My body aches as Eminence and I descend into the den and into the large chamber I painstakingly carved out. As soon as I'm underground, I feel an odd sense of security that helps me to relax almost immediately. I noticed this a bit while I was digging originally, but now that everything is done, it's a much more prominent feeling.
It makes sense in a way. This body, for whatever reason, was made specifically with me in mind, of that, I have no doubt. I haven't seen a monster that looks anything remotely like me, so it isn't a stretch to say that whatever placed me here designed my species with my characteristics and preferences in mind; Like enjoying caves, enclosed spaces, and the dark. Maybe that's why I have dark vision? Once I get some free time, I should explore my body and its functions a bit. As it stands, I'm just working off instinct and basic knowledge. If I get hurt badly again, maybe a rudimentary diagram of my body will help me diagnose the problem faster, even if most of it is guesswork. I doubt I can actually record my findings, but I'm sure I can figure something out. Maybe I can just scratch it into the wall or something? Eh, enough about the future. For now, sleep!
I drag myself to my wall chamber and curl up on the rudimentary bed I made for myself, Eminence doing much the same next to me.
'Good night, Emi. Let's hope nothing disturbs us.' I say with a yawn.
'Would you prefer I keep watch while you sleep, Mistress? It's no trouble.' She asks.
'No, let's just get some rest. We both worked hard today and I feel better with you by my side.' I assure her, wrapping my tail protectively around my pet. I would much rather her be safe than off scouting while I sleep.
'I understand. Goodnight, Mistress, rest well.'
Sleep claims me quickly as I relax fully for the first time since being reborn. Nightmares come quickly too, however, and the Wolf Dragons haunt me as I struggle to escape them to no avail, their jaws cutting into my flesh and their scaled tails grinding my bones into powder. The nightmare repeats countless times, each ending with me dying in some horrible way. In one, my legs are severed and I'm forced to watch as they rip off my tail, taking Eminence with it and swallowing her without chewing. In the other, they tear at my ears, their horrible gnashing ringing in the sensitive instruments with gruesome clarity before they break into my skull, severing my brain from its stem with brutal precision and devouring it, my body going limp as the stimulus is cut off. I slowly sink away from the myriad of nightmares and finally fall into a deep sleep, the horrid images and sounds seared into my mind.
I jolt awake several hours later and jump to my feet, my body on full alert and my tail poised to strike at any moment. Cold sweat pours from my paws, the few sweat glands I do have working overtime. It takes me around a minute to calm myself before I realize that it was all a dream, though something that could have happened had I been a normal monster. If I hadn't mutated my ears...I don't think I would have had time to make it out alive. Sure, Emi gave me some warning, but I only focused on the pack because I was able to hear them myself. I may have pushed past it and fought the evolved Wolf Dragon had I not. I have to remember I'm not strong. Yet.
For now, it would be a good idea to check my status before I go out and get some breakfast. Opening up the mental page, I'm a little disappointed to see that my health is full. While it's good that I'm no longer injured, the soreness and breathing pain are all but gone, it also proved that I do need sleep and food to heal major wounds. This means if I can help it, I need to steer clear of head-on battles and only take on opponents I know I can kill quickly and quietly. Which, at this point, was only one of those Strangle Mice. From what I've seen, those are pretty rare. Well, I guess future Aria is just going to have to figure something out.
More importantly, I have a couple of Biomass I can spend. It might be better to save these and upgrade my Stinger, but I'm going to upgrade my Skin to +2. While it may not seem like much, it does increase how thick my skin is in general and how many large scales I have on my body. It should help mitigate cuts and stabs, even if by a little. I can save up the next points I get.
[Would you like to purchase Skin +2 for 2 Biomass?]
Yes yes, let's get this over with.
With that confirmation, a mild itch envelopes my body, similar to what happened the first time I mutated. Scales expand across my body and I feel my skin get slightly tenser and thicker. My scales even have a little more shine to them, which I'm quite pleased with. I was never one for vanity, but since I can't exactly clean my den, which is literally just dirt, stone, and roots, I would say nice, shiny, clean scales are a good compromise.
With mutations done, I gather up my little centipede, who has been wrapped around my tail since I woke up and somehow hasn't woken up yet, and head out into the "open air" of the cavern. The light blinds me for a few seconds as I emerge from my home and I wait for my eyes to adjust before fully exiting the den. I would rather not get ambushed, thank you. The forest around me is drowning with sound and I struggle to sort through the cacophony, my brain is muddled from the overload. There are so many sounds! Why is it so much louder out here? I understand that monsters like to fight, they need to eat, after all, but this is ridiculous. Give a girl a break!
Before I can even think about hunting, I'm forced to stop everything and just listen to the chaos around me. It wouldn't be so bad if it was just noise, but the immense amount of fighting is producing a lot of vibrations. I'm still getting used to my new mutation, so sorting through dozens of sets of vibrations that are coming from all around me, on top of all the regular sounds, is overwhelming me severely. A headache comes over me and I start to question if this mutation was the right choice. I doubt I can change my choice anyways, so I'll have to live with it for the time being, I guess. Though, I don't think my brain agrees with me. Ouch!
