My little mongoose paw wasn’t the prettiest tool, but it did hack down plenty of reeds for me to work with. I dragged them back to the stump next to the swamp and laid them out in a row. Yet the more I examined them, the more doubts emerged in my mind.
Actually… how do you weave reeds together?
I raised my eyeball and looked at the sun. I pivoted and examined the reeds. Then, for another way to stall for time, I oozed my way up the side of the stump. My jelly wasn’t exactly adhesive enough to simply allow me to climb walls, but I could stretched out tentacles and harden the ends to pull me up.
I eyeballed the size of the roof we would require to keep out the elements. Nodding confidently to myself, I climbed back down. With no other excuses I began to try weaving the reeds together.
I started by trying to just wind two together, wrapped tightly around each other, but I just ended up with a lumpy rope. I unwound the reeds and used a tentacle to scratch my noggin. Which prompted a new line of thought.
Wait, where does my intelligence come from, if I haven’t absorbed a brain? Would I become even more calculating with an animal brain?
But to take a brain from a frog or a crayfish seems a bit… what if it makes me think more like them, rather than a human? I’ve made jokes about losing my humanity… but what if it really happened?
I felt an unpleasant curdling sensation in my stomach. I shook myself; these thoughts were just distractions. I didn’t know much about weaving, but I had been bullied before into learning to french braid hair. That attempt went a bit better, but simply left me with a thick strip of reeds; I would need dozens to cover the roof. And to my immense distaste, the weave was relatively loose; the mongoose paw was okay at the weaving, but I only had one. The hardened tentacles proved to be a poor substitute.
Not that frog legs would do much better…
I wiggled my body in annoyance. Absorbing more useful body parts got moved to the top of my to-do list. A glance at the sky showed me that the sun wouldn’t slow its passage just because I struggled. But I did have another idea; I had also learned to knit at some distant point in my human life. The reeds weren’t quite as flexible as yarn, but I snapped off a long and skinny piece of bark from the stump and tied several to the end.
I snapped off another piece to be the other ‘needle’ and began my new attempt. I manipulated reeds by manipulating the bark pieces by manipulating tentacles.
Haaah…
Your Skill (Earned) Inferior Body Manipulation has grown to Level 6.
My Skill improved, but the end result wasn’t nearly as impressive. It was a mess of holes and nearly snapped reeds. My frustration had been mounting the entire attempt and to finally see that all my effort had resulted in this-
I snapped. I reaved my way through the messy assemblage of reeds with my mongoose claw. Back and forth I scythed, ripping those few well-done pieces to shreds, so the whole thing was totally useless as a roof. By the end, my jello trembled. If I had lungs, I would have been hyperventilating. Why am I just so-
The trembling worsened. I cut off my vision and just sat there for a while. Then, because I had an idea what was happening, I examined my emotional state.
Grief is not a task, to be ‘finished’ and then set aside. Its a presence in your life. It cannot be solved. It is not a puzzle. It is a burden.
But it was also the last concrete sensation that connected me to Mimi. And I missed her so damn much.
I trembled for a while longer, just sitting there in front of my failed product. Eventually, the small ripples traveling out through my jelly body calmed me down. I forced myself to reflect. I’m feeling two things, actually. Grief, that Mimi is gone. Perhaps also related, grief for the ending of my own life. I am no longer Tallum Frost the human. That… won’t ever go away, I think.
But I also am feeling, and this is the source of the frustration, regret over the way I lived the first time through. What if I make the same mistakes? What if I’m still useless at investing in this life?
I looked down at my corroded mongoose claw. I pictured Sapphire’s perfect crab claw. Was I… bad at being a Chimera Core?
To my immense distaste, it was actually a phrase from my therapist: ‘Comparison is the thief of joy.’
I can’t fix grief, but I can prevent regret by ignoring my own doubts. We three Chimera Cores escaped, exactly because I was a reincarnated human. I saved myself and my companions. And I can continue to do so.
I opened my eyes. So now I just-
My thoughts froze. At the other side of the clearing sat Indigo, the rat heads staring out of the ooze and looking at me.
My Chimera Core existence couldn’t produce tears, but I still felt a flash of embarrassment to be caught while feeling so raw. Indigo oozed forward and I flinched. The other ooze moved right up to me, as though nothing was amiss. As the other Chimera Core moved, the soft rustling made me look behind him.
