is not good. I hurry up and cut the thread.

While I was busy with that, the seahorse fires a third projectile.

I avoid it. But even if I'm not taking hits, my hp is still dropping from all this heat.

Ugh, I hate to do this, but running away is my only available option.

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

Once outside, I didn't stop until I reached the place where I put the wolf carcasses.

Yeah, I moved them in case the other "reincarnated" or whatever fought those monkeys didn't give him an idea to come back and eat my wolves.

Anyway, phew, now my Hp won't drop constantly due to the heat.

I have Hp Auto Regen, so a little break would be good for me.

But man, this is unfair!

Based on the numbers, I could probably take that guy down.

The sea horse's stats were technically higher, that's true, but again, that's not a problem.

But this time, I couldn't lay a finger on him, or a paw, or a thread...

I have to say, this is very serious.

I've fought stronger enemies by netting before, but never when they had the territorial advantage and the health stat.

This enemy could make all that he had achieved in vain.

On top of that, my thread - my strongest weapon - doesn't work here.

Is it just me, or am I really screwed now?

To reach the Superior Stratum, I have to conquer the Intermediate Stratum.

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

Is there another way up then?

The only other route I know of is through the bee-infested hole.

Besides, wouldn't that mean going back to where Araba lived?

Yeah, nope, no thanks.

So, should I look for another opening? Is there another convenient hole like that?

That's not entirely out of the question.

I was catching bees in my net when I was still in the Upper Stratum and saw a similar hole somewhere else.

But there's no way to know that for sure.

Should I try to break through the Intermediate Stratum?

Or should I venture into the Lower Stratum some more, looking for another tunnel that may or may not exist?

What am I supposed to do...?

…

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

Thanks to the huge amount of experience, I gained from defeating the wolf pack, my level instantly rose.

It's not like I forgot all about it when I found that uphill slope and got ridiculously excited, okay?

Definitely don't forget...

...you're so stu-

Shh! Nobody talked to you System-chan!

Anyway, evolving causes an involuntary fainting spell, so trying it in the Lower Stratum, where dangerous monsters crawl, takes some courage. But it's not like he wouldn't try.

For starters, I'm worried that my ability to level up would be compromised.

Despite killing all those monsters, my level did not exceed 10.

It would be one thing if I simply hadn't gained enough experience to move up to the next level, but what if my species has level restrictions that don't allow me to advance further until I evolve?

If this were like a game, I might try to level up once before evolving, but my life is on the line here.

I really don't want to risk death for the sake of an experiment.

Anyway, I have 2 options to evolve: Taratect and Little Poison Taratect.

Hmm. Which one should I choose?

Since the "small" part of my current name is lost in the "Taratect" evolution, I guess choosing that will make me bigger.

The first time I evolved, I had the option to go from "Little Taratect Minor" to "Taratect Minor", so it's probably safe to assume I'll grow if I choose this one.

The real problem is the "Poisonous Little Taratect" option.

Since you add the word "poison", it must strengthen my poison specifically, right?

Gosh, sometimes I really wish I could appreciate my evolutionary choices.

…

Wait... Appraisal?

Wow, you finally remember that I'm here.

Wah! Sorry System-chan!

Anyway, looking at my state, I noticed something strange.

At the bottom of the status list, the words "Evolution Available" are displayed in flashing letters.

What is this supposed to be?

I will deal with Double-Appraisal.

Available Evolutions: Taratect or Small Poison Taratect.

Whoa! Appraisal, are you serious?!

Holy cow, since it's displayed in letter format, that means I can use Double- Appraisal!

Now I can evaluate the species I can evolve into!

Thanks, system-chan! You're the best!

...I appreciate the compliment.

Huh, despite his monotone voice, She sounded a bit proud of herself.

am I in another cliché?

Anyway, I'll look into my options right now.

Taratect: A standard adult Taratect spider-like monster. A carnivore with venomous fangs.

Small Poison Taratect: A rare young species of spider-like Taratect monsters. It has extremely powerful venom.

Yeah, no arguments, I'll go for the poisonous one.

I mean, it's a rare species! You heard right, rare!

Who would choose a "standard" species over a "rare" one?

And with that, I hastened to build a simple, small nest in the wall.

It's time to evolve! Good evening

Nights

Good morning!

Days

Wow! What a good dream I had.

Huh, looks like I woke up in good shape.

I check the area of my little home.

All I can see are the wolf carcasses, no other monsters around. Good, very good.

Since it looks like I'm safe, let's take a look at my post-evolution stats.

