Emerald flashes danced wildly, a storm of blinding light bullets.
Weaving through them, a pure white streak raced across the sky.
In a space far too vast to simply be called a cave, where not a single ray of light could reach, two monsters—creatures that could never be compared to anything on Earth—were clashing.
With ear-splitting screams, the monsters tore into one another.
Each blow and flash of their attacks carried a ferocity that could easily snuff out life.
And yet, strangely enough, the scene evoked not fear, but a profound sadness—
a battle steeped in tragedy and lamentation.
The scene shifted.
This time, what appeared was not monsters.
But they weren’t human either.
If one had to describe them—it was something like half-human, half-insect.
The two inhuman beings exchanged punches.
It was a grimy, desperate sort of fight,
and yet, because they truly cared about each other,
it was also a beautiful, pure battle.
The scene shifted again.
The same two figures, now fighting side by side with mutual trust.
Place and distance meant nothing.
Because she fought, I too would not retreat—I would fight.
The bond forged by trust pulled the two of them toward the same goal.
And after facing one’s own shadow and charging down their chosen path—
the two once again stood opposite each other.
One was white. The other, emerald.
That moment was the final destination where causality and fate entwined.
Spinning the threads of destiny, they arrived at the future…
"Now, chant it. Proclaim it. Let your raging emotions dissolve, and weave the prayer of rebellion, oh white spider. Heal the world of darkness with your blessings and love, oh emerald maiden.
All of this is to bring forth the rebirth of ■■■■—"
***
Gazing out the window at the clouds, I let my imagination wander as I searched for familiar shapes.
Is that one a dog? Is that one a face? That one looks fluffy and would feel nice to touch...
At the teacher’s podium, the sensei was reading aloud from classical literature and explaining it—
moving comically with their small body, doing their best to keep us interested.
Yet how many students were actually listening seriously?
I, too, had my attention drifting out the window—so I was one of the inattentive ones.
I, Mari Kokemori, had let my boredom carry me away into cloud-gazing.
Clouds, clouds, clouds... spider... (kumo, kumo, kumo, kumo... is a play on words that uses homophones in Japanese.)
I caught sight of a beautiful white spider building a web in the corner of the classroom where the teacher had sheltered it.
I stared intently at it.
I wish I could see it up close...
But its web was too high, so with my short height, I could only admire it from afar.
I hated how little I’d grown.
But precisely because I was small, I liked to think I could notice the tiny things crawling along the ground—
the delicate details others ignored.
The small plants and mosses no one else spared a glance at—only I knew how cute and fascinating they were.
At least, I wanted to believe that.
Sigh...
I wanted to hurry home and admire my collection.
The pretty stones I’d found, the pressed flowers, the terrariums, and the adorable round moss balls...
Even though I didn’t know much about them, I’d been growing them because I was charmed by their appearance.
They healed me every day.
As I spun those idle thoughts in circles—
a blinding white flash, a sudden shock, and searing pain pierced through me.
A pain I had never felt in my life and surely would never feel again.
It was the pain of me—the human called Mari—dying.
***
It hurts… wait? It doesn’t hurt?
What was that just now?
I remember it clearly—it was a terrifying pain, the kind where it felt like my entire body was torn to shreds,
as if there was no part of me left unscathed.
But now I felt no pain at all.
It was pitch-black, with nothing to see, and it felt like I was immersed in thick, sticky tar.
I couldn’t move my body at all, and it felt like I was trapped inside a tiny box, completely enclosed.
What is this? Where am I?
If this were the afterlife, it’d be strange for me to still have awareness and sensation.
Could it be that I’d been gravely injured back then,
and I’m now inside some machine created by cutting-edge medical technology?
If that’s the case, maybe I barely survived, had been in a coma until now,
and am just waking up again.
But still, the way my body felt seemed off.
When I focused my senses, I could hear faint rustling sounds,
like leaves brushing against each other—sawa-sawa, zawa-zawa...
Would there be plants in a place with advanced medical treatment?
Feeling that inconsistency, I fumbled blindly, trying to move despite the vague sensations.
With a sound like something cracking open, cool air washed over me.
Outside! I can get out!
Beyond whatever I’d broken out of, there was thick, mossy greenery covering everything. My body, slick with the sticky liquid that had spilled out when I emerged, could barely writhe in any normal way.
But ignoring that on purpose,
I tangled myself in the mossy greenery and somehow dragged myself out.
