You know what's going to happen, Lucian, you're going to open your eyes and things are going to be different. Didn't get a chance to play around with the bird, and I barely rember those last fleeting monts in the boar before I passed out. So here we go, let's see what the world has to offer a little guy like .
The scent of damp earth and the musk of several other boars–probably myself included–hit my snout like a freight train. In a way, I appreciated having access to so many scents, because my eyesight wasn't that great. I could see colors, but they were dull and not very exciting, so of which were just shades of green and grey. Still, it was better than nothing, and this snout was what would get the food I needed to survive, which was good because my stomach wasn't very satisfied from eating... myself? The bird was another life, it's ti to go foraging.
On shaky legs, I pushed myself up. It wasn't going to be terribly easy learning how to walk on four legs, but there were faint echoes of mories and whispers in the back of my mind that naturally guided through the process.
"Focus," I muttered to myself, though no words left the boar's tusked mouth. Controlling this host was nothing like dominating the simple nervous system of a bird. The boar was a wall of stubborn impulses, and though its own will was banished by my own, the deep-rooted instincts weren't going to be sothing so easily dismissed.
I forced the boar to take a tentative step forward, its hooves crunching against the forest floor. The movent was jerky and unnatural, but that was likely a user error. Another step. Then another. Slowly, I began to find the rhythm of its gait as the others looked on with a curious indifference. It was as though they felt sothing was off, but likely just saw as sick or broken, sothing to be left behind for the predators when they ca.
I saw the rest of the group milling about before they seed to agree in unison that it was ti to look for more food. I decided to follow them if they would have , and thankfully they didn't seem to care either way. Again, I don't know the inner workings of a boar's mind, even though I literally live within the inner workings of a boar's mind, but I think the bait idea might have been right because they kept at a distance. It felt like I was tolerated, but maybe no longer part of their society? I hadn't been ostracized this quickly since high school; probably for the best since my ultimate goal was leveling and dying to sothing stronger.
I sniffed at the air and rooted around the undergrowth, searching for sothing to eat. I could sll sothing earthy, but then again everything here was earth. This particular sll was strangely appetizing though; it was musty, even a little fruity, and generally pungent. Like a toucan from my old life, I followed my nose.
My eyesight was working pretty well in this close proximity activity, shoving aside foliage and displacing earth. It didn't take long till I found my bounty, underneath a sheet of recently fallen leaves lay dozens of plump juicy mushrooms. I imdiately dug in, snorting with joy as I took in mouthful after mouthful of fungi.
[Experience Gained: 3 XP.]
[Skill: Host Control leveled to 2 from 1.]
[Attribute: Perception leveled to 4 from 3]
"Nice," I remarked before getting back to it.
I wasn't sure if they were edible, but my instincts didn't go off with any warning alarms, so I continued. All of this rustling and chewing brought unwanted attention as another boar made its way over to . I didn't want to share but knew that I couldn't keep them away forever, so I just resigned to allow them to feast with .
Of course, it wasn't that easy, when the first boar arrived it began to push against , trying to take my spot, despite the carpet of mushrooms scattered around us. I let them have the spot, I had already eaten a fair share so it benefited to move to a new spot anyway. As soon I reached for a bite, I was shoved aside again as a new boar arrived. This was starting to piss off, so I moved away one more ti and before I could even try to eat, you guessed it, I was shoved aside.
I squealed in anger and snapped at the intruding boar, missing my bite but my tusk made a glancing blow that caused damage to the boar.
[Tusk Gore: 4 damage dealt]
Oh, woah, combat, sweet! And look at that! The boar has a health bar now, it looks like my attack barely did any damage, we must have a decent health pool now. I wonder if that ans they're now aggr–Shit!
I flung my body out of the way as it lashed out at , but I was still moving like a newborn, so I tumbled to my side and I struggled to get back to my feet. As I turned to face my opponent, it was already barreling down on and hit with a charge.
[Boar Charge: 20 damage received]
Good lord and that was just a short-range charge. I glanced over to my health bar and saw that it had dropped about 20-25% and my sides ached. There was no ti to focus on the pain, I had to get back up. When I was thrown backward from the attack, I saw it trample the ground in rage before looping around to perform another charge. I wasn't going to be able to beat this thing with technique and brute strength until I had a better handle on my host. But I have a human mind, and they are just dumb pigs, so I can definitely use that to my advantage.
I quickly got back to my feet and began to retreat before finding the perfect spot and turning to face my opponent who was already barreling forward. I stood my ground, waiting for the last possible mont to dodge.
3!
2!
1!
"GOO!" thought it ca out more like a crazed squeal as I leaped out of the way. I could only imagine the boar's confusion as where once stood his helpless sickly opponent, now stood tall an imposing fur tree. Then their vision was likely replaced with cartoon stars and darkness as I watched the body of the bore crumple in a heap.
[Enemy Defeated: Wild Boar Male]
[Skill: Host Control leveled to 3 from 2.]
