I don't know where I am, but I feel an unusually heavy weight. My legs won't move, nor will my arms. Maybe I should try my waist because I don't even know who I am, or what I am. Oh my God, why does it feel like I have no eyes! Ah, but what are eyes, anyway? Hmm, and legs, what are they? And these hands, what are they for? Aaah!
Marc's mind is a mess—a dumping ground of fragmented memories. Each time he tries to make sense of the meaning of life, he increasingly realizes that he has no certainty of his existence in this place.
"I can't see. I feel like mush. Wait! Am I floating in mush? Why am I thinking about alcohol? Hmm, and those thick, juicy leaves... Mmm, and those strands—I'm chewing them, and they’re delicious, I think."
The mush surrounds him, covering his entire body. His heavy mind tries to grasp everything at once, yet all he can think about is alcohol and fresh leaves. Who in their right mind would consume such a recipe, if not for his madness or his decayed brain, lost in memories?
"Oh, this mush... I feel it all over my body. Though I feel strangely stretched out. Could I be dreaming, or maybe I’m going insane? But why am I thinking so many things, and none of it makes any sense? These leaves... okay, forget about them. And why won’t my eyes open? Ah, eyes and... my nose! I just remembered them now, although I was thinking about strong alcohol earlier. Forget it, Marc. Wait, who's Marc? Did I just call myself Marc? Well then, I must be some kind of being named Marc. Great, this is a good start. Yes, let me try thinking again... think, think, think!"
The mush couldn't contain the chaos of Marc’s thoughts, which shook the soft walls encasing his body and everything within him.
"I am Marc, and I can't see, I can only feel—why? And where does this pool of mush that I'm floating in even end? Let me see first." He tried pushing himself forward and backward, attempting to walk, but found that only his body wobbled, unable to feel any other limbs. He couldn’t smell, see, or hear a thing.
"Why am I just floating here? Am I in a fish tank? No... and what is a fish, even? I’m not sure why I said that, but I don't care. Rafa always says—'Drink until you reach the edge of your tank!'—Rafa... That fool, I know him. He's my pal. Oh yeah, we used to booze together at The Localz Pub. Of course, now it's all clear."
At that moment, a voice echoed, "Congratulations for uncovering a starter plug, and welcome to play."
"To do what? I'm not ready for this childish game. Isn't this the kind of stuff my daughter Angel plays?" But The voice continued, "You have completed the egg level one. It's time to survive the wild. Stay calm and steady for the GAME"
"What's this nonsense? Someone, please get me out of here. Let me wake up from this sleep—this must be another dream, or maybe it's the strong vodka." The voice ignored his plea and continued:
"Stay calm as you accept your current state before you begin your new game."
A light shone ahead of the darkness in front of him. He wasn’t sure if it was actual darkness or if he simply didn’t have the eyes to see. The light came in the form of glowing lines, arranging themselves into a complex table of information, a system that he couldn’t fully comprehend.
"This has to be a joke," he sighed.
[[LIFE EXPECTANCY: 30 DAYS ☆☆☆☆☆]]
LEVEL 1 COMPLETED
REWARD GRANTED: SENSES UNLOCKED
■ [SIGHT, HEARING, SMELL, STIMULI, TASTE, TOUCH] ■
LEVEL 2
[{SKILLS: BEGINNER STAGE}]
■ STRENGTH: 05/100
■ INTELLIGENCE: 05/100
■ AGILITY: 05/100
[{EXPERIENCE POINTS: LEVEL 02/10}]
■ COMBAT XP: 00/100
■ ACQUISITION: 00/100
■ PUZZLE: 10/100
[{BONUS POINTS: LEVEL 02/10}]
■ CRAFTING: 00
■ BONDS: 00
■ MINI BOSS: 00
"■ UNIQUE SKILLS: 00
[{LEVEL BOOST: 00/☆☆☆☆☆}]
■ BIG BOSS: 0/☆☆☆☆☆
■ SACRIFICES: 0/☆☆☆☆☆"
"Thank you for your attention. Now sit tight and enjoy your remaining days in the Garden System."
