Charlie could hear them, scurrying just outside his cove with maddened fervour. There were hundreds of them; he could hear their tiny feet pitter-pattering against the hard stone, grating against his nerves.

Yet, no matter how much time had passed, not a single Sklite stuck their head into the rancid cove. Was it simply the smell, or more likely some other reason that Charlie couldn't perceive, that kept them at bay?

Charlie could hear the muted bleats of dying creatures somewhere far outside his cave. Their voices echoed throughout the mushroom cove, warning of Charlie's near-certain death. If he had been a moment too late in retreating, the swarm would have erased him from existence already.

Charlie wanted to berate himself for this mistake, so easily betraying all that he had learned up until this point, but simply found himself unwilling to. There were too many unknowns to make a perfect plan without any mistakes. He couldn't have known that the Sklites had another mysterious sense, allowing them to somehow perceive when their family was in danger.

The second Sklite, that approached with caution, must have been some sort of scout, or maybe the second death left a more powerful marker for the larger swarm, signalling that something had gone wrong. Whatever the answer, the result was the same in the end.

The scurrying sounds had started to wane the longer Charlie waited, and he felt comfortable enough to shift his focus momentarily to readjusting his plan. Every time Charlie returned alive was a gift in itself, but the knowledge each excursion provided would ensure this gift was never wasted.

The Sklites seemed to possess a powerful sensory ability or some way to communicate distress. Its range was unknown, but Charlie had definitely found that he had ventured too far into their territory. He'd have to return to some of the less favourable positions, even if it meant fewer encounters due to the sparse number of Sklites further from the nest.

The sounds outside Charlie's cove had ceased completely, and with their departure, Charlie felt the tension melt from his scales. Glancing around the cove, Charlie could tell there was something about the mushroom cove that kept them at bay. It might be the slime it produced, the smell, or something else that was far beyond Charlies senses.

Reassurance washed over him, knowing there was a way to escape in the event he had bitten off more than he could chew. Relocating to the riverside seemed less appealing when Charlie considered that the swarm likely wouldn't follow its unspoken code. Their maddened search for a predator to avenge their fallen members encapsulated their nature perfectly, proving to Charlie that rules meant little in the face of power.

Charlie found himself unable to do anything for the time being but reflect on the recent encounters. The near-miss with the swarm was a harsh lesson, true, but it was one that would shape his future strategies. He couldn't afford to make the same mistake twice and the mushroom cove, with its strange protective properties, would have to be his refuge and the cornerstone of his future plans if he wished to study effectively.

He knew that surviving as a predator in this strange land required both cunning and adaptability, and every fight Charlie lived through could only deepen his approach. Having somewhere to return to, even to simply lick his wounds, would be the greatest boon in his descent and ensure his survival.

Targeting the Sklites would still prove to be the easiest way for Charlie to test out his hypotheses, but extra precautions would have to be taken. He could no longer hunt more than one Sklite at a time, at least until he was certain he was outside whatever range the swarm had.

Charlie would also need to move from one hiding spot to another and preferably never approach a used spot again. If the Sklites left behind some sort of marker, he was certain there would be an increased number of them looking for their predator.

Content with the changes to his approach, Charlie decided that it was enough for one day and it was time to rest. He wasn't certain if a day had actually passed, but he felt tired, and lacking any other tool, he would use that to direct his sense of time.

Sleep came surprisingly easy; it was becoming alarmingly easier to deal with life-threatening situations and still fall asleep. If Charlie were still human, that might have been a sign of something troubling, but right now it could only be considered a boon.

Charlie shaped and guided his will into the emptiness all around, and much like before, the alien pull on his being was present and just as draining. The black void was pierced by an ethereal sliver of light, dark and ashy smoke billowed out in great plumes, before quickly retracting and taking the form of a lightless doorway.

The appearance of the smokey world no longer shocked Charlie, not as much at least, and he was able to quickly figure out if there were any changes since his previous visit after crossing the black boundary. Deciding to inspect the radiant seed, Charlie noticed that the water around his soul had not recovered, not yet reaching the smokey rim. It didn't look like it had moved at all, actually, remaining stagnant and unchanged.

Unfortunately, even though Charlie lingered around his soul for a bit longer, the System never provided its guided whispers. Unable to crack this mystery at this time, Charlie decided it was time to move on to the mystical text in the clouds. The shadow serpent had not moved from its place atop the clouds, with its dark green and flaming eyes boring into Charlie. Its overflowing frustration could be felt through their mysterious link.

Ignoring the serpent's temper, Charlie read over his attributes and {Epitaph} slowly, searching for any changes. Admittedly, there wasn’t much, but Charlie noticed his [Hollow Fang] had increased by a few percent. Though it was barely anything in the grand scheme, Charlie felt a thrill at this solid, provable progress. Charlie could feel a small part of a larger mystery unlock in his mind, a confirmation that his real-world efforts were mirrored here.

