I have no idea how much time has actually passed.
All I know is that glowing moss kept flickering faintly, illuminating my face again and again.
It was only when the system’s ethereal, electronic voice echoed once more—sounding as if from another lifetime—that I finally pulled through the side effects of evolution and opened my tightly closed eyes.
…
Ugh, mmm…
Is…
the evolution finished?
As my consciousness returned, I slowly pushed myself up and shook my little head.
Phew!
Time to take a good look at what’s actually changed!
Hehehe…
I rubbed my claws together in anticipation.
*Ahem!*
Alright, hit me with that APPRAISAL!
[Small Elroe Petrotort Name: Little Lizard]
[LV.01]
[HP: 192/192 (Green)
MP: 130/130 (Blue)
SP: 168/168 (Yellow)
12/168 +0 (Red)]
[Average Attack Ability: 200
Average Defense Ability: 437
Average Speed Ability: 787
Average Resistance Ability: 593
Average Magic Ability: 187]
[HP Auto-Recovery LV.2] [MP Lessened Consumption LV.3] [MP Recovery Speed LV.3] [SP Lessened Consumption LV.5] [SP Recovery Speed LV.4]
[Magic Power Operation LV.5] [Magic Power Perception LV.5] [Magic Power Conferment LV.4] [Petrifying Evil Eye LV.8] [Earth Magic LV.2] [Dark Magic LV.1] [Spatial Magic LV.1] [Heresy Magic LV.1] [Healing Magic LV.3]
[Energy Conferment LV.3] [Energy Fighting Method LV.1] [Cutting Enhancement LV.1] [Probability Correction LV.2] [Impact Enhancement LV.2] [Arithmetic Processing LV.2] [Sensory Super-Enhancement LV.1] [Super-Thought Acceleration LV.10] [Spatial Maneuvering LV.1] [Sharp Claws LV.8] [Poison Fangs LV.7] [Poison Synthesis LV.1] [Poison Attack LV.2]
[Stealth LV.4] [Evasion LV.4] [Silence LV.3] [Odorless LV.3] [Persistent LV.3] [Burst LV.1] [Memory LV.3] [Night Vision LV.9] [Telescopic Sight LV.2] [Skanda LV.3] [Appraisal LV.6] [Telepathy LV.2] [Throw LV.1] [Overeating LV.4] [Precision LV.1] [Life LV.5] [Magic Mass LV.3] [Herculean Strength LV.1] [Sturdy LV.1]
[Cutting Super-Resistance LV.1] [Impact Great Resistance LV.1] [Petrification Resistance LV.9] [Acid Resistance LV.7] [Poison Resistance LV.6] [Corrosion Resistance LV.2] [Faint Resistance LV.2] [Pain Resistance LV.4] [Fear Resistance LV.2] [Heresy Resistance LV.3] [Divine Scales LV.10]
[Root of Evil] [Stupefaction] [Taboo LV.5]
[n%|=W] [Contamination LV.2]
(LanLi: Precision, Energy Fighting Method, Burst, Magic Amount.
It is subject to change.)
Ooh?!
I can actually see all the skills I own now!
Level 6 [Appraisal] really is something else!
Though…
Tsk…
why does it feel like a total mess…
[Ruler of Greed] plundered a ton of skills that I can’t even use at all…
For example, this [Poison Synthesis]—it probably belonged to that frog guy, right…
…
*Hss*, my five base stats are insanely high!
Oh my gosh…
Even without counting the speed and defense boosts from [Skanda] and [Divine Scales], I’m already outclassing almost every single monster from the same period!
The stat plunder effect from [Greed] is seriously impressive!
How are those naturally growing monsters supposed to fight me?
Haha, I am just way too awesome!
The only downside is that my current attack power seems to have a bit of a gap compared to my defense and speed.
After all, I don’t have relevant skill buffs for it…
Looks like I’ll have to work even harder in the future!
Oh, right!
Let me give it a shot…!
…
[Skill: <Contamination>]
[Effect: Can spread “■▲” and “●■”, ■, ■ to any objective entity.
The actual effect depends on the soul strength of the “Contamination Source” and the “Contaminated Target.”]
