Kumodesu

Good morning.

Another new day begins, and I'm thinking about what to do next.

For the past week, I've been busy grinding skill levels and studying the language, so now I want to switch gears and try something different.

But to optimize my time, I still keep [Scan] activated while doing other things. The pain isn't a problem anymore. If the headaches get too intense, I just take a short break.

Hmm…

I think I'll continue reading the rest of the books here. I was never really into reading, but I have to admit, human books are surprisingly interesting.

The more I read, the more eager I get to go outside and experience this new world for myself.

But this body of mine is going to be a problem...

I really hope I can evolve into a humanoid form one day.

For now, I'll just enjoy life as a female spider.

It's been over ten days since I started staying in this room.

I remember there's still a temple at the far back, but I haven't planned on entering it yet. The reason is, when I tried using a skill to investigate, I couldn't reach it at all—even though I could see it clearly with my eyes.

Something is blocking my detection.

That makes me feel pretty uneasy, so I decided to search the books here for any clues about this place first.

Oh, I just remembered—I once found a journal in the small house far away, but back then I couldn't read, so I didn't bring it with me.

If that's the journal of someone who used to live here, maybe it contains some new clues?

Damn it.

I'll have to go back and get it.

But I don't really want to go outside.

After hesitating for a while, I decided to stay here and search for clues first, then go out later.

And so I resumed reading.

There aren't that many books here—maybe around a hundred—but they cover a wide variety of topics and have been extremely helpful to me.

My reading speed is really fast now, so I've already finished about a third of the books in no time.

Among them, there's one book that really caught my interest.

<>

<>

This guy again.

Looks like he's traveled to a lot of places to be able to write this.

Thanks to this book, I've learned a lot about the outside world, which will be useful for my future journeys.

The first part of the book is about this massive dungeon:

"The Great Dungeon Elbriant is the largest known dungeon to date. It connects four vast territories: the Mesa Continent to the north, which includes the Kingdom of Lubberia, the Empire of Garat, and the small nation of Astyl. To the west lies the barren Samara Desert, followed by Ryokuya, the world's largest forest—home to most beastmen and various other creatures.

Moving further southwest is the Holy Land of Alabat, home of the Aeons Holy Kingdom. In contrast to its radiant image, the southeast holds the Black Continent, rife with disasters.

Finally, to the east is the Litis Sea, where the infamous 'Island of the Dead' is located, also serving as the gateway to the Calm Sea Region."

Just from that paragraph, I've learned the rough layout of all the major powers.

But what caught my eye most were the "Island of the Dead" and the "Aeons Holy Kingdom."

Aeons… I guess that's the name of the goddess who gave me that compensation gift?

Well, it makes sense. If she's a goddess, of course she'd have worshippers.

Oh, wait—didn't I receive the title [Apostle of the Goddess] at some point?

Aaaa, nai wa~

I don't want to become a worshipper!

Just because she gave me a gift doesn't mean I have to start praying to her.

I'll have to ask her to remove the title if we meet again. But wouldn't that be kind of rude?

Maybe I'll do something to repay her so we're even.

I kept reading the book.

"The Great Dungeon Ebrinat is divided into many floors. The exact number is unknown, as humans have only reached the 69th floor so far.

Most of the dungeon consists of rocky cave terrain, but every five floors there's a unique layer with a drastically different environment, which humans call 'Strange Floors.'

Based on observations, these floors seem to mimic various regions of the outside world."

Ah, so that's why this floor is so different.

According to my scans, this is indeed the fifth floor—exactly what the book says.

Oh, there's more information about the differences in these Strange Floors.

"Strange Floor No. 1 – Spirit Forest. Special creatures: Spirits.

These are peculiar beings without fixed forms, capable of shapeshifting. They're invisible to the naked eye and require special skills to be seen.

Some say Spirits originate from a Great Spirit deep within the Ryokuya Forest, but no one has confirmed it. Normally, they won't attack other creatures, but that doesn't mean you can approach them carelessly.

Despite their friendly appearance, Spirits are believed to be extremely cruel and intelligent. They gain your trust first, then slowly torment their victims. Their power lies in mental attacks—such as mind control, enchantment, seduction, etc.

