Chapter 12 Spider’s Favorite
“Beep beep beep!”
The noisy alarm clock rang.
Its performance was unnecessarily good.
I stretched.
The third day dawned.
“Beep!”
The volume made me want to remove the batteries.
Last night was hellish.
Just as I managed to fall asleep, they would start making noise again, as if they never slept.
Ugh, I need to put that toad and turtle in their place one of these days.
I scratched my nails on the lotus leaf.
I peeked out and alternated my gaze between the toad’s skin and my nails.
If I used the Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step to leap at it and attacked its abdomen with my sharp claws?
…It wouldn’t work.
Look at that weird golden oil.
For some reason, I had an ominous feeling that my nails would melt with a sizzle the moment I touched it.
I left the toad alone and looked at the turtle next to it.
Would a headbutt attack using gravity, jumping from the reeds after kicking off the ground, deal any damage?
…No, the moment my head collided with that golden shell, I’d turn into a lizard shake.
I retreated back into my hideout.
Why were these bullies next to my home?
Sigh.
I let out a sigh.
I had tried to practice deep breathing meditation all day yesterday, but I eventually failed because they kept making noise.
The best I could do was catch a few moments of sleep when it got a bit quieter.
Yawn.
I opened my jaws wide and yawned.
I was starting to feel hungry.
Though I failed at deep breathing meditation, I could at least look forward to breakfast.
I carefully observed the turtle and the toad, then stealthily slipped out of my hideout.
[「Stealth LV2」 has leveled up.]
I crawled quietly. It seemed they didn’t notice I was moving.
Now that I had put some distance between us, it was time to go full speed.
I stood on both legs.
Dash!
Running at full speed, I quickly arrived at my destination.
It was a place I named my hunting ground.
There were suitable lotus leaves and reeds.
At first glance, it might look like a lake, but it was a swamp large enough to be called such.
It was the perfect place for my activities.
I sat cross-legged on the leaf of an unknown plant.
The reason I came here wasn’t just for food.
Since I failed at deep breathing meditation, I needed to find another way to build up my internal energy.
There were a few clues.
「Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step」
A footwork technique similar to a small dragon’s step. It allows you to climb walls and walk freely on water as if flying through the sky. It improves your basic speed and makes it easier to master other martial arts.
The first clue was this footwork technique.
Thanks to having a status window, I noticed that repeating certain actions resulted in corresponding skills.
Performing stealthy actions gave me Stealth.
Enduring acid gave me Acid Resistance.
‘Makes it easier to master other martial arts.’
This phrase likely meant it eased the conditions for learning other martial arts.
If there was a martial art that required throwing a punch ten thousand times to master, maybe I could master it with just a thousand punches.
Training.
I had no choice but to train relentlessly.
Unless there was a second clue.
「Gourmet LV1」
The more delicious food you eat, the easier it is to gain inspiration.
I acquired this skill after eating piranha sashimi.
Easier to gain inspiration.
Couldn’t this word ‘inspiration’ be replaced with ‘enlightenment’?
It might sound like a play on words.
But that was the essence of martial arts as I knew them.
It was a common trope for martial artists to remain at the peak for decades without achieving enlightenment. Then, on the brink of death, they gain enlightenment and cut the sky with their sword. Common yet beloved stories.
I needed to gain enlightenment somehow.
Only then could I move on to the next stage.
My task was clear.
While training in footwork, I would also activate the Gourmet effect.
Hunting on water.
“Croak!”
I focused my eyes.
【Water Beetle LV1】
The skill Wild Eye was probably the most versatile skill I had.
It was useful for identifying the opponent’s information, but it also helped me find things not immediately visible to my eyes.
It was unfortunate that the skill level was still at 1.
If the skill level increased, its performance would improve, allowing me to see in more detail.
I fixed my gaze on the water beetle.
There was no need to check the precautions.
It resembled the aphids I saw on trees.
Of course, the difficulty of hunting it would be much higher than that of aphids.
Because it was a water-dwelling bug.
But that didn’t matter to me.
Splash!
I rushed towards it, slicing through the water.
My hind legs moved at a rapid pace, almost 20 times per second.
My long tail balanced me.
I reached out towards the target with both hands.
Steps on the water.
It was the Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step.
Utilizing its fearsome speed, I embedded my claws into the beetle’s back.
Crack!
With just one blow, the water beetle stopped moving.
“Croak!”
Smiling in satisfaction, I looked at the beetle with its back pierced.
With this level of power, shouldn’t I be given a martial art like the Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Strike or Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Fist?