"Wait a minute! This is a lot to memorize, and I don’t understand why I’m even playing this game!" Marc finally spoke aloud for the first time, unlike before when he had only been thinking. The table vanished from his sight, leaving him trying to squint into the darkness, but he could see nothing and had no idea where he was.
"Wait, did I just see that my life expectancy is 30 days? Ha! Well, I’ve lived long enough already. If I die, it's fine; I’m in my fifth decade now, and that’s more than enough."
"Before the offer to review your status report ends, you are granted the opportunity to ask three questions for free, with no cost."
"Hold on! I’m not that foolish to talk to an AI scrap. Why would I start reasoning with a computer? I can hear your voice clearly—you’re a machine! Hmm, I remember now. Yesterday, I was driving home at four in the morning... Where am I?"
"Good. You are inside the egg at level one, and you are about to move on at any moment now. Since you've managed to recall your name, your child, and your friend, it appears you are ready to face the harshness of the world outside. Thank you. You now have two questions remaining."
"Hey, I’ve never been spoken to so childishly. Do you even know who I am? I come from the Robson family. I can pay you any amount of money—just let me go! If you’re some kidnapper thinking you’ll make a fortune off of me, you’re wrong. I don’t have access to my money unless my mother authorizes it, and she’ll never believe I’ve been kidnapped. So, here’s what we can do..." Marc rambled, as a flood of memories suddenly rushed back to him, and he belched.
"Wow, now I remember! Yeah, my mother controls my inheritance. But why? Ah, maybe this computer is actually helping me. Speaking of which, computer, where did I end up after driving yesterday? I fall asleep anywhere when I’m drunk, and if Rafa drugged me again, well, I liked it! Now I’ve got a computer answering my questions, so I’m not in a hurry to wake up from this fun."
"Good, Marc. On the 8th of September 2023, around four in the morning, you were involved in a severe car accident, which led to your death, or at least the end of your life as you knew it. However, our systems detected that your potential in life was still great, and so we have granted you an opportunity..."
"…the ability to live again, even if only for a short time, to correct your mistakes and recognize the importance of life. That is why we chose the butterfly system, allowing you to experience various forms to understand the true value of your existence."
"Butterfly? Did I hear that right? What's going on here? Hahaha!" For the first time since becoming a caterpillar, Marc laughed and instinctively looked around. Though it was still dark, he realized he was completely enveloped in that darkness. "Listen, machine, get me out of here. I’m done. I feel like I’ve got the worst hangover ever. And what’s all this nonsense about death? I’ve never had a trip like this before. When I get out, I’m going to kill Rafa!"
"Thank you for processing the information. From now on, you can call for my assistance five times a day. I will come immediately. Please don’t hesitate to ask for help when needed. Just say 'status report,' and I’ll be there right away. Goodbye."
The system shut down, and silence filled the space once again. Though Marc now had all his senses, they were useless without stimuli. Ears are nothing without sound, eyes are nothing without light, and a nose is nothing without scent. The only thing Marc could feel was the slimy, gooey liquid he was floating in.
Suddenly, a crack appeared before his eyes, starting at the top and running down to his feet. For a moment, he was overwhelmed by the brightness seeping through the crack, illuminating the space around him. His eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden light. Nearly all the goo around him began to flow out of the egg.
"I’m Marcus Robson. I won’t be defeated by something this small! Let me enjoy this while the drug is still in my system. I’ll call this ‘Marc’s Eclipse.’ I should mark this day on my calendar—imagining death? Me? Ridiculous. And when did that machine say I had the accident? September 8th? How many days have passed? I hope I don’t get another scolding from my mother… Ah, whatever. Let me get out of here, shake off this hangover, and find a bar!"
Just as he thought this, the egg emptied, and Marc slid out onto a surface near the largest leaf he had ever seen. Or at least it seemed huge—relative to his new, smaller form. He tried to move, managing to roll over onto his back, and glanced up at the sun, which was shining intensely. He couldn’t fully open his eyes.
"What's with the sun today? God, I love this! Thanks, Rafa. Okay, time to get up and find out where the bar is." But as he tried to stand, he realized his arms were too short and tiny. He couldn’t move.