Despite his attempts, neither killing nor consuming the Sklite corpses seemed to affect his overall level though, which led Charlie to the only conclusions that made sense; The translucent and mysterious gems were the cause. If he could survive long enough for [Devour] to activate, Charlie could finally confirm the hypothesis that had been slowly taking shape.

Charlie sensed a mystical connection between [Devour], {The Challenge}, and his Level, an interplay of forces he was only beginning to understand. As far as Charlie could tell, if he used [Devour] on the gems of fallen enemies, he would meet {The Challenge} and be rewarded with experience. In turn, when Charlie had received enough experience, he would be awarded with a level that granted him seemingly three points to his attributes.

Charlie could feel that he was getting closer to understanding the greater picture, andthe final puzzle pieces were slowly digesting in his stomach. If Charlie was right, then his potential for growth was incredible. Many questions still needed answering to gauge just how incredible his potential was, but Charlie’s persistent nature wouldn’t allow him to rest without finding an answer.

Satisfied with what he had observed, Charlie stepped through the lightless doorway, greeted by the familiar stench of rancid mushroom. The transition was seamless; his consciousness neither faded into sleep nor flickered when he awoke. This was yet another question to add to the growing pile in his mind.

A considerable amount of time must have passed; Charlie no longer felt bloated, and the cuts on his scales had already healed. The benefits of healing through a ferocious day were clear, but the fact that only the largest wounds scabbed over was remarkable. Charlies ability to heal from minor wounds truly was a gift, and not something he could imagine taking for granted.

The fact that the wounds would heal too quickly to form a long lasting scab meant a lot lower chance of irritating a healing wound, and become even less prone to possible infections. This also allowed his body to remain flexible and in top shape for longer periods.

Stolen story; please report.

Charlies stomach had shrunk to only a quarter of its engorged size, allowing him to confidently explore his surroundings again. Testing his body out, Charlie found that he was barely any slower than normal, and he'd need speed if he were to accomplish today's goal.

Charlie needed a new vantage point that offered both concealment and a clear view of his surroundings. There were a few places that met his criteria, but none matched the advantages of the first spot he had found. Was it greed, or was it simply conceit that caused him that lose that prime location?

Regardless of the reason, Charlie adjusted his plans, determined to only make a mistake once.

As Charlie grew accustomed to life in the massive cave, he began to notice a few peculiarities. There was a strange dryness to the air, and when looking back over his old life, Charlie could remember that rivers would revitalize everything around them. Even the air would grow heavy and humid the closer one would get to a body of water. Yet here, against all common sense, everything was dry as a bone right up until you could almost touch the water.

Another peculiarity was the constant dim light in the cave, which lacked any day/night cycle to help gauge how much time had passed. Though the dim light was a constant and unchanging, there were still some strangeness to it. Charlie had deeply suspected that the stone itself was glowing, but it also contained crevices with shadows. The strange impossibility was intriguing, but ultimately not worth too much effort or thought spent in deciphering its mystery.

In a world where Charlies day was filled with nothing but strangeness, unpredictable events and mysteries developing every other minute - the constant dim light was a blessing in disguise. Sure it made telling time a lot more difficult, but that was nothing when compared to Charlies struggle to survive.

To reach the potential vantage points, Charlie had to spend considerable time hiding from predators that could easily stomp him to death, which still bugged him. Why were all these large creatures this high up in the cave? Were they able to resist the pull, or was there something more powerful down below keeping them up here?

Charlie had become more adept at staying out of sight, learning how bold he could be without revealing his presence. Of course, this skill was still in its early stages; the embers of knowledge Charlie stoked were often threatened by strong winds that could extinguish them.

Charlie had nearly reached one of the more promising vantage points when he encountered a large creature napping on the entrance. Its large body lay across the entry gaps that Charlie wanted to use, completely oblivious to their presence.

Wanting a better, and safer, view of the creature, Charlie cloaked himself in the deep shadow of one nearby rocky outcropping. The shade it provided was deeper than the rest, though a bit too close for comfort. If that creature woke up and bolted towards Charlie, he wasn't completely confident he'd be able to escape from this distance, but could still see a few crevices to hide in if the need arose.

He had seen this one a few times already, a large and muscular creature with knives for claws. Though this one was distinctly different, its overall shape looked like it was made for speed, if not simply more emaciated. The scent it gave off was considerably powerful, if not a bit spread out. It was likely protecting its offspring and had its family out of view, which could become a problem. Charlie knew well the dangers of a mother protecting its cubs.

Charlie hadn’t gotten a good look at the previous creature, but its essence and scent were etched into his mind. It was right there.

Charlie had decided to start naming the creatures he encountered, as calling each one 'creature' was tiring. To expand his lexicon, he needed specific references. Though he had made the decision, Charlie still struggled to name something he had never seen before.

The Sklites were easy, they resembled Skitters from his own world and the name came naturally. The Lizards, well admittedly Charlie still wanted to name them something else, but there were no other connections he could make with them. Just like the sleeping creature before him, there wasn't anything quite like it in his own world.

