Time is a funny thing; it can move quickly or slowly, depending on your perspective of the moment. Right now, for this moment, it doesn't even seem to exist.
I should be frightened. I should be scared out of my mind.
Because, clearly, I'm dead.
Things were going well in life. Or, at the least, not bad. My life was relatively normal; not overtly exciting, but not bad. Even my last day was going well, up until I was driving home and a semi-truck failed to stop behind me going down a hill.
And now? It's surprisingly calm and relaxing when you have no sensory input. Eyes that cannot see, ears that cannot hear, and a body you cannot feel.
Well, that last one may not be 100% true, as the darkness seems to be pressing in around me. I can move my eyes and blink, but there's nothing to see. I can try talking, but there's no air to allow me to speak.
But that's OK, because it's peaceful.
Except for that mild pressure.
You know how a pearl is formed? A piece of sand gets in a clams mouth and agitates it. Over time the clam coats the sand in order to reduce the irritation and the pearl grows and grows.
Right now that's how I feel- like both the clam and the sand.
Because as the pressure around me increases so too grows the agitation of time, and with it, recognition of my presence.
That is to say– I'm growing bored and annoyed.
The pressure is constant and distracting, but I lack arms to push with or legs to kick with. I can't even bang my head against the proverbial wall without a neck.
And after what feels like weeks of squirming in agitation I silently scream at the darkness and do the only thing I can and try to bite it out of futility.
Or not?
My teeth catch on something in the darkness floating just past my lips. Something hard.
I adjust my jaw for a better grip and bite down, my eyes greeted with a crack of light as a jagged gray tear appears in the fabric of space.
My tongue has room to move now, and I use it like a hand to explore, feeling a hard thin edge separating me from another world.
There's room there, on the other side.
I'm suddenly violently reminded of the pressure around me, increasingly feeling as if the weight of the world is crushing me: A weight I can now escape.
I press my tongue against the edge of the universe, squirming my body any way I can manage, forcing my will against the edge of existence in an attempt to widen the shattered wall before me until it's large enough to slip through.
And finally, I succeed!
'I'm out! I'm-'
Coughing hard I hack up clear fluid from my lungs onto the gray stone floor as I lay face down. I… still don't have hands. Or arms. Or, well, anything I can use to adjust my position.
After trying to look around for a moment I realize I do have one option, as gross as it is. But with little choice, I stick my tongue out and press it against the floor, pushing my head sideways enough to see what's next to me.
'So… uh,what?' I think in confusion.
I'm not sure what I was expecting to see, but this certainly isn't it: a large, eight foot tall loogie stuck to the rock wall, looking either like someone spat a wad of snot in the corner that had crystallized, or like some alien cocoon that now bore a hollow space in it that seems to be where I fell out of.
Besides the nasty crystallized snot all I can see is more gray walls, so I try to straighten myself up using my tongue again, being rather surprised it seems so dexterous.
Too dexterous.
Once upright, moving my tongue before my face reveals it's rather long, and as I extend it out it grows to a foot long, then continues to stretch and narrow as it extends another two feet, the tip turning sharp as backwards facing barbs extend from the surface.
…I move my tongue left, then right, then roll it over itself, and extend it again a few times. I want to compare it to an octopus tentacle, but those tend to flop around when they move, and compared to that my tongue is– stronger? More versatile? I feel I can use it like an appendage, in place of having hands.
Not that I want to lick every doorknob I come across.
But as my only movable appendage I use it for self discovery, finding all my teeth are sharp fangs, I have no discernable nose, and an overall round, shapeless body.
No arms and no legs; I'm nothing but a lumpy head. And even then, I don't think I have a jawbone?
But one thing I do have is a stomach, because I feel hungry. I have always felt hungry in my life- never satisfied even when full. Of all the things that could carry over to now, that would be it?
Well, hunger can wait. Whatever- and wherever- I am, I need to be sure I'm safe.
Once again using my tongue as a hand I flex it around my body, the barbs adding resistance to my grip on the floor as my saliva seems to adhire the surface. With a slow pull my body revolves around, revealing a long narrow cave behind me.