My companion had brought me more reeds.
Without making a fuss, Indigo approached my ‘roof’ (even as a rug, it would be considered a travesty). It plucked up the shredded thing and tossed it to the side with tentacles. Then Indigo laid out the new reeds in front of me. A tentacle stretched out and patted my side.
He was comforting me. A rush of warmth circulated through my body. The obvious concern and quiet support made me want to double over and tremble for ten more minutes. I hadn’t known how to ask for it, but I hadn’t had to. And Indigo gave me exactly what I needed.
Wait, why is Indigo suddenly a he-
Imagine my surprise when I saw, floating between the rat heads in his ooze, a small little hunk of pink flesh. A frog brain.
Indigo’s energy felt different in my sonar. More focused. Also, somehow more Indigo?
What does it mean you have an indigo personality- wait, is this fantasy trying to imply my personality is lavender?!
The little aside, overreaction though it was, helped me find my center again. The grief was still there. My anxieties about being inadequate hadn’t vanished. But I could at least work on avoiding regret with this second chance.
What’s worth having… is worth working for, huh.
I patted Indigo back. He gestured with a tentacle and suddenly the small movement seemed so articulate. He wanted to know if I needed more reeds. I was about to make an X with my tentacles and deny him, but then I noticed the well-severed edges of his reeds; rat teeth turned out to be a more precise instrument than a corroded mongoose paw.
I assented. Indigo got to work.
While Indigo harvested more reeds (honestly, it felt a little insulting to see how many he began to gather, but I suppose it was an accurate assessment, considering how much practice I needed), I oozed into the surrounding area to explore. I probably needed a bit of a break, even with Indigo’s comfort, before I made another weaving attempt. And I could at least make use of my time to get a better lay of the land.
From the direction of the setting sun (assuming this fantasy world had a similar galactic situation to Earth), our new home sat on the Southeastern bank of a river as it slowly curved to the North. The mud beach was curved off to the Southwest, back in the direction we had followed the current. To the East of our stump home were fields of reeds and puddles of various sizes. But directly South of us-
Is that Mana?
Curious, I moved out of the reeds into a large, flat clearing of mud. My eye scanned the area, but ominously, the clearing was entirely deserted. Not a single monster could be seen or heard.
Uh, this is a bad sign, right?
But before I could retreat, my Lesser Mana Detection pinged again. I saw a small spark of energy with my energy sonar. I focused on those senses, letting my vision of the strangely empty mud clearing fall away. I oozed a bit closer; as I neared, I could see the sparks shoot out from a circle of some sort hidden underneath the mud.
After a brief hesitation, I crept another small distance forward. Up close, I could see the Mana glowing from even within the mud. My curiosity demanded I investigate, but the abandoned nature of the clearing didn’t give me a good impression.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The last time I ignored my instincts… My thoughts turned sour. I touched a cage of electrified Mana and lost several Health.
…but leaving after discovering this seems a bit… if I can investigate and figure out how to use my Mana for something other than just poof-ing out energy…
There was danger, but my Health was currently full. For my first experiment, I scooped up a ball of mud and rolled it over the edge of the circle. Nothing happened.
I crept a bit more forward tried again, sending a new mud ball deeper into the circle. Still, there was no response. Bracing myself for the hammer to fall, I reached the edge of the glowing Mana and jabbed a tentacle past the limits.
Again, nothing happened. This… is almost anticlimactic. If its not some sort of barrier, why is there mana here?
I used my mongoose paw to carefully scrape away the mud. It was actually pretty deep, almost five inches worth of dense mud, growing darker as I carved it away. But soon the claw of my paw clicked against stone.
Intrigued, I shifted from claw to a tentacle to excavate the mud and reveal the surface of the stone-
When my tentacle touched the stone, I felt a jolt of something. It was like Mana, but wasn’t. It surged through me and settled at the core of my ooze and then vanished. I sprang back a half second later and instinctively checked my Health-- I hadn’t lost any.
My shock only doubled though, when I realized that the middle portion of the ‘empty’ mud clearing changed.
