Chapter 9: Monsters of the Middle Stratum
So let's recap things real quickly. Having finally found a way to the lower section of the dungeon, it turns out the damned place is the freaking lava level! For now I've purchased the basic Fire Resistance Skill to subsist until I can use Greed to steal the Nullification variant from one of the monsters on the stratum. And whatever else may come along and help me out along the way as I spend however much time I'm going to in that darned place. But there were also a few things I aimed to check out even before that.
Two Skills in particular: Relentless Determination, and that other odd one n% I= W. Appraisal, show the deets.
[Relentless Determination]: Applies Skill and Stat corrections in correlation with owner's willpower. Increases chance of Skill acquisition and increases proficiency gain of acquired Skills the more the user is determined to grow stronger. Also increases mental faculties while in battle.
Cheat Skill. This is outright a Cheat Skill. I'd been wondering if I had some kind of bonus Skill from reincarnating and this has to be it. It's way too tuned to be something that's generically part of this system. Which then just begs the question of what kind of god is running this show that they'd drop something like this on me. At least it explains why I seem to be blazing through Skill levels… and that odd feeling I had when I was fighting the Cockatrice. It must have been this Skill kicking in.
As for the other Skill…
[n% I = W] Unable to Appraise.
And there you have it. Whatever this Skill does, not even maxed out Appraisal will tell me that. Which tells me it's not an ordinary Skill. Whatever it does, whatever it is, is unusual and not something this System usually does. At least, that's the guess I'm making. It could be tied to a few things for all I know… like it could be why I recover my HP and other stats whenever I level up. But is that all it does? Nah… if that was a Skill it would definitely have a name for that. But this is just vague letters and symbols. Meaning there's more to this Skill and whoever "installed" it doesn't want me or anyone else knowing more than its name.
Which just makes it even sketchier, let's be honest.
But anyway, I've got a dungeon floor to get to exploring. I can continue my downward spiral into a possible existential crisis another time.
So as expecting, the first level of Heat Resistance is a base level of things. It's keeping me from combusting due to the proximity to raw freaking magma at the least, and with my HP recovery it should offset the damage it would otherwise cause. But it's still not exactly what one could call comfortable yet. I'll just have to hope it'll level up quickly while hoping for Greed to nab Nullification from a monster as I grind. And considering monsters tend not to have a lot of skills (I've checked with Appraisal a couple of times now) I'm bound to get it at some point. And since I'm definitely going to be looking to start fights for a chance, using Appraisal won't be an issue.
So, tell me Middle Stratum, what will the first mob you send my way be?
The magma in the pool next to me suddenly splashes, right on cue seemingly to boot. A… seahorse? Or at least something close to it rises from the water. It's like the size of a dog. The general body shape is the same, but I can see arms and legs as it flips around through the lava like it's just water. Its scales are a bright, almost glowing shade of orange with some blue. Alright, so what're you?
Elroe Gunerush LV7
Status:
HP: 167/167
MP: 158/158
SP: 155/155
156/156
Offense: 80
Defense: 80
Magic: 78
Resistance: 77
Speed: 83
Skills:
[Fire Wyrm LV2] [Swim LV4] [Hit Lv5] [Heat Nullification]
Hmm, way weaker than I am… and what about the species details?
Elroe Gunerush: A lesser wyrm-type monster that lives in the Great Elroe Labyrinth, Middle Stratum. It manipulates flames and is protected by them.
And yet it doesn't have any visible flame attack skills. They must be tied to Fire Wyrm instead. And now the thing is just staring at me. If I had to guess it's wondering what in the right hell something that looks like it doesn't even belong on this floor is doing here. And I know for a fact it knows I just Appraised it. So rather than waste time as it is very obviously starting to ready an attack…
Dark Spear. With Greed active just to be on the safe end.
One bolt of darkness later, and the Gunerush pitches forward onto the blackened stone, letting out a gurgle from whatever is left of its throat… ech, the blood oozing from it is being burned up by how hot the floor is. Damn that reeks to boot. Whatever… aight Greed, you going to net me anything this time?
