A/N: This chapter, I feel, is going to be a make or break chapter for some of you. Consider reading it till the end.
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Night 23.
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I woke up feeling more tired and more in pain than I have felt in a long time. And I really, really mean it this time.
My wings burned like they were on fire, my carapace felt broken at places, my head felt like it had been hit with a hammer –repeatedly- and it hurt to move. I was so not in a good shape. 'Just what the hell happened last night?'
I frowned and, at once, all the memories came rushing back; giving me a blinding headache. 'Uuhhh!'
I tried to clutch my head but I didn't have the hands to do so; I just had limbs which were completely useless in this condition. I grimaced and turned towards the feint glow that was enlightening the burrow. It was from the notifications from last night.
The first notification that I saw, which consequently must have been the last notification, was about evolving.
[You have crossed Level 100. Do you want to evolve now?]
[YES NO]
'I am level hundred? How, just how? I was on level 68 the last time I checked. And I remember getting 3 levels from the spiders, making me reach level 71. That –that means that I got 29 levels from the frogs! Holy shit!'
I took a deep breath in. And slowly, let it out.
'Okay, that is entirely plausible; the one frog I had killed before had given me 15 lev- Wait. The screen says I have crossed level 100, not reached, like it had said last time.' A frown materialized on my face. 'Just what is my level? And how many levels did I gain from the frogs?'
I checked my status.
[Name: Unnamed]
[Species: Poisonous Forest Moth]
[Race(s): Insect]
[Level: 104]
[HP: 101/224] 23+33+2*9+3*9
[MP: 86/124] 8+33+5*9
[Titles: {Sentient}, {Reincarnated}, {Survivor}, {Master of Death}, {Bullheaded}, {Masochist}, {Gourmand}, {Fire Elemental}]
[Skills: {Animagus Lv.1}, {Ant's Will Lv.3}, {Apparate Lv.6}, {Beast Tamer Lv.1}, {Crawl }, {Dig Lv.8}, {Fire Manipulation Lv.1}, {Fly Lv.6}, {Invisibility Lv.1}, {Leglimens Lv.2}, {Mana Control Lv.1}, {Masochism Lv.3}, {Meditate Lv.6}, {Molting Lv.4}, {Night Vision Lv.3}, {Observe Lv.6}, {Occlumens Lv.7}, {Overdose Lv.1}, {Pain Resistance Lv.6}, {Poison Resistance Lv.8}, {Poison Creation Lv.5}, {Rise Lv.1}, {Scent Lv.3}, {Sensor Lv.5}, {Slide Lv.3}, {Stealth Lv.3}, {Stubborn Lv.4}, {Survive Lv.3}, {Trap Lv.3}]
[Spells: {Lumos Lv. Max}, {Incendio }, {Expelliarmus Lv. 10}, {ExpectoPatronum Lv. 10}, {Protego Lv.10}, {Reparo Lv.9}, {Aguamenti Lv.9}, {Stupefy Lv.9}, {Episkey Lv. 9}, {Immobulus Lv.9}, {Lumos Maximus Lv.8}, {Confundo Lv.8}, {Fianto Duri Lv. 8},{Protego Maxima Lv. 8}, {Repello Inimicum Lv.8}, {Accio Lv.7}, {Bombarda Lv.7}, {Petrificus Totalus Lv.6}, {Diffindo Lv.6}, {Reducto Lv.5}, {Wingardium Leviosa Lv. 5}, {Transfugiration Lv.5}, {Silencio Lv.4}, {Glacius Lv.4}, {Confringo Lv.3}, {Alohomora Lv.3}, {Sectum Sempra Lv.2}, {Imperio Lv.2}, {Muffliato Lv.2}, {Crucio Lv.1}]
[EVOLVE]
I gaped at what I saw. I was level 104; that meant that the frogs had netted me 33 levels! And just look at that HP and MP stats! How! Just how! And was that a new Title! [Fire Elemental]? How in the hell did I gain that!?
'I can explain the HP being 101! It's just 23 points from last night added with 33 points from the level ups, which was added to my inflated regeneration of 5HP/Hour due to the skill {Masochism} being at Level 3! And the same with my MP! But where did the new Title co-'
Stop.
Focus.
'Whatever has caused my stats to inflate, will be in these notifications; I need to read them all.' Shaking my head to clear it, I focused on [NO].
Ting.
[You can evolve later by selecting the 'Evolve' option from your status window.]