'Long' being relative; my entire body is a two foot wide head, and while I'm trying not to freak out over that, my perspective on scale is still mentally based on being six feet tall.
With that in mind, I have to guess this cave is roughly 20 feet deep?
With a sigh of resignation I stretch my tongue out, plant the tip against the ground, and use it to pull my body forward. Then repeat the action, slowly crossing the distance.
As I approach the end of the cave my vision is greeted by a bland yet monumental structure: well formed gray stone blocks that each stand roughly ten feet tall and twenty wide, forming not only a floor and walls that stretch hundreds of feet in all directions, but a ceiling above too. The sheer size of it leaves in me awe, wondering what kind of giants were able to construct such a large place. There doesn't appear to be anything in the room, save for an equally monumental double door on the opposing wall.
I pull myself near the edge of the cave and attempt to peek around the edge to be sure there's no dangers hiding near the entrance– when the sudden sounds of celebration blare into the world and a window appears before my eyes:
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
WELCOME
TO THE
WORLD DUNGEON!
The unexpected assault upon my senses causes me to shout out in surprise, a string of garbled noise in place of actual words. My sudden realization i may not be able to talk is quickly pushed aside as a new screen replaced the first in my vision:
"@#$%=÷", Welcome to The World Dungeon!
Also known as "The World Labyrinth", The World Dungeon is the heart of all dungeons across the planet and is the largest, and potentially most dangerous, dungeon in the lands!
Congratulations on entering a Dungeon! In celebration of your desire for growth and experience, you are given access to the "World System" and will be granted benefits for your bravery!
Please speak or strongly think of the word "Menu"!
Continuing to read in confusion, in addition to its likely intent to make you think of the last word, a new screen pops up to replace the last.
Taking a moment to process everything I take a peek around the blue box at the large, quiet room.
'Dungeons? Like an old world castle "hold prisoners and torture chamber" dungeon? And the entire planet has this built in?
'No, wait; it also said it's a Labyrinth, so it's a maze like prison? And its congratulating me for being here?'
Taking a deep breath before looking around the room again, I return my gaze to the blue screen before me.
MENU°
Name: @#$%=÷
Species: Mimic [ ]
Level: Juvenile
Size: Tiny
Weight: 0.4 ounces [ ]
Title:
- Hero
Health: 100%
Strength: 01 [01]
Dexterity: 01 [01]
Constitution:01 [01]
Wisdom: 14
Intelligence: 16
Charisma: 00 [00]
Languages Known: None
Class: None
Skills: none
Attack methods: Bite, Acid Spit, Tongue Lashing
Species Traits: Darkvision, Gluttonous Gut, Mimicry
$%^&* Trait: Consume and Devour
---
'It doesn't know my name? Well, that doesn't really matter, but it says I'm a Mimic? Like from "The Thing" movie, a severed head walking around on crab legs?
'No, crab legs would actually be an improvement right now.
'Most types of Mimics I've seen in movies are usually human shaped; can strike those off the list. Most from games are chest shaped, and I'm quite round.
Would be nice if I had a mirror about now... and hands to hold it with.
'Well, moving on: Level, Juvenile? I guess I was just born, if you can call emerging from a cocoon or egg or "wad of slime" that.
'Size and weight are…'
I pause, rereading the information several times over, then glance back at the strangely large room.
'Or, perhaps, Normal sized room, because if this is right, I'm about two inches tall.'
I sit still for a few minutes, considering this revealization. I'm not in some "Land of the Giants": i'm a small, tiny, limbless thing.
'That means even a mouse is as big, or bigger, than me…'
I sit there mentally numb for a few minutes minutes before my gaze focused back on the window.
'The Title of "Hero"? What's that mean?'
As if answering my question, a smaller box opened before the menu, providing more details.
Hero
You have been selected by +!@#$ as a potential savior of the people! Learn, grow, and aid those in need! The world is yours and the future is in your hands!