The energy circle had vanished and a previously-hidden thin-legged bird crouched at what was definitely the exact center of the circle. The strange part was its head was the bird’s head stabbed down into the mud. And thick mud too, crusted up its neck and covering most of the top part of its body.
Why would a chicken be stuck in the middle of some strange circle?
I know I’m just a reincarnated human, but aren’t these developments a little… ominous?
My question answered itself almost immediately because the chicken’s legs began to kick. Whatever this thing, it was alive-
With a great heave, the bird ripped itself out of the mud. It pivoted around slowly in my direction; definitely ominous. Yet what undercut the strangeness of the situation was the fact that when it faced me… it was definitely just a bird. Not a chicken, but a duck.
The duck considered me. Then it quacked at me (perhaps a thank you?) and then began to waddle away.
I watched it go. I honestly have no idea what just happened. What was that energy circle? When I touched it, why did it vanish? Did I really feel something settle into me, or was that just my imagination? God, I wish I had more powerful Skills with cooler names…
In the end, nothing bad happened? Besides, even if this was some sort of horrible mistake, all I unleashed was a duck. Let’s just… pretend it never happened.
Not much time had actually passed, so I did one last lap to finish my exploration of our area. The only thing I discovered on my sweep back were a few wild strawberries; I couldn’t eat them currently, but perhaps I would absorb a mouth in the future that would let me taste them. I made a mental note and returned to the stump clearing.
A pile of cleanly cut reeds waited for me. I tried not to be too daunted by the task and got to work.
You mutinous tentacles! Why aren’t you fingers?! Anima doesn’t give me the fineness of control I need…
The wind changed, causing the reeds around me to rustle. I could almost feel the world smirking as a massive bank of slate grey clouds gathered along the horizon, adding a bit of stakes to my efforts.
My first attempt ended up pretty similarly horrendous as the first, but I at least began to understand part of my problem; ironing out the holes only made the next portion arrive with a bigger hole. My third and fourth attempts I proceeded with more patience, simply accepting the smaller holes as they formed.
Indigo returned before Green, and to my immense relief, bore a distraction. With a sigh, I set aside the finished reed roof (fifth edition). After a bit of hesitation as I looked at the new, dangerous-looking head floating in Indigo’s body, I accepted the body part he offered me. I suppose it’s only fair I am paid for my carpentry efforts…
Would you like to integrate the serrated foreleg of Patient Venom Mantis Lvl 9?
Integration requires 13 Anima. Continue?
Wait, you sandbagging ooze, you are out there solo slaying Level 9 monsters? How much did that brain boost your capabilities!? I couldn’t help but be shocked. I looked at Indigo in a new light. Perhaps you received some sort of (Temp) Bite Skill with all these heads and now you are just chowing down freely… I hope I earn an Active Skill soon…
I gratefully accepted the offering.
You have integrated the serrated Foreleg of the Patient Venom Mantis Lvl 9! You have unlocked Stat (Temp) Poise. Serrated Foreleg of the Patient Venom Mantis Lvl 9 provides Poise +4 and Attack +3.
Poise: A state of readiness. Slightly boosts movement speed and reaction speed. Also helps user respond to sudden shocks.
Your Skill (Species) Integrate Body Part has grown to Level 7
It was a fabulous leg, despite the high Anima cost. I raised it in the waning sunlight, admiring its sleek forest-green exterior and sharpened edges. Compared to this paw from the Mongoose-
Wait, is my sense of style turning slightly strange?
I tried not to dwell on this shift and looked at my Status screen.
Name: Tallum Frost (Awakened)
Species: (Nascent) Chimera Core
Level: 6
Health: 23/23
Anima: 7
(Temp) Mana: 1/1
Integrated Body Parts:
[Slightly Damaged Cochlea of the Chubby Rat- Perception +1]
[Left Lung of the Lazy Rat- Recovery +2]
[Flawed Monster Core of the Domesticated Hex Spider- Mana +1]
[Corroded and Severed Claw of the Vindictive Static Mongoose- Attack +1 and Strength +1]
[Slightly Mushed Left Eye of the Vindictive Static Mongoose- Perception +5]
[Serrated Foreleg of the Patient Venom Mantis- Poise +4 and Attack +3]
Stats: (Temp) Perception: 6 (Temp) Recovery: 2 (Temp) Poise: 4
(Temp) Attack: 4 (Temp): Strength: 1
Skills: (Species) Absorb Anima Lvl 7, (Species) Integrate Body Part Lvl 7
(Earned) Inferior Body Manipulation Lvl 6
(Temp) Lesser Mana Detection Lvl 10 (+9), (Temp) Detect Danger Lvl 10(+3)
Obviously, this display of capability on Indigo’s part firmed my resolve to experiment with my fancy new limb. I left my messy (but at least complete) roof weave in our clearing and headed back down to the mud beach. The frogs were too clustered together for the attempt, but I saw two frolicking crayfish and rolled up toward their backs.