"Why do my arms look like tiny twigs? How am I supposed to get up?"
He looked down at his entire body, finally realizing that he wasn’t human anymore—he was a caterpillar. He felt something moving inside him, from top to bottom, like liquid flowing through him. And the only thought that kept crossing his mind was to eat.
“Wait a minute... Why do I feel this millennia-old hunger? What's going on? I’m not someone who eats a lot. I know myself; I wake up, drink a bit of gin, pour more liquor into me, and ignite my fire again. But this... this hunger is unbearable. Help me, Angel. I’m starving. I beg for food, father... I can’t make sense of this. I feel like I'm losing my mind—no, I am losing it. I’m craving... I’m craving...”
Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly found himself chewing on the shell of the egg he had emerged from. He licked it clean, relishing every bit. It was delicious—so incredibly delicious—that he couldn’t help but keep devouring it, all the while fighting his overwhelming hunger. Yet, this was... superb.
“Stop eating this nonsense!” he told himself, but then a curious thought crossed his mind. “But why is it so tasty? Why have we humans wasted centuries cooking food from the inside while throwing away this shell? It seems like all the flavor is right here. And to think, we foolishly discard it into the trash. This stuff is amazing! Natalie Kane chocolate? It’s not even close to this... mmh, I can’t even describe it.”
In just a few short minutes, he was nearly done devouring the egg shell. As the hunger began to fade, clarity seeped back into his mind.
"Wait, aren’t these shells supposed to be eaten by insects? They're the ones who lick them clean and benefit more than us humans. Maybe, from now on, whenever someone asks me that African question, ‘Is it better to be born a dog in America than to be born a human in Africa?’ I’ll say, ‘It’s better to be born a caterpillar in Africa than to be born a human anywhere in the world.’"
He paused for a moment, reflecting on the absurdity of his words. “But wait... am I belittling myself? I’m wealthy, damn it!” He hesitated, momentarily stopping his chewing to glance around, though not with any real urgency. After eating a chunk of the egg, Marc realized he felt surprisingly calm. Every time he looked around, all he could see were large, towering leaves. They shielded his view of anything beyond, as if the leaves themselves formed the entire world around him.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
“A little more won’t kill me,” he muttered. “Let me finish this snack off, and then I’ll deal with the rest.” He continued to eat until he finally finished the shell. Afterward, he let out a loud burp, immediately catching the scent of the egg and alcohol mixture on his breath. The smell was so foul he grimaced in disgust.
“I need a toothbrush,” he muttered. “Breakfast is served, I guess. From now on, this is how I’ll start my mornings. I’m not letting those bugs enjoy this without me. Honestly, I don’t know why, but I feel like I’d be better off as a bug than a person. And no, it’s not the booze or drugs talking—this feels real. Could it be that the computer was right all along? I’ve never accepted myself in life, not since my wife passed away. I lost all confidence after that. But now, here I am... accepting the idea of being a caterpillar? This can’t be me.”
He turned to glance at himself, or at least, he thought he turned. But no... his head hadn’t even moved. It was just that his large, compound eyes allowed him to see in front and behind at the same time. So, he was really a bug after all. This wasn’t the liquor in his system—he really was an insect.
“I am *not* a bug,” he whispered to himself sternly. “Marc, hold yourself together! You are not a bug. Look, alcohol is going to kill you if you keep this up. Snap out of it!” He frowned, forcing himself to look around, trying to recognize the surroundings. But all he saw was a forest of enormous leaves and flowers, each one larger than his entire body. Every time he tried to deny it, reality presented itself in a cruel, undeniable way. His body was sticky, his joints flexible and segmented, and whenever he tried to move, he felt the fluids pushing and pulling through the rings of his body, making him crawl forward, much like a worm or a caterpillar would.
‘Incoming,’ a sudden voice echoed, breaking the eerie silence, only to vanish as quickly as it came. Then, a familiar panel appeared in front of him again, though this time it showed slight updates to his progress.
