Chapter 46: Spider's Venom Gland And Mouse Killing
Editor: Atlas Studios
As night fell, System searched for the mouse while trying a new attack method. He had obtained it after his third molting.
The target System chose could be commonly seen in the forest. It was a creature that liked to hover in the middle of cobwebs, a spider.
After his third molting, System obtained a whole new organ, which was his tentacles.
His tentacles were abnormally agile and tough; each of his tentacles could wrap around and lift a weight that was equal to his body weight. Also, his tentacles could be stretched at a distance of 10 centimeters.
The tentacles also had the special trait of System's [Limb Regeneration], meaning they could grow back even if they were severed. It was also much simpler to regenerate the tentacles as compared to his exoskeleton limbs.
Since he had tentacles, System wanted to try using them to kill a spider.
Even if the spider's venomous fangs were to bite off his tentacles, System could choose to bite off his tentacles to prevent himself from being poisoned.
System flapped his wings and hovered right in front of a spiderweb. Then, he and a grayish-black spider stared at each other silently.
If the spider stretched out its limbs completely, its size would be about 5 centimeters. Also, due to its color, the venom of such a spider should not be too strong.
System slowly stretched out the tentacles on his limbs around the spider.
The spider stayed still, though it was unknown if it did not see what System was doing or it saw but chose not to notice.
System observed the spider's inaction and recalled a memory of him catching a dragonfly in his previous life.
…
The dragonfly had stopped on the leaf of a horsetail plant. He carefully walked towards the dragonfly as silently as possible and slowly stretched out his hand.
His hands gradually got closer and closer to the dragonfly…
Then, he suddenly made a move!
His hand pinched the wings of the dragonfly, and it was already impossible for it to escape.
…
The scene of him catching the dragonfly was overlapping with his action of moving his tentacles around the spider.
System's six tentacles suddenly attacked when they were still half a centimeters away from the spider's body. His tentacles wrapped around a few of the spider's limbs simultaneously, and he pulled it down from its web.
System's tentacles tied up the spider's eight limbs and the spider was unable to even struggle. It could only use its venomous fangs to bite empty air.
As System brought the spider to the ground, he pulled back one tentacle that was wrapped around the spider. Then, he used that tentacle to pick up a hard thorn, which was from the stem of a rose, that he had prepared beforehand.
System's agile tentacles easily used the hard thorn to pierce through the weak part of the spider's head. Soon, white juice flowed out, and the spider completely stopped moving. It had died.
…
System used his tentacles to tear off the spider's limbs and put them into his mouth to chew.
After his third molting, the hunger his body felt had been significantly reduced. Hence, even if System did not eat for a long time, he would not feel hungry.
It might be due to his [Hunger Tolerance Physique] or that his body's need for food had reduced.
System had discovered that many originally delicacies had now become bland to him. They had turned less delicious while the EXP provided had decreased by nearly 1/3.
As he used his tentacles to tear the spider's organs, System casually threw away some meat that did not taste good and the gray fur on the surface of the spider.
System used his tentacles to pluck out the venom gland connected to the spider's mandibles. As always, System was prepared to throw it away, but at that moment, a special feeling coursed through his body.
It was the peculiar skill [Instinct] that he had obtained when listening to the world's voice!
His [Instinct] told him that the venom gland was extremely delicious and would not endanger his body. On the contrary, it was extremely beneficial to him.
System used his tentacles to touch the spider's venom gland and dipped one of them in the venom. Then, he placed the tentacle into his mouth…
However, right before he placed his tentacle into his mouth, System stopped.
To eat it or not, he needed to consider carefully.
Regarding eating the spider's gland, System felt like someone was holding a bag of rat poison in front of him, and the rat poison was then poured into a cup and mixed with water. Afterward, that person told him if he drank it, it would be beneficial to your body!
[Instinct] was an intriguing ability System had obtained, and the effects were much better than his former [Insect Instinct].
However, was such an ability truly trustworthy?
System recalled the scene when he had just awoken. He had accidentally jumped to a place with a toad. If he had not forcibly suppressed his [Insect Instinct], then he might have died long ago.
Undoubtedly, if he ate it, System would be using his life to experiment with the special ability [Instinct].
However, what if he chose not to eat it?
If his body really had the resistance against such a poison after molting thrice and that poison was effective to his growth, he would definitely regret it.
System used his tentacles to fiddle around with the spider's venom gland while he was thinking.
After a few minutes, his human wisdom allowed System to finally think of a solution. If he directly tried tasting the venom, of course, there would be high risk. However, he could dilute the venom before trying it.
