《A Life of Terror.》 Think. Darkness is my all. I know nothing else. At times, flitting emotions pass by in an attempt to latch onto my psyche, but I brush them away. I still don''t understand what they are, so they must be dangerous. When did I realize that? By reviewing past experiences and using them to form a rudementary defensive tactic, you have developed one point of intelligence. By thinking over past actions and questioning them, you have developed the soul skill; Curiosity. Oh...that''s...something, I think? What are those...things? There was some kind of...other thing as well...it came along with the first things. By wondering about things beyond your grasp and making a very...very tiny breakthrough, you have been awarded one point of wisdom. By acquiring one point of both intelligence and wisdom, you have gained the title: Sentient. For achieving the Sentient title, you have been awarded one point of both intelligence and wisdom. For developing the Sentient title without the interference of the System or a deity, you have a chance to acquire the Gifted Being title. Influence by luck statistic...none. Chance of acquiring Gifted Being title...impossible. Awarding one point of luck as buffer to prevent immediate cataclysm upon birth. Influence of new luck Stat upon chance to gain Gifted Being title...recieved. Chance of gaining Gifted Being title....0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001. Rolling.....roll failed. You have not been awarded the gifted being title. I don''t really understand what''s going on here, or anything now that I think abou....wait....since when have I been able to think? What is thinking? My...something...feels strange. By pondering your own existince, you have gained two points of wisdom. By pursuing such a path to the point of mental pain, you have gained the soul skills; Mental Resistance, and Philosopher. Again with those...things. The ones that appear from nowhere is fine, but the one that seems to come from everywhere at once is scary. After being exposed to sound, you shy away from it. As such, your physical form shall also have such fears. Whatever...I''ll...I''ll just ignore it. It...it''s not that bad and only shows up when the other thing does. By observing the actions of what you perceive to be a foe and planning accordingly, you have unlocked the mental skills; Combat Tactics, Preperation, Fear Resistance, Courage, and Ignorance. Um..alright. It''s like anytime I...think...these things show up. By observing and learning about what you think is an enemy, you have gained two points in intelligence and wisdom. Warning, by gaining a sufficient number of skills and Stat points, you are no longer allowed to dwell in the V27dnnq9ddkn ed 9id. As such, you will soon be transported to V1hdisnendi ed 2id. You have existed for [Redacted Information] millenia. As such, you gain . This will not appear on any form of Status Screen without divine influence. It''s affects are [Redacted Information].This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. You shall now be awarded one unique soul skill in accordance with your wishes and soul''s personality. Please wait while you are examined and tested to ensure your bonded skill is chosen correctly. While this process is underway, please consider what you would like out of such a skill. Error: Subject [Nameless Sentience] cannot properly understand System Prompts. Awarding ten points of wisdom and basic understanding. While upload is in progress, the System shall focus on your unique soul skill. Loading...complete. The strange feeling from earlier returns, now enraged and rampant. Sensations and images flit across what I consider consiousness, pain, so much pain. I can barely comprehend anything but the fact that I was in pain. A name for a sensation that only worsened as you understood it''s meaning. I must have thrashed for hours, flowing time being another concept thrust upon me by this ''System''. So much knowledge and information is barreling through my brain that it''s debillitating. I might...die. Death...oh gods death....am I dead now?Was I ever even alive? I try and hold the thought, but the torrent of knowledge sweeps me along, seemingly forever as these basic concepts and emotions began filling my very being. In time though, my body-less mind eventually stops spinning. Infront of me are small lines, bent and curved as they go along. These are...letters. The...noise that goes along with them is called a voice. It''s...made from sound. There''s the pain again....not nearly as severe. I''m...pushing my limits? Whatever, let''s just try to keep the pain away from now. What are those little lines even supposed to mean? I can''t...read them. That''s what they''re meant for. I don''t know how though. I''ll...I''ll just ignore them. They can''t...help me. Besides, now that my mind isn''t being thrown around a vortex..vortex? Anyway, now that all that information isn''t getting dumped into me, it makes a lot more sense. I need to...rummage...sort...sift...bah. I need to see if there''s anything I can use in there. Something tells me that this is going to take a lot of time. A...long time. Yes, that''s the...phrase. Hopefully not to long though, distance seemed pretty inconvenient. And painfull. I don''t think I''m supposed to stretch that way. System Refocused on [Unnamed Sentience] Due to your inability to understand prompts from the system, your Status Board shall be arranged into a way that you will be able to understand. Due to actions while System was focused elsewhere, you have gained twenty five points of intelligence, thirty points of wisdom, five levels in mental resistance, ninety levels of Fear Resistance, and one level of Philosopher. WARNING. UPPER LIMIT OF STATUS POINTS FOR CURRENT DIMENSIONAL UNIVERSE HAS BEEN REACHED. YOU WILL NOW BE FORCEFULLY REMOVED. UNIQUE SKILL SHALL BE AWARDED UPON BIRTH. FAREWELL AND GOODLUCK. Luck+1. Wait, what? The voice is much louder now. It hurts a little...birth...that...I''m...I''m about to- =--------------= "Are you sure about this, Zen?" a hooded woman asked in a seemingly empty room. She had a dark purple robe draped over her shoulders, it''s hem drifting lazily on the floor around her pale feet. She was not...lusty, so to speak, but the beauty she held was just enough to hold a gaze. Her slivery hair was mismatched on a nearly porcelain smooth face, but crimson eyes washed away any doubt that she was powerful in a way only the ancient could hope to achieve. However, the thing she spoke to caused even this old god to tremble. "Absolutely...the die has been cast long ago, young Lilac. Before the world of your name was lost...before the scourge began. I do feel sorrow for the things that creature shall do, but it is needed to ensure the council will rule fairly." Lilac smiled slightly before giving a light shake of her head. The way her hair seemed to float ever so slightly after the small movement was strange, but she had longe since grown used to it. "I understand, truly. I simply cannot comprehend the faith you place in a single being from the After. Why wait so long? Wh-" "Youth..." interrupted the older god, his voice echoing in the darkness of his realm. "...is the idea of certainty. It is the belief that reason must play a part in reality. It is looking for answers, instead of questions. You, dearest godling, are still young. Watch, wait, experience...learn...influence. Even I am limited to this cycle, as I shall always be." Lilac sighed, knowing that gaining direct knowledge from a higher being was about as easy as becoming one. Taking into consideration her own ''revelations'' to the people of her governed worlds...the older god was likely doing all he could to divulge information. Shaking her head once more, the goddess returned to her own realm. If she was going to watch over some...creature until it was time for the beast to join the council, very well. However, she would do so from her own realm. Life. Warmth. I''ve never felt it before. Actually...I don''t think I''ve felt anything else either. It''s nice...I like it. Honestly, the only things wrong are those thingies that keep trying to get inside my mind. They seem pretty scary and violent so I''ve just been ignoring them so far. The Squiglies even showed up after I thought about them for a while. Figuring out what they mean is kind of a game at this point. So far, I''ve been able to figure out that there are two types of the Squiglies. One type is meant for trying to tell me things, and the other has something to do with how many of something there are. Then the Noiseys come and try and explain it a different way. Finally then, the Squiglies just push what they''re trying to say right into my think-box. I don''t really get what a think-box is even though the Squiglies try and explain it. It''s...me? Something like that, I don''t get it. For learning important information, but quickly failing to understand and remember it, you have gained +1 Ignorance and +2 Carefree skill levels. For reaching +20 in Ignorance and +10 in Carefree before your birth, you have gained the Soul skill; Spirit of the Wind. This Soul skill will not appear on any status screen without Divine interference. For gaining five Soul skills before your birth, you have once more gained the opportunity to gain the Gifted Being title. Influence by current Luck; 1.00000000000000264849 percent. Chance of gaining Gifted Being title; 01.0000000382729293748391937 Rolling...failed. Second roll awarded, +30 Luck gained for rare chance roll. Rolling....rolling...............succeded. You have gained the Gifted Being title. All EXP doubled during lifetime. All Stats gain {x (5)+1} growth correction upon Level Up. As a divine being watches over your incubance, as well as owning the Gifted Being title, you gain the chance to become more deeply connected to them. Extend a (metaphorical) hand to the Goddess Lilac in hopes she returns the honor? (Yes)(No) Ooooooh, lot''s of Squiglies today. Most of it goes right over my head, which shouldn''t be to hard considering it only started growing a while ago. Anyway, that end part sounded pretty fun. It''s not that often that the Squiglies want me to reply.