SP: 0 / 4

My breath came in ragged gulps as I laid on my belly on the damp mud next to my egg. It took everything I had to get out of that thing. My eyes were still a bit blurry as I took in my surroundings. Thick muddy banks bordered a huge body of water that stretched out as far as I could see. Behind me, a lush forest ran parallel against the lake but not quite making it up to the water’s edge. Birdsong rang out from nearby trees and the buzzing of the occasional insect reached me as I drank in my surroundings while regaining stamina.

Sparing a glance towards my egg, I noticed several other eggs nearby, all of them quite large and speckled with the mud that nearly enveloped them. They didn’t appear to have hatched yet. My brothers and sisters, maybe? Body half submerged in mud, I took a moment to consider how surreal and bizarre my current situation was. To put it frankly, I was extremely confused. One moment I laid down in my bed to go to sleep, and the next thing I knew, I was spending weeks or maybe even months in an egg. The worst part about being in that egg was just how incredibly boring it was. All I could do was sleep and check my status over and over even though it never changed. Really, I was just glad to finally be out of there.

As soon as I could move again, I tried to get up off my belly and stand up to find that I couldn’t quite complete the motion. Sparing a glance down toward my arms I quickly realized why. My arms and hands were decidedly not human. I brushed the mud off one of my legs to get a better look. My skin was a glistening pale pink with silver splotches every here and there. The soft looking skin continued down my hands and smoothly transitioned into sharp claws at the ends of my fingers. Craning my neck, I saw that at the end of my body was a thick tail that tapered off at a rounded end. With a strange and unfamiliar set of mental acrobatics, I managed to move the new appendage around.

With trepidation growing in my chest I started moving toward the waterline. It took some effort to get acquainted with walking on all fours but I made it to the waterline and peered down into the still water at my reflection. Round black eyes stared back at me from a reptilian face. I’m a lizard. Well, not a lizard precisely. I look more like a salamander or a newt. I opened my mouth and, seeing a round white tongue and a row of needle-like teeth, I deftly exclaimed

“Gehh!”

Well, that wasn’t exactly what I meant to say. Seems that I’m not capable of speech. Makes sense, I guess a salamander wouldn’t be able to talk. That’d be absurd! I tried to manage a self deprecating smile as I peered down into my reflection for a long moment in mounting confusion. I’m not even human anymore. Oh, my race! I quickly pulled open my status screen, and instead of the unknown where race would be, It seemed to have updated itself.

Status information limited due to deficient Intelligence and Wisdom scores. Name: Naomi Race: Crater Lake Lesser Salamander Level: 1 (0 / 30) HP: 2 / 2 SP: 4 / 4 Strength: 1 Agility: 2 Constitution: 1 Endurance: 2 Intelligence: 0 Wisdom: 1

I’m really getting kind of tired of that ‘deficient intelligence and wisdom scores’ message. Still, there was some new information here. Crater Lake? Is that the lake here? I glanced past the transparent window in front of me out at the seemingly endless lake stretched out before me. As if to respond to my inquiry, a window popped up in my vision.

Wisdom check automatic success. Reason: Birth place. Information display modified to reflect deficient intelligence and wisdom scores. Current Location: Lesser Crater Lake. Description: Big lake. Lots of tasty fishes! Blue fishies tastiest fishies!

I gawked at the message. Are you messing with me?! I swatted my hand at the display as if trying to smack it out of the way in irritation. Looks like the first order of business will be raising my intelligence stat so that I don’t get these useless prompts anymore. If this is the lesser crater lake, just how huge is the greater crater lake? Also, what exactly is a Lesser Salamander, anyway? I thought idly while looking back down expecting to see my salamander face staring back when instead I saw my reflection distorted by ripples on the water's surface.

Suddenly something erupted from the water’s surface a small distance off from me and charged straight for the nest of eggs I had just come from. I stared in shock and horror at an enormous snake creature as it opened its mouth and casually crunched through the eggs with huge white fangs. I froze on the spot as I stared at the colossal monstrosity devouring the clutch of eggs I had just hatched from. This was the strangest snake I’d ever seen. I was pretty sure snakes aren’t supposed to walk around on thick, stubby legs with savage looking claws, but this one sure did, and it still moved like a snake would despite the awkward looking legs. Although most snakes aren’t the size of a semi truck, so that’s worth consideration. A transparent prompt flashed into my view as I stared frightfully at the beast.

Examine attempt successful. Results limited due to overwhelming level difference. Results limited due to deficient Intelligence and Wisdom scores. Name: (None) Race: Crater Lake Lesser Water Serpent Level: ??? HP: ??? SP: ??? Strength: ??? Agility: ??? Constitution: ??? Endurance: ??? Intelligence: ??? Wisdom: ??? Skills: ??? Titles: ??? Description: ??? Skill discovered: Examine Description: Closely examining an object or creature will bring up system information on the subject of your scrutiny. Results are dependent on your Wisdom stat. Masters of this skill can identify even artifact grade items and learn the abilities and weaknesses of their foes. Effect: +1% Wisdom effect on Examine skill checks per skill level. +.1% Chance to instantly trigger Examine skill on target per skill level. This effect may only be attempted once per target. Note: Your deficient intelligence score is actively impeding the results of this skill. Raise intelligence above 0 to regain normal functionality. Skill: Examine has levelled up to level 3.

