I could feel the body I dwelt in being dragged away for quite some time and figured, why not check out what those notifications were earlier before we arrived at our final destination. What I saw stunned me, if I had a jaw, and I wasn't entirely sure if I did, it would have dropped.
[Strength Leveled to 13 from 3]
[Dexterity Leveled to 16 from 6]
[Constitution Leveled to 16 from 6]
[Intellegence Leveled to 21 from 11]
[Perception Leveled to 15 from 5]
[Willpower Leveled to 26 from 16]
By the goddess of death, she came through! Maybe Morgana wasn't so bad after all? With these boosts to my stats, I should be in a pretty good place going forward. I searched my HUD for any other notifications on abilities or points, but nothing was there. Looks like it was just attributes, which, don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful for, I just wanted to see what would be available to me now that I'm a buff super worm.
The dragging stopped with a jolt, the boar's body dropping unceremoniously onto a hard surface. I felt the shift in weight, the slack in the cat's grip as it released its prize. Its breath, a low rasp, echoed faintly around me. A cave, perhaps? The air was cooler and moist, something I wouldn't have been able to detect before the boost in stats.
Like both of the countless others I had dominated, this creature had no idea I existed. To it, I was just a lump of brain matter stuffed in its meal's head, harmless and utterly beneath its notice. And that was its first mistake.
I cautiously burrowed out from the boar's brain, not missing an opportunity to feast my way out, for when I switched bodies, I wouldn't want to eat my host, that was just self-destructive behavior.
[Experience Gained: 4 XP]
Eh, not much of a decrease. I guess the system wasn't recognizing the boon Morgana gave me and was just going off of my main level.
I was getting used to my new stats and I have to say, it was fantastic. Every movement felt smooth, yet powerful, and most of all, I was finally coordinated!. I'd never been this agile before, and it was a good thing, too, I likely couldn't just wait here for it to crack into the brain. The creature was already fast at work on the more tender and accessible meat, meaning I would be stuck here a while before there was even a chance it might find me. Besides, I didn't want to just wait in a chunk of flesh and hope it didn't bite me in half with an exploratory chomp. I was stronger, but if this thing could take down a boar, my body, regardless of the new chitin, wouldn't stand a chance.
The creature continued its feast, razor-sharp teeth tearing into the boar's flank with the efficiency of a high-tier predator. The sounds were wet and visceral, the crack of ribs and the tearing of sinew making me wonder just how long I had to act before the thing was full.
I stayed perfectly still, listening. Every rip, every growl as the cat consumed was a clue. The pacing of its bites, the shifting weight of its paws. I didn't have a lot of time, but I needed a plan, I needed to move fast, but not recklessly. The beast's body was at least the size of the boar, likely with more attuned senses.
As the cat bit deeper into the boar's carcass, I slipped from the skull, slick and silent as a drop of blood, which there actually was quite a lot of at this point. The cool cave air seeped into my chitin and wasn't entirely unpleasant but a far cry from being nestled in the cozy warmth of a brain. I peered out from the boar's snout and lay still, calm, assessing the situation and feeling the vibrations caused by every tear of flesh. Every so often a hot breath of air would wash over me and I cursed that I missed my moment.
The electrical impulses I once felt in the boar's brain stem now reflected faintly before me. It was barely noticeable from this distance, but I could make out a web of nerves massing around two orbs, with an even more faint light further back toward the base of what I assumed to be its skull. So far I was unseen, not that it seemed to care. Its focus was entirely on its meal.
The timing was everything. The cat shifted its weight, one paw braced against the boar's body as it bit into the soft muscle of the cheek. A warm splash of air hit me again and I knew that this was my opening. I coiled myself tight and launched at it, using my enhanced strength to propel my body like a spring, while my dexterity worked overtime to make sure I actually landed on it. I aimed for the cat's face, anywhere on the head would be good, but the face had lots of openings.