Skill Acquisition through [Greed] confirmed. Acquired Skill [Swim LV1] from Elroe Gunerush.
Ah geez thanks, it's the one I can't even use! Nice one Greed, nice one! The thing only had four Skills and I got the one I can't use even if I wanted to! Just my freakin luck! Man, this reminds me of the nights spent grinding for low drop rate items in MMOs. Yeesh… if Baldy were here, they'd probably rib at me for stressing about it and just say keep at it. Persistent player that one. It's not like every other monster here isn't going to have it anyway! I might as well just keep at it.
So… how does this thing taste anyway? Gotta be way better than every damn thing in the Upper Stratum, what with all the poison. Worth a shot.
Chomp
Bleeegh… it's not tinged in poison but it's not good either. It feels like I'm biting into worn out rubber, not to mention it's hot as all hell. I mean that only feels natural. But hey, I suppose I can take "tastes like hot rubber" over "literally trying to melt my mouth" any day. Gods what I wouldn't do for something that actually tastes good for once. It's been way too long since I ate anything good… man I miss mom's cooking…
… damn, now I'm thinking about it. I know for a fact I died there. And maybe everyone in my class did too. How… how did our families react to it? I don't even know if there's a way back. Heck for all I know it could have already been years back on Earth and whatever effects happened because of that day are long passed. And what can I even do about it? I came back as a monster, not a human. Even if I could go back it's not like I'm in any ready state to make it clear I'm miraculously still alive. And even if I had come back as a human, that'd probably be the worst scenario. Of anything I'm lucky because as a monster, at least I was independent from day one. If I'd been reborn properly, I guess, I'd have been stuck helpless for years even if my mind didn't change… and that just feels like it would be a kind of hell on its own.
Another thing to add to the list of "Riku suffering from existentialist ideas" I suppose. Priorities me, priorities. Finish snapping up the meal first. I need to stop doing this to myself.
So now I was testing strategies. Since it's obvious those seahorses aren't much of a threat, I might as well use them as a barometer for how monsters behave here. Especially since they're Fire Wyrms. I want that Skill alongside Heat Nullification, since who knows what abilities I'll get out of it. Sucks my own Fire element abilities are on involuntary lockdown for a while, but that's just a consequence of the environment. Might be a good excuse to start using Water element attacks, but those probably wouldn't work well in this environment even if I wanted them to.
So, baiting these stupid seahorse wyrms it is!
Just using Appraisal seems to do a good enough job at hitting whatever counts as aggro for these fellas, so I'm sticking with that. Plus at least I can see if any of them picked up extra Skills or not. And just get an idea of things myself.
And right now, that idea is dodging fireballs. Because unsurprisingly it turns out the flame wyrm can breathe fire who would have thought eh?
It's not like they're much of a problem though. After dodging through the Cockatrice's attacks these things are hardly as much of a problem to manage. I more just want to know what happens when they can't lob fireballs anymore.
And it uh… wait is it getting out of the lava? Is it seriously that stupid?! You're giving up the biggest advantage you have, dumbass! My Heat Resistance is barely level 3 now and it's not like I can also swim in lava like you! Are you seriously just going to… ah, yeap, it's trying to ram me. Go freaking figure. Alright, tail blade it is. Sayanora, Test Seahorse #2, you were an insightful subject.
Shing
The seahorse collapses as its head flies from its neck in one clean cut of magic amplification. And I suppose that makes another meal for me to hold over for a while. I'm going to need to find a wall where I can make a nest to camp in for a while. Hopefully once I'm past the surface I can find something cool instead of burning hot. But I am adjusting at the least.
Skill acquisition through [Greed] confirmed. Acquired Skill [Fire Wyrm Lv1] from Elroe Gunerush.
Oh! Well, I take those! Alright then, should check in on this one. What the heck does it give me… I need to check that with Earth Wyrm too actually. Alright, let's just check both.
