In the dimly lit underground maze, narrow passageways stretched out in every direction, casting eerie shadows on the damp walls. Asumi, a beetle larvae with orange hues, gasped for breath as he coughed out purple blood, his weakened form collapsing to the ground.
Asumi clenched his mandibles in agony, his eyes scanning the maze's gloomy confines. "No, it can't end like this," he muttered between labored breaths.
The system's display flickered before him, showing his deteriorating condition. "[System: Host HP 25/100, Body Temperature is only at 40% of the required threshold]," it flashed ominously.
Struggling to rise, Asumi dragged himself forward, his movements sluggish and weak. He grasped at the cool, damp earth, his resolve flickering against the encroaching darkness.
As Asumi's HP continued to dwindle, he pressed on with sheer will power, his body growing weaker with each passing moment. Every two seconds, his HP dropped by one, each decrement a harsh reminder of the poison inside his body.
With a final, shuddering breath, Asumi collapsed onto the cold, damp ground of the maze, his face turned towards the right side of the walls.
Struggling to focus through the haze of pain, Asumi's eyes caught a faint glow emanating from the nearby wall. "That glow... familiar," he murmured weakly to himself, his curiosity piqued despite his exhaustion.
Summoning the last vestiges of his strength, Asumi dragged himself closer to the source of light. There, etched into the stone, lay a golden food nutrient, reminiscent of those he had consumed in the past.
"This... could help," Asumi mumbled, his mandibles quivering with anticipation. With a shaky legs, he reached out and grasped the nutrient, opening his mandibles wide to consume it in a desperate bid for survival.
Immediately Asumi swallowed it the system prompt.
[System: Host has consumed .... And has gained +20 Exp]
[System: Host Body Temperature is rising]
Asumi mused what is this feeling, He stood back up felt a hot sensation and he looked at the system window and noticed his HP stopped decreasing.
He then looked at his two incomplete quest and his hunger level low he smiled and said this is just what I need.
Asumi, feeling revitalized, started to move with purpose through the maze. He noticed the intricate patterns of the passages, committing them to memory, he mused I'm gonna have to memorize the maze if I want to find my way out
As he went along. With each turn, his grew stronger, fueling his resolve to conquer the maze.
He muttered to himself, "I won't let this my own creation defeat me. I'll find my way out no matter what."
As he navigated the maze, his movements became more fluid and confident. He focused on the task at hand, pushing aside any doubts or fears that threatened to hold him back.
Few hours later, Asumi, standing at the center of the maze, felt a surge of accomplishment as the system notified him that he has completed all his quests.
His breaths came in ragged gasps as he caught his breath, sweat glistening on his white transparent exoskeleton. Despite the exhaustion weighing heavy on his limbs.
Despite his fatigue, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride at his achievement.
The system's prompt flashed before him, offering him a chance to claim his rewards and level up. Asumi's antennae twitched with anticipation as he considered his options.
"Yes," he declared, his voice slightly strained from exertion, as he clicked the button to claim his rewards.
With a soft hum, the system confirmed his level up and announced the onset of the pupation process, Asumi's body began to undergo a transformation.
His previously transparent hue turned reddish orange with an intensifying glow with each passing moment.
As Asumi's body underwent the transformation, he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. His muscles relaxed, and his eyelids grew heavy as he drifted into unconsciousness.
The system's prompt echoed faintly in his mind as he slipped into the inactive state, signaling the ongoing development of his body.
[System: Host body development 40%]
Asumi's breathing slowed, his body completely still as it made the necessary adjustments for the next phase of his evolution. In his dormant state, he remained unaware of the passage of time, his mind consumed by dreams of the challenges that lay ahead.
As the first light of dawn filtered into the underground maze form the entrance, Asumi stirred from his slumber. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, he took in his surroundings, the cool dampness of the air clinging to his newly transformed exoskeleton.
The system's prompt jolted him fully awake, its message illuminating the interface of his consciousness.
[System: Host pupation process complete]
Asumi's antennae twitched with anticipation as he recognized the subtle shift in his being. Asumi mused " hmm I can sense this new feeling in the air."
With a sense of newfound awareness, he uttered a command to the system.
"System, display status window."
His voice echoed faintly against the maze walls as he awaited the system's response.
[System: loading...]
------------------------------------
| STATUS WINDOW |
-------------------------------------
| Name: Asumi Tora
| level: 5
| Experience points: /100
| Mana capacity: 10/10
| Health: 100/100
| Hunger Level: 100/100
| Beetle Type: None
| Current Stage: Adult
|-------------------------------------|
| Abilities:
| - Advanced movement (Upgraded)
| - Advanced feeding (Upgraded
| - Appraisal (Upgraded)
|-------------------------------------|
| Attributes:
| - Strength: 1.8/10
| - Speed: 1.5/10
-------------------------------------
| Free Stat Point: 0.4
```
Asumi, observing his heightened stats with satisfaction, couldn't help but notice the anomaly in his classification.
"It seems that all my stats have gone up, nice," he mused, furrowing his brow at the lingering "non" designation under the beetle type.
Before he could dwell on it further, the system's prompt interrupted his thoughts.
[System: Host, the next phase of the quest (The Level Up) will be issued shortly.]
Asumi shrugged off the discrepancy for now, resolving to investigate later. Just then, he heard Gooper's familiar voice calling to him from outside the maze.
Turning his head towards the sound, Asumi's antennae perked up with anticipation as he made his way outside to greet his companion.