I dragged the spider corpse behind me, moving continuously through the labyrinth.
Tsk!
So inconvenient!
Usually, I’d crawl on the ground dragging food with my mouth, but that’s just too slow…
Supporting myself on two legs and dragging it with my claws now feels genuinely awkward…
Still, this way is faster, at least!
Even if not by much…
…
Just as I reached a fork in the road, I froze.
Wh…
what do I do now?
Which way should I go…
Don’t tell me I’m going to lose her here…
Damn it!
I was so close to seeing Kumoko…
I plopped down on my bottom right where I was.
What to do, what to do…
Am I supposed to search every single passage?
But I can’t guarantee there won’t be even more forks further down those passages either…
Mm…
Huh…?
I remember…
spiders inadvertently leave thread behind all the time, don’t they…?
I think it’s called “dragline” or something.
Let’s look for it!
And so, I crawled onto the ground, starting to carefully search for any residual spider silk.
After quite a while, I finally…
finally found it!
What a fine thread…
By the way, is it because Kumoko was running too fast?
Ugh, am I really that scary…?
Never mind all that for now…
Finding Kumoko comes first!
…
I followed the dragline on the ground all the way.
After a long time, a freshly built spider nest appeared before my eyes.
Ooh!
Found it!
Thinking this, I looked back at the spider corpse I was dragging behind me.
Kumoko’s first meal after reincarnating is still right here with me.
She must be feeling awful without anything to eat right now!
Though eating this won’t make her feel much better either…
I began slowly approaching the nest.
Coming near the outer perimeter of the spider web, I directly altered the properties of a small section of web in the corner to be like stone using my skill.
After extending my claws and smashing it to pieces, I brought the “feast” behind me and squeezed inside all at once.
Even so, seeing me appear in her little home still startled her into a full-body shudder.
Yet, seemingly realizing she had no energy left to run away, she simply lay on the spot and played dead.
Seeing this scene, I sighed helplessly in my heart, walked up, and placed the corpse behind me right in front of her.
Hmm…?
Why is there still no movement…
Don’t actually starve to death…
I extended my little claw again, pointing at the “feast,” then at Kumoko’s belly, and then sat down on a nearby rock to wait.
Aha, she moved, she moved!
Kumoko started making a move!
I watched as Kumoko struggled hard to flip her body around and align her direction.
After placing her two front spider legs on top of the corpse, she leaned her head a bit closer.
Stopping in midair for two seconds, she shrank back again, seemingly not yet mentally prepared.
But the very next second, she took a vicious bite out of it!
And then…
Accompanied by a burst of wild squealing, the stuff she had just eaten was thrown up all over the ground…
Oh-ho?!
So at a time like this, should it be:
“Show some womanly grit!”?
…
After an intensely fierce “battle,” the mutilated spider corpse was completely wiped clean, leaving behind only another round, chubby little spider.
Now, Kumoko’s vigilance toward me didn’t seem quite as strong.
I began attempting to shorten the distance between us, while she merely stayed where she was, staring at me blankly.
Ugh, Kumoko in my eyes right now hasn’t turned on her beauty filter yet…
Still…
I already thought of a solution way back!
After getting close…
I suddenly extended my right claw!
In one go, I grabbed Kumoko’s front leg.
Ignoring her squeaking cries, I closed my eyes, silently activating my skill in my heart.
Back then, the description for [Contamination LV.2] mentioned that the two parties affected were the “contamination source” and the “contaminated target,” but it never restricted the “contamination source” to only being me!
As for things that could be subjected to contamination, they were represented on the panel using strange symbols.
Since things that could be affected by contamination could be any existence, then the things that could be used as contamination should be too, right…?
In my mind, I silently thought of the word:
<Thought>.
That’s right!
My idea was to affect myself with Kumoko’s <Thought>!
This way, the internal monologues in her mind, as well as her imagined appearance, could also be heard and seen by me!
…
…
“Waaahhhhhhhhh?!”
“Wh-Wh-What does this guy want to do?!”
Accompanied by two incomparably familiar voices echoing in my mind, I snapped my eyes open.
In front of me, two panicked and utterly lost big eyes were staring at me.
succeeded?!
Just as I was dazed, Kumoko had already yanked her leg back violently.
“What on earth, hey?!”
“Wh-Wh-Why did you suddenly grab my leg?!”
I stood frozen in place, completely forgetting what I was supposed to do next.
“Hmm?”
“Why is this guy just standing there like an idiot…”
Kumoko thought to herself, tilting her head and looking at me in confusion.
“Though speaking of which, this lizard just saved my life…”
She extended a spider leg and waved it at me in midair.
Only then did I snap back to my senses, looking at Kumoko and blinking my eyes.
“Ooh!”
“This guy moved!”
Phew…
At this moment, I was overwhelmed with mixed emotions, not knowing what I should do.
I had a feeling of wanting to cry but being unable to, yet my heart was immensely overjoyed.
Reincarnating into this world, I finally met Kumoko…
…
“Hmmmm??”
“Why is this guy going ‘AFK’ on the spot again?”
“Hey, hey, hey?!”
…
『Hello there, little spider.』
『Nice to meet you, please treat me well.』
…
Interlude: Monster Encyclopedia file.02 Small Lesser Taratect
Lv.
01
Status:
HP: 26/26 (Green) MP: 26/26 (Blue)
SP: 26/26 (Yellow) 26/26 (Red)
Average Attack Capability: 8
Average Defense Capability: 8
Average Magic Capability: 8
Average Resistance Capability: 8
Average Speed Capability: 8
Skill:
[Spider Silk LV.3] [Night Vision LV.6] [Poison Resistance LV.1] [Poison Fangs LV.1]
Description:
Weak.
Its subjugation danger rank is the lowest F level.
Not only are its stats low, but it also just walks around mindlessly, making it easy to subjugate.
However, individuals that build nests occasionally appear, at which point the threat level increases drastically.
Once a spider nest appears, it should be breached first.
Spider silk is weak to fire, and the spider itself is also afraid of fire.