However, it really wasn't gold.
'So hard! It hurts!'
With a loud bang, a huge recoil shot from her teeth through her entire head. Kumoko felt her whole mouth go numb, to the point that she suspected her teeth would shatter if she used any more force.
The sudden pain made her cry out. The sound echoed through the dungeon, seemingly full of grievance and anger (at least in her own opinion).
'It's a scam! A complete scam! I've already turned into a spider, and I'm still getting tricked? That's too much~'
Without thinking, she smashed one of her front legs against the golden statue, trying to vent her frustration.
But there was another bang.
The statue was completely unharmed, while Kumoko felt as though she had punched tank armor. The pain made her roll around on the ground.
'It's really hard! What is this thing? It's way too hard!'
With tears in her eyes, Kumoko held her injured front leg. Her face was full of annoyance and helplessness.
After struggling with it for a long time, she finally gave up on the idea of breaking the golden statue through force. She sat down and started complaining.
'If it were food, that'd be one thing. But thinking about it seriously, even if someone gave me a huge pile of gold right now, I'm a spider monster. I couldn't use it anyway! Forget it! I'm going home!'
She stood up angrily and prepared to leave this place that she both loved and hated.
But after taking only a few steps, she could not help turning back.
The large chunk of gold shone in the darkness, as if some invisible force was pulling at her. The desires she still carried from being human (or so she believed) burned like a fire that refused to go out.
'Leaving such a huge pile of gold here is such a waste! Maybe it has some other use? Maybe this is a special kind of gold unique to another world? Maybe it's just different from the gold I knew before.'
Kumoko kept finding reasons for herself.
In the end, she could not resist the temptation of the gold and returned.
She circled the golden statue several times, her eyes darting around as she thought about how to bring this thing back.
'Hmm... It's so heavy. Carrying it will be difficult. I need a way.'
She scratched her head.
Then a thought struck her.
'That's it! I can wrap it in spider silk and drag it away. Hehe~ I'm so smart!'
Talking to herself as usual, Kumoko quickly got to work.
She spun tough silk from her abdomen and wrapped the golden statue layer after layer.
Then she dragged it all the way back near her "home."
She couldn't get it up onto her web, but... even just looking at it was pleasing.
———
Three days later, Kumoko returned from hunting in a particularly good mood.
She hummed to herself, making "chi chi chi" noises as she dragged her prey back.
But...
The gold that had stood out so clearly in the darkness was gone.
In its place was a boy covered in blood.
'Whoa~ Gold can turn into a person? Though he really does look badly hurt. If someone sees him, won't they think I killed him?'
Looking at the boy wrapped in bandages, she saw that some places had already been soaked through with blood. Through the gaps, she could vaguely see the wounds underneath.
Kumoko was startled and hurriedly backed away.
Her legs became so unsteady that she almost tripped herself.
However, she quickly calmed down and began pacing around the boy.
'What do I do? What do I do?'
Meanwhile, Ash was considering whether he should use Ubel's cutting magic to slice through all the spider silk.
But then the spider monster approached.
To his surprise, 'It bit the silk?'
[I'm just helping you out, okay? Don't get excited or anything. If you die later, don't blame me. It won't be my fault.]
Kumoko spoke through the silk while carefully pulling at it with her teeth and eating her own silk back.
Under her efforts, one layer after another came loose.
Ash gradually felt freedom returning to his body.
"Strange. Do spider monsters normally release people and then start some kind of hunting game? Or is it friendly toward humans?"
Ash genuinely could not understand the monsters of this world.
Without thinking, he reached out and touched the spider monster's forehead.
Directly reading its memories.
But... The only conclusion he could reach was that it was a strange spider monster.
(Her memories were being interfered with.)
Because what appeared in its memories was all sorts of bizarre scenes.
Its behavior was difficult to understand.
While hunting, it displayed intelligence beyond others of its kind.
Then every so often, it would do things that made no sense at all, like it was performing strange acrobatics.
To Ash...
Those actions were hard to describe.
Like a complete oddball that ignored all common sense.
Still, there was nothing he could do.
This form of memory reading did not include thoughts.
Otherwise, the amount of information would become absurd.
And if thoughts were included, they could easily affect the caster's mind.
After all, watching a movie and personally experiencing something were completely different.
People thought about far too many things every day.
If all those random thoughts were read as well, the amount of information would increase exponentially.
Especially since people often imagined all kinds of strange scenes in their heads.
A person's personality was basically made up of memories.
Monsters in particular were more animal-like beings.
If their thoughts were read as well and if those thoughts accidentally affected a person's mind, it would be a disaster.
That was why the mental magic itself deliberately excluded that part.
It only read what the target had seen and experienced.
Under normal circumstances, that should have been more than enough.
Normally, anyway.
While Ash was troubled by the spider monster's strange behavior, Kumoko quietly stretched out a front leg and lightly touched Ash's foot.
At the same time, she activated her Appraisal skill.
However, what appeared before her was: [Appraisal Failed]
'What is this? Appraisal failed? Come to think of it, when I appraised the gold before, it also failed! What's wrong with this guy? Can Appraisal not be used on humans?'
