Worm Chapter 4: Phase Worm

Worm Chapter 4

Phase Worm

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Racial ability Update: <Phase Change: Liquid Lv. 1> has upgraded to <Phase Change: Liquid Lv. 2>.

Skill Update: <Regeneration Mastery Lv. 2> has upgraded to <Regeneration Mastery Lv. 3>.

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I’ve been trying to level up without dissolving anything and just through increasing skill proficiency by taking advantage of the effect of ‡Viscount of Sloth‡.

I thought it would be easier, but it’s really not. Looking at the rate my EXP increases, it’s the same rate as dissolving dead monsters.

Because of that, I’ve set two slimes to improve skill proficiency while the other three dissolve dead beings while patrolling area for live monsters.

For <Phase Change: Liquid> I imagine the properties of the liquid I want to turn into. My body forms into that liquid. It always results with properties with lesser quality than I expected. I need to gain more levels for it in order to improve the skill.

For <Regeneration Mastery> I cut my body by jumping onto sharp objects that I assume to be rocks to damage myself then regenerate.

It’s easier to level up the skills due to my other slimes dissolving for EXP and at the same time, the other bodies will practice the skills.

While I was moving around my bodies, I felt a unique shape from the area of Body #5.

The monster is dead, but it is unbelievably large.

I moved closer to the corpse to get a much better feel of its shape.

The monster is larger than that [Abyth Exhobane]… it’s shape like a dear with large horns… what is this?

Pane, do you know?

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Name: Unnamed
Being Category: [Monster]
Race: [Abyth Gistag]
Racial Classification: [Beast]
Evolution Level: 4

Statistics
Level: 19

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A monster with Evolution Level: 4? Even that was killed?

Based on the wound, it’s the same monster that has been going around killing anything without eating it.

I haven’t seen this monster yet… I’m not really scared because I won’t die with one body dead. I actually want to encounter it so I would be ready for it.

Anyway, I’m lucky to be able to get a level 4 Monster.

I dissolved the [Abyth Gistag].

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[Abyth Gistag] has been dissolved.

-Health has been recovered.
-Mana has been recovered.
-EXP has been gained.

Level Update: Level has risen by 3. Current Level: 23.

Racial Ability Update: <Reform Lv. 7> has upgraded to <Reform Lv. 8>. | <Worm Slime Dissolution Lv. 6> has upgraded to <Worm Slime Dissolution Lv. 7> | <Telekinetic Movement Lv. 6> has upgraded to <Telekinetic Movement Lv. 7>|<Split Body Lv. 5> has upgraded to <Split Body Lv. 6>. <Phase Change: Liquid Lv. 2> has upgraded 2 times to <Phase Change: Liquid Lv. 4>.

Skill Update: <Dualism Lv. 5> has upgraded to <Dualism Lv. 6>. <Regeneration Mastery Lv. 3> has upgraded to <Regeneration Mastery Lv. 4>.

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Getting EXP from a being with Evolution Level higher than me really gives a lot of EXP.

Not only that, I think I’m getting more EXP now due to my <Worm Slime Dissolution> now at a higher level.

Now that I’ve discovered an Evolution Level: 4 monsters, I have the feeling the stronger monsters are just ahead this hallway. I need to be cautious in moving.

I made another body and named it Body #6 then split them on two separate corridors.

♦

After a while, I felt the shape of another [Abyth Gistag] from the area of Body #6. This time, it’s alive. Lucky!

But this time…

Why is it a lot smaller than the one before? Shouldn’t it be larger?

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Pane
Every monster has different sizes depending on age. This one is a baby [Abyth Gistag].
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What?

…So that means, you don’t actually have to start with Evolution Level 0 after you are born!?

Pane
It depends on race. Based on the information I can access, this is the advantages of beast type beings. They can produce an offspring that will have the same Evolution Level as the parents. Reptiles or other types that lays eggs does not have this.