Dismissing the window, I reached the next one.
[Skill {Stubborn Lv.3} has leveled up to {Stubborn Lv.4}. The negative modifier has decreased by one. All distractions will now be felt 7 times as stronger.]
I frowned. 'Why in hell has {Stubborn} leveled up? I don't think I did anything particularly stupid last night. All I did was whatever it was that was needed for me to survive. Sure I chose to pursue and kill the first frog but it was because I had to make a point and then the second one had just continued to attack me; I didn't have a choice in its case.'
'The third one, though, I had killed because it was one I had targeted in the first place. I just couldn't let it go. It would have turned the death of the other two frogs meaningless. Those two frogs had died because I attacked the first one; to just let it live after I had to fight off –and kill- the rest of the frogs would have been a waste of all the things that I had to do last night.'
'No I couldn't just let it live. Is this why {Stubborn} has leveled up? Because I hadn't let the last frog live? That was a stupid reason to level up the skill but hey, I am not complaining.' Dismissing the screen, I focused on the next one.
[Skill {Trap Lv.2} has leveled up to {Trap Lv.3}. Your traps do 1% more damage. Extra damage due to the skill: 3%]
'Oh alright. I guess that {Trap} levels up at the number of kills, by the traps, rather than the number of traps that had been setup.' I dismissed the screen and was greeted by-
[You have Leveled Up! Level up bonus of +1 HP and +1 MP granted.]
I dismissed it then I dismissed the next one and the next one and the next one. 'Oh come on! Do I really have to dismiss all 33 screens of the level ups!'
[Forced activation of {Element: Fire} has unlocked the skill {Mana Control Lv.1}]
'Wha-! What the hell! When was there a forced activation? And when did I gain the fire ele- Wait.'
Focus.
'It will all be in the notifications.' I took a deep breath and focused on the new Skill, skill {Mana Control Lv.1}.
Ting.
[Ability to control the outflow of Mana. Decreases Mana cost of Elemental Manipulations. Current Cost decreased by: 0 MP]
…Eh?
'What a useless skill! It isn't doing anything! It even says so in the description! And what does even 'Elemental Manipulations' mean?' Grumbling, I dismissed the screen.
[Skill Gained {Fire Manipulation Lv.1}]
'…Okay. So that explains what 'Elemental Manipulations' means.' I focused on the skill.
Ting.
[Ability to manipulate Fire to your will. Cost: 15MP/Second.]
I gaped! '15MP/SECOND! Are you kidding me! How can anybody use this skill?! What an absurd cost! It is absolutely usele-'
Stop. Just stop.
And think.
'Is this why I gained the skill {Mana Control Lv.1}? It definitely makes sense now. And that skill seems much more useful now than before.' I sighed and dismissed the screen.
[Spell {Incendio} had reached Maximum Level. Grants Title [Fire Elemental].]
'Okay. That explains the new Title.' I focused on it.
[You can convert Mana to Fire efficiently. Grants skill {Fire Manipulation Lv.1}]
'Hmm. {Incendio} reaching level Max gave me a new title and a new skill, does that mean that when {Agumentai} will reach Max level, I would get Water related Title and skill? Oh that would be awesome if it did!' Grinning, I dismissed the screen and focused on the next one.
[Title [Master of Death] activated. Spell {Incendio Lv.9} has leveled up twice, due to the third property of the Title, which grants two levels in spells for each level gained, causing it to reach {Incendio }]
'Oh. So {Incendio} had leveled up from Level 9 to Level 10 and then the title [Master of Death] kicked in, causing it to reach the maximum level. Hmm. Will [Master of Death] work for {Fire Manipulation} too? But then, that one is listed as a skill. So maybe, no? Hmm. I would have to wait and see, I guess.'
Dismissing the screen, I was met with the last one; though I already knew which one it would be.
[Spell {Incendio Lv.9} has leveled up.]
I dismissed the screen, and with this one, all the screens were dealt with.
A slow smile formed on my face. I was going to Evolve! Evolve! And what made the whole situation even better was the fact that it was happening much earlier than I had anticipated!
Opening my status window, I focused on the [EVOLVE] option.
Ting.
[Do you want to evolve now?]
[YES NO]
Grinning, I focused on [YES].
Ting.
[Chose your form.]
[Fairy: Your species related evolution path.]
[Pixie: Your species related alternate evolution path.]
[Doxy: Variant. Granted due to your anarchic methods.]