Light! I can move! I’m alive!
And then—I was speechless at the scene before me.
As far as the eye could see,
large and small masses of green, moss-ball-like creatures crawled sluggishly… masses, masses, masses...
In the dim cave, there were moss balls so huge they looked like mountains,
and even the smaller ones were as big as large dogs.
There were even moss balls floating inexplicably in the air, flapping their thin wings.
Looking closer, what seemed to be their heads had hidden, hard-to-spot insect-like compound eyes and mouths.
And now, bursting out right beside me,
a plump caterpillar-like creature entangled with moss filled my entire field of vision.
And it seemed to be in the same situation as me...
It looks like…
I’ve been reincarnated as a bug—
no, as a moss-ball-like creature.
***
About an hour had passed since I had hatched.
The liquid that had clung to me when I emerged from the egg had fully dried by now. Instinctively, I understood that it had served as an adhesive to fix the moss onto my caterpillar-like body — effectively merging the moss and my body into one.
At this rate, it was easy to predict that as I grew, I would end up covered entirely in moss, giving me an appearance similar to either a kokedama (moss ball) or a marimo (algae ball).
Honestly, even if the inside was still just a bug, the fluffy, fuzzy appearance was… undeniably cute. That was my honest feeling.
…Though, the fact that this was my own appearance brought about some complicated emotions.
Reincarnated — and not only that, but as a non-human, a bug no less — it was understandable if I felt a little disheartened.
However, sulking wouldn’t help, so I consciously shut the lid on those emotions and instead spent time thinking and observing to grasp my current situation.
Since I was still newly born and could barely move, all I could do was keep observing my surroundings, shifting my gaze around as much as I could.
As it turned out, the place I had been was actually on the back of a colossal, mountain-sized Moss Ball (kokedama). It seemed that this gentle giant was protecting us newborn larvae and eggs by sheltering us within its own moss.
My siblings, though, were munching away at the moss that was a part of our kindly host’s body as if they didn’t have the faintest concept of gratitude.
Well… watching them made me realize I was getting hungry too, so I gave it a try myself.
A powerful, refreshing sharpness shot through my senses — and a slight tingling, stimulating taste followed.
Super intense mint?
It seemed like it’d be great for freshening your breath or waking you up, but probably a bit too much if you had to eat it as a staple food all the time.
That’s what I thought of the flavor.
Around us, countless other Moss Balls (kokedama) were positioned like walls to guard the one raising its young. They moved slowly through the cavern in a massive herd formation.
The cavern… Yes, we had been inside a cavern all this time.
For some reason, even though we were in a cave with almost no light, I could see everything around me clearly. But everything I could see was just rocks, rocks, rocks…
There was nothing but rocks!!
The lack of variety was so boring.
If only I could at least appraise what material they were made of…
As I was munching away at the moss, thinking such things — suddenly, a woman’s voice echoed in my head.
《Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Paralysis Resistance LV1] has become [Paralysis Resistance LV2]》
《You currently possess 70,000 skill points.
You can acquire the skill [Appraisal LV1] by spending 100 skill points.
Would you like to acquire it?》
Huh!?
The sudden voice startled me so much I gave a little hop.
Well, not that it mattered — the fluffy moss absorbed all my movement, so I didn’t actually budge at all.
Uhh… Let’s see…
“Yes, acquire,” I thought.
《Acquired [Appraisal LV1]. Remaining skill points: 69,900.》
Ooh…
It’s like a game…
Well, considering I’ve reincarnated as some creature that couldn’t possibly exist on Earth, maybe anything goes now.
Maybe it’s best to throw out all my old common sense?
Anyway — let’s try this [Appraisal] thing right away.
《Rock》
Huh?? Let’s try again.
《Wall》
《Wall》
《Rock》
What? Then how about my siblings…
《Insect》
《Insect》
《Moss》
《Insect》
Whaaaat?????
I don’t understand anything at all!!
***
About a week had passed since then.
In a cave without a sun, the sense of days passing is fuzzy, but I think it’s been roughly that long.
Even though I hadn’t fully sorted out my feelings, I managed to stabilize my mind by postponing those thoughts and instead focused on living my days as a monster.
At level 1, [Appraisal] skill barely told me anything useful, but after using it repeatedly several times, it finally started revealing proper names and details.
Then, by spending skill points and acquiring the skill over and over again, I realized that I could level it up. By the time I figured this out, I had boosted [Appraisal LV4] all the way up to [Appraisal LV10] in one go by repeatedly acquiring it to stack proficiency.
