Chapter 8: Primary Evolution
Tired from the struggle, Ben couldn't afford to fly even an inch more. Without a second thought, he landed towards a leaf, trying to stand on the leaf, before he found himself unbalanced and fell sideways. "What the hell is this now?"
Ben first thought it was due to exhaustion that his muscles weren't responding properly, so he decided to take a little rest before he tried to muster whatever means he could to stand up, but he kept falling off balance as if something was missing.
Surprised, Ben turned his head to observe his body, and he couldn't believe what he just saw. His middle left leg was broken in half; the lower half part was missing as if it were torn apart. He stared at the space where the leg used to be, his mind racing to comprehend what had just happened.
"I lost a leg, and I didn't even freaking notice," Ben muttered, his tiny mosquito brain struggling to process the situation. "WHAT KIND OF BIZARRE WORLD DID I END UP IN?"
[Host, as a mutant mosquito, your leg does not contain neuron cells; that's why you won't feel any pain from your missing leg.]
"Hehehe...so you are saying that if I am asleep and some random creature eats my leg, I wouldn't even notice it," Ben asked with a nervous smile on his face.
[You are a smart host!]
Ben nervously chuckled before he focused on a solution to this new problem. He has a total of six legs, of which one was missing. From what he observed in his previous life as a human, insects don't have much difficulty while missing a leg or two. If they can do it, he will be able to do it as well.
With his remaining legs, Ben attempted to move around and maintain his balance, but the absence of the lost leg made it challenging for him. He wobbled and stumbled, struggling to adapt to his new condition.
"This is going to make things a lot more difficult," Ben muttered, his wings buzzing with frustration. "I need to find a way to compensate for the missing leg."
He racked his brain, considering possible solutions to overcome this unexpected setback. With his increased agility and adaptability as a mutant mosquito, he hoped there might be a way to adapt to his new circumstances.
"Perhaps I can redistribute my weight and adjust my flying technique," Ben thought aloud. "I'll need to rely more on my remaining legs for stability and maneuvering."
With determination in his eyes, Ben began practicing his flight maneuvers, making adjustments to account for the missing leg. He focused on enhancing his agility and improving his control over his remaining limbs.
It took him about half a night to somehow grow accustomed to his flying. Through trial and error, Ben gradually learned to accept his altered body mass. While tilting his wings towards the right and tilting his body weight in such a manner that most of his body weight relies on the right side of his body, Ben was able to stand and fly correctly, but still walking like earlier was a big no to him.
He flew to a safe spot on a nearby tree branch, taking a moment to catch his breath. The encounter had reminded him of the dangers lurking in this new world, and he knew he needed to be more cautious in the future.
With a renewed sense of determination, Ben glanced at his status screen once more, contemplating his next move.
╬═«Quest Completed»═╬
Escape the spider net before the mutant spider arrives.
[Reward: 15 exp points]
Congratulations! You leveled up! [All stats points +0.2]
............
╬═«STATUS»═╬
Name: Ben Franklin
Race: Mutant Mosquito
Evolution: 0 Level: 3
Aether:000 Exp: 5/20
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HP: 0.8/1.0
Strength: 0.3 (+0.2)
Agility: 0.4 (+0.2)
Stamina: 0.3 (+0.2)
------------
Soul Essence: None
Level up a reward: 0.4 free stat points
Active skill:
1. Mosquito's Buzz (confuse enemies with an annoying buzz)
Passive skill:
1. Blood Tracker (Enhanced ability to detect blood sources)
╚══════════════════════╝
"Holy shit!! I had 0.4 free stat points all this time, and I didn't use them." Ben cursed himself, looking at the status screen. Only if he had allocated all those points to strength would he have conquered the spider web much more easily.
Ben just wanted to cry over his stupidity, but as they say, there is no gain in crying over spilled milk. So he looked into more details and decided to ask a few questions to the system.
"Hey system," Ben called out, addressing the mysterious entity that seemed to be guiding him. "Can you explain how these stat points influence my abilities? What will happen if my HP reaches 0?"
The system responded promptly, its voice echoing in Ben's mind.
[HP is measured by taking various things into account, including how vital the hit is, how much it is bleeding, and where the injury is made; it does look like a game system, but if you were to hit on a critical spot like the brain or heart, then you would be dead without needing to reach 0 HP.]
[The numerical values are crucial; the lower your HP gets, the lower your performance in fights will become as well. So I think HP and stamina are things that will affect all of your other stats as well, including strength, stamina, and agility.]
Ben nodded, still buzzing in a moan over his middle left leg. "I was also thinking the same way; the system here does seem similar to the game system, but it doesn't seem to work that way. It's more like a gaming system with a real-life approach.
[Yes, that is correct.]
"Sadly, though, we don't have enough time with us to do some tests. The wisest decision right now is to use up my free stat points to increase my stats." Ben thought, looking closely at the 0.4-free stat point.
He felt a sense of excitement as he saw his level increase and gain additional stat points. He knew he had to use them wisely to improve his chances of survival in this unforgiving world.
"Alright, time to allocate these stat points strategically."
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