All the skills, more or less, were self-explanatory. Even [Dig] was described as:
[Dig(Lvl:3): Dig]
'Um, I guess it's pretty accurate.'
The only noteworthy description was the [Appraisal] skill:
[Appraisal(Lvl:2): By using sensory stimuli, you can appraise items, getting a brief overview of the properties of an object]
This means that in this world, 'Names' are considered a property of an object. And if Quinn could see, he could use [Appraisal] without needing to touch the object.
'But I still don't know how to update my system. Hmm...'
Doing the same thing he does for skills, Quinn focused on the (System Update) notification.
[System Updating...]
'Wait, it didn't even ask me..'
Before he could finish the thought, he fell unconscious.
...
Quinn's body went into a recovery state. In a matter of minutes, his body returned to its true size. Not even showing signs of scaring, Quinn's body was better than ever. For a worm.
Deep within the blankness of Quinn's subconsciousness, Quinn was observing the system windows displaying the changes.
[Growth System: Complete]
[Evolution System implementing..]
[Satiety: Hidden]
[Racial skills Hidden under Race]
[Exp: Unlocked]
[Locked Exp Unlocked: 51]
[Evolution System implemented]
[Level up: Lvl:1 -> Lvl 4]
[
Name:Quinn
Species:Lesser Earthworm(Lvl:4)
Exp:[14/16]
Strength:4
Agility:5
Vitality:4
Intelligence:2
Arcane:1
Skills: [Appraisal]
]
'Where did all my skills go??!?'
Quinn panicked, thinking that he had lost his skills. He calmed down and remembered the system declaring, "racial skills hidden."
So Quinn focused on [Species]:
[Species:Lesser Earthworm
Race:Annelid
Racial skills:[Dig] [Tenacious diet] [Internal Compass] [Pheromone detection] [Expansion] [Hermaphrodite] [Fragmentation] [Tremor Sense] ]
Quinn internally sighed. He didn't lose any of his abilities.
'So now what?'
Quinn had finally achieved adulthood. The only thing now was levelling up. Which, Quinn only knew one way how.
Levelling up skills.
...
[Dig] was simple to level up. So was [Appraisal]. But everything else wasn't so easy. [Tenacious diet] was always active, yet it seemed to be more of a trait than a skill. Same with [Internal Compass] and [Hermaphrodite].
[Pheromone detection] should be relatively simple but tedious since it activates primal instincts, making Quinn do reckless activities(unsafe sex).
Quinn tried [Expansion], but without tension, he didn't really feel anything happening. And well [Fragmentation] wasn't exactly viable.
So, Digging it was. Quinn still enjoyed the leaves too much. So he devised a plan.
With a vertical burrow, Quinn could drag segments of leaves into a storage room. This would consist of Quinn going forward and backwards in his tunnel.
Eventually, Quinn learned how to implement [Expansion] as a way to anchor himself in the soil. This, in turn, levelled some of his skills up.
[Skill Levelled up
[Dig]Lvl 3 --> [Dig] Lvl 4
Exp: 7 ]
[Skill Levelled up
[Expansion]Lvl 1 -->[Expansion]Lvl 2
Exp: 5 ]
[Level up]
Exp:[10/18]
Every level the Exp required increased by 2. But, levelling up skills overall made Quinn's progress accelerate. However, Quinn began to grow bored with the constant grind.
So once in a while, he activated [Pheromone detection]. He would usually try to hold back his instincts, but this time, he detected a similar scent to the dark pine leaf.
So Quinn found himself far away from his burrow. Making sure his route was only in one line, Quinn dug. He could already taste the leaf.
His journey was relatively quick. Only 30 cm in one direction, really. But 30 cm for a worm was a whole journey. Like walking to school and back. It still took effort.
Eventually, he arrived. Quinn didn't come here just for a bite. He came here for the whole leaf. Quinn got in the centre, ready to pounce. He bit into the leaf and pulled. The leaf went down.
But it stopped at the entrance of his burrow. Stretching as far as he could, he activated [Expansion]. Then pulled. The leaf started to crumple.
Stretch. [Expansion]. Pull
[Tremor Sense] seemed to pick up light footsteps and thuds of birds feasting on the exposed prey.
But Quinn persisted without paying it any mind. He even felt something rummaging through the leaf, like trying to find a snack. But Quinn continued to pull until something pulled with him.
Quinn knew this was that bastard flatworm due to the pheromones. He worked out that the blank pheromones were infact other annelids. Since he finally detected his own pheromones(which were stinky).
Quinn had to rely on his strength. After a few more seconds, Quinn finally reached the tunnel leading home. Slipping his tail in and stretching as far as possible, he pulled.
The odd direction of this conflicted with the other worm. Then Quinn couldn't pull. All he could do was hold. The shear tension between the two worms was increasing.
It was another battle of endurance.
Both beasts were unwilling to let the other get the now torn up leaf.
[ [Pheromone detection] Activated]
There was another blank. It was stronger. So much stronger. Stiking fear into Quinn's heart. The leaf suddenly shot downward. Quinn could only hold as the leaf tore, leaving him with only a small fragment of the leaf left.
He sadly tunnelled home, carrying defeated spirits and worried concerns for the future. If that beast knocked into his storage room, he would have to run.
'It would come with no warning. It would just eat all my hard work away. Wait... [Pheromone detection]... ahhh, it's no use. What am I gonna do? Dig a trench for it to fall in?'
He could run away.
But he could not defend.