So refreshing.

I floated around in my personal lake, enjoying the weightless sensation.

The water no longer seemed to give me a bloated sensation after I soaked in it. Apparently I was able to absorb more Mana—or at least that’s the conclusion I came to.

While I no longer had a way to track time, I assumed at least a day had gone by. Darkness and isolation had a funny way of messing with your internal clock.

I was spending today reflecting on my two previous bug extermination quests.

I’d also received quite a boost in my ‘numbers’, which for all intents and purposes was a welcome thing. I still had little idea how to quantify them. More HP was obviously better, that was simple. Same with MP. Everything after that was fuzzy.

What did one point of Strength do? One point of Dexterity? How much does a person normally have? How about an average slime? I had no answers.

When I inspected my Meditation Skill I’d noted the recovery bonus went from +120% to +140%, so that was at least measurable.

The most interesting thing that had happened was I had two Skills effectively ‘combine’. I wasn’t sure how to use this Venom skill, so I’d decided to experiment with it.

The result of the experiment was as follows:

I made two little slime-fangs the best I could to mimic the spider. Then I attempted to create some sort of liquid in the fangs, while focusing on that ill feeling I’d had when the toxin was injected into me.

After several long seconds went by, I felt something change in my newly formed fangs. Then finally a drop of liquid formed at the fang tips, dropping down and making a light sizzling noise when it came in contact with the floor.

That is both fascinating and peculiar. I’ve no idea how that works biologically. Should I chalk it up to magic? There must be a chemical reaction in my body somehow, but … Well, it’s fine. Whatever.

I inspected my Status and noted that my Stamina now read 16/18. Apparently, some actions used MP and others Stamina. Since I was equating MP to ‘Magic Points’ or ‘Mana Points’, I would assume this meant the venom was more biological in nature.

Given that I felt faint after using up all my MP, I would assume something similar would happen to my bodily condition should I try using all my Stamina up. Hopefully I could recover Stamina through meditation, eating or rest.

This experiment was informative.

Not only could I produce venom, I could also shape my body to mimic other forms and shapes. Could I theoretically take on a spider-like form?

I attempted to form a set of spider legs.

… Hnn.

I strained and strained, but the shape wasn’t coming out well. They were too thick.

The most glaring problem was their maneuverability—it was horrible. They were about as dextrous as a 2-year-old child trying to play jump rope. This wasn’t useable. All it did was make me a bigger, clumsier target.

Well, ‘failure is the mother of success’ I suppose.

I reverted back to my normal form. Aside from a few Stamina points, I was in top shape.

Time to hunt.

I continued my way around the adjacent cavern, which I decided to call ‘Cavern A’ henceforth. Unfortunately I didn’t find any more centipedes when I retraced my steps. As I continued on towards the center of the room, I discovered a very large rock formation.

While my current stature was indeed greatly reduced, I could say one thing with certainty.

That’s a big-ass rock.

It was easily several feet high and surrounded by a few lesser rocks and stalagmites.

I crept around it quietly, looking for potential things to munch on. When I realized I had such a thought, I began to silently worry about my mental health. Such concerns were quickly shelved when I found what I was looking for.

Another centipede.

This one seemed to be roughly the size of the previous, perhaps a tad bigger. Not wanting to miss with my Slime Bullet and waste MP, I did the most obvious thing.

Here, Centi-Centi. Come give mama a kiss, won’t you?

Ah, it noticed me. Those antenna sure are sensitive, huh?

While it wasn’t as overwhelming compared to the first time, it was still scary seeing something with roughly two-dozen legs swarm at you. I felt that same prick as it latched itself onto me and attempted to pour its venom into my squishy frame.

I wonder what the weather’s like outside this cave system?

I pondered idle thoughts while it injected its venom and tried to wrap around me.

After it was more or less secure, I sucked it into my body. I was beginning to feel like that sticky insect paper they put in homes for flies. Aiya…

A moment later, a dead centipede was thoroughly devoured. I must say that it was rather efficient, having only lost 1 HP and a bit of general numbness in the bitten area. Just like last time, that should fade away after a few minutes.

The interesting takeaway from this ‘fight’ was that my Stamina had recovered by two points. Apparently digesting food is how a slime generates energy, though I still imagine rest would provide the same effect.

Seems to be my lucky day too, because curled around another of the rocks I found yet another Small Cave Centipede. A similar scene ensued, and I found two 'Lil wiggly boys digested into my slime-belly.

Mm, this is nearly as satisfying as sleeping in late on the weekend.

Level up!

Tiny Slime Lvl.5 → Lvl.6

Strength - 5 → 6

Vitality - 9 → 10

Wisdom - 3 → 4

Dexterity - 4 → 5

Nothing of note had happened when I used my Devour skill on either of the Centipedes. I was beginning to wonder if they were just too weak to gain any benefit. Or maybe it was just that they only had their Paralytic Venom going for them. Well, if I ate a few more and nothing happened I suppose that was all.