Fire Wyrm: A special Skill possessed by fire wyrm species. It grants special effects based on its level. LV1: Fireball Breath.
Earth Wyrm: A special Skill possessed by earth wyrm species. It grants special effects based on its level. LV1: Stone Talons, LV2: Stone Scales, LV3: Heart of Earth, LV4: Iron Talons.
Huh, so these Skills come with their own subset of abilities. So uh… what does it mean for me since I just jacked Fire Wyrm as an Earth Wyrm? This might just screw with my evolutions in some way, won't it? I guess all I can do is see what the result is when I get there. Still, these Earth Wyrm skills are going to be handy here. What do they do anyway? I can Appraise those too, can't I?
Stone Talons: LV1 Earth Wyrm Skill. Sheathes users claws in earth-elemental energy, increasing physical attack power.
Stone Scales: LV2 Earth Wyrm Skill. Clads user in hardened stone, increasing defensive abilities.
Heart of Earth: LV3 Earth Wyrm Skill. Applies corrections to HP value x100 of Skill level of Skill Earth Wyrm.
Iron Talons: LV4 Earth Wyrm Skill. Sheathes users claws in hardened metal, increasing physical attack power.
Well, that makes what a typical Earth Wyrm or Dragon will probably develop into. Granted nothing here says anything against being quick either. Hm. If I run on the idea Wyrms eventually evolve into Dragons, then what does that mean? How do Dragons even work in this world? I can guess the Cockatrice doesn't count yet, but it's probably only an evolution or two away from becoming a proper Dragon itself. It might be tied to the Skill level to. So I'm guessing a Wyrm skill evolves into a Dragon Skill at level 10.
Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Prediction LV2] has become [Prediction LV3].
This Skill just feels like it's making fun of me by deciding to level up whenever I make an educated guess about something.
But anyway… let's test a few things. Since I seem to be alone right now… how about that Fireball Breath?
I feel a bloom of heat in my throat as my jaw opens, and a second later, a bright ball of flame launches from my jaws like a cannonball, smashing into the ground a decent way off and exploding. And it uses up MP, obviously. Still baffled that the Gunerush just decided to try and bum rush me when it's own MP ran out after spamming this. That's just a bad idea all around… but I guess I can't expect much from a low tier wyrm like that. Now something higher tier like the Cockatrice, I absolutely expect to be smart… you know, considering the damned thing almost killed me a few times now.
Peh, shame this is a Skill I'm going to have to shelve for a while. Everything on this floor having heat immunity makes it useless, unfortunately. But that'll just be better once I'm either on the next floor or out of this dang place. Time to keep the grind going.
So far, my kill tally on this stratum consists now only of one fire adapted frog, and by now around like six of those seahorse monsters. Still no luck on grabbing Heat Nullification from any of them though, which at this point is starting to almost get annoying. Maybe a higher tier Skill just has a lower chance of being acquired, especially since nullification doesn't seem to have a level at all. Would make sense I suppose. Still, isn't there some more variety on this floor? C'mon, something new has to jump out at me at some point doesn't it?! And maybe something that'll actually taste good while we're at it if one could be so kind.
And yet again right on cue, I catch the lava near me starting to bubble and then suddenly splash. Ask and ye shall receive.
And it's… a catfish? I mean it's pretty big sure, enough it could swallow a person whole. But… it's a catfish with arms and legs. Sure, it popped out of…
HEY WHY ARE YOU GOING BACK IN?! Oi! You're my next meal so get back here! Appraisal, details!
Elroe Guneseven: Also known as a catfish. This monster looks like a catfish with limbs. A lower-class wyrm species. Evolved form of the sea horse. Will eat anything with its enormous mouth. It is generally more cautious than the sea horse and will flee if it senses its opponent is even a little bit strong.
