-----???/Our MC-----

And so it came to pass that another month passed since my reincarnation into this world. I've made great progress on my Conjuring lessons with Administrator S after unlocking [Exhaustion Super-Resistance], well technically I earned [Status Condition Super-Resistance] since I started with [Status Condition Resistance] and that includes the Exhaustion effect, which governs the need to sleep or being forcibly put to sleep.

Thankfully, it turns out that [Ruler of Instinct] decided to be somewhat lenient on that front. Apparently it's giving me passive proficiency towards each individual Status Condition Resistance Skill and is pouring all of those passive gains towards boosting [Status Condition Resistance]. Power gaming for the win.

Also, it turns out that engaging in passive proficiency gains like this makes ones personality especially suited for increasing Sloth Affinity considering I could buy [Sloth] for 200 Skill Points. Well, could would be the operative word here considering it was marked as unavailable for purchase like a week after I started my lessons with Admin S. Guess Kumoko decided to go for it still even though she doesn't have [Cursed Evil Eye]... unless...

*Flashback Begins - 2 Weeks Ago*

-----Kumoko (Information-In-Charge)-----

-----Middle Layer-----

So obviously we need to get stronger as soon as possible, so I've been scrolling through the Skill Shop to try and find any decent Skills that can help improve our strength and survivability.

While the loss of [Perseverance] was a blow, I still feel confident that investing in [Tenacity] was a good choice since at its max level, it gives a 10% chance to avoid taking lethal damage and leaves us at 1hp. It's not much, but I suspect that its Evolution should be a bit better and it's still better than a 0% chance to avoid taking lethal damage.

That said, I found two particular Skills that seemed more or less perfect for what I had in mind. [Demon Lord] and [Hero], which both more or less do the same thing. [Demon Lord] was the cheapest at 100 Skill Points while [Hero] cost 1,000 but I still got both of them since the bonus Attribute Points are definitely going to be useful.

But the biggest boon was that apparently one of the Evil Eye Skills became available again in the Skill Shop. [Cursed Evil Eye]. That one is fun as hell! I can't wait to see what it evolves into!

*Flashback Ends*

-----???/Our MC-----

I have no idea if that exception for having the [Demon Lord] Skill making you eligible for [Cursed Evil Eye] applies to Kumoko or not. For now, I'm going to assume that it does and that she likely has access to it.

This is especially troublesome since it deals Curse Damage, which is a bitch and a half to deal with since it permanently lowers your stats unless/until you level up. Then there's [Heresy Attack], which deals "Soul Rend" Damage which is even worse since not even leveling up will help recover your stats.

I just hope she doesn't get any weird ideas about trying to acquire [Heresy Attack]. I don't think she ever gets the [Ally Killer] Title, or if she does then it doesn't happen until after she leaves the Labyrinth, but that's one of the few things that scares me. I may have [Heresy Nullification], but if she buys [Envy] or acquires it naturally, then she could disable [Heresy Nullification] and bust out Heresy Damage against me.

Part of me's tempted to try and either earn or buy [Envy] to deny that option to her, but I'd like to save it for Sophia.

Okay, wasn't expecting that to happen. Doesn't that lead to [Charity]? I'm pretty sure [Ruler of Charity] basically gives me a secondary effect equal to maxed out [HP Ultra-Fast Recovery] or something that stacks with any [HP Auto-Recovery] I already have? That would be a rather decent Ruler Title effect to aim for... Hmm... do I deny Oka from getting it or no?

I'll ponder that quandry later. Right now, I'm back to reviewing my Conjuring lessons and my Skill gains.

I've recently begun trying to see if I could get a proverbial foot in the door regarding Weapon Skills. It's been going exactly as well as you'd expect. Oh well, at least I got [Throw] taken care of.

But more importantly are the fruits of my labor as far as my Conjuring lessons go. The various cognitive boosting Skills have been helping and Admin S is a pretty good teacher, so I've been trying to figure out how to replicate magic attacks from watching Ariel cast spells.

Eventually, I succeeded in getting access to pretty much the beginner level of all magics that Ariel possesses, which translates to every element except Ice Magic. Thankfully, I know who to reach out to for learning Ice Magic from.