[As the skill level increases, the range and effect of the skill will change.]
[A skill exclusive to those of ▲●.]
Staring at the description on this skill panel, I couldn’t say a single word.
I sat there in silence, reading the description over and over again, as if trying to stare right through the system panel itself.
My brow furrowed tightly, my claws gripping the rock beneath me so hard that blood seeped out from the base of my claws.
A sudden chill spread through the air.
It felt as though an icy spike had been driven right into my spine, leaving me completely paralyzed…
…
I sat on the mossy ground for a long time.
The joy I had felt from evolving vanished without a trace, with only that skill description flashing repeatedly in my head.
A overwhelming wave of panic swept over me.
I opened the Appraisal panel again and again, wishing with all my heart for a brief moment that I had just misread it.
But no—facts were facts.
All that awaited me were those unfeeling words stabbing into my eyes over and over.
To be honest, I didn’t even know why I was acting like this.
The second I saw that skill, I felt insanely anxious and even had trouble breathing, as if I were facing some terrifying, incomprehensible entity.
…
*Thwack!*
*Thwack!*
*Thwack!…*
Irritated, I whipped my tail back and forth, slamming it onto the ground again and again, the sound echoing through the enclosed space.
I hung my head listlessly, my mind racing with a few lingering questions.
What kind of existence am I, really?
Why did I come to this world, reincarnating so suddenly out of nowhere?
…
*Sigh*, I was completely stumped.
…
When I first hatched from my egg and realized I had been reincarnated into the same world as Kumoko, all that filled my heart was pure excitement and joy.
I thought God was favoring me, granting my sweet dream of meeting Kumoko.
But looking at it now, the purpose behind my reincarnation might not be that simple.
This weird skill alone is proof of that…
I let out a heavy sigh, staring blankly ahead.
…
No, no, no!
Pull yourself together!
I’m still way too weak right now, so overthinking won’t do any good!
The top priority is to boost my strength first!
The world outside is vast, and there are so many more interesting things waiting for me in the future!
After all…
I’m an existence who knows how the story goes~
Hehehe…
Alright!
Then let’s do this—time to keep leveling up!
I sprang right up from the mossy ground.
But just as I was about to step forward, I stumbled, falling flat on my face.
Aah!
Why is this happening…
I don’t have a single shred of strength left in my body…
It was only then that I remembered I had just finished evolving.
Because I had used [Super-Thought Acceleration] to compress time and think earlier, I hadn’t checked my status, completely overlooking the fact that my Red SP was almost totally drained!
Ugh, aaah…
Don’t tell me Little Lizard is gonna starve to death right here today?!
Damn it…
…
There’s no other choice…
I’ll just have to scrape by for now…
I don’t have the energy left to go hunting…
Gazing at the “Snail Bugs” on the nearby wall, my face contorted as I grabbed one, tremblingly bringing it to my mouth.
Summoning every ounce of courage, I took a big bite…
…
*Splat, splat…!*
*Gag…*
*BLEH…!!*
…
«Proficiency reached a certain level.
Skill [Corrosion Resistance LV.2] leveled up to [Corrosion Resistance LV.3].»
«Conditions met.»
«Acquired the title [Foul Feeder].»
…
*Sob, sob…*
*Waaaaah…*
…
AAAAHH…
AAAAHHHH…!
I MUST…
I MUST EAT SOMETHING DELICIOUS!
AAAAAHHH!
What kind of awful garbage are these Upper Stratum monsters anyway!
Tormenting me every single day!
Screw you!
SCREW YOU!
…
To get even stronger!
And to satisfy my desperate wish for a good meal!
I hereby decide!
My next target is…
THE MIDDLE STRATUM!
LAVA!
AREA!
LET’S GOOO!!!
…
Hehehe~
Little Catfishes and Little Eels, get your necks ready for me!
…
*RUMBLEEE…!!*
…
At that exact same moment, somewhere in the Lower Stratum of the Great Elroe Labyrinth, a massive spider monster finished making certain preparations.
It blasted a terrifying beam of energy from its mouthparts, reducing everything in front of it to absolute dust.
And its destination…
was the Upper Stratum.