ImASpider,SoWhat?

008
Aspiderwithoutintelligenceisjustanormalspider.
Zzzzz.Yaaaaawn!Ahhh,Isleptaton!DidIoversleep?Imfeelingalittlesluggish.Ahh,well,sleepingwithoutacareintheworldisthebest!
HowlongdidIsleep?Well,inmypreviouslifeItendedtosleepforaboutfourhoursaday.This,though,feelsmorelikethetimewhereIpassedout
fromlackofsleepandsleptthroughanentireday.Itshardtotell,thoughhumansandspidersareverydifferentcreatures,soIdontreallyhave
anywaytofigureouthowlongIwasactuallyasleep.Yeahhh,Iwantaclock.
HowlonghasitevenbeensinceIwasborn?Ivegotavaguesensethatitsbeentwo,maybethreedays,butsinceIminadungeonitsnotlikeIcan
usedaylighttotell.
Idontevenknowwhatkindofcalendarthisworlduses!Maybeonedayisntactuallytwentyfourhours.OnEarth,ayearisthelengthoftimeittakes
theplanettogoaroundthesun,andadayisthetimeittakesforittospinarounditsaxis.Doesthisplanethaveexactlythesamesizeandmassof
Earth,anddoesitspinarounditsstaratthesamerate?Itsprettyunlikely.Ah,well,thatsjusttheexplanationaccordingtoscience,butinthismagical
parallelworld,itsnotentirelyimpossiblethatwereoperatingunderentirelydifferentlawsofphysics.
ItsnotlikeIcanreallyverifyiteitherway,though.IfIeverleavethisplacesomedayImightlookintoit,butfornowIlljustenjoythislackadaisical
lifestyletothefullest.Well,maybeinsteadoflazingabout,IshouldtrythinkingaboutsomeoftheunansweredquestionsIvecollecteduntilnow.
Firstoff,howdidIdie?Ah,hm,nowthatIthinkaboutit,IvebasicallyjustbeenassumingthatImdead.IvebeenworkingundertheassumptionthatI
suddenlydiedandwasreincarnatedasaspider,butIdontactuallyrememberdying.
Hm?
ThelastthingIrememberwasbeinginJapaneseLit.Ourteacher,Oka1,wasinthemiddleofreadingsomethingaloud,right?Iwasdrowsilynodding
off,thensuddenlytherewasablastofblindingpain,thenIdontrememberanythingafterthat.IfIdiddie,itwasmostlikelybecauseofallofthat
pain,butIdontknowwhatcouldhavehurtsobadtobeginwith.
Well,themostlikelytheoryisthatIdiedfromthatmysteriouspain,thenIwasreincarnatedasaspider.IfIdidntdie,Icouldmerelybepossessing
thisspiderwhilemyrealbodyiscomatoseinahospitalbed?Oh,andthisonesevencrazier,butitcouldbethatImacompletelydifferentperson
withacopyofmyoldmemories,andmyoriginalselfisstillstuckinliteratureclass.
Hmmm,ImsurethatifIkeptthinkingIcouldcomeupwithevencrazierideas.IfIwasntreallyme,howwouldIproveit?Icouldtrysaying
incomprehensiblethingslikeIamme,thereforeIamme,orwhateverItshardtobelieve,butreincarnationisthesimplestexplanationIvecome
upwith,soImgoingtostickwiththatfornow.Ithink,thereforeIam,right?LetsjustassumethatImme.
Nextup,thisbodythatImin.Aspidersbodyissurprisinglyconvenient!Imnothavinganytroublemovingaroundonmyeightlegs,anditsactually
wayeasierformetomovearoundasaspiderthanasahuman.Icanrunalongwalls,and,absurdly,canevenwalkalongtheceiling.Ivegotafew
weaknesses,though.Idonthavehands,andIcantlookbehindmewithoutturningaround.
Nothavinghandsisarealpity.Icouldusemyfrontlegstogripthings,butitsreallyapoorsubstitute.Iwonthaveanywherenearthesameprecision
orfinessethatIdidwithmyhumanhands.Plus,mylegseachendinasinglesharpclaw,andtheresnowaysomethingsodangerouscouldbeused
inplaceofafinger.Itsashame,butIllbeabletomanagesomehow.
Theresonlyonereallybigproblem:Icantseewhatsbehindme.
Thisisextremelydangerous.Spidersdonthavenecks,somyheadisattacheddirectlytotherestofmybodyandcantturnindependently.Ivegot
plentyofeyes,somyfieldofviewisactuallyquitelargeevenifIcantturnmyhead,butIvegotnowaytoseewhatsbehindmeatall.Imincredibly
vulnerabletoasurpriseattack.
Imighttryusingmythreadsasacountermeasure.SinceIcantseebehindme,Illneedtorelyonsomeothersense,andifIcankeepthreads
spreadoutbehindme,Icouldusemysenseoftouchtotelliftheressomethingbehindme.Ahh,well,easiersaidthandone.Ineedmorepractice
withmythreads.Imsafelyhidinginmyhome,soIdontreallyneedanearlywarningsystem,butbettersafethansorry.
Lastly,skills.TheresamillionlittlethingsIwantclearedup,butfornowletsjustfocusonthebigone:whattheheckisaskill?
IfImusinggamelogic,askillissomekindofabilityortechnique.Thekindsofactionsyoucanperformarebasedontheskillsyouhave,soasyou
acquiremoreskillsyoucandomorethings.However,Idontknowifthisworldtreatsskillsthesameway,soIshouldntmakeanyassumptions.
MyfirstpriorityisfiguringoutwhatskillsIhave,andwhatskillsIcanacquire.
IhavethreeskillsthatIknowabout:[Appraisal(LV1)],[AcidResistance(LV2)],and[PoisonResistance(LV2)].IboughtAppraisalwithskillpoints.
Thoseareamysterytoo,huh.IspentallofmypointsonAppraisal,butIhavenoideahowtogetmore.Ifthiswereagame,IdgetmorewhenI
leveledup,butIdontknowifthisworldevenhasthingslikelevels.ItcouldbethatIllgetmoreastimepasses.
Worstcasescenario?Nevergettinganymore.Skillpointsmayjustbesomethinganindividualisbornwith,andyouonlygettospendthemonce.
Ahh,thatwouldbeshockinglyawful.
Ihopethatsnottrue!

Translatorsnotesforthischapter:
1.Anickname.