I frowned; all the creatures, while magical, where nothing more than pests. I don't want to be a pest. But then, I don't want to be an insect altogether. I had hoped to get better choices now that I had my magic back.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
With a resigned sigh, I focused on my choi-
Hold it.
Am I even sure these were the same creatures that I thought they were? What if they were something totally different but I was just assuming they were the same because they had names that I recognized. 'Oh fuck you Blue Screen. I don't trust your crusty lying ass!'
Scowling, I focused on the word Fairy in the first option.
Ting.
[You have chosen Fairy as you evolution. Are you sure?]
[YES NO]
'Wha-! No! I don't want to be a stupid narcissist which was too enchanted with its self to even function properly!' Without a second thought I focused on [NO].
I scowled; focusing on the species didn't have the effect that I was aiming for. Maybe I could use {Observe} on them to know more about species?
Staring at the option 'Fairy', I thought, 'Observe.'
Ting.
[Fairies are tiny humanoid creatures with wings. Their main attribute is their vanity which attracts them to anything shiny. They form the base of the food chain.]
'I was so, so, not choosing Fairy as my evolution; I had no wish to remain on the bottom of the food chain any more time than I absolutely had to.' Dismissing the window, I turned to stare at the option 'Pixie'. 'Observe.'
Ting.
[Pixies are tiny and blue humanoid creatures without wings, though they are capable of flight. Their main attribute is their strength and tendency to cause mischief. Their penchant to create trouble causes them to be at the base of the food chain.]
'Hmm. Pixie seems like it is a much better choice than Fairy, yet it remains at the bottom of the food chain; not something very positive about it.' Wanting to cover all my options, I turned to the last option, Doxy. 'Observe.'
Ting.
[Doxies are tiny humanoid creatures with wings. Their main attribute is their rather potent Venom and their perchance for malicious tricks which often results in their target getting hurt or worse. Due to their venom and their tricks, they are usually left alone by most creatures.]
'Now, this sounds promising. Doxy wasn't on the bottom of the pyramid so it has much less predators than the other two options; which is always a good point. And even though the 'malicious tricks' part was worrying, I'll still be me. It isn't like I am going to change just because I evolved into something that has specific traits.'
My decision made, I focused on Doxy but before the window could pop up, I stopped. A doxy was much bigger in size than a moth and even though my hideout was large for a moth, it won't be comfortable for a doxy. With a grimace, I began to work; I had a burrow to expand.
A few hours of hard work later, I returned to my status window and focused on [EVOLVE].
Ting.
[Do you want to evolve now?]
[YES NO]
Grinning, I focused on [YES].
Ting.
[Chose your form.]
[Fairy: Your species related evolution path.]
[Pixie: Your species related alternate evolution path.]
[Doxy: Variant. Granted due to your anarchic methods.]
Without any hesitation, I focused on Doxy.
Ting.
[You have chosen Doxy 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. Again. I straightened up and stood up on my hind leg-thingies as my mouth came down and spat something; something that began solidifying as soon as it left my mouth.
I watched in fascination as my I began to spin a cocoon around me, transforming me into a pupa. Though, it made no sense; why pupa? I was no longer a caterpillar that would evolve into a moth or a butterfly. I was a moth that was evolving into a Doxy and as Doxies are born from eggs, shouldn't this covering be an egg or somethi-
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DAY 24
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I woke up feeling confined and bound. I frowned and tried to jog my memory, attempting to remember the last thing from the previous night. 'Evolution. Right.'
Knowing that I was trapped in the cocoon that I had –somehow- created for evolution, I began wiggling and squirming to free myself. I heard a crack as my body continued to squirm causing the shell to break. I smiled and reinforced my struggles.
Soon enough, cracks after cracks followed and I was free from the cocoon binding me.
Stepping out of the broken cocoon, I stretched and grinned. 'Ah, it feels so good to have hands and legs again! Finally I am free from all the crawling and sliding! I can finally walk! I can hold things! I can use my fingers!'
I laughed. And I continued to laugh unti-
Ting.
[Evolution completed. You have evolved into a Doxy.]
Ting.
[Evolution bonus of 30 points has been added to your total Health Points and Mana Points. You have been completely healed.]
Ting.
[Your base MP and HP regenerations have doubled to become +4HP/Hour and +10MP/Hour.]
Ting.
[Level Up Bonus has increased from 1 point per level, to 2 points per level, for both MP and HP. Both the bars have been adjusted for the change.]
