I started retreating to one of the craters that formed during the battle. There wasn't much cover anymore and I didn't feel safe staying out in the open, even if I couldn't feel the energy of anything.

I collapsed the moment I reached the bottom of the crater. I just want to lay down.

... No, that thing wasn't human. It's just a crystal that was saying stuff it didn't even understand, and even if it did. I did it a favor by ending its misery.

... let's just take my mind off of things, by checking my stats after that many level ups.

[Lisa] lv. 29

Species: Sofos
Status: Normal
Skill points: 114
Evolutionary points: 35
Stats:
Hp: 758/758
Ep: 632/632
Sp: 188/188 (Max: 681)
Stock: 0
Strength: 371
Defense: 355
Energy strength: 481
Energy defense: 343
Speed: 595

I'm getting really high level now, aren't I? I'm even close to being able to evolve, assuming that I'll evolve at 30 though. I wonder what I would evolve into? Hopefully nothing gross or disgusting. This is still my body after all, and the thought of evolving into a body I don't like is terrifying.

Well, can't know what will happen in the future. Speaking of the future.

What should I do? I can keep fighting crabs or crystals to evolve again, or I could leave. Even the crab numbers are starting to fall, so me leaving is inevitable. But where should I go? Up? I mean I could take on weaker monsters and maybe I'd even find an exit to this dungeon.

But exiting means dealing with humans, which is definitely not gonna end well. I don't know how strong humans are, and even if I am stronger than them, I'm not invincible. They could kill me eventually, and even so, I don't want to kill people. I'll do it if they threaten my life, but I want to avoid fighting, so meeting with people is an absolute no.

Well, I don't know where I should go, but what I should do first is evolve, and get some food, cause I'm really hungry.

And so, I stood back up to find some food, the hollow feeling in my stomach lessened when I kept myself busy, and my head was clearer. I just have to stay busy until I stop thinking about it.

I started running towards one of the only remaining batches of crystals to find more crabs. I kept looking around for more presences, eventually finding a few.

When I came to meet these presences. I saw that they weren't crabs, but were more of these crystals. They were only slightly bigger than me, and had an average of around 100 in its stats. So dealing with them was a piece of cake.

I simply punched them twice, and they shattered from the impact.

W-Woah, haha, I remember when they were troublesome to deal with, but now I can just punch them and they nearly die. Well, they aren't what I'm looking for, but I won't pass over an opportunity to get exp.

After dealing with them, I started trying to feel the presence of another group, until I finally found one.

When I went there, I found that it was more crystals.

Aw man, more crystals? Well, you know what that means.

I dealt with these crystals in a similar manner to the previous group, and I kept my search going.

Seeing my SP start to drop made me nervous while I was looking for crabs. What if I can't find them anymore? What will I do if they were all wiped out? Will I starve to death?

... No point in thinking useless stuff, I just gotta cheer up. Let's just look at the positive side of things.

Well, I might be stuck in a dungeon, fighting everyday just to survive and there is a giant god damn crystal that could crush me with a swipe, but at least I'm still alive! Alive and smiling! Er well maybe not smiling, but I'm totally fine, if I wasn't, then why would I be laughing now?

Hahaha... ha.

I'm trying dad, alright?

Haah. Let's just find any crabs then sleep. I want to get this day over with.

I started travelling extremely far from where the craters where. I had even got to an area with more of these Eden's crystals. The giant was now in sight, extremely far into the distance, but within sight nonetheless.

Oh great, now we have the giant in the background. Fantastic! That's just what I needed.

But thankfully I can feel a bunch of presences, this place is a hell of a lot more populated than the warzone I was in.

I followed one of the presences. When I got there, I saw 6 crystal Apoikia's, huh, one of the big ones. Well, they are still a lot weaker than me.

After dealing with them, I picked another presence, and followed it.

When I got to it, I saw crystals... that were attached to the top of a crab.

Phew, thank god I found some, 9 in total, most of them are within the 4 meter range, and their stats were averaging 120.

Yeah, I can't think of any one liners or funny things, I just wanna get it over with.

I dashed from one to the other at a near sonic speed, punching each of them in the under shell, piercing through their shell and reaching my hand all the way through their head.

Shortly after, all the crabs had fallen to the same attack.

Well, that's that. Guess I should cook them now, but first, ever since I got that cooking skill I started thinking of how to actually prepare them.

Unfortunately, I don't have lemon or bread or anything like that, but now that I think about it. Can't I use alchemy to make salt, or even earth techniques?

Well, the chemical formula for sodium chloride is NaCl.