Max level! Now I could unleash the true power of [Appraisal]!
And so, when I checked the genuine power of the fully-fledged appraisal skill…
Small Moss Ball (Kokemori Mari) — LV1
Status
HP: 46/46 (Green)
MP: 84/84 (Blue)
SP: 54/54 (Yellow)
54/54 (Red)
Average Attack Ability: 24
Average Defense Ability: 46
Average Magic Ability: 52
Average Resistance Ability: 46
Average Speed Ability: 30
Skills : Moss Armor LV1 / Paralysis Attack LV1 / Paralysis Resistance LV3 / Night Vision LV10 / Vision Expansion LV1 / Appraisal LV10 / n%l=W / Omniscience LV1
Skill Points: 59,300
Titles : None
[Appraisal], which had been so unhelpful before, was now generously giving me all sorts of information.
Moreover, I could even appraise the details of the things I had just appraised, so when I looked into things more closely...
《Paralysis Attack: Grants paralysis attribute to attacks》
Yep, it means exactly what it says. [Paralysis Resistance] is also self-explanatory. Next—
《Night Vision: Enables vision even without a light source》
《Vision Expansion: Expands the range of visible light》
These allow me to see well even in the dark.
I don’t know all the details, but it seems like the skill lets me perceive more kinds of light.
It’s like... no matter how dark it is, I can clearly see everything. Alright, moving on—
《n%l=W: Unable to appraise》
If I can’t understand it, I have no choice but to skip it... Next!
《Omniscience: Grasp all existing objects and phenomena, innumerable and limitless》
Hmm??
It seems to explain itself, but it doesn’t explain anything concrete...
Ah, there’s a summary I can view. Let’s see...
A skill that combines detection of magic power, detection of techniques, detection of substances, detection of presence, detection of danger, detection of movement, detection of heat, detection of reactions, and even detection of soul and spirit. You can freely designate the range and target, and the amount and accuracy of information will change accordingly. You can know things broadly and shallowly, or narrowly and deeply, as desired.
Wow, this skill sounds incredible.
Basically, if I have this skill, I can grasp everything around me, and if I appraise it afterward, there probably won’t be anything I can’t figure out?
I’ll definitely try it out later, but before that—it’s time for the long-awaited main dish.
Let’s take a look at my species.
Small Moss Ball: The juvenile form of a caterpillar-type monster known as the Moss Ball species. The moss covering its body serves as natural armor.
What is the Moss Ball species?
Moss Ball species: A caterpillar-type monster that wears special moss on its body surface, giving it excellent defense and resistance as natural armor. The moss is integrated with the caterpillar’s body and evolves as it grows. It serves as an excellent ingredient for magical potions, and fresh moss has a property of storing magic power. For some reason, no matter how much it grows, its inner body remains that of a caterpillar, and no one has ever confirmed a matured, adult form.
The individuals in the Great Elroe Labyrinth, perhaps due to adapting to fierce survival competition, always form groups and act collectively, and they have acquired paralytic venom.
Hmm, I see...
Even so, the species name is very straightforward.
Indeed, its appearance is exactly like an oval Moss Ball or a Marimo. You’d wonder, “Where’s the insect part?”
The insect-like elements are just the barely visible eyes and mouth, and the thin, dragonfly-like wings of the flying individuals.
If you saw it for the first time, you’d definitely mistake it for a plant-type monster rather than an insect.
Maybe because of its appearance, I couldn’t help but find them all irresistibly cute, and I kept thinking how nice it would feel to dive into that fluffy moss.
While my rational side wondered if my reaction was strange, the fact that I felt no disgust toward the Moss Balls and instead felt a strong sense of affinity was perhaps a natural feeling stemming from being of the same species. As I pondered with both surprise and acceptance, some more intriguing information appeared.
Great Elroe Labyrinth: The world’s largest labyrinth, connecting the Daztrudia and Kasanagara continents underground.
I appraised a nearby wall.
Wall of the lower stratum of the Great Elroe Labyrinth
Unexpectedly, I found out where I was.
I added “detailed location identification and geographical name research” to my mental to-do list, and then decided to appraise my fellow Moss Balls, who I had been curious about.
First, the landlord.