No matter how much I stared at the beetle, nothing changed.
One cannot be full from the first bite.
I immediately started preparing the water beetle.
It wasn’t difficult to peel off the soft exoskeleton and extract the plump flesh.
Chomp.
I took a big bite.
Hmm….
Maybe it was because I had sashimi yesterday, but it didn’t taste particularly good.
It was just the expected taste of a water beetle.
Nothing more, nothing less.
It was decent for a bug, but the water beetle’s unique smell was quite strong.
I couldn’t call it gourmet.
Still, I shouldn’t waste food.
I might be able to level up.
“Croak!”
I quickly devoured the water beetle.
One wasn’t enough, though.
I looked at the water surface with a gleam in my eyes.
I wanted to catch fish, but I instinctively felt that the piranhas I saw yesterday were lying in wait.
If I tried to use my tail to fish, I felt like it would be sucked into the water immediately.
If only I had some tool to catch fish.
Reeds wouldn’t do; I needed something like a fishing line….
I guess I’ll have to stick to catching water beetles.
Splash!
Splash!
I ran at high speed and caught another water beetle. This time, I successfully knocked it out with a swing of my long tail.
I’ll eat this one later.
Since it’s knocked out, it’ll be like preserved food.
Good.
I’ll catch a few more.
It’d be great if I could find something like a shrimp.
As I was about to catch more water beetles, I felt someone watching me.
I quickly moved and turned my head.
But I saw nothing.
I focused my eyes.
【Anthracomartus LV3】
【Arthropleura LV4】
I saw two names I’d never seen before.
__________________________
【Anthracomartus】
A small, ancient spider about 3cm in length.
It has a flat body with large front legs and two venomous fangs to hunt its prey.
It has a timid personality and plays dead when it feels threatened.
__________________________
__________________________
【Arthropleura】
A small, ancient spider about 4cm in length.
It has a half-spider, half-scorpion appearance, with a non-venomous tail being its distinctive feature.
It produces highly water-resistant silk but doesn’t build webs, displaying unique behavioral patterns.
__________________________
I checked the information on the two spiders and received a welcome message.
[「Wild Eye LV1」 has leveled up.]
【Anthracomartus LV3】
【Status】
「Frightened」「Hungry」
【Arthropleura LV4】
【Status】
「Innocent」「Hungry」
Wild Eye evolved.
I could now see the opponent’s status.
The ones who had been watching me were two spiders.
Compared to Nephila Jurassica, they were tiny spiders.
“Croak.”
Be careful. If it weren’t me, other lizards would have already eaten you.
If it weren’t for my connection with Nephila Jurassica, I might have swallowed these guys whole.
They looked a bit fluffy and appetizing.
Alright, I’ll pretend I didn’t see you.
I turned my head.
But then, they started approaching me.
“Chi…”
Why are you coming to me?
I’m a lizard, and you’re spiders.
Why are you approaching me?
…Wait.
【Green Basilisk LV2】
HP: 55/55
MP: 24/24
【Title】
「Loved by Spiders」
I remembered the title I had.
A title that prevented spiders from attacking first.
In other words, I was marked as a friendly lizard by these guys.
“Chio!”
They were waving their front legs around.
They were of different species but seemed to be getting along well.
I wish my neighbors could learn from you.
“Croak.”
I tried my best to communicate with them.
Meeting a non-hostile opponent was a rare occurrence.
“Croak croak!”
The slightly larger spider, Fus, came forward.
“Chi…”
It rubbed its belly.
“Chien…”
The venomous
fangs of Tus were also twitching.
Were they saying they were hungry?
I confirmed their status with Wild Eye earlier, so that must be it.
I glanced at the water beetle under my feet.
Fus jumped up and down.
“Chio!”
So you’re hungry.
I pushed the water beetle towards them without hesitation.
The two spiders stared blankly at it.
“Croak.”
Have you been deceived all your life?
It’s okay to eat.
“Chio!”
The big spider lunged at the water beetle first, followed by the small one.
Alright, eat up.
Nephila Jurassica, are you watching?
They’re not the same species, but at least I can repay you a bit.
I wasn’t the type of lizard to cry, but I felt tears welling up.
I wiped my eyes with my tail.
“Croak croak.”
Are you enjoying the food?
“Chio…”
The water beetle was being chewed up by the spiders.
Tus! Fus!
Smack!
I quickly subdued the water beetle with a swing of my tail.
“Chio…”
Tus and Fus, who narrowly escaped death, clung to each other and trembled.
…How have you survived here?