So it's a coward who only eats things weaker than itself?! Talk about cheap moves! Especially for something that evolved from those dumb-as-bricks sea horses. How you get that far by running from anything stronger than you! Well, this is one guy you're not getting away from fishy! 'cause guess what? This fella here knows Seismic Magic!
As the Guneseven is dropping back below the lava, instead of getting close to fleeing, it's blubbery body instead is launched up by a sudden earthen pillar spiking out from the surface. By this point my control over earth elemental stuff is fine enough it's pretty easy for me to pull off things like this on a whim. I wonder how much of magic is used by the System and how much is just my own ideas for how to use it at times.
But anyway, as if realizing I wasn't going to just let it run away from me, the Guneseven was able to fumble its fat body around to an upright position before it came crashing down onto the stone floor. Now the fella looked like he was ready for a fight. Now let's see those stats.
Elroe Guneseven LV5
Status:
HP: 400/450
MP: 200/200
SP: 220/220
535/535
Offense: 346
Defense: 306
Magic: 141
Resistance: 138
Speed: 139
Skills:
[Fire Wyrm LV3] [Dragon Scales LV4] [Hit LV7] [Swim LV6] [Overeating LV2] [Heat Nullification]
Well, you're a lot physically tougher than the seahorse but damn are you not suited to fight someone who can use magic. Those physical stats have gotta be thanks to having Dragon Scales for sure. Still, this should at least be a bit more interesting than before. Alrighty fatty, bring your… don't just run back into the lava again you fucking coward! I thought you were raring to go!
Remember I can use seismic magic you idiot fish!
Yet again I launch it out of the lava with an earth pillar, and this time, to make absolutely sure the fat lard won't run off, I make some more earth walls to surround it outside of directly towards me. So c'mon, I dare ya, do something. Anything, other than run away.
After a moment of staring down one another, it's jaw snaps open and I see the telltale bloom of fire in its throat. Finally! When the fireball comes sailing my way, I let my tail blade charge up with mana. With a swift slash, the fireball is cut right before it can hit me, dissipating amid the burst of raw energy before it can even explode. The Guneseven sits still for a moment. Like it's dumbfounded it just saw me cut its fireball out from the air like it was nothing. Not like it likely would have done much anyway. With my own defensive stats and abilities, it would've been a bit of a bother at best.
So next, considering it definitely knows its not breaking through those earth walls, the catfish charges. But like it's speed stat implies it's not what one would call overwhelmingly fast. It's just a last-ditch move hoping I'm too slow to avoid getting snapped up in its jaws or that the tight space of the stone pathway will make it where it can force me into the lava. It is very unfortunate I'm not that dumb.
Jumping onto the Guneseven's back, it brings its charge to a halt. Then it changes direction. Ah, trying to drag me into the lava before I can attack you, eh? Smart… but I'm faster! Bringing my claws down, they gleam for a moment as I activate Iron Talons, driving them in between the beast's scales, driving my tail in for good measure as the Guneseven lets out a pained roar. And not one to keep it that simble, before drawing my claws out, using Dark Magic I use the same trick I did on the cockatrice: focusing the energy into blades that pierce even deeper into the Guneseven, then ripping them free and leaping off.
The monster's body goes slack and just stops before it could pitch back into the lava, quite thankfully. I ain't missing out on a meal because of something like that. Now as for if I got anything…
Skill acquisition through [Greed] confirmed. Acquired Skill [Overeating Lv1] from Elroe Guneseven.
And what pray tell does that one do?
Overeating: Allows the user to ingest food beyond normal limitations. In addition, the resultant stamina can be stocked as surplus. However, the user will gain weight proportionate to this. The amount of stamina that can be stocked increases with higher skill levels.
Huh, that's actually kind of useful, though the weight gain could be a problem… or maybe it'll apply differently because I'm a monster. I'm not sure how some Skills work for me because of that compared to if I was a human. Still, at least this means eating more than the norm will have a benefit. I usually only eat enough to refill my red stamina or whenever I actually need to, and as already established I can just munch on rocks for something that basic.
