034 – [Kumo] – I’ve gained new skills

Editing/Standardisation: kubor04
Formatting/Extras: APM
Original Translation: Blastron
Additional thanks goes out to mae and Legit-rikk. Join our discord

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Hoooof. Right! Let’s test out these new skills.

First up is [Thread Control]. Based on its name, it should be a skill that makes my [Spider Thread] much more useful. My already-unstoppable webs are going to become even more powerful! This is the best. Let’s start by spinning some webs.

The next step is the problem. If I can’t figure out how to actually manipulate my threads, picking up this skill was pretty worthless. I’m really, really hoping that this isn’t the same thing as what happened with [Appraisal].

Move… mooooove…! Wait, my threads feel a little funny. …Hm? What the heck? There’s a weird feeling that’s kind of hard to put into words… almost like there’s something… in… my threads? It almost feels like there’s nerves in my threads, like they’re… alive? I focus on whatever is in my threads, and will it to move.

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.

With a wiggly sound that I’m pretty sure is all in my head, my threads start to sluggishly move a little.

Yep! I made it move. I don’t really have the kind of control I need to use it in combat, though…

Ugghhhhh, okay, fine! I knew this was going to happen! I was aware of this possibility! I’m happy I got it to move at all! I had no hopes, no expectations for anything better!

Haaaaah. Hm? My mana went down a bit? I’ve never seen that happen before, is this from using [Thread Control]? Ahhhh, [Thread Control] consumes mana, hmm… Well, I haven’t been using mana at all until now so this is fine. I should work on leveling this when I can, since I’ll have mana to spare. I’m choosing to believe that this is going to be useful in the long-term.

I take a moment to compose myself, and turn to the next thing: [Detection]. Okay! I have zero expectations. This was an even bigger gamble than [Thread Control] was. I have no idea if I can even use it! To be perfectly honest, I don’t even know if it has the enemy-detecting functionality that I’m hoping for. I can’t even rule out the possibility that you’re a completely unrelated skill, [Detection]! On top of that, it’s level one, so I should be prepared for something as worthless as [Thread Control] or even how [Appraisal] was when I first got it. If I can figure out what it does and how to use it, that’s already cause for celebration.

Well, let’s try it like I do with [Appraisal]: clear my mind, concentrate, and think, “Detect.” Ah! I’d kind of had a sort of image in my head that it would be like meditating, and it looks like I was pretty close: through senses that were previously dark, I can suddenly see so many things…

W… wait, what?

Each little wisp of information is so insubstantial that I have no idea what it could mean. And… there’s so much of it! My brain is drowning under a deluge of information from all sides!

Erk!!

Just like when I overused [Appraisal], the violent wave of information crashes into me like a punch to the head. I frantically cut [Detection] off immediately.

<Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Detection – LV1] has become [Detection – LV2]>

What? Wasn’t that too fast? Did you seriously just level up?! I mean, that certainly was a ton of information, but, uh, seriously?

Aha, ha, no, wait. First off, what the hell was that?! Whatever that was is completely and utterly unlike what I was thinking of when I asked for [Detection]! I want to scream! Get me the manager! Hey! “Voice of Heaven”! I demand an explanation! This is completely! Utterly! Inconceivably unacceptable!!

Ughhhh. Settle down, me… …Okay. Let’s just double-check to make sure that was, in fact, the result of [Detection]. This might be a little risky, so I should make sure I’m prepared. Inhale… Exhale. Right! Commence [Detection].

Just like before, I’m assaulted by a wave of unintelligible information.

<Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Detection – LV2] has become [Detection – LV3]>

I said… that’s too… fast! Errgk, that’s enough. I cut it off again. Blahhhhh. Ugh, I’m exhausted already.

I’ve learned one thing, though. Yeah. [Detection]. The skill’s name is just [Detection]. There’s nothing that says what it actually detects! It does exactly what I thought it does, but way better than I thought could possibly happen! In fact, it works so well that I can’t use it at all!

I think this skill gathers information about literally everything around me, and blasts it at me full-force.

That quantity of information just immediately overwhelms my brain’s ability to process it. It is extremely likely that it’s got enough information in there to let me detect enemies sneaking up on me, somewhere in that enormous flood, but the information is coming at me far too fast for my tiny brain to pick up on it. For that, I’d need more processing power than a supercomputer.

Maaaaan, seriously! I had not even begun to consider the possibility that there could be a skill that was too powerful for me to use. What a trap I just fell into. Seriously, who thought this one up? Do you get off on leaving traps for your players?

Ahhhh. Well, I can’t use [Detection]. I can practice willing my threads to get [Thread Control]’s level up… but if I do that with [Detection], won’t my head explode? I guess I’ve got no choice but to shut this away forever. Nai wa.

Hey, can I get a refund on skills? …Yeah, not a chance. Uuuugh, I seriously have no luck at gambling. What have I done? This sucks.

Dejectedly, I slump.