The first contact was electric. Its fur bristled, and I felt the surge of power in its body as it realized something had landed on it. It pawed lightly at its face, missing me as I ducked and weaved around the thick fur, sometimes just pushing my way past it, heading as quickly as I could to the nearest opening.
[Progress: 80%. Neural Tissue Proximity Detected.]
I didn't even hear the notification as the strikes came one after the other and I focused on survival. I suppose from the cat's perspective it was less of a strike and more likely just a gentle brush at its fur to knock whatever intruder was crawling on it. The pulsating web of energy grew brighter, guiding me, band eckoning me to unite with it. Every second that passed, I got closer, until finally I felt moisture against my wormy head and I dove for it. It was slimy, some kind of coating, it slowed me down but I pressed on as I worked my way around the eyeball and toward the tear ducts. With a final burst, I began to force my body inside, chomping away to make it my increased bulk fit. I was nearly there when I felt an unimaginable weight press down on the tail end of my body as a paw made contact with me and pulled.
Thankfully, I was too close to the eye for it to use its claws, but even so it felt like I was being ripped in half, which was likely the case.
[Damage Received: 5 Points of Crushing Damage]
[Health Points: 14/19]
"Arrrghhh!" I cried out, though without the proper parts to create sound, nothing left my lungs other than a swift exhale, which decreased my overall girth and made it a little easier to try and enter the creature's body. I held on by my mouth for dear life, a chunk of tissue in my tiny teeth as it continued to pull and stretch me in an attempt to dislodge the intruder.
[Damage Received: 5 Points of Crushing Damage]
No, no, no, no! Must, use, massive, new, muscles! Go man go!
I writhed and swirmed, activating numbing bite in a stroke of genius, though my clever new plan was only going to be genius if it worked. It did something as the cat pulled back its paw and began to blind furiously as one of its eyes began to droop. Each smack of the eyelids hurt, but it was more manageable. .
[Damage Received: 1 Point of Bludgeoning Damage]
[Damage Received: 1 Point of Bludgeoning Damage]
[Damage Received: 1 Point of Bludgeoning Damage]
[Damage Received: 1 Point of Bludgeoning Damage]
[Health Points: 10/19]
What did it say about me that I was being beaten to death by an eyelid? Wait, what did it say about the cat that it was about to be defeated by a worm? Hahaha!
I dove the rest of the way into its body and worked quickly to the brain. Despite my battered form, my speed was unreal, combined with level 3 Flesh Tunneling this would be a breeze. It had no more weapons to fight me off as I made my way into that sweet pink chamber. No, not that one, the one in the head. I was wondering if maybe Morgana helped me out a little before by keeping my mind off of perverted thoughts during times of crises, but that would have to wait.
I tore into a part of the brain without caring where I was in the skull and began to burrow, my body pushing me instinctually toward where I needed to go. I did have some worries that I would damage something important, but all of my vessels were just stepping stones to returning myself to the life of a human. Or an elf, or a hot cat girl, I mean really there were a lot of options, all of which were left up to fate for now. After all, who knows what Kingdom I spawned in?
None of that was important right now, as I munched my way further until I finally reached my destination.
[Experience Gained: 10 XP]
[Experience Gained: 10 XP]
[Progress: 100%. Neural Tissue Proximity Detected.]
I immediately went to work, hoping the cat wasn't going mad at my presence and slowly mutilating itself to stop me. That would really throw a wrench in my plans. I felt my body adjust to its surroundings and for the first time, I truly paid attention to what I was doing. I felt small tendrils sprout from my body and snake their way into the surrounding brain matter. They latched on, rooting me in place, and began to pump some kind of chemical representation of my Willpower into the creature. I knew instantly at that point, that once I had dominated the creature, if I were to remove my tendrils, it would die, no longer able to function on its own.
[Host Domination progress: Neural Integration—10%.]
