MoPako System

*Crack*

In the forgotten reaches beneath the caged light, where silent death reigns emperor, a monster is about to be born. Inside a trembling egg, the creature within attempted to forced its way out. One crack and another. Then, something red. Something white. A hairy limb cut its way through the cracks. A long sharp leg, one after another. Until the egg finally separated into two. What came out into the lightless world was an arthropod with eight legs: a spider.

It looked confusingly around, just as any newborn were, but in its movements lies a sense of panic and severe anxiousness. It checked its own body, feeling the weight and shape of its legs, the confounding experience of having six eyes. What was going through its own head as it brought two front legs over its head?

Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!! I became a spider!?? Really!? Really, oh my, that is just – why? I didn't even know I died, much less how! I was just doing my thing then kaboom, some white light then black, white again—now I am a spider? MoPako System? Destined ones to change the world's fate? Misumena Dumu? But why a spider!?

I tried to remember, any recollection of any memory, of how this came to be. The only clue I had was talking to that black-cloaked armored mean-looking guy with one singular eye in their hood glaring at me. If you can imagine a final-boss evil looking angel, it's the guy I faced. Is he Sauron? He sure does look like Sauron from Rings Lord. But before I could think more about my situation, I hear a crack. Then another.

An unexplainable dread washed over me even as the wind whispered its shrilly cry, distant and echoing. I frantically look around, tense as a springlock, and saw the shell remains of eggs—same as mine—and on top are spiders. Spiders that look like me. They all looked around. What if they recognized I am an outsider? An enemy? Fear gripped my heart. But they simply ignored me, and turned ahead upwards.

Everywhere was fog in this place, the ground was all sand. I did not know where I was but even I could tell—I should get the hell out of here, away from that ominous obscure cloud of fog coming towards us. My kin—I should call them that, at least—did not fear but screeched their inhuman battle cry and charged forward. As if there's something within that fog. They shoot their webs, spat their acids, lashing out their fanged jaws.

Sounds of quaking ground and squelching flesh could be heard, that's what I expected. But no, everything that came to contact with that fog simply disappeared. As if it contained the end of the world. Nope. This is the biggest nope of the entirety of my life, both lives, in this eerie godforsaken place that even Chernobyl's incident would pale in comparison. And I am supposed to be the abnormal biggest nope around here!

I ran, even as I trip over myself with shaking tangling legs. I'll crawl even if I have to. There were no places to web onto and I am not confident that I could swing like spiderman from my butt. I ran until I saw that the fog surrounding me became less obscure, more transparent and scarcer, and then I could hear the sound of the waves gently murmuring against the sandy rocky shores.

My eight eyes took in the coastal shore of the silver chromatic ocean, shining like silver or mercury or oil. Around here and there were rocky sea stacks standing tall on the shallow waters.

The plant life was beyond anything I'd seen or imagine. Stripes of vivid psychedelic colors, mostly of the purple pastel, irregularly marked the towering trees' canopies. There were green leaves too, but hugging in between were crawling vines the thickness half of the tree trunks, draped between the green and lavender. Some glowed with a running bioluminescence, pulsing and glimmering like an otherworldly heart.

Down on the ground, I saw red mosses and fungi spreading from the forest, in patterns like the Buddhist-like abstract symbols. World-shaking roars and horrifying screeches hail beyond the labyrinthine plants as it shook. Yet what really shook me was the huge mountain in the distance. Its zenith veiled by the clouds.

I look to the ocean, and it's just as eerie silent as what I encountered back in the fog—perhaps the fog creature came from the ocean. The jungle was alien. The ocean was alien. And I… somehow was dropped into this alien world.

I shudder. No. I cannot give in to despair. I am now a monster spider. And it's up to me to survive on my own. Hahaha. I could only laugh. That's it, wasn't I equipped with a game-like system? MoPako System, come out. With one try, a holographic game box popped in front of my face.

Aoi Nagase:

[ MoPako System – Monster and Companion; destined ones to change the world's fate.

{ Skill Tree Chart} { Evolution Path} {Store} { Title Traits} {???} {???} {??? } {??? }

Name: Aoi Nagase

Race: Misumena Dumu (Flower Crab Spider Infant)

Level: 01 (Evo 1)

Strength: 12

Agility: 14

Constitution: 10

Intelligence: 15

HP: 40/40

Skills:

Core Abilities:

General: Spider Bite lvl 1, Prey Grasp lvl 1, Venom Spit lvl 1, Webbing lvl 1

Auxiliary Abilities: N/A

Titles: N/A

Skill points: 0

Stat Points: 0 ]

Nothing much to find here. It looks like your typical RPG status screen. Then how about the store? I took a look at it and saw various auxiliary abilities listed down; I had no points to buy them. How do I get store points? Reading the explanations regarding Feats and Achievements, I got the general gist of it.

So, I can't buy anything at all just yet. As a certified gamer myself, the most important thing to buy are the stat points and skill points. But for auxiliary abilities—there's really only one choice: the Resource Identification Ability! It's basically Appraisal from the games I played, it should be op. The instant I get the store points, I'll buy it.

Around the shore, the only hiding spots were behind the rock outcroppings, above sea stacks, or below the ocean. That or the jungle. Preferably a cave, I am a spider after all. Darkness is my ally; I am born to be one with darkness.

