So I’m a Spider, So What?, Vol. 4

by Okina Baba

Huh?

  What’s up with that?

  Oh, maybe it’s Exhaustion Nullification?

  That’s a skill I got with my Ruler of Sloth title.

  Not only does it cancel out Sleep-attribute attacks; it also prevents the negative effects of not sleeping.

  I can stay up twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, with no penalties to show for it.

  Plus, I can still sleep normally when I want. It’s a pretty handy skill.

  I’m guessing it’s also the reason why I’m not passing out when I evolve now.

  So…this is evolution, huh?

  It feels pretty weird.

  It doesn’t hurt or itch or anything, but it’s kinda like my body is being remodeled from the inside out.

  Like I’m turning into something totally different.

  But weirdly, it doesn’t feel bad or scary.

 

 

 

 

  Then a whole bunch of my skills level up.

  Ooh.

  I knew evolving would improve my skills and all, but hearing them listed off like this really drives home how many there are.

 

 

  Hmm?

  Hmmmm?

  Excuuuuuse me?!

  Did I just hear what I think I just heard?

  Wait.

  What did you say I got?

 

  Whaaaaaaat?!

  Are you sure about that?!

  How is this even allowed?!

  How stupid can that D weirdo get to just give me a skill like this?!

  We’re talking about the ultimate cheat skill that people have pursued throughout time and space!

  Ohhh man! Now we’re talkin’!

  If I can’t die, doesn’t that mean I can just charge on up to Mother if I want to?

  We’re talking about immortality here!

  I can get stomped on, hit with a breath attack, or blasted to smithereens by magic, and I still won’t die.

  I’ll just keep attacking like a zombie.

  Even an all-powerful monster like Mother would run out of strength eventually if she fought an enemy who never dies.

  Bwa-ha-ha!

  Who knew evolving would just casually solve all my problems?!

  If just evolving into this race gives you such an overpowered skill, no wonder it said it’s on the same level as Mother.

  Whew.

  Anyway, I’d better eat to recover the red stamina I lost in evolution.

  Munching on the dead arch, I open my status.

 
  Status: HP: 4,293/4,293 (green) +1,800 (details)

  SP: 2,873/2,873 (yellow) (details)

  Average Offensive Ability: 2,833 (details)

  Average Magical Ability: 12,599 (details)

  Average Speed Ability: 8,361 (details)

  MP: 13,292/13,292 (blue) +1,800 (details)

  : 1,445/2,873 (red)

  +0 (details)

  Average Defensive Ability: 2,904 (details)

  Average Resistance Ability: 12,545 (details)

  Skills:

  [HP Rapid Recovery LV 9] [Height of Occultism] [Magic Divinity LV 3] [Magic Power Conferment LV 8]

  [Magic Attack LV 1] [SP Rapid Recovery LV 2] [SP Minimized Consumption LV 2] [Destruction Enhancement LV 7]

  [Cutting Enhancement LV 5] [Status Condition Super-Enhancement LV 2] [Battle Divinity LV 1] [Energy Conferment LV 6]

  [Dragon Power LV 8] [Deadly Poison Attack LV 7] [Rot Attack LV 5] [Heretic Attack LV 6]

  [Poison Synthesis LV 10] [Medicine Synthesis LV 8] [Thread Genius LV 1] [Utility Thread LV 7]

  [Thread Control LV 10] [Telekinesis LV 3] [Throw LV 10] [Expel LV 4]

  [Dimensional Maneuvering LV 9] [Concentration LV 10] [Thought Acceleration LV 1] [Future Sight LV 1]

  [Parallel Minds LV 8] [High-Speed Processing LV 7] [Hit LV 10] [Evasion LV 10]

  [Probability Correction LV 7] [Stealth LV 10] [Camouflage LV 3] [Silence LV 9]

  [Tyrant LV 2] [Conviction] [Hades] [Corruption]

  [Immortality] [Heresy Magic LV 10] [Wind Magic LV 7] [Earth Magic LV 10]

