I knew that I was in a world that was unfair to the weak. Did I think I would get lucky because I learned of a method to evolve?

Yes. Yes, I did. But the reality was a whole lot different than I had planned out. 

Here I was thinking that using numbers against measly rats would be easy. It was until I saw the rats in question that I thought differently.

"They're bigger than I imagined," Yellow says while whispering. 

"It's not the size that scares me, but the amount," Runt states with a shiver.

They were both right. We'd surely die because even with us five, we'd lose.

Right now, we were hidden in the bushes observing what should have been our prey.

"What...do...we do?" Snail asked.

"Um...guys?" Big sounded alerted.

But the shadow that suddenly loomed over us was enough of a reason to understand why.

We all turned to see the Yak Rat hovering over us. It was hard not to notice the drool dripping down its chin.

It seems that it wasn't only us who could eat the rats but the other way around!

Why did Leo not alert me of the danger?

Leo?

No answer. What is this situation?

"Everyone, run!" I yelled out.

There's no point in sitting here thinking, we have to get away!

We snakes were running for dear life. It was as though the situation reversed before I could even try.

"Where do we go?!" Yellow asked.

She and the others weren't far behind me, and we hadn't escaped the horde of rats following closely behind us either.

Leo's not answering me, and I'm at a loss for what to do next. Is there nothing? Is this where I die again?

 

[You're finally here.]

 

Huh? What was that voice just now?

 

[Child with unknown origins. Follow my voice.]

 

Before I knew it, my body naturally began to head in the original direction where the Rats had lingered. 

It's not Leo's voice. It could even be a trap. But right now, anything was better than being eaten by those rats.

I kept going until we finally came across a rocky area filled with moss and a strange aura.

When we turned around, the rats stopped chasing us further.

Was it because of this place?

"What is this place? It's a little scary," Yellow latches onto Big.

Runt points towards the oddly aligned rocks that lie beyond murky water filled with moss.

We followed his gaze. 

"Oh, if we squint hard, we can see the crack!" Yellow sounded excited.

Now that she mentions it, I do see it. 

There's a long and visible line in between the rocks. I almost didn't see it if not for Runt.

A strong wind seemed to be beckoning me to go further.

 

[Come. Come, my child.]

 

It's that voice again. It must be coming from those rocks! 

I hesitated to follow a mysterious voice only because it told me to.

If not for this predicament, I'd probably ignore it. 

I glanced behind us. Because those damned rats were still hovering near, I doubt I had a choice.

"Let's go check it out," I say while slithering towards the water.

I'm not sure what happened with Leo, but I can't rely on him.

The other snakes followed me to the other side of the murky water until we stood before the rocks.

We could see a better view of the rocks now that we stood before them.

"I suddenly feel as though something might pop out of that crack," Big says.

"Let's go. Since anything is better than out here," I mutter.

They looked at each other but followed me inside.

I hope I won't regret this later. 

After slithering through the crack, we noticed the inside was massive compared to the outside appearance.

"Woah! It's a hidden cave!" Yellow draws in a breath.

I see, so this must be the cave Leo mentioned earlier. 

If I remember correctly, he did mention there would be a hidden cave in the South. 

But why would a voice I didn't know want to summon me here? And what did it mean when it called me a child of Unknown origins?

Did it seem that I was not a part of this world? 

I should keep my guard up because there's no telling what strange things live in this cave.

"Hey, Leader. Check out these markings over here!" Runt was near a cave wall.

He looked immersed in something, so I slithered over to see what it was. The other followed closely behind me.

I took a closer look at what piqued Runt's interest and discovered the markings on the wall were letters.

Thanks to my "Extra Skill" Diversity Language, I could read them fine.

 

Letters wrote: Be in awe, my child. The one who has read the words of this supreme being shall follow my evolution.

 

Strange. I wonder what it meant by those words.

That was when the whole cave began to shake.

"What's happening!?" Big asked.

"Everyone holds steady!" I yelled. 

"Leader!" Snail screams.

It was the first time I heard him yell so loudly.

But before I could react, the ground beneath me was crumbling, and I was falling.

While looking above, I could see the blurry figures of the other snakes leaning over the recently made hole.

I never thought I'd die like this.

 

[I finally got you.]