Chapter 12: Cicada's Adventure [ 4 ]

Day 27:

As the Cicada avatar approached what seemed to be a bustling colony of bees, it noticed something was off. Despite the appearance of activity, there was an eerie absence of life inside.

Before it could ponder further, a sudden swarm of creatures emerged from all directions, converging on its location.

Realization struck the Cicada avatar like a bolt of lightning—it had walked right into a trap. Anger surged within it, fueling its thirst for destruction.

In response to the ambush, the Cicada avatar unleashed its Sonic Disturbance, freezing a quarter of the incoming insects in their tracks. With swift movements, it darted towards the paralyzed creatures, its speed unmatched as it dispatched them, draining their life force to replenish its own.

The ground soon became littered with the lifeless bodies of ants, bees, and cicadas, their death serving only to fuel the avatar's power.

But the forest was not silent in the face of this onslaught. From all directions, creatures of various kinds converged upon the Cicada avatar, launching their long-range abilities.

Fire, wind, water, and more rained down upon the Cicada avatar, but its agility allowed it to evade the attacks, dodging each projectile with ease.

As it surveyed the chaos, the Cicada avatar noticed an unfamiliar army of insects flying closer. Among them were the menacing bombardier beetles, their dark carapaces shimmering with menace.

Determined to eliminate the threat, the Cicada avatar unleashed another Sonic Disturbance, causing the beetles to plummet to the ground.

But as it moved in to feed on the fallen beetles, disaster struck. The beetles began to explode, releasing corrosive chemicals that seared through the Cicada avatar's tough exoskeleton. Despite its efforts to dodge, the damage accumulated, slowing it down significantly.

As it attempted to escape into the safety of the bushes, it found itself ensnared in a web trap spun by Azol, the Golden Orb-weaver, one of the leaders of the Shadow Wood Forest.

Before it could free itself, Gratura, the Hercules Beetle, also one of the forest's formidable leaders, intervened, impaling the Cicada avatar with its mighty horns.

With a deafening thud, the Cicada avatar crashed to the ground, a crater forming upon impact. As it struggled to rise, Cretina, the Assassin Bug, another leader of the forest emerged from the shadows, injecting a paralyzing venom into its veins.

Helpless and vulnerable, the Cicada avatar could only watch in horror as Gratura descended upon it once more, delivering a devastating blow that shattered its body into a thousand pieces.

In the end, the once-mighty Cicada avatar met its demise at the hands of the Shadow Wood Forest united leaders, its reign of terror coming to a brutal and final end. ]

As the simulation came to an abrupt end, the screen faded to black. Arata's expression shifted from anticipation to disappointment as he watched the events unfold.

"Wow, that was unexpected." he muttered. "I didn't think it would end like this for the Cicada avatar."

"It's amazing how quickly things can change in the forest. One moment, it seemed invincible, and the next... well, you saw what happened."

He couldn't help but chuckle bitterly at the thought. "Talk about a gang bang. My poor avatar didn't stand a chance against those forest big shots."

"You know, I think the Cicada avatar sealed its fate the moment it started wreaking havoc in the forest. It's like the universe decided, 'Enough is enough,' and sent in the heavy hitters to take it down."

"Well, at least it was a memorable run, even if it didn't end the way I hoped." he sighed.

[ The Cicada has perished. ]

[ The monster simulation has ended. ]

[ Result ]

Survival Duration: 27 days

Total Kills: 249

Abilities Acquired: 2

Cause of Death: Impaled and fatally wounded by Gratura, the Hercules Beetle.

Highlight: Day 27

— Engaged in a deadly confrontation with inhabitants and leaders of the Shadow Wood Forest, leading to its end.

Simulation Score: B +

[ Generating rewards... ]

Choose 2 from the following for your rewards:

A. Sonic Disturbance

— The user possesses the ability to emit a high-frequency sound wave that disorients and confuses nearby creatures, making them more vulnerable to attacks.

B. Wood Mimicry

— This ability grants the user the power to blend smoothly into wooded environments, adopting the appearance and texture of nearby trees and foliage.

C. Increased Mana

— This upgrade increases your mana, which is like your energy. Mana is what you use to cast abilities that involve magic. So, with more mana, you can use magic more effectively.

Arata read the text on the screen, nodding slightly as he processed the information. "Not bad." he muttered to himself, noting the B+ rating. "The Cicada avatar got quite far."

His eyes scanned the reward options, and he pondered for a moment. "This is tough... Increasing mana would definitely be beneficial for me. But then again, both Sonic Disturbance and Wood Mimicry are incredibly useful abilities."

After a brief internal struggle, Arata made his decision. "Alright, I'll choose the increased mana for the next simulation. As for now, I'll go with Sonic Disturbance and Wood Mimicry. Can't pass up on those."

[ Rewards confirmed. Selected Rewards: Sonic Disturbance and Wood Mimicry. ]

[ Returning to the real world... ]

.

.

.

As he gradually regained his senses again, Arata found himself still inside the tree roots, the deep darkness of the night surrounding him.

The first thing he did was instruct the system to open his status.

✤ ────⚌+++:-: ۞ :-:+++⚌──── ✤

[ Status ]

Name: Arata

Race: Slime

Grade: F -

Simulation Ticket: 0

[ Ability ]

— Scavenge F -

— Sonic Disturbance F -

— Water Blast F -

— Wood Mimicry -

[ Inventory ]

— 1 Terror Rabbit's Carcass

[ Mission ]

Task 1: Defeat 5 Grade F - Monsters ( Completed )

Task 2: Explore the Area

Status: In Progress ( 86.5% )

Reward: 1 Simulation Ticket

✤ ────⚌+++:-: ۞ :-:+++⚌──── ✤

After confirming that he had indeed gained the two abilities he selected, he closed the holographic screen.

Turning his attention back to the system, Arata voiced a lingering question that had been on his mind since the start of the simulation.

"System, how come the Cicada had an extra ability besides the one I chose? It was supposed to have only Sonic Disturbance, wasn't it?"

[ Answer. ]

[ Host, it's understandable that you're curious about this. Let me clarify. The additional ability the Cicada possessed is what we call an innate ability. Innate abilities are inherent traits or skills that certain avatars have, independent of the abilities you select during the simulation setup. ]

[ In the case of the Cicada, Wood Mimicry was its innate ability, granting it the power to blend into wooded environments seamlessly. While Sonic Disturbance was the ability you chose for it, the Wood Mimicry was a natural trait that the avatar possessed from the start. ]

[ It's worth noting that not all avatars have innate abilities, but they're not uncommon either. Each avatar's innate abilities are determined by its unique characteristics and capabilities, which vary based on the simulation parameters. ]

Arata looked intrigued as he listened to the System's explanation. He seemed genuinely interested, nodding along as he tried to understand the topic better.

"Is it possible for an avatar to have two or more innate abilities?"