It was strange.
I died. I definitely died. And yet, I'm still conscious. Even though I'm in a completely dark place and can't feel my body or move at all, I'm still conscious.
Am I in a coma? Am I in a hospital?
No. There's no way I could have survived that.
I was shot more than five times in the stomach and chest. No human could survive something like that. So maybe this is the reincarnation queue? I've read about that a few times.
The place where you wait to be reincarnated. They say time passes faster there than normal, that you can't even perceive it passing. But honestly… I can feel time.
I feel it passing slowly. I'm bored.
But what if this is the afterlife? What if I'm stuck in this place forever?
Just thinking about that sent me into a brief moment of despair. But I can't scream. I can't show the fear and desperation I'm feeling right now. And so, time passed…
One day…
Two days…
Ten days…
One month…
Actually, I don't know how much time has passed. Time in this place feels even slower than normal. It might have only been a single day, but it feels like an entire month has gone by.
I want to get out of here. I want to get out of here. I want to get out of here. I want to get out of here.
I kept repeating those words in my mind.
And then, after some more time passed…
After all that time, I finally started to feel something. Yes, I can feel my body now—but something is strange. My body feels different. Even though I can control it freely, something is definitely off.
I have one, two, three… eight arms?
Or are those eight legs?
All I know is that I'm sitting inside something. It feels slimy around me, and there's something hard surrounding my body. I started using my "arms" to hit the "wall" around me.
But I couldn't break free.
I'm inside an egg, aren't I?
I started thinking about the beginning of Kumo desu ga, Nani ka?. Isn't this a little similar?
You've got to be kidding me, right?
No. This can't be real. I can't believe it.
I gave up trying to escape and stayed still.
That's when I started hearing sounds from outside. The sounds of things breaking. Along with that, I felt the "ground" beneath me trembling violently.
Shit, shit, shit. If I can't get out of here, I'm really going to die! I screamed in my mind and started slamming against the "walls" around me with all my strength. I was in complete panic.
After a few seconds—
Crack!
Finally, a fracture appeared. More cracks spread across the surface, and I managed to break through the "wall" around me. When I stuck my head out, I panicked again.
I saw spiders. Giant spiders.
No, they're not giant spiders. I'm one of them too! I'm the same size! Reality hit me instantly. And then it happened.
[ The requirements have been completed. The title "Editor" has been acquired ]
[ Because of the title "Editor," the skill "Editing LV1" has been learned ]
[ Allows the user to edit their status ]
When I saw that message, I couldn't believe it…
Then another system message appeared in front of me.
-//-
Small Lesser Taratect LV1
Skill Points: 100
Nameless
Status
HP 12
MP 12
SP 12
Average Offense Ability: 10
Average Defense Ability: 10
Average Magic Ability: 10
Average Resistance Ability: 10
Average Speed Ability: 10
-//-
It's the same status as Kumoko's. Holy shit. Did I become her?
While I was staring at my status and thinking about pointless things, one spider lunged at me, trying to kill me. All the spiders were attacking and cannibalizing each other.
You bitch.
Taking advantage of the power I had just gained, I simply thought:
INCREASE MY ATTACK TO 1,000!
[ Average Offense Ability: 10 ]
[ Edit applied ]
[ Average Offense Ability: 1,000 ]
It all happened within a single second. I reacted before the spider could hit me and struck it with one of my legs.
It wasn't a direct hit, but it was enough to rip off one of its legs, sending it into panic. I moved in and struck it straight in the head, killing it instantly.
It really works. The editing skill actually works.
While I was feeling excited about my editing ability, the other spiders started targeting me. It was as if they saw me as a common enemy and decided to work together.
Isn't this perfect for farming EXP?
That's when I saw it.
A giant spider—so massive that I couldn't even comprehend its size.
I immediately remembered the original story.
Mother…
My eyes widened as a thought crossed my mind.
'Can I kill her?'
####
[ Error: Skill level too low ]
[ Error: Skill level too low ]
[ Error: Skill level too low ]
[ Error: Skill level too low ]
[ Error: Skill level too low ]
[ Error: Skill level too low ]
After trying to apply edits several times within seconds, I stared at the system messages, feeling completely useless. I looked at the spiders that had surrounded me and thought:
'I'll have to break through somehow.'
We're practically the same speed, but I'm smarter than these monsters—and my strength is much higher.
I just need to hit them and run.
So that's what I did.
I charged forward as fast as I could, striking every spider that got in my way.
[ "Small Lesser Taratect LV1" became "Small Lesser Taratect LV2" ]
[ "Small Lesser Taratect LV2" became "Small Lesser Taratect LV3" ]
[ "Small Lesser Taratect LV3" became "Small Lesser Taratect LV4" ]
'Ah, I'm exhausted.'
I managed to kill several spiders, and my level increased multiple times. Miraculously, I wasn't hit even once.
As I ran without looking back, I searched for a hole in the dungeon wall and hid inside it. I opened my status and noticed that my SP was nearly 0.
'I almost died.'