I grinned at the notifications. 'What a bonus! 30 Points extra for both HP and MP and the increase in regenerations; something I have been begging for a very long time now! I couldn't be happier!'
Ting.
[Final evolution of evolution tree {Race: Insect} reached. You cannot evolve any more.]
…Come again.
'This is a joke right. It has to be a joke. After all, how can I not evolve?'
'If evolution had to stop, it would have stopped after I evolved into a moth, right? Right?! If evolution had to stop, why would it let me evolve into a Doxy!? Right!? There was no relation between a doxy and a moth! I shouldn't have evolved into a doxy at all! Doxies are born from eggs! They do not evolve from anything! If evolution had to stop, it should have stopped at Moth!'
This is a mistake! It had to be! How could it not be?!
'I can evolve! I had to! It cannot be that I can no longer evolve! It just can't be! I cannot live the rest of my life as a Doxy! No! I refuse! I will not be con-
Ting.
[Species Title, {Trickster} gained.]
Ting.
[Skill {Intermediate Venom: Doxy: Resistance Lv. Max} acquired.]
Ting.
[Sub-Skill for poison creation {Available: Intermediate Venom: Doxy} acquired.]
Ting.
[Skill {Poison Resistance Lv.8} has leveled up to {Poison Resistance Lv.9}. You can gain up to 9 sub-resistance skills.]
Ting.
[Skill {Doxy Shield Lv.1} acquired.]
Ting.
[Skill {Drone Eggs Lv.1} acquired.]
Ting.
[Doxies are creature that prefer cold environment. Skill {Ice resistance Lv.1} acquired.]
I panted!
My breath coming short and heavy!
I was panicking!
I should not be panicking!
I hadn't even panicked this much when I had realized that I had been reincarnated as a caterpillar! Yet, here I was, panicking at the news that I could not evolve anymore! What was wrong with ME!
I closed my eyes and tried to take a deep breath in, to calm myself!
I FAILED!
I tried AGAIN!
And again!
And again!
And again!
And again.
And succeeded.
Slowly, I let a breath out and took another deep breath in before letting it out.
Breath in, breath out.
Breath in, breath out.
Breath in, breath out.
Breath in, breath out.
Breath in, breath out.
I calmed down.
With somewhat clear mind, I tried to find the reason for the panic attack. I tried searching within myself, for the reason had to be there. Why had I reacted so badly to the news? Why had I panicked?
I had not reacted this strongly even when I had broken out of my egg. I hadn't reacted this strongly when I had noticed that I was a caterpillar. Why was that? Why had I reacted this strongly this time?
Why hadn't I made a ruckus then? Was it because dying had made me give up on life? Or was it because I had been just so happy to be alive that I hadn't minded that I was a caterpillar? Was it because of both these reasons? Or was it because of none of them?
I did not know the answer of any of those questions clearly. What I did know was that the reason lied somewhere in between both those points.
But if that was true, then why had I reacted so strongly this time? Were my reasons not the same anymore? Had my reasons changed? How could that be? How could my reasons change when I did not even know what my reasons were?
Questions after questions hit me and none of them gave me any answer.
What was the reason for my freak out? Why had I reacted this strongly? Was it because the whole concept of evolution had given me hope? Because it had made me believe that I could be something more than what I had been born as? That I could, one day, reach my former self. Or even surpass it.
Were those my reasons? Was it because my hope had been crushed that I freaked out? Was it because the dream that I had been unknowingly dreaming was pounded to death with that single statement? Was it because, with that one statement, my unknown visions had turned into delusions? Was that the reason I had freaked out?
'Yes.'
I felt those reasons shake me to the core. I felt them shuddering in my soul. Yes. Yes, was the answer. These were my reason; the reason why I had freaked out. I had freaked out because all my unknown hopes, dreams and visions had been crushed by a single statement. 'I couldn't evolve no more. I can't survive no more.'
I took a deep shuddering breath and opened my eyes.
Ting.
[Skill {Meditate Lv.6} has leveled up to {Meditate Lv.7}. While meditating, MP regeneration will be increased by 7 MP/Hour.]
I dismissed the notification. I know I had realized something important about me; there was no need to remind me about it by popping that notification.
I let the breath, which I had been holding, out.
I had a problem to deal with. There was no way I was going to be stuck as a doxy; it was just unacceptable. I was not going to quash my dreams after I had realized that I had them. I was not going to give up on myself.
