Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka? Volume Chapter 21

After continuing along a single passage in the dangerous Lower Stratum for some time, I finally, finally arrived!

A fork in the road! Wait, is this a road?

Hmm.

In front of my eyes is a gargantuan chamber.

I’m not sure if you’d say that the road forks here so much as it spreads out, or maybe just kinda disappears.

How big is the space, you ask? So big that even with my eyes, which should be able to see in total darkness, I can’t make out the other side.

Okay. What do I do now?

The single path I’ve followed so far has been no problem, but I’m not so psyched about this huge, empty area. It sort of feels like going into a desert without a trail to follow, I guess.

Not knowing which direction to head in is intimidating.

Like, I have a strong suspicion that if I just start walking in a place with no visible landmarks, I’ll somehow get all turned around and end up right back where I started, you know?

I guess that scenario is less likely with my spider body and all, but I still have no idea which way to go.

As far as landmarks, all I really have are the pillars of rock scattered here and there. But since they all pretty much look the same, they aren’t really distinctive enough to work as markers.

There are snail-bugs everywhere, so at least I won’t starve in a worst-case scenario, but it still seems like I could easily get lost without noticing.

Oh well. My best course of action is probably to stick with the basics of dungeon exploring and proceed along the wall.

I continue keeping to the right, just as I had before.

This place is seriously enormous, though. It’s super-wide. And also super-tall.

The ceiling, which is supported by the rock pillars, seems to be about three hundred feet up.

I can barely see it even if I crane my nonexistent neck.

Thanks to that, despite being inside a dungeon, this area doesn’t feel cramped at all.

If anything, despite the place being full of nothing but rocks, there is a certain sense of the majesty of nature.

Here, it really sinks in just how tiny and insignificant my existence is.

Back in my old life, I saw a TV show about unexplored regions and stuff. To be honest, that kind of thing never inspired me. In the end, all that beautiful scenery on the TV screen just seemed like some far-off, irrelevant world to me.

Far from inspiration, all I felt about it was apathy.

I don’t even know why I was watching that show in the first place.

But now, I’m actually standing here. This is the world I live in.

It’s not irrelevant at all. And I certainly can’t be apathetic about it.

Back when I was a human, I don’t think just being somewhere had ever moved me emotionally, no matter where it was.

And I never would’ve experienced this feeling if I just stayed holed up in the nest I called home before, I think.

In that sense, I guess I have to thank those pyromaniac humans who forced me into the outside world.

Man, just remembering it still makes me mad.

Yeah, no. Like I’m gonna thank those jerks! If I ever lay eyes on them again, I’ll wrap ’em up like a bunch of mummies, drag them around the dungeon, then bite ’em to death with my poison!

Whew. That brought back bad memories.

I take another look around at the majesty of the dungeon to soothe my injured soul.

A giant monster stumbles onto the scene.

For some reason, its overall appearance suggests it’s lazy, somewhat slow, but its mouth sure ruins that image.

It has a huge snout like a crocodile’s, packed with scores of jagged teeth.

That mouth, juxtaposed with its monkey-like body, makes for an unbalanced, positively hideous form.

That doesn’t soothe my soul at all!

Right, right. This is a dungeon, after all. It isn’t just “nature.” It’s also super-dangerous. Got it, me? Okay, roger that, me.

And so I stifle all signs of my presence as I make a hasty getaway.

Okay, I managed to escape without being spotted.

And then, well, something occurs to me that I don’t really want to think about.

This big, huge area can’t be the Bottom Stratum, can it?

I mean, I don’t know what exactly indicates a change in stratum or whatever, but I suspect a lengthy road that ends up in a much wider area might qualify.

The road has been straight, and I don’t exactly feel like I’ve been descending, but what if it was just such a gradual slope that I didn’t notice?

That’s possible, don’t you think?

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No, no, no. It can’t be, right?

I just happened to arrive in an open area.

Yeah. Or maybe I even made it to the Middle Stratum! Ooh, that would be nice.

Let’s go with that. This is definitely the Middle Stratum.

Wow, so I guess I finally escaped from that dangerous Lower Stratum!

This kinda thing wouldn’t be in the Middle Stratum, would it?

Time to become the Invisible Man. Oh, I mean, the Invisible Spider.