Confusion filled all eight of Kumoko's eyes.
She shook her head, trying to make sense of the strange result.
But no matter how much she thought about it, she got nowhere.
In the end, she gave up and rolled around on the ground, kicking up a little dust.
Watching Kumoko rolling around, Ash unconsciously crouched down and observed her.
'I don't know what kind of spider this is, but it's obviously very intelligent. And I can't sense any hostility from it at all.'
'I am harmless, kind and super cute too! Though if you die, I might want to take a bite... cough, let's not talk about that while you're still alive. Maybe we can work together. When you go back home, take me with you to eat something good!'
Having spent all her time eating poisonous monsters, to the point where she had started becoming interested in human flesh, Kumoko ultimately pushed that strange thought aside.
She waved both pairs of front legs nonstop while making "chi chi chi" sounds, trying to communicate her meaning to Ash.
"No hostility, but it does look a little scary."
As he spoke, he cautiously reached out and gently patted Kumoko's head.
"Hmm... It really doesn't bite."
'Ohhh! He understands me!'
For Kumoko, this was the first living being in this world that had not attacked her, rejected her, and had even shown her kindness.
Clearly, he had also been charmed by her cuteness and could not help petting her.
She was so moved she nearly cried.
She became so excited that she immediately jumped up.
Balancing on only her two rear legs, she twisted her body and performed what she considered a hot and sexy dance.
Of course, that was only her opinion.
To Ash, it looked like a strange spider shaking its large backside.
It was painful to watch.
So painful that he almost couldn't look.
'It seems that limiting yourself to one world really narrows your horizons. Today, I've seen something new...'
Though whether that was a good thing or a bad thing was another matter.
He could not help wondering whether the spider monster was courting him.
After all, it didn't look threatening.
Many animals and insects performed strange actions while courting.
Male peacocks spread their tails and constantly shook the feathers behind them.
Birds-of-paradise also performed strange dances.
Thinking of that, he could not help commenting, 'But humans and spiders are different species! You pervert! A spider actually likes humans? More importantly! I'm a man! Even if you're courting someone, you've got the wrong target, haven't you?'
As for why Ash assumed it was male, in nature, males were usually the ones that actively courted.
Whether it was peacocks showing off their tails or birds-of-paradise performing ridiculous dances, it was always the males.
Although he doubted spiders were extreme enough to court across species and genders, he had no other explanation for what it was doing.
Meanwhile, Kumoko grabbed his pant leg and enthusiastically invited him.
Kumoko: 'Come visit my home! I've got good stuff there!'
Ash: 'All this constant chirping. Maybe it isn't courting at all. Maybe it's dying and has children at home that it wants me to take care of? But I didn't see any children in its memories. Didn't it only hatch recently? Wait. How long does it even take for this kind of spider monster to have children?'
Looking at the spider that kept chirping and waving its front legs, Ash had no idea what it was trying to say.
It only reminded him of videos where stray cats or dogs led people somewhere to rescue their babies.
But after letting go of his pant leg, the spider did not leave.
Instead, it rolled over in front of him and exposed its round belly.
That gave him a rough idea.
The spider was probably trying to show that it meant no harm.
So he unconsciously crouched down and rubbed its belly.
But the moment he touched it, the spider scrambled away into the distance.
'N-no~! Pervert! C-creep! Touching a pretty girl's belly whenever you want! I'm calling the police! If you don't give me lots of good food and take responsibility, I'll really call the police!'
Kumoko had indeed thought about using that pose to show friendliness.
She had not expected him to immediately start touching her.
As she fled, she shook her head wildly and, with a bright red face (in her own opinion), condemned his shameless behavior.
Halfway through, however, she suddenly became confused.
'Ah, wait. No, I'm a pretty spider... no, that's not right. I'm a baby spider! That's it. Are you some kind of baby-spider-loving pervert?'
'What is with that reaction?'
Ash looked completely confused.
He had not expected that after arriving in another world, he would be baffled not by the world itself, but by a spider monster.
Still...
Since he could not figure it out, he stopped trying.
"Forget it, forget it. I'll go take a look outside first. See you later, little spider."
Out of caution toward this unfamiliar world, Ash did not float directly.
Instead, he used gravity magic to support his body, making himself light as he walked along the ground toward the outside.
When Kumoko saw him leaving, she immediately chased after him, chirping nonstop in hopes of making him stay.
But... He completely ignored her.
After only a few steps, the magic detection he had spread outward accidentally picked up quite a few powerful beings.
The strongest ones were concentrated at the deepest levels.
If he really wanted to deal with them, even in his current condition, he could.
But there was no reason to deliberately target them.
On the other hand, above them was a fortress surrounding the dungeon exit.
Yet the soldiers and mages guarding the entrance.
"So weak..."
He clicked his tongue.
"Even a slightly stronger ordinary demon could slaughter them all. Or even a human warrior with some skill would be beyond this level. Are the humans of this world extremely weak?"
He even began doubting the results of his magic detection.