I sent off in pursuit of the destination I had in mind. But I didn't go far before the sand violently exploded in front of my face. A giant crab pincer was hanging in the sky, coming straight to bash me in. Oh my god, a jump scare off the bat?

I avoided it by dodging at the last second, the enemy was a giant blue crab with pulsing veins of moss covering its frame. But it was wounded, one leg missing and one pincer claw ripped off brutally. A section of its shell cracked. I don't know who done you in buddy, but why are you so aggressive? Chill.

It lunged at me like a truck, ignoring what my nonexistent words. Seriously…

I evaded it once or twice before I tripped over my own leg, making a trail in the sand. Beyond was a rock and above was the menacing shadow of the pincer claw. Duck and roll! Don't underestimate a souls player, damn it!

*Bang!*

A splinter of rocks sprayed but I was already far away. I hurriedly tried to get up and ready my stance, maybe dodge another attack. But it was stuck. Trying to get its claw out of the huge rock. Isn't this the moment to punish the bastard?

I ready my fangs, prepared to bite into the big shellfish. Hopefully, my venom will spread inside that exposed limb flesh dripping with viscous blue blood. Icky. In any case, here goes! For Gond*r!!!

*Puchi*

The two-pointed tips sunk deeply. The ichor splashed on my face. It was burning hot, and I could almost hear some sizzling noise on the top of my head. It feels like a burning hot water was poured on me. But I didn't let go even as the crab flailed wildly. I held onto the crab's limbs with my own, using the grasping skill I had. Go, my venom, ravage its insides! Wait, that kinda sound wrong.

*Thwack*

Just as the crab's movements started to wane, it finally released the pincer claw out of the rock, before forcefully swatting me away. Guheh! That hurts! The air was forced out of me as I could hear my abdomen cracking. 

I rolled around the sand, directing my behind at the crab with the intent to release my web. But how do I release it? Meanwhile, the crab already regained its balance and was coming towards me. Ok, change of plans, never mind this, never mind! I say, never mind!

The pincer claw slammed into the sand; the sand flew everywhere. I thought I dodged it but when I turned behind, I felt a searing pain from two of my legs. One was crushed to a pulp. Ahh... Ahh! It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. The pain was unlike anything I ever experienced. It was enough to overwhelm the adrenaline out of my brain.

I had to run. I wanted to run. It hurt like hell twice over. What did I even think trying to fight a monster? Such questions danced in my mind.

I didn't even know what I was doing then, I was just crawling with the intent to run. Run. I kept repeating in my head when I heard something high-pitched. A scream. A blood-curdling scream tingling chills on my back. And then, a thud.

*You killed a Portuna Bréphlet Evo 1 lvl 2.*

*+1 Level up. +3 Stat Points and +1 Skill Point*

*Feat gained! First kill in a life and death battle! +75 store points. Tier 1 Store Price Reduction 50%, gained +38 store points! *

But my darkened dull perception, perhaps from the loss of blood and fear, did not register the notification—I must survive, even as a spider—my body didn't stop crawling away. My mind was frozen in this one motion.

Later on, I would deeply regret leaving that loot—leaving free food is against my principles, oh my goodness! Still, my first encounter of that mind-numbing fear, far worse than even the bullying I went through, was far enough to make me cooped up in some hole I dug up around the coast. My soul was crushed then.

It was cold and dark, but worse I was hungry. I could taste the sand on my mouth. I wanted to eat. So much so I felt like I could eat my own limb. I was growing weaker, too. I really felt I was about to die back there, left in some abandoned hole in an alien world.

Yet, my body moved. There was something fresh-smelling up on the ground so I dug up and ate it. Even as it tasted horribly disgusting like eating a cockroach. I ate it. It wasn't until I finished the entirety when I recognized what it was.

* Feat gained! Cannibalism! +65 store points. Tier 1 Store Price Reduction 50%, gained +33 store points! *

* Feat gained! Ate Monster Meat for the First Time! +45 store points. Tier 1 Store Price Reduction 50%, gained +23 store points! *

* Feat gained! Survived Severe Hunger! +80 store points. Tier 1 Store price reduction 50%, gained +40 store points! *

I just ate a fellow Misumena Dumu. Unexpectedly, it didn't affect me much. I just thought it was a relief—that it offered itself up in front of me. But no! Bad, bad, bad. I still have my conscience, I wouldn't willy nilly kill a living human, for instance. Besides, it was most likely dead when I found it, seeing as I didn't get a kill notification. I was about to die myself, so I really had no choice. Thank you for the sacrifice, sibling, I will live on for your part as well. That was about the extent of my gratitude after the trauma I had. But the system wasn't done.

* Title gained! Nascent Horror. Check Title Traits for the Title Description *

* Nascent Horror Description:

For hundreds of years, the bloodline of the spiders was one of bloodshed and cannibalism. All in order to gain the Forbidden Bloodline as designed by the foremother. You have consciously taken the first step forward in the battle to the throne of the Circle of Spiders. The Eye of Horror is not yet upon you—become Evo 4 and betray a kin's trust to gain her attention.

To gain ???, you must kill and eat 100 spider kins, 50 Misumena species. *

... Yep, it was totally unreal. I am not done yet, though. Remember, I was on the opposite side of the beach before I met you, Robert Aphens.