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Upon leaning my psyche toward the Squiglies, I was met with a refreshing wave of knowledge that was quite a bit different than most other before. This...Goddess, was amazing. I saw flashes of water and these brightly colored things called ''flowers''. Oh! The Goddess is even named after one! So pretty! Not scary! ...I want to meet her!Yes! You have chosen to try and make contact with the Goddess Lilac. Contact has been denied, however Lilac has chosen to grant you a quest upon birth so that you may prove yourself worthy of such council. From what I get of that, I''ll be alone for now. That''s okay though! I''ll keep trying until she''s begging to see me! For attempting to reach the gods themselves, and not becoming dissuaded after failure, you have gained the Faith attribute. Though Lilac declined your audience, your hope of one day meeting the deity has only grown stronger. As such, your spirit is affected by the +10 increase of faith before your mortal birth. Your species shall fall under; Pantheon of Nature. WARNING; All required fields of Stats, Understanding, Moral Allignment, and Personality have been filled. Birth will come soon, young one. It shall be filled with wonders and fear, but stride confidently. Whether the smallest of rodents, or the mightiest of beasts, all life has purpose. May the System aid and guide your path. (Additional skills and titles shall now be added to your Status screen. To prevent an unnatural or unfortunate reaction between body and soul, you will soon lose conciousness. To lessen the probability of a birth defect, all [Unnamed Fetuses] are given +10 Luck.) Moooooorrrrreeeeeee Ssssssqqqqquiglies! Wow, I haven''t had this many in a while. Not since my limbs started growing at least. They seem pretty small compared to the other things the Squiglies showed me. Other...life. There were big ones that breathed fire, small ones that could do this thing called digging! It looked like a lot of work though, and the fire burned things, so I''ll do my best to avoid stuff like that. Eating seemed fun though! The Squiglies showed me aaaaalllll kinds of food. There were thesewoolf things eating another thing, andhoomans eating tons of different things! The Squiglies said that humans are mean though, they don''t talk to the Squiglies or say thank you ever! It seemed like they couldn''t talk about it to much when I asked, but it really seemed like thesehoomans are just a bunch of meanies! For learning of a different species and growing to despise them, even with your inferior intelligence, you have gained the Hater of Humanity title. All damage to humans has been modified by ten percent, and shall grow with your resentment. Since you have aquired both the Peaceful and Hater of Humanity titles, humans will resent you, but other sentient races will become more accepting of you. Any race that is at war or recovering from disputes with any human will be more tolerant of your actions, as well as more willing to listen to your council. ---- Sufficient growth has been reached, the time of your birth has come. You shall now be fully integrated into your new body. Your new race is; Tortoise Golem. Your new name, as determined by the Goddess Lilac, is Orchid. To avoid damage of the soul or psyche, you shall lose conciousness in three...two...one. Good luck. Luck+1 See. I...feel the ground under me. It''s rough. Little pebbles dig into my side, and I can even hear the sound of stone grinding against itself. The warmth that I had grown to love has abandoned me and now I can only fill the chill of the wind gently blowing past my face. A low rumble causes me to lift my head, though for some reason my eyes refuse to open. I can feel my mouth open but no sound manages to escape. I have no voice...how sad. Something touches my nose...no...I don''t have a nose. Regardless, I shy away from the sensation momentarily before something tells me I am safe. Seconds later, ever so gently, the pressure returns. Again the soft vibrations reach me, carried through this small amount of contact. Mother, I realize. The Squiglies had shown me such a thing. From one creature comes another, and such is the beginning of life. Life...I...I''m alive... Something in me stirs, and a feable response to the previous rumble escapes my lips. It was weak, high pitched...mine. In that moment, what felt like eons of loneliness crashed into my psyche. I instantly strain my neck forward towards mother, seeking the comfort I had so long desired. Congratulations! Upon being born, you calmly seek the warmth of true life. Though you were fearful, you soon found serenity in the prospect of family. Though the tendrils of your previous existence in [Redacted Information] still remain, you whole-heartedly chose to embrace the safety of now. Your beginning stats are: Name- Orchid Age- Infant Str- 50 Int-170 Wis-230 Dex-10 Agi-15 Attk- Str(2)-Def of Hostile Def; Blunt- 100. Blade- 1000. Magic- 420 /Some of your stats are seen as ''irrelevant'' to your survival, and have such not been included on your status menu. If you should desire to learn of them, please use a scrying spell. This message shall not be shown again.\ /Your soul skills are unable to be shown on a status screen of any kind without divine interference. As such, they are unable to be displayed even to you. This message shall not be shown again.\ Oh, hello Squiglies! Hello Noisies! I call out to my ''friends'' as I further nuzzle into the warm side of my mother. There is very little give, and she seems to be even harder than the ground, but I am content nonetheless. Over the next few minutes, I begin hearing small coos all around me. With a lack of sight, I''m left to fend for myself as mother gently leads each of my siblings to her embrace. Title gained; Firstborn.+1 Int, +1 Wis, +1 End per level until maturity. As each new addition to my family settles in around me, the Squiglies once more appear with the county Squiglies. They''re so nice, wanting to cuddle up with us all. ****** Ah...sleep is so nice. It''s like that before-time, but not nearly as long. Sometimes I even see these things the Squiglies call dreams! Not all of them are good, but that''s alright, they aren''t real! I yawn and stretch out my legs, which basically means laying on my tummy and wiggling them around until they''re a bit easier to move. I''m sure it looks kind of funny, but I can''t really tell. Pushing myself out of the comfy position, I walk forward until the edge of my snout is grazing against mother''s warm belly. ... It might be a wall. ....... Yeah, that''s a wall. ... ............ ....... Ahem! Second try! Picking my head up a bit, I turn it a little to the side and listen very closely for the sound of Mother''s breathing. Int+1 Wis+1 Sure enough, a deep rumble passes through the nest every few minutes. Slowly, I start to make my way over to her. I have to step on a few of my sibling to get there, but the most they retaliated with was a small whine. Once I am comfortably sure that mother is infront of me, I gently nuzzle my head into her side and plop back down.