Now as for the actual meal on offer… oh, a bit of it is still stuck to my claws. Might as well see what kind of taste this one is gonna have. I can only pray it'll be better than the goddamn seahorse meat was.
…
…
…
…
IT'S ACTUALLY GOOD!
Oh my god I have missed fish! After all the crap I've had to put up with downing until now even if it's basically raw without any add ons this is the best thing I've eaten in so damn long! Ahhh, it actually tastes like food instead of crap trying to either kill me from beyond the grave! An actually edible monster, who'd have thought this world would actually be that generous to me after all the other shit I've been through up until now?! I haven't said it in a long while but thank you for the meal!
And while I'm at that, there's a couple more things I want to check with Appraisal: Titles. Specifically, Ruler of Greed. Being at the level it is, I should be able to see a pretty good block of information from it. A title tied to a Skill about a Deadly Sin… there's gotta be something to it.
Ruler of Greed
Acquired Skills: [Appraisal LV10] [Conquest]
Effects: MP, Magic, Resistance stats are increased. Positive correction to mental skill proficiencies. Obtain access to ruling class privileges.
Explanation: The title bestowed upon one who as conquered greed.
… correction, even the System is being vague about things even with maxed out Appraisal. But that last part is what puzzles me. Ruling class privileges? So, this "Ruler" tag has some other effect. The Skill description did say that with it I could interfere with something called the MA System… so what is this like low-tier admin privileges? Can I even use that in this situation?
Ruler of Greed is currently unable to exercise his authority.
Oh, so now you chime in to answer one of my questions? How convenient for you System. Whatever, my current meal is too good to be that mad about it. So, then what about the other Skill, Conquest. Sounds odd.
Conquest: Awarded by [Ruler of Greed]. When Greed is active, absorbs the target's entire soul.
Say what?! Is that how Greed steals stats and skills from the things I kill?! I'm stealing souls now? I mean… okay I guess that makes sense. If we're being realistic "EXP" would just be like I'm absorbing a small part of someone's soul when I kill them, like taking excess energy when their soul goes back into whatever energy cycle they run through, right? But it says entire soul. If I think of it this way, then the "soul" would contain all the information about a person or monster, so technically wouldn't I be able to nab everything? That's… actually kind of scary. Abusing the hell out of this would make me scary strong way too quickly. And I still don't know everything about how this System even works. There must be more to this, and I just don't know enough to feel it's safe for me to overdo it with Greed.
I'm still going to use it obviously. This ludicrous growth rate I'm on now regardless of levels is a bit too good to pass up, especially if I want to beat the Cockatrice before getting out of here. Hm… next time I can evolve I need to check if I can't see what my evolution tree looks like now. If it's possible for me to get something with or that can take on a human form, all the better. The easier a time I can have moving around outside of this dungeon as I evolve will be for the best. Like, if I can become some kind of dragonoid, it'll be simple enough to hide any extra features with a cloak and some concealing clothes.
But I'll need to actually get to that point first. It's all just progress and as it comes. Now back to finishing this catfish.
With my belly a fair bit past full – thanks to Overeating – and some new information in mind, the venturing of the Middle Stratum continues. At this point all I've encountered are a couple of lower class wyrm-species along a clear evolutionary line. I wonder if something comes before the Gunerush then. It's gotta have something acting as its "baby form", right, or is the Gunerush considered a juvenile species? Hm, things to investigate into later on. Now, as for what I'm going to encounter this time…
For the first time in a while, I feel my danger sense kick in, and it kicks in hard.
As soon as I evade, a blast of fire hits right where I used to be, cratering the ground from the force of it. And bursting from the lava comes what I can best call a limbed eel. This thing has to be the next step up from the catfish, because not only is it big, it is also very angry and actually looking for a fight by how its roaring at me. So, tell me, big angry eel, who're you?
