Quinn got into a steady rhythm of things.
When he was full, he would dig to drain stamina. Quinn didn't know if this was effective, but he was trying to level up the [Dig] skill.
Another matter was the soil. The soil was too bad for him to eat. So his diet consisted of surfacing and selective eating leaves that were safe enough to eat.
Quinn also found that undergrowth fungi was also a decent food source. But anything with 'Ghost' or 'Death' Was a big no eat for Quinn.
And eventually:
[Growth progresses ...]
[You have Aged:
[Adolescent Worm] --> [Lesser Earthworm] ]
[Growth Complete]
[Aged body hosts new skill:]
[Growth Skill Unlocked:
[Fragmentation] ]
[System Update Available Check Status]
Quinn attempted to use his new skill but nothing happened.
'Perhaps I need to update my system'
'Hmm, so how do I activate the system update'
[
Name:Quinn
Species:Lesser Earthworm
Growth:Complete[System Update]
Satiety:24%
Strength:0.002
Agility:0.001
Vitality:0.003
Intelligence:0.7
Arcane:0
Skills:[Dig] [Appraisal] [Expansion] [Fragmentation] [Tremor Sense]
]
Quinn also skimmed over his skills. He didn't know what [Fragmentation] exactly did. By focusing his curiosity on the skill, a system window presented itself.
[Fragmentation(Lvl1):Ability to separate a part of the body to become an entirely new entity]
'I can reproduce. Heck, I can see skill descriptions?!?!?'
Quinn finally realized what he had been missing out on.
But that wasn't the issue. It was the system update.
He focused on the system update notification
[System Updating...]
'Wait, it didn't even ask me..'
Before he could finish the thought, he fell unconscious.
...
Deep within the blankness of Quinn's subconsciousness, Quinn was observing the system windows giving him insight into the processes.
[Growth System: Complete]
[Evolution System implementing..]
[Satiety: Hidden]
[Racial skills Hidden under Race]
[Exp: Unlocked]
[Locked Exp Unlocked: 18.6]
[Evolution System implemented]
[Level up: Lvl:0.1 -> Lvl 0.9]
'I'm not even on a whole level. I'm on a partial level!??' Quinn wailed in his mind. But then he analyzed the other system messages.
'I should've only got 16 EXP. So why 18.6?' Quinn had no idea why the system gave him 2.6 more EXP but it was nothing to complain about. It just meant that there was a way to get EXP other than skills. Curious he opened his status;
[
Name: Quinn
Species: Lesser Earthworm(Lvl:0.9)
Exp:[2.1/5.5]
Strength:0.008
Agility:0.006
Vitality:0.011
Intelligence:0.8
Arcane:0
Skills: [Appraisal(Lvl:2)]
]
Quinn was glad to see his stat increases but even more glad about the new functions of his status. By focusing on the skill Appraisal, a skill description popped up.
[Appraisal(Lvl:2): By using sensory stimuli, you can appraise items, getting a brief overview of the properties of an object]
Testing this more he found his species showed more information as well.
[Species: Lesser Earthworm
Specific Trait: The Earth moves around you
Special skills: [Expansion(Lvl:1)] [Fragmentation(Lvl:1)]
Race: Annelid
Racial Traits: [Resilient diet] [Internal Compass] [Pheromone detection] [Hermaphrodite]
Racial Skills:[Tremor Sense(Lvl:1)] [Dig(Lvl:2)]
]
The Status was an unexplored treasure trove of information. But Questions still lingered.
'Evolution system? Does this mean I can become a human again?? That means I'm not always gonna be a worm.' It was tough being a worm. But the worst part about it was the loneliness. That's when Quinn realized. He could try to communicate with the other worms.
Their humming and rumbling resembled a language. And he guessed that the higher level worm you are the greater the depth of language.
...
Quinn Activated [Pheromone detection].
A worm was Infront of him that hummed with friendliness.
