Epic of Caterpillar Chapter 2: Delicious Fish

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Previously on Epic of Caterpillar...

After dying from a persistent fever, a man reincarnates into a dangerous forest as a weak caterpillar. Lacking combat prowess, he forces himself to adapt to his grueling new reality by surviving against predators and discovering his strange, skill-granting digestive abilities. By consuming everything in his path to gain experience and levels, he begins to unlock new powers while struggling with the harsh, unforgiving nature of his new existence.

| DAY 3 |

Upon waking, I quickly realized that sleep replenishes Stamina at an agonizingly slow pace. My Stamina was a mere 18/100 before slumbering, but after roughly eight hours of rest, I had regained a massive 78 points! I now possessed 96 Stamina to utilize.

"No, no, no... I have to be responsible with my Stamina. What if I end up in a tight spot like I did yesterday? It is essential to keep some in reserve in case I need to bolt at top speed! Let me see... uh... STATUS!"

| NAME: NONE CLASS: NONE RACE: Common Forest Caterpillar.

| LEVELS: 2/10 EXP 110/150 STATUS: FINE

| HP: 8/8 MP: 0/0 STAMINA: 96/100 |

"Hmm! A bit less trash, but still trash! Haha!... sigh. Also, what is up with this Blessing of ####### rubbish? What does it actually do? Is this like those webnovels where the protagonist gets a strange skill the system hides because they lack the proper Cultivation level to use it yet? Or is it a gift from some enigmatic entity not of this world? Sigh... so many enigmas, and I am far too feeble to uncover the truth. Fine, it is time to go hunting! If I want answers, I must become powerful! That is how things work here, I understand!"

After delivering a speech as if I were a valiant hero, I began my trek away from the old tree. I decided to explore the area near the West River, as it appeared more tranquil and free of those pesky birds.

Upon reaching the riverbank, I observed the crystalline water flowing fiercely. Gazing into the reflection, I finally beheld my own visage: a nearly pitch-black face featuring two powerful mandibles and four eyes perched atop my head. I even sported tiny whiskers on my cheeks. If not for that unsightly scar near my two left eyes, I might have looked almost adorable!

"I am such a precious little caterpillar! How is it even possible for me to have minus one Charisma?! This is absolute nonsense, I tell you!"

While I was lost in my mental complaining, I felt a menacing presence. I looked into the river to see a massive fish staring back with grotesque, bulging eyes. I immediately expended some Stamina to scramble away from the water.

"Sigh, that was cutting it close! Haaah... I am glad I saved my Stamina. However, I truly wish I could eat that fish! It looked so hearty! Ugh... fried fish, dried fish, even raw fish! I miss you all so much-"

Before I could finish my lament, the colossal fish erupted from the water and began to scramble toward me on four small limbs!

"Wh-wh-what???!!! GUEEEEEEHH!! A fish that walks! I should have anticipated this in a fantasy world! I am so careless! I am so reckless!! Why does this happen to me? Is it because of my minus two Luck stat?! Damned mysterious voice!!"

I poured all my remaining strength into running as fast as I could. Luckily, the fish's small limbs were not well-adapted for prolonged mobility. After a while, it slowed down and, being too far from the river, it began to suffocate right in front of me.

"What? Are you joking? Are you genuinely stupid? How could you not realize you were too far from the water? Wait, is this not incredibly convenient for me? I must seize the opportunity!"

COMMON CATERPILLAR VERSUS WALKING FISH! BEGIN!

"Hehehe, this is not your lucky day, Mister Fishy! Brace yourself, because you are battling the mightiest caterpillar in the forest! Did you say your prayers already? I hope so, because here I go! Activate skill: WEAK BITE! WEAK BITE! WEAK BITE! WEAK BITE!"

Chomp Chomp Chomp Gulp

"Uuuaaaahhh!!! Simply delicious!! I am so happy right now! Thank you for being so dim-witted, Mister Fishy! Thanks for the meal!"

