Chereads / I'm a Centipede? (DROPPED!) / Chapter 3 - Rainbow Backed Stag Beetle

Chapter 3 - Rainbow Backed Stag Beetle

After looking over his stats again Lushan notices that his cultivation realm has changed and that the essence needed to increase his cultivation level has doubled and that his system points have increased from 0 to 5.

He decides to check the shop to see if there's anything that can be of use to him, though he knows that he is very limited because 5 system points is a pitiful amount.

<"noobie attribute book - 1 SP">

<"noobie cultivation realm guide book - 1 SP">

<"noobie body cultivation realm guide book - 1 SP">

<"noobie tool/pill level guide book - 1 SP">

<"noobie technique level guide book - 1 SP">

<"Skill: Harden - 15 SP">

<"Skill: Dash - 20 SP">

<"Ability: Analysis - 50SP">

'Shouldn't I get an OP skill for a cheep price' Lushan thought. Due to him only having 5 SP he decides that he will buy the noobie books as information is key for him right now.

<"Ding! Host has spent 5 SP.">

After getting the notification he suddenly has a headsplitting headache, he expected a mild headache as he knew getting all this information would hurt his head. But he wasn't expecting this level of pain. Don't forget he has just gone from a normal teen who's extreme pain is stubbing his toe, to survival in the wilderness risking his life.

After a few minutes the knowledge he purchased is now in his head and is extremely easy to access. First he decides to have a look at the cultivation realms.

There are a total of 10 cultivation realms. These are; body refining, QI refining, foundation making, core gathering, spirit soul, nascant, king, emperor, sage and finally ascending.

Body refining has 5 levels to it, these are level 1 - skin refining, level 2 - flesh refining, level 3 - vein refining, level 4 - bone refining, level 5 - organ refining. This stage refines the body preperaring it for absorbing QI, without doing this step the body will deteriorate.

After the body refining realm, QI refining to ascending realm have 9 levels which are catagorised into 3 sections: initial realm (level 1-3), middle realm (level 4-6), high realm (level 7-9). Within the seperate levels there are 4 stages: early, middle, late and peak.

Body refining has 9 realms which correspond from QI refining to ascending. The realms are: bronze, silver, gold, obsidian, sapphire, emerald, ruby, diamond, divine. These realms are levelled the same as cultivation realms.

'Wow so many cultivation realms. I can't even imagine how much essence I will require to get to the ascendance realm'. After digesting the information on the cultivation realms he turns his attention to the attributes section.

There are 9 levels to ones attribute affinity. These are minimal, very low, low, low - medium, medium, medium - high, high, very high, complete. Each level of affinity increases attack and resistance, while also lowering the amount of QI needed for each elemental attack.

Lushan currently has a minimal affinity with the wood element, but because its the lowest level of affinity it only allows him to use the element. His poison element on the other hand is at very low affinity which increases his attack and comprehension of poison related attacks by 25%. In order for him to increase his affinity level he can absorb elements from things he consumes and then add it to his own.

After understanding the attribute levels, which he was very surpised at, because normally in novels there isn't much focus on affinity levels. He decides to look at the final 2 books of information, which are about tool/pill levels and then cultivation/martial technique levels.

First weapon levels. Weapons go from level 1 - 9 with level 10 weapons being legendary divine weapons. Each level has 4 sub rankings of low, middle, high and peak. This ranking is the same for pills.

Recources like herbs and metals also have 9 levels, but there are no sub rankings, just levels 1 - 9.

Techniques are quite different though. There are 6 stages to technique rankings, it goes; human, earth, sky, heaven, sage, and divine. Each stage has 3 sub ranks which are low, middle and high, apart from divine techniques as these are from the upper realm. There is also another stage called 'unique', these techniques don't have a set ranking as they can evolve or change and have different effects depending on the user.

...

After about 1 hour of sitting still Lushan is finally happy with his current understanding of this worlds cultivation. He has descided to go and hunt because even though he consumed the centipede body, he still feels like he can eat more. Lushan assumes that because he is a monster and has the consume skill, his body is able to digest many times his current weight and will never feel full.

He carfully goes towards the entrance of the hole which he will now call home. After getting to the edge he cautiously scouts around, he knows from random knowledge in his past life that birds love to eat centipedes, and because a bird is a flying creature he currently has no way to escape should one choose him as its meal.

After a good look around he hasn't seen anything yet though he also knows his vision is limited due to a centipedes naturally bad vision, so instead he decides to use his new antenna to help with searching. He is still rusty in using them but he is learning quickly, due to having the centipedes natural instincts.

Making sure there are no predators, he decides to try and climb around the outside of the tree. So he carefully hangs half his body out of the hole and uses his sharp legs to dig into the bark to make sure he doesn't fall off. After half of his body is securly latched on, he manovers his bottom half to do the same.

Once his hole body is on the vertical tree side he starts to move slowly in order to get used to the weird feeling of moving on a vertical surface while also making sure to get used to latching onto things with his legs.

Spending 30 minutes learning how to manoeuvre safely on the tree, he decides to start his search for prey. Using his antenna to detect odours and water, as he knows that a place that has water always has prey, but he also needs to be careful as there's also a lot of other predators that know the same.

After searching in all directions he senses a sweet smell, using his antenna he slowly manoeuvres his way towards it. Using tree branches he can avoid having to go on the ground.

After traversing a few trees while also remembering his way back he finally gets an outline of what's producing the sweet smell. It was a bug, it looked a lot like a stag beetle execpt a lot more beautiful. It had a shiny vibrant green shell that looked like it was made from rainbows when the sun reflected off it and its pincers where as large as its whole body. Due to not knowing the actual name of it, Lushan decided to call it 'rainbow backed stag beetle'

Its size was similar to his own, but those menacing pincers, that looked like they could skewer him, made him think for a second if he wanted to fight it. Due to him being unsure of its power he decides to play it safe and stalk it and look for an opportunity, afterall his greatest advantages are suprise and poison.

After spending an hour studying the beetle, he notices something on its back. It looked like its wings were broken and its entire back is filled with dents and scratch marks. Lushan was a little embarrased with himself for being so cautious over an injured bug, but his eye sight was really bad and it took him a long time to get close enough to notice.

He now knows it's injured and from the past hour of studying it, it looks quite worn out, but he also knows he has to be cautious as he is still new to this body and has not long since learnt how to move.

He decides to try and stealthily approach it from behind, making sure that he is quiet.

Inch by inch, he gets closer and closer to the battle worn beetle until he is within striking range. So with an arched back, looking like a pulled bow, he lunges with vicious speed aiming for a weak spot on its back for him to inject venom.

As he has never injected venom into an animal before so he is hoping that his natural instincts will kick in.

Crack!

He did it! He broke through its back defence with his mandibles and is now injecting his venom. After getting bitten by the centipede the beetle is startled and trys to fling off the centipede that is biting its back. Lushan gets flung over the beetle and has to desperately grab hold of the tree to stay attached.

'I didn't expect it to still have so much strength in it'!

He manages to land back on the tree and gets ready for a head on battle. Just as the beetle was about to charge at him it suddenly went stiff and started to spasm.

Lushan knew that his venom was starting to work and goes in for another attack, aiming at its neck he uses his giant mandibles to seperate its head.

Snap!

Then he watches as its large beetle body plumits towards the forest floor.