DAY 7
----------------------------------------
I woke up, as usual, with in an intense pressure building up my ass. Though, not as usual, today I woke up tired; sure, I wasn't as tired as last night but I wasn't as fresh as I had been yesterday morning.
I frowned and tried to figure out the reason, for this newfound tiredness. The frown melted with remembering the simple fact that last night I had used {Survive}. The skill had taken half of my HP out, which had been a whopping 37 points.
Of course, I hadn't recovered all 37 points of HP in a single night. After all, I had slept for 11 hours, which means a recovery of 22 points. I sighed and checked on my HP and, sure enough, it read, [HP: 58/73].
I frowned, 58 points still left me 15 HP short of a complete HP bar. And while I didn't want to venture out in the woods until I was at my best, I just couldn't stay holed up for 8 hours, doing nothing, while waiting for my HP to recover.
Pursing my lips, I decided to follow through my schedule despite not having a full HP bar. After all, it wasn't as if I hadn't gone around, doing my business, when I had been a low level caterpillar and my total HP had been less than 58.
Thus, I moved my ass.
Reaching the poisonous plant I began munching on the bitter leaves. I was somewhere on my 13rd leaf when I heard the familiar sound.
Ting.
[{Mild-Poison: Plant: Resistance Lv.8} has leveled up to {Mild-Poison: Plant: Resistance Lv.9}. Your resistance to this poison has increased.]
I shook my head and crawled down the plant. It took the poison even longer today to hit me and when it did, its effects were weak and it lasted for just a while. Though the poison just had me convulsing and quivering, those symptoms didn't last for long.
I grinned; finally, the resistance was turning into something good. Still smiling, I made my way towards the tree that had been feeding me for the past few days.
Nothing much happened after that. I munched on the leaves and kept on using the skill, {Sensor}. I was surprised when I didn't see any snails approaching me. I was thankful for the peace, I really was, but at the same time, I was disappointed.
'Huh! Who would have guessed?'
When the night finally fell, and the moon rose in the sky, I left the tree with Level being [Level: 75] and my HP reading, [HP: 80/80]. A total gain of 7 points.
I know, I know; the level gain was a lot less than what, I had been gaining, when I had been a low level creature. But this lower gain had nothing to do with me eating less leaves, I was sure of that. As far as I could tell, the higher my level was, the more time –and leaves- it took me to level up.
I shook my head to clear it of useless thoughts and made my way to the tree with bitter leaves. I was chomping down on my 17th lea-
Ting.
[{Mild-Poison: Plant: Resistance Lv.9} has leveled up to {Mild-Poison: Plant: Resistance Lv.10}. Your resistance to this poison has increased.]
I smiled and crawled dow-
Ting.
[Skill {Crawl Lv.6} had leveled up to {Crawl Lv.7}. Your crawl speed has increased.]
I dismissed the screen and continued on my way. Reaching the ground, I waited for the poison to hit me. And I continued to wait. It really was taking a little too long. 'Have I become immune to the poi-'
The convolutions hit me then. Though they were weak and lasted just for a few moments.
I grinned through the pain and the gasping; all my hard work was finally beginning to pay off.
Still grinning, I reached my hideout and began to widen it; it was something that I had to do daily. After all, after an entire day of doing nothing but eating, eating and more eating, how could I even expect to fit in the hole that I was been cozily snuggling in the morni-
Ting.
[Skill {Dig Lv.2} had leveled up to {Dig Lv.3}. Digging speed has increased.]
I ignored the screen and continued to dig, before settling in the hideout, which had been my shelter here since when I was born. Smiling I decided to use {Survive} instead of {Molting}; after all, I had to use {Molting} continuously for two days when I had been injured. It was just right that I used {Survive} 2 times too. Thus I activated the skill.
'Survive.'
Ting.
[-40 HP]
Dismissing the screen, I went to sleep.
----------------------------------------
DAY 8.
----------------------------------------
I woke up feeling tired, just like yesterday, and sighed. 'This is going to be a daily thing, isn't it?'