"Heh, you've gotta be kidding me." I say out loud, the words coming out as garbled noises.
How am I supposed to help anyone as a two inch tall meatball? And who the hell chose to do this to me?
Providing no more information I mentally dismiss the last window, somewhat surprised seeing it disappear at my command.
The next section lists out stats, but provides no more information. 'Save for Wisdom and Intelligence I'm pretty much screwed, and that's only if the numbers go to 20; if they go to 100 or more, I am totally screwed.'
No language. No Class. No Skills… No surprise there, considering everything else.
I do, at the least, seem to have some way to defend myself, assuming these attack methods are right. And while "Bite" is obvious, the latter two are lacking.
As if summoned by my inquiry, a new window opens with additional details:
Bite: You can bite an enemy, inflicting [minor] piercing damage.
Acid Spit: you launch a glob of [minor] acid at your target.
Tongue Lashing: You can use your tongue as a weapon, inflicting [minor] bashing or piercing damage. If pierced, the target's escape will be resisted by barbs on the tongue and saliva .
… Hua.
Testing it out, I give a mental command to close the last window, then reopen it, and do so a few times.
'This… is very game- like, isn't it? And those attacks- I'm literally nothing but a mouth.'
Next up: Species traits. Darkvision explains why I can see despite there being any lights. The other two though-
Focusing on the prompt I'm rewarded with an explanation:
Darkvision: You can see up to 60 feet in the dark as if it was well lit and an additional 60 feet as if in dim light. Vision is limited to the form of objects.
Gluttonous Gut: Your hunger is persistent and your stomach knows no limit! You not only have the ability to absorb anything you eat, you can store it too! A most helpful way to show off treasures laying around you to those wandering the dungeon!
Note: Stored items do not count towards your weight!
Mimicry: As an ambush predator you are an expert at imitation, taking on the structure and appearance of objects to lure in prey. You can even mix objects to increase your appeal!
Requirements: you must absorb the item you want to imitate. Total mass of target absorbed must be equal or less than base mass. Weight is adjustable up to the latest base weight.
'Im a big mouth and a storage container. Great. Can't really tell how that works though, my luck it'll be like a shark and i have to literally spit out my stomach to "retrieve" anything.
'Mimicry seals the deal that I'm the treasure chest type of species. Seems whatever I turn into has to be physically smaller than I am, but at least weight won't be a limiting factor. Knowing how big treasure chests are in games--'
My thoughts pause at that realization: mimics turn into treasure chests to catch prey. That "prey", being adventurers. Humans.
If im a mimic- especially THAT kind of mimic, doesn't that mean I'm a monster that's supposed to eat people?
'No, no no no. I'm NOT going down that road... right?'
I pause, thinking about the mild hunger thats persisted since i woke. It was just bad enough to be annoying, but nothing I haven't lived with most of my life. But thankful most of all is that I don't seem to have a weird craving for human flesh.
… not that I could even pose a threat right now.
With a sigh of relief and a strong desire to wash away such thoughts my sight moves back to the menu as I begin to read the next option, its associated window appearing before my eyes – followed by an onslaught of warnings and errors.
Consume and Devour
Thanks to the God of x!@#$%, your natural ability to absorb other forms has been enhanced: you can also absorb its skills and abilities!
--
ALERT
The God of ×!@#$%has taken notice of your existence!
ALERT
The God of ×!@#$% has observed and objects to your enhanced ability!
WARNING
The God of ×!@#$% has attempted to remove your enhanced ability!
ERROR
Ability is tied to the core of species existence and cannot be removed!
ERROR
Attempt to forcibly remove enhancement has corrupted the effect!
WARNING
Direct Interference within the World Dungeon is not permitted due to Heavenly Accord!
WARNING
Attempts to directly interfere with an individual in the World Dungeon is a violation of the Heavenly Accord. Further attempts to locate and recognize this individual will be restricted!
Updating…
Update Complete
Consume and Devour
Thanks to [ERROR], your natural ability to absorb other forms has been enhanced: you can now choose to absorb a skill or ability instead!