‘You have been rewarded INTELLIGENCE and STRENGTH points after egg shell consumption.
LEVEL 2
[{SKILLS: BEGINNER STAGE}]
■ STRENGTH: 15/100
■ INTELLIGENCE: 15/100
■ AGILITY: 05/100
[{EXPERIENCE POINTS: LEVEL 02/10}]
■ COMBAT XP: 00/100
■ ACQUISITION: 00/100
■ PUZZLE: 10/100
[{BONUS POINTS: LEVEL 02/10}]
■ CRAFTING: 00
■ BONDS: 00
■ MINI BOSS: 00
■ UNIQUE SKILLS: 00
[{LEVEL BOOST 00/☆☆☆☆☆}]
■ BIG BOSS: 0/☆☆☆☆☆
■ SACRIFICES: 0/☆☆☆☆☆
‘Offer for a single quest boost is waiting for approval. Remain silent for three seconds if you do not wish to accept.’
“Oh, great, a quest. What do they think I am, a ten-year-old?”
‘Offer granted. Thank you for your participation. Oh, and watch out—you have low XP, which means you might lose your life star.’
“Aaah!” he screamed, looking up. “What is this curse? Why do I need explanations about my life? XP? Stars? What is this,Psychopaths! Should I just go to sleep, and by the time I wake up, all of this madness will be over? It’s not the first time this has happened. I wake up, only to find myself in a hospital or in bed." He lowered his head as though he were about to sleep, closing his eyes. As his eyelids shut, he thought he saw something shaking the leaves around him, but he didn’t care. He simply lay there on the giant leaf.
His shock came when he was abruptly awakened by the roar of a massive monster—a caterpillar, just like him, but much larger and more worn out, as if it had torn itself apart and stitched itself back together again. It looked like a failed experiment from a laboratory, now leaving a trail of slime behind as it moved, like a green river flowing from its body. The creature crawled above Marc on a nearby leaf, looming dangerously close.
"Now I see how bad my imagination really is. How am I going to die in the mouth of a goo-spewing caterpillar? No, please, I don't want to die today!" Marc tried to move his body, but he had no idea how to use his segmented form. He began writhing awkwardly, trying to drag himself forward. But with the enraged monster caterpillar bearing down on him, Marc felt paralyzed, each second bringing death closer. The giant creature inched forward, burning through the leaves with each step. Finally, it opened its massive mandibles, ready to devour him.
"Please, don't kill me! I'm not a caterpillar, you've got the wrong one! Please!" he pleaded, falling to the ground in desperation. Luckily, the beast veered off, burning a nearby leaf instead of him. Marc, now lying in a squashed mess of his own sticky, juicy body, wasn't hurt, but he started to crawl away, slowly, like any other frightened caterpillar would.
"This isn’t the booze... I'm really going to die. I can't survive this! That thing's eating leaves and spitting them out like acid. Or is it just my eyes playing tricks on me? I had no idea bugs could have zombies," Marc muttered to himself, crawling faster and hiding behind a nearby tree trunk to catch his breath.
"If it finds me here, I’ll make history—the son of Africa's wealthiest millionaire, killed by a monster caterpillar! A zombie caterpillar, no less! No, no, no... Life wasn’t like this before all this crazy science. I haven’t called on that computer lady in a while. Not that I trust women anyway, but I’ll call her this one time. Never again if I survive this—status report, assistant, please!"
At that moment, the screen flickered on before him, showing his stats from beginning to end, unchanged.
"May I assist you with anything, Marc?"
"Yeah, I need to survive this monster because it’s your gift to me, and I don’t want it! So, take it back! Easy!"
"You seem to misunderstand," the voice replied calmly. "I clearly said to respond after three seconds or remain silent. You responded, meaning you accepted the quest to boost your levels. You won’t have to struggle through all the levels—you’ll boost directly to Level 3."
"Well, you bet I don’t want a quest! I want to go home, lady!"
"You don’t have a home anymore," she answered coldly. "In this timeline, you’re dead. The only life you have is this one. Either take it or lose it, it’s up to you. Right now, you need to check the enemy’s stats to defeat it. Shall I show you?"
