Chapter 4

I blinked.

And I blinked again.

Having more than one eye… was surprisingly natural to me. I supposed that having a single eye should be the unnatural one, but it wasn’t the case. Having more than one viewing angles seemed to have changed absolutely nothing in terms of my psych.

Nor did having three eyes.

Or four.

I seemed that just like having multiple previously not-mine body parts like fins and tails, the new eyes were instinctively used and adapted to. It should have felt strange, but yet it didn’t.

I, however, learned to not question that anymore.

With my increased amount of eyes ( quite a bit smaller than the mono-eye I had ), I placed them at the sides of my head, two on each side. I smoothed out the part of my skull that was originally housed my only eye so that it now forms ridged brows, sheltering my newly minted eyes.

As a bonus, I also added eyelids — crystalline ones that could be drawn down like a camel's. It would make my sight a bit murkier, but at least it would give my eyes some last-minute protection.

I swivelled my eyes around in their sockets as I laid upon a branch high above the ground, testing them out. It was odd at first not having my eyes pointing directly to the front but I quickly got used to it. Despite space being — perhaps completely made up as a concept within my mind, having two eyes viewing something at once does grant me improved three-dimensional visual recognition capabilities.

That sounded way, waaaaaay too wordy.

My two supporting eyes may seem rather pointless, but they did serve a purpose in… keeping an eye on other things around me while my two primary ones were focused upon something else. Most mortal, fleshy brains probably couldn’t split their attention between even two eyes, but somehow my etherial mind could comprehend this mess of information.

I rolled my eyes, and the world spun.

…

That was fun.

…

Focus, Elisa.

I stretched my jaws again, lifting my body off the branch. I’ve spent the rest of the [Essence] in creating a second rib cage in my chest to surround my own [Soul Stone], Most creatures here in the [Beyond] seemed to locate their [Soul Stone] within their heads — which in my opinion was stupid since it was the first thing to be attacked with its proximity to anything offensive, especially when it contains most of your offensive tools.

Now that I’m spent, I made my next goal in lengthening my body. I’ve concluded that the [Deer] gave around two, three hundred worth of [Essence], which was surprisingly few since what they do all the time was eating the [Grey Grass]. Perhaps they spent it somehow? And why do they not have a [Deposit]? Where in the [Beyond] do they keep their [Essence]? Do they grow like real deers, the [Essence] spend immediately?

Questions, questions… It appears that even in the world of monsters and crazy magical shite I’m still the odd one out. Fantastic.

That being, however, I would need to hunt more. Lengthening my body would help me in to do that snake-strangle-thing I did on the [Deer] before, which seemed more effective than I thought it would be. Also, since the [Soul Stone] seem to be located in the head, assaulting that part directly would probably be more.. quiet since the creatures wouldn’t die as long as the [Soul Stone] remains intact.

…

Saying that was all good and dandy, but finding a [Deer] seemed much more difficult than before. I wondered if my earlier… hunt had spooked the beings here. I ghosted through the trees as stealthy as possible, keeping away from the ground once more.

…

I wish I got fucking auto-pilot on this thing. How could a hunt be so nerve-rending and boring at the same time?

It was a monotonous track in a straight line through the boring, flat-grounded forest. Without having to carefully manage through the undergrowth with walking limbs, it was a simple matter to navigate. I kept my eyes peeled in all directions — front and back both for any and all sizeable greens. The [Green Worms] in the ground apparently doesn’t give two craps about the dying screeches of the [Deers] but they weren’t what I was after, so I left them alone.

It was a long while after that ( No idea how long. I really need a clock or a watch. ) when I spotted a [Deer]. Immediately, I pulled up higher as to prevent any and all spooking of the prey, slowing down to carefully monitor them.

Unsurprisingly, it seemed that the [Deers] had congregated into much larger herds than before, numbering around ten as I counted. With these much more compact herds, it would certainly lessen the amount of free-roaming individuals around. In addition, they seemed to march in a roughly circle-shaped formation, those on the outside keeping an eye, while those in the middle would feed on the grass. They were wary — much more wary than before, hiding in bushes before carefully advancing. Certainly, the [Deer] that ran away from my last hunt spread its panic message rather quickly.

