Following days of unrelenting storms, the ground bloomed with lush vegetation, thriving around numerous hunting holes. Deep below the surface, a long period of stillness allowed water to seep into the decaying remains of creatures that had starved to death.
Yet, this peace was fleeting. The dormant entity stirred, feeling its weakened state, its focus narrowed to a single, primal urge: to hunt. Without hesitation, a smaller, more resilient tube extended from its intricate network, gliding silently across the terrain, searching for prey.
A hapless rabbit-like creature, unaware of the impending danger, sprang from a nearby bush. Its entire attention was fixated on a small, fruit-laden bush, promising enough sustenance for days. The creature sensed the vibrations and rapidly approached with barely a sound. The rabbit, despite its large, sensitive ears, remained oblivious, already nearing the bush. It plucked a vibrant red fruit, savoring its taste in quiet solitude.
In the next instant, the tube coiled around its neck from behind, triggering a piercing shriek and violent struggles. The creature desperately tried to dislodge the tube with its legs, but to no avail. The tube tightened its grip around its delicate body, incapacitating its limbs before snapping its neck. The rabbit died almost instantly as its spine shattered. The tube then swiftly retracted, dragging the lifeless body back to the burrows for consumption, leaving only faint indications of a struggle.
The deceased creature was quickly brought into the core of the larger entity, dropping onto the pulsating, fleshy floor. The floor immediately closed around it, sealing off any escape, and swallowed it whole, leaving nothing but bones. The surrounding flesh then began to expand, systematically repairing the entity's damaged sections.
As the creature was fully absorbed in its regeneration, the mysterious voice returned, and a familiar blue panel appeared before it.
[Organism: Unknown
Possession: Feral Rat Head ×6, Feral Rat Spine ×8, Feral Rat Half-degraded Heart ×2
Energy: 22
Upgrades: Available]
Upon seeing this, the creature unhesitatingly activated the skill, and the world shifted once more. This time, "Awaken Consciousness" glowed brightly, accompanied by two new options: "Regeneration (Low Grade): 8 Energy" and "Puppeting: 12 Energy."
The creature paused to think, unsure of their functions. While contemplating, it accidentally held down "Regeneration" for an extended period, causing a detailed description to pop up below.
[Regeneration (Low Grade): Consumes 1 energy per second to heal deep wounds and cuts, and enables the removal of minor debuffs.]
The creature then activated "Puppeting," and a similar description appeared.
[Puppeting: A skill that grants understanding of cadaverous mechanics and allows manipulation of corpses. Unlock to access core details.]
The creature pondered this information for a long time before acquiring both skills without hesitation. Twenty energy points vanished instantly, but the two skills pulsed with energy, and the creature returned to its normal state.
Noticing a section of its flesh that had been injured and torn by the rabbit before its demise, the creature activated "Regeneration."
[Use Regeneration (Low Grade)?]
The creature assented, and two energy points were immediately deducted, reducing its energy to zero. The affected area of flesh glowed a vibrant green, and the tissue regenerated, even erasing old scars, much to the creature's surprise.
Next, the creature engaged its other skill, "Puppeting," but a different window appeared.
[Learn the Basics of Puppeting?]
The creature nodded, and the window expanded, flooding it with information.
[Puppeting is a technique similar to necromancy, but it allows users to integrate a part of themselves into their puppets, enabling attacks from angles that puppets typically cannot defend against.
Puppeting is categorized into Low Grade, Mid Grade, High Grade, and Transcendental. Each stage boosts the puppet's power; a High-Grade puppet can exert up to ten times the power of a Low-Grade puppet, even if built from the same materials.
A puppet requires a spine, a head, bones, and a heart to function. The head, spine, and bones create a basic structure, while the heart enables movement and allows it to go undetected, even by creatures of the same species, to the naked eye.]
The creature read and absorbed the information, then nodded, eager to create a puppet. It activated the skill, and a window appeared.
[Use Puppeting? Consumes: Feral Rat Head, Feral Rat Spine, Bones, and Feral Rat Incomplete Heart.
Note: Due to the damaged heart, this puppet is classified below Low Grade. Please find suitable materials for better puppets in the future.]
The creature nodded as the materials vanished from its inventory, and the floor began to writhe erratically, capturing its full attention.