Why wasn’t I born as a beast type monster? In fact, I was born as a little worm that is not even a monster…

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Pane
Look at the bright side, if you weren’t you won’t be talking to me like this.
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…Huh? What did you just say? I thought you don't have any personality?

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Pane
Even if I don’t, I can pretend to have one. I wanted to tease you, just a little.
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Hmmm… looks like a proper personality to me.

Maybe Pane doesn’t realize it yet…

Come to think about it, can Pane hear every monologue I make?

…Of course, Pane won’t admit it…

Time to kill this small monster…

I used {Inventory} to move Body #1 up go Body #4 towards Body #6’s location.

I made the four bodies turn into a liquid with no properties. I moved them to the monster’s feet without it noticing.

When they were on each leg, I made them turn into very small but concentrated puddles directly under it.

I turned the adhesion up to the max and made them climb up until the whole hooves are covered.

Lastly, I turned up the Viscosity to the max to make it as sticky as hell.

I did this very quickly, so the monster could not react.

It could not move… no matter how much it struggled, the monster was not able to move.

Lastly, I propelled Body #6 and propelled it into the monster’s mouth. I maneuvered it until it reached the heart area and turned the toxicity, acidity, and temperature up to the max. I also used <Reform> and <Telekinetic Movement> to make the body compress its heart to make its heartbeat irregular.

After half an hour of waiting, the young [Abyth Gistag] died.

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[Abyth Gistag] has been killed. Kill participation has been recognized. EXP has been acquired.

Level Update: Level has risen by 3. Current Level: 26.

Racial Ability Update: <Reform Lv. 8> has upgraded to <Reform Lv. 9>. | <Worm Slime Dissolution Lv. 7> has upgraded to <Worm Slime Dissolution Lv. 8> | <Telekinetic Movement Lv. 7> has upgraded to <Telekinetic Movement Lv. 8>|<Split Body Lv. 6> has upgraded to <Split Body Lv. 7>. <Phase Change: Liquid Lv. 4> has upgraded to <Phase Change: Liquid Lv. 5>.

Skill Update: <Dualism Lv. 6> has upgraded to <Dualism Lv. 7>. <Regeneration Mastery Lv. 4> has upgraded 2 times to <Regeneration Mastery Lv. 6>.

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Everything levels up very quickly… I haven’t even dissolved it yet.

Since I have almost all of my bodies here, I’ll be able to dissolve it fast.

I just noticed this, but my body is actually a lot larger. I almost forgot because I’m always splitting my body.

While I was dissolving it, I suddenly felt vibrations through the air.

These vibrations… it’s coming from that direction!

I can feel a monster on fours running towards this direction. The monster has four legs, one tail, some manes around its head, horns and wings.

What is this? It feels like a lion…

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Name: Unnamed
Being Category: [Monster]
Race: [Abyth Manticore]
Racial Classification: [Beast]
Evolution Level: 5

Statistics
Level: 41

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An Evolution level: 5!? This is dangerous!

No, actually… I easily defeated one Evolution Level: 4.

…Maybe with a little more effort, maybe I can defeat one with evolution level: 5!

I’ll just have to have proper positioning.

I have started setting up my formation.

…While I was setting up, I felt an unusual movement from the monster.

It’s gathering something on its mouth while it was pointed at my direction.

What’s it going to do?

I could only feel it for an instant.

All of the bodies that were spread out were easily erased.

I do not know what happened, or how it happened… but all of the six bodies I had in the area have been destroyed into nothing.

I wasn’t even able to finish dissolving the [Abyth Gistag].

Just like that, six of my bodies were killed.

I underestimated this place.

I thought I’ll be safe as long as I have multiple bodies, but there really is a possibility that I would die!

All that’s left is Body # 5. I should hide for the time being until I regenerate my body.

While I was regenerating, I felt vibrations again… coming from the same direction where my dead bodies have died.

These vibrations… it’s that beast!

The monster went to hunt this last body, Body #5…

…

Is this where I meet my end?

♦

I split my last remaining body into seven smaller bodies. I separated them to go at separate directions.

At least let one be spared!

