Buy-, what? Why would I need that?

Is there some-,

Ah. The two hands previously holding the spiders have slowly started being overtaken with some sort of white cotton-like fluff. Mould, I assume. It doesn’t hurt, but it does tell me something I really would rather not think about.

None of these spiders are alive. And if I don’t do something quickly, I might just end up like them.

-Yeah, buy it!

56 -> 21

Combined with my regeneration, the fluffy white infection slowly recedes.

Meanwhile, I carefully contemplate if it’s worth eating the other two spiders. They aren’t biting or anything, but on closer inspection, they do look kind of disturbing.

-Alright, I’ll wait for the infection on my first two tentacles to fully stop before eating the other two.

It took a minute or so, but once it was done, I quickly went to eating the other two, and now, although it took a fair while…

21 -> 41

I almost want to upgrade my Immunity skill, but I feel like it costs more than 41 points, so I’d better save up a bit. I glance at my shoulder. And, somehow, Buggy slept through it all. I’m almost impressed! Man, I sure hope he isn’t upset that I ate some of his comrades back there…

Looking at the small swarm of insects in front of me, I’m about to do it again.

Eh, I’m sure he won’t mind.

I eat.

41 -> 76

Ohohoho, yes! And now, how much to upgrade Immunity?

Upgrade Immunity? Cost: 50 (you have 76)

Yes, thank you!

76 -> 26

Yessssss, I can feel the power flowing through me…!

This is… Actually kind of fun! I mean, yeah, I’ve almost died a few times and I’m still a single misstep from certain doom, but I’m not completely despairing! Heheh. Now, to continue explori-,

Oho? What’s that?

Is that a cave I see?...

I approach it. It’s really just a hole in the ground. Rocky. Barely big enough to fit me. Not guarded by anything or anyone. Should I?... It’s really very alluring. Who doesn’t want to explore a cool cave? I’ve always wanted to explore caves. The fact that people die in caves is unrelated.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Though, my every instinct is telling me that this specific area of this asteroid is… Dangerous. Being on the surface is okay. I can exist here, it’s fine. But down there? That’s something else entirely. And if I want to go there, I’d better be ready. Which I’m currently not. If I want to descend into the caves, I can’t be any bigger than I already am, but I’d like to have more points. Just to be safe and all.

-Alright! That’s it, I’ll walk around the asteroid for a while and kill lots of things until I feel ready to face the cave! Hehehehe, prepare yourself, abyss! I’m coming!

…

Comparing my first asteroid to this one is like comparing a football field to a national park. It is humongous, to say the least. And around every corner and jutting rocky pillar, I find fluffy white spiders and little black insects making a snack out of them. In the end though, the one who gains from this is none but myself.

26 -> 81

All and all, a very bountiful situation. The only thing that frightens me even a little would be if I was swarmed by spiders, in which case I don’t think my Immunity and Regeneration are high enough to counter them. Well then! Only one way to change that!

I continue pacing about the large asteroid, meeting insects and spiders alike, at each encounter making very sure that Buggy doesn’t just fly off of me. As I’ve come to notice, holding onto him with two of my smaller tentacles around my main mouth works very well. Keeps him in place.

...I wonder if it’s a she? I really wouldn’t know.

Either way, by the time I’ve circled around the asteroid for the third time, each trip taking about an hour in full, I’ve racked up quite a few points.

81 -> 266

Heck, with this much, I could easily upgrade my size!

...But if I do that, I can’t go into the spooky cave. Which would be a loss all things considered, so I just upgrade both Regeneration and Immunity.

Upgrade Immunity? Cost: 75 (you have 266)

Upgrade Regeneration? Cost: 70 (you have 266)

Huh. Cheaper than expected. How much would it cost to upgrade Regeneration twice?

Upgrade Regeneration? Cost: 100 (you have 266)

Okay, how does math work, uhhh… Yeah, I can afford that. Go!

266 -> 21

That was… Maybe a bit much, but I think I’m stronger now? In a certain aspect, that is.

...This won’t hurt in the least, I’m just curious to see how well I regenerate without having to put myself in harm’s way.

I tear off one of my five primary tentacles, knowing it won't harm me. As usual, there’s no real pain, and I watch coldly as the tentacle I cast splatters to the ground, limp and… Hold on, my tentacle isn’t regenerating, what is-, ah. Hold on, let me try something.

I shift my consciousness. Saying it like that feels very strange, but that’s exactly what I do. My perspective shifts in a certain way down to my bisected arm. I can still move, I can still eat, and by the look of it, the part that I cut off seems to be starting to heal as a sort of cauterized wound, not into a new tentacle. Huh. In other words, I could make surrogate clones of myself if I cut off all my limbs? That is…

It sounds really cool, but this whole in-two-places thing is really messing with me. It feels wrong, and I still can’t come to grips with one thing.

In the asteroid field, I lost a large tentacle and it later grew back. Why was that? Was it too far away, or was it something else?

...Only one way to try it.

I turn my back on myself, and leave. I head straight for about an hour, and then I come right back. No change. The tentacle is still on the ground and I’m still right here, so there must be…

Aha! Maybe it only regenerates if the consciousness in the tentacle is destroyed? That better be it, because I really don’t want to have some sort of clone conspiracy going on here.

I grab the tentacle and promptly eat it. It is, in a word, terrifying. I almost hesitate out of the pure, frozen fear that I felt as I was brought closer to my own damn mouth. It’s not just a mouth, after all, it’s like a deep, endless abyss of teeth and nothingness. With no other option, I make my tentacle-self close its eyes, and then I eat it. Hm. Very slimy, tough meat, kind of melted past a certain point. 2/10. Worse than crunchy bug.

And, apparently, with the proxy-death of that tentacle, it triggered my arm to regrow! The last time it did so, it took around five or ten minutes, but now, after a full two upgrades, it fully regenerated in a mere two minutes, the duration of which I spent fully transfixed. Whoa. It just-, it just regrew like a salamander, huh? Consciousness and all?

21

Size: 4

Cores: 6

Tentacles: 65

Eyes: 20

Mouths: 6

Carnivorous

Increase

Regeneration

Immunity

Right, right. 6 of ‘em. Good to know.

And now… Well, honestly, I’ve circled this place like four times and I’ve stopped finding living things, so I… I think it’s time.

For the cave.