I start on focusing on the formula for salt and using Alchemy to produce salt from the crabs, after a while I had a whole pile of salt in front of me.

Let me taste it... Ah god why did I take too much! Well, it's definitely salt, it's almost nostalgic to taste salt again. I think I might cry, man, who knew that making something would make you so excited!

I really want to make even more stuff now! But my stomach is grumbling so I want to eat for now.

I tossed the a couple crabs into an extremely large pot, then filled it with water, I was feeling exhausted and pretty drained from the technique. So I tossed in the salt and lit a fire under it.

Ok, what I think is important now is to properly assess my abilities, learn more about my techniques y'know?

Ok, lets try to use one singular piece of EP.

A small flame appears in front of me. It burned for a few seconds then disappeared as I stopped giving energy to it.

Well, I knew that the strength was relative to the amount of energy used, but what I have a really high energy strength stat. So wouldn't any technique I use instantly become super powerful?

Well, a good experiment is to use the same attack that I used when I was a lot weaker, that fire beam I once used against the monkeys for example.

I used around the same amount of energy as that time, and shot a giant fire beam. The beam crashed into the ground, dug into it and then burnt the remains.

Woah, that was a lot more powerful than the one I used that time, from what I remember at least, I mean. It was so long ago. It could have been months or years since that time.

Well, now we know that the energy strength still increases your power and heat. Maybe also energy efficiency? I dunno.

Welp, that was good, but now something else, the evolutionary points.

Well, they increase the strength of your body or give you new organs and skills, that's what I know. But I want to know what is the limit to the organs I can get.

Hey, can you give me... a stinger?

[Organ found. Would you like to obtain "Stinger" for 18 points?]

NO!

[Understood]

Huh, mr. System said something different, I guess you really are warming up to me, eh buddy?

Well, I guess I can develop an organ like that, it's really expensive, but I can develop it, but I wonder why it is super expensive? I mean I got regeneration for basically free.

Well, that's basically it with these two systems, I'm satisfied that I learned more about them. Although, I probably have more to learn with techniques.

Oh, the crabs are ready now.

Well, I gotta conserve them, but they'll start rotting after a while though. I wish I left a few of them alive; but for now, let's eat!

I took one of the claws of the crab and broke it open, then I bit into the meat of it.

The meat was soft and was full of juice, the flavor was nearly something different with the added saltiness. And made it a hundred times better.

Aaaah, oh my god. That is heavenly. Uh oh, I might lose control and eat all of them. Well, I'll eat until my SP is full.

I started eating the rest of the crab, feeling satisfaction everytime I removed the shell, until I moved onto the next one. Then the one after that. Until finally, finishing the fourth one.

[Biomass procured. 6 evolutionary points were added.]

[Biomass procured. 7 evolutionary points were added.]

[Biomass procured. 6 evolutionary points were added.]

[Biomass procured. 6 evolutionary points were added.]

... maybe one more? I mean, crab is better when fresh. If you eat it too late then it'll rot, and besides, my SP isn't full.

And so I cooked another one. Then another.

[Biomass procured. 6 evolutionary points were added.]

[Biomass procured. 6 evolutionary points were added.]

Ok then, both my SP and stock are full, I literally am gonna puke if I eat another one... I may have a problem.

Well, at least there are three more remaining. And I'm feeling pretty exhausted, so I think I'm going to sleep now.

I created a stone barrier around and laid down, feeling satisfied and extra safe. I'm just pretty damn happy right now.

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but I couldn't. I started shifting around to go to sleep, but I still couldn't.

And soon, the thought that I was desperately trying to ignore and keep at bay came back, and stayed in my head. Making the ecstasy that I was feeling previously seem like a lie.

That crystal person, their words... could they actually have been a human? Who is this Seraphin? And what did they mean by all of that. Why does it hate dragons so much?

Also, does that mean that I... killed a person? No, they were a monster. They didn't have a mind, I didn't kill anyone.

I just, damn, it was a really pitiful thing. But it tried to kill me. So I need to toughen up. I was shook this much just cause it said a little sob story? I dreaded thinking about this situation because of that?

I started feeling tears stream down my face as I starting glaring.

You know what? Screw it! No more running and hiding my feelings away. God dammit, I just want a break, y'know? I want to be able to live a modern life again, to see mom and dad again and tell them how I'm an idiot for thinking they didn't have much impact on my life.

... and another thing, I want to see Liam again, and this time. I won't make excuses to not hang out together. I want to apologize for all the times I lashed out. For everytime I pushed him away.

I continued crying tears of anger and sorrow until I exhausted myself. Then I fell asleep without realizing it.