Level 93: Something That Crosses Levels
Narmars—.
Where did you run off to—.
Come out already—.
While wandering about like that, I came upon something.
No— not that I found it. It was simply there.
If something this conspicuous isn’t found, that would be the oddity.
What was there was a massive hole.
The vertical shaft I fell through from the upper levels to the lower.
This one was even larger than that.
It connected both upward and downward.
Yes— this hole connects upward.
I suppose one could climb up to reach the upper levels, or descend to reach the lower.
I suppose— but I’m skipping this hole.
Ah— not that I said that as a joke.
To have my sense of humor questioned over a pun of this caliber— truly regrettable.
Regardless, this hole is triggering my detection system with intense danger warnings.
Yes, well.
From the moment it came into view, it was already clear.
Yes, this is definitely a bad one. I knew it instantly.
Therefore, I am proceeding forward while carefully circumventing the hole, maintaining a safe distance.
No, that won't do.
Approaching it will absolutely trigger a severe penalty flag.
Just as I was thinking I’d finally evolved into a proper TUEEEE, this happens.
Yes.
Nothing good has ever come from overconfidence before.
Overconfidence leads to nothing but disaster.
I remembered that.
Humility is paramount.
Thus, I will avoid the flag with full effort.
Yes.
I will not approach it.
I most certainly will not.
I don’t know anything about ostrich rules.
I’m not a comedian.
While thinking this, I retreat further from the hole.
Then, at the very edge of visibility, the detection system registers extreme danger.
I instinctively hide behind the rock.
Peeking out, it came from above the hole.
Clear even at a distance, an enormous form.
Entire body pitch-black.
Eight red eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
Eight legs walking effortlessly up the vertical wall.
Five long, sharp claws at the tips, resembling human fingers.
A jaw capable of swallowing everything whole.
This is a monster.
Not some clumsy, second-rate aberration—this is a genuine, true monster.
No ordinary being could possibly face this.
The difference in power is as overwhelming as that felt against the earth dragon.
It’s regrettable that the鉴定 (Assessment) system was out of range.
Its status must have been so grotesquely extreme it would make one laugh in horror.
Right, Sophia?
Mother.
This was the second encounter with a colossal spider.
Such an outlier could not possibly exist in abundance.
Encountering one would be a death sentence.
That was undoubtedly Mother—what I witnessed the moment I was born.
Mother descending slowly downward.
Her movement was deliberate, regal, as though she were the sovereign of this labyrinth.
In truth, no creature capable of halting Mother’s advance could exist.
I cannot say for certain—my own limits are unknown—but even a Earth Dragon would not prevail against her.
I would like to assess Mother’s capabilities, but approaching her would be suicide.
Curiosity would be fatal.
I am a spider—I do not wish to be killed.
Yet I had thought Mother too powerful for her position in the upper levels. So this is how she traverses between tiers—using vertical shafts.
A casual visit to the upper levels, as if passing through at random.
Original habitat likely the lower levels—or even deeper, the lowest stratum.
Even powerful monsters of the lower levels appear incapable of resisting Mother.
Good thing I avoided the hole for comedic effect.
That kind of entity isn't within the realm of win or lose.
Exactly like the earth dragon—once targeted, death is immediate.
It's essentially a moving catastrophe.
Suddenly, Mother halts.
Staring intently in a specific direction.
Then, deliberately, she aligns her massive fang toward that point.
The next instant, the world trembled.
Not a sensation of impact, not a metaphorical shake—literally trembled.
The shock was so intense, the labyrinth itself seemed to scream.
If rendered as sound effect: *Tchudōn, guragura.*
I could not comprehend the nature of the attack—beyond my understanding.
Yet ahead of my gaze, where the magma spring should have been, a crater of unprecedented scale had newly formed.
What had been there—its nature, its existence—was now lost to eternity.
Whether it had entered the Mother’s field of vision, or committed some offense that disturbed her.
The unfortunate creature was now reduced to nothing. Not even dust remained.
New magma flowed into the newly formed crater.
A spring larger than the original would surely emerge there in time.
I was grateful the attack had not been aimed at me.
Had it been, I might have died without realizing it.
I suppressed my presence with utmost effort, ensuring the Mother would not notice.
[Proficiency has reached threshold. Skill 'Stealth LV7' upgraded to 'Stealth LV8'.]
[Proficiency has reached threshold. Skill 'Silence LV1' upgraded to 'Silence LV2'.]
[Proficiency has reached threshold. Skill 'Fear Resistance LV7' upgraded to 'Fear Resistance LV8'.]
And slowly, Mother disappeared downward.