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Just as I am about to fall asleep once more, I hear some kind of skittering as the edge of the nest, but ignore it as such things happen quite often. Unfortunately...this time it wasn''t some little innocent critter. It started with a screech. High-pitched like mine, but a bit deeper. Regardless, one of my sibling were obviously in pain. I felt Mother move faster than she ever had before. It seemed like just a second before I heard her roar on the other side of our nest. I hear another roar, this one far more gravelly and rough. The next few minutes revolve around the sound of mother charging, biting, and challenging this intruder. In return, whatever was attacking us seems to be cawing at her and trying to rip into her shell with some kind of claw or tooth. At least, I hope that ear-splittinng noise isn''t coming from one of them. It sounds like rock grinding against rock with all the strength of the world. Each roar staggers me, each clash of their bodies jars my bones. Everytime our assailent manages to dig into mother''s shell, the sound it produces forces me to push my head further into the ground as a cry of anguish leaves my mouth. Then as I hear the sound of a loud crash right beside my head, the blackness around me shifts, and my thoughts leave me. Unfortunately, your weakness to sound has resulted in unconciousness. Furthermore, your environment has amplified this effect, resulting in minor damage to your ears. This will heal over time, but for {3 days} you will be constantly assaulted by a ight ringing noise. Then, for {1 month} you will have a 5% reduction to your ability to hear. Should you die in the time that you are in this comatose state, the System will do it''s best to mitigate the pain. Aw...poop. Wait..I don''t need to poop...so...pebbles? Yes. Pebbles it is. Are you going to take anything seriously?Redacted before viewed. So then, what the moss am I gonna do here? Heh heh... ****** It''s been quite some time since I came to this new life, and I must say... this is rather boring. Well, things trying to kill us quite often is hardly boring, but that isn''t my point. First of all, everything is black. Like, everything. I walk around, I bump into things. I try and find that cool rock outcrop from yesterday? No sense of direction. I can see absolutely nothing. Oh, and the cherry on top? Sometimes I even get lost and mother has to find me! I was trapped for hours once! Maybe just several minutes...it''s hard to tell time when you have no way to keep it. Sigh...well, nothing I can do abou-.......................................................................................................................................I haven''t opened my eyes.................................................................. OF COURSE. WHYYYYYYYYY? Congratulations! After half a month, four times slower than the average for your race, you have finally gotten your first glimpse of the world around you! Int+2! Dex+2! New statistic, Perception(Ptn), has been created! Ptn+ 50! However, you...are quite the slow learner at times. Carefree has gained three levels! Ignorance has gained 20 levels! Congratulations! For gaining more than 75 points(at once) in either soul traits or bodilystatistics before leaving infancy, you have gained the (Un) skill "Fast Learner". Int+15! Wis+15! Ptn+10! Dex+5! All forms of learning are now (x-2+x2) faster for you! At times,in other words very rarely, objects or words related to a problem you are having will faintly glow, suggesting you focus more in that area. The first environment you have laid eyes on is "Cave of the Rock Giants". Due to the mana coursing through the air, which you have been shrouded in since birth, you gain Def+5 Str+5. All stats now gain a +10 in rocky or underground environments. Due to the synergy of the bonus with your race, this is increased to +20! As fate has placed you in such a suited environment for your species, you gain +1 Luck! Notice: Such a drastic leap in ability can sometimes cause discomfort, so please bear with this necessary smidge of pain. Siiiiiiiighhhhhhhhhh....thank you Squigli...OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW! Just before I can tell the Squiglies that they are free to do their squigly thing, I feel as though every muscle in my body contracts and expands at the same time. I can feel the tendons and joints creaking with the strain, begging to snap in half to escape this horrible sensation. After about five minutes however, the crippling pain slowly begins to proceed. My pained wails seem to have attracted Mother, as she is quietly rubs her snout against the back of my shell. I shake and gasp for breath several more minutes, heedless of the small trails of water falling from my face and onto the cold floor. Slowly though, I force myself to my feet. Mother lets out a worried rumble, but seems to be rather calm about the ordeal. In that moment, for the very first time...I look up and see her face. Brown, craggy skin with more gashes across her body than I can count. One eye missing, seemingly torn out rather recently. She has a wide head, easily twice the width of my body, and three times as tall. Her mouth is angled back with a sort of beak replacing her lips. Another low rumble shows me a thin, needle-like tongue but no teeth. Her shell looks like a small stalagmite mixed with an island, lazily drifing around as she wanders the caves. I see a few small creatures actually living in the rock-like structure, but they simply chitter at me before disappearing. She had a long tail, around 2 metres, with her body being double that. Meters? Distance...miles...yard...centi.....bah! Whatever. Seeing that I am in no serious danger, and maybe even looking a little proud, she turns and begins shambling back to what I asume is our nest. Her legs are easily a metre thick, and every step is accompanied by a small tremor, though that might just be due to my own puny size in comparison to her. I begin to follow with a small cry, doing my best to make little hops with each step. While I would never be able to jump, I can certainly pounce! For now anyway.... Agi+1 As we make our way back to base camp, I use my new sense to thouroughly explore the path we take. The little clackity-clack of my toe stub thingies (I think they''re called nails) on the cold rock is a rather funny sound, though it quickly begins annoying Mother. Regardless, I get to discover so much more now! For instance, this mushroom! Hmmm, yes, I''ve felt this texture before. I rolled around in a rather large patch. Mother had to lick me clean, but didn''t seem to mind much. Anyway! It is green! It droops a lot! There is a tiny thing on the top! The tiny thing is glowing! It is pretty! Yes! Ptn+1 Carefree+1 And so the next hour or so passed by, with the squiglies popping up every time I found something new or intereting. I found a rock that looked like mother, and she decided to store it in her tummy. She seemed really happy, so I started looking for rocks that look like my siblings. After all, I like being happy, so I should make others happy too! When we get back though...it''s a bloodbath. Home. Bodies cover our nest, torn to shreds or crushed into a paste. The blood varied between a deep crimson and sterling blue. Eyes, bones, gore beyond my ability to describe surround us. I take a few shaky steps foreward, barely able to take in the carnage without pebbling myself. Well, if I could pebble anyway. Walking up to one of the bodies, I warily circle around it. It has a beak like Mother, but this one is longer and full of small teeth. These...things are all over it''s torso and legs...feathers, I think. Each is as long as my leg and jet black, but some have this dried flaky stuff staining them. Probably...where that blue blood came from. That isn''t even the scary part. Once I reach the creature''s front legs, I see claws that are easily my size. Stepping back, this...thing, seems about half the size of Mother. How many of these have mother killed?.... Unfortunately, this is when I look down. Our little nest is a semi-circle pressed into the ground, kind of like when I push my foot into a patch of loose dirt. This...isn''t dirt though. The entire structure is made from bone shards and skeletons, crushed and pressed down. As soon as I look at the ground, I''m put face-to-face with the skull of some many-eyed thing.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. I let out a small yelp and scamper around, only noticing my sleeping siblings after I knock myself onto my shell and spin to a slow stop behind one of their butts. That alone wouldn''t be to bad, but their stumpy tail is dangerously close to my eye. Kicking my legs in an attempt to flip myself, I succeed only in a small rocking motion, though it does move me put of the danger zone. It...it''s kind of nice actually. Carefree+1! Thank you Squiglies! I let out something like a giggle as I continue this little motion. Every now and then the tip of my shell accidently bumps my sibling, but instead of getting angry they just turn around and watch me from their comfy spot. Eventually though, mother trudges over and tips me rightside-up. Catching myself as my body falls forward, I beam up at her and let out a little coo as thank you. Looking around, the same viscera that had caused such disgust and panic in me now...just didn''t. Even that big insect thingie covered in mold and smaller insects doesn''t move me. I wonder why? Carefree: The owner of this title has an almost supernatural ability to shrug off Fear, Intimidation, and Disciplinary skills or spells. They also move past potentially traumatic or mentally-crippling occurrences rather well. However, they are also incredibly easy to distract. (As a monster, this title has high synergy with the average mentality and moral values gained through your race. Effect is increased by 17.473947482937483937494057385947395837495936 percent.) Oh! Hi Squiglies! Did you see my new trick? ...........Ignorance+2 Ailurophobia Helloooooooo! Orchid here with her daily...weekly...hour....anyway, with her sometimes-happening special report! My siblings and I are getting bigger! Yes! Mother says we can explore a little farther if we stay in