Hnngg, ghhh, ugghhhhhhhh--,,

Oh,, it, it hurts-,,

I don't think I can breathe...

It's very dark, there's a pressure atop me, I feel like I'm buried alive or something-,,

Oh, right, I fell... with a bunch of larvae on top. So, I guess, that's the pressure? Well, I'm alive, so it all worked out in the end, I guess. Unless I suffocate down here, that is. God only knows how my current body works, not that I understood my last one either, but I don't think I can suffocate. Frogs breathe partially through their skin, and frogs eat larvae, so...

Well, either way, I'm safe right now, and it doesn't hurt too much right here, right now. So, since I've finally got a break, I guess I'll have a looksie at my stats and all that, since there were quite a lot of pop-ups.

Johnny Fowl(Lv. 29/30) Species Lightworm (F-) Title(s) Monster Health 43/48 Mana 19/19 Status Strength 6 Magic 11 Speed 9 Defence 8(+12) Skills(...)

Well well well, isn't that quite different? All the stats and everything have gone up! Wowzers! I must've been out for quite a while, considering that my Health isn't all recovered yet, I must've been out for a good while. I'm not sure how I can use these stats, or what they even do, but I might be strong enough to emerge without the help of any skills.

Speaking of skills...

Skills

Intermediate Flight Lv.6

(Active, 0.05 M/sec) Grants the ability of flight at the cost of Mana. The higher the level, the more flexible and quick the flight, along with lessened cost/sec.

Munching Lv. 23

(Active) Eating

Light Lv.8

(Active, 1 M/use, 0.5 M/sec prolonged use) Allows the user to emit light, usually from a biologically significant spot. Increase in level allows for stronger/dimmer light at command and lessened cost for prolonged and one-time use.

Chitin Armour (Cracked) Lv.46

(Passive) Lessens damage against the user. If chitin is cracked, the damage will be more than if without Chitin Armour skill. Healing Chitin Armour takes longer/more mana than healing regular wounds. Exclusive to insects, spiders and insectoids. Crack is currently healing (46% completed)

Novice Fire Magic Lv.4

(Active/Passive) Grants the user the ability to use Fire Magic at the most basic forms. The spells included among (Novice Fire Spells) are weak, ineffective in combat and usually reserved for everyday use. (See all available spells)

Fall Damage Reduction Lv.1

(Passive) Reduces the amount of damage caused by falling.

Passive Health Regeneration Lv.5

(Passive, 5 Health/minute) Heals the user passively when Health is lost.

...And the spells-?

All Available Spells (You are currently able to use two Spells)

Heat Lv.1

Used to heat an area by 1 Mana/0.1 Celcius and 1 Mana per cubic diameter. Increase in level lowers the amount of mana needed.

Flare Lv.5 Causes a small explosion. Depending on level, size and properties may be manipulated. Spell can be charged to cause one large explosion or spammed to create many small ones.

-Not much of a change here, but, overall, this is looking pretty alright, I think. Maybe, just maybe, I'm not going to die? This was kind of close, this with the falling and all, but otherwise, I'm cool. Yup. Totally cool.

...God fucking damn it it's tight and dark and I'm hungry and I don't want to be down here any more-,

-Munch

...

I would like to redact my earlier statement; Moss Eating Larvae are pretty tasty. Nomch nomch nomch.

Skill (Munching) has gained a Level

Skill (Munching) has gained a Level

Skill (Munching) has gained a Level

Nomch nomch no-, huh?

With a little pop, I emerge into an area suspiciously lacking in food. Err, moss eating worms.

Did I just eat my way out of the pile?... If my two front legs being unable to feel anything at all is anything to go by, I guess so! Well well well, guess no strength or magic needed, huh?

Smirking inwardly, I crawl out of the hole I emerged from and stand atop the whole bunch, proud and kind of happy.

Assuming I'm not surrounded by enemies once again, using Light should be fine, right? And since I've got almost twice the amount of Mana I did before, and since Light is even cheaper now... I don't see why not? Right, okay, let's go. Mana to the tail, let it rip, and...

Light!

At first, the light emitting from my tail, although dim, is blindingly bright, but as my eyes adjust to its cyan glow, I'm able to turn my eyes towards other things. Indeed, I am still in a cave filled with rocks and stalactites and weird formations, but that isn't all. I'm literally standing on a pile of corpses. Some, if not most of them being half-eaten and bleeding.

Ooookay, that's kind of disgusting but I mean, okay, yes, I'm stepping off the pile.

Right beside the pile, a mere two feet or so, was a steep cliff of some sort, In other words, if I hadn't lasted for as long as I did, I wouldn't have almost died by falling. Goddamnit. But, well, I did emerge from this pile of dead larvae a stronger man-worm-thing, so it was worth it. Probably.

...Maybe I should fly up there? I DO really want to get out of this damned cave. But flying and using Light at the same time seems like the sort of thing that would drain my Mana like crazy... I could turn off my Light, but now that I have it on, I really, really don't want to lose it.

But, getting out of this damned cave is worth it. If my light goes out by the top, I'll still have my fall damage reduction and full health and good defence, so I shouldn't die, right? OR-, or, I could keep a footsie on the wall while I scale it so I don't lose it. Yeah, that'll work!

And that's exactly what I do. One hand on the wall, Mana channelling to my wings and my tail, I scale it. And within less than a minute, without either my Light or my flight going haywire, I reach the top and crawl over it. I got a bunch of pop-ups about Light and flight levelling up, but I tuned it out.

N-, nice. Phew. Yes, okay. There's all the moss stuff, there's all the rocky stuff.

Let's get going.