I awoke to the gentle rustling of movement around me. Blinking my eyes open, I found myself in the same dimly lit chamber. Bark lay on top of his sleeping bag, and a flash of pain crossed his face as he cracked his eyes open. He groaned as he put his hand against the ribs that were bothering him yesterday.

I guess he’ll need even longer before he is back to his old self again.

I looked around for the sound that I heard earlier. I heard more rustling and turned to see Killa’s slimy body digging through her pack. But something was different. Is she shorter? Killa extracted her head and was only as tall as her pack.

I crawled to my knees. “Killa, you’re alright.” She turned and gave me a smile as he held a small wooden rod. “You’re... small now. Why are you so small?”

She crossed her arms and scratched her chin with the stick. “That spider may have been a little rough with me. I couldn’t keep control of my body, and this is all I’ve got right now.” She gave me a thumbs up. “Thanks for the meal, by the way. It really helped.”

I blushed. “You’re welcome. So what are you going to do about clothes? Not that there’s anything to see, really.”

I turned to look where I left the leg but found nothing. Instead, there was a small puddle of slime on the ground.

Killa giggled as she waved her rod. “I’ve got something for that. As a slime, my body changes size and shape fairly regularly.”

She walked over to the thick mound of web, lifted it up, and peeled it away like a capsule. Stuck to the inside were her clothes. She pulled them free and poked them with the wand. They shrank instantly, and her body turned into a tentacle as it dove into them before returning to her usual appearance, even if it was shorter.

Killa waved her arms in the air. “See, I’ve got it covered. With some time and a lot of food, I’ll grow back to a more normal size.”

I sat down on the sleeping bag and watched Bark struggle to do the same. Each movement released cracks, pops, and groans from him. “Hey, Rina. Can you do me a favor and hand me the other regeneration potion?”

I nodded and went to fetch it.

“You look terrible,” Killa said as she grimaced at Bark’s appearance. “Rina’s the only one of us who looks mostly normal. Although, her clothes could use a good soak.” She pointed to my exposed midriff. “How much energy do you have?” Her voice had turned serious.

I frowned. “Less than half.” It looks like I used up some more while I slept. My energy bar was just more than a third full.

Killa pointed at the spider and glowered at me. “While you’ve been sleeping, I helped myself to more of the spider. There should still be plenty for breakfast. Now eat. I’m sorry, but I don’t have the mass to help you, so you’re going to have to do things the old fashion way.”

I suppressed a gag as I handed Bark the potion. “Before I slept, I had some.”

Killa pointed again. “Then you need to eat more. I’ll take whatever you have left, but if something like this happens again, you need to have the energy to heal yourself. We can’t afford to have you starving in the middle of a fight.”

Bark held the bottle to his lips before lowering it. “Killa’s right. I’m out of the fight. She’s still able to use her magic, but I’m guessing she doesn’t have nearly the same amount of mana she used to.” He turned to Killa. “Am I right?”

“Yeah.” Killa frowned. “So, for the time being, you’re going to have to do most of the fighting. My magic hasn’t lost any potency. I just don’t have my mana reserves for long or prolonged fights.”

I looked at the spider and then back to Killa. “Do you know how hard it was to eat it the first time?”

Killa marched up to me. Even though she only went up to just below my hips, I felt small compared to her. “We don’t have time for what is pleasant for you. We're in a dangerous situation, and we’ve come this far. This is more than you just gaining stats now.” Her hand stretched and grabbed my chin. “We need to teach you how to survive now. You want to live, and sometimes you need to do things that make you uncomfortable. Now eat your breakfast.”

After she released my chin, I rubbed it absentmindedly. She’s being even more pushy. Why? Is she stressed? “What’s wrong?”

Killa turned and sighed. “Nothing.”

“No. This is not ‘nothing’.” I grabbed her shoulder. “Tell me. I want to help.”

“If I tell you, will you eat?” Killa asked as she turned to look at the spider. I grimaced, but didn’t say anything. She turned to me with a mischievous grin. “Start eating, and I’ll tell you. At the very least, you need breakfast.”