Anyway, I have to hide my presence. Then I can just slip out of here, easy peasy.

After I put enough distance between us, I realize I haven’t actually Appraised the new species yet.

Ahaaaa. So even though they seemed super-powerful, they form herds even bigger than that? Now, that’s scary.

Yeah.

Let’s just pretend my Middle Stratum theory never happened. The Middle Stratum would never be this tough!

Sigh. I just have to hope that I’m not actually in the Bottom Stratum.

I scuttle along the wall quietly.

After I ate those last three monsters, my red stamina gauge stopped decreasing.

Hmm? Yeah, it was a lot of food, so the gauge was already nearly full by the time I finished the first one, but…

Maybe my Overeating skill is the cause or something?

It could let me stock up extra energy by eating too much.

This phenomenon never happened before I got the Overeating skill, after all…

So maybe that isn’t such a far-fetched theory.

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Oh? Ooh? Ooooh?! Appraisal! You’ve come back to me! Now we’re cooking with gas!

After that big breakthrough last time, I can’t help but have high expectations now, though.

You know that, right? If you disappoint me again now, I’ll never forgive you, got it?

You can still clear the bar now that I’ve raised it, right?

We had a good thing going here. Don’t mess it up, okay?

Now, how’re my self-Appraisal results looking?!

LV 3NamelessStatus:HP: 38/38 (green)MP: 38/38 (blue)SP: 38/38 (yellow): 38/38 (red)Average Offensive Ability: 21Average Defensive Ability: 21Average Magical Ability: 19Average Resistance Ability: 19Average Speed Ability: 369Skills:[HP Auto-Recovery LV 2][Poison Fang LV 8][Poison Synthesis LV 1][Spider Thread LV 8][Thread Control LV 5][Throw LV 1][Concentration LV 1][Hit LV 1][Appraisal LV 7][Detection LV 3][Stealth LV 5][Heretic Magic LV 2][Shadow Magic LV 1][Poison Magic LV 1][Overeating LV 3][Night Vision LV 10][Vision Expansion LV 1][Poison Resistance LV 7][Paralysis Resistance LV 3][Petrification Resistance LV 2][Acid Resistance LV 3][Rot Resistance LV 3][Fear Resistance LV 5][Pain Nullification][Pain Mitigation LV 5][Strength LV 2][Solidity LV 2[Skanda LV 2][Taboo LV 2][n% I = W]>

Huh? Really? Seriously? My eyes aren’t deceiving me?

Wh…wh…whaaaaaaat?!

A real skill list!

Seriously, Appraisal, you’re too good to me! You cleared that bar without a problem!

Whoo-hoo! The dog days are over at last!

Appraisal, you’re amazing. Thank you. Seriously, thank you!

With this, I can finally use double Appraisal to find out what my mystery skills do!

All right. Whew. Where to begin?

Well, I was just thinking about Overeating, so how about that one?

Oh, whoa! Very nice. That’s more or less what I guessed.

So this skill means my stamina won’t decrease for a while based on how much extra food I eat.

I’d gain weight, though? Am I really that fat? I don’t feel fat.

Maybe it just doesn’t make much of a difference, since I’m a spider.

If I were human, that could be a serious disadvantage.

Next, how about this one?

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Ooh. So that’s what it does? So basically, a simple stat-enhancing skill?

Come to think of it, this skill increases when I level up.

I thought my attack power had gone up by 2 when I leveled up, but one of those points was actually thanks to this skill, I guess.

Which would mean…

So this skill is the defensive version of Strength.

Honestly, it doesn’t do much, but given how crappy my stats were, I’ll take any advantage I can get.

Okay, let’s keep going!

Next is one I don’t recognize.

Since it’s level 2, it must have leveled up at some point, but I must’ve missed it when the Divine Voice (temp.) mentioned it.

Huh? Uh, wait, excuse me?

Oh, so this skill is why my speed is so much higher than all my other stats. Okay, I get it.

Whaaaaaaat?!

What kind of mega-overpowered skill is that?!

I thought my speed was just because of my species or something, but it’s because of this skill?!

Ooh. Hold up. Is this, like, one of those reincarnation perks you hear about or something?

Ooh! For real?! Whatever god is responsible for this, you rule!

