65348


What exactly were all the things Kumoko did to raise her Taboo skill? I know
she ate a sibling, but the other ones kind of went by fast. I'd like a list of
them.


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2021-08-03T17:52:06.930
65347
2021-08-09T17:07:25.337
19307
question
so-im-a-spider-so-what
What did Kumoko do to raise Taboo?


Taboo is an interesting skill, but some of the ways Kumoko levels it up are
very uninteresting, as it levels up several times when she evolves. I will try
to list how she got each level, but it isn't 100% clear in one case.

## Level 1: Ate a sibling

She first gains the skill by eating one of her siblings. It comes with the Kin
Eater title she acquires as a result. From the first light novel, chapter 2:
_A Rent-Free Home_ :

> So I press on and finish eating my sibling's carcass. This is enough to fill
> my stomach, so I don't have to worry about starvation for a while.  
>  _Whew. Thanks for the meal, I guess._  
>  <Condition satisfied. Acquired title [Kin Eater].>  
> <Acquired skills [Taboo LV 1][Heretic Magic LV 1] as a result of title [Kin
> Eater].>  
>  
>  _Uh, what?_

## Level 2: Evolved into a small taratect.

This happens on page 113 of the first light novel. Seemingly all Kumoko does
is evolve into a small taratect. It doesn't seem like a particularly
controversial choice. Skills often level up from proficiency bonuses while
leveling up, so that could be what's going on here. Kumoko gets a skill
proficiency evolutionary bonus while leveling up. If this is really the case,
it doesn't seem particularly fair to automatically level up a negative skill
like taboo, described as "Must never be raised." I'll note that on page 152,
in chapter 9: _Spider vs Bee_ , Kumoko says this about skills:

> And with this latest level-up, three of my skills powered up too.
>
> I don't really know what any of them did, but if they leveled up, I must be
> earning proficiency for them somehow, so it's possible that I'm benefiting
> from them without even realizing it.

She's not talking about Taboo here, but if this is really true in general,
Kumoko might be doing something to earn Taboo proficiency, and it just only
happens to level up when she evolves. It's noteworthy though that she never
gets a Taboo level up just from leveling up, unlike a lot of her other skills.
There's really no way to know at this point, and I can really only go off of
what the light novel says. Though perhaps relevant then, is when she gets the
Merciless title on page 242, which comes with some more Heretic Magic and
Heresy Resistance. She gets this title after slaughtering a large number of
the monkey horde that comes after her. Her attitude at the moment is probably
what gives her the title:

> I sense a hint of fear in their cries, too, but what do I care about that?  
> They're the ones who picked a fight with me, so they should've been prepared
> to die themselves.  
> You're not gonna catch me losing any sleep over killing something that tried
> to kill me first.  
> So I ignore their struggles and finish them off.

Heresy Magic is notably ominous sounding, and it also came with Taboo, so her
proficiency for Taboo may have gone up here for one reason or another.

## Level 3 and Level 4: Acquiring the skill Pride

Moving on to volume 2, on page 26 her Taboo level jumps up to level 4 after
she acquires the skill pride for the bargain price of 100 skill points. Since
she'd decided to live her life with pride, she may have gained an affinity for
the skill which might explain the cost. And if pride is connected with Taboo,
being prideful could again be giving her proficiency in Taboo behind the
scenes (later on, with a maxed-out Appraise, Kumoko is finally able to see her
current proficiency and how close it is to leveling up, but at this point, she
can only see the current level). Taboo goes up immediately after she gets the
skill Pride, even before she gets the title Ruler of Pride and the abyss magic
that comes with it, so we can be reasonably sure that it's acquiring this
skill that increased Taboo by two levels.

## Level 5: Evolving into Zoa Ele

This happens on page 131 of book 2. Again, another evolution boost. It's
noteworthy that Taboo doesn't go up for every evolution, as it didn't level up
for her evolution to Poison Taratect. Zoe Ele is notable for being described
as "A small-spider type monster that is feared as an ill omen", so it does
seem more taboo than her past evolutions at least. For further comments, see
Level 2.

## Level 6 and Level 7: Acquiring the skill Perseverance

On page 139 of book 2, Kumoko acquires the skill Perseverance for 500 skill
points. It lets her survive lethal attacks by sacrificing MP, and it has a lot
of the same terminology in its description as Pride, and comes with a Ruler of
Perseverance title, just like the Pride one.

## Level 8: Acquiring the skill Wisdom from Administrator D

In volume 2, page 175 in chapter 7: _The Administrator's Shadow_ , Kumoko is
complaining to herself that Appraise didn't evolve into any new skill, but it
seems someone is listening:

> < Upper Administrator D has accepted the request>  
> <Now constructing skill [Wisdom].>  
> < Construction Complete.>  
> <Condition satisfied. Acquired skill [Wisdom].>  
> <Skill Appraisal LV 10> has been integrated into [Wisdom].>  
> <Skill [Detection LV 10] has been integrated into [Wisdom].>  
> <Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Taboo LV 7 has become
> [Taboo LV 8].>  
> <Condition satisfied. Acquired title [Ruler of Wisdom].>  
> <Acquired skills [Height of Evil] [Celestial Power] as a result of title
> [Ruler of Wisdom].

It's not entirely clear why Taboo levels up. It could have something to do
with the contact with Administrator D, but considering Wisdom and it's title
seem similar to Pride and Perseverance, and considering Taboo levels up
immediately after acquiring Wisdom, it probably is the skill that does it.

