My new home feels so safe and secure that I dozed off before I knew it, but when the threads I had connected to my leg started to vibrate, I woke up with a start. I was kind of hoping that when I woke up I’d find that all this had been a dream, but, nope, I’m still a spider in a cave. Oh well, there goes that.
I stretch out all eight of my legs as I stand up, and they rustle as they move. This is kind of gross, if I do say so myself.
Now that I’m awake, I turn my attention towards the vibrating thread. This one is attached to the lower web on the passageway to my left. It looks like, somehow, something’s gotten stuck in it!
My first prey.
I carefully approach until I can see what I’ve caught. Tangled in the net is something whose skin is a crazy pattern of rainbow-colored dots.
{Frog}
Yeah, this definitely looks like a frog. Sure, it’s about as big as I am, and it glitters like a rainbow, but it’s a frog. This is the first time I’ve agreed with what [Appraisal] has told me about a monster. …Well, excepting me, since it said I’m a spider.
A frog, huh… for my first catch, wasn’t this a bit too easy? We don’t eat anything like this in Japan, but I know there’s parts of the world where people eat strange stuff like this all the time. I even remember hearing that spiders taste like chicken. I was thinking just a little while ago that I’d have to eat really disgusting food to survive, but this isn’t actually so bad! If I can’t bring myself to eat this, I’m probably never going to be able to eat anything else in this dungeon.
There’s a slight problem, though. This frog is probably poisonous, hmm… well, no, with this vibrant color pattern, it’s almost certainly poisonous. What should I do…
As I casually sit here and ponder, the frog who has been so desperately struggling against my webs launches its counterattack! It vomits up a stream of brightly-colored, poisonous-looking liquid, directly at me! Ahhh! I was too busy thinking about how to kill it that I didn’t notice! It’s far too late to dodge! I get covered by the noxious fluid.
Aaaargh!
Wh, what is this?! Ouch! Ouch! Is this venom? It’s venom! I’m covered in venom!
Oh no, it’s shooting again! Wait, wait, I’m not read— OW! I’m hit again! This pain is no joke! Retreat! Retreeeeat! I run out of the frog’s range, almost tripping over my own legs.
Whoa. This really hurts. Is this what it feels like to get splashed by acid? It’s melting my body, isn’t it? I don’t have a mirror, so I can’t see for certain, but this is making me pretty nervous.
Shit. I messed that up. I forgot that the thing I had caught was a monster, and I got careless. “A rat is the most dangerous when it’s cornered,” isn’t it? A frog being hunted by a snake isn’t going to just let itself be eaten.
Ahhh, well, this really hurts, but it doesn’t feel like I’m going to die. The venom mostly just hit my left side. My left eye got hit and doesn’t seem to be working that well anymore, so there’s a chunk missing from my field of view. …huh? My left eye got hit, but there’s only a little bit missing from my field of view…? Ah, I know! Since I’m a spider, I’ve got eight eyes, right? Yeah, probably. This is good to know.
Well, it doesn’t matter for now. This pain isn’t really going away.
<Proficiency has reached the required level. Acquired skill [Acid Resistance – LV 1]>
Whuh? The pain suddenly lessens a bit. The voice said “skill”… does this mean that I can gain skills without spending points? Why the hell did I spend a hundred points on [Appraisal]?! …ugh, let’s not think about this too hard.
Anyhow, it looks like I’ve acquired a skill that reduces acid damage. If I had to guess, I’d say I got it from taking that frog’s attack. The requirements must be a bit higher than that, though, because I didn’t get it immediately after getting hit. The likely answer is that, since the acid stuck to me, I kept taking damage until I met the “proficiency requirements” that voice mentioned. Right?
Let’s think about this later. I’ve picked up some resistance, and the pain has gone down a bit. I think I’m about ready to go face that frog again. After all, it’s really pissing me off. It’s only food! How dare it attack me! Unforgivable! I have decided. I don’t care if it’s poisonous or not, I am going to eat that thing!
With that, it’s time to charge in! If I don’t get careless, this will be easy: it’s already my prey, caught helplessly in my trap!
The frog fires a third shot at me. Heh, don’t be so predictable, you’re making this too easy! I dodge past the stream of acid as I approach, and let loose my own attack. Take this, frog, my special technique!
CRUNCH!
How do you like my bite, frog? Ohohoho, don’t think this is any ordinary bite! I am a spider! My fangs are covered in deadly venom! (I figured this out when I realized I could make silk.) Ohohohooo, feel my venom coursing through your veins and dieeee!
Splash!
HAAAARGH!
You spit acid at me as I’m biting you?! Ow! Ow! Even with the resistance, this still really hurts! Ow!
My fangs open accidentally as I reel back.
<Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Poison Resistance – LV 1] has become [Poison Resistance – LV 2]>
Ahhh, is that so?
Wait, not now, announcer lady! This frog has, not once, not twice, but THREE times covered me with its filthy venom! This is unforgivable! Even though I had no intention of sparing you in the first place, this is absolutely unforgivable!
I attack once again, empowered by my own fury. The frog writhes in agony. Ahaha! Suffer! Suffeeeer! I bite it, gleefully, again and again. The frog thrashes about in pain, but in time its movements grow weak and feeble, then finally stop.
Heh. I finally defeated you. If this was my first hunt, I can tell things are only going to get tougher from here. But, for now, I did it! Yes! Time to eat!
Munch, munch, slurp, slurp. Umf, this is bitter. Painful, too. Is this bitterness from the poison? The pain’s from the acid, right? Well, I’ve got some resistance now, so this isn’t going to kill me. I can bear with it, but, ugh, this isn’t tasty at all.
<Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill, [Acid Resistance – LV 1] has become [Acid Resistance – LV 2]>
This meat may be disgusting, but this skill rank sure is sweet.
APM - Translation 