groups! Yes! I have found more of the pretty blue mushroom! Yes! There are also other pretty mushrooms! Yes! I have lerned to talk...slightly! Yes yes! And that wraps up our special report for right now, on to current events! "Fear, fear sister..." says Pretty Shell as our little group of four trots down one of the newerly..newish...less old...bah, this big tunnel that Stoney found a while ago. "Mm. Fun, fear, same." Stoney replied, the craggy grey of his skin and beak making it hard to see when he moves his mouth in the slight darkness. Pretty Shell, in return, simply quivers her much softer lip thingies and tucks in her tri-pointed tail into her (obviously) pretty shell. The off-white of it is a bit of an attention-getter, but we like her anyway. "Ouk! ......Ouk!" comes a small voice from right beside me, and in response I turn my head up and to the right. "Yah, Mount?" I say, a bit annoyed at how my stiffer jaw makes things hard to say. Mountain was easily twice my size though, and all of his words where heavy-laden and slowly said. I guess the way i talk is good enough. Carefree+1 Kindness+1 "Thank you Squiglies!" I think as Mountain begins the ever-crawling process of forming a sentence. In fact, it isn''t until a minute later that the lumbering giant actually manages to say something. "Smell....new. Live....few. Dead...many." he said in a sombre voice, each letter seeming to lazily drift around the stalagtites around us. Stopping for a moment, Pretty Shell, Stoney and I all cock our heads to the side and wait to see if he had anything more to say. Mountain might be big, slow, a liiiittle bit dumb even...but that boy had a nose that could sniff out a mushroom from three tunnels away. "Fur....*imagine a long intake of breathe that sounds kind of like whistling*.....new....smell...closer. We...leave." he manages to say just before a small shadow lands on the top of his head. Admittedly, seeing Mountain gradually cross his eyes to look as the little purple thing licking it''s from paw, but the scream of absolute horror that burst from his mouth about half a minute later took me to the ground. The world around me turns white for a moment, and by the time I can even think again I''m on the ground and drooling. Mountain is bucking and thrashing around, releasing ear-splitting albeit not s much as before screams. Pretty Shell seems to have bolted the moment the shadow fell, as I could just barely see her turning the far corner down the path we came. Hopefully she''s going to get mother. She''s probably just running though...pebbles. With a force of will, I rise to my feet and shake my head to get my bearings. The ringing noise in my head doesn''t seem to be getting better, but I still have to focus in order to not fall once more. Will+2 New defensive statistic evolved! Lck+5 Mental Strength has gained one point! Mental strength: The mind''s ability to withstand crippling or harmful assaults/spells/sounds/ideals/etc. Congratulations! Your Lv.54 Carefree ability, along with a few other less pronounced skills, merges perfectly with your new MntStr statistic! As such, you gain +237 MntStr at no deficit to your other mental stats! Thank you Squiglies! I have no idea what you did, but I feel a lot better now! So then...time to help my little brother! Turning as fast as I can, I begin tensing my legs in preperation for what would likely be a pitiful run to the rescue!This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Or, at least that''s the plan before something barrels into my side and falls with a thump to the floor. Umm...what..oh, shi- my job!-(Redacted before viewed) Congratulations! For your...unique foray into a first kill, and Lck stat of (Oh...oh no...how...when?-Redacted before viewed) 649, you have gained the skill Ricochete! All physical attacks rebound 1-100 percent depending on the situation!(Averaging 1-5 percent.) Projectiles not designed to bore through armor will often simply bounce off of you! (So long as the damage does not exceed up to five points over your PhysDef stat.) Any magic without an adhesive, AoE, or lingering property will likely slide off of your shell, though a direct hit or internal hit will simply have their damage reduced by around 50 percent. Congratulations! You have gained a soul leve...... >>>> Prey...has come. Silently, my kin stalk through the dusty tunnels of our birth. The prey is slow, the shelled-creatures that the packmother sometimes hunts. The purple sheen of my fur meshes exceedingly well into the off-black walls, and the silence of my claws even as I dig them into the stoney floor below me is wonderous. As my sleek frame nears a bend just sixty tails from our den, I hear the voices of our next meal. One is light, almost reminicent of the beat of a cave-beetles wings during their mating dance. Another sounds as though their toungue is of rock, scraping and scratching their mouth with each syllable. Run, our hunt-leader, let''s out an almost silent hiss and instantly we take to the walls. As our pack''s srong claws pull us to the ceiling, each of us goes deathly silent. Hanging upside down, our bellies against the cold stone that lines the top of the cave...we wait. A rumbling noise echoes in the silence, lumberingand thick. Almost instantly, a much lighter voice answers this call. Not the same as before, no, far to confident to be the prey we first heard. Finally, after nearly ten minutes of waiting the prey are just under us. The smallest, a thing with white armor and the source of the lightest voice, is practically radiating fear. If Run does not give the signal soon, I worry that my drool will fall onto them. They are all slow, luckily, but even the smallest is twice our size. A short hiss is followed by one just a bit longer, and Run''s claws recede from the hold he had carved with them. Soundlessly, he falls directly onto the head of the largest, testing their aggression. Regardless of their size and strength, none of these shelled things could hope to match our peerless speed and agility. What the large one does, however, surprises us all. Even worse, it makes us realize just what we''re dealing with. Ever-so slowly, the thing looks up at Run. Our fearless leader simply sat there, gently licking his killing paw in defiance of the beast''s strength. In response, the monstrocity shrieked. As that horrendous sounded echoed and was amplified off the tunnel walls, every muscle and tendon in my body tensed to their uppermost limits. I couldn''t fall from the ceiling even if I desperately wanted to, as my claws had dug themselves into the point that my paws were cracking the thick rock. Once the brain-shattering wail had simmered down to frieghtened screams, my body dropped on it''s own. If I wasn''t expecting such a thing to happen, my spine would have likely broken upon crashing into the uneven stone of the cave floor. As it were, one of my paws had likely been twisted to the point of frature, and my teeth bore several holes into my tongue. Hissing, I notice the white-shelled beast scurry off, but ignore the runt for the more fufilling prizes. My brothers are all working together in order to fell the greatest of the prey, so it falls to my sisters and I to claim the smaller beasts. As the chorus of battles echoes around me, my eyes find themselves settled on the closer of the two; an average looking tortoise with a strong jaw, two long tails, and a flat, sturdy-looking shell with a strangely pink/purple design splayed across the back. One of my kin must have used it as a base-board to jump onto the larger one, as I see it awkwardly fumbling to stand and look around. Instantly I charge at it, fangs bared and claws ready to eviserate the life of my opponent. As the blood rushes into my veins and battlefury takes me, I leap in an all-consuming rage at the throat of my next meal. Just before I am able to sink my teeth into the vile thing''s neck, it pivots on one leg, even seeming to take up a runner''s stance towards the larger of it''s kind. That in itself isn''t all bad, no no, if anything such courage is commendable. However, as my bloodlust driven brain takes in this commical fact, the small part of me still under control realizes what an absolutely terrible position I''m in. Just as my clawy find purchase on the ground, my snout has a very personal meeting with the slightly blunted edge that connects the top and bottom parts of the thing''s shell. Just before the cartilage and bone of my face are pushed back and into my brain by the sheer force of my jump, I chuckle at how lucky this little beast is. Afterall, you''d have to be the luckiest being alive to look so carefree during what should be a massacre. As my vision begins fading to black and I go to join the great hunt, I could almost swear that this little prey was talking to itself. Weirdo. Ailurophobia Pt.2 Looking down at the little thingie that had hit my side, I nudge it''s head with my foot. Upon pressing down just a little though, it''s skull caves in and the uppermost portion of it''s noggin is turned into a rather lumpy liquid. Looking at the ickiness now glued to my toes, I sigh and return to my running stance. I don''t feel bad about the...death. I