A flurry of notifications blocked out my vision and I hurried to close them. With a mental flex, I blocked any notifications except Examine from automatically opening again. What the heck is this, I hatched from an egg and immediately this boss monster like creature shows up? So much for game balance. The level difference between me and this serpent is so big that I can’t even see its stats. There was a skull where its level should be! I decided I’d better get away while it was distracted eating my unfortunate brothers and sisters and with a glance at the lake, I considered that it might be safer to escape into the forest. There might have been more of those serpents in the lake and I definitely didn’t want to be lunch.

I tried to shuffle my way toward the forest which actually proved more difficult than I had anticipated due to the thick mud leading up from the lake. Remembering my tail, I planted it flat into the mud and swished it back and forth like how a snake would, finding it much easier to make my way through the mud that way. The dot in my peripheral vision began blinking, but I decided I’d ignore it until I was safe again. That was the exact moment the Serpent finished its meal and looked up, directly at me. A frigid shiver ran down my spine and I started thrashing faster through the mud towards the treeline.

I can only describe the sound that peeled out from the Serpent as a shrill screech that shook me down to my core. Flocks of birds abandoned the trees they had perched in and the lakeside became uncomfortably silent. I could only hear the wet thumps of footfalls as the Serpent began its pursuit. I thrashed wildly through the mud, finally reaching solid ground and sprinting on all fours into the thick foliage. I hoped in vain that this would save me, but after hazarding a glance behind me I caught sight of the serpent crashing through the greenery as it bellowed out another ear-splitting screech, eyes locked directly on me as though it’d never lost sight for even a second. My blood ran cold. It quickly became apparent that this serpent was faster than me. Much faster than me. The meager distance I managed to create before it noticed me was rapidly shrinking as I sprinted through the thick forest, breath coming hard and cold through my lungs. My muscles ached like I had never felt before. How far had I run? I couldn’t even tell anymore.

I felt the serpent’s breath on me and in an act of desperation I jumped straight up. The Serpent’s mouth closed around the spot I’d just occupied, taking in a mouthful of dirt. It raised its head to snap at me mid-air and after a range of movement I’d call hopeless flailing, I managed to smack my tail against the Serpent’s nose and propel myself into the side of a tree. I awkwardly smacked against the tree and fell down to the ground, a sharp pain shooting through my back for only a moment before the adrenaline banished my ability to feel the injury. I couldn’t afford to stop even for a moment and again returned to scurrying across the dirt and darting between trees. I’m going to die. This thing is definitely going to kill me. Those kinds of thoughts raced through my mind as I desperately dodged through the foliage which only served to infuriate the Serpent further as it struggled to maneuver its large body between the trees. The lumbering beast shouldered a tree out of its way sending it crashing down to the forest floor, screaming in blind fury as a patch of scales on its shoulder cracked off.

I heard the faintest ringing of wind chimes. In desperation I looked in the direction of the noise to find a clearing some distance away. I don’t know why I so eagerly rushed towards the clearing when I knew the trees were the only thing that had kept me alive up to this point. Somehow I knew that if I just made it to the clearing, I’d be safe. My Stamina had long since reached 0. Continuing to run was draining my Health instead of Stamina and my gait had become increasingly unsteady. My vision faded in and out and I felt like I was close to passing out. I tripped over a root that sent me tumbling onto my back down an incline, tearing painfully at my skin before I slammed a shoulder heavily into a fractured stump, arresting my momentum just enough that I could start running again.

The serpent screamed in rage as I passed through the trees into the clearing. I felt for a second in fear that it was going to follow me, but it stopped heavily at the edge of the treeline and glared at me. It advanced a step or two into the clearing then quickly retreated back to the trees. It stared at me for long moments as I returned its gaze from inside the clearing before it let out one final furious screech and clawed a tree nearly in two out of rage. The Serpent finally turned and left in the direction it came. I stood for long moments staring at the spot the Serpent stopped, adrenaline still slamming through my veins. I glanced at my Health indicator. HP: 0.3 / 2 I hadn’t even taken a direct attack from the beast and I still almost died. Dark red blood ran down my lacerated back and stained my pink and silver arms.

I very nearly passed out right there on the soft yellow grass of the clearing, but decided I had to find shelter first or else I might end up running from something else… or dying outright. That monster ran away instead of coming in here after me and that fact was certainly not lost on me. I simply didn’t have the strength to travel any further in spite of the danger. The clearing was mostly all yellow grass, but the occasional dead tree stuck out from the sea of yellow. I started toward the closest dead tree. The grass came up to nearly over my head but I still managed to drag my battered body along until I found myself looking up at a greyish black tree that must have died long ago.

I climbed up to a low hanging branch using my tail to gain a bit of leverage to push myself up. Pain wracked my body and red blood dripped down the dead branch I perched on. I turned my head to get a look at the damage and found the soft pink skin on my back torn up and bleeding profusely. The pain was so severe I could hardly think of anything else. I stifled a sob as I rested my head on the dead branch. As if the heavens heard my crying, a few stray raindrops pattered against my head. Within minutes, a steady rainfall came showering down. The rain felt nice and cool. Comfortable. My consciousness mercifully faded away, giving me a needed reprieve from the pain.