"Fine, as long as I don’t have to pay for it. I know when people are after my money. Always offering me stuff that’s meaningless."
"In fact, a point will be deducted from your AGILITY," the assistant responded flatly.
"I knew it! You always need something from me. And this speed you keep talking about—what AGILITY do I even have? It's practically zero! I’ve never been this lazy in my life, but here I am, sluggish and slow. Just take whatever you want! Get me some police or bodyguards—anything!"
"You can now view the monster’s stats," she announced.
**THE ENRAGED GIANT CATERPILLAR**
LEVEL: 30
DESCRIPTION: A giant caterpillar that has consumed too much magic and mutated into a monstrous form.
ABILITIES: Can regenerate health by absorbing nearby plants and unleash powerful magic attacks.
"That’s what I get for a single point? Mmh, funny how everything is infected by inflation nowadays," Marc mumbled, astonished, as the screen blinked out of view once more.
"I’m just a human—how can I possibly compete with a creature of this magnitude? This world is insane, even for someone with money. It's all a joke." He laid back down, defeated.
"Level 30? Hahaha! So I’m supposed to fight something that strong? What’s the point of dying here? I’ll just lie down until they find me and kill me. Talking to myself... hey, you—computer! What was it again...? Oh, system report! No, wait—status report!"
"Welcome again, Marc. I must remind you that you have used almost half of your daily request bundle. You have only three more requests left for my assistance. Can I help with anything?" the voice chimed in.
"Alright, you bet. First of all, can I get rid of this hunger? There’s no way I’m going to turn into some little demon, eating like a caterpillar. Even if I *am* literally a caterpillar right now. What I mean is, can I ever go back to my daughter, have a drink in the city? I miss my life."
"I cannot know the answer to that," the assistant replied, without emotion. "If there is something that exceeds both my power and yours, I cannot answer it. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Marc looked down, realizing there might be no other place for him to look as a caterpillar. It was time to accept the truth—he was, indeed, like the slow, grounded tortoise that many Africans likened themselves to.
"Believe it or not, when you see a tortoise bending down, it's because it's crafting a law. But what if that’s the only place it can look from?"
"Oh, did you hear that? That creature is just munching on leaves and drinking acid. This is really bad! What am I supposed to do? I honestly don't understand!"
"Thank you, it seems you have no issues at all," the assistant replied before the computer shut down, leaving Mr. Marc in grave danger once again.
"Mmh, if I just crawl lazily like this, I might get there," he muttered to himself, continuing to drag himself forward. Each tiny movement cost him pain, as dragging his body across the ground felt like torture. His limbs were so small that they barely touched the ground, making it difficult to walk. After all, how could he tell which were his arms and which were his legs? He was just a caterpillar, and everything was intertwined.
"My God, I'm reaching that blue dog! But if I see an opening ahead, it’s too far; at this pace, I’ll soon become its meal. Aaah, just drag this body! I can’t tell if this is a leg or an arm!"
In front of him, he began to see what looked like a chasm. Beyond that, everything appeared blurry, yet even with that blur, he couldn't quite grasp where he truly was. He kept crawling until he reached the edge of the cliff, but just as he was about to jump, he felt something land on his back. It was a marine creature, burning him as it landed, leaving a scar, and he noticed others were coming down upon him, poised to sting and devour him just as he feared.
"Aaah, it hurts so much! These stings, I must jump now before it leaps onto me! Oh brother, I’m dying here! It's so far back; I can't return! No, I must leap! Aaah, it's cooking my flesh! This acid feels like electric shocks in my stomach—should I say stomach, or waist? I don’t even know! I’m jumping!"
He plummeted swiftly, spiraling in a dangerous tumble, although in reality, he was descending slowly, appearing just like an ordinary human. Amidst the chaos, the enraged caterpillar was coming at him with a completely different speed, showcasing its power as it used the acid it produced as a lubricant, doubling its momentum.
"Oh boy, why does it seem like I’m seeing it coming? First, I need to hit the brakes! I need to set a limit here!" Just as he attempted to stop, he found himself unable to steady himself, slipping further down as the vibrant green acid followed him, driven by the urgency of his vision.
