Eleven...

Plink.

Twelve...

Plink

That's probably enough grenades.

Eliza had a good point about the spider. Grimal is afraid of the spider. Grimal knows more than we do. It didn't show off any weird powers, and everything here has weird powers. Therefore, I shouldn't underestimate the huge spider.

I need a perfect plan. I'll delay a bit longer on that front

Eliza is not a big fan of the giant centipedes. Her hunt for the one was completely unsuccessful and I'm pretty sure she hates that.

I almost got clobbered by Blackjack, but after much screaming, she agreed that exploring the hallways and rooms on the way to the swamp was probably the best next step, just in case we can pick up more secrets and trinkets. She's planning and plotting how to get rid of more centipedes, but I need to get stronger. Any amount of power is useful, I need every edge I can get in this weird place.

I've still been talking to Sunny, even though his vocabulary is a bit small. Every time he sees someone new, he asks me to "Defend?" He makes a little sad noise every time I tell him someone's a friend. He doesn't ask again for the same person, though, so he has a good memory. Is it wrong that he's making me feel slightly guilty for NOT killing people? I don't want to make the poor sphere sad... This is messed up.

.................

Heading down the halls and exploring the old classrooms is rather eerie. Every place I arrive at, there's signs this was once a nice place to be. And then there's the Antelope. It's not really an antelope, but it kind of looks like one. It's pitch black with 4 straight horns pointing up, and it's incredibly fast. I can barely see it move.

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As I lumber around, chewing on doorways to fit my new bulk inside while exploring, I didn't find much. I went into a classroom, rummaging through a cabinet when I first noticed it. A pair of eyes caught the reflected light of one of the light inscriptions I recovered from my old body. I had gone back to get them after realizing I DID actually need those unless I wanted to mount Sunny to my forehead and look even sillier.

I reached out with psionics, but got no response, and my lights weren't that bright. I saw a vague outline, then heard a wooshing sound as a black blur exited through the door.

Ever since then it's been following me, just outside the range of my light. I can see its reflective eyes. I brought Sunny out and managed to get a look at it a few times, but in the dark I need the extra mana regen from the light to keep me moving, so I had to put him away.

I can't tell if it means me harm or not, and it is way faster than me... This reminds me of a survival horror game. I hope the Antelope is friendly, but I have grenades and wands ready if its not.

I have found some interesting things, but I'm reluctant to spend time figuring out what they are or do while being watched by a creepy black antelope, so I grow a few storage containers in my gut and just start shoving whatever looks interesting or useful in my mouth.

If I get more space, I need a bookshelf in here at some point. I don't plan to be illiterate forever, and there's so much knowledge here. With the intention of stashing them for later, I take books, papers, inscription plates, esoteric looking tools and ingredients, and then I find the motherlode. There's an armory. There's all sorts of things in here I recognize: swords, armor, staffs, and the like. However, there's a large number of things in here that don't look like they were made for hands at all. Still more things look kind of familiar, but I have no idea what they do, for instance, I find something that looks remarkably like a magitech walkman, It's with the weapons, so I don't think it is, however.

A lot of it looks to be made of wood, like these are practice items, but the real treasure is the inscriptions. I have no idea what a lot of these do! There's a bunch I do recognize, but a lot of those have mana constructs attached that I don't recognize!

If I can figure this out, I'll gain another edge. With that in mind, I grab everything I can and shove it into my maw, then start digging to see if I can lose my antelope stalker. If I fold my legs up and take tiny steps, it won't be able to fit in the tunnel, since I am shorter than an antelope, especially with those horns.

..................

It's still following. I don't know how, but I had a feeling I was being watched, and turned around in the tunnel with great difficulty to alleviate my worries. My worries were not alleviated when I spotted eyes out in the darkness. I quickly dug back to the surface, since the tunnel was apparently pointless, then took off running back to base. I had to stop for an extended rest due to depleting my mana by running so hard, and while I rested, it stayed just outside my light. Staring...

How did it fit in the tunnel? Why is it here? What does it want?

I have no idea and that scares me a lot.

Fortunately I don't have to worry for too long. I reach the semi-lit area on the border of the cafeteria, and begin growing a vine barricade up ahead. I leave enough room for me to pass through, and once I do, I close the hallway up behind me. For good measure, I spend entirely too long adding extra thickness to the blockade.

That should do it. Now I can go study my loot in peace. Let's see if Grimal has any insight.