My throat tightened. She’s right. But why does she have to be right? I’m not that curious about it. Seeing those two suffering from that fight, and I’m physically the same. These two can’t handle another fight like that. I walked over and clenched my jaw as I pulled a handful of spider meat out of its carapace. This is for them. I can take the damage and heal from it without a scar.

My mouth went dry as I lifted the meat to my lips. Killa’s right, but there’s more than that. She’s my friend, and she wants to help me. She doesn’t want to hurt me. I stuffed the meat in my mouth, nearly choking on it. I don’t want to just reach the top anymore. I want to make it to the top with my friends. And if I have to eat spiders to do that, it will be worth it.

Killa nodded. “I’m pushing you so hard now because if things get this bad again, we may not survive.” She pointed to the sword still embedded in the spider’s head. “You did well killing it. But honestly, you were stupidly lucky. If your angle was a little off, the blade would have glanced off, and you would have been eaten. This place is full of dangers, including ones that I’ve never heard of before.” She frowned as she turned to Bark, who was eating some meat and rice. “Then there’s the fact you were supposed to be on guard duty last night. Yet you went to sleep.”

I paused with a piece of spider meat right in front of my mouth. “He did say that, and I did.”

“And?” Killa leaned forward and tapped her foot.

“I’m sorry.” My arm dropped as I hung my head. “It’s just that I was so tired, and every time I’ve been tired, I just curl up and go to sleep. Thinking about dangers coming up and attacking me—us—that’s something I don’t think about.”

“Killa, take it easy on her.” Bark placed his empty food container on the ground in front of him. “This is new to her. She’s having a little trouble adjusting. We expected this, or something like this. Besides, I took over until you woke up.”

He took over guard duty for me and let me sleep? He’s injured and needs more sleep than me, and he just did that. I couldn’t breathe. How could I put him in that situation? I’m a horrible, selfish person.

Killa lifted my chin to look me in the eye. “Just don’t make a habit out of it, okay?” She wiped my cheek with a thumb. “I can see you’re truly sorry, and I know you won’t let it happen again. And that’s good enough. So there’s one more thing we need to get straight.” She turned back to Bark. “What’s a ‘deviant?’ You called it that. Is that supposed to mean something?”

Bark’s expression grew somber. “A deviant is one of the most dangerous things I know of. Any monster can become a deviant. They are any creature that has killed multiple people. With each kill, they become stronger. It’s as if they have their own system that makes them more powerful.”

My eyes widened. “That sounds terrifying.”

Bark closed his eyes and slumped his shoulders. “It is. That thing—”he pointed to the spider“—must have taken dozens of lives to become as strong and intelligent as it was.”

“You guys said you were here before. How long ago was that?” I continued to eat and fight the urge to regurgitate.

Orange, quick question: can I do anything to make it so I can’t taste anything if I don’t want to?

Synthetic tongue upgrade available:

Cost: 9,000 shards.

Purchase?

Yes No

That’s tempting, but I feel like I should spend my shards wisely instead of on frivolous purchases. I saw I had fifty-one thousand three hundred and thirty-six shards. Maybe I could get some professional insight on how to improve myself.

“It’s been ten days since we came this route last,” Bark answered. “I know that sounds like a lot of people dying and that this place shouldn’t have as many spiders as it does if people are constantly trying to clear it, but the Nexus literally creates monsters as it needs to. Once we leave, this place will be filled up immediately.”

“That’s why we can’t leave either,” Killa added. “We have to reach the third floor. That’s where we’ll find Gary. Don’t worry, we’ll lead you to him as directly as possible.”

My energy bar was almost full, but I stopped and walked away. “I’m done. I can’t eat another bite.” Then I walked over and grabbed some water to drink. Killa and Bark watched me closely. Well, I should ask my other question. “So, since I have fifty thousand shards, what upgrade should I get?”

Bark hummed. “Well, what can you get?”

