Chapter 7

Exploring the cave.

That's what I'm doing, slowly but surely.

I won't shake my tail at the notion of exploration. It's scary shit.

From the divot in the cave floor, just poking my head above ground is enough to shake me a bit. I've got a real bad feeling about the circumstances of my continued survival, and getting insta-killed seemed more than plausible.

Thankfully, sticking my head above ground does not get me insta-killed this time. The god of tiny-snakes must be watching over me.

There are probably better gods, but it's not good to complain when divine favor is bestowed upon one's scaly head. Truly bad-form.

Having leveled up now, I can see a slight difference from before. It seems I came into this world as a level zero, but holding to level one, I must have received some sort of benefit. I can move a bit easier, and I can see a bit farther. It's not much of a change, but it's noticeable. I guess basic stats can rise, which I suppose is a very good sign.

But what I see in the cave before me is anything but good.

I was right. This is completely rigged.

There are your typical cave formations. Stalagmites rise up here and there. Light seemed to glow off weird looking mushrooms along these, a nice color. Blue I think. The sight is a bit weird though, so I can't be too confident. Up on the ceiling is much of the same, some stalactites and more glowing plant-like things.

But there are also monsters.

Yes. Monsters. It's safe and reasonable to call what I'm seeing exactly that. I was willing to hold off on my judgement, writing off the Giant Centipede as a freak occurance before the terrified eyes of a tiny little snake, but the animals in this place are absolutely not normal.

Perched in regal form not ten full slithers ahead of me is a giant frog.

It has two heads.

One of them is covered in spikes, the other in warts.

Watching this frog fills me with a sensation that I can only describe as the urge to vomit. Instinct is screaming just for poking out my head.

"HIDE! NOW!" Instinct is yelling.

Stolen novel; please report.

I watch this frog with horrified curiosity. Dozens upon dozens of my body couldn't hope to rival its size. No matter how I look at it, this frog is simply way too big.

Instinct is screaming again, something new. Snake-side of things is in high alert.

Oh. The Frog is gone.

It's being carried away with a look of deep sadness and acceptance by a large creature with wings. Ah... A bat.

Yessss... Yes, Now I see.

There are giant bats on the ceiling. Giant. Easily as big as the centipede, hanging and crawling around. That drip-dropping sound I'd be ignoring?

Guano.

Haven't even worked up the courage to move, and yet this divot is suddenly much less appealing.

So we have giant bats, huddled mostly towards the far side, If where I'm looking now is the arbitrary North, then I would say the bats are to the far, far West. Farther than that, it seems that the cavern goes deeper.

That's not to say there aren't other bats flying around in all directions, just to confirm that the majority seem to be happily sleeping on the ceiling to the West.

Hundreds of them.

Because of that, I don't have it in me to move just yet. The desperation just isn't there.

I'm not inclined to end up like the frog did. He sat in plain sight admiring the beauty of the cave, and I'm fairly sure that resulted in a gruesome demise. Nature cares little for mortal fragility.

Nature is a cold-hearted bitch. That's why my prayers go towards the little snake god.

Rest in peace two-headed Frog. You're not a little snake, but I feel it's only just to mourn for you anyways.

You didn't try to eat me, after all.

So bats to the West, and a gradual rising slope towards the East. North and south end with massive walls.

And there, that summarized my exploration.

You can lump this in as the snake equivalent of a submarine poking out its periscope for a bit. I don't want to die.

But eventually, I know I'm going to have to leave the little hole in the ground. I'm starting to get hungry- not just "I could really go for a snack" but "I might end up starving to death."

This makes a bit of sense. I was born. I fled in terror. I never ate anything.

The question emerges.

What can I eat, anyways?

Everything in this cave looks more likely to eat me. Frogs, centipedes, bats: Zero chance of victory. Less probably less, maybe even negative chance-

Oh. Something is happening.

Bats.

Lots of bats are airborne. The West has come alive, hundreds of them are swarming in the air. Even shrinking down into the dirt doesn't seem to help me much, instinct might as well have a megaphone to my head.

I'm not moving.

But the bats... they're moving. Oh. They're flying overhead, going East.

AH!

They're leaving the cave.

A moment of clarity. My human-side is still good for something it seems.

One minute... two minute... three minute. They're mostly gone now. Ceiling might as well be empty.

Hissss...

Time to get something to eat.