I sneaked up to the sleeping mice as quietly as I could. They seemed to snuggle together, it was quite… cute.

I felt bad for having to kill them.

Alas, it was survival of the fittest, and I intended to get out of this on top.

I walked up to the closest mouse, readied my fangs… and struck, sinking my fangs into the creature and pumping as much venom into it as I could in the short time I had as it was jolted awake.

With it, the other woke up too.

I quickly released my fangs and hoped that much venom would be enough to either kill or weaken the mouse enough for me to finish it.

I quickly stepped backward and saw them eye me warily.

It wasn’t for long.

Within seconds, they started their charge. This was more or less what I had anticipated as the worst-case scenario. It was exactly why I had set up the web that covered the exit.

I ran up to it with the three mice in tow. The one that I had delivered venom to seemed to lag behind, which gave me hope.

Just before I reached the web with the mice chasing me, I reared up my hind legs and jumped to the cave wall above the web. I saw the web shake below me and suddenly felt pain in my behind.

I quickly ran further up the wall before I turned to look at what happened below me.

One of the mice had gotten completely stuck in the web and was utterly immobilized. It seemed the second mouse had used the one that got stuck as a step to elevate itself and bite my rear.

It hurt…

My abdomen’s rear end was on fire. I wasn’t sure how bad the injury was as I couldn’t see it, but I couldn’t worry about it now. It seemed the second mouse had learned from its kin and avoided the web, which meant I would have to take it out in a one-on-one fight.

I’d have to avoid its mouth.

I looked down at the mouse and saw it holding its hands on its ally while staring at me.

I noticed the mouse that I had injected with venom struggle to stand. I wouldn’t have to worry about that one.

My attention shifted back to the mouse below me. I searched for an opening.

Eventually, I found it. The creature appeared to get distracted for one second and I jumped on top of its head. I made sure to clasp myself around the mouse with my legs as my abdomen rested on top of its nose. It couldn’t bite me as long as it remained there.

I clenched my fangs around the creature and injected it with all the venom I had remaining. I didn’t think I would need it to take out the entangled mouse, so I wasn’t going to take chances here.

I kept my lock on the creature even as it tried to claw me. My exoskeleton seemed to be highly scratch-resistant, resisting its weak attacks.

It tried to run, much like the beetle, and shake me off. I, however, would not let go. I was going to hold on to this mouse until it was subjugated.

My venom reserves ran completely dry and I started to feel the mouse’s strength fading. A blue square appeared before me, followed by another.

You have killed a Small Forest Mouse: EXP+60

Level Up!

Kealyna has reached level 3!

You have been awarded 3 EP.

I knew the mouse that I had delivered venom to first had died of it. Considering the one I was currently riding got a larger dose, I expected it to die faster.

It had better. My wound was still hurting and I found myself losing strength as time passed. A thought entered my mind as I felt the mouse lose enough strength to a point where it became quite easy to hold on.

Elysa, what is my current EP at?

Name: Kealyna

Race: Orange Jumping Spider

Level: 3/10

Experience: 0/80

Evolution Points: 5

I’d like to enhance my regeneration, please.

I knew the next level of regeneration would cost me five points. I had exactly enough to make the purchase. I was aiming to get this next as it was, but as things stood, I’d better get this as soon as possible.

I felt a warm feeling in my core grow, which I didn’t expect. It almost broke my focus as I held on to the mouse, but I didn’t let go. Soon enough, the creature’s legs gave out and it remained on the ground, barely moving.

I hoped this regeneration would fix my rear sooner, rather than later.

I, however, still had another mouse to kill. I skittered over to the incapacitated mouse in the webs and used the only weapons I had remaining; my limbs and jaws.

Fortunately, the mouse didn’t possess tough armor, so my jaws and teeth had no issues tearing through its skin. I then expanded the newly-opened wound with my legs in order to bleed the mouse out.

My legs became soaked in blood as I made the mouse’s wound bigger and bigger. The creature squirmed in my webs as I worked on ending its life as quickly as I could.

I had seen enough suffering in life. I didn’t want to see more than was necessary.

You have killed a Small Forest Mouse: EXP+63

I was certain that was the second mouse, as I still saw the one before me squirming, although it seemed it was starting to lose strength quickly now as its blood was being drained.

I felt the fire in my behind very slowly start to die down. I hoped that was a sign of the regeneration skill doing its job.

If not, I’d be so screwed.

The mouse before me seemed to draw its last breath before it went still.

You have killed a Small Forest Mouse: EXP+61

Level Up!

Kealyna has reached level 4!

You have been awarded 3 EP.

I sighed mentally.

At least it was over.

I removed the mouse from my web and dragged it to the back of the burrow. I then dragged the other two next to it.

I was so very thankful that I’d chosen to enhance my natural armor. Goddess knows how badly I would have been injured if I hadn’t done that.

I looked around the burrow. The main room was large enough that I imagined I’d be able to use it for at least one more evolution, if my current growth rate was anything to go by. If needed, I could probably widen the tunnel to the room, or even enlarge the main room if I needed to.

This was dirt after all, not stone.

And now, it was mine.

It was the prize after my battle with these mice.

I wonder how they tasted? I imagine it would be better than anything I’d eaten so far.

If only I had some fire magic so I could cook them…

The thought was shoved away as I skittered over to the mouse that I had already partly cut open. I tore its skin away and brought a piece of meat to my mouth with my pedipalps.

As I expected. It was pretty good. The best part was that I had three of these laying around. I hoped I could eat them before they started rotting but I doubted it.

Then again, I was fairly certain I’d be able to eat rotten meat. I would like to avoid that scenario.

I ate my fill and decided to head out once more, mentally marking the location of this burrow as I walked through the tunnel leading to the surface. There was still plenty of time remaining for this day and I wasn’t feeling tired yet.

The pain in my rear was starting to subside as I was certain regeneration was doing work there. It made me eager to unlock the next Regeneration enhancement. It caused me to doubt my plans.

On one hand, it seemed my venom was starting to become weaker against the enemies I was currently facing. I planned to enhance my strength to use my limbs as weapons instead to make up for it.

On the other hand, this Regeneration would heal injuries I sustained. I would need several levels to enhance both.

Hold on a second.

Would I even get enough Evolution Points to evolve both before hitting the level cap?

Elysa, could you calculate how many Evolution points I will have when I hit level 10?

Affirmative.

By the time you become level ten, you will have 25 Evolution Points if you do not spend any until then.

I would need twenty more to evolve both evolution-specific enhancements. I would have enough as long as I didn’t spend more than five points on any other enhancements.

That should be enough.

This didn’t take into account that I could earn additional Evolution Points by earning achievements. The problem with those was that they seemed to be quite random.

Though I guess I could somewhat predict that there would be more achievements that had to do with killing many enemies of one specific species, I just couldn’t be certain.

This entire blessing was so complicated…