Okay! I need to go up and focus on getting out of here right now! Why the sudden shift in attitude? Well, maybe because I've realized that I could actually die! Or, not die, more accurately be trapped in this dungeon forever, free will gone and stuff, and I probably won't even be able to think! That's what I'm guessing, at least! And you know what? I don't want that to happen! Not at all! So, right here and now, I'm going to make a bolt for the exit, and I'm not going to take my leisurely time anymore! Got it? Good! Let's get a move on!

Alright, I've got a handle on moving now. Heh, just goes to show how talented I am! I'm not tooting my own horn or anything, it's just true, isn't it? All I'm saying is that I'm great at walking with four legs, it's like I was born to do it! It's my calling!

... On second thought, walking being my grand purpose is super depressing. Forget all of that, okay?

[Thoughts recorded.]

I wasn't even talking to you and yet you still manage to make everything worse. Do you exist just in spite of me? Ugh...

Hm? Oh, that was quick. We've made it back to the other way... place, thing. You know, where the boulder fell, or something.

Great, and what would you know. I look over the edge, and as you can guess, it's just a huge hole. I can't even see to the bottom! Then again, I don't have the best eyesight as of now. Either way, there's one way to go from here, and it's through this gap. The thing is... I don't think this kind of lizard can walk on walls, and I'm not willing to find out the hard way.

I do have another idea... but it would require me to lose the lizard skin suit-- or, bodysuit? I don't get the science, really. Anyways, I could stretch myself really far to the other side. It isn't too far a distance,

I think I could, I mean. I'm not actually sure if I could do that. And, if I fail... well, you know what happens.

Oh, who cares! I just have to be confident and try it out! Either way, this is probably my only choice!

[Correct. That is the only plausible way to reach the other side. However--]

I knew it! And, just quiet down, okay? I don't care about what other snarky remarks you have to say. What I care about right now is getting out of this dungeon as fast as possible!

... Question, though. How do I get out of this form? I mean, I know there's a time limit and all, but there's gotta be some other way.

[You cut me off and then beg me for an answer?]

Okay, but, you were probably going to say something mean. So, please?

[... Fine. It seems you forget what I say the moment you're done with it. As I've said before, all that is required is focusing your energy on using a skill. When it comes to this, just focus on reverting back to your original form.]

Right! I almost forgot. The whole, you know, soul-liquid analogy! Well, thank you, and I'll surely never forget about it again!

Moving swiftly along, let's do this! I mean, it's the only way to go from here! It has to lead to the exit! Totally!

Let's just get this over with.

So, because I'm so incredibly talented, I activate the skill first try again! Back in my real body just like that! However, there's a problem. I didn't think this through completely... I don't have senses, as in, sight, hearing, and smell. You realize how bad that is, right? Uh, yeah. I'm not sure if I'm able to get to the other side anymore!

Oh, screw it! I need to be confident! I'm practically dying one way or another if I mess this all up! So, who wouldn't take the better cards? Me, I'm totally going for the better chance of surviving, even if at the moment it's dangerous! That's just who I am, I guess? Eh, that's probably bad for my overall lifespan if I only think I about the present, but who cares... again, I do.

Finally, I move closer to where I remember the beginning of the hole began, I feel around a bit and... nearly fall into it. Okay! That's not a good sign, but I'm not the kind of person to back down! Usually, I mean. Sometimes I do, but who doesn't, okay?

Anyway... time to go at it with my skills! Or, one skill. Body Manipulation, I think. I'll expand my body all the way to the other side! Huh, I'll probably be super thin then, wouldn't I? You could probably cut me clean in half during that... Let's not think of stuff like that. So, I try to activate Body Manipulation in hopes of gravity not being too strong. I slowly stretch myself over the edge, trying my hardest to keep my body from falling... and what do you know? This is actually going alright! Yeah! I can actually do this!

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

It's kinda like I'm floating, you know? Floating while I'm connected to a separate side of the hole, I mean. Anyway, as you can guess, I'm slowly stretching myself further to the other side, and I'm sure I'll be there any minute now! I think, at least. I don't completely remember the distance... but I'm sure it'll be fine.