Good, good, no immediate messages of insufficient will, or some other nonsense. Just to be safe, I activated my Neural Suppression Toxin level 3 and could tell it was having significant effects, as the lingering tension that flowed into my from my potential host had begun to subside ever so slightly.
[Mana: 28/32]
Damn, I hadn't realized my mana jumped up to high. I think I remember the max stacks being five, which was somewhere around… Oof, 40 mana. But wait, what would that be to restore? System, can you help me out, how much time would it take to restore 8 mana at my current state?
[System Request Acknoledged]
Willpower: 26
Willpower restores mana at a rate of 0.026% per minute.
0.026 x 32 = 0.832 mana per minute.
Mana required 8. Mana per minute 0.832.
10 minutes will be sufficient to acquire 8 mana.
Holy shit, my stats are starting to snowball. I could keep my Neural Toxin active continuously if I needed to, and still have mana to spare. Alright, let's do this!
[Neural Suppression Toxin Activated]
[Mana: 22/32]
[Neural Suppression Toxin Activated]
[Mana: 14/32]
[Neural Suppression Toxin Activated]
[Mana: 4/32]
[Neural Suppression Toxin 4 out of 5 stacks. 80% increased effectiveness achieved]
Though, this wasn't the time to start thinking about long-term strategies. I needed to focus on solidifying my control. The cat wasn't entirely subdued yet, and until I reached full integration, it could still attempt to eject me in a final act of resistance.
[Host Domination progress: Neural Integration—28%.]
The cat's body shuddered, its muscles twitching as my tendrils deepened their connection. It was trying to resist, but its movements were sluggish, and its coordination rapidly deteriorated thanks to the Neural Suppression Toxin.
[Host Domination progress: Neural Integration—46%.]
I began to feel a faint trickle of its sensory input filtering into my mind. Sounds became sharper, the echoes of dripping water bouncing off stone walls clearer than ever. The taste of blood, metallic and raw, flooded my awareness as its tongue lapped instinctively at the boar's remains.
[Host Domination progress: Neural Integration—64%.]
Almost enough mana for the final cast, I hope this works.
[Host Domination progress: Neural Integration—82%.]
I needed to finish this integration now. My tendrils worked frantically, pumping more suppression toxins as I mentally prepared myself for the jump into a new body. No time for chances! Activate Neural Suppression Toxin!
[Neural Suppression Toxin Activated]
[Mana: 0/32]
[Neural Suppression Toxin 5 out of 5 stacks. 100% increased effectiveness achieved]
[Neural Integration Successful. Host Fully Subjugated.]
[XP Awarded For Subjugating Medium-Sized Predator: 50.]
[Total XP: 423/500]
I felt the beast's mind dissolve into submission, its instincts bowing to my control. My awareness expanded, encompassing its senses and body. Strength coursed through me as I tested my new limbs, muscles rippling with power, claws actually carving divots into the stone with ease. This was incredible. But what was it?
[Shadow Lynx Dominated: A sleek, panther-like creature with dark, mottled fur that allows it to blend into the forest shadows. Its elongated canines and retractable claws, combined with the ability "Shadow Step" make it a fearsome predator.]
"Oolala!" but what came from my vocal cords was a drawn-out mew. Absolutely adorable. I was going to have so much fun with this host. I looked around before noticing my former host lying lifeless and torn to shreds on the floor. "Waste not want not," I said to myself before digging in until I was full to burst.
[Experience Gained: 20 XP]
[Experience Gained: 20 XP]
[Experience Gained: 20 XP]
[Experience Gained: 20 XP]
[Experience Gained: 20 XP]
Oh god, my stomach! Wait, no, a full belly means the same thing every time! God dammit, I swear to god, if she makes pussy jokes, I'm going to lose my shit.
But it was useless, I felt my eye-lids grow heavy, well, one of them already was heavy as the effects of numbing bite still lingered. Even so, I couldn't resist and I drifted off to sleep.
[Level Up! You are now level 7.]
[Experience: 523/1,000]