Quinn needed to find any food he could. He wasn't hungry, but hunger was obsolete in comparison to the Exp he could reap.
[ [Pheromone detection] Activated]
Blood was still all around him. He could taste the blood-soaked soil. It wasn't enough, though. Quinn was only half himself. The terrifying heat coursed through his body.
Making a slow [Dig], his movement felt sluggish. Quinn's newly fragmented form left him disorientated and bruised. Quinn needed rest. But he didn't know where his burrow was.
'AhHhHhh...' Quinn attempted to sob. 'I'm weak. This hurts. I'm not good enough.' Quinn lost his burrow. He lost his home. He lost his tail. He lost his confidence. And he lost the belief that he could achieve his dream.
...
Beneath the ashes of 2,000 soldiers from the battle of Dark Pine Valley, a devilish bloodworm displayed an array of emotions.
The once grateful worm was pleased at the abundance of food. Followed by an unwavering determination to escape the burning pile of corpses. And now underground, it's mourning the loss of its burnt off tail.
Believing that its circumstances are because of its own idiocy, the worm gave up on its dream to become a human. It knew it couldn't achieve this. Because it's just a worm, just a pathetic worm.
But alas, a worm who couldn't resist the scent of blood. The humans burnt most of the bodies to prevent undead to rid the land. But too much effort was used up burning corpses.
The Chaphill estate's forces have wasted too many resources on its clean-up operation. It was time to move on to the next skirmish, near the DawPhinn border.
But that still left the odd arm or leg scattered all over the place.
...
Quinn was delighted. A whole arm. Those barstards missed a whole arm. Having a jolly ol' feast while maintaining decent distance from an exit seemed so melancholy. Due to [Fragmentation], it seemed that he lost 4 Exp, but it didn't matter now.
Quinn had not only regained the lost amount but also managed to horde enough for more than half a level up. Pulling up his status:
[
Name:Quinn
Species:Fragmented Bloodworm(Lvl:2)
Exp:[31/55]
Strength:7(-3)
Agility:6(+1)
Vitality:3
Intelligence:6
Arcane:3
Skills: [Appraisal(Lvl:3)] [Mana Sense(Lvl:1)]
]
'Wait a minute. My vitality used to be 4. What the heck is this bullshit. Now I'm losing stats.'
Quinn forgot that he didn't check his status after his evolution. He was consumed by the taste of blood. Like he was actually becoming a bloodworm.
Quinn kinda just chose the thing that sounded the coolest. And it may have ended him in a position where he burnt off his tail.
'I shall never make that mistake again. Wait. Something moved.'
The flesh near his proboscis started to jiggle. Simultaneously activating [Appraisal] and [Pheromone detection], he answered his query with a base appraisal.
[Appraisal: Maggot(Lvl:1)]
Digging through the flesh, Quinn found a cavity seemly teeming with maggots.
'illlll Yuckkk. Wait!!! Hahhhahahh... Finally, target practice'
Quinn's curled up like a snake, ready to pounce. His body was short, so it was nothing special. Just enough to exert all his strength in one pounce.
He missed.
The maggot didn't mind him. It was enjoying its lunch. It knew no fear. No emotion. It literally had no fucks to give. Except for hunger. The inside of a maggot looks like this.
'Eat eat eat eat. Food food food. Eat eat food eat.' <- (Definitely factual)
Quinn didn't know what its existence felt like. Nor did he care. He tried his pounce again. Missed even greater than before. It's almost as if predatorial worms don't pounce. They ambush.
Tying one more time, Quinn managed to hit the flesh just beside the maggot.
'Wait.. Is this runt ignoring me. Nah. My first prey just doesn't give no fucks about me. Imma fuckin kill this baby.'
Quinn just simply opened his mouth, and bit down on the maggot.
[ [Maggot(Lvl:1)] Slain - Exp:1]
Exp:[32/55]
It seemed that [Copper fangs] greatly improved his "combat" ability. He finally had a weapon in this lonely existence. But more importantly, Quinn's first kill.
'Awww yea, that was easy as pie. Imma evolve again in no time.'
Quinn ate the rest of the maggots, which were all Lvl:1 only giving 1 Exp. But it was still progress for Quinn.
He even used [Venom] on one, which killed the maggot in an instant.
Quinn transformed from a dismembered worm to an evil scientist, experimenting all sorts of combinations of skills on the maggots.
'Maggots shouldn't be given any mercy it's their fault for being disgusting'
[ [Maggot(Lvl:1)] Slain - Exp:1]
[Level up]
[Exp:0/60]
Quinn had now discovered a new way of gaining Exp. Killing.