Zach took longer than expected, but he finally reached the hill. The sun was dipping lower, casting jagged shadows across the uneven ground. He exhaled, adjusting his grip on his battle axe as he scanned the area.

The double-headed caterpillar had to be here somewhere.

He moved cautiously, stepping over patches of wild grass, listening.

For nearly half an hour, he searched, flipping stones, checking crevices, feeling the soil for any unnatural softness.

Then—movement.

A streak of dark green shot across a moss-covered log.

Zach’s pulse quickened.

The caterpillar slithered to a stop, its two heads twitching independently as it analyzed him. He stayed still, watching. Its slimy body pulsed, shifting, ready to move.

Then it lunged.

Zach barely had time to react. He jerked back, twisting to the side as both heads snapped at his chest. Its mandibles clacked shut on empty air. The second he landed, he retaliated—his grip tightened, and his axe head shot forward, spinning through the air toward the creature’s midsection.

But the caterpillar inflated in an instant.

The axe blade struck, but instead of cutting through, it bounced off the bloated flesh with a dull thud. The creature had nearly tripled in weight, its body expanding grotesquely as it pressed itself against the ground like a living boulder. The impact sent a shockwave through the dirt beneath it.

Zach’s axe head hovered in the air for a moment before snapping back into his grip.

"Oh you gotta be fucking with me!"

The caterpillar's heads reared back. Then, with a sickening heave, it spit something at him.

Zach’s instincts screamed. He spawned fatty oil over his face just as the glob of acidic mucus splattered across it. The burning smell hit him instantly.

The oil repelled the liquid, keeping it from searing into his skin, but some dripped onto his armor, discoloring it.

If that had touched his bare skin—

*That damn map and the information on these creatures is incomplete!*

He had no time to think. The caterpillar charged, using its increased weight to barrel toward him like a collapsing wall.

Zach detached his axe head again, sending it spinning toward one of its legs. The blade bit deep, severing a chunk of flesh. The creature howled in pain, deflating as it staggered.

Zach yanked his weapon back, reattaching it mid-step. He needed to end this now.

The creature’s heads lashed toward him in desperation, jaws snapping. Zach threw himself forward.. His metal-gloved hand snapped shut around its slimy torso, his fingers locking tight.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

The caterpillar tried to inflate again—but this time, he was holding it too tight. Its body quivered, swelling against his grip.

Zach inhaled sharply.

He pressed his hands over its body and started draining its air before it could fully expand.

The caterpillar thrashed violently, its two heads screeching as its body refused to obey its instincts. It jerked, trying to spit him, his armored gloved hands was the only thing it could get it fangs on, and the lack of oxygen was dulling its movements.

It twitched.

Then—it went still.

Zach exhaled, dropping its lifeless form to the dirt. He absorbed it. His fingers flexed as he rolled his shoulders.

That had taken too long.

Time to head back.

The road was quiet, save for the occasional chirping of night insects. He ejected the caterpillar’s head into his left hand and the walking fish’s head into his right.

He stared at them, feeling an odd mix of fascination and annoyance.

The secrecy was exhausting. Hiding his powers. He got into the city and after a long while he was at the estate.

As he neared the training grounds, the last light of the day was fading. Abram was still there, lying on a large stone, arms folded behind his head, eyes shut.

Zach smirked. Then—

"Up up!"

Abram jolted awake, shooting up too fast and stumbling forward. He barely caught himself before hitting the ground. Groaning, he turned and shot Zach an irritated look.

Zach dropped the severed heads at his feet.

"Back already..." Abram reached for a blade of grass and placed it into the walking fish’s mouth. The moment it touched the saliva, the grass withered and decayed.

“…Well, that confirms that,” he muttered.

Zach, still annoyed, pointed at the double-headed caterpillar’s head. “Don’t forget that one. Gotta test it too.”

Abram tilted his head. “You wanna try it?”

“Nope.”

Abram smirked, but Zach wasn’t in the mood. He crossed his arms, glaring at him.

“You didn’t tell me that thing could spit acid and hulk itself out.”

Abram’s expression didn’t change. “Hulk?”

“Get bigger. One second, normal size. The next? Half my height, three times the weight. Almost turned me into a stain on the ground.”

Abram nodded slowly. “Ah.”

Zach’s jaw tightened. “That wasn’t in the notes, Abram.”

“I know.”

Silence.

Zach narrowed his eyes. “And you knew there was a chance I would go after it?”

Abram shrugged. “Part of the training, life is unpredictable.”

“Oh, great. That’s comforting.” His hands curled into fists. “You could’ve warned me instead of handing me **bad intel.**”

Abram didn’t look the least bit guilty. “And yet, you still handled it.”

Zach took a slow breath, trying not to let his irritation show. “Not the point.”

Abram finally turned to face him fully, arms crossed. His expression shifted slightly—curiosity now creeping into his demeanor.

“Alright then,” he said. “How did you handle it?”

“What?”

Abram gestured at the heads. “You’re still normal. You don’t use Inner Self. So how’d you kill both of them?”

Zach hesitated.

Abram stepped closer. “A walking fish with flesh-melting saliva, and a faster-than-hell, acid-spitting, body-morphing monster—and you come back without a single injury. Or barely any.”

"My hands got burned."

"Barely any."

Abram studied him for a long moment, then nodded to himself. “No… you’re hiding something big.”

Abram didn’t push further. He simply turned away. “See you tomorrow,” he said over his shoulder. “Don’t forget to train your inner self.”

Then, quieter—almost too quiet—

“Because whatever you are… it sure as hell isn’t normal.”

Zach forced himself to stay still.

Damn it.

Exhaling slowly, he asked, "What should I do with the heads? I don’t have a storeroom, and Melijuia’s empty storage room is something I’d have to buy."

Abram shrugged. "Just tell her you’ll owe her. The room’s small, but it’ll probably cost about three silver coins."

"Can you buy the heads off me?"

Abram rubbed his chin. "Wouldn’t say no. Five silver coins for both. One and a half for the walking fish, three and a half for the caterpillar."

Zach raised an eyebrow. "That the usual price?"

"Based on their size? Yeah."

Zach took the pouch Abram offered. He didn’t have anything to compare prices with yet, but eventually, he’d need to visit a shop to check the true market value.

Without another word, he made his way toward the mansion.

Zach entered the main hall and stopped a passing servant.

"Where’s Melijuia?" he asked.

---

As Abram walked away, his expression darkened.

"He can’t use Inner Self, yet he does all this… What kind of human are you?"

No—better question:

"Are you even human?"

His jaw tightened.