Chapter 13: Fish-chan Jumps, I-chan Jumps
"HISS-ROAR—!"
"GWA!"
"ROAR!"
Frogs, Basilisks, and Elroe Snakes all fell victim to the duo's path as they were systematically cleared out during their feeding frenzy. Since the monster levels here weren't particularly high, Shirazawa decided to stop heading deeper for a while and focused specifically on hunting these creatures.
After a solid round of hunting, the two finally managed to fill their bellies.
[Accumulated sufficient experience. Individual: Small Taratect has risen to
[Proficiency reached. Skills:
The sweet melody of level-up notifications rang constantly in their ears, nearly bringing them to tears of joy. They had never realized that leveling up could actually be this simple.
"Appraisal."
[Monster]: Small Taratect
[Level]: Lv4
[Status]
HP: 40 / 40
MP: 40 / 40
SP: 40 / 40 (40 / 40)
Average Attack Ability: 19
Average Defense Ability: 19
Average Magic Ability: 19
Average Resistance Ability: 19
Average Speed Ability: 348
...
"Wow! Appraisal-sensei finally got useful!"
Shiraori hopped around Shirazawa in excitement. *Now* this was a skill worthy of being called an "OPSkill." Shirazawa, however, stared at his own panel with a slight frown.
"I still can't see the information in the skill slots. I'm really curious what my Innate Skill actually is," he muttered, chin in hand.
Based on current intel, their experience points and evolution states were shared—it even seemed like skill acquisition and proficiency were linked. While this wasn't a bad thing—in fact, it was arguably the most ideal setup—it did have its quirks. After all, he was only familiar with the "Spider-chan" leveling route. If he had reincarnated as any other monster, he wouldn't even know how to choose an evolution path. If he accidentally grew into some trash-tier mob, he'd be kissing godhood goodbye. Worst of all, if he couldn't turn into a human form, that would be a real pain.
His main concern now was that, given Evil God D's twisted sense of humor, his Innate Skill might not be as simple as it seemed.
*I just hope it's not some bizarre, freakish ability,* Shirazawa prayed silently.
After finishing lunch, the two continued to wander the Upper Stratum of the labyrinth.
"Hey, Shirazawa, it feels like the monsters around here aren't even a match for us anymore!"
"Hmm... well, it is because you've gotten a lot stronger," Shirazawa said modestly.
"Hahaha! That's true!" Shiro burst into laughter, walking with a swagger that suggested she owned the place.
"Loneliness... is being... so invincible... so invincible~"
"..."
Shirazawa resisted the urge to cover his face and followed. *Why is this kid getting less and less reliable as she grows? What happened to the socially anxious girl? She's more of a social butterfly than I am now.*
"Wait!"
Suddenly, Shirazawa's eyes flashed. He lunged forward, grabbing Shiro and pulling her into the shadows.
"W-what happened?" Shuro asked, startled and confused.
Shirazawa didn't answer immediately, listening intently to their surroundings. Soon, his expression turned grim.
"Listen. It's our old enemies."
Shiro froze, then reacted as the sound of footsteps reached her. She hissed a curse. "Kuso! It's those human adventurers! Let's go! Let's kick their asses!" She rolled up her "sleeves," looking ready for a three-hundred-round brawl.
Shirazawa: **(⊙д⊙)**
He quickly held her back, speaking sternly. "Could you please check their levels first?"
"Er..." Shiro blinked dumbly, then looked back at the party emerging from the darkness.
"Holy crap!"
[Human Lv29, Name: Geld] — Appraisal of stats failed.
[Human Lv25, Name: Reigin] — Appraisal of stats failed.
[Human Lv26, Name: Gai Kun] — Appraisal of stats failed.
...
"Level 29?! Fight my foot!" Shiro was completely stunned. There was zero hope of victory. Charging in would be suicide, and she wasn't stupid enough to offer herself up as a snack.
"Let's move. Different direction," Shirazawa decided after a moment of silence. Shiro nodded without hesitation. Running away was the best of the thirty-six stratagems; it was all about survival. *A gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten years. Today you're in the East, tomorrow I'm in the West—don't you dare look down on a spider just because she's poor!*
She fumed inwardly, completely forgetting that *she* was the one who just shouted about "kicking their asses."
To their horror, the group seemed to have spotted them and began to give chase. The distance between them was closing rapidly.
"A speed of 386 and we can't shake them? Are they wearing haste boots or something?!" Shiro panicked. Their speed advantage was nonexistent against these people; in fact, they were at a disadvantage. Not to mention their other stats, which were undoubtedly higher than their own. If they had charged in earlier, it would have been like throwing eggs at a rock.
Suddenly, Shirazawa stopped in front of her. Shiro looked at him, confused. "What's wrong?"
"Dead end." Shirazawa pointed at the precipice before them. "Jumping down leads straight to the Lower Stratum—the gathering place for the most terrifying monsters in the labyrinth."
"...So, are we just waiting to die?" Shiro slumped to the ground, her spirit instantly wilting.
"They say 'with great risk comes great reward.' I originally wanted to farm XP in the noob zone, but it seems the noob zone is crawling with humans, making it just as dangerous as the bottom. On the edge of death, there is great terror, but also great opportunity. It might not be a total dead end. If you're scared, I can go lure those adventurers away," Shirazawa said tonelessly.
At those words, Shiro's hair (or bristles) stood on end. She glared at him, shouting, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
No way. Her pride as a spider would never allow her to surrender just because of a little hardship. "I'm telling you, Shirazawa, if you dare leave me behind today, I won't talk to you for the rest of my life!"
Shirazawa: "..."
*Fine. Looks like the good days are over just as they were starting. How tragic.* He sighed and reached out to pick Shiro up.
"In that case... Fishy-chan jumps, then I-chan jumps."
With that, he leaped off the cliff.
"AAAAAAAH!" Shiraori screamed. "I thought you said the fish jumps first! I wasn't ready at all! AAAAAAAH—SAVE ME—AAAAAAAH!"
***
Fishy-chan jumps, then I-chan jump means... beats me what that means.