Being born with a rare skill like this has to be the best benefit ever! All hail reincarnation!

They didn’t call me Skanda for nothing in that game I used to play!

Woooo! Now, this I could get used to!

So, what’s with the other skill I haven’t seen before?

Hmm? Can’t be Appraised? Why?

Aww, maaan. I can’t believe I’m stumbling here after coming all this way.

Well, based on the name, it’s probably just a bug or something, anyway.

It’s kinda creepy, to be honest, but since I can’t Appraise it, there’s no point in getting hung up on it any further.

Hopefully it isn’t a negative skill or anything.

Oh well. Time to move on to the next one.

Yikes. Now this is way too deep for me.

That phrasing smells like a curse or some other destructive effect, though.

Man, I don’t want that! And it said “must never be raised,” but it already went up to level 2 at some point…

Seriously? That takes the wind out of my sails real quick.

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I continue Appraising the rest of my skills in order.

Most of them are more or less what I expected, but there are some new discoveries, too.

For one thing, I’ve finally found out what Vision Expansion actually does, kind of. Does this mean I can see infrared and ultraviolet light and stuff?

Well, I haven’t seen anything like that yet, though. Maybe since the skill is only level 1, those things are still mostly invisible? Or maybe there just isn’t any light outside the visible spectrum inside a dungeon.

Well, not seeing that stuff hasn’t caused me any problems, so whatever.

Anyway, after examining the resistance skills a little more closely, I discover something kinda unsettling.

Most of the resistance skills are just as the name implies, but there’s one that seems a bit inconsistent with its name.

What the heck? Freaky.

I originally thought it meant I could eat rotten food or something, but it seems to be creepier than that.

My Rot Resistance skill increased when I ate that snail-bug, so… Does that mean those things have the same attribute?

Yeesh. That would explain why the taste is so mind-blowingly foul.

Well. So snail-bugs are really, truly for desperate times only, then.

Okay, last but not least.

Depending on the results of these Appraisals, my future could change dramatically.

The Appraisal of the three magic-type skills I possess.

These are the skills that I have no choice but to ignore, since I have no idea how to use them. If I could utilize them, though, I’m positive they would come in handy. I mean, if I learned how to use these, I would basically be a magical girl… Well, a magical spider, anyway. Like “Kumoko the Spider Girl” or something.

All right. Appraisal, don’t fail me now!

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Oh? Oh-ho-ho? Hmm. Now, that’s vague.

Well, it’s still leaps and bounds from being thoroughly clueless about these skills, but I still don’t know how to use them.

All right, so Heretic Magic is basically a psychic attack type of thing, right?

The shadows and poison bits seem self-explanatory.

So apparently there are spells I can use at level 1.

But how exactly do I cast them?

Maybe if I try thinking about it really hard, like with Appraisal?

Okay then. Here goes… Let’s use Discomfort!

…Nothing’s happening.

No, maybe it just misfired because I don’t have a target. Let’s try another one.

Dark Shadow!

…Nothing.

Poison Touch!

…Nope, nada.

My MP hasn’t decreased, either. That means it didn’t misfire, probably—more like it didn’t activate at all.

Man, seriously? Well, I can’t say this is entirely unexpected, but still, come on.

Hey, wait a minute. Maybe if I examine the term “Magic” with Appraisal, I’ll get some kind of hint.

Yeah, thanks for nothing. Oh well. I guess mastering magic is still out of my reach.

Damn. It looks like I won’t be able to call myself Magical Girl Kumoko for a while yet.

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Aw, man.

Well, I can’t use them, but I figure I may as well Appraise the details of each spell anyway.

So Discomfort is a kind of mental attack, like the name implies. And Phantom Pain, well, it isn’t too different from Discomfort.

Poison Touch seems like a formidable spell to learn at level 1, but that means it’s probably got some kind of weakness.

Dark Shadow’s effect is obvious from the name, too, but how am I supposed to use that?

Hmm. Maybe you can combine it with higher-level Shadow Magic or something?

In which case, it probably doesn’t serve much purpose on its own.

Well, not like I can use it either way.

I lurk motionlessly in the shadow of the rocks.

