Tim and Skendus eventually walked into a place that seemed a lot like a cave, except it didn't seem like the type of cave that he was looking for, as nothing about it was paranormal. They walked into a wide opening, where life was really abundant, there were a bunch of things to eat here! Tim was really hungry, so he didn’t waste a single second, he chased after a couple of insects immediately!
It wasn't easy for one to be an explorative spider, as it demanded a lot of energy. He had over-exerted himself, quite frequently, so he was more than happy to run into these insects now, as they could help bring a bit of his energy back! He moved quickly!
“Huhuhahaha!” He celebrated, after he bested a couple of ladybugs.
Back on earth, it was frowned upon to kill ladybugs, but the settings over here were different. He wasn't on earth anymore, and he was a spider too, so he couldn’t really be picky; He had to eat them in order to survive!
Anyway, Tim then second guessed his kills, at least for a brief moment, as he remembered that Skendus was an illusionist, who was capable of fabricating reality quite aggressively! He had to second-guess himself, for the sake of clarity.
The rat could be playing a sick joke on him, it was very possible, especially since he didn’t get any points from killing these bugs, it was odd that he didn’t get rewarded. However, he then figured out that he was being all paranoid over nothing, right after he started nibbling on the first ladybug. The food felt real enough!
“Mmm… good enough? It feels weird on my gullet, though. No wonder I didn’t win any points, this is just a fleshless shell, so… I won't be gaining weight anytime soon, damn. Those panzer crabs helped me grow bigger before, a lot bigger, but now I can't shake off my anorexia even when I'm as little as a spider. Shit is sad, I gotta get fat all by myself, even the system can't help me with this.” He mumbled, ever so endlessly.
Tim had a lot in his mind, but that didn’t stop him from eating. He puked a bunch of his stomach acid on the bugs, for it to help break the bugs apart and make them easier to consume. He felt weird about the process, but it happened instinctually, so it didn't feel entirely new to him. The stomach acid sizzled through the bugs for a bit, and then, he started chewing on them!
This meal was good enough, except for the bug's wings, which felt really weird in his throat. He ended up spitting those out. However, most body parts which belonged to these bugs were edible, he felt better already!
Later on, he killed three more bugs, to dismantle and eat. He didn’t recognize their species, but they were blue, and they were smaller than the ladybugs too. They looked unique, but since these bugs didn't have any powers to give him, he didn’t even bother asking about their species’ name.
After he ate them, Tim felt well-fed and all dandy now. He was in a better state of mind too, and as a result, he could think straight once more. He was sharp enough to start asking some important questions now!
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“Thanks for the meal, I appreciate it.” He said, “But where are we? Are you taking me to a soul cave or not, Skendus, or is this the soul cave? You know where I wanna go.”
“This is not the soul tampering cave, bud. I just figured that you could use a meal, and I was more than right, apparently. As for the cave, we’ll get to it soon, don't worry, I know exactly where it is. You should remember that I’m an illusionist, so naturally, I’ve tampered with the paranormal a lot of times throughout my life. So… you’re in good hands, I'll help you as best as I can!” The other answered.
Timothy didn’t expect to get an answer that was this expansive, especially since Skendus had acted very mysteriously so far, but he was pleased and appreciative nonetheless. He had his suspicions so far, but at least he could worry a bit less for a turn, which when paired with the sensation of a full stomach, was very relieving! He was happier.
Anyway, they walked across this little cave, and indulged into a bunch of tunnels once more. Along the way, Tim was pretty clueless about his surroundings, most of the time, especially since they weren’t getting attacked by anything, but at some point even he realized that they had gone deep underground. They were in deep, and continued to go in even deeper! He trusted that Skendus knew where he was going, because if he didn’t, then it would be a long way back out, if he could make it back out!
…
Tim and Skendus walked, for what felt like forever, the journey even seemed never-ending to a little guy like him. At first, Tim tried to pay as much attention to his surroundings as possible, for safety’s sake, but his attention-span started failing him eventually. It faded away, even, as if he had lost consciousness, but yet he didn’t lose it ~ For some reason, he was in the middle-point of consciousness and unconsciousness, as if something forced him towards that state of mind. It wasn’t fun!
He was barely aware of his condition, because for some reason, he didn’t feel the need to think things over. The tunnels they were walking through seemed endless too, which didn't make the situation any better, and this was especially tiring, because he couldn’t look forward to a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ kind of scenario.
That wouldn’t work, because light was also surrounding them at all times, for some reason! This meant that it might take him forever to reach the soul tampering cave, and this conclusion deprived him of all critical thinking. He was overwhelmed, and yet underwhelmed at the same time.
Tim had a goal in mind, yes, but that wasn’t enough to help him be attentive, and it certainly wasn’t enough to help make sense of things. The light that surrounded him was overwhelming, and blinding, so he had no idea how long it would take him to reach the cave. God forbid, he may even forget his goal entirely! It wouldn’t be a surprise, especially since something was messing with his brain!
At some point, Tim suddenly realized that he had walked alone for a long while now. Skendus wasn’t by his side anymore, which was very alarming, because he was supposed to be Tim’s guide around here! Since he was alone, it didn’t seem as smart to push through this radiant tunnel any further, not anymore! The reward of a tampered soul wasn't guaranteed anymore, and this realization hit him like a truck, he got furious!
He stopped walking, and then asked himself. “What am I walking for, and where the fuck am I going? This has been going on forever, where am I!? Is my name even Timeeth at this point? I forgot! God, I just want to be human again, a human with a strong soul, yes! So why am I getting punished like this, it’s not fair, man! Fuck that stupid cave.”
While he debated himself, the radiant tunnel was then tainted with tens of red lines. These lines appeared suddenly, but once they did, Tim felt a strong tug on his very soul, a tug that he had never felt before!