So Quinn dug forward to try to communicate with it. It needed the help of other creatures.
[Appraisal: Deathworm(Lvl:8)
Strength: 0.02]
'Hmm, it seems as though I still can't see the current level of my skills though my status'
Quinn made a mental note to do that later, but for now, he was focused on his kin in front of him.
Quinn sniffed and noticed the vibrations in the ground he acknowledged that the graceful worm turned around to greet him.
'Oh high buddy'
Quinn hummed with friendliness.
The Flatworm moved it's head closer to Quinn getting a good sniff. The head then moved even closer touching and sniffing Quinn's body.
'I guess worms gotta be a bit more touchy due to our [Tremor Sense]'
As if to spite Quinn's assumption, the Deathworm sucked his body into its mouth.
'This bastard is trying to eat me!!'
Quinn tried to activate [Dig], but it was no use. The Deathworm had already trapped the worm in its mouth.
'AHHH!!! You fucking bitch'
Quinn struggled flailing about. He ended up ramming his head into the Deathworm. But all to no avail.
Time was running out. Quinn was ready to accept death.
'I guess being a worm isn't really that safe'
[ [Fragmentation] Activated]
Quinn's body grew. But he didn't care. With the activation of [Fragmentation], the parts inside the rude worm detached.
Both Quinn and his tail made a dig for it. With his tail more chaotic than Quinn's straight line path.
Going for the closest food, the deathworm went for Quinn. Allowing his tail safety But not him.
'Ow ow ow!!! Everything is on fire. It burns'
Torn in half, Quinn was losing energy. His wounds weren't exposed and he was slowing down.
Quinn only had two things on his mind.
One, Escape.
Two, Revenge.
He didn't know how, but one day, Quinn would kill this deathworm. Quinn burned the smell of this creature into his mind.
It was going to die.
Unless he died first.
The Deathworm was gaining on him. Thinking quick, Quinn started digging toward the surface. Hopefully the presence of birds or other predators would deter the Deathworm away.
The Deathworm, sensing this, only sped up.
Quinn reached out with his Tremor Sense. Searching for something, anything dangerous or more appetizing around him.
[[Tremor Sense] Activated]
Some sort of insect was Infront of him. It was close, it was powerful yet it was unknown. He had to gamble.
It was his only hope.
Quinn dug as fast as he could but the soil was restrictive. The soil didn't move how he wanted to. His new body did nothing as the Deathworm caught up to him. Quinn could sense the earth become softer for it. But not him. He was too used to walking. He despised digging through the dirt. It was beneath him. But the Goliath had been so cool. As if he was swimming instead of digging.
'I'm going to die?!? This stupid muppet is going to kill me!! I don't want to die! I want to live. I want to survive. I want to dig as if I was swimming.' Quinn cried to out aloud letting the hums and vibrations seep into the earth.
For the first time, Quinn wanted to dig.
[Skill Levelled up
[Dig]Lvl 2 --> [Dig] Lvl 3
Exp: 1.1 ]
[Exp:3.2/5.5]
The earth softened as Quinn pushed through. Delaying the Deathworm's attack for a second. But a second was all he needed before running into the six legged 'dragon'.
[Appraisal: Black Dragonfly Nymph(Growth Stage)
Strength: 0.03]
Instantly Quinn screamed as a set of mandibles sunk into his side. He was trapped. The situation went from bad to worse.
The Deathworm finally took a nibble out of Quinn's tail end.
Quinn was going to die.
But the Nymph found the Deathworm more appetizing as it let go of Quinn and bit down on the Deathworm's head.
Quinn crawled away as he stumbled upon a downwards burrow. He had no strength to stop himself falling in. He fell hitting the floor of the burrow.
Sensing his surroundings a single appraisal rang out.
[Appraisal: Sløjfer-Fanged Viper(Lvl:97)]
Quinn wanted to run but the fog of unconsciousness overcame him as he fainted.