After a few seconds, I was able to separate them.

But with no luck, three were hunted down in just a few minutes.

Damn! Split!

I made three bodies split into two. The bodies are very small now…

Why is it hunting me down? What did I ever do to it!?

It was the one that killed those monsters, right?

Ahhh! Two of the pairs that just split got hunted down!

I split two into four to make myself seven again.

Spread out, spread out…

Damn it, three got hunted instantly! Get tired already, goddamn it!

I played tag with it for a few minutes.

I split my body, regenerate a little, then get destroyed. Split, regenerate, then got destroyed. Split, regenerate then got destroyed.

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Racial Ability Update: <Telekinetic Movement Lv. 8> has upgraded to <Telekinetic Movement Lv. 9>|<Split Body Lv. 7> has upgraded to <Split Body Lv. 8>

Skill Update: <Dualism Lv. 7> has upgraded to <Dualism Lv. 8>. <Regeneration Mastery Lv. 6> has upgraded to <Regeneration Mastery Lv. 7>.

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Pane, this isn’t time for this! These skills won’t matter when I’m dead!

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Pane
Hey, I can’t control that part of the system…
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…

Split, get hunted, split, get hunted.

The same cycle went for a few more minutes… until there’s little of me left.

…I have decreased to a very small size, I’m a size of the usual animal worm now.

If I’m this size, you shouldn’t notice me anymore, right? Sir Abyth Manticore?

The monster stood in front of me.

…Air started collecting at its mouth.

You’re going to use that move that instantly killed my bodies on this little body? Do you have no mercy!?

I know I have lived as an insignificant being, but at least let me live longer! I have finally received a will of my own, don’t kill me!

The manticore opened its mouth…

…but nothing happened. It was stopped at the last moment.

What happened? Huh?

I didn’t even detect any movement. I was only able to analyze the situation after it had happened.

Something has pierced through the manticore’s flank.

The one who pierced it is another being.

It gives of a very stiff but smooth vibration… what is it?

Based on the shape, it’s similar to the being that is called Human.

No, it’s different… there’s no heartbeat.

It’s just a lump of iron that human wear… it’s floating armor. I can feel a shield on its right arm and a lance on its left.

Not to mention it’s size is five times larger than human.

Anyway, thank you sir floating armor!

It might’ve caught the manticore off guard, but to be able to kill it in one attack… that’s unbelievable.

The sir floating armor pulled out the lance from the manticore, making blood gush out…

I see, those weren’t claw marks that I saw before… it was that lance.

…This isn’t time to think about it! I need to hide my presence!

But it wasn’t needed. It didn’t even notice me, it just started walking away.

Whew… that was close… I was saved by luck…

…Why was that manticore in a hurry to kill me? It was even overcommitting to it…

Did it want to level up or something?

Also, the one that killed all of the beings I encountered. The one responsible is sir floating armor. I’m sure about it.

That manticore and sir armor… why are they so violent?

Oh, I forgot… Pane, can you show me what that lump of armor was?

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Name: Guardian
Being Category: [Monster]
Race: [Shynhild Lancer]
Racial Classification: [Formless]
Evolution Level: 6

Statistics
Level: 58

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Woah! Evolution level: 6, and level 58 at that!

Wait, it has a [Name]? and why isn’t it [Abyth]?

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Pane
That being shouldn’t be in this place. This place isn’t its natural habitat.
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Meaning something put it in here?

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Pane
Maybe… I suspect that the reason why there was no [Abyth Manticore] that was able to evolve is because of that being. [Abyth Manticore] is a beast type race that have lived for a long time, meaning it should’ve had have evolved further by producing evolved offspring.
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You’re amazing… you know a lot of things…

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Pane
Don’t praise me too much… This is just things I can access from the system.
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…Anyway, I should be thankful to whatever that is. Because of it, this place is not flooding with those manticores.

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Pane
Wrong. That thing should’ve leveled up long ago if it was killing monsters around this place for a long time. This place shouldn’t have any monsters anymore… Meaning it has only been killing monsters only recently.
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Only recently? Then what stopped those manticores from evolving?