If I wasn’t a chameleon-snake-fish-thing-that-can-fly, it would probably be impossible for me to even approach the bunch without being noticed.

Unfortunately for them, I am a chameleon-snake-fish-thing-that-can-fly. I manoeuvred over the bunch, shadowing them.

While I was confident with my ability to swiftly descent and attack without giving the prey time to even react, I was not too fond of being surrounded by the [Deers] when I inevitably slow down. I would need to hit and run without dying— profitably, of course.

No matter how much I understood that I’m safe, jumping into a herd of animals while I was a physically disabled girl in my previous life told me that it was a terrible idea. In fact, most humans would recommend that you should probably run in the other direction.

But you are a chameleon-snake-fish-thing-that-can-fly. You can do this.

Probably.

…

Agh, fuck it.

In my mind, I started patterning their movement, the occasions that they would switch roles from guarder to eater, the individuals that were more relaxed than others. It was after a while when I could safely say that I had any confidence in what I was about to pull off.

I hovered near the back of the herd, waiting. Eventually, the one I had been trailing neighed, signalling the switch with its partner. It didn’t move from its position until the second one comes by, taking its place.

The first [Deer] visibly relaxed as it slowly moved away from its sentry spot, probably thinking about grass or something while the second [Deer] was disgruntled about its duty.

That was the time to strike — when both were distracted.

Silently, I swooped down upon the guard, carefully aiming this time. My [Spears] and [Feelers] held tense at the ready.

I have no veins for blood to run or a heart to beat, but memories surfaced. Excitement, fear, apprehension — all rolled up into a single ball of intensity.

However, I had no time for them. Precision was what I need, so I focused.

My jaws, lined with razor teeth, yawned as wide as could manage when I accelerated, faster and faster.

It was like a movie — one that you watched so many times that you could recall every line and every action, narrate out to your friends or even act it out as a play. All of the actions that followed were absurdly distant, as if I was merely watching a cat chasing a pigeon from a few blocks away.

It was interesting how in times of conflict or great stress, suddenly everything would make sense, a rationality that was completely out the window but seemed fine anyways. The [Deer] slowly turned to face me, just like the one that I faced previously.

Slow.

Time slowed to a crawl, sluggish.

In the few scarce moments, I could see the way its eyes widen, the tensing of its neck, the hind legs that buckled down to spring away. I too could see that it was experiencing the exact same moment as I was. It would see me arrive in slow-motion too, a gaping abyss full of keen, bloodthirsty teeth that were made with only murder in mind.

A part of me revelled — seeing the way I held this fragile being’s life in my hands. The way I could so easily snuff the candle flame out with nary a thought.

Then, dramatically, I arrived. My mouth bit down upon it, swelling upon the entirety of its visage. I felt it jerk back in terror as darkness became its closest associate, my teeth digging into its spine and muscles contracting down without mercy.

My [Spears] flashed — not in an {Impale} but in a crazed frenzy, slicing everything it could reach, serrating flesh and bones. It was a grinder that peeled back the neck, ripping the bits and pieces apart.

Within me, I could hear a muted scream, smothered within my jaws. Then, in a distant pop, it suddenly went silent as the head detached. I {Devoured} the head whole, the [Soul Stone] within travelling its last trip.

It was all over.

I held the body upright with my [Feelers], hoisting the suddenly limp body up with my own so that it wouldn’t drop onto the ground.

That all only took seconds. Seconds for a life to extinguish.

The second [Deer] was still walking away, oblivious.

I felt the tingling sensation once again as the [Essence] rushed into me, along with my presence of mind. I gazed upon the body I held, the stump of a neck that pressed against my teeth and wondered how I felt less and less disturbed with every bloodshed.

I couldn’t feel much of anything as the memories of what I once would call satisfaction faded away. I should feel horror, or perhaps even disgust at the way its ichor splattered against me, sizzling into the air like a fine mist.

In front of me — this being that perhaps once lived its un-life in peace, ended gruesomely and silently, becoming nothing more than a denotation of [Essence]. Two hundred with the body, one hundred in the [Soul Stone].

