Maybe settling into my new home made me feel safe enough to doze off without realizing it. I woke up with a start when I felt vibrations traveling up the threads tied to my legs.
No pleasant "everything before was just a dream" — when I opened my eyes, a cave stretched out before me.
Well, yeah.
I knew that already.
I stretched my groggy body with a long yawn.
All eight legs unfurled with a rustle.
Even I thought it was gross.
Pulling myself together, I focused on the still-vibrating thread.
The end of the thread led to the lower web in the passage to my left.
Something had apparently gotten caught in it.
My first catch.
I crept closer carefully.
When I got close enough to see the web clearly, there was something with gaudy rainbow-colored spots tangled up in it, thrashing around.
'A Frog.' Yep.
It really was frog-shaped.
It was about the same size as me and glistened with an iridescent sheen, but it looked exactly like a frog.
This was the first Appraisal result from the Monster Appraisal that actually made sense to me — besides the one that called me a spider, that is.
A frog, huh.
Not a bad first catch, right?
They don't really eat them in Japan, but apparently they're a regular food source in some regions.
They supposedly taste like chicken and are easy to eat.
Considering I'll probably have to eat even weirder stuff to survive from here on out, this seems like a good starting point.
If I can't even manage this, I probably won't be able to eat anything else going forward.
If there's one problem, it's that this frog is obviously poisonous.
I mean, come on — with coloring that toxic-looking, there's no way it isn't venomous.
What should I do...
But while I was idly pondering that, the frog lashed out in a desperate counterattack!
It spat some kind of poisonous-looking liquid right at me from its mouth!
Ah, crap!
But I'd been completely off guard, and before I could even dodge, I caught the full blast of it right to the face.
Gaaaaah?!
Wh-what is this?!
It hurts, it hurts?!
Is it poison?!
It IS poison?!
Everywhere the liquid hit is burning like hell?!
Oh no?!
Here comes a second shot?!
Wait, wait?!
Gaaah?!
It hit again?!
Ow, seriously, this is no joke?!
Retreat, retreat!
I scrambled my tangled legs and somehow managed to get out of range.
Ugh.
That hurt so bad.
Is this what it feels like to get splashed with acid?
My body isn't melting, right?
I'm worried, but there's no mirror so I can't check.
Dammit.
I let my guard down.
Just because it was caught in my trap didn't mean I could relax — it was still a Monster.
A cornered rat will bite a cat.
Even a frog staring down a snake won't just let itself get eaten without a fight.
Well, at least it hurts but doesn't seem life-threatening.
The venom mostly hit my left side and my back.
Some must have gotten into my left eye too, because part of my vision is gone.
Hm?
My left eye is crushed but only part of my vision is missing?
Oh!
Could it be... because I'm a spider, I have more than two eyes?
That's probably it.
That's a new discovery.
But right now, who cares about that.
The pain just won't let up.
《Proficiency has reached a certain level. Skill『Acid Resistance LV1』acquired》 Whaaat?
The pain seems to ease just a little.
You can acquire Skills without paying Skill Points?
Huh?
Then what the hell were those 100 Points I spent on Appraisal for?
...Let's not think too hard about that.
Anyway, it looks like I've acquired a Skill called Acid Resistance.
The condition for acquiring it was probably getting hit by that frog's attack.
Hmm, but I didn't get the Skill right after being hit, so there might be other conditions involved.
The most likely candidate, given that it's called Proficiency, is that I took acid damage continuously for a while?
I'll think about it later.
Thanks to gaining the resistance, the pain improved considerably.
And once I wasn't in agony anymore, rage at that frog started boiling up inside me.
That frog — just some measly food — had the audacity to pick a fight with yours truly!
Unforgivable!
I've made my decision.
Doesn't matter if it's poisonous or not.
I'm going to eat it no matter what!
Once I've made up my mind, it's full speed ahead!
As long as I don't let my guard down, it's nothing more than a pitiful trapped prey!
The frog spits venom for a third time.
Hah! Once you know it's coming, dodging is easy!
I gracefully evaded the oncoming venom and charged straight at the frog.
Take this — my special move!
CHOMP!
A bite!
Ha ha ha!
Don't think of it as just a bite!
I'm a spider!
And these fangs are venomous!
It was the same when I produced silk, but this kind of information just comes to me naturally.
Hehehe, rot away from the poison and die!
*Ptoo, splat!* *Bleargh?!* It sprayed me with venom at point-blank range?!
It hurts, it hurts?!
It still hurts even with resistance!
I bit down so hard I yanked my fangs right out!
《Proficiency has reached a certain level. Skill『Poison Resistance LV1』has been upgraded to『Poison Resistance LV2』》 Oh, great.
But now's not the time for that!
This frog had splashed me with its foul venom not once, not twice, but three times!
That's it, I've had it!
I never had any intention of forgiving it to begin with, but still — absolutely unforgivable!
I unleashed another biting attack fueled by pure rage.
The frog writhed in agony.
Ha ha ha!
Suffer! Suffer more!
Feeling my bloodlust rise, I bit it again and again.
The frog thrashed and squirmed for a while, but gradually its movements weakened, and finally it gave up the ghost.
Phew.
Finally took it down.
If this is my first catch, I dread to think what comes next.
But I did it!
Time for the real thing — eating it!
Nom nom.
Slurp slurp.
Mmm, bitter, and it stings.
The bitter taste is probably the poison?
The stinging is probably from the acid?
Well, thanks to my resistances, I can at least stomach it.
But it sure isn't tasty.
《Proficiency has reached a certain level. Skill『Acid Resistance LV1』has been upgraded to『Acid Resistance LV2』》 It didn't taste good, but Skill-wise, it was delicious.