I continued surveying my area for any threats, all while mentally mapping out the cave in greater detail.

There was a small passage nearby that seemed to lead towards a hallway or room. I was debating checking it out when I noticed directly above me were numerous bats.

A dozen beady sets of eyes were trained on me.

“Flltp!”

I unconsciously let out a gasp. Or rather, a bubbling sound. Thankfully, this didn’t seem enough to trigger the bats. Perhaps they were insectivores and not carnivores. I’d hoped that they simply weren’t fond of the taste of slime.

Which raises the question—do I taste good? If I’m fruity, I’m a bit worried they might want a bite after all.

I wouldn’t know what to do if swarmed by a colony of bats. I could probably digest one or two, but … uhh. Let’s head back before they change their minds and I'm ripped to pieces.

I rounded a bend and turned into another series of cobwebs. I quickly discovered the source of said webbing.

There within the corner of the web sat a spider, awaiting prey.

This was a good opportunity. Both the centipede and spider venom had little effect on me. The webbing was also easily digested, so it couldn’t trap me it in.

In a way, this was indeed lucky. A slime seems to be the natural predator of such insects.

As I inched towards the spider, I kept myself ready to fire off a Slime Bullet. The webbing was slowly dissolved and eaten, causing the spider to retreat further into its web.

Once I’d removed most of the obstacles between us, I took aim.

—Slime Bullet!

This spider wasn’t so lucky. My glob of slime smacked it right in the thorax; the weight and velocity producing an audible crunch.

Some fluids splattered out of its body as it twitched on the ground. I readied myself for a second Slime Bullet, but soon discovered it wasn’t needed.

The Small Cave Skitter entered its ‘death curl’, legs seizing up. It would appear the damage was fatal since I received another mental note confirming so.

I was slightly disappointed to not receive another level up, but after devouring the spider corpse I still got a small bonus that brought my mood right back up.

Attribute increase!

Dexterity - 5 → 6

This was very welcome.

I wasn’t sure what a normal slime was like, but this ‘Devour’ skill certainly seemed useful. I was hoping to gather more information on usage. I’d have to use it on a lot more things to get a feel for it.

When I finished absorbing the spider, I noted numerous spider eggs further back, along with a few tiny spiders that couldn’t have been more than an inch in leg span.

I mentally shivered at the sight of hundreds of legs, but soon found myself feeling apologetic for eating what I assume was their mother.

C’est la vie, I suppose.

The strong would survive atop the ecosystem. If I didn’t take that to heart, I might meet the same fate.

In the very least, I don’t want to die until I’ve gotten out of these caves and gotten a general idea of what’s going on.

Perhaps I was mistaken, but I didn’t think eating all those little spiders would do much for my ‘numbers’ so they were spared to live another day.

I quietly skulked back to my base to recover, before setting out again.

There wasn’t anything new of note, or in the very least I hadn’t found it if so. Other than a few tiny bugs that didn’t seem worth attention, the rest of the cave was so far unremarkable. I still needed to finish exploring it, but I figured I more or less had the room charted out.

It was roughly 70 feet in diameter, or about 3500 square feet.

Despite my thoughts on the matter, I decided to digest a few of the tiny bugs just to see if anything happened. They didn’t ‘taste’ very good, and as I assumed there were no mental notices. Perhaps that might change if I ate a hundred or even a thousand, but as a former-person I wasn’t excited at the prospect of an all-bug diet.

Bleh.

While finishing my cavernous expedition, I noticed another series of spider webs back in what appeared to be a dead end. There was no spider in sight, oddly.

I decided to dissolve the webs since they were just an obstacle for me.

When I attempted to ‘eat’ the webs, for whatever reason they seemed far less prone to melting down in my slime body. It took nearly three times as long as the previous webbing.

This fact worried me. Wouldn’t it mean the webbing was of different quality or construction?

I was beginning to feel a chill, so I decided it best to listen to my instincts and continue elsewhe—

Sneak Attack! You have been bitten! -9HP

You have been afflicted with Necrotic Venom!

You have been poisoned!

“Pthhghp!”

Gah! That HURTS! Something was on top of me!

I felt the weight, but couldn’t see anything. Or rather, my normally blue-toned vision was producing a black void with sharp, lengthy limbs that were currently wrapping themselves around me.

Was this another spider?

I felt its legs coil tightly around myself. It was larger than the previous spiders. Even its legs were thicker and more powerful.

You have been stabbed! -3HP

One of its legs came down on me.

My body wasn’t reacting properly in the area that had been bitten. I couldn’t ‘see’ the spider, though I was aware of where it was if I instead focused on the void it left.

I wanted to fire directly at its head but found myself unable. My body wasn’t responsive in that area. Instead, I went for the closest surface area available, which was located right beneath its underbelly.

—Slime Bullet!

I shot a glob of slime right into the creature. Several of its legs twitched as they lost traction, before stabbing back into me.

