While thinking through my past and future, I drift through the tunnels. Above me, the gray stone walls slide in and out of view, and the roaches scurry away when my eyes shine their light upon them. Excluding when I passed through a section of red brick, the view has not changed. I did discover that I can make my body both halt and not drift along the water or allow it to simply move with the water as it pleases. That’s not particularly important; what is important is I have been able to ponder some things.

Sitting up, a purple wall appears.

Earl Interface:

Recommendation: Plant Tower Seed.

I swing my hazy head in a disapproving manner. ‘Earl, I beg of thee, will thou cease giving me the same recommendation? This has to be the tenth time now. I am well aware of what thou wishes of me.’

Earl Interface:

Preference noted. The same recommendation shall not be made more than ten times.

‘I actually succeeded in setting a limit. I did not expect a response, to be honest.’

Glancing around the tunnels, I notice that I seem to have drifted back to the red brick area where I consumed my first rat. I recognize the section of missing bricks where the huge gray rat was digging.

‘I wonder if another rat has moved into the old burrow. This might be a good opportunity for another meal.’

I raise myself and move in the direction of the hole, regrettably fueled by the thought of the delicious flavor. Yet, once I am near, I am astonished to find the once small hole now looks big enough to fit a large dog. The few bricks that were missing are now dozens as they are scattered all about the tunnel. Nearby I notice there are two new holes of similar sizes.

‘Did something down here dig these… Perhaps, they just collapsed? Nay, that’s really unlikely.’

Hearing something shriek from within the hole, I retreat to the end of the tunnel. The thing that steps out leaves me, questioning my sanity.

It’s a rat. A rat that is even bigger than the one I first found here by a wide margin. Worse yet, this rat is walking on two legs, similar to an elderly man with a severe hunchback. It stands around two feet tall, and its gaze and mannerisms seem so unusually emotional for a rat that it is almost scary. Though, its current expression reminds me of a man caught by his wife sleeping with a harlot—simply complete and utter ruin. Just as I am about to gather my thoughts, more of these elderly rats march out from the other three holes. Around five in total, and each one seems to be carrying something. They all gather in the murky water, caressing the objects they carry.

From the other end of the red brick tunnel, I hear a loud squeak, and something begins to stomp this way. As the thing approaches, it tramples and throws water about as if it is trying to intimidate the little old rat people.

A revolting figure steps into view, and I nearly flee on impulse. It’s around seven feet tall and has a hunchback like the others. Yet, it is entirely different from the others in almost every other way.

To start, it seems to be missing substantial chunks of its flesh with random bald patches and big sickening scabs scattered about its body. Its teeth bulge from its mouth as if too large, and on its back, vertebrae protrude from its flesh. Worst of all is the high black boils that cover it, leaking pus as if its whole body is made up of this sickening discharge.

Stopping just short of the five elderly rats, it squeaks at them, sending droplets of saliva to the ground. When the saliva touches the ground, it sizzles.

The five elderly rats all glance at one another as if reluctant before holding up their paws. The wretched rat reaches out and seizes one of the things from an elderly rat. Just barely, I can make out a struggling and hairless baby rat as the wretched rat tosses it into its mouth with a crunch. The elderly rat drops its arms and waddles away in defeat. This same sight repeats four more times until the wretched rat saunters away while the five elderly rats simply watch its tail disappear into the distance.

I also stand, gazing at the direction the rat left in. ‘...Well. Earl, I want thou to know I do not accept any responsibility and place all blame on thou. This undoubtedly has something to do with the paste that I was led to believe was harmless. I recognize that wretched rat as the baby and the five rats as the rats who were there when I returned. Their fur has the same patterns, and the wretched rat is missing the same pieces of flesh. I shall hear nothing about how it was I who had forgotten the baby rat.’

Of course, Earl does not answer, so I take it as his acknowledgment that this is all his fault.

‘Now, I may rest easy knowing that I am not to blame for this. Yet, I would be lying if I said I did not feel pity for the elderly rats. I shall keep an eye on the situation, but I have little intention of involving myself in this given my own situation.’

Just when I am about to leave, I notice something. One of the elderly rats seems to be fiddling with a familiar object. Focusing on it, I discover it seems to be using its teeth to shape a small tree branch.

‘Tree! Green! Perhaps, it has just been bad luck, but the few times I have been to the surface, I have yet to spot a single tree. I bet they may know of a nice forest I may plant my seed!’ My eyes fall onto my Erysichthon value, which has risen to fifty after scouting the night before and then floating around the tunnels. ‘Aye, but first, I shall hunt more normal rats, so I can be prepared if the elderly rats go on the move.’

Around five-thousand steps or three hours later, I managed to track down five rats. My Erysichthon drops to three; I collected ‘1.6’ Nebula and ‘0.6’ Vitrum. This puts me in a comfortable position to observe the elderly rats.