Following my daily routine, I headed towards the poisonous plant and after renewing the trap, began to munch on the tasteless delicacies that I had been eating since I had been reborn.
Ting.
[{Mild-Poison: Plant: Resistance Lv.10} has leveled up to reach the maximum level and has become {Mild-Poison: Plant: Resistance Lv. Max}]
Ting.
[Sub-skill acquired {Poison Creation Lv.4: Available: Mild Plant Poison}]
Startled because of two notifications, it took me a few moments to comprehend what the second screen meant before a grin plastered itself on my face. 'Finally! Fucking finally!'
I laughed.
Still grinning like a maniac, I made my way towards the non-poisonous tree that was the source of my food and began munching with the skill, {Sensor}, active. I ate and munched and devoured like no there was no tomorrow.
Yet, when the moon rose in the sky at night, I had only managed to gain 7 levels. This decrease of gain thing, at higher levels, was annoying. Truly so.
I checked my level. It read, [Level: 82] and, at the same time, I also checked my HP, which read, [HP: 87/87].
Leaving the tree, I made my way home for the hideout. Today I was early though, as I no longer had to eat the bitter leaves of the poisonous plant. Having nothing better to do, I began digging around the hole, to expand the hideout even more. Just as I was finis-
Ting.
[Skill {Dig Lv.3} had leveled up to {Dig Lv.4}. Digging speed has increased.]
Finishing the expansion, I settled in before crawling back out. 'There is no point in wasting perfectly good time sleeping!'
So I crawled back to the poisonous tree and instead of crawling up on it, I began digging; trying to level up the skill. It was not because I had great expectation from the skill, I didn't. It just happened to be one of the few skill, in my repertoire, that didn't need anything to be used; hence my choice.
Thus I dug and crawled and dug.
Now why was I digging all the way over here instead of near my hideout? Because of that very reason; hideout are supposed to be hidden.
If I began digging around the hideout, then the mounds of mud and innumerous holes would attract the attention to that area; thus defeating the very purpose of a hideout. Not something I was stupid enough to do.
With me grinding my skills, all way out here, I didn't have to worry about attention as I won't be coming here anymore anyway.
Ting.
[Skill {Crawl Lv.7} had leveled up to {Crawl Lv.8}. Your crawl speed has increased.]
Ting.
[Skill {Dig Lv.4} had leveled up to {Dig Lv.5}. Digging speed has increased.]
Grinning at the two level ups, I made my way back to the hideout and finally settled in before calling up my status and using the skill, {Molting}.
Ting.
[-40 HP]
I grimaced as tiredness overcame me. 'Hmm. It didn't cost me half my HP this time.'
That news brought a smile on my face when I finally comprehended its implications. The description of the skill said, Cost depends on the size of the being; which meant that the skill {Molting} need not always take half of my HP.
Tired, and satisfied with today's achievements, I fell asleep.
----------------------------------------
DAY 9
----------------------------------------
I woke up, as was usual for me now, tired; on the account of not having had recovered the entirety of my lost HP.
Beyond that, I was itchy, so very itchy; all because of that goddamn skill {Molting}. I squirmed and heard a small crack. I frowned. 'Just a small crack?'
I squirmed, wiggled and struggled and as a result heard series of cracks echo throughout my body. Smiling, I wiggled until I was out of shed shell.
I turned around. With each level up, the shell that I shed seemed to be becoming stronger. At level 1, it had felt like a peeled off skin and at level 2, it had felt like particularly dry leaf in autumn. But now, at Level 3, it felt like paper; stronger than leaf but weak still. 'Just what is going on with this skill?'
Frowning, I let the subject drop; it was not as if I could do anything about it now anyway.
So after the usual business, of me relieving the bursting pressure from my intestines, I headed directly for the tree that was the source of my food. As I crawled up the tree, I noticed the branch, on which I usually munched on, was dying. 'Is it because of my trap?'
