Um. Okay, just-, just hold on there a second. A moment. A minute?

I’m just-, I’m just not going to question that, because I feel like if I do, then that bad crystal I ate is going to come back to haunt my nightmares. It seemed upset at being eaten, which is very strange since crystals typically don't have emotions. Then again, nothing out here really makes that much sense, so maybe I should just accept this as fact?

-Okay! Now, what to do with my points? Well, first of all I’d like to upgrade Regeneration and Resistance to be on the same level, since, well… They both seem immensely useful.

Upgrade Resistance? Cost: 325 (you have 12 873)

Upgrade Resistance? Cost: 450 (you have 12 873)

Upgrade Resistance? Cost: 590 (you have 12 873)

Upgrade Resistance? Cost: 700 (you have 12 873)

...I can already tell this is going to be expensive as shit, but it’ll be worth it, I’m sure. Regeneration has pretty much been the one thing keeping me from an early space-grave.

12 873 -> 10 808

Right, right, okay. Obviously, I’m going to increase my size to heck and back, because that is Cool.

Increase Size? Cost: 2 000 (you have 10 808)

Right. And the next two?

Increase Size? Cost: 3 500 (you have 10 808)

Increase Size? Cost: 5 000 (you have 10 808)

That’s probably worth it, all things considered. Buy it!

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

10 808 -> 308

For a moment I feel no change. And then, all of a sudden, the skull of the creature I ate is much too small and I have to chew my way out so as to not get stuck. Comparing my new size to that of the tentacles of the crystal-creature and the size I was earlier, I’d say I’m about three times my prior diameter-? In other words, I now need to hunch my back to get out of the tunnels that used to be so big. Eating the crystal creature would be a waste of time, but I honestly think that trying to get out of this place through the cave system would be the worst way to do it. I’ll just get lost!

In other news, I lay down on the floor and start eating. The fastest way out. Especially now that I’m larger. Faster eating and all that.

308 -> 327

Great! And now for a few more hours of this. Just-, chewing straight through the ground. Jesus. This is going to take a while, but I already know it’s preferable to getting infinitely lost in ever-winding cave systems.

I think it took less than three hours to get out? If nothing else, I actually gained quite a few points off of it.

327 -> 5 678

I’d be happier if it was enough to increase my size, but it isn’t.

I emerge back onto land. The ever-black sky greets me warmly, glittering with countless stars, framed by shooting asteroids. It’s honestly pretty, and I’ve sort of missed it. Compared to that disgusting inner-city I used to live in (anything for a proper education, eh?) I can just see so much more. It’s almost nostalgic. I grew up in a pretty remote location, far off from everywhere. Not many neighbours. The beautiful night sky was a good enough replacement, and I could stare at it for ages.

I guess, now isn’t much different, eh?

For a few moments, I just gaze up at that beautiful sky. This isn’t too bad. Sure, almost dying isn’t very cool, but surviving, on the other hand?

When you squint up at the night sky and you forget everything else, surviving feels a whole lot like living.

And then a bug nibbles at my tentacle, ruining my one moment of calm. However, surprisingly, its mandibles are unable to pierce my flesh, unlike pretty much any other time. Interesting! I pick it up, and just by that, I can already tell that it has gotten a whole lot smaller. Almost ridiculously so. Man. How big am I, really? Probably not too big.

Hopefully not, at least.

I eye the insect for a moment. It seems unhappy in my grip, squirming here and there. Small. Scared. Poor thing…

Somehow, I can’t urge myself to eat it. It’s just a little guy, right? A small boy. Hardly worthy of being eaten. Why, I can get that amount of points by eating a rock!

I put the little bug back on the ground. It gives me a strange look before scampering off. Maybe that was a bad choice. Or maybe I’ve grown soft?... E-, either way, I’ve got no need to hang around this rock anymore, so I’ll be heading back out into space, thank-you-very-much!

Jumping back into the asteroid belt is just a matter of bending down, tensing all of my tentacles and then shooting up like a spring. With that, the asteroid, as large as it is, cannot possibly hang onto me anymore. Well in the grip of space, I warily unfurl my tentacles, preparing a few of them to be bisected just like before by passing asteroids. Why, there comes an immensely fast asteroid now, shooting right through-,

No, wait, it… stopped?

Hey, whaddayaknow, it didn’t cut off my arm!

Might this be because of Resistance-? Yeah, probably. Man, that’s neat as shit!

I shove the asteroid in one of my secondary mouths.

5 678 -> 5 689

Alright, let’s keep eating. No fear, only eating!

And so, three days pass.