Pane
I can’t find any information about it in the system.

Even with the knowledge I gained, there are lots of things I don’t know in this world…

I don’t even know the condition of this world…

Well, I guess I’ll just have to find out later.

…Enough of that.

Time to eat the corpse this Evolution Level: 5 monster, the manticore!

I dissolved it slowly. As I dissolved it, I regenerated parts of my body.

I was able to dissolve the [Abyth Manticore] without any problems.

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[Abyth Manticore] has been dissolved.
-Health has been recovered.
-Mana has been recovered.
-EXP has been gained.

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Level Update: Level has risen by 4. Current Level: 30.

Racial Ability Update: <Reform Lv. 9> has upgraded to ⌠Reform⌡. <Worm Slime Dissolution Lv. 8> has upgraded to <Worm Slime Dissolution Lv. 9>. <Telekinetic Movement Lv. 9> has upgraded to ⌠Telekinetic Movement⌡|<Split Body Lv. 8> has upgraded to <Split Body Lv. 9>. <Phase Change: Liquid Lv. 4> has upgraded to <Phase Change: Liquid Lv. 5>.

Skill Update: <Dualism Lv. 8> has upgraded to <Dualism Lv. 9>. <Regeneration Mastery Lv. 7> has upgraded to <Regeneration Mastery Lv. 8>.

Being Update: Level limit of current race has been reached. Evolution conditions are met. Evolution is available.

Woah, 4 levels immediately! I think there’s even more excess EXP for that! I’m getting a streak of luck here!

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I noticed that the level 9 skills didn’t go to level 10. They had the level removed and the borders were change from <> to ⌠⌡.

Anyway, time to evolve…

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Evolution Options
[Phase Worm]

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Only like what was said before, evolution is locked to one choice.

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[Phase Worm]: A worm that has the ability to solidify itself. It can also change the properties of itself at solid form.

Racial Skills: <Phase Change: Solid>

Example: <Phase Change: Solid> can turn the being’s body into solid form and use it for offensive purposes.

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Oh, this one makes me turn solid while the previous one liquid…

There’s no other choice anyway, I choose [Phase Worm].

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[Phase Worm] has been chosen to be the superseding race.
-Being will be in a stasis state during evolution process.
-Being will be in full recovered status after evolution process.
-Evolution time is set to 5 seconds due to ‡Viscount of Sloth‡.
-Level will not reset after evolving due to ‡Viscount of Sloth‡.

Evolve to [Phase Worm]?

Confirmation: [Yes][No]

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Goodnight, Pane… [Yes].

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Pane
Sweet dreams.
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…

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Race Update: Official race has been changed from [Lesser Phase Worm] to [Phase Worm].

Title Update: ‡Viscount of Sloth‡ has changed to ‡Count of Sloth‡.

Evolution Level Update: Evolution Level has risen. Current Level: 4.

Panel Intelligence Level Update: Panel Intelligence Level has risen due to acquiring the ‡Viscount of Sloth‡ title. Current level: 5.

Racial Ability Update: <Phase Change: Solid> have been acquired due to the change in race.

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Excess EXP from before evolution has been acquired.
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Good morning Pane! Now, the info.

[“Good morning.”]

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Name: Worm
Being Category: [Monster]
Race: [Phase Worm]
Racial Classification: [Formless]
Title: ‡Count of Sloth‡
Evolution Level: 4
Panel Intelligence Level: 5

Statistics
Level: 30
EXP: 89%
Health: 757
Spirit: 699
Strength: 746
Agility: 719
Magic: 726

Racial Abilities
⌠Reform⌡|⌠Telekinetic Movement⌡|<Worm Slime Dissolution Lv. 9>|<Split Body Lv. 9>|<Phase Change: Liquid Lv. 5>|<Phase Change: Solid Lv. 1>

Skills
<Dualism Lv. 9>|<Regeneration mastery Lv. 8>

Special Skills
{Mind Activation}|{Inventory}

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Hmm… Hmm… I see…

…wait.