I rolled up the sleeping bag and sat on it like a small log. Killa walked over to the spider’s face. “You can handle this?” she asked Bark. “I’ll just eat what Rina couldn’t finish.” Her body stretched and flowed out of her clothes and into the monster’s mouth.

I blinked several times. Is she really going to eat that thing from the inside? Her abilities are wild. “Uh, well, there’s a really long list of things that would take me days to tell you everything. But I can ask for something generic and I’ll get some suggestions.”

Stolen story; please report.

“Ah.” Bark got up and went to pick up his swords. “Combat, at its simplest, is your offensive capabilities against another’s defensive capabilities and vice versa. Yes, there is a lot more nuance than that, but I’ll try to keep things simple for now.” He held up one of his swords. “Depending on who you ask, you have several options for victory. Everyone has a theory, and they are all right to some degree. But there are always two aspects you need to consider improving. Your offensive potential and your defensive capacity.”

“Which is more important?” I asked. “Which should I improve right now?”

“That depends on many factors. For me, my swords amplify my offensive potential. I concentrate on improving my offense because if I can kill my opponent before they hurt me, defense isn’t as important. Also, you can shore up your shortcomings with equipment, like weapons and armor.” He pulled his sword apart, and with a clang, he was holding two of his regular swords and putting them in the sheaths on his back. “Your system of buying upgrades is like buying equipment. What equipment is important to you is up to you. But I believe you should understand your decision.”

I nodded and left Bark to retrieve his second sword from the spider’s face. So, either I find an upgrade for offensive capabilities or defensive capabilities. If I want to save energy, I need to not get hurt. Armor sounds like a good idea. Is there a way to improve my offense and defense at the same time?

Analyzing…

Epidermal plating (arms) Level 1 upgrade available:

Cost: 22,000 shards per arm.

An optional cost 3,500 shards to include hands.

Purchase?

Yes No

Neural Connection Enhancements Level 1 upgrade available:

51,000 shards

Purchase?

Yes No

Synthetic Tendons Level 1 Upgrade available:

29,000 shards for legs.

24,400 shards for arms.

19,400 shards for head and neck.

Purchase?

Yes No

Are you only providing any options I can afford right now? I’d expect more options than that.

For the given parameters, correct.

More options will unlock for the host once the host has more augments to work in conjunction with others.

The host has asked not to see augments the host cannot afford.

Would you like to remove this restriction?

No. That information isn’t going to do me any good. Besides, I have trouble making decisions about this already. There’s no reason to overcomplicate things. Neural, as in brain? Yeah, I don’t think I’m quite ready for that yet. How do tendons help? I figured it would’ve suggested muscles, not tendons. I know epidermal is a word for skin. And the plating sounds protective. So, yeah, I’ll take that upgrade and the optional hands too.

The nanites didn’t waste any time.

A strange sensation coursed through my arms. It felt as if something inside my arms was vibrating. I clenched my fists as the sensation intensified, and then the itching started. I threw off my coat and saw white patches of dead skin growing all over my arms. The itching grew even worse, and I had to scratch it. As I scratched, there was no relief. It only intensified the itching the more I scratched. Then my skin started falling off.

I froze when the skin on my arms started drooping and turned completely white. Everything around me stopped as I watched the skin slough off and hit the ground in a splat. My breath caught in my throat when I saw all the exposed muscles for just a moment. It was only a moment because I screamed when the exposed nerves finally sent their message to my brain.

My back arched as I closed my eyes and wailed. Through the pain, a cooling sensation wrapped my arms. Thankfully, the pain died down quickly. I relaxed and leaned forward as my arms started feeling colder. When the tingling stopped, I knew it was done.

My arms felt heavier and colder. When I moved my fingers, I heard what sounded like sliding metal. I can’t look. “How bad is it?”

My question went unanswered for a minute.

“Well…” Bark broke the silence. “That’s definitely something new.”

“Are you okay?” Killa asked. “What did you do to yourself?”

That’s the exact opposite of reassuring. Whatever, I did this. I’ll have to open my eyes at some point. What I saw was both mesmerizing and terrifying.