Crayfish Mucker Lvl 4
Crayfish Mucker Lvl 4
Perfect targets. I felt like a rogue-type character as I snuck up on the two of them. Perhaps… this should be my combat style going forward.
Cognizant that I wanted to harvest the brain, I slid up behind the first Crayfish and brought the serrated foreleg to its throat area.
…which turned out to be armored, because it was a crayfish with an exoskeleton, so the attack skittered harmlessly away. The crayfish wheeled around, hissing in fury. I picked and swung wildly-- and executed a perfect blow, splitting its head in half. Blood gushing from the wound, it fell to the ground.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +3.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +3.
In the meantime, its companion marched forward and stabbed me with one of its wide claws. I flinched back, but the claw snapped shut rather harmlessly on my ooze, missing all of my organs. I didn’t even lose any Health.
Thankfully, Chimera Cores aren’t easy to kill. Gives me some margin of error while I get better at this fighting thing.
In the end, I relied on just stabbing the crayfish mucker and letting it bleed out to kill it, earning a pleasant surprise at the end.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +3.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +4.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +2.
You have slain a Crayfish Mucker Lvl 4.
You have Leveled up! Health +2, Anima +1.
In my excitement, I didn’t even bother to experiment with other body parts; now that we were establishing a home here, I would have plenty of time to incorporate crayfish body parts (even if their clicking claws reminded me of that obnoxious Sapphire). I rushed back to our home and was delighted to find Green had also returned.
With a flourish, I offered Green the brain. When the Chimera Core’s lack of motion demonstrated disinterest, I just shoved it into the green ooze. Please, be an idiot no longer.
Green… spat the brain back out.
I could only wiggle in an approximation of a sigh. Don’t blame me for treating you like a child if you act so petulant…
I tied a bit of reed around the small hunk of grey matter, so it resembled a tail. Green absorbed it instantly and became a She.
Instantly, Green became more animated in her bouncing. Her tentacles and tails whipped left and right. And almost as though she was a rain dancer, the clouds over the wetlands broke and waves of rain crashed down on us.
As one, we moved into the stump home for shelter. My roof was hefted up and covered the opening at the top of the hollowed-out stump.
…but it was lucky we Chimera Cores didn’t really feel cold, because at best, I could only describe my roof as 50% effective…
Still, the mood was high, despite the constant water dripping down upon us. Green gestured emphatically, drawing shapes and slashing with her tails at such a rapid clip that I really couldn’t decipher its meaning. I looked at Indigo. He seemed just as nonplussed.
Sure, communication has improved since you’ve absorbed a crayfish brain, but I just wish you would be a bit more consistent…
After several repetitions, I understood she had become angry at the fish nearby. Apparently, she had swam out in the water while Indigo and I had explored the land. Beyond a certain size, fish scales wouldn’t just be dissolved inside of our bodies as minnows would. Apparently, she wanted to eat one.
After several repetitions of the miming, I had a horrified realization; Green complained that her tails couldn’t just squeeze the fish with enough force until their heads exploded and she could get at the Anima.
So these are the concerns of a semi-intelligent monster…
I created a tentacle and ripped off a piece of rotten wood. It wasn’t the best, but… I used my new serrated foreleg to sharpen it to a point. With rain dripping down through the cracks in my roof, I offered the makeshift spear to Green. I mimed stabbing with it and then handed it over.
Green stabbed me with the spear. She waved her tails in jubilant celebration.
I felt somewhat exhausted. Well, at least you get the point.
But also, I felt a little happy. Despite their quirks, I had made a great start to building a life with my companions. The edges were still rough, but the addition of brains meant communication was possible.
I knew Mimi would have been proud.