The other [Deer] slowly faded away, the rustling of leaves distancing into the undergrowth, leaving me and the body behind.

There was no time to waste. I must {Devour} the body and continue on tracking the herd. It would be an absolute pain to track them down again. I slowly set the body down once more, my teeth gleaming with purpose.

The flavour of seasoned meat filled my mind — perhaps with a tingle of apple or pear. The tougher bones held the texture of sugar glass, muscles feeling like cotton candy as opposed to flesh. The body contained no organs aside from a rudimentary stomach where mushed up [Grey Grass] awaits absorption.

I ate it all.

It was ridiculous the way me — a much smaller being could ever comprehensively consume an entire deer. A wolf and its pack would settle for a single prey, satisfying its stomach for the day. Meanwhile, the chameleon-snake-fish-thing-that-can-fly behaved like a glutton and would not be filled.

Great poetry Elisa. That would definitely qualify you for an English Literature based university on the spot.

As of previously, I had [Auto-Scale], I decided on an [Auto-Snake] function for growth. With every full two-hundred [Essence] I have, my body would grow and lengthen like that old retro game called “Snake”. Already, I could feel my midriff lengthening and tingling. Growing and increasing in size requires an exponentially larger and larger amount of [Essence], but growing only lengthwise would probably keep it rather even.

Before I knew it, I had already finished consuming the remains, only leaving behind a faint green-coloured spot on the forest floor.

I hoisted myself upward again into the air. The [Ash Trees] loomed above, the [Stick Insects] and [Monkeys] not knowing any better. The disappearance of the [Deer] had gone absolutely unnoticed within the woods.

Vanished.

Something arose within me again — something that seemed faintly like excitement or joy but somehow much more sinister than that. I couldn’t help but giggle to myself. Somehow, I had turned into the classical monster in the woods, the Jason that stalks unwitting teenage campers and the White Whale in Moby Dick.

That’s some concerning psychopathic behavior, Elisa, I reminded myself as I gave chase to the herd, humans aren't supposed to feel happy about successfully murdering something.

People do it all the time.

Yeah? And those are psychopaths.

I’m suicidal. I hardly count as being of normal mind, am I?

I’ve swiftly caught up to the herd once more. Having to walk on feet cautiously, the herd moved rather slowly. Enough for me to eat a meal and still see them from above.

They’ve yet to notice.

And so I struck again.

And again.

And again.

By the time they finally realized, another four had gone missing — without any witnesses.

Time passed, and I grew longer and longer.

Time was meaningless.

All that mattered was [Essence], and how much I could obtain.

Eventually, I grew long enough to be called a serpent — not a snake, perhaps more of an eel, some kind of deep-sea monstrosity that found its way upward to the shallows. My lengthy body transformed from its catfish like build to one fit to strangle an animal.

Countless (or maybe I lost count. Not that it mattered) [Deers] were sacrificed to fuel my rampant growth. I began to count my length by the heavier crystal plates upon my back, each one forming a [segment] of a hundred [Essence].

Counting by [segment] then, each the length of half a [Green Worm], I would have reached around… fourteen segments, which was more than double my initial length if I discount the length of my head. Much longer than a [Deer] now, enough to wrap fully around a fully grown [Ash Tree].

With every fourth [Segment], I decided to pop out a new set of fins to help propel my body along. This way, I was no longer a chameleon-snake-fish-thing-that-can-fly, but a full-on Cthulhu Eel.

I’ve lost count of the amount of [Essence] that made up my body. It was probably somewhere in the three thousand to four thousand range. It was almost ludicrous the way I had scrambled for even the tiniest [Grey Blob] in the beginning, being such a miser with all of my resources.

Now, with every increment of [Essence] by the fallen, my intake rose to the hundreds by each kill. I’ve noticed that every time I use [Body Mould], there was always some [Essence] that never made it to fuel my growth — somehow spent elsewhere. A quarter of all [Essence] used would just disappear, used up to power the growth like the electricity that powers the construction crane. That might explain how despite eating [Grey Grass] since forever, the [Deers] still only contain two-three hundreds worth of [Essence].