mean, our entire nest is made from dead things. It''s just...there''s something strange in me. Some...craving. I don''t know what it is though, so I''ll just have to ignore it and focus on the task at hand. Digging my thick, stumpy nails into the rock of the tunnel, I use all of my strength to rush towards Mountain! The big lug, big baby that he is, had started crying and spinning as fast as he could in an attempt to get the big kitty off of him. Kitty? Whatever. Unfortunately for lil'' bro, his spinning wasn''t very fast at all and the feline just lazily swayed in it''s spot. After I had gotten about halfway to him....he falls over. His eyes have this kind of swirly thingies in them, and I can see this little glowey thingie just above his head. Strange... I can''t really focus on that for to long though, as one of the cats jumps directly in my path. It hisses as me, even claws at the air a few times as I continue to approach. After I get about three metres from the cat, it lunges straight towards my face and a mouth full of pointy white teeth says hello. Well, not really of course. Anyway, I try and think of a way to not get eaten here. Since opening my eyes, this has been the fourth time I''ve seen combat. That being said, this is the only time I''ve been a part of the actual fighting. A few of the cool things my mother can do while attacking comes to mind, but I really don''t know if I can pull it off. Then in a flash of light blue light, I see an image of myself spinning, almost like I had just done to get ready to run. Instinctually, my body starts to move on it''s own not a moment later. As the world whirls around me, I just shut my eyes and hope for the best. Then just as my swing was reaching it''s apex, I felt another thump right on the back of my shell. Hearing a strange crunch, I turn and look at the felled assailent. The dark purple feline was simply lying there twitching and shivering, it''s tongue lolled from it''s mouth and scraping the ground. It''s eyes though...it''s eyes were still moving. Nearly silent whimpers managed to escape the thing''s throat, but I could somehow tell it would likely never move again. Slowly, I lift up my foot, and bring it smashing down with all the force I could muster. That...was suffering. At times, when a monster had attacked the nest, or we managed to pass by a dying beast in the tunnels, the screams and wails thier pain elicited from them was deafening. I...I can''t do that to other things myself... Congratulations! You have gained the title Merciful! In life, many people and creatures aim to cause pain and torment among their peers. You, however, wish only to be a gentle breeze among a land of burning infernos. At times, an adversary wishes for nothing more than death. When this happens, you will begiven a prompt to painlessly end their life. No blades, no spells, naught but the sweet release of life from their physical shells. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Hello again Squiglies, thank you...really. For once, I actually understand you completely. Pulling in a breath, I once more begin my charge towards Mountain. In just a moment or two, Stoney is beside me, his squinty eyes and rough demeanor seeming to fit more with a bad taste than a fight. Releasing a war cry, or maybe just a high squeek, we barrel through the enemy. Any of the cat thingies that attempt to jump at me are swatted aside by my shell. It slows us down just a bit, but I don''t really have much of another option. Looking over for a second, I see Stoney catch one of them in mid air and bite down. Despite the sickening crunch that sounded from the poor things neck, it was an extremely effective way of killing. I try is out myself, but I just don''t have the sharp edge of a beak to really get the penetrating power needed. I could suffocate them, as it was impossible for the one I had caught to budge my mouth even the slightest bit. Unfortunately, we just didn''t have that kind of time. Oh...he''s up again. Wait! Don''t keep running! Honestly, we would have probably already been to Mountain''s side if he would stop moving. We''ve gone at least fifteen metres since the fight started, and he was standing less than two away from me at the start. We''re gonna all need better nerves in the future if we don''t want to get eaten. Pushing those thoughts aside, I glare at the cat still sitting on his snout/forehead and jump just before I smash into my brother. It was a pathetic attempt, comical even. Anyone or anything could tell you that it would be impossible to hit the kitty with that horrendous jump. However, just as I was about to crash into Mountin''s lower jaw, he dropped like...well, a giant tortoise made of rock. <*( Hello everyone! Akylas here! Look, I don''t mind Orchid''s inability to not know what she''s dealing with, but in the language of Stone Golems the words ''cat,kitty,feline'' each have like seven different versions of the words. With that being said, as the Minstrel of the Council, I''ll be adding in the basic information about the monsters that she will deal with. I''m sure Zen won''t mind me altering the memory feed just a bit for convenience.)*> As the Rulka finally looks up from his paw, he is met with the image of the back of my thoat closing around his head. He,and let me say that by the angle I am coming from I definetely know it''s a he, is a bit larger than most of the others, but nonetheless my curved beak digs into his neck just as my body crashes into his own. The Rulka''s body begins tumbling backwards, but the weight of my own quickly sends us skittering across the stone floor. I was upside-down again, but that seem sto have worked in my favor as I spin and the Rulka''s sturdy body is being covered in small scrapes. As we crash into a stalagmite, the stoney structure falls on the two of us. I don''t really take any damage, as I probably weigh at least half as much as what is falling on us, but the hostage in my mouth stopped moving pretty quickly after the second rock had dented in it''s chest. It''s around then that I hear a light roar, Mother. It was not meant to intimidate, as one of those would likely bust my ears as she knows, but it nonetheless announced her presence. I heard more than saw the rest of this cat ''pack'' scurry off, but everal shadows rushed past the light in the small cracks I could see through the rocks atop of me. I try and call out to her, but unfortunately the big cat is still firmly stuffed in my jaws. It''s really good that I don''t actually need to breathe.... Level I can hear Mother storm over to Mountain, even a few cracking noises echo out in her haste. Somewhere, I can hear Pretty Shell letting out small whines and scampering around. I think that she''s calling for me, but even if I could actually understand her fear-induced shrills... I can hardly answer with this furball in my mouth. Luckily though, I have something to pass the time while I wait! You see, there is a thing! A Squigly thing! Different from other Squigly things! CONGRATULATIONS! You have levelled up for the first time! You have defeated the First Born of the "Rulka Hunting Party"! For such a special and lucky occasion, all gains have been doubled! Due to the nature of your opponent''s ability, you have gained a bonus of +50 AGI! Secondly, as this was your first time engaging in combat with your family members, as well as in general, the First Born bonus adds +5 to all other stat gains! I''m aware that you do not seem to care for long explanations or the like, and so will simply add all other bonuses as they come from now on. Lastly, due to the nature of your final attack, you have gained the skill ability spell compulsion capability to swallow! Now then, let me jiggle a few numbers aaaand.... Congratulations! You have gained the skill Consume! Take a bite, any sized bite! Now...swallow! With this skill, you may eat as you wish, a trait previously unecessary due to your race! However, as you have no need to...pebble, you will instead gain a roll chance to gain physical stats or size with every tenth mouthfull! (To help with this, you will be given small teeth. Can''t expect you to fit eeeverything in your mouth,) <*{ Note for Zen; Just as some background information I dug up regarding this strange level bonus Orchid aquired, it seems that the world she was raised on has some form of...honor system, I suppose would be the best way to put it. Basically, the mana of the world automatically uses the order of birth as a method to distribute power. It seems that when two ''First Borns'' battle, it is likely that they are the two strongest potentials of their generation. As such, the autonomus interloper (A.I.) of the world has decided to make the rewards of these battles a sort of special occurance. I''m still looking at the underlying mechanics of this system, but it certainly seems to favor strong souls like Orchid as they are often pushed to the front of the birthing order. I should be able to find out more after a few astral searches, but it will take time.