Chapter 2: Hello, Guide!
'You have gained 1 point of Earth Experience. 99 more points until Evolution becomes possible.'
...
"Huh? What does that mean?" I thought, "Who said that?"
'Greetings. I am the Evolution Guide. I was created in order to help you figure out your new world.'
"Uh, alright. I guess that works? What was that about the Earth points thing?" I asked.
'Just now, you ate some dirt. This gave you one point of experience. That experience fell under the category of "Earth." If you get 99 more points of experience, you can evolve into another form.'
"Huh. What exactly will my next form be?" That actually didn't sound too bad.
'Your next form will depend on the kind of experience you obtain. Please gain more experience so you can find out yourself.'
"Okay fine. I guess I'll just keep eating," I sighed. Leaning down, I ate some more dirt. I didn't have any taste buds, so I didn't have to worry about any bad tastes. With every mouthful came the notification that I got some more experience, but it was slow going. It took me a long time to get to 40 Earth Experience.
"This is taking too long! Is there any better way to do this?" I complained.
'In your current state, ingesting things is the most efficient method of obtaining experience.'
"Thanks, Guide. I figured, but still, worth a try, right?" I muttered, diving back into the dirt. I tried my best to think of a way to make this a bit faster.
"I wonder if I can get more experience if I eat more at once..." I pondered. I buried my face deeper and tried my best to squeeze more dirt into my mouth.
'You have gained 2 Earth Experience. You have gained 1 Consumption Experience. 57 more points until Evolution becomes possible.'
"Huh? What's this Consumption Experience?" I asked.
'Consumption Experience is experience gained from putting extra effort into eating something. This was gained from you fitting extra dirt into your mouth, which qualified as extra effort when eating.'
"Huh. I guess so." I thought to myself. It made sense. No one usually crams their mouths to full capacity when eating something. Suddenly, a question arose in my mind.
"Hey, Guide, how does the category of the experience affect my, uh, evolution?" I asked.
'The category of the experience will help determine the changes made upon evolution. For example, you have collected 42 Earth Experience. This is enough to give your next form a 4.2% increase in physical defense. Please collect more to unlock more effects.'
"Cool. What does the Consumption Experience do?" I asked.
'You currently have 1 point of Consumption Experience. In your next form, you will enjoy a 1% increased maximum eating speed. Please collect more to unlock more effects.'
"Nice. Let's see, let's try to get more experience from other stuff," I decided. Crawling around to the side, I found a twig on the ground. At that point, I encountered a problem. I was an earthworm! I couldn't eat a stick!
Still, I kept at it. Soon, my endeavors bore fruit. There was a part of the stick where the bark was wet and soft. I managed to nibble some of it up.
'You have gained 1 Wood Experience. You have gained 1 Consumption Experience. 55 more points until Evolution is possible.'
"Huh? Why Consumption Experience? I didn't take a big mouthful or anything." I asked.
'Earthworms do not usually consume wood. Going outside your natural foods naturally qualifies as extra effort when eating.'
"Oh, nice! Thanks, Guide!" I said. Encouraged, I continued to eat the bark. Every time I did, I gained a couple points of experience. By the time I finished the patch of bark, I'd gone down to 33 points left until Evolution.
"Hey Guide, what does this Wood Experience do?" I asked. I hoped it would be something good.
'You currently have 11 Wood Experience. In your next form, you will be able to eat and digest fibrous materials faster and easier. Please collect more to unlock more effects.'
"Alright. How about Consumption?"
'You currently have 12 Consumption Experience. In your next form, you will be able to eat things 12% faster. You will also have minor structural changes to aid in your ability to consume various materials. Please collect more to unlock more effects.'
"Not bad!" I said to myself. I felt some excitement well up in myself. I was a biology major back on Earth, so I knew the implications of such changes. I thought, "Maybe being such a simple creature was for the best. Thanks, Pen of Fate."
Crawling back down onto the dirt, I decided to try to explore a little. Crawling in a random direction, I munched on dirt, collected some Earth Experience as I went. It didn't take long for me to find another stick.
"Perfect. Let's see, any wet spots?" I thought to myself. I quickly found the right spot and started eating it up.
Finally, just when I was starting to finish up the wet spot on the stick, it happened.
'You have gained 1 Wood Experience. You have gained 1 Consumption Experience. You have collected a total of 100 Experience points. Evolution is now possible. Would you like to begin Evolutionary Metamorphosis?'
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone