Chapter 17 The deep roads (1/2)

That centipede was not a pretty sight… ripped right in half, with its internal organs spilling out…

Urk….

However I couldn't pa.s.s up the precious opportunity that the hideous remains of the creature represented. Sweet, sweet bioma.s.s!

Using all of my guile, I retrieved the corpse, one half at a time and returned to the security of my nest for the ….. Feast.

Holy moly this is awful eating.

This is almost so disgusting I would rather starve. Almost. This is a very key word, almost. Would you like to starve to death Anthony, or eat this pile of smashed centipede? I would rather eat, but only just!

[You have gained one Bioma.s.s]

Huh.

It seems each creature usually contains one bioma.s.s.

Something interesting that I pay more attention to this time is the leftovers. I can't eat every part of these monsters, the fangs, the carapace, teeth and anything else that is too hard for me to ingest, so what happens to these pieces?

After I wait more than an hour a faint blue glow begins to surround these pieces and before my very eyes they sink into the ground.

What the….

Creepy!

These left over materials are being absorbed straight back into the soil? Does that mean this cavern network is absorbing monster pieces from all over? What for?!

The more I learn the more questions I have…

Well, now for the important business. I currently have three Bioma.s.s and one skill point to spend. Firstly the bioma.s.s.

[Do you wish to improve eyes? This will cost 3 Bioma.s.s]

Ugh. Here we go…

Yyyyes.

ggggggggggUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

The itch!! ITS WORSE THAT BEFOREEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

How?? HOW CAN IT WORSE!?!

As if an entire swarm of bees has decided my eyeb.a.l.l.s were the greatest offense to their species, my eyes light up with spectacularly intense itching. After much scrabbling, rolling and beating my head against the wall the feeling finally fades away.

Phew.

Now to the next task, a.s.signing my skill point!

[Would you like to spend your skill point?]

Yes indeed!

The usual menu appears and another mystery is quickly solved. Now that my stealth has reached level five I was informed that an upgrade had become available and now, looking my list of skills to purchase, along with dash and the skills I'd seen before is a new option.

[Stealth -> Advanced Stealth. cost 1 sp: The upgraded Stealth skill, further improves the skill holders' pa.s.sive ability to avoid notice whilst also greatly increasing this ability when remaining still]

Oh ho!

So when my skills reach level five I can upgrade them to an improved version at the cost of another skill point? Interesting! Of course I will have to select this skill, not being seen is the same thing as being alive! The new pa.s.sive seems very handy as well…

So now my status is like this:

Name: Anthony

Level: 3

Might: 15

Toughness: 12

Cunning: 25