If System still died after tasting a small drop of spider venom diluted a few thousand times, he would deserve his fate.
…
System was using his tentacles to repeatedly hold and release the spider's venom gland as he was deep in thoughts. Suddenly, System's antennae heard a special sound—it was the squeak of the mouse!
System threw away the spider's carcass and spread his wings, flying toward the sound's direction.
Behind a tree over ten meters away, System found the mouse that had made the sound.
The mouse was using its claws to dig the rhizomes of vines and was eating them with crunching sounds.
That mouse's body was dark gray, its right eye was tightly closed, and there were some scabs on the fur at the corner of its eyes.
Most likely, that mouse was the one that had nearly killed him and the culprit of crippling Shava.
System's compound eyes flashed with blue light as he scanned the surroundings.
System flapped his wings and flew to the same type of vine three meters away.
"[Color Change Camouflage] activated!"
After his third molting, System's [Green Camouflage] had turned into [Color Change Camouflage]. Now, his outer skin could imitate the color and pattern of any plant like a chameleon.
System adjusted his body slightly and bent his body a little. Soon, he was disguised as the rhizome of the vine and looked almost similar.
When facing agile creatures like mice, System still chose what insects were best at—ambushes!
However, that did not mean System did not have the confidence to win against the mouse head-on. He was just worried that if he attacked brazenly and let the mouse escape back into its hole, it would make things more troublesome.
Five minutes passed.
After the mouse finished eating an unknown fruit that had dropped from a tree, it finally noticed the vine where System was located.
The mouse started to dig the rhizome of the vine just like before, and obviously, it did not notice System.
System observed the mouse, looked for an opportunity, and suddenly charged toward that mouse!
His tentacles stretched out in that instant and directly wrapped around the mouse's four limbs.
As System's body came in contact with the mouse, the mouse seemed to be shocked. It then agilely rolled on the ground and started jumping.
However, System was well-prepared for his ambush. Before the mouse discovered him and escaped from being startled, its limbs were already firmly grasped by his tentacles. Even after the mouse rolled on the ground, the tentacles were not affected at all. Well, System's body was nearly flung away.
System adjusted swiftly and executed his plan. He used his maximum strength to flap his wings!
When the mouse discovered that tentacles were around its limbs, it started to bite the tentacles. At that point, System had already brought the mouse off the ground and flown into the sky.
Meanwhile, as the mouse bit off the first tentacle, System had already brought it to the top of the tree.
As the mouse was struggling to bite off System's second tentacle, System had already flown 100 meters into the sky with his tired wings together with the mouse.
Without waiting for the mouse to continue biting and struggling, System released his remaining four tentacles and his body became much lighter.
To his body, flying with a struggling mouse was quite strenuous.
Chapter 47: Communicating With a Slime
Editor: Atlas Studios
Originally, in order to kill the mouse, System had planned to first use [Corrosive Slime] on the mouse's eyes. After the mouse lost its vision, he would use branches and stones to harass the mouse continuously. In the end, when the mouse was exhausted, he would use his mandibles to finish it off.
However, back when System had been exploring the extent of his flying strength, he had felt that his tentacle could hold a wooden stick half a meter long while flying. Thus, he had chosen that method just now.
He brought the mouse into the air and let the mouse fall to its death.
However, although the mouse's weight was slightly lighter than the wooden stick, it was obviously much harder to handle the struggling mouse than the stick. Hence, it was harder to fly.
Fortunately, his impromptu plan was basically accomplished as the mouse had successfully fallen down from a height.
…
Unexpectedly, the mouse did not immediately die from falling. Probably, the fallen leaves and dead branches within the forest had softened the impact. Even so, the mouse was twitching non-stop on the ground and had already lost its ability to move.
Blood was flowing out of its mouth, and when the mouse saw System approaching, the mouse remaining eye revealed a trace of fear.
"Eh? It still had not lost consciousness from being so gravely injured?"
System opened his mandibles, intending to deal the final blow to the mouse, but he quickly stopped.
System recalled how the mouse had tortured Shava, so he used his remaining four tentacles to dip in the blood, which flowed out from the corner of the mouse's mouth. Then, he tasted its blood in front of it.
The mouse's blood was similar to the blood of birds he had tasted a long time ago. After the milk taste, there was a tea-like taste, which tickled System's taste buds.
Only after tasting the blood on all four tentacles consecutively did System realize that the taste of blood on his four tentacles was different.
One of his tentacles gave off a rich coffee taste, and at the same time, as he tasted it, he felt a slightly sharp pain in his stomach, as well as an inexplicable, soothing feeling.
The EXP of the blood on that tentacle was a total of four times the blood on the other tentacles.