  [Terrain Magic LV 3] [Shadow Magic LV 10] [Dark Magic LV 10] [Black Magic LV 5]

  [Poison Magic LV 10] [Healing Magic LV 10] [Spatial Magic LV 10] [Dimensional Magic LV 5]

  [Abyss Magic LV 10] [Perseverance] [Pride] [Wrath LV 4]

  [Satiation LV 8] [Sloth] [Wisdom] [Destruction Resistance LV 6]

  [Impact Resistance LV 7] [Cutting Resistance LV 7] [Piercing Resistance LV 2] [Flame Resistance LV 3]

  [Wind Resistance LV 4] [Earth Resistance LV 9] [Heavy Super-Resistance LV 2] [Status Condition Nullification]

  [Acid Resistance LV 7] [Rot Resistance LV 8] [Faint Resistance LV 6] [Fear Super-Resistance LV 1]

  [Heresy Nullification] [Pain Nullification] [Pain Super-Mitigation LV 5] [Vision Enhancement LV 10]

  [Clairvoyance LV 8] [Jinx Evil Eye LV 7] [Inert Evil Eye LV 6] [Repellent Evil Eye LV 3]

  [Annihilating Evil Eye LV 5] [Five Senses Super-Enhancement LV 2] [Perception Expansion LV 6] [Divinity Expansion LV 7]

  [Celestial Power] [Ultimate Life LV 3] [Instant Body LV 8] [Endurance LV 8]

  [Fortitude LV 3] [Stronghold LV 3] [Skanda LV 7] [Demon Lord LV 5]

  [Taboo LV 10] [n% I = W]

  Skill Points: 3,600

  Titles:

  [Foul Feeder] [Kin Eater] [Assassin] [Monster Slayer]

  [Poison Technique User] [Thread User] [Merciless] [Monster Slaughterer]

  [Ruler of Pride] [Ruler of Perseverance] [Ruler of Wisdom] [Wyrm Slayer]

  [Fearbringer] [Dragon Slayer] [Ruler of Sloth] [Monster Calamity]

  [Champion]

  >

  Hmm.

  Yeah, my stats didn’t really go up that drastically.

  Just like with my previous evolutions, it’s not much more than a regular level-up.

  My magic stats are still the only area that exceeds 10,000, with speed being the next highest.

  Aside from Immortality, the most noteworthy new skill is probably Status Condition Nullification.

  Also, I was too distracted by Immortality to hear it, but it looks like I got some title called Champion when I evolved.

  I got the Status Condition Resistance skill with it, but then I guess all my related skills, like Poison Resistance and Exhaustion Nullification, got merged into it, so it made it all the way to Nullification at once.

 

  Good for you, spider! Now you’re even scarier!

  At this point, just looking at me would probably be enough to make a fainthearted person (or monster) pass out on the spot.

  And what does “recognized as a champion” mean anyway?

  Recognized by whom?

  “By an administrator, of course.”

  The voice is beautiful yet somehow deeply unsettling.

  I look around and notice that there’s a smartphone lying right at my feet.

  That’s where the voice that answered my inner thoughts is coming from.

  This seems familiar. In fact, I’ve seen a smartphone in this world only once, so there’s no mistake.

  This must be the self-styled “evil god” D.

  Yeah, let’s just pretend I didn’t see it.

  Nope. I didn’t see a thing. I’m not listening.

  “Hello? This is D.”

  La-la-laaa…

  I can’t heeear you.

  “Oh, that’s odd. Who put this spider self-destr
uct button in my hand?”

  I’m sorry—please forgive me!

  Wait, what kind of button is that anyway?!

  When did you even make that?!

  “I’m joking. I don’t have anything of the sort. I don’t need any help to turn you into a ghastly fireworks display if I feel like it, after all.”

  Uhhh…yikes.

  That doesn’t exactly make me feel any better.

  “Don’t you worry. I would never waste a hilarious up-and-coming talent like you.”

  Oh, is that right?

  Gosh, what an honor.

  Well, good talking to you.

  “Activate self-destruct?”