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Also, I definetely see what you mean about the A.I. of this world being exceedingly strange. I don''t think I''ve ever seen one so willing to reward people. Not to even mention how friendly it seems to be getting with Orchid. You should see some of the things they talk about behind the scenes! Hold on... Wait...these numbers...how...the creatures on this place...impressive. Oh, anyway, I''ll keep working on the translations in just a bit. For now, I HAVE to look at the scaling algorithms for this world. Pity it''s gone now, but I could probably mine out some decent intel. I''ll have that little human that thinks he''s an author write all this out for me on that Earth planet. Funnily enough, it''ll probably just seem like some huge meta moment.}*> Looking at the Squiglies, I only have a moment of warning before pain slams into my body with FAR more force than these dumb rocks holding me down. Something in me...changes. I feel like the inside of my shell is slowly being melted into a liquid before being left to cool. Not to even mention my mouth, this is even worse than that time I dove into an insect hive! As the minutes tick by and my mother finds her way to me...I am left shivering and cold as the consequence of this ''Level up'' sucks every bit of warmth and comfort from my body. It''s just...the...the body stuck in my throat... It''s warm. Once again, that strange craving rises up in me. Like a buzz around the mind, trying to claw to the forefront of my skull and...and......consume. Gradually, I feel my neck...constrict. Ever so slightly, the dead Rulka begins his final journey. If I needed to breath, I would be dead. Luckily though, I don''t. Instead...I need to eat. Announcement. Hello everyone! This book has gained quite a few followers in recent weeks, which I am super greatful for! Nothing explosive, but it''s a lot to me. At the moment though, I''m preparing to graduate highschool and get ready for. The ceremony is this week, and I also took up a job with my landlord. My goal for the moment is to save up everything I need for college, but know that first on that list is a decent computor. Once I manage to get my grubby little hands on one I''ll probably dedicate a few hours a day to writing. Honestly...I''m not all that reliable with posting, mostly due to how annoying mobile typing is, but I''m going to try and work on it throughout summer. By the time I get into college this fall, I''ll hopefully be able to post one or twice a week. (The other stories I''m writing just flashed to mind, so I''ll need to figure out a release schedule. Regardless...)You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. So, thanks to the 40 or so people following Orchid''s journey at the moment, I''m certainly not the most reliable author on the site, but I shall finish my stories eventually! Expect a chapter or two either late this week or early next week, I''ll have to write it on my phone, but that just means more time for editing. (One of the reasons I prefer typing on a laptop.) So, yes, to anyone that actually bothered to read this, thank you so much! Now, I need to get my sexy ass in the car and get my brother''s Xbox from his dad''s. Dragon Age Origins, here I come! Announcement Pt2. So, everyone...I have finally graduated highschool. Now, on to six more years (minimum) of college! Mooooother got a new rent house so I''ll be living in this one by myself over the summer. Tons of time to write, woo. Aaalso, some of my lovely friends said they got a laptop for me as a graduation present. I''ll probably write a decent bit more due to convienience, but my primary focus is still my job/life/getting ready for college.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. However! I''ll keep updating, and I''m going to try and get my other stories up and running too. (One is being revised, the other I just haven''t posted chapters to.) So yeah, I should see you all pretty soon. There would have been a chapter this week, but I was out of the house too much to write. Maybe I should do something special, but I got no idea whaaaaaat. Gifted. Four hours. It took me for hours to swallow that monster. Inch by slow inch, I felt it''s body slide down my gullet. Several times I even got parts of it stuck on my beak, which normaly led to about twenty minutes of chomping and gnawing to wear down the bone and flesh enough to continue my slow endeavor. The Squiglies have come and gone at times, though I''ve ignored them until now. Along the way though, I seemed to come to an understanding that they are a sort of...guide. Alive and knowing but...controlled. They are my friend, and my path to growing strong like Mama! Other strange things are happening too, my body felt like liquid for at least an hour earlier, and since then I''ve just felt different somehow. Like my legs aren''t my own, and my face feels a lot more stiff. Then again, my jaw was pretty much fully opened for most of the time I''ve been awake. Finally though, the last little tip of the feline''s tail passes over my tongue. I''m still trapped under a literal ton of rocks, but...all in due time. I will definitely be here a while, but it isn''t like I actually have to eat...or do I? Whatever changes my body is going through, i''m pretty sure it takes care of the dead Rulka in my...stomach? Torso? Shell? Regardless, I don''t inately feel like I''ll ever actually need to feed. Well, time to liven up, Orchid! Squiglies, come here! What''s all that stuff you were saying earlier, and sorry for not paying attention to you! Congratulations, you have ascended! You have grown from a Rock Tortoise and into a Snapping Cave Tortoise! As such, we apologize for the discomfort, but there is far more pain in life than simply this. You have grown thicker muscles and skin across your body, and your shell has grown far denser to allow for better grounding while biting or preparing to jump. Due to your inherent soul skill, given before birth, your species has mutated into Snapping Cave Tortoise(Jumping)! Not only has your body grown stronger, but so to have your natural weapons and defences. Your beak has now been lined with a hard, jagged edge comprised of the same material that your shell is currently, or will adapt to. The area around your eyes and jaw have been slimmed and reinforced, allowing for better grip as well as maneuverability while trying to sink your ''teeth'' into a foe. Each of your feet and knees have been adjusted to better jump and plant yourself to the ground, as the need arises. This change has also allowed your shins and feet to become extremely dense, increasing your ability to jump higher in the air due to increased leverage and strength. Due to your first envounter with a fellow Firstborn being not only a one-hit kill, flawless vitory, sneak attack, Luck roll win, and worthy of the "Ant versus the swarm" title, you will now passively gain +14% damage when engaged in skirmish class combat with a Firstborn leader as your opposition. Congratulations, your patron deity, Lilac, has gifted you a boon! Faith +70, affinity to nature-based spells +1%, affinity to holy spells and happenings +2%. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. New trait earned; Bioweight. A summation of your total mass, without the effect of {Redacted Information} taken in as a variable. Strength +209 Agility +76 Dex +30 Luck+748 Perception +43 Ooookay, Squiglies, enough of those. Get on to anything else important please. This rock has been mean for the last twenty minutes, and the numbers are starting to hurt my head. I''m almost out, just give me things to fill the time. System adapted to higher intelligence command. Orders deemed sufficient to qualify as higher thinking. New vocabulary and information added. Congratulations! your intelligence is now categorized as Moderate, ranking up from Minute. Congratulations! Your Wisdom stat has reached a stage capable of naturally dawing in mana from the air! As such, you gain a +1% general bonus in all locations, and a +3% general bonus in terrain your body is designed for. Congratulations! As you have now recieved a gift from your patron Goddess, you have become eligible for a Divine Trial. This shall serve as the first step down your purpose in life following the Goddess Lilac. Should you wish to accept it, of course. Lilac...the name reminds me of a gentle flower, smaller than even my tiniest bump. Memories begin to seep into my brain of running water in a sun-filled glen, white columns littering the area, covered in a myrad of beautiful foliage and flora. Then, I see myself. Old, cracked, sleeping...happy. Beside me sits the goddess, her silver hair ever so gently flowing in a light breeze. That...that is my place. That is my home. It will never be mother''s nest, but it will mean so much more. Slowly, I fall asleep, pebbles and stones trickling out of my mouth as my head hits the floor. In the next moment, I am sitting beside the red-eyed goddess herself. Sighing contently as she gently traces her fingers along the edge of my shell, I lazily gaze at a bubbling spring that spreads out before us. After a few moments, the goddess begins to speak, and I inwardly hum at the melodic notes of her voice. "This, child. Is what I offer you. Serenity, sloth, free from the worries of the world and time. Forever