But after investigating further, he discovered that the walls had no enchantments and no barriers.
Based on that alone, there was no way they could stop the monsters below.
Originally, he intended to leave Kumoko behind.
But since she kept following him, he found it difficult to reveal too much of himself.
For the moment, he decided to first sort out the situation.
After all, things here were strange.
Humans outside were very weak.
So why didn't the monsters underground leave?
Why willingly stay trapped below?
'Could there be some terrifying existence on the surface?'
One thing worth mentioning was...
The labyrinth was absurdly large.
It stretched far beyond the scale of a city and even exceeded the size of a country.
His magic detection could not fully cover it.
———
Kumoko had been born in the upper layer of the Great Elroe Labyrinth.
She was the child of a myth-level monster, the Queen Taratect.
However, the Queen Taratect had only come to the upper layer to lay eggs.
And she laid tens of thousands of them.
This species also reproduced asexually.
Or rather, it did not really reproduce at all.
The egg-laying skill was essentially just creating inferior clones of itself.
Very inferior clones.
That was why Kumoko, despite being the child of a myth-level Queen Taratect, was still so weak.
She was among the weakest spider monsters.
The Queen Taratect itself treated its children as snacks.
In some ways, it was similar to demons.
Born with parents alive, yet still an orphan.
The only difference was that both parents were the same individual.
Or the same spider.
As a result, after finally meeting a friendly person, and an emergency food reserve if necessary (crossed out), Kumoko could not help being especially enthusiastic.
She directly bit off a frog leg and offered it over.
'Here! I don't have much to treat you with, so try this. It tastes pretty good! The back legs especially have a nice chewiness! It's great!'
'Never thought a spider would treat me to food one day. But... can this frog really be eaten?'
Although Kumoko invited him enthusiastically, Ash looked at the blue-green frog.
It looked poisonous no matter how he viewed it.
It especially resembled a poison dart frog.
He really had trouble bringing himself to eat it.
Particularly because there were two holes in the leg where Kumoko's fangs had pierced through.
Even if the frog itself wasn't poisonous, there was probably spider venom inside now.
Of course, he was not afraid of poison.
He simply found it unpleasant on a physical level.
'If I think of it as bullfrog, maybe it'll taste pretty good?'
After some hesitation, Ash reached out and took the frog leg, which was about the size of a pig's hind leg and had been bitten off cleanly by Kumoko.
But eating it raw was hardly ideal.
He had the means to cook it.
With a wave of his hand, flames appeared and began roasting the frog leg.
'No way? You can make fire? It's fire! Real fire! If I had that, I wouldn't have to keep eating raw food anymore.'
To Kumoko, this scene was practically a miracle.
All eight eyes stared wide open, full of shock and excitement.
She jumped around energetically while making a string of loud chirping sounds.
Quickly biting off another piece of frog leg, she eagerly moved closer.
'I want some too! Let me roast mine too! I want to try human food.'
'What? Is the little spider afraid of fire? Is it trying to put the fire out with the frog leg? Well... animals are usually afraid of fire. Spider monsters seem to fear it too. But using something else to put it out, this really is a smart spider.'
Ash silently considered this while watching Kumoko's urgent behavior.
After observing her for a while, he smiled and nodded.
Then, to avoid frightening her, he quietly turned around and continued roasting the frog leg with his back facing her.
Leaving her behind entirely.
'W-wait! Roast some for me too! I want cooked meat too!'
Kumoko wailed while quickly running around to his other side, trying to approach the fire again.
This only left Ash puzzled.
He could not understand why the monster was so determined to extinguish the fire.
Forced to keep turning, he never allowed Kumoko to get close.
Thus Kumoko ran circles around him, trying to find an opportunity.
Before long...
Ash was perfectly fine.
Kumoko, on the other hand, became dizzy from all the spinning.
Her small body could not keep up.
She collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily and complaining nonstop.
'How strange... Why is someone who looks half dead from injuries spinning around faster than me? Are all humans in this world monsters?'
"Finally gave up?"
Ash shook his head helplessly.
"Honestly, you're way too mischievous."
Looking around, he could not find a suitable place to sit.
Then he noticed Kumoko lying on the ground.
An idea came to him.
He simply sat down on her back.
"Chi! Chi!"
Kumoko cried out under the sudden weight.
She struggled desperately, trying to throw him off.
'This is too much! Not only won't you roast meat for me, now you're using me as a chair! Don't stop treating spiders like people! Though I guess I'm not actually a person!'
She waved her front legs nonstop in protest against this abuse.
'What's this? Even now, it still doesn't bite?'
Ash was only testing her. He wasn't really putting much weight on her.
Satisfied, he nodded and casually took a bite of the frog leg.
The result, burned on the outside. Burned on the inside as well.
His mouth filled with a strange fishy taste and an indescribable bitterness, like several terrible flavors mixed together.
Unless absolutely necessary, he really did not want to eat it.
He immediately turned his head and spat it out behind Kumoko.
Then, following the principle of not wasting food, he handed the frog leg to her.
"Give it a try. If you're a monster, you can probably eat it."
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