The surface of my arms was covered in a series of interlocking plates. As I looked closer, there were small bumps and irregularities that mimicked the texture of skin. The plates were shiny silver, like polished metal. I poked my arm and saw they had a soft yet ridged feel to them. But the sound of metal tapping metal concerned me more. But not only was all my skin replaced, my fingernails were too.

I continued to experimentally move my arms. The faint metallic rustling was surreal. When I flexed my fingers, the plates shifted, and I noticed the subtle seam lines around my joints. The elbows, wrists, and knuckles had overlapping sections, allowing for movement while maintaining protection.

My mind went blank as I stared at the final result.

“Rina, are you alright?” Killa’s voice broke through my reverie as the slime woman walked away from the spider’s remains.

I looked up. “I think I’m fine. It’s just...interesting and different.”

Bark grinned before letting out a soft laugh. “Different is one way to put it.”

I returned to staring at my arms. Yeah, different. Something felt off about them. They were stronger, but my fingers didn’t feel right. It was like there was a numbness to them, but I could still feel pressure.

“So, why this?” Bark asked.

I tapped my fingers against the stone, and the tapping echoed throughout the room. “You said that I have to consider both offense and defense, so I asked for something that would upgrade both. And of what I could afford, this is what I took.” I held up my hand and twisted my arm as a demonstration.

Speaking of which.

Name:

Rina Lone

Augments:

Level:

16

Cellular Regeneration

Agility:

175

Synthetic Eyes: lvl 1

Arcane:

105

HUD

Power:

56

Epidermal Plating (Arms) lvl. 1

Quickness:

255

Epidermal Plating (Hands) lvl. 1

Resilience:

105

Toughness:

130

Unassigned Points:

0

Shards:

3836

Epidermal plating (arms) level 1:

The outer layer of the host’s arms has been replaced with an organic metal. This metal is flexible, nonmagnetic, conductive, and immune to oxidation. The host will suffer from reduced tactile feedback in the affected area, but their defense is doubled.

Stat bonus: +10 toughness per arm.

Epidermal plating (hands) level 1:

The outer layer of the host’s hands has been replaced with an organic metal. This metal is flexible, nonmagnetic, conductive, and immune to oxidation. The host will suffer from reduced tactile feedback in the affected area, but their defense is doubled.

Stat bonus: +3 power per hand.

Epidermal plating (arms) level 2 upgrade available: 33,000 shards per arm.

An additional 6,300 to include hands.

Insufficient Funds.

So I am actually stronger now. Wow!

“That’s not what I was expecting, but, yeah, that’ll do both.” Bark stood up. “But only if you know how to use your hands in combat. I’m guessing you don’t, given your earlier demonstration with a dagger.”

I glared at him. Rude. “Correct.”

Killa placed a hand on my knee. “Are you sure you’re okay? That sounded awful.”

I patted her head. “It’s fine. The pain was only temporary, and this way, I can use less energy to regenerate wounds if I am wounded less.”

Killa’s body rippled as I touched her head. She’s pretty cute when she’s this small. “Okay. But how are you doing on energy?”

I looked at my HUD. “It’s down to two-thirds now, after the upgrade.”

“Alright, Killa, go and finish eating the spider.” Bark nudged the miniature slime woman back to the giant corpse. “And don’t forget the mana crystal.”

Killa waved her hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, I know.”

Bark waved his hand for me to follow him. “Come on, let’s get you learning to at least throw a decent punch while Killa eats. Then we’ll start heading down to the second level.” He pointed at my hands. “And I’m guessing you’re going to need to get used to holding the dagger with your hands again. That metal looks like it will make things difficult.”

I pushed off my knees and grabbed my jacket again. Things just keep getting stranger and stranger. Killa’s two feet tall, I’ve got metal arms, and we’re descending further down a dungeon full of spiders that Killa’s probably going to make me eat to recover energy. What kind of weirdness is this Gary going to have? Is he going to be a talking head in a jar of liquid? I hope not.