Elroe Gunerave LV2
Status:
HP: 1001/1001
MP: 511/511
SP: 899/899
971/971 +20
Offense: 894
Defense: 820
Magic: 455
Resistance: 442
Speed: 583
Skills:
[Fire Wyrm LV4] [Dragon Scales LV6] [Fire Enhancement LV1] [Hit LV10] [Evasion LV1] [Probability Correction LV1] [High-speed Swimming LV2] [Heat Nullificaiton] [Life LV3] [Instantaneous LV1] [Endurance LV3] [Strength] LV1] [Solidity LV1] [Overeating LV5]
Elroe Gunerave: Also known as an eel. A midranking wyrm monster that looks like an eel with limbs. Evolved form of catfish. Its fire attacks are far more powerful than those of any lower-class wyrm. In addition, its high physical strength makes it strong on a practical level, and it is intelligent enough to make decisions based on its situation. It isn't as cowardly as the catfish, but has still been known to flee if it meets a much stronger opponent.
Ohhh, this fella is actually on the tough side. Your stats are a bit higher than mine at this point. Which means this fight will actually be fair unlike the last few monsters I've come across. And about time too! I was wondering when the big guys were going to show up if this place is supposedly so dangerous to get through in terrain alone. And since we're about even it's likely not going to run away on me in the middle of the fight. Alrighty then, let's see who's better at attacking from a range.
When the Gunerave launches a fireball, I meet it with a Dark Bullet, the two's collision rocking the air with shockwaves. The Gunerave seems surprised I countered it like that, and in return I flash the best attempt at a smirk I can muster. Seeming to be sufficiently riled up, this exchange of fire balls and dark bullets keeps up for a few more seconds. The Gunerave absolutely wants to play its advantage and camp in the lava where I can't reach it without consigning myself to a very painful death. But now that it's clear I'm just as able to attack it from its little hiding place as it is me, what'll it do to counter?
The eel snaps its jaws forward, and a gout of flames rushes out from its maw in a wide sweep. I'm able to jump over, but I can feel the heat even as I sail over it, countering with another series of Dark Bullets that ram into its scales, denting them in from the impacts. Pretty tough scales… but not as tough as the Cockatrice! Landing, I dodge through another series of fireballs from the eel. If I can wear down its MP, then the thing will be forced to fight me here on land, and from the looks of it that sustained flame breath used a lot of MP. I've got enough physical Skills even if I use up my own MP stock in the process, I'll be fine. Gotta love battles of attrition.
Peppering the Gunerave with more Dark Bullets to keep its attention on me, it rears its head back in clear preparation for another sweep. And as I'm jumping up, I catch a slight twitch as the sweep goes under me. The eel veers its head up, bringing the stream of fire around. Sucks for you I know how to air dodge! The same strategy I used against the Cockatrice, using Expel on myself to change my direction in midair. In this case launching myself back to the ground. But man, this thing's flames are hot, even just being near grazed by the things with my still low Heat Resistance is starting to eat away at my HP. Meaning I need to speed this process up.
Dark Bullets or Dark Spears, dodge and counter. Both my MP and the Gunerave's draining by the second as we try to push through each other's defenses. I can at least say for as much damage it's doing to me at times I'm doing right back to it and then some. But as long as this guy has MP he's not about the jump out of the magma to try and get me. And if it becomes clear there's no winning he might run, which'll make this entire fight a waste and leave my ass vulnerable to a fresh enemy waiting to snap me up. I can only hope by some luck I get a level up after winning, because either way I'd be a sitting duck for a while.
Eventually, both our MP bars burn out completely. Damned thing kept a sustained fire blast going until it finished its stock off and trying to dodge through and block that used up the last of mine. Thank you, Seismic Magic, for letting me make quick shields to hide behind to have outlasted that. I'm through the hard part, so now it's just seeing if this guy is going to flee or try and get on land to finish me off. It's a lot bigger than me so it can sure as hell apply its bulk to doing that.
