You know, this incident made me reevaluate some stuff. I may not ever die, not in the usual sense of the word, but it does not mean I don’t feel pain. And truth be told, pain has always been higher ranked on my fear list anyway.

Besides, I have infinite time to grow and become the being I want to be. There’s no reason to maximize what I can achieve in one life. Especially when it brings needless suffering.

Sure, the pain from going through metamorphosis is unavoidable, but I see no reason why that should mean I can’t avoid other types of pain. And losing limbs is a pain best experienced never.

So yeah, I’ve decided. I will be investing into defence and survival for now.

And the most immediate thing I can do to contribute is getting this bioluminescence under control. Especially since I now have to time while I wait for my arm to regrow. How long will that even take?

Anyway, right, bioluminescence. I will, naively, assume it can be controlled, because otherwise I am, quite frankly, fucked.

The best option I have for figuring it out is what is slowly becoming my signature skill. That’s right, the ever-repeating meditation. I swear it’s what I’m spending most of my time on.

Right then, let’s get back to it. Another meditation montage, here I come!

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As Hubbe and Wilkompf pulled into port, the silence between them was palpable. How could it now, with what happened? They both knew, everyone in town knew, what kind of omen they inadvertently pulled out of the ocean.

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They also knew they couldn’t tell anyone. At best, everything to come would be blamed on them and they’d be ostracized. At worst… well, it’s best not to talk about that.

The heavy atmosphere didn’t dissipate as they hauled the day’s catch onto land, it didn’t dissipate on the journey home, and it still hung heavy once they were in the safety of their house.

“Should we tell someone?” asked Hubbe, a faint tremble in his voice.

“Don’t be foolish, boy! Think of the consequences!” shouted Wilkompf. “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to blow up on you like that Hubbe. But there’s nothing to be done now. We’ve both seen the omen. You even touched it!”

The small child cringed back. Eventually, he asked, “What about mom?”

“She, she should be fine. As long as the caravan doesn’t return anytime soon, she should be fine.”

And yet, while the duo despaired in the privacy of their house, the rest of the town went on as normal. Even in the sea, nothing unusual was happening. After all, the omen they saw was nothing more than an imposter.

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Alright, status report. No, not the System kind, an actual status report.

I may have really screwed myself. With a lot of time and effort, assisted heavily by my best skill, I’ve managed to bring down the amount of light I produce. Sounds good, right?

Well, wrong! Because now I’m still only half as bright as before. And I’m slowly going hungry, which means I’ll have to go out again and risk being caught by another creature that’s attracted by my light.

And worst of all? My missing arm shows absolutely no sign of regrowth. Yeah, turns out regeneration by itself isn’t all that powerful. And the System description confirms it.

> Regeneration: allows for the regrowth of any body part

Turns out it’s nothing like a troll’s mythical regeneration, but just the key towards full-body healing. I feel a bit scammed. Okay, very scammed.

Either way, I stand on a crossroad. I can risk going out as I am and maybe get eaten (or worse), or I can risk triggering metamorphosis.

Both options aren’t exactly ideal. I would’ve hoped to at least get a path before evolving, to capitalize on the extra abilities it’ll give me. But I did say I’d focus more on survival, didn’t I?

Oh, the dilemma!