[Instruction #10: Evolutionary roads are unlocked through the completion of several conditions which include but are not limited to: stats, skills, growth stage, outside sources and environment.]
“Wait...” I try recalling the last instruction I got. “Wait, where did the other nine instructions go?”
[Frequently Asked Question #051 was noticed.]
[Most reasonable answer: “It’s most likely that the host’s actions occurred before a corresponding or related instruction was given, and thus it was deemed unnecessary to show such instruction, causing it to be skipped.”]
“Ah, okay, that’s fair,” I nod.
As soon as the system’s voice stopped talking I stood still for a while just to make sure that nothing else was coming.
“...Alright,” I breathe out in relief.
“Let’s take it slow and understand everything step by step,” I look around the area. “Good, all clear, maybe small animals don’t come near the murder plant. So I might as well enjoy this peace.”
“System, show me the command list again. I wonder what the new ones are.”
[Currently available commands: “Show (my profile) (their profile) (its profile).” “Open (skill tree) (evolution road) (inventory).” “Expand on the (skill [name]) (species [name]).”]
“Just three new commands, but they all sound great,” I grin while thinking of the possibilities.
“Less thinking, more acting. Open inventory!”
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Inventory [01/05]:
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*Ping*
“Huh?”
[Instruction #12: Utilization of the system’s inventory depends entirely on verbal commands, and only system-related objects can be stored in it. As such, it should not, under any circumstances, be considered as a storage for common usage.]
“Oh, there goes the easy freezer plan,” I lower my head to the ground. “Tell me more about the lucky roulette then.”
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Name: Lucky Roulette Class: Gambling Item Tier: Lowest Description: A blessed roulette that can materialize its rewards. The contents are determined by the host’s luck stat and the roulette’s tier, but the chances of getting them are not. Any reward, however, will not be treated as system-related. Use it at your own discretion. Owned: 1 |
“Gee, that’s, like, telling me to increase luck. Not that I don’t want to, but being forced to would be irritating,” I shake my head. “Close the inventory for now.”
As soon as it disappears I call out my own profile.
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Name: User#33663 Class: Reptile Species: Core Serpent Growth(Stage): 2 Days(Baby) Stats: Strength: 1.01 | Endurance: 1.01 Agility: 1 | Dexterity: 1 Mind: 1.03 | Magic: 1 Charm: 0 | Luck: 0 Stat Points: 5 Skills: White Core (Passive) | Grade: Root Moonlit Recompense (Passive) | Grade: Root Presence Control (Active/Passive) | Grade: Root |
“Alright, let’s see what the new commands will teach me. Expand on the species ‘core serpent’.”
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Species Name: Core Serpent Class: Reptiles Element: Neutral Description: A species of snake that depends on the environment and specific diets to grow, being heavily affected by both. Their main trait is the core that can absorb the essence of anything in the surroundings and use it to adapt, then evolve their bodies into superior species. Little is known about their appearances as they are capable of hiding in plain sight and can feed off about anything that fits their mouth. |
“It doesn’t look super detailed, it’s almost like a sort of common knowledge? Not that I’d know. Anyways, it’s good to finally understand what I am, and a little about what I can do as well.”
I run through the information in my mind and speak about what bothers me.
“There’s some vague stuff like, ‘environment and specific diet,’ and also, ‘absorb essence,’ that I wish they were explained, but I will have to learn by myself I guess.”
“And wait, if I can hide so well, how did the murder plant notice me? Man, this system makes no sense,” I sigh.
After letting the screen disappear I try out the next, and last command that is now available.
“Expand on the skill ‘white core’.”
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Skill Name: White Core Class: Neutral Creature-Exclusive Skill Grade: Root Type: Passive Description: The naturally formed core of a neutral element creature, it can absorb and assimilate with any other element’s essence that comes in contact with it and change accordingly. Owners of a core can often tell how much of each essence it has absorbed by instinct. Acquired Essences: Nature(0.06), Sea(0.02), Life(0.01), Sky(0.01). |
“I don’t even feel the core, much less what it absorbed,” I laugh dryly. “Haa, I will take my time picking up on that kind of thing after this.”
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Skill Name: Moonlit Recompense Class: Bloodline Skill Grade: Root Type: Passive Description: A blessing given by a lunar deity to a few creatures that was, in turn, passed down their bloodline. During nights with a visible moon, this skill will slowly heal the body, but not the mind, of those standing under the moonlight. |
“Ooh, my mysterious savior was this? Should I be thanking my ancestors?” I nod twice. “Yeah, I will be sure to thank both my ancestors and the lunar deity with some offerings later. Waay later though.”
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Skill Name: Presence Control Class: Bloodline Skill Grade: Root Type: Active/Passive Description: Owners of a core have adapted their bodies to suit the inner changes to their outside and thus integrated a superior level of camouflage to their genes, which was, in turn, passed down through their bloodline. By merely willing to hide, the essences present on the surroundings of the creature will act as a cover that’s hardly detectable. And by willing to make themselves noticeable the essence gathered by their core will flare up into an easily distinguishable aura. |
“Hmm, it’s hard to understand how my ancestors accomplished that, but I will thank them for this too,” I say. “However, the only explanation I got from that was, ‘you got found out by the murder plant because you weren’t trying to hide,’ and it makes me sound dumb.”
After sitting through this long session of information since I woke up, I finally have the chance to breathe and, hopefully, take it all in slowly... By which I mean, taking a nap to relax.
“Please don’t let me have weird dreams again,” I ask while curling myself so I can rest my head on my tail. “Good night, murder plant.”
*Splash*
“Whaa!” I scream. “Can’t you wake me up like a normal person for once!?”
*Drip* *Drip*
“Hm? What...?” I look in the same direction that the murder plant dropped water. And at the other side of the open area was a small animal, at least smaller than an adult human, but compared to my current size, it’s basically a giant.
“Okay, good reason to wake me up,” I whisper. “Erm, how do we deal with that?”
I wait for a response from the murder plant as I try activating the effects of presence control. For some reason nothing feels different from before, but the creature really doesn’t seem to notice me even though I am in plain sight next to the plant.
*Stomp* *Stomp*
The ground shakes at every step that it takes, and it’s clearly heading towards the murder plant albeit slowly, almost as if it knows to be cautious of it. I slowly move myself away from the plant and sink a little into the mud surrounding it with only my head sticking out.
It has a rough but seemingly elastic brown skin, large limbs with flat feet that resemble trunks of a tree cleanly cut at the bottom. The body was quite pig-like, and I can see a tail swinging sideways when it moves with a turf of hair at the tip. The head was iconically larger than the rest of the body, with very short tusks on both corners of its mouth. And the nose... Well, it wasn’t very original.
“I swear, after so much weirdness, I’m surprised to see a normal animal for once,” I feel a little relieved. “Even though I never heard of those appearing in forests.”
Once the beast reaches the wet ground it halts. The murder plant, too, stops dropping water and remains focused, or at least that’s what I believe that it is doing.
“I can’t read a plant’s mind anyway,” I turn my eyes to the creature. “Let’s pry into that guy first, show me their profile.”
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Name: (Unnamed) Class: Mammal Species: Bordrunt Growth(Stage): 6 Months(Child) Stats: Strength: 3.01 | Endurance: 4.07 Agility: 1.22 | Dexterity: 0.54 Mind: 2.44 | Magic: 0 Charm: 0 | Luck: 1 Skills: Terrain Location (Active) | Grade: Root |
“...”
I stand still, without enough vocabulary to express my disappointment after reading the species. It feels as if I’m being toyed with by the world itself.
“I don’t like this place,” is all I manage to utter before the fight begins.
You're welcome!