"Starving and thirsty..."

"Too much electricity discharged, too few edible creatures in the desert, the water pouch is nearly dry...ah, the beastly life."

Ga Ga had stayed clear of the remains of the Greenification Seed. Despite the system declaring the mission complete, the seed’s strange allure to be consumed had unnerved Ga Ga. Who knew what lingering issues could remain with the corpse?

So Ga Ga, accompanied by a few somewhat reluctant tentacle Ga Ga Beasts, caught up with the herd. Along the way, the sparse food available was scarcely enough to share among the entire group... What a predicament!

"I still wonder what was so dangerous about that Greenification Seed?" Ga Ga pondered during the dull trudge through the desert. Was it poison or something else?

Then one day, while Ga Ga was enduring hunger and thirst, reflecting on the herd's development, and bemoaning the distant mountains that grew only slightly larger yet still seemed unreachable, a desert traveler's dream appeared before them—an oasis.

"Yay—" Ga Ga cheered!

Leading a charge toward the distant oasis, Ga Ga's legs and tail kicked up a trail of sand.

The clear lake, encircled by lush vegetation, welcomed the arrival of over three hundred tentacle Ga Ga Beasts. The humid air teased their parched skins, easing the dryness inflicted by the desert sun.

First one Ga Ga ran ahead, followed by several others, and then the entire herd surged toward the small lake.

The oasis was spacious; even with over three hundred medium-sized tentacle Ga Ga Beasts nestled within, it still felt expansive.

"Perhaps in tens of thousands of years, this could be a dense forest," Ga Ga mused, inhaling the plant-scented air devoid of any threat like the Greenification Seed. The damp atmosphere soothed their desert-weary spirits. "I wonder if there’s enough food here. The herd’s appetite is substantial, though one big meal can sustain them for months if energy isn't overly consumed."

Many trees grew in the small grove beside the oasis, even plenty of tiny insects flitting among them. But these were not sufficient for the tentacle Ga Ga Beasts' dietary needs, and creatures that did meet their standards were few and far between.

The abundance of tentacle Ga Ga Beasts meant their prey range might overwhelm even this oasis.

"Let's refill the water pouches first, rest here awhile, and take turns in squads to hunt and replenish outside." Planning the next steps, Ga Ga, like before, dipped its tail into the lake to discharge any lurking dangers, staying wary of scenarios like with the Kol Beasts.

Ga!

A sudden pain interrupted Ga Ga, forcing its tail out of the water.

An odd fish clung tenaciously to the tip of Ga Ga's tail. Likewise, a few quicker tentacle Ga Ga Beasts lamented their bitten tails, eyeing the peculiar fish (now everything seemed peculiar...) hanging there. One even had two latched on.

Taking a few steps back, Ga Ga slammed its tail against a nearby rock.

Bang!

The fish that had held fast to Ga Ga's tail was sent skyward, defeated.

The other tentacle Ga Ga Beasts, less frugal than Ga Ga, discharged electricity from their tails, sending light blue sparks coursing through the fish bodies.

Stolen novel; please report.

Splashing sounds followed as they dropped into the water.

"You fools, bring your tails to land before getting rid of them. These are food, wasting it is a shame!" Ga Ga admonished, stepping on a fish and tearing off a piece to savor. Meanwhile, it expressed dissatisfaction with the others' wastefulness, as fish carcasses quickly became bare bones in the lake, leaving not a drop of blood.

[Darkfin Fish Capture Mission

Objective: Capture 50 Darkfin Fish. (9/50)

Reward: 100 (Evolution Points)]

"A mission! No components?"

By now, over three hundred tentacle Ga Ga Beasts had gathered by the lake.

"Darkfin Fish? Why such a name?" Ga Ga wondered aloud, looking at the split fish corpse before it, noting nothing special apart from larger, sturdier fins. "Maybe just random."

Thanks to Ga Ga and a few comrades' earlier lessons, some were calmly drinking by the shoreline, while others observed the chaotic Darkfin Fish and the bones by the lake, not rushing their dry lips to the water.