resting, forever content. You see, your curse is your heart. Soon, you shall feel the urge to leave your mother''s side. Your sibling''s will mean nothing to the pull of the wind. You will leave, though for what purpose to pursue is yours to decide. Shall you sink lower into the depths of the caves, as your race is meant to? Perhaps though, I can offer you a better alternative, young one. One of far less danger and evil...at least for a short time. Venture to the surface of your world, through the winding tunnels of your home caves, and climb to the top of the mountain you shall find yourself at. However! You are never once to gaze at the land around you until given my permission. Once you have reached as far as you are physically able to go, I shall command you to halt. Upon my word, you are to close your eyes, slowly turn, and then gaze at the land around you. In that moment, I want you to think of one word, and one word only. Should you choose the correct word, I shall come to you once more. If not, then you will have to wait before you once more gain the chance of my Trial. Should you complete all of my trials and tribulations, however...I shall give your wandering soul a place to rest. Go now, Orchid, and choose. You need not leave immediately, but you must know in your heart what you shall do. Be strong, be fearless, and be kind to those who deserve it." Then, just like that...she was gone. Once more I felt the weight of my current prison, mentally and literally. Pebbles...back to chewing. Well, it shouldn''t be too long now. I wonder what Mama and the others are doing... Different. FINALLY! I''M FINALLY OUT! Ha! Take that you big mossy pile of rocks! Nothing can stop me! Except Mama.. Anyway! Finally being able to move around again is absolutely awesome! Taking a few moments to stretch out for some reason, I yawn and a light whistling sound pulls free from my throat. Giggling at the pretty noise, I try and recreate it as I begin the walk home. Almost instantly though, something makes me freeze. There''s a...scent. I never really though about it before, but I''ve never reallysmelled anything. At least until now. Before it was like the sensation was pulled from a distant memory. Now though, it''s here, in my face....squelching between my toes. Looking down...yeah, thatused to be a face. After a little jump and titter I''m back where I was, albeit back a few feet so I can see more than just...a face painting? Yeeeaaaahhh.....ew. That looks disgusting but...but the smell. Tentatively, I reach my beak down and latch on to one of the larger...pieces left. Leaning my head up, I slowly allow the sliver of meat to slide down my tongue and down to wherever the other Rulka went. FEED. The urge hits me, and whithin a second I was licking and scraping the ground around me. Dirt, fungus, Rulka...it didn''t matter. Anything my tongue made contact with was soon travelling to my tummy. I cleaned that tunnel from one end to the other, as high and as low as I coud reach. Finally completing my sudden task, I am awarded with a message from the Squiglies. Something about bioweight, but honestly having to keep looking at that every time I eat is going to be annoying. After a few questions, I managed to convince them to hold off on telling me about the bioweight until it reached a certain point. I still didn''t feel any different, but I would guess that a hunk of rock would weigh more than some...floppy stuff. +3 Int. Huh...guess I was right. Turning back in the direction of Mama''s cave, I begin a slow amble towards home. My legs still don''t feel like my own, but the feeding frenzy earlier helped me get a bit more used to the changes that happened. The path was slow, and somewhat winding at points. I started to notice an immediate difference once I began reaching some of the narrower tunnels, especially at the midway point between the attack and home. Boulders, stalagmites, even a few Rulka corpses along the way were all torn apart or stomped to a fine mush. I''m guessing that Mountain made a mad dash through here as soon as he was actually able to pick up some momentum. He was a slow lug, but give him some time and he isn''t something you want to be infront of. Admittedly still on edge, every nook and shadow that I pass is making me a little more than edgy. I can still imagine that first Rulka dropping onto my brother''s head, the casual arrogance that it displayed. I''m almost certain that it could have taken his eyes as it landed. We have to star tbeing more careful around here. If what Lilac said is true...things will only get worse as we get older. Mama is covered in scars, not to mention the many chunks of stone that have fallen from her shell and ''flesh''. I don''t like to think about it, but there''s this little pile of rubble in one end of our nest. It...it looks like us. LIke....the ones Mama couldn''t protect. She never looks at it, never gets near it. I don''t want to end up in that pile, or let any of my siblings find their rest there either. Which means that before I leave I have to get everyone ready. Prepared to live in this world that wants to throw everything it can at us. _______ Approaching the nest, I see a shell a few tunnels away from our home caves. I opened my mouth to say hello, but the little rock tortoise turned and ran the moment that he laid eyes on me. I guess that makes sense, I probably look quite different compared to when I left. Besides, I didn''t exactly recognize him, so we probably aren''t all that familiar in the first place. We may be siblings, but Mama has about twenty of us at the nest in total, so it makes sense that not everyone stays in the same groups. Getting closer though, not only does the scene begin to repeat itself, but I even start to hear squeaks and low roars coming from the nest. They must really be considering me a threat, but that''s just the safe thing to do when a new monster is in the area. Deciding to take the cautious route, I begin letting out quiet, soft rumbling from the top of my mouth. It was meant to signify a wish for peace, or at least that''s what I gathered the few times other Rock Tortoises had neared Mama''s territory.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. This seemed to work, and soon a reply echoed through the tunnels, followed by the chorus of voices slowly dwindling down to one lone protester. Entering my home, I immediately notice that everything is different. Well, it''s still a cave. And there''s still a bunch of bones making up the actual nest, it''s just.... Who are these guys? None of my siblings are here. Mountain, Tiny, Pretty Shell, Brownie, Chippy, Momu, none of them is here. Instead of the darker, earthy tones traced and smudged by brighter shades, this group seems mostly comprised of lightly shaded bodies and mottled pink/blue shells. Panic begins to creep up the bottom of my shell, and ever so slightly, my knees tremble. Then...then I make the mistake of looking at the new ''piles'' that seem to have been added around the larger edge of the nest. Before, the back of our home had been pressed against the wall of the cavern with a decent outcropping to give slope. Now though, that ledge had been replaced with boulders of various sizes. Excpet...I knew that they weren''t boulders. I...I can see Mama''s worn down face from here, the insects and creatures that had previously been confined to her shell now moving freely through her open mouth and nose. I feel the urge to collapse, to fall down right there and never move again, but the rest of the bodies on that ledge demanded that I look at them. One by one, I did. Little by little, the compulsion to die was replaced with one far stronger...far more difficult. I would live, I would survive. If only to carry their memory with me. Congratulations, and sympathies, you have gained the title "Of all, two." Permanant increase in chance of being one of two to survive an encounter. To explainvia example, , should you and five others be in a situation in which only two have the chance to survive, your are automatically 5% more likely to be a chosen survivor. Ha, laugh at me why don''t you.Sigh...alright, thank you Squiglies. Though, I don''t get why it''s tw-....Sister? Before me, having circled around the far edge of the nest and into sight, was a tortoise that looked faintly like mother. It''s just..she''s so...old, her shell dulled to a barely white-grey. Slowly, we approach each other with a shared sense of wonder and confusion. Then, like wind along a dust filled tunnel, the old tortoise began to speak. Though she mostly seemed to be rambling, it was immediately clear that this old Tortoise believes that she knows me. Perhaps she could be a cousin? It''s kind of inherent knowledge in me, but I seem to know that our species can have multiple father''s in a litter. Our species have a sense of familial relations, so maybe she knew mother? Perhaps an aunt? I don''t ever recall meeting this tortoise, but she seems to remember me somehow. Maybe that month I had my eyes closed? "It...has been quite some time. You look different...young. Yes, far to young. Still a child, yet my elder. Admittedly I thought this meeting would be far different, and