'Experience is the SYSTEM's way of quantifying the life exploits and accomplishments of a lifeform to another. The way it is distributed is directly proportional to the Tier difference between the prey and predator. It is a limitation put into place to ensure Higher Tiered lifeforms don't abuse their strength to quickly grow their own power by preying on other lifeforms much weaker than them. Unlike primary and secondary stats, to date, it is the only SYSTEM mechanic that is uniform for all lifeforms of a particular species. That simply means no matter the differences among humans, two-level 10 men will have the same experience bar as two level 10 women. Such a thing may seem insignificant but it demonstrates the equality of members of a species, so paltry issues such as Racism and Discrimination were never a problem among the same species. However, those issues were magnified to an unimaginable degree when considering two different species, as for example Humans very frequently wage wars against Elves and take them as slaves.'
- An extract from "A Philosophical Approach to The Functions of the SYSTEM"
{Dynamis POV}
I was a little shaken up at how things had taken a turn for the worse. I was just practicing my rock-throwing skills to show off to the general when he came to me and told me about a soon-approaching enemy. A few minutes later I stood in line with my other siblings, quite the number of workers, and some unknown generals my sister had returned with.
We stood in silence and our nerves were tense for what felt like an eternity before I saw my brother appear out of the ground. He stopped for a second taking in the army before he started running towards us, and behind him came the enemy Rock spoke of. Squirming and soft looking I would never take the creatures for a serious danger but seeing the hole in one of my now-dead distant relatives I changed that mindset.
Although, I admit when we swarmed the few that had already surfaced my thinking fell back to the dangerous state of underestimation. But shortly after our almost too easy first skirmish with the creatures, I understood why my brother was escaping. Slimy creatures looked exactly like the ones we had just finished decimating but a few sizes larger erupted from under our legs. I was even thrown to the side by one of the surfacing creatures a good distance away. And with a dull thump, I hit the ground only a few meters away.
It felt as if the confidence I had was ripped from right under my feet, and the spinning world around me only served to further discombobulate me. The wind was knocked right out of me, but I wasn't willing to lay down and stomach it. No, turning my attention towards the nearest worm I slaughtered it and any of them in its proximity. I was mandible deep in their flesh when the most vigorous shaking in the earth distracted me.
Compared to the disturbance when the other large earthworms appeared this tremor was on a whole different level. I could feel it originate from almost the center of all the action and judging by the quickly retreating frames of my relatives, they could too. A prelude to destruction it was, for moments after I first started feeling it, out from the ground burst a behemoth only paling in size to the Elder Shrew I'd encountered.
The gigantic worm that just popped out of the ground wasn't a figment of my imagination, however. As when it reared its head back and released an overpowering scream, I concluded it was indeed very real. More than real, it was dangerous, for following up its scream I witnessed all of the other worms on the scene freeze up. Even the ones that were thrashing due to the sunlight before lining up in front of it.
There our army stood, facing that- a squadron of worms, led by a behemoth of a general. The battle would be comical, if not for the dead bodies lying across the battlefield. We had faced a surprising amount of losses, mostly due to the surprise underground attacks, but we were determined to make sure they weren't in vain. I saw a group of generals separate from the mass of workers and move to the side, probably to intercept the giant. They didn't want it taking any more lives.
The ground was shaking once again, and another of the creatures emerged from the soil, though I could feel something was wrong with this one. It didn't matter, however, because its appearance was a trigger to the carnage that followed. The dozens of worms dove back into the earth before making their way over to the army and the giant moved to lash out at the generals. Bodies hitting up against each other, Heads rolling between mandibles, a stray leg flying- it was chaos.
I chaos I couldn't come to enjoy no matter how much I loved a battle. The deaths of my distant relatives were piling up with the enemy's, but I could find no comfort in that fact. The power of one termite seemed so insignificant in the grand scheme of battle- no, this was war. It would only stop until one side completely eradicated the other.
My considerations were interrupted by a mind-numbing screech, however. One I could feel was filled with the utmost level of pain and casting my eyes onto the now writhing creature I understood why. The worm I had felt something was wrong with lay on the ground, bleeding from its orifices. Blood pooled out of its eyes and the segments in its skin, it seemed to be dying from something. I didn't have to guess though, because a moment later I stared at the termite who exploded from its head.
My brother Crete stood soaked in blood and brain matter from the creature, his aura wild and feral. There was just something about it that demanded admiration from me, but I could feel something else in it. Something that was radiated out from his body to me and through the tides of workers falling prey and preying on the worms alike. It was empowering, I even felt my stamina and health rapidly regenerating. His appearance was like a second wind to the slowly dying army.
The troops now moved with increased energy, and the death rate definitely dropped quite a bit due to his aura. I wondered what it was, what was that feeling. It felt so right, so completing… But turning my eyes to the other half of the battlefield I hoped it was enough of a second wind to get through this and takedown that colossus.
{Crete POV}
As I stared at the carnage before my eyes I stopped for a moment in recollection, only a moment, however, for the next moment I exploded into action. Although killing one of the bastards from the inside out was satisfying, the joy the feeling brought was dampened by the aura of death that loomed around me. It was stifling, and I felt responsible, I needed to do something.
Right on cue with my desires, I did indeed do something. The experience was new to me, but I felt something within me activate and then disperse to the termites around me-
Fossio was towering over the small number of generals gathered to fend him off, and I knew they were only fighting him to stall for time. Although they were technically on the same Tier, I intuitively understood that the giant was on the cusp of obtaining strength of the 4th Tier. So that begs the question, what would a Tier 2 termite be able to do against such a being? To be honest, I didn't know, but I felt obligated to fight, maybe in hopes that somehow I would be able to make up for this tragedy.