...

And then what seemed to be five minutes passed by without anything. Yeah, that's ominous and also strangely telling of myself... Huh? Wait, wait, wait! Look at that, I can feel something! It feels like stone, it's flat and smooth. Yep, that's definitely the other side of the whole! Okay, okay, here comes the easy part. Now all I have to do is detach myself from the other side and climb up! Compared to what I just went through, this won't even register as a challenge!

The first thing to do is to let go back there... Okay done--

Wh-- Huh? Wait, uh oh! Bad decision, bad decision! Turns out because of gravity, I fall when I'm not putting strength into keeping myself up! Sure, that's common knowledge, but I wasn't thinking straight! Or, much at all!

No need to worry... just gotta climb up... so, once again, I activate Body Manipulation, my only saving grace! ... Uh, I just squirmed my way up. It was actually pretty easy. As what was shown before, Body Manipulation seems to out-power gravity. So, climbing up something isn't actually that hard. Finally, I feel my body able to rest upon the stone floor! Oh, how I've missed the ground!

Well, that was extremely stressful, but it's over with now! Let's just hope this is actually the right way to go.

Phew, I gotta say though, that could have gone terribly... well, I'm safe now! No more risk of dying from now on!

Weird, though... Suddenly, it feels like the floor is shaking... no, a better word would be vibrating, every so often. With a rhythm almost!

You have obtained skill: Vibration Detection >LV 1<

Oh, hey! A new skill? Isn't that cool... Wait, I feel like I'm ignoring something possibly important. The vibrations continued, but they became much easier to notice. I could even figure out the approximate location they came from! Came from... They're coming from some sort of object or something maybe hitting the ground?

[Because you have no semblance of intelligence, I advise you to dodge in some way or another. Now.]

Huh? Hey, elaborate! What do I need to dodge!

Eh? The vibrations just stopped suddenly. I feel like that could be bad... Okay! There's one way I probably won't be hit by whatever's coming! By just simply sinking down and spreading myself across the ground... and now it's silent. Well, I can't actually hear anything, but I mean metaphorically silent! Nothing is happening, there's not a semblance of activity I can feel...

Am I safe, then? Hello? An answer would be nice... okay. I'll just assume everything is okay now. I mean, it was tense for a while there, but enough time has passed that it should be good now, right? Okay, so, let's just continue! Since we're on this side now, it should be simple... if I remember correctly, there weren't any diverging paths over here, just a straight line to something I couldn't see clearly.

Let's go, then! Not use in waiting--

You have killed a Giant Rat >LV 2<

You have gained 8 EXP

You have levelled up! You are now Level 2.

... huh? Wait, wait, wait! What? I killed something! I didn't do anything but try and dodge whatever was happening! Dodge... There's a giant hole behind me...

Oh, I did that, yeah. Okay, so this giant rat thing jumped at me or something and I just barely dodged it, meaning it fell into the hole? Dang... no wonder it took so long for me to be notified... it must have been falling for a while...

I should have been safe from being attacked, right? I mean, the snake thing and mimic didn't attack me! Oh, wait, that was because I was in that lizard form, right? I'm slowly realizing how stupid of a decision it was for me to turn back into this... Well, it all turned out fine, so what does it matter? Besides, I'm probably closer to the exit and I levelled up! Looks like I'm becoming stronger by the minute!

Never mind all that, I really need to get going. Who knows what might creep their way up to me in this solitude of senses... hey, that was a pretty good use of words, huh? I could be a poet! Agh! I'm distracting myself again! Walk forward! That's all I have to do! Or, jump, really. Ugh, same thing!

Oh, right. I should probably transform back into the lizard. I don't know why I didn't do that in the first place!

Failure. Transformation into that form is blocked until 6 Hours have passed.

Why am I not surprised... There's no point in trying to get anywhere while in this form. I could accidentally kill myself without even realizing it. Let's just take a break... there's still a bit of time left, and that six hours won't affect it that much.