perhaps violent in my younger years. Well, nothing to be done of it now. Hello, Orchid, I''ve waited a lifetime for you to return." I see the weathered edges of her lips turn up slightly, and if the image didnt seem so strange it might have seemed kind. "I.." immediately it becomes obvious that my clanky way of speaking had only gotten worse with the addition of a metal-hard beak, but I just sighed and commited myself to talking. Even if I sounded like a toddler...sigh. "I...sorry. I can''t...remember." Sadness washes over the old golem''s face, before she finally closes the distance between us and places her head against my neck. My initial instinct is to withdraw, but a flash of one of my earliest memories makes me freeze, and then slowly return the pressure. --- I sneeze. The Squiglies say I gained a skill. I cheer. Suddenly, there''s a roar in the distance. Unfortunately, I''m nowhere near the ''safety zone'' the kids are supposed to go to and I still hadn''t realized that my eyes were closed. I didn''t scream, that would only draw whatever the pepbbles is out there right to me. Instead, I take off in the direction that Ithink will take me at least to the edge of the nest. Instead, I run head-first into a wall and almost immediately black out. Well, you can''t get much more black than having your eyes closed, but you get the point. So, there I am, squirming on the floor, unable to stand, and suddenly...I feel this little weight against my face. Then a little high-pitched voice squeaks out in my ear and I feel the pressure push me to my right. Instinctively I take off in that directiononly to have another squeak and bump come from my left about four seconds later. So on and so forth, through bumps and nudges I get led back to the rest of my family. Luckily so, as I heard absolutley horrible sounds coming from the general direction I had been. That voice, that joyful little tortoise that had later been so excited to finally tell me she had gotten the "Little Rescuer" title from that day was... --- "Pretty Shell...is...is that you?" "Yes, sister, it has been centuries, but I welcome you home." Growth. I''ve spent about a week back at my old nest. Going by the years on Pretty Shell...now Grandmother''s Squiglies, it has been almost a millenium since the Rulka ambush. To me, it''s been half a year. I even made sure to ask the Squiglies in as many ways as possible, but the answer always remained the same. At first, I just stared blankly at my sister as I learned this. She, in turn, silently locked her eyes with mine. Together, we watched as the last shared relative our generation shed a tear of molten lava. I had done this before, once, and paid it no mind. Now though, with a much larger capacity for thought and understanding....I understand how frightening this action truly is. A fraction of my core has left me, a piece of my soul that shall never be regained. In turn though, as the drops of sorrow landed on the cold stone floor of our family''s grave...the world began to change. As the entire cavern around us started to shake and shudder, we felt ourselves forced to the ground as a violent energy seemed to thrust the entire cave up through the stone and dirt. What was before a large, yet shallow cave soon became a dome-like shape as the tunnels began to close one by one. Many of the children had begun screaming almost immediately, and my oldest nemisis...aside from empty-headedness....began to send a shuddering pain down my spine. Each and every shriek reverberated off of the walls and floor, magnifying the sound and proving absolutely mossing horrible for my pain tolerance. Which, funnily enough, leveled up about five seconds after the ground decided to start flying. The entire ordeal lasted about five minutes, but it felt like days to my ringing skull. Eventually though, and thankfully, I began to feel the trembling chamber gradually slow to a hault. Just as I was able to get to my feet...a decent two minutes after we stopped, the Squiglies appeared with a new littleDing! sound. Congratulations! Due to a collective Luck stat of 1827 in a low-levelled monster tribe, this tribe has gained the chance to obtain aSpecial Ranking. As such, the abefore mentioned tribe has been moved to Section Leyva-Col-2007-Para of the Cave of the Rock Giants. Due to the lucky tribe''s history, current leader''s reign, and Selected New Leader''s attributes, the tribe''s home cave may become either: The Cave of Fallen Foes Oasis of the Rock Giants The Cave of Sorrowfull Giants Soon, three trials shall face you. Depending on your tribe''s abilities, you may grow into any of the three, or a wildcard may occur. Be warned though, as you can just as easily be wiped from existence. Should you succeed though, the rewards and strength you gain shall be great. You have twelve hours to prepare for the first trial; The Passage of Bloodlust. Good luck. +5 Luck for all Rock Tortoise creatures in Unnamed Stone Cave.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. After taking a moment to read, two things instantly popped into my mind. One,PEBBLES. Two, this is bad. "Do you have any idea what this is?" I ask, after all, she''s been around a long time. She has to know something....right? Unfortunately though, Grandmother stayed silent for a decent thirty seconds longer as she slowly read through her own message. (Helloooo, me again. Orchid''s speech is, quite frankly, horrible. It was bad before, but little squeaks and whistles are surprisingly easy to graph on a linguistics chart if you roomed with the right musical major in college. Good old Saraswati. Anyway, I''m having a demi-god of stone that owes me a favor translate the tortoises'' speech to something a little less...ear splitting.) After finishing, she closes her eyes and releases a quiet, whistling breath. "No, I know nothing of this. As I''m sure you can gather, we are in danger. You..you will help, yes?" "Of course I will! You''re still my stister, I''m going to be here for you." I don''t think my face can actually smile, but I try anyway and say I did. You have accepted the trials before you instead of cowering. Courage Stat +5 for entirety of tribe. Fear Resistance skill +1 for all in tribe. Congratulations! You have reached level 500 in Fear Resistance during a special event! Your Fear Resistance has evolved into; Into the Eyes of Death: Long have you known to fear the world. Now though, you realize that fear is naught but an illusion of possible safety. In times of terror, you stand calm, and gently return even the gaze of Death herself. Suddenly, everything about my world shifted once again. The nervous tremor that had crept across my shell had stilled, along with my ever-growing racing thoughts. Something about me was inherently different, but somehow I knew it wasn''t bad. Closing my eyes for a moment, I steel my resolve before once more finding my sister''s gaze. "We are going to survive these trials. Twelve hours? We need to get ready though. First, let me see how many of us there are." Grandmother nods and begins to shuffle off towards the opening of the nest, curious heads and eyes peeping out as our footfalls grow closer. Just from here, there''s at least four litters worth of younglings still in their ''baby'' stage. Getting to the actual entrance to my home, I see that things aren''t nearly the same as I had thought. "Sister, how did this tunnel get here?" See, I really don''t remember a tunnel leading to a seperate, choppy cave, buuuuuut then again I may never have wandered over here to notice. Granted, there was that time that one of the skeletons making up the nest had collapsed under me, but I don''t think this is the same hole. Maybe? "After you...got stuck, everyone in the nest had gotten the "Blessed Lineage" title. It let us grow and evolve far quicker and more varied than would normally allow. This cave was built by Stone after he gained the ''Carver'' evolution. He grew out a few spikes and ridges along his body that let him chip and cut away at the stone. Many of his children now carry the same characteristic." Surely enough, I saw several little tortoises running around and digging gashes into the walls as they ran by them. They did look quite a bit like my brother, and I took a moment to once more examine his...corpse. The dusky grey and darker shades of his body had only deepened over time, his head seemed perfectly built to grind and prod at rock, while his legs had grown far more stocky to allow for leverage. In fact, each of the bodies lying around the nest looked somehow different from one another. Looking around, many of the younglings seemed to lean more towards one or the other, appearance wise. Taking a moment to closely look at each and every tortoise around me, my thoughts wander to the many hardships that a nest of this size took to grow. How long had my siblings stuggled to come this far? How many years did they spend protecting our home? How...how many battles fought only to one day lie down and never stand again? Those were thoughts for another time, for now... "Tell me about the other evolutions, we need to come up with a battle plan, and this might just be the perfect place to pick a fight."