Spider 49:
Karada: "This is ridiculous!"
I know, right? Monsters hiding in the magma and everything else running away from us.
Majikku: I know we want to level up [Intimidation], but maybe we should turn it off just to reduce the range of Fear we are producing?
Yeah, we should do that the next time we spot a Monster.
Then sneak up as closely as we can before rushing them down before they can escape.
Karada: That reminds me of those metal slimes that give a lot of exp.
Or any other rare enemy in rpgs that gives a lot of exp and/or loot but tends to run away from players.
Majikku: Except we don't get a lot of Experience from the Monsters here.
Karada: What is it? One more Evolution and LV50? At the rate we're going, we will die of old age first!
Doesn't help that more Experience is needed for a level up the higher our Level is.
Majikku: Actually, what is our life span now?
Oh, Wisdom-sama doesn't have that kind of info for us unfortunately.
Karada: I know it's bad to be cocky, but are we too powerful now?
Yeah, we are probably more in line with the strength of your average Lower Stratum Monsters now.
Majikku: You think we can take on That?
Me & Karada: What!? No!
The purple Earth Dragon had around 3000 HP from when we managed to appraise it.
If it is safe to assume Earth Dragons' Stats are well-rounded and geared towards Defence, then we don't stand a chance.
Karada: And why did you have to bring up our trauma again?! Nai wa!
Majikku: I know, I know, I just want to get over said trauma.
Just thinking about it makes me want to sit in a corner and cry.
...Eh!?
Karada: What is it?
Majikku: How bad is it?
I sense a shaft that connects the Upper, Middle and Lower Stratum over there.
Majikku: Oh, we can get to the Upper Stratum with this!
Karada: Finally! I am so excited!
Oh, I wouldn't be if I were you.
[Danger Perception] is going haywire from just one pressense coming down from above.
Karada: Oh...shit...
Majikku: Well...I still say we at least check out what the danger is.
Um, sure, we will get the hole in our line of sight and peek in with [Telescopic Sight] from as far as we can.
Karada: Sounds like a plan, better than getting any closer to it.
And we did just that, hiding behind a rock from afar, peering into the shaft.
The shaft is now out of [Detection] range, so I can't sense the danger in there anymore.
Then we saw it, eight giant eyes, eight giant legs, a gigantic spider is slowly making its way down the shaft.
Majikku: Is that Mother!?
Karada: The one that tried to eat us!? Nai wa!
Why do I get the feeling that even That doesn't stand a chance against Mother?
She is outside of Wisdom-sama's [Appraisal] range too so it can't tell us how strong she is, but the immense danger I felt from before was definitely from her.
Karada: Don't let curiosity kill the cat!
Majikku: Hey look! Another Fire Wyrm.
This one looks bigger, maybe an evolved Fire Wyrm, a Fire Dragon even.
Karada: And it got an army of Monsters with it too...Wait, are they challenging Mother?
Majikku: The Fire Dragon and Mother are staring each other down. What's this? A movie about kaijus battling each other?
Except it's in real life, and it's happening right in front of us.
Karada: Scary...
Majikku: Please don't shit yourself again.
Then Mother's fangs open and the world trembles.
Karada: What the heck!? Why is there an earthquake!?
Majikku: Was the battle that intense!?
We got up on our feet and saw a freshly made huge crater where the Fire Dragon and its army once stood.
Karada: Between Mother and That, do super strong Monsters have a habit of making craters?
Maybe we'll understand when we're older and strong enough to do the same?
Majikku: Ha ha ha...Hilarious, totally not terrifying at all.
Magma slowly flows into the new crater and Mother continues on her way down the shaft.
Majikku: Isn't she too powerful to be an Upper Stratum Monster?
I think it's more likely that she went to the Upper Stratum to lay eggs, and she normally lives in the Lower Stratum or even the Bottom Stratum.
Karada: Makes sense, her offsprings are small and lesser, they won't survive down in the lower floors.
Majikku: The fact that something that insanely strong gives birth to the smallest of fries is mind boggling.
Karada: Yeah! Why can't Mother pass that strength down to her children?! We would have a much easier time if she did!
But then the family feuds would get pretty destructive, I mean, these spiders are willing to eat each other, so I can't imagine anything but the labyrinth collapsing from the battles between super strong Monsters.
Karada: Yeah, ha ha ha...how scary...
Majikku: Hey, looks like Mother is gone.
Not that we are brave enough to use the shaft now.
Karada: Oh no, now I am remembering the shaft we fell down in.
First the bees, then That.
I want nothing to do with shafts ever again!
Karada: Can we just hide here for a while, I need a break.
Agree, let's call it a day and rest here.
Majikku: Hate to admit it, but yeah, good idea.
Divine Voice: "Proficiency has reached the required level.
Skill [Fear Resistance LV7] has become [Fear Resistance LV8].
Proficiency has reached the required level.
Skill [Stealth LV8] has become [Stealth LV9]."
Good night, sisters.
Karada & Majikku: Good night, sis.
Although we planned to sleep, we couldn't actually fall asleep out of fear.
So we just ended up laying there for what felt like an hour.
Then something popped out of the new magma pool.
It's the Fire Dragon from before, it survived!
Karada: What!? I thought no one could have survived that blast! How strong is this thing?!
Majikku: Hey, is it just me or is it looking in our direction?
Eh!? It is! It's locked onto us! It's walking towards us!
Karada: Why!? Is it angry with us?!
It just got into [Detection] range and yes, it is mad according to [Reaction Perception]!
And it's super strong too!
Majikku: But why us!? We have nothing to do with what happened!
Well, it is our Mother who did this so we aren't entirely unrelated.
Karada: Hey smartasses! Stop thinking stupid things and focus on the Fire Dragon coming our way to send us six feet under!
Majikku: Do you even need to ask for orders?! Let's bolt already!
We ran but the Fire Dragon started chasing us as soon as we did.
It's catching up! It has better Speed than us!
Karada: "What!? Nai wa!"
Majikku: Then we will just have to escape with Shadow Sneak! Take a deep breath!
Majikku prepares [Shadow Magic] while Karada sucks in as much air as she can.
Gotta time it right so the Fire Dragon doesn't notice.
Majikku: I know! Just remember to turn [Intimidation] off at the same time!
Just as the Fire Dragon catches up to us, Majikku uses [Shadow Surface] to create a shadow despite the light, [Large Shadow] to enlarge it enough for us to fit in and [Shadow Sink] for us to fall into the shadow space.
At the same time, I turn [Intimidation] off to further reduce our presence.
There is no air in shadow space, which is why Karada had to gather as much air as she could for us to stay here for as long as possible.
We should be hiding in the Fire Dragon's shadow now, and sure enough, I can tell from [Detection] that the Fire Dragon is confused by our disappearance.
Karada: Now we just have to wait for it to go away, right?
Majikku: More or less, but man, how unfair is it that the Fire Dragon has to take its frustration out on us!
It's lucky we are not as strong as Mother, we would have murdered his ass for this attempt on our lives otherwise.
...Oh shit! It's looking at where we are hiding in its shadow!
It has [Pressense Perception]! Our [Stealth] Skill isn't good enough to hide us from it!
Majikku: Nani!?
Karada: Nai wa!
I guess we have no choice but to fight again then!
Majikku: No way in hell we are dying just because you're pissed off! Nai wa!
Karada: Yeah! Let's throw down! You son of a bitch!
And so, another life or death battle begins.