Right there, I began to consume the walking fish while it was still alive. It struggled violently, but since it was gasping for air, it had little strength to resist.

"WEAK BITE! WEAK BITE! WEAK BITE! Chomp Chomp Gulp. Hmmm! I am in heaven! Hahaha!"

"GLUP GLUP GLUUPPPPP...!!!"

The fish labored for half an hour before ultimately succumbing to suffocation.

"Uoohohoho! Amazing! Very nice! Mister Fishy! May the wicked god of this world bless you in the heavens! Buhahaha! Munch Munch"

Dragging the remnants of the fish with my thread back to my hollow in the old tree, I devoured the entire carcass, even the bones.

"GUOOOHH!! Incredible! So many skills from one simple walking fish?! I suppose its mass was significant compared to my own body, so I gained the skills regardless. Yet I ate it whole, which makes no sense! Is it due to my belly-related skills? This is totally broken! Am I not awesome? I am already getting the hang of this! Haha! Just watch, mysterious voice! STATUS!"

| NAME: NONE CLASS: NONE RACE: Common Forest Caterpillar.

| LEVELS: 4/10 EXP 14/150 STATUS: FULL

| HP: 12/12 MP: 0/0 STAMINA: 136/100 |

"Guahahaha! I am totally overpowered now! Watch out world, a new threat has arrived! Now that I am in my comfortable bed, let us investigate these skills... hmm, activate DRY SKIN!"

Fuosh

Immediately after shouting the command, my body was enveloped in a fish-like skin. It looked horrid and sticky, and not a minute passed before it began to desiccate rapidly.

"Wa-wa-wait!! Deactivate skill!"

Fuosh

"Is this even a skill? It is ghastly! I nearly perished! Perhaps this is what caused that foolish fish to suffocate, sigh. I reckon it will be useful for swimming, but not now! Definitely not! Now, now..."

I experimented with the other skills near an underground water source. By spending 10 Stamina, I manifested fish gills beneath my head. It was completely surreal! They are intended to make breathing easier underwater while boosting my movement speed. Underwater breathing is self-explanatory, and Water Element Affinity seems tied to magic, though nothing occurred when I attempted to manipulate the surrounding water.

"Maybe there is a Water Control skill hidden somewhere? Damn, I wish I had it. Once I gain long-range attacks, I shall be unstoppable! In any case, today was a fruitful harvest. Time to sleep!"

| DAY 4 |

After waking from seven hours of rest, I practiced my thread manipulation using the excess Stamina from the fish meal. It appears that repeated usage lowers the Stamina cost, as if the skills level up autonomously, though the status screen remains unchanged.

"Hmm, perhaps I need a higher level to comprehend how this system truly functions? Sigh. I will leave that for another day, but I must say, I have become quite skillful with this thread-casting!"

After spending four hours in the old tree, I fortified my nest, repairing the ceiling the bird had damaged using bits of wood and rocks.

"Haha, thread manipulation is genuinely one of the best skills in this realm, is it not?"

Finishing the project, I set out to hunt and perhaps gather supplies. Thanks to my level ups, my speed increased by 2 points, allowing me to move a bit faster—at least quicker than a common slug without draining all my energy.

Now that it is my fourth day, I find myself pondering: what is the name of this world? Do humans exist? How many kingdoms, or continents? How many sentient species reside here?

However, the forest is extremely dense. I dare not climb to the canopy, lest a bird snatch me up. If I truly desire the truth, I must grow powerful! Strong enough that birds are the ones who should fear me!

"Come to think of it, could I utilize yesterday's tactic for more walking fish? Lure them, force them onto land, and wait for them to suffocate! Yes, that ought to work! I have nothing to lose, and with my improved thread skills, I can escape if things go sour."

I headed straight for the West River, where the crystalline water flowed wildly.

"Hehehe, let us test this theory..."