I lost track of time as I sat on top of the tree roots and listened. Thankfully, I gradually got used to all the new information and became able to organize enough of the sounds that my headache subsided, although not fully. It isn't perfect, not even close. All the sounds in the area are mixing and I can't single out a specific battle very well unless I focus. If I had to ballpark it, my ears allow me to hear around twelve miles with a fair amount of clarity, depending on how loud the sound is. I can't hear a whisper from that far, but a roar is as clear as day, even allowing me to discern what made it if I know the sound beforehand. Anything further than that becomes muddled and I have trouble pinpointing exactly where it's coming from. In other words, my hearing is only half as effective as normal with all this chaos, maybe lower with the headache.
Even so, I should be able to find a large fight pretty easily. Not to fight in, obviously. I've learned my lesson about messing with groups by myself. Still, a loud fight represents opportunity. If I can pick off a couple of stragglers and drag them to a safeish area, it reduces the risk a substantial amount. I'm also hoping a louder fight means fewer evolved monsters to compete with. I may be a Tier Two monster by System standards but I don't have the raw stats to back that up since I condensed my core instead of picking a normal evolution. I don't want to run into a monster like the Mammoth if I go to a quieter fight because I may be noticed easier with fewer monsters around. "Strength in numbers, even if I have to use you as sacrifices." That's probably what some tyrant said on Earth, right? I dunno.
Philosophical questions aside, I focus on my ears fully and stretch my Hearing skill to its limits, trying to single out a semi-nearby battle that sounds like it's lively. I do this for about an hour, my stomach rumbling all the while, but I'm patient. I can't let my hunger dictate where I go, I have to be smart about it. There are a lot of smaller, quiet skirmishes in the area, but they aren't that loud and they don't last long. Probably a powerhouse monster dominating things. To the south of my den, away from where I entered the cavern originally, is what sounds to be a veritable mosh pit of explosions and roars. I'm not able to hear specifics, but my Hearing skill helps me to pinpoint that the battle is around two miles away, give or take. Far enough to lose monsters in the forest if I get spotted, but close enough if I need to retreat. Perfect.
With my destination decided, I set out on my first true expedition on Pangera with a little bit of pep in my step. While I am excited about potential food, I'm also looking forward to exploring my new home in detail. The monsters are scary and I could die at any moment thanks to them, sure. But there's a real chance that I'm the only sentient being to ever discover this immense underground cavern. Something about that is just so...exhilarating. Is this what it means to catch the travel bug?
Despite sticking exclusively to the undergrowth and any shadows I can sneak in, I learn a lot as I travel. A big thing, and one I quite frankly should have seen coming, is that there are multiple different types of plant monsters hiding in plain sight, on top of the more animalistic ones. And unless you know what to look for, they are extremely hard to find.
While traveling, I observed multiple times where specific types of pretty flowers developed ravenous maws when a monster or monster pack passed by, the whole patch pouncing on the unsuspecting creatures without any warning and devouring them, eerily similar to the Horror Ferns. Moving vines were another efficient killer, able to ensnare a single target in under five seconds and stab them with huge thorns, letting their prey bleed out before pulling them up into a tree to feast on. I'm a little glad I couldn't see the entire process; It might have given me nightmares of non-consensual bondage. I'm sure there were more all around me, my ears picking up on creaking wood and shaking leaves, but thankfully, no other types decided to grace me with their presence.
After walking for around thirty minutes straight, I decided to take a break in a small grove of trees that stood just before an expansive plain of tall grasses. There were no fights in the nearby area that I could hear and considering breaks aren't something I've had often even in my first life, I figured it would be good to rest my tired paws before moving out again. Plopping down in the shade of the grove, my thoughts float to my objective.
The battle is close now after walking a bit over a mile. The distant chaos I heard before is like a jackhammer in my ears, to the point I have to cover them a little when the big ones sound off with their battle cries. Honestly, if I think they're bad now, how loud are they going to be when I'm right up next to them? Are my eardrums going to explode? That wouldn't be good.
Thoughts of doubt seep into my mind as I question if this is the smart move. There's a good chance my plan to stick to the edges will work out, yeah. But what if It doesn't? I could be jumping right out of the frying pan and into the fire. No. No, the risk is worth the reward. I need to get stronger, and whether I like it or not, I get stronger by killing and eating monsters. If I have to put myself in danger to do so, that's what I have to do. I have to get strong enough to where I don't need to worry about if I'm going to die in my sleep. The same goes for Emi. She needs to grow and start to pull her own weight. She's just lazing about right now and her rhythmic breathing is starting to get on my nerves a little.
Wait...when was the last time she had something substantial? I don't think she's had a full meal since she was reconstituted, just scraps. Damnit, Aria, you moron. No wonder she's so lethargic, she's running on fumes! She's been doing so much to impress me, I didn't notice how weak she had been. She's basically just a baby; she has to eat a lot more than I do. I'm also a reptile, so I metabolize a lot slower than other creatures. Guess that's why I'm still able to move, even while being this hungry. Alright, Emi. Mama is gonna get you some food.
With renewed determination, I gently wrap the little centipede tighter around my tail and set off toward the battle, my stomach growling. No matter what happens, I'll kill at least three monsters for food today. And I'll kill anything that tries to stop me from feeding my pet.