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
I frowned and crawled up to the trap to inspect it. Sure enough, one of the veins of the tree had been scratched and the poison was leaking into it. I frowned. My poison was weak, very weak. Even the poison from the poisonous plant was stronger than mine. 'That is why I wanted it so bad and suffered the torture two times a day.'
I sighed about the dying branch; nothing I could do there now. So I moved onto the next branch and began to dig in to prepare the trap; though this time, I was careful to not break any of the veins, just the flesh.
Now, why was I preparing the traps? Just because there hadn't been any attacks in the past two days, it didn't mean that they won't happen in future.
Finishing up the hole –a drain really- I filled it up with both poisons that I could now create; the weak bug poison and the mild plant poison. I did so because I did not know if the snails had immunity to the plant based poison -they could if they ate it like I did- and I did not want to take the chance if they did. I would be a sitting duck for them, if my trap did not work.
Filling up the hole, I covered it with the leaves, as best as I could, before crawling up to my bland food and chomping down on it with the skill {Sensor} active.
By the time moon rose in the sky, I had gained 6 levels, 1 less than yesterday, though I had eaten just as much –or more- leaves as last time. This decreasing utility this was irritating.
Grumbling, I checked my level and HP; my level read, [Level: 88] while my HP read [HP: 93].
I smiled; I was so close to level 100! I just wanted to see what I would evolve into! I hope, whatever it was, allowed me to use magic! Now that would be awesome!
With a smile plastered over my face, I crawled over to the poisonous tree for another digging session. There I dug and crawled and dug until I was tired and it was time to return to the hideo-
Ting.
[Skill {Crawl Lv.8} had leveled up to {Crawl Lv.9}. Your crawl speed has increased.]
Ting.
[Skill {Dig Lv.5} had leveled up to {Dig Lv.6}. Digging speed has increased.]
Satisfied with the skill level ups, I made my way back to the hideout before expanding it to fit my inflated body and settled in. Snuggled closely in my home, I used {Survive} and immediately another wave of tiredness took over me.
Ting.
[-47 HP]
I smiled; satisfied with the day I had and fell asleep.
----------------------------------------
DAY 10
----------------------------------------
I woke up tired, lazy and cranky. I had not even recovered half of the HP that I had lost last night. Of the 47 HP lost, I had managed to regain just 22 points due to the 11 hours of sleep; my HP now read, [HP: 68/93].
It would take the rest of the day to recover the remaining 25 HP at 2 HP/Hour. 'I really, and I mean really really, need a way to recover HP faster.'
Grouchy, from the tiredness, I began crawling for the tree. Crawling up, I renewed the pit fall trap with both the poisons that I could produce and began munching on the leaves. By the time noon arrived and sun was directly overhead, trying to melt the ground with its heat, I had leveled up –guess, how many times- one time.
I had leveled up one fucking time! One!
Grumbling, I grimaced before I felt a disturbance. 'No. Not today. I am so not in the mood for this.'
I turned around and, sure enough, there was a snail –three times my size; and considering that I had grown quite a bit, it was saying something- crawling towards me.
I turned around and waited for it to fall in my trap; which it did soon enough.
Ting.
[Skill {Trap Lv.1} has leveled up to {Trap Lv.2}. Your traps do 1% more damage. Extra damage due to the skill: 2%]
I frowned. I had renewed the trap in the morning, not now. Why was it leveling up now? Did the skill level up when the trap activated rather than when it was set? Or did the skill level up only when the trap killed?
A discussion for another time as the snail has stopped its shrieking and thrashing and was trying to crawl out.
I smiled; this snail looked to be in way worse a condition than all the other snails that have fallen prey to my pitfall trap. It seemed that the snails didn't have any resistance against the plant poison that I could produce now.
I crawled up to it and hit it with the back end of my body; sending it tumbling down back into the puddle.
Ting.
[-3 HP]
I winced; it had managed to graze its sharp teeth against my soft flesh. Still wincing, I watched the snail continued to struggle in the puddle before its movement came to halt.
