41 Achieved at last—level up!
When I had hunted who knew how many stray creatures, the voice came.
《Experience points have reached threshold. Individual, Small Talatect, leveled from LV2 to LV3.》
《Base stats have increased.》
《Skill proficiency level-up bonus acquired.》
《Proficiency has reached threshold. Skill 'Powerful LV1' upgraded to 'Powerful LV2'.》
《Proficiency has reached threshold. Skill 'Sturdy LV1' upgraded to 'Sturdy LV2'.》
《Proficiency has reached threshold. Skill 'Gluttony LV1' upgraded to 'Gluttony LV2'.》
《Skill points acquired.》
The long-awaited moment of level up had arrived.
My body’s skin peeled away with a dry rustle.
The large hole in my back sealed itself with a sensation impossible to describe.
[Skill Level Reached. Acquired Skill: 'HP Auto-Recovery LV1']
Huh?
Seriously?
Oh wow.
This is unexpected.
Wait—does that mean full recovery upon level-up also counts as auto-recovery?
Extremely glad, but if I’m being greedy, I wish it had come a little sooner...
Then I wouldn’t have gone through all this hardship.
No... that’s truly excessive.
I should just be honest and rejoice now that I’ve leveled up and no longer have lingering worries.
It was really close.
HP had finally begun to deplete.
When HP dropped from 6 to 5, I felt like I was barely alive.
After that, it slowly decreased—down to 3 just before level-up.
It was genuinely dangerous.
But all that panic I suppressed—focusing solely on hunting strays—was worth it.
Hunting strays went smoothly.
The long-range attack from the Qumorning Star was, contrary to initial expectations, flawless—hundred percent accurate.
Surprise, indeed.
Is this also a feat of the spider's form?
Moreover, whether due to that or not, the skills 'Throwing' and 'Accuracy' each reached level one.
Both appear to be skills that enhance their effectiveness.
Moreover, this level-up has increased three skills.
All of them are ineffective, but since they've risen, there must be some place where proficiency has been gained—possibly benefiting from that without conscious awareness.
Ascending carries no risk—it should be beneficial.
Gluttony alone is a bit concerning...
The spider silk and thread manipulation, frequently used for nest-building and hunting strays, had increased in level.
The web thread is at level eight, and the thread manipulation ability is at level five.
Thread Manipulation has proven more useful than anticipated.
At level five, the speed and precision of control have significantly increased.
This skill was a definitive choice.
Pain Reduction has also reached level five.
Thanks to that, the latter part became considerably easier.
The advantage of this skill is not only the absence of pain, but also the ability to recognize dangerous conditions even without feeling pain.
Pain is a warning signal with clear meaning.
Eliminating pain would normally mean losing awareness of danger, but with this skill, pain is absent, yet the depth of wounds and their level of danger are still clearly perceived.
It is difficult to describe in words, but it is a sensation—like irritation from a wound, or something akin to it—distinct from pain, yet unmistakably understood.
There is no disadvantage to not feeling pain.
Well, it's only level five, so pain won't disappear completely.
Now that the level has increased, let's check how much the stats have changed.
'Small Tactict LV3 Name: None
Stats
HP: 38/38 (Green)
MP: 38/38 (Blue)
SP: 38/38 (Yellow)
: 38/38 (Red)
Average Attack: 21
Average Defense: 21
Average Magic: 19
Average Resistance: 19
Average Speed: 369'
Hmm.
HP, MP, SP each increased by 2. Attack and Defense also up by 2. Magic and Resistance up by 1.
Speed—what are you?
It was 348 before. Now it's up by 21?
That's not normal, is it?
Doesn't the disparity with the other stats seem excessive?
What kind of system is it where a single level increase directly equals attack and defense values?
Magic and resistance are being outpaced by one level alone...
This isn't possible.
Regardless, I'll overlook the extreme imbalance in stats.
It's too late to change now.
I’ve achieved full recovery through the long-awaited level-up. Now I can commit fully to escape.
Injuries inevitably slowed progress and forced cautious actions.
From now on, I’ll hunt stragglers casually, maintain stamina, and expand the nest steadily.
Currently, the nest has reached about a quarter of the target location.
The path ahead remains long.
The bees aren’t showing signs of actively attacking yet—but that won’t last forever.
The hive must be constructed with sufficient durability to withstand the bee assault—though this is no simple task.
It is not simple.
Unlike a structure built on the ground, the hive must extend upward, and the higher it goes, the more difficult construction becomes.
Support pillars must be stretched from the foundation rock, and these pillars must be secured with additional threads in a crisscross pattern.
At a quarter of the target height, this is already taxing—progressing further will increase the difficulty exponentially.
Still, it must be done.
There is no predicting when the earth dragon might appear again.
Escape must be achieved before then.
In the worst case, the hive may need to be abandoned mid-construction, and movement must rely solely on speed to break through.
The odds are unfavorable, but if continuing like this guarantees death, there may be no choice but to act.
To avoid that outcome, focus now on constructing the hive.
I’ve adjusted the status display. How does this look?