"Why would there be such a taste?"
System used his four tentacles to dip in the blood that had dripped out of the corner of the mouse's mouth and tried them one by one.
System realized that it was still the same tentacle, which had a different blood taste. The coffee taste was still there but blander than before.
As System stared at the dying mouse, he suddenly understood why his tentacle gave off the taste of coffee.
At that thought, System's body could not help but tremble slightly.
Even if he had decided to be cautious, he had consumed the liquid from the spider's venom gland. His tentacle had already been laced with the venom, and he had accidentally mixed it with the mouse's blood!
System felt like he was about to die from accidentally eating a rat poison of his own creation…
Fortunately, from the way System's body acted, it seemed that he would have no problem consuming all of the grayish-black spider's venom. However, it was still unknown whether he was tolerant of other more toxic spider venoms. Anyway, it was quite beneficial to his body now.
…
Upon seeing that the mouse had already stopped twitching, System grabbed the mouse's carcass and started returning to his temporary nest.
If System were to choose the most suitable one to eat this mouse, then it would definitely be the soldier ant, Shava.
System chased away the worker ants patrolling the area near the nest and made great efforts to stuff the mouse into the nest, only to find Shava still in her deep slumber.
It seemed that System's earlier information-gathering method had exhausted Shava, so she still needed to rest for some time.
System moved the mouse's carcass to an empty room and checked on Shava's physical condition before leaving his temporary nest again.
He stretched his wings and flew to the direction of the swamp he had spotted in the day. There were two slimes there.
When System had been clearing the glowing mushrooms, an idea had suddenly struck him. Since he could now perceive the mushrooms' emotions, what prevented him from trying to perceive the slimes' emotions?
Slimes could split themselves countless times, and each split part had an independent consciousness.
In System's mind, the slimes were essentially a cluster of organisms, like fungi or bacteria. In theory, he could perceive their emotions through [Mind Transmission]. Maybe, he might even be able to communicate with them.
System flew swiftly and arrived at the swamp. Soon, he spotted one of the slimes. It was silently staying in the swamp, just like what he had observed in the day from the clouds.
The slime's colloid was dark green and was of a slightly different color than the brown slime.
System flew around the slime, but he did not discover the other slime he had seen earlier. It was unknown where it had gone.
After searching to no avail, System gave up and returned to the swamp where the first slime was.
After grabbing a dead branch from the ground, System flew above the slime and threw it down. He wanted to test how that slime would react.
Its reaction was the same as his old slime friend. The slime's colloid started to tremble vigorously and swallowed the stick that System had thrown.
As the slime devoured the tree branch, System could feel the slime's desire to devour food.
It looked like he was able to feel the slime's emotions by using his [Mind Transmission] and [Spirit Connection].
The slime's emotions seemed to be the cluster of numerous weak consciousnesses. They influenced each other and thus formed a common emotion. Evidently, slimes should be life forms that were similar to fungi, bacteria, or a cluster of microorganisms.
As compared to mushrooms, the emotion that the slime had was much stronger and more concentrated. That was because it was the emotion of the combination of countless weak consciousness, unlike the fungi in the mushroom that had no collective consciousness.
System continued throwing tree branches a few more times to test the slime.
He discovered that slimes, such a life form, were much simpler than he had imagined.
When it devoured a tree branch, the slime would show excitement, and that emotion would last about three seconds before disappearing.
After a few seconds, the slime would have the feeling of a foreign object in it. After a while, the slime would eject the indigestible tree branch out of its body.
System realized that the intelligence of slimes was even lower than insects, and they would only move according to their bodies' instincts.
After testing the slime for a while, System tried to communicate with it.
"Jump!"
As System ordered the slime through [Mind Transmission], the slime really jumped after two seconds.
The slime was a complete replica of Foolish before she was named Shava. After System sent an order, the slime would react to his command.
However, that reaction was fundamentally different. Foolish trusted him, while the slime only followed System's orders due to its instinctive reaction.
The slime's body was like the collection of numerous tiny life forms' consciousnesses. Thus, when System sent a message to the slime, as long as one of the many consciousnesses responded, the other consciousnesses would also be influenced. Therefore, a chain effect would be formed, and it would complete the message System sent.
As a result, System could make use of [Mind Transmission] to control the slime. Even so, using such a method to control slimes was not that ideal either.
Slimes were unable to understand some of System's overly complicated orders, so he could only order it to move and jump.
Also, slimes seemed to have short memories, only lasting a few seconds. Even if the slime was ordered to continue moving toward a direction, it would stop voluntarily after three to five seconds because it had forgotten the order.
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