I can't be a Lizard!

My first moments of cohesive thoughts were a sense of being trapped inside a translucent cage. The whitish barrier between me and the outside world was stubbornly resistant to the thrusts my limbs would make.

I tried to exert my maximal effort in opening my eyes in vain and decided to give up.

A long time passed by with me being trapped in such a state, or perhaps not a long time at all. My perceptivity had dulled to points of extreme lethargy.

I spent those claustrophobic moments trying to recollect what brought me to this point.

I was in the university library preparing for an upcoming test when it felt like the entire world was beginning to collapse. A giant earthquake struck the entire campus into chaos and as I tried to protect myself from falling debris by sliding under the sturdy table, I could peek outside the windows from a lower vantage point and red cracks appearing in the sky.

My friend Anna, who had joined me for a study session started crying under the very same table. I was paralysed by shock at the sudden turn of events.

That is about the last bit of memory I have...I seem to have found myself trapped in this cage since I regained consciousness. My body felt extraordinarily weak, my eyes didn't work. I felt almost no strength in my hands as I desperately pushed at the bizarre thing blocking me from escaping. My vocal cords didn't work, but my sense of smell felt acute and I could smell the presence of others in my vicinity. Unfortunately I had no way to let them know about my presence and ask for help.

After who knows how long of a time passed, I felt some strength in my arms and legs return. I desperately pushed against the wall that surrounded me and felt that it wasn't as hard as I had previously expected it to be. I push, and struggle and push harder and harder. I finally manage to break through the wall. Suddenly I felt help arrive, as more and more of the wall around me was broken away. I struggled to open my eye and could barely get my eyelid to shift.

My eyes opened carefully as I tried to figure out my situation. A sudden pang of hunger that I felt after exerting my body reminded me that I didn't feel hungry at all for all this time that I was stuck. I turned my head around slowly and found something glaring back at me. It was then that I realised that my world had forever changed.

It was a lizard. Its proportions were of the scale I had only imagined in movies. It seemed to be at least five times my own size and towered over me. I couldn't believe my luck.

After being stuck in debris from an earthquake for so long I am now facing a Kaijuu! I was paralyzed in fear. I had no energy to even move anymore. The large head of the lizard moved towards me as to gobble me up, its huge mouth opening and heading towards my face. I close my eyes to avoid the last moments of being chewed to death.

I am not dead... I open my eyes again to see that the lizard is carrying me somewhere using its mouth. Why am I not dead yet? Why isn't it eating me? I didn't have to wait long for the answer, I was thrown directly into a pile of dead insects that appeared to be dragonflies. Only, the dragonflies were about as large as myself. In desperation, I look around frantically.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Perchance my gaze goes downwards. I see something that shouldn't be possible. I close my eyes, sigh deeply, and open my eyes again. What I see hasn't changed. What were supposed to be my hands were now limbs that didn't resemble a human's at all. They were a lizards limbs.

A lizard...just like that gigantic kaijuu who lifted me up and threw me in this crematorium of insects. I find a small puddle of water and look at it to find myself staring at what appears to be my reflection.

A lizard... I am a lizard now. What?... How? What in the world is going on? Why am I a lizard? I was trapped in earthquake debris and now I'm a lizard? What's going on?

I had too many questions in my stunned mind to figure out what was going on with me. But before I could ruminate upon them I felt an unreal pang of hunger. I felt like I would die if I did not eat something immediately. But there was nothing to eat...or was there?

I felt another presence creep around me. It was another lizard who seemed to be about as large as me. The lizard was brought here by the kaijuu lizard as well. I glanced at that huge monster quite a bit away. It seemed to be picking up another lizard just like me from what appeared to be a broken egg.

So the white barrier that had blocked me was... How? I am a human. I KNOW I am a human. How can I be a newborn lizard?

It was then that I saw what should be my sibling, gobbling down on the dead dragonflies. I mentally vomited. Will I have to eat this as well? But the hunger pang was just to great. At this point I just had one thought in my mind overwhelming all others. SURVIVE! I had to survive at all costs.

I crawled my way to the insect carcasses and reluctantly bit down. I mentally activated my gag reflex, but before it would override my hunger I quickly gulped the insects down. Once I began there was no stopping me, I kept eating as much as I possibly could until I could feel extremely full.

The sudden binge made me immediately feel sleepy again...until I heard a female voice echo clearly in my ears.

Conditions met. Level up to Level 1. You have 100 skill points. Would you like to upgrade or purchase a skill?

My first thought was, a level up system and a skill system. I was reincarnated as a lizard in a game like world. Did I really die on Earth then? Or did that mysterious phenomenon transport me here? Am I the only one who was transported?

Following the voice, a text box like an augmented reality tool popped up in my vision. It contained a list of names along with required points beside it.

This is a game like world. That means there would be a concrete way to make myself powerful. As an animal, I would be subject to the law of the survival of the fittest. If I wanted to survive, I had to get stronger. May be there was even a way to turn back into a human..even return home. I cannot give up. I take a look at the available skills, this choice would make or break my life.

Poison Sac - 50 pts 

Paralysis Neurotoxin - 60 pts 

Poisonous Body - 70 pts 

Hypnosis - 90 pts 

Appraisal - 100 pts 

Most of the skills available were status inducing skills with the exception of Appraisal, the skill touted to be OP in all games and game world novels.

How useful would appraisal really be to me? My current priority needs to be strengthening myself to protect from any immediate danger. Although it appears that me and my sibling crawlies are being protected by the kaijuu parent, the possibility that they would protect me for a long time is minuscule.

However, if there are skills, its possible that I, as a lizard species already have some. And I can't use them without knowing what they are. While most of the status based skills would give me a defensive boost based on their names, I would need some skills with attacking power to raise my level quickly.

Since those aren't available to me now, it's best if I go for the time tested OP skill that seems to be up for a bargain sale (although I not sure how valuable skill points are at this point).

Appraisal, I choose you!

You have purchased the skill [ Appraisal ] for 100 pts. You have 0 skill points left.

Okay! Now it's time to appraise!