Chapter 2

Gahhhhh!

I wanted to scream, but I couldn't even make a groan.

Does this mean my current physical condition is this bad?

Okay, I need to stay calm.

There's no pain in my body.

I remember feeling a sudden sharp pain during the ancient literature class.

I probably fainted from that pain, but now I don't feel any pain at all.

However, when I opened my eyes, all I could see was darkness, and I had no idea where I was.

No, it feels more like my body is covered by something, making me unable to move.

This isn't just my imagination; I seem to be wrapped in some kind of mysterious object that has a subtle elasticity but is also quite hard.

I hear a faint rustling sound from outside.

Huh? What's going on? Kidnapped?

No, no, no…

Who would want to kidnap a girl like me, who no one cares about?

Although I'm full of questions, my priority should be to escape.

I hear a "snap."

Oh, I just used a little force, and the mysterious object covering me started to break.

Great, I'll break this thing and escape!

I continued to struggle and successfully made a hole. I crawled out of it. Now I'm free!

In front of me, there's a large group of constantly moving spiders.

What the heck! Hold on! This is disgusting!

What's with this army of giant spiders? Each one is about my size! Wait? They're still crawling out of egg-like things! So the rustling sound I heard earlier was this!

I couldn't help but take a step back. My foot accidentally hit something, and I turned to look.

Huh?

What is this...? The thing I just crawled out of? It looks a bit like the eggs of the spider army... Is this my imagination? No, it's not just similar; it's exactly the same.

I looked at my body again. My neck can't turn, but I can still see something that looks like my legs in the corner of my vision.

...Those are spider legs.

Oh oh oh oh oh I I I I need to stay calm────!

Is this... Is this it? It is! The most popular thing on the internet right now!

No, no, no!

It can't be, right? Please tell me it's not!

I glanced to the side again. There was a leg, just like the ones on the spiders scurrying around, thin and wire-like.

I tried to move that leg, and it moved as I intended.

Hmm. In that case, I have no choice but to accept it.

It seems I've been reincarnated as a spider.

I can't accept it.

But I don't even have time to be confused, as I hear a "snap snap" sound. This sound sounds dangerous.

Hmm.

I can't avoid reality. In front of me is probably my spider siblings. If there's a sound, it must be coming from them.

I quietly shifted my gaze forward and saw a spider eating its own kind.

Oh no! What are these guys doing! Wait? Eating their own kind? Are they cannibals?

No, no, no, no! This isn't right!

Why do siblings have to kill each other? Ah, is it for food? They must be hungry, right? I'm pretty hungry too…

Ah! No, no.

I can't just daydream. If I'm in this battlefield, a weak high school girl like me will soon be attacked by the males' venomous fangs! This isn't a metaphor; it's literal!

In this situation, the best strategy is to run away.

Fight? Impossible.

I'm a genuine member of the After-School Club; there's no way I can fight those violent and disgusting monsters. Ah, I look just like them now.

Hmm.

If I have time to daydream, I should take the chance to escape. Although I thought so, it seems I was a bit too late. A "thud" echoed from behind. What's happening now? The sound and vibration came from behind. I turned to look and saw a super-large spider that I had to look up to see.

Oh, is it Mom or Dad?

No, no.

My head is getting confused again. But isn't this spider too big! It must be dozens of times larger than me.

If my memory serves, there are no such large spiders on Earth.

Ah.

The giant spider was using its legs to skewer and eat the smaller spiders.

It felt like it was eating snacks.

Mom... Even you are so cruel...!

I'll think about it later. For now, I need to find a way to escape safely and survive!

I ran at full speed until I was too exhausted to move and finally calmed down. Even when I turned to look behind, I couldn't see anyone chasing me.

Sigh... I thought I was going to die. Dying right after being born is no fun at all.

Okay, now that I've relaxed, let's think about a few questions.

First, why did I die?

No, thinking about it, I just assumed I had died.

Although I assumed I was reincarnated as a spider after death, I don't have any memory of dying.

My last memory is of the teacher, nicknamed "Okasan," reading ancient literature. I was dozing off but suddenly felt a sharp pain, and then I don't remember anything else.

If I really died, it was probably because of that pain…

After all, I can't even think of the cause of that pain.