+1 Strength

+1 Agility

16 Stat Points Remaining

‘The hunt went so well that my ‘stat’ things increased. It is as if the Cosmic System is saying, “Thou hast done well Constance!”’ I poke at my hazy chest as my thoughts wander. ’Still, the rats are not giving me Essence. A bit disappointing as Essence seems to be important.’ Just as I am about to return to the elderly rats, I hear a squeaking nearby. Obscuring my eyes with my hands, I notice a small mouse. ‘I believe I have room for one more…’

Faster than I anticipated, the cattail strikes the mouse ending it. A purple wall appears, but I push it away due to a large blue wall looming behind it.

You Have Shown Enough Ability for an Interim Skill

Please Select One Below

[Interim Whip]

The basic skill for those that wish to begin their journey of mastering the whip.

[Interim Prehensile Whip]

A specialized skill for a creature that uses something akin to an appendage as their whip.

‘Oh, how exciting! This is one of those skill things the Cosmic System mentioned. Unlike the stats, this one was explained to me. Though, I was not expecting a choice. ’ Reading through the two options, I choose surprisingly quickly. ‘I do not know how I feel about being offered something that refers to me as “a creature,” but I certainly believe it is the better option for me. More importantly, I cannot allow something so silly to hinder my survival. I shall never allow myself to return to the Tenebrous Place, so I wish for the second option, please, Cosmic System.’

The wall vanishes, and a new one takes its place.

Congratulations!

You have earned the “Interim Prehensile Whip” skill.

As an Interim skill, it must be trained to the Novice rank within 7-days to obtain permanently.

‘I have seven-days to get it to a Novice “rank.” Is that difficult? I do not actually know. Hmm, I had planned to return to the elderly rats, but perhaps I should focus on my stats and skill. I know where they live, so they cannot go too far, surely… Aye, it certainly seems the smartest thing would be to get a bit stronger in case something like that wretched behemoth rat chooses to attack me.’

I retreat to an area upstream from the elderly rat’s homes—the same area I was practicing previously. As before, I set up the red bricks and commence practicing with my cattail.

‘I shall continue this for as long as I can mentally bear it.’

Achieved Interim Prehensile Whip [Grade 1]

+1 Strength

+1 Agility

14 Stat Points Remaining

I believe several hours pass before I get too bored to endure. A blue wall appears.

Staring at the blue wall, I contemplate its meaning. ‘Only Strength and Agility progressed once again. I can only assume that the type of training decides what ‘stats’ improve, and if that is not the case, then I have nary an idea of how it works. Still, I am happy to see my skill also has advanced… But how high must I progress for it to become the ‘Novice’ ranking?’

Nearby, I hear a hiss. ‘What… What was that noise?’

Spinning around, I discover some movement from the murky water. The surface of the water ripples as creatures that seem to be a cross between a shrimp and a roach crawl from it. Each of them has two hairy antennas, a pink and partially transparent body, a shape like a roach, stout tails that beat endlessly, and short beetle-like legs.

‘Those creatures are revolting!’

The tiny shrimp-roach things lump together, forming a grotesque union of the creatures. Reaching a height of around three-feet, the mass crawls upon one another. Attracted to my presence, they surge toward me, resembling something akin to an ocean wave.

‘Nay; do not come near me!’

Grasping a brick with the cattail, I hurl it into the mass, producing a sickening crunch. The creatures hiss in unison while consuming their fallen brethren. I grasp more bricks, flinging them toward the abomination one after another. Each brick produces a crunch and stalls the creature as they feast on one another.

Casting the last brick, it strikes the mass, and a wet lump of the creatures splatters on the ground in front of me. My eyes stare at the lump, and the cattail bends toward it.

‘Eat it! Do not think about it, just eat it!’

The tendrils scoop the splattered remains into the cattail. A feeling that is, sadly, delightful spreads through my body.

Earl Interface:

Absorbed ‘Copepod Throng’ (Magical)

Reduced Erysichthon value by 2

Essence value 1

0.4 Refinable Nebula

0.0 Refinable Vitrum

The purple wall appears, I read it as fast as possible. ‘I am uncertain if that information was worth it!’

While the copepod throng feasts upon their fallen brethren, I flee to reassess my situation. I find that my speed seems faster than before—likely thanks to my improvement in Agility. I turn a corner, glancing back to see the copepod throng entering the murky water. Chunks of the throng fall into the water with a splash, and before long, it is as if they were never there.

‘...Are they yet another creature that was born from the paste? Earl, thou have caused yet more problems! How could thou allow such a thing to happen? Just know I forgive thou.’ I glance back at the water. ‘But, what could those creatures have possibly been before the paste? I have never seen anything like them before. And, I received Essence from that creature. Could I defeat it?’

While musing ways to defeat the creature, I resolve to first revisit the elderly rats to see what I may learn from them. Though I have a feeling I shall be back here in the near future.