3. There was a time I thought identification was a cheat skill.

I am a spider.

I have no name yet.

Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?

I just said that because I apparently don’t have a name.

What am I talking about?

To explain that, I need to look back a little further.

***************

I stared at my own size and froze.

Isn’t that right?

The shock of being reborn as a spider was bad enough—but now I’m a monster, too.

This is devastating.

Some people might despair completely and take their own lives over something like this.

I don’t plan to die, though.

Still, I can’t stay down forever.

If this is another world, not Earth, then the dangers are unknown.

There’s no guarantee that no other abominations like that giant spider exist.

That giant spider—judging by my size, it’s probably thirty meters long…

Can humans even handle something like that?

All I can do is pray the people who left those footprints never encounter it.

Ah, but if they had heavy weapons, that might change things.

And then there’s magic—common in fantasy worlds—maybe it exists here too.

If so, perhaps I could resist that giant spider to some degree.

Unknown.

But I’m certain it’s a boss-level enemy.

In fact, it must be—otherwise, I won’t survive what comes next.

I’ve been thinking as if humans were fighting that giant spider, but… isn’t that dangerously wrong?

After all, right now, I’m probably—definitely—a child of that spider.

A monster’s hatchling.

Ah, yeah.

Not the time to joke.

What if… when I meet a human, they just kill me on sight?

It's possible, you know.

The likelihood of that is high.

What should I do.

Desired information from humans—yet discovery by humans may result in death.

Hmph.

It won't work.

Too little information. Too many unknowns.

What kind of world this world is.

What kind of people are there in this world.

What fate awaits a monster like me in this world.

There are countless things I wish to know, but no means to learn them.

Ah, if only I could gather information like in novels—using a鉴定 skill right now.

Current skill point total: 100.

The skill 'Scouting LV1' can be acquired by spending 100 skill points.

Will you acquire it?

…Seriously?

A mechanical voice suddenly rang out inside the mind.

So, is that how it is.

Is there?

There is a鉴定 skill, then!

Fhyyoi!

The tension is rising!

This is starting to feel like a transmigration story, isn't it?

The answer is, of course, YES!

[Acquired Skill: 'Identification LV1'. Remaining Skill Points: 0]

Skill Points appear to have been entirely expended. But such points will surely increase upon level-up. No need to concern oneself with that now.

S—o—m—e—t—h—i—n—g—m—o—r—e—!

For now, the priority is using the long-awaited Identification Skill to examine various items!

…How exactly does one use it?

Hmm, well, first, as per standard procedure, focus on a random stone lying nearby and mentally command: 'Identification'.

Mmmmm!

A sensation of success!

Information flows smoothly into the mind.

[Stone]

………Hm?

Wait?

Just that?

No, no, no.

That can't be right.

It's my first time. I must have failed.

Try again.

[Stone]

………Hm?

Could it really be just that?

No, no, no, no.

This stone must be worthless—truly just a pebble with no informational value!

I'll try鉴定ing the wall this time.

Perhaps I can learn what kind of place this is.

If I could find out it's something like the Cave of XXX, with a name and description, that would ease my mind considerably.

『Wall』

……………

I will say nothing more.

I should have considered the significance of the 'LV1' designation more carefully.

It means the effect is nearly useless at LV1.

Perhaps raising the level would help—but I've already spent all my skill points.

Wah!

What a wasteful use of my resources!

I don't know what other skills existed, but maybe there was a skill at LV1 that could have been more useful!

No—this time, think differently.

If this is what鉴定 yields, then other skills at LV1 probably produced nothing more than negligible effects.

That's right. That's what I must believe.

Otherwise, I can't go on.

Hah...

Nothing at all.

Might as well鉴定 myself while I'm at it.

『Spider

Name: None』

Hm?

A spider was expected, but no name?

***********************

And so, we return to the beginning.

Name: None.

Perhaps it means that while I had a name in my previous life, this spider form has no name in the present.

Set aside the useless鉴定 skill for now.

In fact, the鉴定 skill has only added more mysteries.

Skill Points.

Likely, accumulating these points allows acquisition of new skills.

But the method of accumulation remains unknown.

If this world has a level system, then leveling up would likely grant points.

Assuming it exists, of course.

Levels, skills, points—this world feels like a game.

Then again, isn't that how it should be?

I’m already a monster, a spider, after all.

I can’t live a proper life—no, wait, I’m a spider, so it’s not life, it’s spider existence.

Regardless, if this world is like a game and I was born a spider, then I’ll live as a spider should—play the game, enjoy it, live with humor and lightness.

For now, though, I’m hungry.