Ting.
[You have Leveled Up! Level up bonus of +1 HP granted.]
Ting.
[You have Leveled Up! Level up bonus of +1 HP granted.]
Ting.
[You have Leveled Up! Level up bonus of +1 HP granted.]
Ting.
[You have Leveled Up! Level up bonus of +1 HP granted.]
'Well.' I frowned. 'That was easy.'
Why was it that easy? Was it because I had used the Mild-Plant poison? Was it really that much stronger than my poison? Or was it because I had mixed two different kinds of poison together and made an entirely new one?
With a sigh, I dismissed the screen and dismissed the thought too; I had better things to worry about than a silly technicality. I opened the status screen to check my level and HP; my level read, [Level: 93] while my HP read, [HP: 82/98]. 'Not bad.'
I crawled down the pit and activated the skill, {Ant's Will}.
Ting.
[-10 HP]
I felt a sudden energy flow into my body as the skill activated. Smiling, I bit into the snail and began dragging the carcass, over the edge, to throw it away.
Crunch!
I winced at the sound and turned to look down. There it was, the snail carcass, burying a scorpion under it. The scorpion, though having taken a great deal of damage, was still very much alive. I prayed that the creature wouldn't look up and think that I was the one who had attacked it; I could not take down a scorpion as a Caterpillar. No way in Heavens I could.
Thankfully, the creature did not seem to be sentient, or intelligent for that matter, as it attacked the dead snail with its stinger in retaliation. I sighed in relief. 'Dodged a bullet there, I did.'
The scorpion, with great difficulty, managed to throw the snail shell off of it before it began to chomp down on the snail with gusto. 'Is this the same scorpion that had eaten the previous poisoned snail without even breaking a single line of sweat?'
It sure looked the same as it devoured the snail.
I scowled. What a giant fuck you! Not even two of my poisons were strong enough to kill the thing. 'Fuck you too buddy!'
Grumbling I went back to eating the leaves but felt another disturbance soon after. Grimacing, I turned around. Yes, you guessed it right; another snail.
I waited for it to fall into the pit, and when it did, I crawled up to it. It was shrieking and thrashing, nothing unusual, but, what was unusual was, that it seemed to be convulsing in pain. Was that the work of plant poison? It sure looked like it.
I watched and waited as the creature continued to quiver before it controlled itself and tried to make its way out of the puddle. As it reached me, I bit into its eye stalk and pulled at it with all my might. The creature screeched as its eyestalk broke off and it tried to retaliate with a tackle from its shell.
Ting.
[-15 HP]
It hit and I flinched. Backing off a little, I watched the snail continue to flinch and quiver before it, finally, went still.
Ting.
[You have Leveled Up! Level up bonus of +1 HP granted.]
Ting.
[You have Leveled Up! Level up bonus of +1 HP granted.]
Ting.
[You have Leveled Up! Level up bonus of +1 HP granted.]
Ting.
[You have Leveled Up! Level up bonus of +1 HP granted.]
I grinned; 4 level ups, back to back! I checked my Level and my HP; they read, [Level: 97] and [HP: 61/102].
Grimacing, I activated the skill, {Ant's Will}, and felt energy rush into my veins.
Ting.
[-10 HP]
Crawling down the puddle, I dragged the body out before filling the trap with just mild-plant poison this time. Biting into the carcass, I dragged the snail over to the edge of the branch and threw it down.
Thud.
Fortunately –or unfortunately- the snail did not hit the scorpion this time and just landed on the ground. Shaking my head, I went back to munch on the leaves but, just then, I felt another disturbance.
'You have got to be kidding me!' I snapped mentally. 'Three days and not a single sign of them and now, when I am not at full health, they all are here to party!'
I waited, again, for the snail to fall into the trap –which it did- before making my way over to the trap. I watched, as the creature convulsed in pain, with dread rising in me. I had, literally, half my health left; I did not want to engage in any more mishaps.
