Where in the world is this place?
For some time now I’ve been floating on some sort of sticky dense substance, but it is too dark for me to discern it.
Not that I was the most religious person being a scientist and all but remembering my not so pretty recent death I can only conclude that this place is either heaven or hell. Still, I don’t suppose to have ever read anything about how the afterlife was being perpetually involved by strange mucous liquid.
Surprisingly I discover that I can actually breathe inside of it, but this only adds to my enormous number of unanswered questions. Also how come, despite its weirdness, this place feels so safe and relaxing? Maybe I should try to swim inside it a bit…
[Thump]. Just as I begin to move a little bit further my head hits something hard.
I use my hands to feel this unexpected obstacle and become scared to discover that instead of a plane surface there is actually a sphere-like barrier surrounding me in all directions. I’m starting to panic here, should I keep waiting for some kind of divine instruction or maybe shout for help? Yeah, let me try shouting.
“Shhhhhhh”…
“Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”…
Only an odd whistling sound comes out when I try to scream. Oh great, now I cannot even speak!
After spending what I felt to be a few minutes in daze, some sort of instinct that I have been ignoring until now urged me to hit this stupid wall. I’m still not sure why but I do it. I throw punches, kicks and even some headbutts until, to my complete surprise, a crack appears. A few more strikes here and there and the barrier is blown outwards letting in a faint blue light.
My eyes rapidly adapt to the new clarity, but all the colors and distances seem sort of irregular and I wonder what caused this. I’m not wearing my glasses and that’s a nice start for some explanation, but I cannot count out some kind of aftereffect of I don’t know, being dead?
My attention is drawn when I hear lots of different high pitched hissing sounds as if I was standing near a snake's den. Brimming with curiosity, I slowly stretched my head through the hole I had just created.
As soon as I look outside my first impression is that I’m currently in a cave with an immensely tall ceiling and it’s certainly intriguing, but I probably should find the source of all those noises first. The low light impairs my vision, and I can only discern what appears to be a multitude of humanoid forms in all directions. There is one already near me and getting closer, so I’ll try focusing on it.
When the figure finally takes shape, my heart stops for a moment. Coming in my direction is by far the most bizarre green lizard I've ever laid my eyes upon, that is walking with its two legs. Yes, walking with two legs and it is also the same size as me.
Feeling absolutely scared; I immediately dive my head back into the strange sphere wishing I have never opened it at all. Does that mean that all those other dozen sounds of hissing are in truth other strange reptiles like this one that have me completely surrounded?
Maybe this place is actually hell, and if it is so, the devil must have a very dark sense of humor.
What should I do? Maybe just try to run somewhere. Not that I had much success at it the last time but what are the options? It is either this or I don’t know, giving up and being eaten again. I can also try to use parts of this barrier as a shield and maybe push… Wooooow. Something enormous grabs and pulls me from my hiding spot.
Facing me is the single biggest reptile I ever saw, and it is grasping my whole body in just one of his hands as if I am a toy. I can definitely say that no amount of Godzilla movies could prepare me for this absurd scene.
The beast slowly brings me closer to its mouth and I prepare myself for my second death by being food for a lizard, but amazingly it just sniffs me. I don’t suppose it was the best outcome, but it still beats being chewed by a long margin.
Unfortunately, there appears to be something wrong with my scent because the giant reptile immediately grows angry and mercilessly tosses me to the floor where I roll at least thrice before stopping. Gosh how my back hurts!
The multiple hissing sounds seem to pause and when I take a look all the normal sized (?) lizards were staring at me. Now what! Will they all come and mutilate me at the same time? Whatever, I'm too tired and actually too hungry as well to care anymore.
And just as I think my fate is decided, everybody is startled by loud shrieks coming from the big guy. We all pay attention as it picks a large bag and inadvertently throws its content at us.
I was dumbfounded when huge quantities of what seems to be some kind of meat rains all around me. But the food shower can be considered a regular occurrence in comparison to what happens next. Before going through a tunnel further on the cave the giant reptile turns to us and speaks. “Food”!
What the hell is happening here! Why is there a colossal talking lizard throwing raw meat at a bunch of smaller lizards, and me, just after I break out of a sphere-shaped structure? Come on, in which world does this sound at least a little bit reasonable?
While I complain to apparently no one, the gluttonous reptile crowd is devouring all the meat as if there was no tomorrow. At this rate there will be nothing left for me you damn scaled bastards. Blinded by a primal hunger I do not hesitate to jump to a particularly juicy portion of meat and start to wrestle its owner.
Believe me when I say that I was not always such a coward and actually participated in a lot of fights in my youth even though in most of them I ended up as a curled up punching bag. But in this one I feel there’s something different, like I somehow got rid of my weak constitution and stamina and could stand toe to toe with these crazed lizards.
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We start rolling on the hard floor both tightly grabbing the food and he is definitely my match in size and strength. Only after I gave him a heavy knee to his belly does the bastard let go of the piece, but as soon as his hands are free, he starts attacking me with his claws.
These sharp claws give him an enormous advantage, forcing me to cope with a barrage of powerful slashes. And he’s also clever since more than once I had to dodge one of these scratches aimed at my eyes. I’m being pressed here, and minor cuts already cover my body, but my opponent isn’t faring well either after some well-placed punches and kicks.
I need to finish this fast or some uninvited third party may take advantage of our poor condition. I believe my adversary had the same thought for he took some distance and pounced with both claws going for my neck.