You have been stabbed! -2HP

Damn it, not enough? My body felt unwell. I needed to get this thing off me. My options were limited.

I fired yet another bullet into its abdomen. This time was more effective. Its killing power might be high, but thankfully its defenses weren’t nearly as potent.

What should I do now? Would venom be effective against it? I doubted so. That meant I only had my physical abilities and another bullet available. I needed to make it count.

As the spider rolled off me and several of its legs twitched, I re-oriented myself and formed a large, pointed tendril. I brought it down as hard as I could on its thorax, but it scuttled towards the side.

I got half of two legs, effectively reducing its mobility. That said, I wasn’t in good shape. My body was twitching and heaving against my will. My control was slipping.

I didn’t have time to analyze its poison. It would finish me off before the toxins would at this rate.

I brought another slime tendril down on the spider as it leaped at me.

You have been bitten! -6HP

Its fangs sank into the liquid appendage, but it was pinned to the ground inches before me. I could feel it injecting more of that venom. Using my main body, I fired my last hope directly into the damn thing’s hairy face.

—Slime Bullet!

Crrkk!

There was a dull splitting noise as numerous fluids splattered against the cave floor. Its fangs were still stuck in my ‘limb’ but had stopped pumping venom into me. Its remaining 6 legs twitched and curled up.

I wanted to throw up. I felt violently ill. Two patches of my body were past the point of numb, and a searing pain was emanating from the areas surrounding them.

You’ve killed a Small Cave Huntsman!

Experience awarded. Adjustment applied for defeating a foe twice your level.

Level up!

Tiny Slime Lvl.6 → Lvl.8

Strength - 6 → 8

Vitality - 10 → 12

Intelligence - 5 → 6

Wisdom - 4 → 5

Dexterity - 6 → 7

As welcome as level ups were, I didn’t have time to ponder that.

—I was dying.

My head was foggy. I needed a plan. Information.

Status Menu Name : n/a Race : Tiny Slime Level : 8 HP : 4/32 (+1.9/hour) Stamina : 24/24 MP : 3/12 (+0.41/hour) Strength : 8 Vitality : 12 Intelligence : 6 Wisdom : 5 Dexterity : 7 Luck : 30 Status : Necrosis ( HP -2/minute, 29 minutes, 27 seconds remain.)

Shit. This is bad. I’d gone from 26 HP down to 4. Apparently, the level up doesn’t magically fix damage. Was the recovery relative to my current state and health?

At this rate, I was dead in less than two minutes. I could feel the venom spreading.

I needed to cut it out.

My body wasn’t cooperating. Unlike the venoms before that were almost second-nature to expel, wherever this stuff was located my sense of touch was failing.

I willed myself to separate from the dying flesh, trying to nearly split myself in half.

My HP dropped down to three.

There were two injection sites. I focused all my effort towards the worse of the two, which had rapidly approached my center. I instinctively knew that if it spread there I was a goner.

It was agonizing, but I managed to peel myself from the dead flesh and expelled it along with some still-healthy matter. Were I more skilled and less panicked, perhaps I could’ve done better. It would suffice.

My HP dropped down to two.

One more. Just one more time.

I felt exhausted.

If I just gave up, would I wake in my bed again? Go back to a quiet life that didn’t involve dark caves and a bunch of poisonous bugs?

I didn’t know. I hated things I didn’t know. But that made it so much easier to avoid and reject them.

I knew I was in pain—right here and now. I knew I was still alive. Despite all the fucked up things that were happening, I hated the unknown more.

So I did it one more time. I cut a portion of myself out, despite all the pain and my body’s protests and the pounding noise in my brain. I yanked my liquefying insides out before they could rot and turn the rest of me into a barren mess. Like ripping my own shoulder from its socket, the dead matter was expelled with a pop!

I felt horrible. More so than anything I’d ever experienced in life.

Pain was coursing through my entire being. But the rot was gone.

I watched as my HP held at 2.

Status Menu Name : n/a Race : Tiny Slime Level : 8 HP : 2/12 (32) (+0.73/hour) Stamina : 8/8 (24) MP : 1/4 (12) (+0.16/hour) Strength : 8 Vitality : 12 Intelligence : 6 Wisdom : 5 Dexterity : 7 Luck : 30 Status : Severe Weakness (Effective Status Reduced by 62%)

Damn it. That really fucked me up.

I felt so small. I was barely 4 inches in diameter now. Everything was blurry. My brain wasn’t working properly and it was difficult to form thoughts.

There was no way I’d make it back to my base. I could still recognize that.

I looked around. The spider’s motionless corpse was still there. Trying to dissolve it would take too much time. It was now nearly thrice my size.

I needed to rest. Meditate and recover. There was a small crack in the wall behind the spider’s webbing. It would make for good cover.

I used the last of my energy to squeeze into it.

This was my only option. I’ll just … rest here for a while.

Rest and pray. Hope that nothing found me.

Or if it did, that I went in my sleep.

Map.