So, a curious fact of Geckos. The Lizard's tail functions as a storage for fat and nutrients, and it gets bigger the more the little guy eats. They also can use it to escape from predators using it as bait. In case of an emergency, they eat their tails; if there is no food around them. With time a new one will grow.
Now, our little Basil is almost not that different from a leopard gecko. However, this is an alien version capable of absorbing any energy. Now, the exciting thing is that while Basil is digesting everything he ate, the gems will absorb energy and become heavier, forcing him to grow exponentially to a comfortable size. His tail will store the fats and nutrients but nothing more.
The Lizard was resting, as his body is growing with each breath. The Gems had little spots from the energies he had consumed in his short life. The time for a Metamorphosis was approaching; he could feel it, his cells were screaming at him; change is near, but not here.
Basil was not fat anymore; instead, his tail was broad and heavy. He didn't care; Basil got up and scanned the floor from predators near. He climbed down from the mushroom and began to walk towards his cave. The hunger was gone for the moment, but not for long. His skin continued cracking the more he advanced.
There were predators near; he moved faster. The skin was paler than before, almost dead. Basil hurried up and reached the cave in time. He went to the end where the capsule is and started shedding. It was a strenuous process for him; removing all the old skin is needed to grow.
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"Basil" unlocked the [Metamorphosis] Ability
Due to having the capability of growth without limits, Basil has the inborn ability to change, be it at the cellular level, his appearance, physique, and traits to suit his needs. Whoever, this ability has a limit. He can only change at specific periods. Only when his nutrient sack is to the brim or at a level where he can pay the change that his body will commit.
These changes can only occur if the Specimen ate biosamples with the traits it wants.
"He finally unlocked the capacity to mutate. With this, I can help him at least a bit. He only has to eat the things I send him, but it will give him the chance of attaining a new physical trait. I have two thousand four hundred fifty Asther now for this. Computer, show me endurance and regeneration-based ingredients from beasts, with a limit of one thousand Asther each."
Parts of Beast with Regeneration
78-Gamma's Earth Octopus tentacle [Tier 2] [Layer 5] [900 Asther]
78-Gamma's Earth Zebrafish body [Tier 2] [Layer 7] [1020 Asther]
962-Sigma's Earth Snail body [Tier 2] [Layer 3] [780 Asther]
Parts of Beast with Endurance
15-Alpha's Earth Lobster Shell [Tier 2] [Layer 1] [220 Asther]
4-Gamma's Earth Pangolin scales [Tier 2] [Layer 8] [360 Asther]
23-Beta's Earth Pineapple Fish body [Tier 1] [Layer 10] [200 Asther]
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
"I don't have regenerative abilities. So, I don't know how they differentiate from each tier."
"Computer, give me the Zebrafish Body and the Pangolin Scales and send them to a position near Basil."
The summary cost for these parts is 1380 Asther units, plus 500 Asther Units for the cost of transportation to Scylla-X45. The total is 1880 Asther units.
"Confirm the purchase, send it to the location where Basil is ASAP."
A drone with two capsules filled with the ingredients appeared from nothingness in the black void of space. It began to travel to the orbit of the planet, with an exact destination in its memory.
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Basil was still shedding its old skin when he heard a "splash" in its cave entrance. He stopped and looked intently at the cave. Basil didn't know what could make those sounds and was in a weakened state because of the shedding.
He looked around for something to use against whatever was invading his home. There were only some rocks and the strange capsule that he still couldn't bite; this could hurt him, but there was no time. He ripped the remaining skin provoking some pain. An intense itch appeared around the belly area, where the skin was still tender because of the rush.
A semiliquid purple blob with a lustrous rock inside was exploring around. It encountered a cave and entered, intending to make it its home. What it didn't expect was a lizard with pinkish skin glaring at it with fury and fear. It did not care and advanced still.
The pinkish lizard attacked it with a small claw. It was useless, and as retaliation, the Blob began to envelop the feet of the creature. "It will work as nourishment for its core," The thing mused. "This prey could get something nice from it," The blob envisioned. Slimes can steal other powers if they feed enough from a specific source.
Basil was getting wrapped in a purple goo coming from its uninvited guest. He could not hurt it with his claws, so he only got the option of eating it. The problem was he did not know if it was poisonous for its colors. The mushrooms outside were somewhat toxic. He understood this from all the times he ate some, and his tongue got numb when he kept eating.
Basil bit the goo and ripped it from the purple blob. He ate it, and as he thought, it was poisonous. His mouth was numb from it, his feet, too, were getting numb, but the blob thought nothing of the lost part. The rock looked like something of importance, maybe if he destroyed it.
He introduced his head inside the thing and tried to catch the sphere with its mouth. The Blob felt fear and retracted with haste. The slime understood the pinkish lizard was more dangerous than it thought.
Two tentacles made from slime presented at each side of the blob. The thing took a rock with each and made itself some whips. Basil was looking at it with fear and caution. A tentacle flailed, hitting the floor with force.
Basil had to get near, but the whips began to attack the spots where he was. He started to zig-zag so he could evade them, but sometimes the tentacle grazed him. The hits made Basil contort in agony. The little Lizard was getting furious and could feel his Ire taking effect.
He charged at the blob without care. The tentacle whips could not attack in time, and the slime panicked, allowing Basil to plunge his head inside its body and bit with might its core, making the thing collapse on the floor.
After the battle, Basil ate the core with gusto and some pain. It tasted funny but tasty nonetheless. The blob's liquid was sizzling on the ground, making clear its acidic properties. Basil also learned that without the core, the slime loses control of everything.
Sadly, Basil was still in pain, and his body was itchy, all because of his prolonged contact with the slime. Exhaustion was an understatement this time. He could not maintain himself awake; the need for rest was significant now.
Basil sensed something entering the cave again, "more slimes?" he thought. His vision was perfect for dark places, but he still saw nothing there. Basil retracted from whatever was there; he could feel it.
Two little orbs fell to the ground; In then were some things he didn't recognize. He sniffed the air; it smelled fine. The creature was not there anymore; it was gone.
Basil, intrigued by the things the creature left, analyzed the contents. It was some meat and some hard shells. After seeing it was fine, he started to eat the parts. The scales were crunchy and earthy, and the fish body was soft and tasty.
After ingesting, he felt satisfied and decided it was time to rest now. But the little gecko now knew that he was not safe in this place anymore.
Basil needed to find things that could help him defend it from invaders; Or until he outgrew this place. For now, this was not the time to think; it was to sleep. He concealed behind the capsule as a manner of safety and entered hibernation to grow.
The body of Basil was a complex system. All his almost nonexistent scales were growing again; this time, they were bigger and stiff. Like the type you can see in a pangolin but still small to maintain his flexibility for the moment.
His colors were changing too. Now they were bluish scales with green borders, growing in a simple pattern. His claws extended more; his legs were getting thicker and more pronounced in musculature. A thin membrane was growing below his eyelids, and his bones were developing to become more rigid and heavier.
Basil grew to 30cm in longitude and produced a small plating in the front of his mouth. The second row of teeth was growing inside his mouth, and both were sturdier and more resilient. Lastly, his tail deflated utterly, and his first Evolution was complete.