The most likely scenario is that I did indeed die at that time and was reincarnated as a spider.

Another possibility is that I didn't die, but my soul possessed a spider's body.

My original body might be lying in a hospital bed, in a vegetative state.

If I think more imaginatively, I might just be a stranger with my memories.

The real me might be sitting in class, listening attentively.

Hmm…

Once I start thinking this way, there's no end. After all, there's no way to prove that I'm not me.

Because I am me, so I am me. Even saying this sounds absurd.

Besides, when something as imaginative as reincarnation becomes the most likely scenario, it's time to throw away common sense.

Anyway, let's put this question aside for now.

I think, therefore I am. I will assume I am me and try to survive.

Therefore, I can't deny the fact that I am a spider now.

Because when I was busy escaping, I could perform exaggerated jumping movements that humans can't do.

But if I'm a spider, what was that super-large spider I saw earlier?

Hmm…

From the situation, it might really be my mother or father. Although I'm not very familiar with spider ecology, parents who eat their children are not uncommon in nature. After all, they start cannibalizing from birth, so it's not surprising that parents might eat their children.

If that super-large spider is my parent, does it mean I will grow that big someday?

Just thinking about it makes me feel a bit nauseous.

Ah… No, no, I need to get my thoughts back on track.

In short, there's only one thing I'm concerned about.

That is, have I become a monster?

Although reincarnation is a major theme in web novels, there's a more specific type of reincarnation story.

That is, monster reincarnation.

Was I reincarnated as a common spider on Earth, or is this a different world, and I was reincarnated as an unusual spider?

Although I don't think the super-large spider I saw earlier was a common spider, if that's the case, my chances of survival seem even lower.

No. There's not enough information, and there are too many things I don't understand.

Is this Earth? Am I a monster or a common spider? If this is a different world, what kind of world is it?

There are so many things I want to know, but I have no way to get the answers.

Ah… I remember that in such situations, characters in novels usually use an identification skill to gather information.

《You currently have 100 skill points. You can use 100 skill points to obtain the skill 'Identification LV1.' Do you want to obtain it?》

What! Huh…? Is this real? A mechanical, emotionless voice suddenly echoed in my head, making me jump. And I was shocked twice.

The first time was from the voice itself.

The second time was from the realization that skills actually exist.

There are no such things as skills on Earth, nor do you hear such mechanical voices.

In other words, this isn't Earth, is it? It's very likely.

In that case, the theory that I'm a monster becomes more plausible.

Although…

I feel like becoming a monster in a different world is a death flag, but I shouldn't think too much about it for now.

After all, the identification skill really exists! Yay! I'm getting excited! The situation is finally starting to feel like a reincarnation in a different world! The answer is definitely yes!

《You have successfully obtained 'Identification LV1.' Remaining skill points: 0.》

Although I used up all my skill points at once, let's not worry about that for now.

Compared to! Such! Small! Things!

Let's use the newly obtained identification skill to investigate everything!

I picked up a random stone on the ground and silently thought, "Identify."

It seems to have worked! Information quickly entered my mind.

〈Stone〉

……Hmm? Huh? Is that it?

No, no…

This can't be. It must have failed because it was my first time using the skill. Let me try again.

〈Stone〉

……Huh? Is that really all?

No, no, no…

It must be because this stone has no value to investigate; it's just a regular stone! Let me try identifying the wall. Maybe I can find out what kind of place this is. If I can get a name and description like "○○ Cave," it would be a relief.

〈Wall〉

……I'm too tired to comment.

I need to think about what the "LV1" in "Identification LV1" means.

In other words, LV1 can only provide almost useless information, right?

Maybe I can solve this problem by leveling up, but I've already used all my skill points…

Oh no! Why did I do such a wasteful thing!

Although I don't know what other skills are available, there might be other more useful LV1 skills!

No, in this case, I need to think positively. Since the identification skill is so useless, the other LV1 skills must also be useless. Thinking this way is better; otherwise, I can't handle it.

Sigh… I can't accept…

Let me identify myself.

〈Spider Nameless〉

Hmm? I knew I would be a spider, but what does "Nameless" mean?

I'm a spider but don't have a name, right?

Hmm… Although I remember my name from my previous life, I don't have a name as a spider now, do I?