Charlies senses were focused on the sleeping creature, looking out for any movement or hint of waking up. However, Charlie failed to notice the creature that had its eyes on him.

Just outside of Charlies peripheral vision lay a predator with a hulking body dwarfing that of the still sleeping creature, instead built for raw strength and overwhelming might.

It soundlessly advanced, its sharp claws retracted, with only the soft padding of its paws touching the stone floor. Its movements were graceful and swift, easily closing the gap between itself and Charlie.

Charlie noticed the heavy scent quickly intensify and was sent into high alert, immediately scanning his surroundings. The predator noticed Charlie panic and doubled its efforts, throwing away all pretense of stealth and roared out, signaling its charge toward Charlie.

Charlie snapped his head in the direction of the terrifying growl and locked eyes with death. They bore through Charlies being and struck directly into his heart with an icy grasp.

Learning from his past mistakes, Charlie had swung into motion long before he understood what he was seeing. It was better to flee from an unknown enemy than to sit still and die knowing.

The nearest crevice was still too far for Charlie to reach safely, but he had to try. His self-preservation instincts wouldn’t allow him to simply accept death. Charlie slithered with as much speed as he could muster, but, it was not enough.

The predator’s knife-like claws tore through Charlie’s body as if they were white-hot, dyeing the stone floor with serpentine blood. The pain struck with such speed and power that Charlie didn’t register being sent flying across the cave until he collided with the wall with a sickening, wet crunch.

It was hard to breathe. His chest refused to obey, preventing him from drawing in the abundant air around him. It felt like drowning.

The sensation didn’t last long; his chest finally relaxed enough for him to draw in life-giving air. His mind was in disarray, everything felt wrong, and his vision swam. Like a light at the end of the tunnel, the fruits of his careful preparation and self-preservation kicked in, giving Charlie the clarity he needed to keep moving.

Charlie tried to move but immediately collapsed. The pain was severe, but nothing had set off any alarm bells until he glanced at his body.

A third of Charlie’s body was missing; his tail was a cleanly cut stump, bleeding profusely.

Seeing a part of his own body missing was surreal, almost too strange to be true. Yet, with every passing moment, the truth began to set in.

The predator had not yet arrived, but Charlie could already sense its horrifying scent fast approaching. He had mere moments to find a place to hide. Without the tail, Charlie found it near impossible to move quickly and the pain to be nearly overwhelming.

But "nearly" wasn't going to be enough to kill Charlie.

Charlie continued onward, through tremendous pain and suffering, finding a silver lining to the situation in the walls of the cove he'd crashed into. The cove was empty; even though he couldn’t remember which creature lived here, it could be his ticket out of this mess.

Charlie had no intentions of going inside and try to face off against the knife-like claws of the predator while backed into a corner. The humidity here was almost visible and that could only mean one thing, that the river was mere meters away. If Charlie could just reach it, maybe he'd have a chance at losing his pursuer.

Charlie had never stopped moving and had just rounded the corner, when a powerful and heavy roar boomed out from somewhere behind him. The furious echoes of the roar felt like an axe had been placed on Charlies neck, signaling the arrival of an apex predator and Charlies imminent demise.

Without wasting another moment, Charlie slithered painfully on the bloody stump and made his way into the water, and with little hesitation, plunged himself into the cold bite of the river. The serpents red blood mixed with the water and was carried away into the distance by the fast current.

The water made things more difficult. It was hard to see anything ahead, even after emerging from the river, but there was definitely something in front of him. It was a gash in the floor, and as Charlie dove in found that it was filled with fast-approaching blurry rocks and shadows.

The landing was painful. The crevice was filled with sharp, wet gravel, offering no cushioning for Charlie’s fall.

Charlies heart beat wildly, drowning out all other sound and muddying his thoughts further. He needed to stem the bleeding somehow and the fine wet gravel, lacking any alternatives, had to be enough. The furious roars of the predator were reverberating off the walls, like the grim reaper itself tightened the noose around Charlies neck.

Through mind numbing pain, Charlie forced his bleeding stub into the sharp gravel and into the wet sand below. The gravel cut and embedded themselves deeply into the open flesh, but their pain paled in comparison to the fear of death that loomed just beyond the river.

The predator approached the river with the scent of the dying serpent still fresh in its mouth. It cut off a snack and wished to finish its meal, but the serpents trail was quickly moving away, taken by the rivers current.

A trail of blood could be seen on the surface of the river, and after giving a quick sniff of the water, the predator growled out angrily. The echo shot through Charlies fading mind and he could feel himself hold even his breath, for fear of this tiny scent giving him away.

There were noises that Charlie couldn't make out, the rush of the river greatly muffled everything outside of this crevice, but much to his surprise, it was quickly fading away. Through mind bending pain and exhausted delirium, Charlie felt a great weight lift off of his shoulders as the next roar had been somewhere far into the distance.

In the comforting silence, Charlies world faded to black.