## Level 9: Eating a Fire Dragon?

How Kumoko levels up Taboo to 9 is unclear in the light novels. It comes after
having directly spoken with Administrator D following her defeat of the Fire
Dragon in book 3. It does seem the death of a dragon is concerning, even to an
administrator, as this is why Güliedistodiez tracks Kumoko down afterward
(though is interrupted by Administrator D), as evidenced by this mysterious
passage at the end of chapter 4: _Dragon Slayer_ :

> "A dragon's been destroyed? In the Great Elroe Labyrinth... Was this his
> doing? No, I don't think so. We have an unspoken truce going on. I don't
> think he would make a move like that. But what happened then? Activate
> Administrator's authority... What in the world? A ruler? Of three, no less?
> What does this mean? I've never heard of this skill 'Wisdom'. Does that mean
> this is the work of D? But why? What is this skill? ...I guess I'll have to
> investigate.

This is the passage where Kumoko levels up Taboo at the beginning of chapter
6: _Middle Stratum Cleared_ :

> I eat.  
> And eat.  
> And eat.  
> It's bitter.  
> So bitter.  
> Bitter, just a little sweet, and sad.  
> <Proficiency has reached the required level. Skill [Taboo LV 8] has become
> [Taboo LV 9].>

At this point, it isn't obvious whether or not what Kumoko's eating is dragon
or not. It seems probable since she does check the skills she got from
defeating it, so not much time could have passed, and also because she was
descaling it when the Administrator arrived. Another possibility is thinking
too much about the Administrators. This is obviously what's on her mind as she
eats, and she's annoyed at them, thinking bad thoughts about deities including
how she probably couldn't defeat Administrator D if she fought her, which
seems like Taboo thoughts, so it's possible that's what raised Taboo, though
it isn't really substantiated. Here's the passage:

> Otherwise, that would mean this whole world exists as a sideshow for D's
> amusement
>
> I don't like the sound of that
>
> ...
>
> Aside from that, I don't have enough information to do anything but
> speculate.
>
> So I have to conclude there's no point in racking my brains about "D,"
> "administrators," and all that jazz any further.
>
> Honestly, it's not like I can do anything about it anyway.
>
> If beings that can control the skill system want to mess with me, I doubt I
> could put up much resistance.
>
> Trying to go up against an administrator would be like trying to stop a
> meteor from destroying the earth.
>
> That's not the kinda thing I can win against.
>
> Not just D, either. That dark guy who showed up in front of me earlier
> seemed way more powerful than me, too.
>
> ...
>
> Never mind a contest of strength. I wouldn't even be able to qualify for the
> game.

Later in the chapter, we do glean something that raised Taboo partway up to
the level up though:

> I also maxed out Heretic Magic.  
> But you'll never guess what god-awful skill derived from that.  
> Taboo.  
> Luckily, it didn't level up, but I thought my heart was going to stop for a
> second.  
> Actually, even though it didn't level up at that moment, it's hit level 9 at
> some point without my noticing.  
> One more level and it'll be maxed out.  
> This could be really bad.

## Level 10: Evolving into Ede Saine

Like the Zoa Elle, this evolution does have a foreboding description: "a small
spider-type monster feared as an omen of death.", but this may or may not
explain Taboo going up. See Level 2 for further comments.

## More Taboo

That's it for Kumoko's leveling up for Taboo, but here are a few more examples
for ways to level up Taboo from some other characters.

Fei gains Taboo just for biting the earth wyrm that shows up to attack the
students. Apparently, this is sufficient for gaining the Kin Eater title. It's
probably that she ingested at least a small amount of the wyrm, but it is
still a bit surprising. (Note, she didn't kill the earth wyrm, which was
probably her parent; Shun did.)

> Then I notice her new title.  
> [Kin Eater]  
> As its name suggests, it's a terrible title conferred on those who have
> eaten the flesh of a blood relative.  
> "It...can't be..."  
> "I don't see any other explanation, do you?"  
> Fei must have bitten right through the wyrm's neck.  
> If so, her grant of this title would make sense.  
> In fact, that's the only way it could have happened.

From even further down the line, Shun's Mercy skill levels up Taboo rapidly.

> This skill allows Shun to resurrect the dead, and he uses it to save Katia
> after she blows herself up to free herself from Hugo's brainwashing, and
> after their execution Shun uses it to save Katia's parents and one of his
> elder brothers, even going so far as to put their heads back on after they
> were chopped off (he had to do this himself, as the skill wouldn't work if
> the heads were detached).

From page 166-167 of the third light novel, Shun's Taboo level jumps from
level 5 to level 9 :

> Mercy.  
>  A forbidden skill that resurrects the dead.  
> This is the skill Katia questioned me about, saying it was no ordinary
> magic. A skill that brings about miracles.  
> That time, when Katia fired magic at herself to get rid of the brainwashing,
> she really was mortally wounded.  
> Her HP dropped to 0, and she died.  
> However, I used this skill right away and brought Katia back from the dead.  
> Once I revive Leston, I do the same for Klevea and Katia's parents.  
> In the process, my MP all but runs out, and my Taboo skill level goes up to
> 9.  
> Mercy is probably the only skill in existence that can revive the dead, but
> it has serious conditions and disadvantages too.  
> Firstly, it consumes a large amount of MP.  
> The only reason I could revive four people was because my skills greatly
> increased when I became the hero.  
> Also, if the body is too damaged, it can't be revived.  
> This time, I was able to reattach the severed heads to their bodies, but if
> I tried it with only one or the other, it probably wouldn't have worked.  
> Finally, it's only effective for a short period of time after a person's
> death.  
> I haven't experimented with it, of course, so I don't know exactly how long,
> but my sense is that it's probably only a few minutes.


CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-03T17:52:06.930
65348
2021-08-09T17:07:25.337
2021-08-09T17:07:25.337
19307
19307
65347
answer