It didn't take me long to tear a path over to their battle either. The momentum I built up along the way kept me still going as I was on a direct route to collision with him. The generals had kept him at bay by switching out whenever one would tank its tail swing, and they generally avoided its biting. That wouldn't work forever though as the creature was no doubt being frustrated with the continuous deaths of its kin and inability to deal with a few pesky termites.
As a matter of fact, I was able to see the remaining spikes on its head start to vibrate, and in a loud voice I shouted out,
"It's about to throw its spikes! Don't let them hit you!" a moment too late. Although my words had reached some of the generals in time, there was one that wasn't so lucky. And staring at the spike lodged in its head, I was feeling blessed that they had to go throw tons of dirt before reaching me when I was the subject of their ire. The other generals rushed to carry their fallen brethren to safety, giving Fossio enough leeway to break free of their encirclement, and head directly towards me…
Not believing my luck, or well lack of it, I prepared myself for the fast-approaching earthworm. I had a couple of plans on how to attack. Whether it be by using to good old hit and run method, trying to lure it away from the group and hopefully into an area where something else could kill it, or even trapping it. But all those plans went up in smoke as I witnessed the colossal creature jerk forward and move with more speed than should be possible.
It had just occurred to me then that I was its original target and if I was him, I wouldn't let me escape again. Goddamnit- the mental curse was all I managed to do before being swallowed up whole by the creature's overextended maw.
It felt like I was being tossed around like the rocks I watched Dynamis hurl. However, I wasn't complaining, because just by the fact that I could still feel I was more than relieved. Somehow, someway I had avoided the row of teeth leading to wherever the heck I was now. Twice in one day Crete? Come on- I scolded myself jokingly for being inside of two different worms in one day. It would be an achievement worthy of broadcasting if it wasn't for the liquid that just splashed my face.
It brought with it a scalding heat, almost as if it was eating away at me. Wait- Am I in this thing's stomach? Another splash of acid verified I indeed was. Just great. At least last time I could choose where I was going, this time, however, I was on a one-way trip to becoming solid waste. A terrible way to go might I add, and not one I was intent on experiencing. So doing what worked the last time I tried to dig my way through its stomach, only to come up dry.
Its skin was much harder than the last one, and my mandibles just bounced right off of his stomach lining. I didn't give up despite the odds. I kept trying to find some part of its flesh that I could hopefully tear apart and escape out of. The whole time I was trying to do that, however, pieces of termite would plop down into the pool of stomach acid, reminding me that time was precious. The more time I spent inside here, the more lives would be lost.
I couldn't find any spot, however, and I was starting to lose hope. My eyes were still darting around trying to find any spot that looked more promising than the last until I found one. Hanging above me I felt as if I was able to see a pulse of red flowing with every contraction of the worm's muscles- a heartbeat.
Although it was out of my reach, for the time being, I wasn't discouraged and instead patiently waited for the creature to flip once again. Landing me on that side of its body, it wasn't a long wait either as it flipped over not long after, but with it came a flood of termite parts, none fortunate enough to avoid its saw-like teeth.
I'll make sure to avenge you all, don't worry. Dumping my face into the acid, trying my best to ignore the feeling of my flesh being slowly dissolved I felt my mandibles come into contact with the spot I had signaled out. I didn't want to waste a second more in fear it would flip again, and I would lose the Queen-given opportunity. So for the second time today, I lunged my mandibles into the soft flesh and felt it spread apart without much resistance.
Behind it, I could see a vein-like structure filled with red liquid flowing through it with every breath. Big enough to fit me, although a little tightly, but I squeezed my way in anyway, and the moment I did I made myself subject to the blood pumped out every second. I was swept away by the current and I could feel myself flowing through it.
The blood surrounding me was much like the stomach acid, minus the dissolving part, but it made me feel like I was in the steam minefields again. Every pump carried me closer and closer to my destination, and it was as if the souls of my recently deceased brethren were guiding my way. What felt like a few hours was in the face maybe a minute or two of being tugged by the flow of blood and through its secondary hearts, which I destroyed along the way until I arrived at Fossio's primary life-giver.
It was big enough to fit maybe 4 of me inside and I almost felt bad that such a creature, who probably struggled its way up from nothing would have to die this way. It was much too easy, but then again I said almost. In the next instance, I went to town on the creature's main heart. Tearing apart anything I could get my mandibles on.
Left ventricle? Sliced to bits. Right Atrium? Punctured to perfection. And ah yes the crème de la crème, and the most satisfying to destroy. The Aorta, split in two with a wet Shlick and made sure the damage done was fatal. For the duration of my journey since tearing a hole through its stomach, I felt the worm gyrate in what I assumed was a panicked manner. All that I felt now was a weak tug now and then though.
Though I admit the battle was anticlimactic I wasn't going to let an easy kill like this escape my grasp. Now came the hardest part, getting out of its body, I wasn't able to damage the flesh, so I just had to pray and hope that the termites outside would tear the poor bastard a few new ones.
I didn't have to wait long, however, as I felt a disturbance behind me, and the head of a termite general appeared through the skin around the worm's heart. Releasing the tension I'd built up throughout the entirety of my escape and the battle I cast my gaze to the notifications I'd been ignoring for a while now. And boy oh boy were they a lot.