LV 23Status:HP: 786/818 (green)MP: 335/335 (blue)SP: 779/779 (yellow): 723/781 (red)Status Appraisal Failed>

The creature is ambling along slowly, some distance away from the boulder I’m hiding behind.

What the heck is that thing? I don’t even know how to explain it. Sort of like a huge freaking fish with limbs? No, not exactly, but that’s the best I can manage to describe this bizarre creature.

Well, this mystery monster doesn’t really matter, anyway.

Actually, I guess it kind of does. Or it will if it finds me, at least.

But there’s something more important than that right now!

That’s right, Appraisal is at it again! I can see an enemy’s stats!

All I can actually see is HP, MP, and SP, but that’s impressive in itself, no?

Its success rate isn’t very high, since it’s probably only worked once every three or four tries, but it’s still great to know even a portion of my opponent’s status.

The numerical values of HP, MP, and SP alone are enough to give me a rough idea of how strong something is.

In this case, obviously these numbers mean I shouldn’t try going toe-to-toe with this thing. My best strategy here is to value my own life.

It’s common sense not to pick a fight with unknown creatures that happen to wander by, really.

I mean, did anyone else see those numbers?

What kind of HP is that? That’s enough to kill me twenty times and still have HP left over!

Now that’s what I call inflation.

If this stupid-looking mystery monster has stats that high, then the earth dragon probably had at least four digits of HP.

Unreal.

In the past few days, I’ve learned one thing: Monsters above level 10 are all way too strong.

I think that’s because if they don’t evolve at level 10, they’re already a high-ranking species.

So if I ever see a monster above level 10, it’s generally best to run away from all members of its species, even if I meet one that’s still in the single digits.

On the other hand, species that never exceed level 10 are usually inconsequential.

What shocked me, though, was discovering that even the small-fry I’m used to hunting tend to have higher stats than me. Some of them even have HP in the triple digits.

It’s like, you guys are that strong? Really?

If I fight them head-on, I probably won’t stand a chance.

That was when I decided I had to bet everything on the element of surprise.

Even the monsters I think of as small-fry are higher ranked than me.

Meaning that my Spider Thread’s ability to render them immobile without a problem is pretty darn impressive.

Without it, I would probably be dead by now.

Stats are important and all, but clearly skills are, too. It sure would be nice if I could see my opponents’ arsenals soon.

If I could have that information, it’d be a huge advantage in battle, I think.

I mean, without my skills, my only advantage is my speed.

If I run into an enemy that can counteract my thread with fire, for example, or use an antidote to negate my poison fangs, I’m basically screwed.

Ohhhh man. Skill-based countermeasures could be scary. If I come up against someone that prepared, I’ll probably die on the spot!

But, well, other monsters probably don’t have the foresight for something like that.

That’s exactly why a weak monster like me has been able to survive this long.

Yep, intelligence is crucial. Humanity’s greatest weapon.

Sneak, sneak. Right side, all clear! Left side, all clear! Forward, all clear!

LV 7Status:HP: 67/89 (green)MP: 21/21 (blue)SP: 79/79 (yellow): 54/85 (red)Status Appraisal Failed>

In front of me is a monster that looks like a huge pillbug.

Well, its body is like a pillbug’s, but its head seems more like a rat’s. Is it an insect or a mammal? Just pick one, will ya?

I guess it’s vaguely armadillo-ish, too, but it gives me the creeps, so let’s just call it a pillbug.

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In any case, it can probably increase its defense by rolling into a ball. There was that one time a turtle monster gave me a hard time by retreating into its shell, after all.

But all I have to do is wrap it up in my thread before it even gets the chance.

And so, I ready my casting net.

Take this! Direct hit!

Then I simply use Thread Control to give it the ol’ one-two.

Oh? Ooh? Hooray, a new title!

Thread User, huh? Now I would’ve been crazy about that in middle school.

Okay, Mr. Pillbug, something more interesting just came up, so can we wrap things up here?

You don’t mind, do you? Oh, you do? Well, too bad!

Mr. Pillbug, meet Mr. Poison Fang. Now, why don’t you come under these rocks with me?

Okay, now it’s time to take a look at the title I just got.

Since the name is Thread User, I probably got it for working with thread all the time, right?

Hmm? Wouldn’t I have gotten it a lot sooner if that was the case? Yeah, good point.