Anyway, let's forget about this useless identification skill. However, because of this skill, I have more questions.

That is, the skill points I used to obtain the identification skill. I think if I can earn these points, I can obtain new skills. However, I don't know how to earn these points.

With levels, skills, and points… This world feels like a game.

Well, it seems interesting, so I don't really mind.

Although I'm not sure if I have the mood to enjoy it…

Anyway, I'm hungry.

Staying in one place isn't a solution, so I should go to other places to find food.

I just wanted to take a walk, but this cave is huge!

Although it's relative to my current size, the ceiling is so high I have to look up, and the width is also impressive.

Thanks to the protruding rocks, it feels a bit messy, but it's still a very spacious cave. The cave's paths also branch out in several directions.

I climbed onto a rock of about the same size and peeked down the path. I saw something…! There were a bunch of strange creatures that looked like monsters just by their appearance.

〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Deer〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Bat〉〈Wolf〉〈Wolf〉〈Wolf〉〈Wolf〉〈Wolf〉〈Wolf〉…

Ow… My head hurts! Maybe because the information from the identification flooded my brain, it hurts like crazy.

However, although they are called deer and look a bit like deer, the deer I know don't have glowing horns like famous swords. The bats flying in the air are more like ugly rodents with demon wings. In comparison, the wolves seem normal… but then I noticed they have six legs…

Cross this path? I can't do it. Don't push a newborn spider too hard; this difficulty is insane.

I quietly climbed down the rock.

Ah~ There are monsters~ This isn't Earth~

Also, if those deer and wolves are the same size as those on Earth…

Don't think about it! Don't think about it anymore!

Okay, what should I do next?

There's a monster castle ahead, and a spider hell behind. Wait, am I in a dead end?

No, wait, I need to stay calm.

I anticipated this might happen and prepared a solution.

But this solution isn't anything special; it's just finding another path. Because this path is so large, the other smaller path isn't very noticeable. That path looks like a small hole in the wall, but it's still about three meters high and wide, so it's not hard to pass through.

Anyway, I'll keep exploring with the goal of finding food. It would be best to find an exit from this cave.

Now that I've made up my mind, let's go!

Although I started off with high spirits, I accidentally got lost.

Uh… Can I repeat this? This cave is really huge! Hey, what's with this super-large maze?

The paths have been branching out non-stop since I started.

The number of branches? I gave up counting after ten.

I also encountered a bunch of monsters. Because I had to run every time I met a monster, I lost track of which path I was on.

Sigh… I can't accept…

To clear this maze, I need a map. Now isn't the time to look for an exit.

Also, I found something significant.

The thing left on the ground… It's human footprints.

There are clear human footprints on the ground. In other words, humans have been here. This means humans exist in this world. The existence of humans is somewhat touching.

However, I also found something a bit… no, quite bad.

My body is much larger than the human footprints.

If I compare myself to the owners of these footprints, my body length is probably about one meter…

No, these must be the footprints of dwarves.

It must be. Hahaha!

This can't be… It's impossible.

Sigh… Hmm.

I had a vague feeling when I saw the super-large spider. Now, no matter how I look at it, I'm a monster! Thank goodness!

Sigh… Although I didn't want to face it, I can't avoid this undeniable fact.

The shock of being reincarnated as a spider is already huge, and now I'm a monster.

This is really depressing. Some people might even despair to the point of suicide. However, I'm not depressed to the point of wanting to die. Ah, but I can't stay depressed forever.

If this isn't Earth but a different world, there's no telling what dangers might be out there. There's no guarantee that there won't be other terrifying monsters like that super-large spider. If I estimate based on my size, that super-large spider is probably about thirty meters long…

Can humans defeat such a monster? No way. No matter how you look at it, it's a boss-level monster, right?

Speaking of which, could I be the child of that boss-level monster?

That doesn't sound good.

Although the answer is already clear, will I be killed as soon as I meet a human?

It's possible… No, it's very likely.

I suddenly saw something lying next to the footprints.

What is it?

Curious, I looked closely and saw a dismembered spider corpse.

Ah, it's a spider of the same species as me…

It's dismembered so neatly. This must be the work of humans.

This is the worst-case scenario!

If I'm discovered by humans, I'll definitely be killed!