[Attribute: Willpower leveled to 10 from 9]
[Willpower has reached its first threshold, 5 bonus Mana awarded. Domination of more advanced creatures will beco easier upon reaching each threshold.]
[Attribute: Dexterity leveled to 5 from 4]
[Attribute: Constitution leveled to 6 from 5]
[Attribute: Intelligence leveled to 11 from 10]
[Experiance Awarded: 250]
[Total XP: 704/800]
I cheered with a few enthusiastic grunts and squeals before noticing the other boars stomping their hooves in protest and returning my celebration with their own angry grunts. None of them ca after to avenge their comrade, but I could tell they weren't going to let anywhere near them again. Looks like I was back on my own again. But, while they were stuck with so stupid mushrooms, I had a golden opportunity in front of . Sooo much bacon!
What's cannibalism between friends anyway? I wasn't sure if it was dead so after several exploratory gorings with my tusks, and hearing no experience for doing damage, I felt safe and began to chow down. I recalled sothing about pigs not being opposed to cannibalism, but I wasn't sure if that was only when they were hungry enough, or if they just dove into it like I did. As a human, the notion wasn't too disturbing, and with every bite, I felt experience surge into .
My stomach swelled as I had eaten my fill and I tallied all of the XP and was delighted to see the whopping XP had been gained, from battle and feeding. If XP was this easy to acquire, I would be a powerhouse in no ti.
I was a little disappointed at how weak I was when I ca into the world, and I knew that that pitiful form in the skull of this boar would determine what I could do, but I did wish I was as strong as this beast. It must have been nice to have been born as such a powerful creature. I knew there were predators out there that would put to sha, and I welcod the sweet release of death, but maybe not just quite yet. I still needed to build up my Willpower and survivability.
[Ability Enhancent Available]
I didn't want to go to sleep again for fear of ending up in Morgana's domain. It usually ended well enough, but it felt a little too rapey for my taste, and she always insulted every few sentences. So I figured moving around a bit might help digest and then I can co back and eat so more boar, get that next level, and see where things take .
I suppose a quick tinkering with my stats and I'll be on my way. System? Can you go ahead and do your thing?
[System Request Acknoledged]
Na: Lucian
Level: 6
Race: Parasite
Health: 9/9
Mana: 22/22
[Current Attributes]
Strength: 2
Dexterity: 5
Constitution: 6
Intelligence: 10
Perception: 4
Willpower: 10
Host Health: 75/100
Host Mana 0/0
[Skill Points Available: 4]
[Attribute Points Available: 2]
Odd, so new status updates and no abilities this ti around? Okay... I think the goal is to rush my way to taking over a legitimate creature, maybe even a human, and to do that, I'm going to need more willpower! Put 2 points in willpower!
[Willpower Leveled to 12 from 10]
[Mana Increased from 22/22 to 24/24]
And what skills do I have left over to pick from? Can I do anything else with my points?
[System Request Acknoledged]
[You may exchange skill points for 2 additional attribute points at any ti]
[Skills Available]
Hive mory (Passive): Each host you inhabit leaves behind faint mories and instinctual habits, which you can draw upon to enhance your problem-solving and combat skills.
Chitinous Armor (Passive): Develop a thin layer of protective chitin, reducing incoming damage by 10%. The armor hardens further while inhabiting a host.
Mitic Adaptation (Passive): While dominating a host, gradually adjust your parasitic body to better align with its anatomy. This reduces the health drain on severely wounded hosts and extends their functional lifespan. Scales with Intelligence for optimization.
mory Echoes (Active): Temporarily accesses recent mories from the host before or during domination. Further levels will improve the quality and duration of mories. Costs 8 Mana.
Well... I an, two of them are pretty solid choices since I have nothing else to spend my points on. Or I could upgrade an existing skill, which could be nice. Also would have been fucking fantastic to know I could use skill points for attributes, but I was starting to get used to being left in the dark. Let's go with Chitinous Armor to see what that bonus armor is like in the boar. Can't risk being skewered in the brain and dying with the host.
[Chitinous Armor Acquired. While not connected to a host, you will reduce incoming damage by 10%. While connected to the host, your armor will block 50% of oncoming damage.]
Holy shit, why didn't they give all the info from the start? I totally would have picked that! Okay, okay, calm down, you have it now, so let's go for upgrading my Neural Suppression Toxin next, that saved my ass earlier.
[Neural Suppression Toxin Leveled to 3 from 2. Upon reaching level 5, the cost per cast will be reduced by 1 mana and the secretion levels will significantly increase.]
Just a fountain of knowledge now, aren't you? Did you do this on purpose Morgana? Ugh. Now that that's out of the way, it's ti to level up my Host Control and anything that cos with it. I'm willing to bet money that the host control increase was why I received free Willpower points. If I can figure out this system, I can exploit it. Just grinding out levels to add 2 asly points to my stats would take forever. Let's see what this forest has to offer.
