A tiny creature that resembled the mortal-form hovered above the eggs that it had just laid. Its transparent butterfly wings flapped softly, allowing it to hover as it examined its most recent clutch of eggs. Meanwhile, the creature’s azure skin seemed to almost glow in the light of the azure moon.

Usually, the creature would be mesmerised by the glow and its own beauty, however currently its instincts demanded it to focus only on the task before it. As a result, its milky eyes continued to observe one egg after the other, until they landed on a specific spherical egg.

The creature that was as tall as a mortal’s finger slowly landed next to an egg that seemed no different from the rest. Its antennas twitched and its brows furrowed as an urge to lick the egg appeared in its mind. The creature did not hesitate. It opened its burgundy lips to reveal two rows of sharp teeth. As the bright red tongue licked the egg clean, the creature’s brows eased and its smiled. It had found what it had been looking for.

It picked the egg with its clawed fingers and flew off, leaving the rest of the eggs to their fate.

0.0

A caterpillar broke through its egg and breathed in for the first time. However, before it could comprehend or anything anymore, its mind was consumed by the fire within its body and it began to devour the very egg it had popped out of. Meanwhile, the pink Fairy sitting next to the new-born caterpillar continued to admire the glow of its skin in the azure moonlight.

It was not long after that the caterpillar devoured its egg and heard a sharp sound followed by the manifestation of a blue thing that imparted knowledge within its mind.

Ting.

[You have consumed The Gift.]

Ting.

[You have Levelled Up! Level up bonus of +1 HP granted.]

But the creature cared not the information as the fire in its belly continued to rage and demanded sacrifice. The caterpillar obeyed.

With all its thoughts focused on just food, the caterpillar tried to crawl, as its instincts guided it to do. However, it failed. In place of stubs that allowed other caterpillars movement, the newborn had nothing. It was born legless and malformed. It even possessed the title [Deformed] to prove it.

With such a deformity, if it had been an animal or even an immortal that had been abandoned by its sire, the vermin would not survive. However, the case being what it was, the [Deformed] would survive not despite its defect but because of it. It had been chosen by its sire because the Fairy had found its egg the most defective.

As the green caterpillar flailed, its movement finally caught the attention of the Fairy whose milky eyes narrowed at the caterpillar. It had been busy enjoying itself. Nevertheless, the Fairy lifted the struggling caterpillar with ease and flapped its wings to fly away.

0.0

The legless caterpillar was busy devouring the leaf it had been placed on when the leaf shook as something struck it. Startled, the [Deformed] paused its eating to look up and its black eyes found another caterpillar much like itself. However, this new caterpillar possessed all its stubs, quite different from its own condition.

This was not all though and the legless caterpillar trembled in panic as it noticed the bruised and half-dead state of its brethren before its beady eyes fell on the Fairy hovering in the air, pointing at the beaten-up pest. The [Deformed]’s gaze shifted from the Fairy to the caterpillar and back to its sire as it tried and failed to comprehend its vain creature’s actions.

The Fairy landed with a huff before it picked the legless caterpillar and placed it next to the nearly dead one. The winged pest then forced the [Deformed]’s mouth open and placed it on the flesh of the caterpillar that still hung onto the thread of life.

Understanding finally dawned within the beady eyes of the [Deformed] and it began devouring the other caterpillar alive. The bruised caterpillar thrashed and flailed of course but the Fairy held it tight within its clawed fingers and allowed the legless one to devour its brethren.

It was not long before the normal caterpillar died and the [Deformed] heard the sharp sound once again. And while it did not understand the blue thing that materialised within its vision, it understood that it had become more powerful.

0.0

The legless caterpillar heard the now familiar sharp sound before the blue thing manifested in its vision.

Ting.

[You have reached Level 100. Do you want to evolve now?] [Yes] [No]

Much like its sire, the [Deformed] understood not the squiggles yet comprehended their meaning all the same. Its body twitched in anticipation as it chose to evolve right then and there, under the shade of the leaves where it had spent most of its little life.

Ting.

[Chose your form.] [Butterfly: Your [Species] related evolution.]

The creature did not hesitate as it closed its eyes and decided to evolve. No sooner had the creature finalised its decision, than an overbearing urge to spit hit the [deformed]. Its body straightened on its own before its mouth spat out something that began solidifying as soon as it left its mouth. The creature watched with fascination as its body spun a cocoon around itself, transforming it into a pupa.

0.0

The cocoon cracked open and a shrivelled butterfly emerged from within. It twitched as the newfound cold hit its sensed and it shivered. As it shook its head, its eyes found its azure sire, the Fairy, hovering in the air. The vain creature’s milky eyes observed the newborn butterfly for a moment before it sneered to reveal its sharp teeth.

No longer legless and deformed, the butterfly stumbled back, wary of the creature that threatened it. It tried to move its legs and felt blood pump through its nearly transparent wings as they expanded to reveal their full span. Meanwhile, its eyes did not leave the creature hovering in the air above it.

The Fairy sneered once again but flew away, abandoning the butterfly to its fate.

The butterfly, on the other hand, remained tense and it felt the blood rushing through its thin wings. However, its reverie was soon broken by a very familiar sharp sound.

Ting.

[Evolution complete. You have evolved into a Clear Winged Butterfly.]

Ting.

[Evolution bonus of 15 HP has been added to your total Health Points. You have been completely healed.]

Ting.

[Level up Bonus has been increased from +1 HP to +2 HP per Level Up.]

Ting.

[Your HP regeneration rate has been increased to [10 + Level/10] HP per day. Rounded down.]

Ting.

[Skill [Flight Lv.1] granted.]

Ting.

[Skill [Sense Lv.1] granted.]

Ting.

[Level Limit on Skills has been raised to Level 10. Evolve further to raise the Skill Level Limit again.]

Ting.

[Vessel only Title [Hungry] lost.]

Ting.

[Vessel only Title [Deformed] lost.]

Ting.

[Evolution was achieved despite the presence of the Title [Deformed]. [Species: Tree Serpent] granted. New evolution path has been made available. Reach Level 100 to evolve.]

-X-

Within a desolate desert, inside a dilapidated shop, on a simple chair, a youth seemingly slept.

-X-