I approached the bank and observed the water for a few minutes. Just as expected, a gargantuan green walking fish noticed me while I acted the part of a defenseless morsel.

BOOOM

Right on cue, the fish lunged, sprinting toward me as fast as its legs could carry it!

"There it is! Now, run!!"

I scrambled at a moderate pace, managing my Stamina efficiently to keep the fish in pursuit. We passed at least 10 trees when I decided that five more should be enough to cause it to suffocate.

By the 13th tree, the creature began gasping. I leapt onto its head and activated WEAK BITE repeatedly!

"Take this! WEAK BITE! WEAK BITE! WEAK BITE! Chomp Chomp Chomp Gulp. Hmmm! This one is even more delicious than yesterday's! Is it a variant species?"

"Gloup gloup glouppp...!!"

The fish tried in pain to dislodge me, but after 20 minutes, it finally expired.

"BUAHAHA! It worked flawlessly! Yes! You see, mysterious voice?! I am perfectly capable of handling myself! I never required any cheat skills to begin with! Hahaha!"

I wrapped the carcass in my thread and dragged it back to my nest.

"Hmm, everything went too perfectly... why are there no other monsters? Should I worry?"

Just as I pondered my luck, a massive bird swooped down, snatched the wrapped fish, and flew off, having been waiting for this exact moment!

"Wh-what?! Damned bird! That was too fast! My food!!! You bastard! How will I recover my Stamina now?.. Uh?"

Before I could even lament the loss, a mass of tiny red dots began swarming toward me at blinding speed.

"What is that? Wait, are those ants? An entire swarm stuck together, this is horrific! They are going to devour me alive! No wayyy!! Uuuaaaaaa!!!!"

I used every scrap of my Stamina to flee, but the Ant Ball—as I dubbed it—kept pace with my juicy, fleshy body!

"Where can I go? If I hide in my nest, they will simply destroy it. Oh right, the river! I bet ants cannot swim here! Time to swim for my life!"

I activated FISH STRONG GILLS and DRY SKIN, letting my passive UNDERWATER BREATHING keep me alive beneath the surface.

"Wait, they are jumping into the river? What are they doing? Can they swim after all?! No... hold on..."

As I panicked, the ants began drowning without a struggle, the formation dissolving in the current.

"Are they dim-witted? What is wrong with the monsters here? Are birds the only intelligent life? I shall feast on you all!"

They struggled to no avail. After consuming over a hundred, I checked my notifications.

"Haha, I win this time, ants! I have even gained interesting skills. These bugs are quite stupid—I suppose I am the exception because my soul is of a sentient human. How convenient, although it is a mystery how a tiny caterpillar brain supports such a complex mind. Sigh... another question for the future."

My Stamina recovered nicely after the ant feast. I climbed out of the river and crept back to my home.

"Haahh... no fish today... That cursed bird! I am exhausted, that swim really wore out my thick body. Well, let us check my status... STATUS!"

| NAME: NONE CLASS: NONE RACE: Common Forest Caterpillar.

| LEVELS: 5/10 EXP 215/220 STATUS: FINE

| HP: 14/14 MP: 0/0 STAMINA: 85/100 |

"Hmm! So, each stat increases by one per level? Except MP, Magic, Charisma, and Luck—that's a bit disappointing. But how does a simple caterpillar have magic affinity? Also, why is there a level cap? Will I never exceed level 10? Perhaps... evolution? No way... what could a pathetic caterpillar evolve into? Some weakling butterfly? I want a humanoid form or perhaps a dragon! I wish I could view an evolution tree! I must grow stronger!"

I experimented with the command skills, though they proved useless without minions. "I wonder if I could form my own Ant Ball to travel without wasting Stamina. That would be ideal!"

"Anyway, time for sleep. I will definitely bag a fish tomorrow—no, two! Mark my words, mysterious voice! Goodnight to me!"

Epic of Caterpillar Chapter 2: Delicious Fish

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