  I’m sorry!

  “Come on, I’m joking. Lighten up.”

  It’s hard to tell when you’re joking if your voice is totally monotone the whole time, y’know.

  “Yes, I get that a lot.”

  What do you actually want?

  “I just wanted to congratulate you. For attaining immortality.”

  Oh. Thanks.

  Hey, why did you make a skill like that anyway?

  “What do you think people ultimately aim for when they’ve been satisfied?”

  Huh?

  “Wealth, fame, power, authority, and, of course, agelessness or immortality. That’s all people ever want, no matter what world they’re from. And if they learned that they could actually get it, what do you think they would do?”

  Whatever it takes to get a hold of it, I guess.

  Ohhh, so that’s it.

  “Precisely. People love to strive for something, even if they know they’ll never reach it. They’ll sacrifice anything. Then they’ll try, and try, and ultimately expire without ever getting what they want. And we administrators will be happy to accept the delicious fruits of their labors. It’s really quite efficient, don’t you agree?”

  Man, are you ever a creep.

  “I am an evil god, after all.”

  Then why’d you let me actually get my hands on it, then?

  “Well, Zana Horowa is supposed to be an undead monster of sorts. I never imagined any individual would actually evolve into it, however.”

  Hey, wait a sec.

  Does that mean I shouldn’t have picked it?

  “No, I certainly wouldn’t say that. It’s simply that the prior step, Zoa Ele, is already quite rare and has also been designed to die before it evolves.”

  Huh? What’s that mean?

  “The Zoa Ele evolution came with Rot Attack, remember? However, it did not come with Rot Resistance.”

  Huh? Really?

  “Indeed. Thus, if a normal Zoa Ele was to use Rot Attack, it would immediately die as well. You’re lucky you had Rot Resistance, hmm?”

  Yikes!

  For real?

  I very nearly killed myself, then.

  “Thanks to that resistance, you simply lost the ability to use your scythe. Ordinarily, you would have died instantly.”

  Talk about a defective product.

  “The attack kills both yourself and your opponent. That’s why the Zoa Ele has come to be known as a symbol of bad luck.”

  Ahh.

  I guess that is pretty unlucky.

  Not to mention rude.

  “The Ede Saine is the same way, since it gains the even-more-powerful Annihilating Evil Eye. It’s bound to die before evolving.”

  Have any of them ever evolved into a Zana Horowa before?

  “Not a single one. Congratulations are in order. You’ve become a completely one-of-a-kind monster. Bravo, bravo.”

  That’s great and all, but somehow hearing it from you doesn’t make me feel very good about it.

  “After I was kind enough to congratulate you?”

  I mean, considering your track record so far…y’know?

  “Well, I am an evil god.”

  Ugh.

  Between Taboo and Immortality and all that, you really are the worst.

  “I wish you’d phrase that a bit more flatteringly. You could say I’m malice incarnate, for example.”

  That’s definitely not gonna happen.

  I will say you’re a nasty piece of work, though.

  “You don’t think the Taboo system is brilliantly devised?”

  Definitely not.

  I’m basically an outsider here, so it mostly just makes me uncomfortable, but wouldn’t a normal resident of this world go crazy the second they max out Taboo?

  “I suppose the humans who have maxed out Taboo in the past did not meet a particularly pleasant end.”

  Yeah, I wouldn’t think so.

  “But that’s what makes it Taboo.”

  Man, what’s wrong with you?

  Well, I guess you reap what you sow.

  “You don’t seem to be in any position to be making such observations.”

  Oh, right.

  I have to deal with Mother somehow, or I’ll never see the light of day again.

  By which I mostly mean I literally won’t be able to go outside.

  “Since you don’t seem to be very self-aware about it, might I remind you that this attack of yours is not within the system?”

  Oh, really?

  “At the very least, I have no recollection of implementing a skill that would allow anything like what you’re doing right now.”

  Huh.

  Well, I guess I did get the feeling that I wasn’t really using a skill to attack Mother with my Parallel Minds.