I took off into the woods with my new favorite body. The thing was a hulking brute compared to what I really was, and it seed relatively graceful despite what was likely my fault while handling it. It was strange, feeling the ground beneath hooves instead of feet or wormy body, the itch of coarse fur on my sides. Also, not to be a pervert, but I really didn't want to have to mate with a pig to get off. Even I had my limits. I shook my head, pushing aside the thoughts. Survival first. Self-pity later.
I trudged through the underbrush, using my new snout to root around. Not because I was hungry, I had just filled my belly, but because the instincts were annoyingly persistent. I turned over a patch of soil, uncovering a cluster of fat grubs. Delicious, according to the boar part of . Revolting, according to everything else. Despite having barely digested a thing, I guess the boar life involves eating at every opportunity, because who knows when you will get another al. So I dug in. Slimy, yet satisfying.
[Experience Gained: 5 XP.]
My exploration took farther from the spot where the other boars had abandoned . The air grew cooler, shadows catching my eye and forcing alert. That's when I caught it, sothing sharp and musky on the wind. My ears twitched, swiveling toward the source.
Oh fuck, that's a wet dog sll. I swear to god if it's wolves...
I froze, my heart pounding as I scanned the trees. There, a flicker of movent, low and sleek, darting between the trunks. A second shape joined the first, then a third. They were circling, their amber eyes catching glints of light.
[Quest Received: Survive. Reward 100 XP]
I was filled with absolute terror and panic. My boar instincts scread at to stand my ground, to fight. My human instincts laughed in their face and scread, "Run, you idiot!" and the quest reward didn't hurt either.
I bolted without a second thought.
My hooves pounded against the forest floor, kicking up leaves and dirt as I crashed through the undergrowth. The wolves didn't hesitate, their howls tearing through the air, growing closer with every passing mont. They were fast, faster than I'd expected, and gaining ground so incredibly fast
I fought to keep my head clear, to shove down the rising tide of animal fear. A plan. I needed a plan. That's when it hit . The other boars!
The ones that had ditched like a bad date. They weren't far, just beyond the ridge I'd crossed earlier. If I could lead the wolves to them... well, why should I do all the dying? Those dicks had it coming!
I veered sharply, almost skidding as I adjusted course. The wolves hesitated for a fraction of a second but stayed on , their snarls closer now. I pushed harder, muscles burning, lungs heaving as I cleared the ridge.
There they were, three fat, complacent boars grazing near a thicket. They didn't even look up.
"Hey, guys," I muttered under my breath. "Got so friends for you," to which they replied, "Grrr...oof...grrr..." as their heads followed .
I charged straight through their group, scattering them like bowling pins. The wolves didn't pause to assess; they launched themselves at the nearest target, a burly male with tusks the size of daggers. The boar let out a furious squeal, lunging at the nearest wolf, but it was too slow. The pack of wolves descended on them like... Well, a pack of wolves I suppose.
I didn't stick around to watch the carnage. Instead, I slipped into the shadows, circling wide to a safe distance. The sounds of the fight, snarls, squeals, the crunch of bone, it all faded as I moved farther away.
After what felt like hours, the forest grew quiet again. I crept back toward the clearing, careful to stay downwind. The wolves were dragging away the remains of their kill, their bellies full, their pace lazy. They didn't seem to notice lurking nearby, and if they did, they were too full to care.
Once they disappeared into the trees, I moved in. The clearing was a ss of blood and fur, the ground churned up from the struggle. There wasn't much left, but what remained would do.
I approached the mangled scraps cautiously, the boar's instincts eager to feed. My human mind recoiled, but hunger and pragmatism won out. I lowered my head, tearing into the leftovers.
It really is a dog eat pig world out there. I thought as I tore into what was left. It even looks like they left my kill alone, probably getting a bit too ripe for their refined lupine taste buds.
[Experience Gained: 250 XP]
[Level Up! You are now level 7.]
[Quest Completed: Survive.]
[Experience Gained: 100 XP]
[Experience: 934/800]
I didn't wait for the ssages, I just declared it put the 2 points in Willpower, upgraded Neural Suppression Toxin, and used the other skill point for 2 more points in Willpower. I figured if a crow required less than 5 willpower, and a boar required 10, maybe a wolf or a bear would take 15? And then a human, that had to be 20 at least. I was far from my goal, but this new system feature might make short work of things.
[Neural Suppression Toxin Leveled to 3 from 2]
[Willpower Leveled to 16 from 12]
[Intelligence Leveled to 12 from 11]
[Dexterity Leveled to 6 from 5]
[Strength Leveled to 3 from 2]
Host Control Leveled to 4 from 3.
Now that all of this was taken care of, I really hoped I wouldn't et Morgana again, but I needed a nap at least. The wolves dealt with my shitty pack of pigs was dealt with. I just needed a quick rest and I could go out there and power level so shit.
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