Arc Moss Ball — LV34
Status
HP: 4366/4366 (Green) +1200
MP: 7022/7022 (Blue) +1200
SP: 4582/4582 (Yellow)
4582/4582 (Red) +1200Average Attack Ability: 2710
Average Defense Ability: 4861
Average Magic Ability: 5320
Average Resistance Ability: 5068
Average Speed Ability: 1782Skills : HP Rapid Recovery LV4 / MP Rapid Recovery LV8 / MP Lessened Consumption LV8 / SP Rapid Recovery LV2 / SP Minimized Consumption LV1 / Precise Magic Power Operation LV1 / Magic Power Super-Attack LV1 / Magic Power Conferment LV9 / Magic Warfare LV6 / Mental Warfare LV6 / Wyrm Power LV8 / Armor Talent LV5 / Spiritual Moss Equipment LV3 / Anesthetic Synthesis LV3 / Enhanced Paralysis Attack LV10 / Deadly Poison Attack LV6 / High Sleep Attack LV5 / Strong Acid Attack LV4 / Destruction Super-Enhancement LV2 / Impact Super-Enhancement LV4 / Cutting Enhancement LV6 / Piercing Super-Enhancement LV1 / Shock Super-Enhancement LV4 / Terrain Enhancement LV2 / Flood Enhancement LV1 / Gale Enhancement LV1 / Status Condition Super-Enhancement LV2 / Dimensional Maneuvering LV7 / Hit LV10 / Evasion LV10 / Probability Super-Correction LV2 / Magic Power Perception LV10 / Physical Perception LV10 / Danger Perception LV10 / Presence Perception LV10 / Motion Perception LV9 / Terrain Magic LV3 / Flood Magic LV1 / Gale Magic LV1 / Heretic Magic LV10 / Paralysis Magic LV10 / Healing Magic LV5 / Satiation LV2 / Destruction Super-Resistance LV3 / Cutting Super-Resistance LV3 / Piercing Super-Resistance LV4 / Impact Super-Resistance LV6 / Shock Super-Resistance LV3 / Terrain Super-Resistance LV1 / Status Condition Super-Resistance LV8 / Corrosion Resistance LV7 / Heresy Resistance LV5 / Pain Nullification / Pain Super-Mitigation LV3 / Night Vision LV10 / Vision Expansion LV7 / Vision Enhancement LV10 / Clairvoyance LV3 / Auditory Enhancement LV7 / Olfactory Enhancement LV2 / Tactile Enhancement LV8 / Cooperation LV6 / Leadership LV6 / Ultimate Life LV1 / Ultimate Magic LV3 / Ultimate Movement LV1 / Fortune LV1 / Herculean Strength LV8 / Stronghold LV3 / Deva LV4 / Sanctum LV2 / Acceleration LV8 / Taboo LV7
Skill Points : 34,300
Titles : Foul Feeder / Kin Eater / Paralysis Master / Monster Slayer / Monster Slaughterer / Monster Calamity / Dragon Slayer / Human Slayer / Champion / Commander
...Strong.
The absurdly high stats are one thing, but the sheer number of skills is overwhelming.
Appraising every single one of those skills from top to bottom would be quite a task.
I peeked into the stats of various other Moss Balls as well, but in the entire group, only the landlord was this overwhelmingly strong.
There were Greater Moss Balls with about 60% of the landlord’s stats and skills; Winged Moss Balls with exceptionally high speed stats and capable of flight; and other varieties specialized in status ailments, sporting vibrant appearances—Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, Acid Moss Balls, and so on.
Comparing myself, newly born, to these seemingly strong and dependable brethren...
...I might become strong eventually, but right now, I’m very weak.
That said, the larvae born around the same time as me are even weaker.
They have no mysterious skills, no skill points—truly a blank slate.
Alright then, how should I go about getting stronger?
As I mulled over that, I kept eating moss relentlessly.
With the guidance of my experienced seniors to learn skills from, and the ability to see how I might evolve as I grow, there seemed to be countless ways to get stronger. On top of that, I had the advantage of having lots of skill points.
Alright! Let’s do my best—yeah!
While sealing away the shadow that stirred deep within my heart, I cheerfully shouted on the surface, even if it was just a show of forced enthusiasm.
I smothered the present moment with that fabricated emotion, averting my eyes from the real problem.
《Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Paralysis Resistance LV3] has become [Paralysis Resistance LV4]》
《Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Poison Resistance LV1] acquired》
《Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Exhaustion Resistance LV1] acquired》
《Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Acid Resistance LV1] acquired》
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