"Heh, I've got an idea," Ga Ga chuckled, observing its hardened tail, now resistant to the Darkfin Fish's teeth, which left only a few white marks and tore off two small scales.

The tentacles behind Ga Ga curled smugly as it glanced at its bitten companions, who backed away slightly, sensing something amiss.

"..."

"What, are you all suddenly cautious? Aren’t you still without intelligence?" (Animals often have keener instincts than humans.)

"Well, isn't this like fishing? Come here, just put your tail in the water like this, then quickly pull it back onto land," Ga Ga instructed, as if luring gullible children with candy.

Other tentacle Ga Ga Beasts alternated their gaze between Ga Ga and the drinking comrades by the shallows. Some impatient ones joined in drinking.

Even after issuing a primary consciousness command, facing hesitation, Ga Ga had to demonstrate itself, carefully dipping its tail into the lake and swiftly pulling it out before any pain signaled danger.

Nothing clung to the tail this time.

"Hm, no bite." (…)

The surrounding companions, instead, focused on Ga Ga's feet.

"Eh?"

Ga!

A jolt of pain shot from its leg. Lifting its right foot, Ga Ga toppled, losing balance, with a persistent Darkfin Fish hanging from its calf. The fish, drawn to Ga Ga's tail before leaping, landed on the shore. Its fins coated with sand, it flopped next to Ga Ga before biting down...

"Damn it!"

After a chaotic struggle, the daring fish found a new home in Ga Ga's stomach.

"See? That's how you do it for lots of food."

The companion beasts eyed Ga Ga, a few even turning toward the squads drinking at the shallow water, seemingly ready to ignore it.

"Ah! I forgot these guys are only brain level one, learning's still beyond them." Gazing at the calm lake, Ga Ga steeled itself. "Damn it, now's the time to show the main consciousness responsibility."

Gritting its teeth, with determination reminiscent of embarking on a brave journey, Ga Ga returned to the lake, instructing some companions to follow. They quickly accepted the simple orders. Surrounded by them, Ga Ga again dipped its tail into the water and swiftly pulled it back.

"Success!" Ga Ga cheered as companions feasted on the fallen Darkfin Fish, satisfaction swelling.

And so it continued...

Repeatedly, Darkfin Fish lured from the lake sated the hungry tentacle Ga Ga Beasts.

For a while, Ga Ga moved around the lakeside, gradually perfecting its technique, pulling preys from the lake. This constant exercise filled the herd's bellies and impressed Ga Ga with the lake's plentiful Darkfin Fish supply.

Eventually, as Ga Ga dipped its tail, the fish began avoiding rather than biting...

"Damn, they're learning." Observing the fed tentacle Ga Ga Beasts, Ga Ga sighed at the wary fish, "Well, no matter."

"It's water time, everyone."

Though Ga Ga demonstrated for days, none of the tentacle Ga Ga Beasts managed to learn from it. "According to 8051, what brain level does it take to learn?" Ga Ga pondered thoughtfully, dipping its tail into the lake again, now a handy fish repellent, as the beasts drank around it.

The 100 evolution point mission had been completed days prior.

...

Within the oasis, few creatures matched the medium size of tentacle Ga Ga Beasts, let alone exceeded it. Without this impromptu fishing and the cooperating Darkfin Fish, who knew when the herd could move on again.

Watching the oasis fade beyond the dunes, Ga Ga twitched its tentacles, having instructed some beasts to place their tails at the shore to deter the fish, ultimately soaking their bodies in water before departing. Turning back, Ga Ga focused on the approaching mountains.

A glimpse caught a peculiar dune, but turning back revealed only flat sand.

"Hm? Did I imagine it?"

Blinking away the desert's heat distortion, Ga Ga scrutinized the sand once more.

Still nothing, not even the sparse dry grasses appearing more frequently.

"Better not be too curious, focusing on the main task is more important."

Following the herd, the dense gathering of tentacle Ga Ga Beasts occupied a vast stretch of sand, resembling a giant moving territory, slowly departing the oasis and approaching the mountains.