Well, maybe there’s another condition. Although I guess there’s no point in wondering about that, since I already have the title.

What really matters now is whether I can use it. And this time, I’m reasonably confident. This title is going to come in handy.

Well, since getting it bumped up my Thread Control level, it’s already provided some benefits.

Thread Control is becoming more important to me every day, so raising its skill level is fantastic. That alone makes the title worth it.

But right now, my interest is firmly focused on the other skill.

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Cutting Thread.

Like, does that sound like a super-cool anime weapon or what?

It’s gotta be that thing, right? Where you can cut enemies in half with a super-sharp thread and stuff?

“I-impossible! An invisible attack?! But how?!”

“Something’s cutting me! Tch… Is this…razor wire?!”

Does this mean I can do that now?!

Whoa. Awesome. Yes waaay.

But even if it isn’t in line with my dorky fantasies, it still sounds like a power upgrade to me.

After all, so far my Poison Fangs have been my only means of attack. Now I finally have another one!

My spider thread is already the main element of my arsenal, but now it’ll be a literal weapon, too.

Oh, wait, I haven’t Appraised it yet. Better not get carried away before I know what it actually does.

All right, Appraisal time.

Okay. So it pretty much does what it says on the tin. I was worried for a second there that it might be something ridiculous.

So that’s one less cause for concern.

The next problems are finding out whether it’ll actually work on my Spider Thread, whether I can invoke it properly, and how much of an effect it actually has at level 1.

Oh, hey, good thing I have that pillbug I just defeated! C’mere, I need a lab rat for this.

First, I produce some spider thread.

To start out, I make it as strong as possible and with zero stickiness.

Then, swinging it toward the corpse of the pillbug, I think [Cutting Thread].

Oh! That seems like it did something.

But the thread bounces off the body of the pillbug.

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Hmph. I guess it’s too much to hope for it to be very strong at level 1.

Oh, but it did leave a bit of a scratch. That’s good enough for starting out, right?

So far, most of the skills I’ve tried at level 1 have been virtually useless, so scratching the hard-looking hide of a pillbug seems pretty good to me.

Oh yeah, how is it consumption-wise? Does it use MP or something? Checking my status, I see that my MP hasn’t gone down.

And my SP isn’t reducing at all right now because of my Overeating skill’s effects, so I have no way of telling whether it affects that reserve. Still, based on my experience with Poison Synthesis and such, it probably isn’t cost-free. So although my red stamina bar hasn’t gone down at all, my guess would be that it decreased a little in a way I can’t tell.

I don’t know how much it normally consumes, but its cost effectiveness doesn’t seem too poor.

Plus, I’ll probably keep my stamina gauge overstocked with Overeating in the future, too, so I bet it’ll be fine.

Next, I try making the thread sticky and attack the pillbug corpse again.

Hmm? Hmm. It did seem to activate properly, but it didn’t leave a scratch this time.

Well, that’s about what I expected.

Experimenting with my spider thread a little more, I discover that there are limits to how it can be customized.

For example, maximizing the stickiness makes it difficult to keep it elastic. It isn’t impossible, but the effect is definitely lessened. So combining stickiness and sharpness isn’t impossible, either, but it also isn’t very pragmatic.

Still, Cutting Thread seems like a helpful skill. It’s very compatible with my usual strategies.

I’ll have to raise its skill level as soon as possible.

So, Mr. Pillbug.

I hate to beat a dead monster, since I already killed you, but I’m gonna need your help with raising my skill level here.

I produce more Cutting Thread and strike the pillbug with it over and over.

After beating the crap out of the corpse for a while, I manage to raise my Cutting Thread skill level to 3.

Really, I want to raise it a little more, but by now the remains of the pillbug have reached a state that would be unsuitable for TV—uncensored, anyway—so there isn’t much else I can do.

Even at level 3, it doesn’t do much in the way of damage, but you know what they say about a journey of a thousand miles or whatever.

Oh, Mr. Pillbug. I think I’ll probably never forget you, maybe.

I eat him, of course. As usual, it’s repulsive.

In retrospect, I probably didn’t need to use him as a target at all, did I?

I could’ve just hit some rocks or something instead.

Oh no! So the pillbug suffered for nothing?