Pane!?

[“Yeah?”]

A voice? What the heck? You can talk now!?

[“Haha, Surprised?”]

Why wouldn’t I!?

… though, what is that voice? Is it a masculine or a feminine voice?

[“I have no gender… want me to talk with a deep voice or a cute voice?”]

I don’t have any gender either, so let’s leave your voice like this… Do you have more access to the system or any new information?

[“Well, there is a little… well, you shouldn’t care about that. I now have a personality and I can talk. Isn’t that more important?”]

Yeah, that’s more than enough… I feel really happy.

[“Next, you want to see the information about the evolved title?”]

Okay, show me the information about ‡Count of Sloth‡.

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‡Count of Sloth‡
-Increase EXP gained by 50%+(Level*1%)+(Evolution/Class Level*10%).
-Increase skill level up rate by 50%+(Level*1%)+(Evolution/Class Level*10%).
-Increase skill acquiring rate by 50%+(Level*1%)+(Evolution/Class Level*10%).
-Grants {Mind Activation}.
-Grants {Inventory}.
-Earning EXP increases Skill Proficiency.
-Earning Skill Proficiency increases EXP.
-Level reset when evolving or class advancement has been removed.
-Upon evolution or class advancement, the world average of the statistics of the superseding race will be applied. If conversion of statistics from previous race or class to the superseding race or class is above the world average, the conversion is done instead of applying the world average.
-All evolution process lasts 5 seconds.
-Increase Panel Intelligence Level.

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The rate has increased! It now adds evolution level to the calculation of bonus EXP. I can level up faster now!

[“Though there are no other additional abilities… did the title lose creativity?”]

You shouldn’t talk that way, aren’t you relying on that system as well?

[“Relying? How? Aren’t you the one who’s relying on me to rely on the system?”]

…Pane can make those kinds of comment now? This is the best thing I got from an evolution…

[“Yes, yes. I’m glad that you like me. Anyway, this is the info about your new racial ability”]

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<Phase Change: Solid>: Ability of the being to solidify parts of its body and change its properties.
-Speed of phase change depends on level.
-Maximum and minimum hardness level of solid depends on level.
-Maximum and minimum elasticity level of solid depends on level.
-Maximum and minimum durability level of solid depends on level.
-Maximum and minimum flexibility level of solid depends on level.
-Maximum and minimum temperature level of solid depends on level.

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Similar to liquid, I can do whatever I want with it… I should test it.

I made one tentacle arm then made it into a solid blade.

I tried slashing on a rock… it worked!

Okay, now I can fight without using traps and tricks! I can win in a one on one fight!

[“What are you talking about? Taking advantage of the situation is what your best at. Don’t change it.”]

I was just exaggerating.

…Am I really the type to take advantage of any situation?

I guess so… Most of my previous levels are done by dissolving corpses that are killed by another being.

I probably won’t level up just by dissolving weak monsters now… I need to hunt stronger monsters…

[“You’re already at the third level, but near the entrance of the second level. To go deeper, just go into the third hallway to your left.”]

I see… wait, you know this place!?

[“I have this vague access on the density of monsters killed based on the system… There are no low-level monsters killed in that area, meaning there are only strong monsters in there. I think it’s the best choice.”]

This is great… Pane is the best, make my life easier!

[“Hey, I’ve been doing that since a while ago. I’m your convenient spouse.”]

Spouse? She can even make jokes now…

[“Enough of that, what do you want to do with the information I just gave you?”]

… I’ll split myself into 9 and head into that direction. I’m going to leave one on safe places on the higher levels just in case of emergency.

[“Be careful, there are deaths of non-monster beings on the higher levels…”]

What are “Non-monster beings”?

[“They have [Class Level] instead of [Evolution Level]. Humans, elves, etc.]

I see… okay, I’ll put two bodies in opposite directions just to be safe.

I spread out seven bodies into the dangerous lower levels and two bodies into the safe higher levels.