Eventually, the herds had thinned out, merging and hiding within the underbrush, too scared to even move away. Perhaps I should feel guilty as I once did with the [Green Worms], but I wouldn’t.

Each of these kills, I earned them.

Not through mass destruction, not by burning them alive.

It was quick, merciful.

It was a proper hunt, or so I convinced myself.

When the herds started disappearing, simply hunting the [Deers] became more and more impractical. Even if they do give a few hundred [Essence] each, finding them took way too long. So, I looked up instead.

Above me, carefree and loud were the [Monkeys], numbering in the dozens as they swung through the white forest, plucking [Grey Blobs] out of the air like fruits. Their numbers might have once fazed me, but not anymore.

Dispassionately, I rose and rose to the top of the canopy, settling still in wait among the leaves. Despite my bulk, I could hide by pretending to be a branch, one lined with teeth and murderous intent.

I noted how when one focuses on a single task, all distractions would fade away to the back of one’s mind. Time became inconsequential when all that mattered right then, right there was of the immediate.

Hollering loudly, the horde of [Monkeys] arrived, swinging with their six thin limbs among the branches. Compared to the [Deers], they were rather puny looking, each just a bit smaller than a [Green Worm: Big] — a size that I could now swallow whole.

They chittered loudly.

They didn’t notice. Not until I’ve {devoured} my fourth one.

I hardly cared if they did or not, all that was in my mind was the [Essence]. Thirty [Essence] each, containing so much more in their pint-sized body than a [Green Worm] did, but hardly enough to even sate my needs.

But it was something — better than nothing.

So, I ate, chase and ate more.

It was easy. Too easy.

Even with their speed, none could escape from my hunt. My [Spears] flashed and flashed, {impaling} a [Monkey] in each tendril, dumping them into my jaws like a free buffet. Their enraged screeches didn’t matter. Their weak blows and tiny fists that struck my carapace didn’t matter. The ones that were frozen in fear too hardly mattered.

It was profit in the hundreds.

So I ate, more and more.

Until the time where there was no more to be found.

Was that what you were aiming for, Elisa? Wiping out an entire species?

Oh please, morality. We’ve been through this once —

What was this for, then?

To grow stronger, what else would there be?

You were plenty strong already, Elisa. There was no need to push the —

Boundaries? We are all dead. It hardly matters. People change.

… People change.

….

…

What was the point again? To survive? To eat everything in sight?

…

Questions, unanswerable.

It was pointless to ask, pointless to try to answer. There was only forward, and that was more than enough reason to do anything. Life is self-propelling. A fluke with the task to preserve its own existence in any way possible.

Here in the forest, now barren aside from the [Green Worms] and [Stick Insect], I wandered aimlessly. The forest was big and empty, missing the sounds of hollering or the rustle of leaves from the heavy masses treading through.

Quiet. Desolated.

Occasionally, I could still see flashes of larger greens, mayhap a [Deer] or [Monkey], but I declined the desire to give chase.

What was the point?

There was never a reason to stay here.

I can always move on. That was the reason.

I randomly picked a direct — it hardly matters. There was always bound to be a [Corridor] somewhere at the edge of the forest. Half-heartedly, I moved.

Perhaps there might be something in the new [Area]. Something worth staying for.

…

…

But then.

I spied something peculiar. Something that I’ve yet to see in a long, long while. Something that almost didn’t recognize, something deep within my memories that were more like fever dreams.

I knew that that was something important, urgent even. I felt myself rushing in for a closer look.

There, stuck to the base of an [Ash Tree] with a nail, bold and somehow more real, was a piece of glowing paper. It sat there nonchalantly as if it was there all along, a friend that was waiting at a cafe or something you thought you misplaced earlier. Upon it was something scribbled nonsensically, writing that I couldn’t recognize, but that hardly mattered.

Paper. Words.

It was more real than anything that was here. More substantial somehow, proving its existence by itself.

Something within me wept, emotions that I've forgotten but returned without a warning.

Words.

Intelligent beings.

Humans.