"Let me get this straight. You want me to take you out into the Mystic Mountains to find the Ice Dragon that lives out there so you can learn how to do Ice Magic?" Ariel asks me.

"Yes." I reply.

"Hah, fine." She says before she scoops me up and we start hopping towards the Mystic Mountains. This is also decent training since there's no inertia cancellation involved for me, so I'm technically taking Impact Damage, which is helping me grind out [Impact Resistance].

Eventually, we reach the Mystic Mountains and immediately I begin shivering uncontrollably. Ariel says nothing as she continues hopping from mountain to mountain in search of Ice Dragon Nia.

Oh joy. It's not really helping all that much. Also, I suspect that Serpent's share a similar inherent weakness to Ice much like Taratect's do to Fire.

After a few hours of aimless hopping, we find ourselves caught in a massive blizzard.

"Oh good, she's here." Ariel says. Fucking finally.

The blizzard quickly parts to reveal the massive pale-blue Western Dragon with horns and spikes seemingly made of blue ice and it leisurely flaps her wings lazily hovering in the air before us.

"Eldest Divine Beast. What brings you to my humble abode?" The Ice Dragon asks.

"Hello ruler of Ice Dragons. My companion here seeks to learn from you." Ariel replies while gesturing to me as I hang limply like a wet noodle from her neck trying to fight off frostbite.

"Hmm? Some form of lower Serpent seeks to learn from me? Wait a moment... Isn't this...?"

"Yes, it's the one that your 'boss' told you about most likely. I'm keeping an eye on them to keep them out of trouble." Ariel says with a warm smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

"Somehow I find myself doubting your ability to keep someone out of trouble... but since we aren't enemies and this is a somewhat amusing request, I shall humor you. What does the little worm wish to learn from me?"

"The 'little worm' is attempting to avoid using Skill Points as they're cursed to be incapable of obtaining more and they desire to become a master of magic. I lack Ice Magic myself so I thought I'd reach out to someone I know to be a master."

"Hmph. The little worm seeks to learn how to perform the magic of which I am the master? Hahaha! Amusing! Truly amusing! Watch closely little worm." Nia says as she casts an extremely powerful Ice Magic spell of some sort that causes a massive line of spiky icebergs to shoot out in a cone from her.

Alright then. Challenge accepted. I begin trying to visualize what I recall of the runes involved in the formula and their sequences to try and imitate the magic circle. Thank Goddess for the [Memory] Skill. That one's been getting a lot of use as part of my Conjuring training.

After two hours of ceaseless concentration, brute forcing, and rearranging of runic formations, I finally manage to manifest a single Ice Spike.

"Okay, I got what I was after. We can go now." I say to Ariel who nods and prepares to leap away, only for the flustered Ice Dragon to cry out after us.

"Wait wait wait! What the hell was that?! Did that little worm just seriously gain the [Ice Magic] Skill after trying to imitate my [Glacial Magic]?!"

"Yes." Ariel says smugly before leaping extra hard to get us away from Ice Dragon Nia who's still stuttering and stammering in confusion.

After returning to the Demon Lord's castle, I slither down off of Ariel's neck and face her.

"I appreciate everything you've done for me so far, Ariel-sama."

"Please, just call me Ariel."

"Alright then, Ariel, but I feel that the time has come. Administrator D may have been content to amuse herself with my self-destructive tendencies to get stronger, but I'm certain that the 'entertainment value' of my masochistic compulsion to train my Resistances at no small cost to my sanity has either run its course or will soon enough. She won't just sit back and let me continue grinding in relative safety. Besides, I need proper combat experience for my inevitable confrontation with Kumoko."

"So you're leaving then?"

"Yes. At least for a while. I don't suppose I can bum one last lift from you and have you drop me off at an unguarded entrance to the Labyrinth's Upper Layer? I'd like to fight some of the Frogs to start working on [Acid Resistance]."

"Sure thing... you know, we never actually gave you a name."

"I have no intention of accepting a name for myself just yet. I'll let you know when that changes."

"Well alright then. Let's get going."

Several days of hopping later, Ariel stops at the edge of a vertical shaft that drops down into the Upper Layer of the Elroe Great Labyrinth.

"See you around." She says before tossing me down into the hole.

Now the real game begins.