Spirits are dangerous, but they have a major weakness: if a creature is immune to mental attacks, they become nearly harmless. Additionally, Spirits need to hibernate periodically to restore themselves, so sometimes the Spirit Forest is completely empty. The duration of this sleep varies depending on each Spirit."

Nai wa!

So that's the reason.

No wonder I haven't seen a single Spirit since arriving here.

They're all sleeping.

Wait.

That means… they could wake up at any time?

Danger, danger!

Oh, but wait—

The book says if you're immune to mental attacks, you'll be fine.

But I don't think my skills are quite there yet...

If I remember correctly, my [Soul Attack Resistance] is already level eight.

In that case, I shouldn't be in too much danger—even if I get attacked, I won't immediately fall victim.

Thank goodness I found this book.

Aside from this special floor, the book also describes many other Strange Floors, but I skipped over them for now and turned to the later chapters.

I'm more interested in the outside world.

So I flipped to the section about the Mesa Continent.

"Mesa Continent—one of the most peaceful lands, at least in terms of natural geography. Covered mostly in grasslands, forests, and hills, it's the most suitable place for human habitation.

It's famous for the Mesacti Mountains, tied to legends about dragons. All creatures instinctively avoid that area.

This is also considered one of the safest places as it contains no so-called 'Forbidden Zones.' However, it's also the site of fierce conflict between two powerful nations: the Kingdom of Lubberia and the Empire of Garat.

The Mesa Continent is home to many races, with the Elves being especially noteworthy due to their innate magic talent—often making them targets in territorial disputes."

The rest was a long history lesson, so I skipped it.

Looks like my future goal is to reach this place.

The book's description makes it sound perfect for settling down.

As for the human conflicts—whatever. I'm a spider.

But the other races…

Elves, huh...?

I tried to picture them in my mind.

Pale white skin, long alluring ears, and perfect body proportions...

Mmm, definitely tasty.

Wait, wait!

What the hell am I thinking?!

I quickly shook my head to clear it.

Oh, and just now the book mentioned "Forbidden Zones." What are those?

I looked around for more info and eventually found it.

"Forbidden Zones refer to areas extremely dangerous to humans.

Entering them usually results in death for most. These areas carry curses or are guarded by savage beasts. Known Forbidden Zones include: Eona Ruins, Elynas Abyss, Calm Sea Region, Black Continent, and Ryokuya Forest."

Oh, I've seen some of those places mentioned earlier in the book too.

So these places are that dangerous?

Wait, the book says they're dangerous for humans.

So maybe other species can enter safely?

Alright, I'll add them to my future travel list.

For some reason, I feel like something's waiting for me in one of those places.

But of course—I'll only go when I'm strong enough.

I cleared my thoughts and turned to the next section—Litis Sea.

"It's said the Litis Sea was formed from the tears of Sea God Litis, mourning the fall of their beloved.

Thus, the creatures living there are far more powerful than those in other regions. The seawater has a hint of sweetness mixed with the salt.

It's considered the second most dangerous region due to the presence of two Forbidden Zones—including one marked as a 'Special Forbidden Zone'—making it extremely perilous to humans.

Even so, the sea contains countless treasures left behind by the ancient Sea War, attracting many adventurers each year. The creatures here all descend from the Sea God and rarely fight each other, making it relatively peaceful.

However, they deeply resent any outsider entering their waters, often leading to shipwrecks caused by sudden attacks."

A mythological tale, huh?

That intro was actually pretty interesting.

But now there's a new term—"Special Forbidden Zone"?

Why does this book keep introducing more and more concepts?!

I wanted to look into that, but I suddenly remembered I had something more urgent to do.

I stopped reading.

The part about the fifth floor made me feel unsafe, so I had something I needed to take care of quickly.

I went to the storage room, grabbed a few pieces of meat wrapped in my silk, and headed out.

This time, my goal was to return to that house and check the journal.

Once I got to the surface, I instinctively turned toward the large plaza—or at least what I assumed was a plaza.

For some reason, I shivered.

I need to hurry.

I used my fastest speed and soon arrived at the house.

I went down to the basement, found the room.

The journal was in my hands, but I didn't read it yet. I returned to my temporary "home."

Even though the village felt a bit dangerous, there was just too much valuable stuff here.

Bringing it all out would take too long, and I'm not sure how much time I have left.

Once I returned, I felt slightly relieved—then I began reading the diary.