Editing/Standardisation: kubor04
Formatting/Extras: APM
Original Translation: Blastron
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<Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Acid Resistance – LV2] has become [Acid Resistance – LV3]>
My skill leveled. With this, it’ll be a little bit easier to take down the next frog I come across. To be quite honest, if I didn’t already have resistance, I think I would have gone over my maximum HP.
That was close! My body is practically in tatters. I got hit by that frog’s spit twice and his tongue once, and just like that I’m on the brink of death. That tongue attack, though. Way too dangerous. A good chunk of my abdomen was straight-up caved in by the impact, and the sheer force of it rendered a few of my legs useless.
It’s not like I walked into this unprepared or anything. I already knew that a straight-up fight against another monster was going to be way less likely to work than luring them into my webs. Even still, somewhere, in a hopelessly naive corner of my heart, I had thought that I’d be able to win it anyway. I’m way too exhausted now.
Well, I don’t think I’m going to be able to get very far with my body in this state. I should build a very basic home here, and focus on letting my wounds heal.
I leave the slain frog where it is, and start to weave my webs. Ow. Just moving around causes pain to stab through my body.
<Proficiency has reached the required level. Acquired skill [Pain Resistance – LV1]>
Oh? A new skill? Ahh, it feels like the pain is lessening just a little bit. It’s still extremely painful, though. This is a pretty useful skill, though, you know? If I somehow manage to keep on living, even in this state, I’ll keep getting proficiency. Small favors, huh.
Hoooof. At any rate, my basic home’s done. Now I can finally rest. If I were any other kind of monster, I’d be wiped out if something happened to come along.
Ahhhh, well, I’ve still got my hard-won prey here to eat. Let’s dig in.
I just barely scraped through my first real fight. Eh? What about that fight with my brother? I can’t really call that a fight, you know. Doesn’t count. Getting some real combat experience has made one thing pretty freaking obvious, though.
I’m WEEEEEAK!
Yeah. It’s not just that I as an individual am weak, but I think the entire species of Small Lesser Taratects are weak. Well, we are an inferior breed, after all. Our attacks are weak, and our defenses fragile. Our one good quality seems to be our speed, but even that isn’t good enough for me to be able to dodge all of that frog’s saliva attacks. Looks like my base stats aren’t even close to a low-level frog’s.
I hadn’t really had any problems killing enemies until now, thanks to my spiderweb traps. This straight-up fight, though, was a mess. I’m really starting to understand just how much I was using my home as a crutch.
Even so, one thing is very clear. Frontal assaults are impossible. If I have to fight head-on, everything hinges on my ability to snare my foe with my [Spider Thread]. My only other real option is trying to get in close and bite them with my [Poison Fang], but my low stats make that impossible. I’d be cut down before I could get in a single attack.
With my speed, I can dance around my foe and strike when they slip up. I could also lay traps as I dodge and bait them into it, like I did just now. These will be the foundation of my strategy. Ooh, if I have enough forewarning, I could set traps in advance and lure them in.
Now that I think about it, I’m not at all suited to go against these frogs. With all of those ranged attacks, they’re like a machine gun emplacement. There’s no real need for them to move, so they’re not going to jump into a trap of their own accord. Ugh, it really sucks not having a long-ranged attack. I could theoretically throw my threads at them, but the range is short and, worse, it might make them more mindful of my threads. I’ll just keep that one in reserve. I should really come up with a good countermeasure for long-ranged attacks before I have to face them again.
Haaagh. I’ve got way too many problems. I’ve come face to face with my weaknesses… my enormous pile of weaknesses. Well, I can’t really give up here, now, can I. If I just wanted to live, I could build a new home and hide there. But that won’t do at all. I’ve decided that I will live proudly! I’m not going to take the easy way out like that.
But, for now, I should take it easy. How long will it take for these injuries to heal? …Rather, are they even going to heal on their own? Maaaan, I wish I actually was a game character. Then I could heal all of my injuries with one night’s rest.
Regardless, time to sleep. Today was exhausting, and I need to get plenty of rest if I want to have any chance of getting better. So, with that, good night.
Zzzzz. Hmmm? Aaahhhhhhh, I slept well! …I say that, but it really feels less like I slept and more like I just passed out. Ergh, everything’s still sore. I guess injuries this severe aren’t going to heal themselves overnight.
Yaaaaaw– OWOWOWOW! I tried to stretch as I usually do, but moving my legs sent spears of pain running through them. Uuugh, my middle two right legs have it the worst. If I’m not careful, are they going to break off? Man, I’m really starting to get worried about my prospects for recovery.
Tap, tap.
Hm? My webs are vibrating… wait. Whoa! Even this basic web managed to catch something overnight! Man, the vibrations along my web usually wake me up as soon as something gets caught, but it looks like I was out absolutely cold. Maybe it’s because of how beat up I am.
{Elroe Basilisk – LV 4}
Whoa, if it isn’t the petrifying lizard. Looks like I’ve caught yet another dangerous creature. What should I do… That thing has a petrifying gaze, so even though I’ve got it immobilized, it can still turn me to stone if our eyes meet. With such awful injuries, wouldn’t petrification be extra-awful? …Well, it’s not like I’m going to set my all-important prey free.
Blink.
Ah, shoot, it opened its eyes! Nnngh! The ends of my legs are turning to stone! Aaaagh, fine! If it’s come to this, I have no choice!
Chomp!
Thanks to [Petrification Resistance], the rate of petrification is slow, but losing my one good foreleg is extremely bad. If I can’t stop it before that happens, walking is going to be next to impossible. Please, I beg of you, die! While my leg can still move!
Slump.
As if in response to my prayers, strength leaves the basilisk’s body while my leg is only half-fossilized. Ummmmf, walking on this isn’t going to be impossible, but damn, it’s going to be tough.
<Experience has reached the required level. Individual Small Lesser Taratect has increased from LV5 to LV6.>
Oh? Ohhh?! What godly timing!!
<All basic attributes have increased.>
<Skill proficiency level-up bonus acquired.>
<Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Poison Fang – LV4] has become [Poison Fang – LV5]>
<Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Petrification Resistance – LV2] has become [Petrification Resistance – LV3]>
<Skill points acquired.>
Okay, okay! Two skills leveled up, which is great. But that’s not why I’m happy…!
The skin starts to peel off my body. I’m molting. Thanks to this miraculous level-up, I’m literally shedding my injuries away! Even the huge dent in my abdomen that I was worried about has been completely fixed! Ya-HAAA! Basilisk, thank you! Thank you! Now, time to eat!
Even if I can’t just sleep at an inn to get my hit points back, leveling up is almost as good.
APM - Translation 