You opened up stupid! I instantly dive forward blocking his claw with both my arms and head-butting his jaw with all my strength. My head hurts a little, but the bastard is knocked out for good.
Now holding the piece of bloodied flesh in my hands as a trophy I look down at my defeated opponent. He does not seem to be permanently hurt or anything thankfully. Well, maybe there will be some headaches and disorientation but what could I do? With the prize secured I don’t waste time and withdraw to a safe spot near the cave’s wall to feed.
Finally satiated, I can now think more clearly about what happened and the things I did. I clearly just fought a human sized lizard to eat a piece of a strange but delicious raw meat (am I going to have food poisoning?) and won! If I knew I could do it before, my story with that bastard Komodo Dragon would be entirely different.
Most of the greenies are now sleeping with their bellies full so I’ll take this opportunity to do some exploration and maybe clean myself and my wounds. Who knows if his claws were infected by some sort of noxious bacteria or something worse? Better safe than sorry I believe applies to any kind of situation.
Finding a pond near me right away, I now take time to notice that this cave is exceptionally humid, with big water droplets all around.
I’ll just drink some water and… wow! Just as I am about to dip my head, the ugly face of one of those lizards suddenly appears in the water.
Was this pond so deep? And more importantly why is he diving in there?
I take another look, and he just stands there glaring at me. There is no way I’m getting close; I saw too many scary movies to know that you never go near a strange pond when it is possible to be something down there to drag you.
Slowly moving my head, the lizard seems to mirror my movements. I wonder how much time he can stay underwater. I know that Crocodiles could stay submerged for over two hours. Damn it, what a distraction! I’ll just leave him here and go find another pond.
But just as I find another one, I see the same heinous creature staring at me. Are those ponds interconnected by some kind of underground flooded tunnels? And why is this scary lizard following me through it?
I race to one fairly distant pond and there he is again and I’m sure it’s the same one because of some scars on his face. Is he trying to communicate with me somehow? And why does he do it from underwater?
Oh, come on! Impatience wins and I slowly extend my hand to grab him. At the same time, he also put his claws forward and it seems we will be touching our fingers at the water’s edge any moment now…
My hand presses directly through it. A shiver, unlike anything I have ever experienced before goes from my finger in the water to my arm and then like a strong shock reaches my spinal cord with a paralyzing effect. My whole body shakes but the submersed lizard appears to suffer the same afflictions.
Of course he does…
I finally found the missing logic that brought mostly everything together and it was literally in my face all along. My scrambled eyesight, the sudden strength and viciousness inside me and the sphere. How clouded was I to not see these dozens of other broken eggs lying around the whole place?
When I look again in the pond, I now know these claws that reach their reflection are mine and those scars are also my scars. Unfortunately, that atrocious face is my own as well but more important I begin to understand who I am now…
Or what I am.
But despite my recent epiphany there were still more fundamental questions that I must find answers for, and I bet those ones will be way harder to get. Knowing that I was just born again really helps, as I can presume to have been reincarnated in this form instead of being a dead entity living in reptile’s hell.
Actually, thinking about it now, how much irony must God have to put my soul in a lizard just after I died being bitten to death by one? What was he thinking? That I’ll go and be the Komodo Man?
Fuck it! After cleaning myself I finally give in to exhaustion and return to my previous spot to rest. There is a lot of information to factor in and it’ll be best if I do it with a clearer head after some repose. And so as soon as my eyes close I fall asleep.
[Conditions are met.]
[You will now evolve from Minor Lizardling to Lizardling.]
What the hell is this thing? It says I’ll suffer some kind of evolution. And why is there a pop-up message in my head?
As I am still wondering about the first one, another appears.
[You have 1 Evolutionary Point to distribute.]
[Please choose from the Traits below.]
- [Razor Claws] – Your nails grow and harden, becoming as strong as iron, capable of slashing through flesh with ease.
- [Venomous Bite] – You can choose one of these fast-acting toxins for your bite: Pain, Paralysis, or Hallucinogen.
- [Conditions are met.] [Fast Regeneration] – Your wounds heal at a much faster rate, and you gain Basic-grade Toxin Resistance.
Madness. That’s what this is!
I freeze, staring at the options. It’s too surreal, too much like a game menu. But the fight I just had... I barely survived it.
If this is real, and I really can choose, this Razor Claws one seems promising considering all those cuts I have from the previous battle. It must be extremely cool to deftly use my fingers as small daggers. I bet that guy would pick this without fail.
Venomous Bite sounds great as well but having to choose one from three different toxins is a downer. Still, this would definitely be handy if the enormous talking guy comes to grab me again and it could also lead to a diversity of survival strategies.
Fast regeneration appears to be the simplest one but gives the most survivability as it is a great counter for both the claws, by healing any lacerations, and the poison from the bite with its basic resistance. And what about this “conditions are met” thing? But unfortunately, it gives me no offensive capabilities, like the other two.
Which one should I pick, and must it be only one? They all sound very interesting. I weigh some pros and cons to ultimately decide on one and choose it
[Trait Acquired: Fast Regeneration.]
I can feel a tingling sensation that spreads through my body, like a pulse of warmth beneath my skin.
Then, another message appears.
[New Ability Acquired!]
[Lizardman Language]
[Understanding: Basic]
You can now speak and understand the most common and relevant words in this language.
Now that’s something useful! I wait some more inside my head (?) but the messages stop. But who cares? I’m probably only having a very strange dream anyway.