As the creature controlled itself and made its way out of the puddle, I hit it with the tail end of my body.
Ting.
[-5 HP]
I winced; instead of hitting the soft flesh, I had hit the hard shell of the snail; now my flesh, where I had hit the snail, was bruised and pulpy. Thankfully, hitting the shell had the desired effect and the snail fell back into the puddle, flinching and shrieking.
I waited for the it try again but it didn-
Ting.
[You have Leveled Up! Level up bonus of +1 HP granted.]
Ting.
[You have Leveled Up! Level up bonus of +1 HP granted.]
Ting.
[You have Leveled Up! Level up bonus of +1 HP granted.]
Ting.
[You have reached Level 100. Do you want to evolve now?]
[YES NO]
I grinned. 'Finally!'
I wanted to evolve, of course I did. Why wouldn't I? But I couldn't do it here where I could become snail chow any minute. So, reluctantly, I focused on 'NO'.
Ting.
[You can evolve later by selecting the 'Evolve' option from your status window.]
Dismissing the screens, I crawled towards my home.
Ting.
[Skill {Crawl Lv.9} had leveled up to {Crawl Lv.10}. Your crawl speed has increased.]
Irritated, I dismissed the screen; I did not need that notification right now. What I needed, right now, was a safe place to evolve.
Reaching the hideout, I crawled inside and began to dig. I did not know what my size would be after the evolution, so I made as much space, inside the hole, as I possibly could while leaving the entrance to the hideout untouched.
But as I continued to dig, the foundation of the entrance began to weaken and we could not have had that. So instead of digging horizontally, I began digging vertically, i.e. downwards. I dug a tunnel and when it was far away to not affect the foundation of the entrance, I began expanding. I dug and I dug and I dug.
By the time I was finished, the hideout had enough space to fit in 7 caterpillars of my size.
Satisfied, I called up my status.
[Name: Unnamed]
[Species: Caterpillar]
[Race(s): Insect]
[Level: 100]
[HP: 49/105]
[MP: -]
[Titles: {Sentient}, {Reincarnated}, {Hungry}, {Survivor}]
[Skills: {Crawl Lv.10}, {Molting Lv.3}, {Poison Resistance Lv.7}, {Poison Creation Lv.4}, {Survive Lv.2}, {Sensor Lv.5}, {Pain Resistance Lv.4}, {Trap Lv.2}, {Dig Lv.6}, {Ant's Will Lv.1}, {Observe Lv.1}]
[Spells:-]
[EVOLVE]
Shivering in excitement, I focused on the option, [EVOLVE].
Ting.
[Do you want to evolve now?]
[YES NO]
Grinning, I focused on [YES].
Ting.
[Choose your form.]
[Butterfly Lv.1: Your species related evolution path.]
[Moth Lv. 1: Variant. Granted due to your anarchic methods.]
I read both the options and frowned. What did it mean by 'Anarchic Methods'? What 'Anarchic Methods'?
'Wait. Is this 'Anarchic method' usage of traps to kill the snails? If that is the case then I was not supposed to be able to kill them after all, huh. And that is why they gave hefty experience.'
So does that mean that I was supposed to evolve into a butterfly just by eating leaves? 'Wha-No. No, sir. I am not choosing to be a butterfly. Moth it is.'
Ting.
[You have chosen Moth as you evolution. Are you sure?]
[YES NO]
I focused on [YES].
Ting.
[Evolution will begin now.]
Before I could even dismiss the screen, an overbearing urge to spit around me hit me. I straightened up and stood up on my hind legs as my mouth came down and spat something that began solidifying as soon as it left my mouth.
I watched in horrified fascination as my I began to spin a cocoon around me, transforming myself into a pupa. 'W-wh-what am I doing? A-and why am I doing it?' But more importantly, how was I doing it? I did not have any skill relat-
----------------------------------------
Like it?
Hate it?
Just review and let me know!
Go Review!
Now.
----------------------------------------
P.S. Unbeta'ed but edited to the best of my ability.