I’d probably be a bit less sad if I didn’t have a pair of legs. As a matter of fact, I have many! Not that I’m sad or anything. No, as a matter of fact, this situation is very much fine!

Really, I’m not sure how I ended up in this place, y’know, what with the complete darkness and everything? I know it’s a cave since the ground is hard and rough and it’s all dark, but anything further, I’m not sure. My own state of being is a bit more, well, odd.

My body is long, I’ve got about seven pairs of legs, and I’m generally quite soft and silky to the touch. My legs are kinda hard, but I can control them all very well, so I’m happy with that. This is fine. This is all very very fine.

Sure, it’s dark and I’m hungry and I’m starting to wonder if this is Hell and if I died, but I’ve always liked the dark! When Buddy and Chuck were spooked out in the forest behind the hut, I didn’t fear going behind there, not at all!

Therefore, this is not spooky scary. This being a small larva in a big cave and all. Hungry. God, I’m so hungry. I think I’ve got antennae, but all they do is tell me when the roof gets closer and I have to turn around. It’s… it’s not making me claustrophobic! Not at all!!

The only other interesting thing is this, uh… screen? No, not quite, more like an idea. In my head. If I could have seen it, it would have been very nice, since I really want to just see something. This darkness isn’t doing anything for me. I’m-, I’m not scared or anything, but some light would be… nice. Very very nice.

Anyhoo, so the idea in my head is, well, it’s… It’d be easier if I just wrote it out here for you.

Johnny Fowl(Lv. 1/10) Species Moss Eating Larva Title(s) Mob Health 12/12 Mana N/A Status Strength 1 Magic N/A Speed 2 Defence 1 Skills(...)

Yeah, not very impressive, I’d say. Really, I’m not sure what any of this is. Kind of reminds me of the, uhh, the games my buddy Chuck plays all the time. Played? Eh, well, you went around and killed things, I know that much. He tried to make me play some weirdo old uhh, vrmomoropg game? The kind where lots of people were all playing the same wiéirdo game at the same time. Except, this one is really old and nobody plays those vr full-dive “I’m in the game mommy!” games anymore. I think. Well, nobody played that game, at least, so Chuck is kind of a weirdo. Guess he just wanted to show off his max-level character or something.

Weirdo.

Well, whatever the case with that is, I do smell something kinda nice. Like, over there. I’m not super excited or anything, but I am abusing my 2 speed to go at the speed of a slow squirrel. The very second one of my (I assume to be black) feetsies touches the nice smelling thing, I instantly recoil.

Soft.

It’s so soft I don’t want to touch it. But, alas, my weak will proves all too weak to stop myself, and I step further onto it. If that past part that I walked in for all-too-long was hell, then this is like, at least purgatory. Maybe heaven.

I don’t know why I do it how it happens, but I take a bite of the fluffy ground, which appears to be moss. Oh my god. Nevermind the purgatory part, this is heaven. I just wish I could see it. Heaven should be bright, right? This is still dim as shit, so I just… I guess I want to see. Being blind is not cool and if I didn't have these nifty antennae, I’m sure I would have bumped into too many rocks to count. Combined with my criminally low defence, I would have died, right?

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Munch munch munch. Oh god. I can’t stop. This is probably not a good thing. I feel my belly bloating up, but I can’t stop eating.

You have gained EXP

You have gained a Level

Skill (Munching) has gained a Level

You have gained a Level

Oh god. I am-, I what? I wish I knew what that meant, but I don’t, so I just keep eating.

Somewhere around me, I feel like I can hear the noises of a thousand gnawing little mouths, and I hope it’s just my own, reverberating throughout the cave ad nauseum. Somehow, I can tell that isn’t the case. It makes me uneasy. But, being a very strong and not-easily-spooked individual, I do not mind the sound of hundreds of creatures munching about around me. No, I do not recede further from the noises in hopes of escaping the unseen enemy. That’s what a coward would do!

That is, until I bump into something. Someone? Something soft. Silky smooth, with little hard legs and antennae. Oh god. Let me guess. Another one like me? A what-not-mossy worm? I did not panic at this revelation. No, I merely backed up. Very very fast.

Into yet another larvae.

And another.

And… another.

I’m not hyperventilating, you are!

If I can ventilate, that is… Either way, I sure am stress-eating my way out of this. Hearing a little ding every time I get a new point or my level raises or my one skill upgrades sure I nice, huh. Guess I can kind of understand why Chuck would enjoy a weird game like this. Still wish I could see something, though.

I’m fine with darkness and all, sure, but this is still real spooky-,

And…

You can no longer gain levels

Your level is (9)

-What now? I can’t-, why?

...Okay, it won’t say, um. Maybe I need to eat more? I’m stuffed to the point of bursting, but hey, I could go for some more. Beats staring into the darkness and talking to myself.

…

…

You can no longer gain levels

Your level is (9)

-Ooookay, that did nothing. No idea what’ll happen if I reach Level 10 but, y’know… I’m kinda curious? And, maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to gain access to light. Somehow.

So, reluctantly, I remove my mouth-parts from the moss. I think it’s moss. Consider what species I am, it should be moss, right? Right. Using my antennae as a guide, I make sure not to bump into anything as I just sort of wander around. When I reach stone, I turn back. Stone hurts my feetsies.

At some point, when I’m walking around, a drop of water slams into my face, leaving me retching and coughing for a moment. That does explain why moss would be growing underground like this. Maybe it’s magic moss. That weird screen in my head did say something about magic, so it might not be too far-fetched?

But isn’t magic moss supposed to be, well, glowing?? Man, this whole place is just… it’s dark. It’s making me sad.

Lost in thought, I once more bump into one of my brethren. Oops, sorry man.

As one of my feet sinks into the larvae’s soft, squishy flesh, I realize I may have done more than bump into them. A chill runs down my spine, and I wonder briefly if I even have one. The flesh is cold. I’m glad I can’t see it. If I was big, if I was still a human, this interaction would not have felt like this.

It wouldn't have felt as if I impaled a cow with a pole.

The larvae, perhaps my brother, gives a low, chattering whine, and with no more resistance, it simply… falls over. I can feel it do so, as the naked flesh surrounding my hand foot thingy is retracted.

Moss Eating Larvae defeated

You have gained EXP

You have gained a Level

You are now Level (MAX)

...Oh.

You can now (EVOLVE)

Do you choose to (EVOLVE)?

...Oh?