I wandered aimlessly through the vast, lonesome expanse, drifting without purpose, without a destination. Each movement felt hollow, an endless repetition of nothingness.
It was tiring to keep at it, pointless to carry on as is.
And at some point, a thought took root in my mind: What is the purpose of my existence?
I needed to understand. I wanted to understand.
Yet, in the absence of answers, I found solace in the one thing that gave me fulfillment? Leveling up.
Every advancement, every surge of progress, filled a void within me, an elusive sense of completion growing stronger with each step forward. Toward what, I did not yet know, but my status reflected my growth:
Malvos
Race: Demon [Infant]
Species: [Demon Larva] - Lvl. 3
General Skill: [Comprehension] - Lvl. 7
Racial Skill: Universal Language Discernment - Lvl. 1
Hp: 130/130
Sp: 130/130
Mp: 130/130
Stats:
[Vitality]: 5
[Strength]: 5
[Wisdom]: 5
[Agility]: 5
[Available Stat Points: 12]
Skills:
[Available Skill Points: 3]
I had honed my general skills simply by observing the world around me, sharpening my awareness through careful analysis.
For example, I encountered jagged formations along my path, examined their structure, and identified them as rocks, small ones at that.
The ground beneath me? A mixture of red sand and stone. It seemed trivial, but something about this process had refined my comprehension, pushing it to the next level.
And with it, my species had evolved further, granting me additional stat and skill points.
Yet, despite this progress, a nagging sense of dissatisfaction crept in. What was the point of all this? Advancement without purpose felt empty. I was growing, but toward what end?
Another frustration gnawed at me? My sluggish pace. My gelatinous body slid across the rough terrain at an agonizingly slow rate, a struggle with every inch forward. The irritation built inside me.
If only I could move faster...
The temptation arose, to dump all my stat points into agility, to fix this unbearable slowness.
But wouldn’t that leave me imbalanced? A fragile creature with nothing but speed? That wasn't the kind of existence I sought.
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I had yet to decide what I wanted to become, what my ultimate form should be. And so, I left the points untouched, waiting until I could shape my growth with certainty.
A wave of exhaustion suddenly crashed over me. My body grew heavier, sluggish beyond control. It took a moment before I realized why.
Hp: 90/120
Sp: 11/120
I had been pushing forward without thought, depleting my stamina without rest. Now, my body refused to move any further. A deep, suffocating fatigue overwhelmed me, and before I could resist—
Darkness.
---
A voice. A distant call, brimming with warmth.
"Come on, hurry up! You don’t want to be late!"
A hand gripped mine, pulling me along with exhilarating speed. The wind rushed past my face, carrying the scent of fresh earth, the warmth of the sun blanketing my skin.
And her…
Silver hair shimmered under the golden light, cascading in waves as she ran ahead of me, smiling.
Her long lashes framed vibrant eyes, laughter dancing within them. She led the way, her presence vivid, undeniable.
We were running through a forest, but not one shrouded in gloom like the landscape I saw earlier. This one was alive, teeming with color and movement. I followed, driven by curiosity, eager to see where she was taking me.
Ahead, light spilled through the dense canopy, the final threshold in sight. The last step before we reached—
My eyes snapped open.
The dream shattered, the warmth vanished.
The red sky loomed above me once more, casting its eerie glow. And staring down at me, unblinking and alien, was a pair of bulging, snailing eyes.
Who...?
I jerked upright, my body tensing as I took in my surroundings.
I wasn’t alone.
Encircling me were countless figures—creatures that bore an uncanny resemblance to myself. Different colours, varying sizes, some with shells thicker than mine, others with elongated bodies. But unmistakably, they were my kind.
And then, it emerged.
A towering form, massive compared to the rest of us. Its hardened shell gleamed under the crimson sky, its height eclipsing every other larva present.
While I barely scraped past two feet, this being stood nearly five feet tall, its antennae extending even further as it loomed above me. It regarded me with a fleeting glance, then turned away, dismissing me entirely.
Insignificant. That was what I was to it.
A sickening sensation churned in my core, a heavy weight settling in my gut. It wasn’t just the size difference. It was the feeling of being nothing in its presence. Every step I had taken, every bit of progress I had fought for? It all felt meaningless under its shadow.
I hated it.
The larger one moved forward, unbothered, and the others followed in its wake, a silent procession trailing behind their leader.
And me?
I was being left behind.
I gritted my teeth or whatever equivalent my body had and forced myself forward.
Walking alone had been miserable, a journey of uncertainty and solitude. But finding others like me? A group, a purpose? This was different.
I wanted to belong.
I needed to be among them.
So, I followed.
The largest one led, the alpha among us, and I trailed behind, another nameless figure in its ranks. But as I moved, another thought took root in my mind, an ember of ambition flickering into something greater.
If I stayed long enough—if I grew strong enough—could I become like the alpha? No…
Could I become greater than it?
Would there come a day when I too could tower over others, looking down as they did now? When I could make them feel as small, as insignificant, as I felt in this moment?
Perhaps… if I followed long enough, if I learned enough…
I could claim that power for myself.
And so, with burning resolve, I marched forward.
I would grow.
I would evolve.
And one day… they would look up at me in awe as I did the alpha of the group!