What did that mean? This just meant that I would have to find another way to evolve and nothing else.
I set the thought aside but did not dismiss it -I could not dismiss that thought- and focused on the task at hand; the notifications. The last notification was about a skill, the {Ice resistance}. I focused on it.
Ting.
[You resist cold and ice damage to a certain extent. Resistance increases with level. Current Resistance level: 10%]
Pretty standard; I dismissed it and moved onto the next one; it was about {Drone Eggs}.
Ting.
[You can lay eggs which hatch to birth Drone Doxies. Current egg limit per use: 1. Current time required to hatch the eggs: 12 days.]
What did the skill mean? How could I produce eggs? I was male. Nothing else but male! And so was this body!
…Or at least I think so. About this body! Not about me! I had never noticed it, either as a caterpillar or as a moth because neither of them had reproductive part that I was familiar with. I had just assumed that it was male. Was it not the case?
I looked down and groaned; this doxy body also didn't have any part discerning me as male or female. There was no part for urination. Which was I? I hoped to dear god I was ma-
Wait.
The skill consumed MP, more precisely 100 MP per use. That meant that skill was more magical in nature than physical. Still, trying to be sure, I used the skill.
Ting.
[-100 MP.]
I felt my stomach turn as an ache began to spread in my belly. 'Oh shit! It is physical after all!'
I felt myself gag and bile rise in my throat. 'Is it going to come out of my mouth?!'
'Oh dear lord, it is; it is going to come out of my mouth.' I gagged. Then I gagged some more. There was something trying to force its way out of my throat. I felt it try to force itself, trying to expand my throat beyond its limit.
Pain. Pain was all I felt and fell to floor; unable to stand. As the pain continued to wreck me, I gagged. I gagged and the flow of air cut off. I felt something hit my tongue and slip over it as it peeked out of my mouth. And then, in one long hurl, a long cylindrical thing fell out of my mouth and hit the floor.
'Oh dear lord, that was horrible! Just horrible! Never doing that again. Never!'
I panted and gasped and breathed as I tried to control my breath but to no avail. Still gasping, I turned to the thing that I had vomited. It was long, almost as long as my arm and just as thick. 'I don't know how that thing passed through my throat and I would never know because I am not doing this again.' Still. 'Obverve.'
Ting.
[Doxy Drone Egg. Days to hatch: 12]
Squinting at the description, I decided to try something and focused on the words 'Doxy Drone' before using {Observe} on it.
Ting.
[Doxies are hive creatures with one Queen Doxy and the other Soldier Doxies and Drone doxies that protect and work for the colony respectively.]
Well, huh, that didn't answer the question about my gender at all. Was this body male or female? If this body was female, then why did I vomit the egg out of me; shouldn't I have, I don't know, pushed it out through another more natural way? Or was this body male because of the way egg came out of me? Uhh!
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. It did not matter, what this body's gender was; after all, this was justr a bodice and nothing more. It was something that I canged with each evolution. And I will evolve.
Besides, I saw myself as male and some pesky bodice, which kept on changing, was not going to tell me otherwise.
Dismissing the thought –it took more effort than it should have needed- and the screen, I focused on the next one, the {Doxy Shield}.
Ting.
[A shield in the shape of Doxy's (or Beetle's) wings forms in front of you. Current Hit Points: 10]
Well that was convenient. A magic shield that blocked physical attacks; finally something good! Smiling, I dismissed the screens and the one after that and the one after that; those two were just talking about Doxy Venom that I could now create.
I focused on the last screen; it mentioned my new title, {Trickster}.
Ting.
[You enjoy malicious tricks and trick everybody for the sake of your enjoyment. Effect's bearer's mind.]
'What- what the hell!? Effect's bearer's mind!? I did not know that such a thing was even possible!' I sighed. 'I guess I would have to start leveling up {Occlumency} now, won't I?'
I grimaced. With that 'final evolution' thing, then the 'gender' thing and now with this 'mind altering' thing, I am seriously beginning to regret my decision to evolve into a Dox-
Wait.
Just wait a minute.
'Why am I not panicking anymore? I have just come to know that my gender has been changed and that my mind is being tempered with. Why am I not reacting to it?'
I frowned before another sigh escaped me. 'I guess I am just too emotionally exhausted from my earlier panic attack to react to anything anymore.' I felt like I could just roll over and die and yet, I could not react with more than careless 'huh'. I was just that emotionally exhausted.
Not wanting to deal with anything else anymore, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
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