"This sliding piece of junk wants something from me! With all those leaves, let it reach the bottom first so I can see if it’ll create spit or just wind. For sure, it’s completely barren here—no leaves or mother leaves. It's going to die, that blue dog!"
All of this was racing through his mind as he continued to slide down.
As Marc hit the ground, a rock slammed into him, providing a solid foothold as he stood upright for the first time since waking up as a caterpillar. He had banged his back against it, but fortunately, he managed to stand. He shook his head, calming his thoughts, then gazed at the level of the creature that was pursuing him. It was not far behind; in fact, it was right there, just as he had turned to look, and it slammed into him.
The weight of his body felt like a terrible accident, leaving Marc completely unable to get up.
"Oh my God, have I survived or what? Aaah, my entire body hurts! What’s happening? I can’t feel my legs; I can’t feel my body at all! Aaah, finally, now what? Is that really my body?" He glanced around, noticing pieces of his body scattered about. Each time he tried to open his eyes, it became increasingly difficult, and whenever he attempted to speak, he found himself unable to do so. In the distance, he saw that the creature was still approaching, dragging itself closer. "You are a terrible gift, something that should never have happened to me," he finished, forcing himself to look up, staring at the sky as if his eyes had been directed there before he became separated from his body.
Suddenly, a sound echoed in the distance, resembling a rocket being launched or perhaps the mind of a caterpillar struggling to differentiate between the noise of a machine, like a rocket, and the call of an eagle soaring high above. How could it sound like Mars was repeating itself? Surely, this world wasn’t in the throes of World War III; it must be something different from a rocket bomb or RPG missile.
The eagle swooped down, grabbing the creature that had posed a threat to Marc and lifted it into the air, tearing it apart. Marc then heard a voice in that darkness after closing his eyes.
**-Status report, commencing-**
**[{YOU HAVE LOST A LIFE IN THE ACT OF VANQUISHING A QUEST TARGET. THEREFORE, A STAR {☆} WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM YOUR LIFE SUPPORT, LEAVING YOU WITH FOUR STARS. WARNING: TRADE WELL YOUR LIFE OR YOU WILL DIE IN VAIN.}]**
**[{IN THE ACT, AN EAGLE PASSED BY AND ASSISTED IN THE QUEST. YOU ARE STILL OFFERED ASSISTANCE POINTS SHARED WITH THE EAGLE.}]**
**[{LEVEL 2}]**
**[{SKILLS: BEGINNER STAGE}]**
**{■STRENGTH: 25/100}**
**{■INTELLIGENCE: 25/100}**
**{■AGILITY: 14/100}**
**[{EXPERIENCE POINTS: LEVEL 3/10}]**
**{■COMBAT XP: 10/100}**
**{■ACQUISITION: 10/100}**
**{■PUZZLE: 10/100}**
**[{BONUS POINTS: LEVEL 12/10}]**
**{■CRAFTING: 10}**
**{■BONDS: 10}**
**{■MINI BOSS: 10}**
**{■UNIQUE SKILLS: 10}**
**[{LEVEL BOOST ☆/☆☆☆☆☆}]**
**{■BIG BOSS: ☆/☆☆☆☆☆}**
**{■SACRIFICES: ☆/☆☆☆☆☆}**
**{LEVEL BOOST POINTS FAILURE; RETURNING TO PREVIOUS STATUS}**
Marc opened his eyes, realizing he was initially offered assistance by the AI quest sound to boost his level. He looked around in shock, noticing he couldn't see the acid or the creature anywhere.
"Have I returned to where I was? Please, I didn't even know how long those stars could stay with me! I have five left; what happens when they’re gone? I’ll die for sure. Are those statuses really working? I see I’ve been revived; I need to do something, or my cowardice will kill me."
While he pondered this, he still heard that same distant sound, like a missile, but this time he couldn’t be fooled. Marc knew it was the eagle again, trying to keep his eyes from looking up. As he rolled over, he fell beneath the leaves but the sound haunted him so close to the ground.