And as I hoped, now that it was out of MP, the Gunerave came rushing out of the magma. Unlike it's prior evolution cousins, rather than try and body slam me, it came swinging with it's thick tail like it was using a club. A swing I responded to with my own tail, cutting deep through the scales of the tail coming for me. The Gunerave let out a shriek, but damn I felt the heat even through my tail. Spending all that time in magma really pumps up the body temperature, doesn't it? I gotta be extra careful since I also don't know what other Skills this thing has packed into it's Fire Wyrm Skill. It may be out of MP but I can't put my guard down.
The eel goes to slap me with one of its flipper arms, and in exchange gets a slash from my claws right across the throat. But nowhere near deep enough to be a sure kill. But at a rate like this I can definitely finish it off before it can hit me. Getting hit is probably gonna hurt like a bitch, but I'm smaller and faster. Time to ply my advantage you lumbering tree trunk!
Dodging the wide sweeps with the tail, headbutts, or its swipes with its limbs, countering with slashes from my tail and claws. The eel's body gets covered in more and more slashes both deep and shallow with each passing moment, and I'm seeing its HP drop like a stone as a result… only for it to suddenly shoot back up while its red SP dropped instead. Oh screw you! You had some kind of exchange skill and kept it back that long?! Smart but still cheap! But ah right, I actually have MP regeneration, and by now I've got enough back that I can actually use some. Time to go for the kill. Cutting the tail again as the Gunerave sweeps it, when my tail blade comes around this time, it starts humming with light as I activate Energy Attack. Shooting off the floor, I swing the blade right for the neck, and in my now favorite visual flair of a light flash, cut deep enough through the neck this time that the Gunerave can't even scream as it's head almost comes off its body.
Please tell me I got at least one level outta this…
Experience has reached the required threshold. Individual Black Basilisk Riku Shiratori has risen from Level 9 to level 12.
All basic attributes have increased.
Skill Proficiency Level Up bonus acquired.
Skill [Dark Magic LV9] has become [Dark Magic LV10].
Skill [Dark Magic LV10] has progressed to Skill [Black Magic LV1].
Skill [Energy Attack LV6] has become [Energy Attack LV7].
Skill [Dragon Scales LV4] has become [Dragon Scales LV5].
Skill [Running LV9] has become [Running LV10].
Skill [Running LV10] has progressed to Skill [Acceleration LV1].
Skill [Earth Wyrm LV4] has become [Earth Wyrm LV5].
Skill acquisition through [Greed] confirmed. Acquired Skill [Heat Nullification] from Elroe Gunerave.
Skill [Heat Resistance LV5] has been integrated into [Heat Nullification.
Whooohoo! Talk about luck! Not only did I shoot up three whole levels I finally got Nullification from one of these monsters! Ah, sweet relief as whatever I was feeling from the heat before just ebbs away into a comfortable enough warmth. God that feels so much better than the way things did before! Now I should be able to actually get through this place without much more trouble. Though if I have to keep fighting foes like that it'll be slow. Slow but oh so beneficial that's for damn sure!
Foreign Appraisal attempt detected. Will Ruler of Greed block attempt?
A notification? And someone's trying to Appraise me? I mean sure block it, but who could be…
No sooner is the thought crossing my mind that a sudden glob of poison comes sailing my way. An evolve frog? No way, those things don't have Appraisal, it's not a Skill that monsters… wait, since monster's wouldn't need it does that mean there's… nah, no adventurer would be stupid enough to come down to this place unless it was for some very specific reason. So then if that was the case… I certainly have an idea.
Whipping around as another glob of poison comes my way, I finally see it darting out from one of the earth walls I had made. A spider, pitch black with a few white patches. Two of its forward limbs are more akin to scythe blades, and its got a fair few spikes strewn across its body. Something's familiar about this one somehow… Appraisal!
Zoa Ele LV3 Nameless
Status Appraisal Failed.
It is! It's the spider I saw back in the Upper Stratum! It really did survive those adventurers that burnt out its nest! And survive long enough to evolve to boot! It even blocked my appraisal, meaning… gotta try this because one of its eyes is looking more than a little threatening now. Good thing I bought Telepathy all the way back then!