  Wait, does that mean I’m using portions of my divinity field?

  “It does indeed.”

  Heh-heh-heh.

  Looks like I’ll be becoming a god any day now.

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Uh, I was expecting you to have a retort for that, not to just totally blow me off…

  “No, I mean it. I am hopeful that you’ll manage to reach our field someday.”

  Seriously?

  “Yes.”

  What is your goal exactly?

  “I told you before. Amusement.”

  Oh yeah.

  I guess you did.

  “I’m in a good mood today. How would you like me to share some information with you?”

  Seriously?!

  “Yes. As long as it’s within my ability to tell you, I will be happy to answer any questions you have about this world.”

  Wow, for real?

  Hmm. What should I ask, then?

  Well, first of all, why did I get reincarnated into this world?

  “Ah, yes. I’ll give you a detailed explanation, shall I? Let’s start from the beginning. First, you died in Japan on Earth. Are you with me so far?”

  Yes.

  So I really did die, huh…?

  I kinda figured.

  “The cause of your death is in fact related to the hero and Demon Lord of the previous age.”

  Huh?

  Why would heroes and demon lords in this world have any effect on Earth?

  “The previous hero and Demon Lord alike were remarkably talented magic users. They altered Dimensional Magic to create a magic that crosses the borders between worlds.”

  Is that even possible?

  “It certainly is. There’s nothing preventing it. However, the system does not give support for any techniques outside of itself. The inhabitants of this world were too accustomed to having the system’s support and couldn’t control such an advanced rune on their own. As a result, the rune misfired. When it crossed dimensions, it destroyed part of the MA field. Then it broke through the barriers between worlds and unfortunately exploded on Earth, in Japan, in a certain high school classroom.”

  Whoa.

  Way to cause trouble for other people.

  How stupid do you have to be to destroy part of the MA field?

  Not to mention getting me killed! Thanks a lot.

  “Quite so. I ended up having to reexamine this world’s entire system, which hadn’t been done since it was made.”

  Huh?

  “I told you, rememb
er? I am an outsider in the world you’re in at present. It’s the other administrators’ jobs to manage it. I did supply the system itself, yes, but I will do nothing more.”

  You say that, but you totally interfere all the time.

  “I had no choice. Though it was a result of this world’s hero and Demon Lord running rampant, those innocent high school students still got killed and dragged into the system. Being partially responsible myself, I thought it was the least I could do as the system’s creator to help them out a little.”

  Hmm?

  Partially responsible?

  High school students, plural?

  “As of now, twenty-five former earthlings have been reincarnated into this world. The entire classroom was brutally destroyed, leaving no survivors. And the souls of the people who were killed by that attack were regurgitated into this world’s system, so they were all reincarnated here. Left to their own devices, their souls would have disintegrated. That’s why I took matters into my own hands and gave them the ‘n% I = W’ skill. With this skill, they would be able to keep the strength, memories, and such of their souls. Then I gave each of them a free skill based on their aptitude and generously ensured that they would be reborn into species with a similar wavelength to their original souls. If you ask me, that was the least I could do.”

  Whoa, for real?

  So there are others here besides me…

  Hmm?

  Wait, how many people were in our class again?

  There were twenty-five, right?

  So if you include our teacher, that makes twenty-six people.

  Aren’t we one person short?

  “Yes. That would be me.”

  Wait, you?!

  Whaaaat?

  You were in our class?

  “Yes. That’s why the magic the hero and Demon Lord created affected that particular classroom.”

  Whaaat?

  Hey, by the way, what’s your name?

  “That’s a secret.”

  Aw, whaaat?

  C’mon, who are you?

  I don’t remember anyone like you in that class…

  “Well, let’s not talk about me. The point is, that whole incident occurred because I, the highest administrator of the system, was in that classroom. That is why I take partial responsibility. And so I interfered with this world out of a sense of obligation.”

  Uh-huh…

  So that’s why I had Skanda this whole time.

  But what about Wisdom?

  I got the impression that you were done fulfilling your “obligation” as soon as you got us all reincarnated.