Hp: 58/58 (green) UP 2

Mp: 1/58 (blue) UP 2

Sp: 59/59 (yellow) UP 2

1/59 (red) UP 2

Attack: 40 UP 3

Defense: 40 UP 3

Magic: 45 UP 3

Resistance: 29 UP 3

Speed: 568 UP 3

Skills:

Poison Attack Lv9

Poison Synthesis Lv5

Spider thread lv9

Cutting Thread Lv 4

Thread Manipulation Lv 8

Throw Lv3

Concentration lv6 UP 1

Hit Lv4

Evasion Lv2

Appraisal Lv 8 UP 1

Detection Lv 4

Stealth Lv 6

Heretic Magic lv3 UP 1

Shadow Magic Lv2 UP 1

Poison Magic Lv2 UP 1

Gluttony Lv8,

Vision Expansion Lv2

Poison resistance at Lv9

Paralysis resistance Lv3

Petrification resistance lv3 UP 1

Acid resistance lv4

Rot Resistance Lv2

Shear strength Lv1

Faintness Resistance Lv1

Resistance to Heresy Lv2 UP 1

Override to pain

Pain Mitigation Lv6

Life Lv2

Magic Mass Lv2

Poison Fangs lv8

Taboo Lv4

Telepathy Lv7

Hypnosis to level 9

HP Auto-recovery Lv3

MP Recovery Speed Lv3

SP Recovery Speed Lv3

Fire Magic Lv 5

Water Magic Lv 4

Earth Magic Lv 5

Electric Magic Lv 4

Ice Magic Lv 4

Wind Magic Lv 4

heal lv5

cure lv3

Robustness Lv1

Herculean Strength Lv1

Skanda Lv2

Hades lv2

Flight Lv5

n=WSkill Points: 1200

Oh. There's a kind of UP in the picture.

This must be because my Appraisal level went up.

Skill points are now displayed as well, and boy do I have quite a few.

Does this thing RISE compare it to before evolution?

Great! My stats just got better! Even if it's just a little...

Although they could increase a bit more as I evolve into a rare species, but it seems not.

My speed is still stupidly high though, which is great.

Well, that's good. My stats haven't changed much in all this time.

However, my skills have.

The ones that got better while I was fighting wolves, too, so I got a bunch of those.

Is Poison Attack the evolved form of Poison Fangs?

Thanks to Appraisal, I know what a change from a look, but it is still very inconvenient.

Welp, my sp ran out due to evolution and all, so I better eat some of my wolf stash and resupply, good thing thanks to gluttony, I can eat less and resupply faster.

I'll keep checking my stats as I go.

I knew my Sp would fall, but apparently my Mp did too.

This didn't happen the last time you evolved, so I didn't notice it.

Since I need it for heal, cure, hypnosis, poison synthesis and poison control, among others, I'll have to pay extra attention to the MP.

I mean, Poison Synthesis really helped me during the battle against the monkeys.

When I first got it, I thought it was a bit weird, but I found it extremely useful.

I will probably use it a lot more from now on.

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

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

So, if I want an enemy to suffer for a long time, I can extend their duration, and if I want to do a lot of damage, I can add power.

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

However, the degree to which I can customize it depends on the skill level.

When I tried to customize my Poison Spider, the power and duration didn't go past 9.

Gosh, Poison Spider is strong.

Speaking of poison, I have to evaluate that Poison Attack now.

Since Venomous Fangs is gone and now, I have this, it must be an evolved variant of Venomous Fangs, right?

Poison Attack: Adds the poison attribute to attacks.

Huh? Is that really the whole explanation?

Hmm? Wait, isn't that kind of a super strong effect I have?

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

If that's the case, can I add it to my threads?

What a terrifying skill. I'll have to try it as soon as my Sp recovers.

Oh, I forgot, my silk burns in the Intermediate Stratum, so I can't use it!

Nooooo! I got such a wonderful ability, but it's useless!

Sniff, Sniff

Ugh, all right, I'll have to put it aside for the time being.

The last poison related skill is Poison Magic, right?

I can't use it yet anyway, but his skill level went up.

I now have a spell called Poison Shot. It's a magic spell that lets you shoot a poison bullet.

That's a long-range attack, isn't it?

Suddenly I remember that seahorse in the Intermediate Stratum.

To defeat him, I'll have to either take him out of the mage or shoot him with a long-range attack.

Getting it out of magma is practically impossible under my current arrangements.

As for long range attacks, I can't use my thread there anymore, all I'll be able to do is throw any rock I can find.

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

All things being equal, this new long range attack ability looks very appealing indeed.

Yep. I really don't want to go around in the Lower Stratum rubbing elbows with monsters like the earth dragon, looking for a way out that might not exist.

This decides it, then. I will cross the Intermediate Stratum.

Also, having proven to be so ineffective against that seahorse, it bothers me a bit.

My pride won't allow me to just ignore the Intermediate Stratum and look for some other route.

I'll get my revenge.

But first, I'll have to spend some time here strategizing.

I have to find a way to avoid taking heat damage from the Intermediate Stratum.

Then I will acquire a ranged attack.

Once all my disadvantages are cleared, my conquest of the Intermediate Stratum will begin!

Information that saves lives.

Elroe Gunerush

Also known as seahorse. Looks like a seahorse with limbs. A kind of low-ranking wyrm.

It generally swims through magma, searching for food. It physically attacks other monsters in the Intermediate Stratum but deals with intruders from other strata primarily by throwing fiery projectiles.

Due to its low intelligence, however, it will resort to physically attacking any opponent once it runs out of MP. Its behavior is often reckless, but it has also been known to retreat when the enemy is too strong.

Danger level: D

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That's all.

Thanks for be patient