No, no. He was able to prove useful to me in death, so I’m sure he’s probably crying tears of gratitude in the afterlife.

Huh? What do you mean, I’m brutal? I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Suddenly, I sense another presence behind me and turn around.

This is a monster I’ve never seen before. It sorta looks like a six- or seven-foot-tall monkey.

Since I failed to Appraise its status, I’d like to just ignore it, but it’s too late for that—since it seems to have spotted me already. And judging by its eyes, it’s not planning on letting me get away.

The monkey charges at me, and at a good clip, too.

In a panic, I hurl some spider thread at it. The monkey dodges it by leaping to one side.

Seriously?

While I stare in shock, the monkey keeps closing the gap between us.

I toss more webbing toward it, but it dodges as easily as before.

Bearing down on me, the monkey swings its arm.

I quickly detach the thread attached to my butt and avoid the monkey’s attack.

BWOOM! The arm whips past me with a force I never would’ve expected from something so skinny.

Hoo boy. If I take a direct hit from that, I’ll be six feet under before I know it.

Stats-wise, it isn’t necessarily anything I can’t handle, but on further reflection, even small-fry, Upper Stratum–class monsters pose a threat to me in a straightforward fight.

Undaunted that its first attack missed, the monkey boldly swings its other arm at me.

The movement is clumsy and imprecise, but the fact is that each one of these successive blows can probably kill me, so I’m still completely terrified.

I’m not exactly a professional boxer, so even an amateur’s punches still scare the crap out of me!

Gyaaah! I shriek deep in my heart as I desperately dodge them.

This half-baked strategy proves worthwhile, since I get a new skill in the process.

At the same time, the monkey seems fed up with missing, and it swipes at me in an even wider arc.

Now’s my chance!

I sidestep the monkey’s punch and stick some spider thread to its arm as it flails in the air.

Bwa-ha-ha-ha! It’s all over for you now, pal! How’s it feel to lo-o-o-ose?!

Hmm?

Just like that, my body goes flying into the air.

Geh?!

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The monkey flings the connected spider thread upward, taking me with it.

Oh crap!

I quickly detach the thread from my body. As expected, the monkey slams it onto the ground.

If I hadn’t cut it off, my body would’ve smashed into the floor, too.

I avoided that in the nick of time.

Better yet, now that the thread on its arm is glued to the ground, the monkey’s trapped in place.

I quickly shift my position in the air and stick the landing perfectly. Ten points!

Luckily, I wasn’t actually too high in the air, so I take very little damage when I land.

Victory is mine! Even if half of it is the monkey’s own fault.

I tie more thread around my opponent until it can’t move anymore, then finish it off with the usual poison fangs.

The monkey shoots me a wrathful glare and lets out a roar, but it offers no further resistance. Soon it breathes its last.

I level up with my victory over the monkey, and three of my skills increase in rank as well.

They’re all good ones, too, so I’m happy.

As usual, despite my growth, all my stats remain low except for speed. But if I didn’t have the Skanda skill, that would be low, too, and all I would have going for me is my thread.

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All hail Skanda.

I’m psyched to have a bunch of things improve and all, but I still can’t relax.

For all I know, my fight with the monkey might’ve attracted other monsters.

First things first, it’s time to eat my fill.

Hmm. This guy isn’t poisonous. For once, there’s no bitterness. Still, it tastes and smells kind of funky, so I can’t exactly say it’s delicious.

I miss the meat from my old life, like beef and pork.

My stamina is already filled to the brim, but thanks to my Overeating skill, this energy won’t go to waste. The name “Overeating” initially had me worried that it would have a negative effect, but it turned out to be quite valuable.

Like I said before, stamina is crucial to my survival. I need it for making thread and running and all that jazz, so a skill that can stock up extra stamina is almost essential for me.

If I could use magic, that might reduce my dependence on stamina a little, but there’s no point crying over something I can’t have.

Anyway, that monkey was a force to be reckoned with.

I’ve been able to rely on surprise and such for a while now, so it’s been a long time since I’ve had a real head-to-head battle like that.

Lower Stratum monsters really are scary. The monkey is probably one of the weaker species status-wise, but it was still a narrow win.

Now then, I’m finished eating the monkey, so it’s time to keep moving.