"Hello! Can you hear me?!" My shout is purely mental, a projected thought being sent out to the spider. But it freezes up, meaning it absolutely worked. "You can, can't you? I don't know if you have telepathy yourself, so you'll have to tell me you can understand me somehow. You… you understand Japanese, right? You're a reincarnation too?
The spider pauses for a moment, then suddenly whips around. Seeing as Telepathy doesn't read minds, all I see is a spider flailing about in a panic while letting out some screeches here and there. Well that confirms that it can understand me.
"I'm just going to take a wild guess here but… you wouldn't happen to be one of my classmates, would you?" The spider stops flailing and turns back around. "I'm Shiratori Riku. If you can even remember. We were in Oka-sensei's class. Look just… nod your head if you understand me." The spider nods, quite vigorously at that. "Alright, one answer. And, what about being a reincarnation?" Yet again, another very vigorous nod. "Then that confirms it, I think anyway… uh, do you by chance happen to have the Skill points to buy Telepathy yourself? Trying to communicate solely through nods or shakes isn't going to work out."
The spider remains quiet at that, turning back around. Again all I see is some gesticulation and slight chirps. Are they talking to themselves or something? Another moment passes, and the spider turns back around. One of the scythe arms moves towards their mandibles, miming a throat clearing motion. Quite expressive for a spider ain't ya?
"I… y-yes, I remember… a bit." The voice I suddenly hear in my head is a girl's, stammering and quiet, like she isn't used to talking. "N-Not much though. Sorry… some of my old memories are… kind of vague. I do… remember being in class though. And then that flash of light."
"That matches up with what I remember before waking up inside of an egg." I reply, the spider flinching away a bit. "Ehehe… not sure if you remember the particulars but I'm kind of one of the class outcasts. You probably know my stupid old "Hitogoroshime" nickname more than my actual one. The Appraisal says your nameless though. Did something go weird with your reincarnation?"
"S-So I wasn't… seeing things when I tried to Appraise you." Was her reply. "You… still have your old name. As for mine, uhm… I-I'm sorry, but this… this isn't the best place to talk. I'm trying… way hard to survive and all and even though I can Detect things pretty easily being out in the open like this isn't safe you know?" and suddenly she's gone all motor mouth. "Also are you going to eat that eel? I had one earlier and I've run around for a while and I could really…
"Hey! Information Brain, calm down a bit will you?!" And no doubt to me very visible confusion, did she just reply to herself?! The tone was even slightly different to boot! "A-Ah crap, I let that one get out over the telepathy. U-Uh, h-hello there, classmate of mine! I know this may seem weird but uh… I… kinda have more than one mind now."
"I-It's a Skill."
"I see…" Somehow this just became more than a bit weird. "Uhm… okay, so if being out in the open is a problem, want to find a place to hide a bit so we can talk?"
"W-Where would we though?" She asked, looking around for any sign. "N-Normally I would build a web but… I can't do that yet. N-Not in this place anyway."
"Hehehe, don't need to worry about that Miss Classmate. I happen to be very good at using earth elemental magic." I let my tail swish a bit as that prideful feeling comes up. "We can find a wall and I'll dig us out a hole. Sound good?"
"Y-Yes! I-I'll follow you… but uh… you're not gonna leave the eel behind, are you?"
"Not like I have a way to drag it back with me. I'm pretty full right now anyway?" Her eyes then dart back and forth between me and the eel. I already see where this one is going.
"T-Then can I?"
"… sure." With a bit of a sigh, the spider girl then darts over to the eel and starts skillfully plucking away at its scales with her scythes. It may be a bit weird but… add this to the list of things I had hoped to happen that did. By some measure of luck, I've freaking done it… found another reincarnation and she's one of my classmates. Which answers a lot of questions I had laying around… and brings up more at the same time.
At least it won't be as lonely from now on.