Chapter 7: Rewards
I wasn't that big of a crab connoisseur in my past life but I can already tell that in this one?
I may become one of those octopus chefs that you see in funny games and TV shows using all 8 arms to multitask around the kitchen.
This thing tastes amazing!
[You have gained 1 Mutagen Point!]
Oh? I've seen that on my status and I guess I finally got one.
Whatever! That's for later, for now we feast!
[You have gained 1 Mutagen Point!]
...
Of course I wasn't that against pulling out the remaining limbs from the crab because that was already similar to how crabs were eaten in my past life, but I seriously didn't expect it to be this good!
This is also without any seasoning!
If I could manage to get ahold of some spices... Ohoho... my beak is already watering from what it could taste like.
BUT, more importantly... I WON.
I finally won a fight and leveled up!
Of course the main reason I attacked the crab was because I needed to eat, but that doesn't mean I didn't get anything else out of this!
System? Show me that status!
<Name: Unnamed>
<Level: 2>
<Health: 9/10 (recovering)>
<Titles: ???>
<Age: Infant (2 days old)>
<Vitality: 2>
<Strength: 2>
<Speed: 3>
<Endurance: 1>
<Intelligence: 5>
<Magic: 0>
<Luck: 5>
<Mutations: (None)>
<Skills: Active: Ink Cloud (Level 3) Camouflage (Level 3) Passive: Tentacle Grab (Level 2) Regeneration (Level 2)>
<Tier: 0>
<Species: Mud Octopus>
<Unassigned Stat Points: 5>
<Mutagens: 2>
Look at it and all its glory!
and I even got stat points from it as well!
Although looking at it... No wonder this thing had such a higher status that me! I got a whole 5 stat points just from leveling up once!
The better question is how do I use these? Do I just allocate them to one of my stats?
System! Allocate 1 stat point to magic!
<Host is unable to assign a stat point to a nonexistent stat>
Oh...
Okay well then how to I get magic?
<The host must gain a magic organ in order to gain a magic stat point and the ability to use magic>
Okaaaaaaaayyyy? And how exactly do I get a magic organ?
<The host must evolve in order to have the chance to gain a magic organ>
Oh... OH... I can evolve in this world?!
That's sick! I guess maybe I can become some legendary sea monster like the Kraken or a colossal squid!
But first... I need to become stronger!
Let's see. Looking at this fight I was say the most important thing was definitely my tentacles.
They're basically the only form of attack that I have, so naturally I should try to upgrade those the most.
Alright, I think I've decided.
System! Status!
<Showing Status...>
<Name: Unnamed>
<Level: 2>
<Health: 15/15>
<Titles: (None)>
<Age: Infant (2 days old)>
<Vitality: 2 (+1)>
<Strength: 2 (+2)>
<Speed: 3>
<Endurance: 1 (+2)>
<Intelligence: 5>
<Magic: 0>
<Luck: 5>
<Mutations: (None)>
<Skills: Active: Ink Cloud (Level 3), Camouflage (Level 3) Passive: Tentacle Grab (Level 2) Regeneration (Level 2)>
<Tier: 0>
<Species: Mud Octopus>
<Unassigned Stat Points: 0>
<Mutagens: 2>
Sweet! It looks like my health went up by a whole 50%! I guess its proportionate to vitality? That's the stat that went up by 50% as well...
I decided to add 1 point to vitality because I want to be harder to kill, 2 points to strength because I mean... That's how I fight!
By squeezing and pulling, so obviously I need to be stronger for that! Finally I also decided to allocate 2 points to endurance because I want to be harder to tire out.
If my prey manages to outlast me in a battle of endurance not only will I maybe not kill it, but the hunter could even become the hunted in that situation!
Also! While I was eating, my tentacle which got cut off grew back!
I know that octopuses can regrow their arms when they are ripped off but it still feels weird feeling it for myself.
My regeneration level also increased which I think was due to that, so I think that the next time I lose an arm it will grow back ever quicker!
HA! Imagine that!
If I get [Regeneration] high enough of a level maybe I could regrown my limb back on the spot? That we be terrifying!
Now that I'm finished eating, what's this Mutagen thingy?
SYSTEM, what are the Mutagens?
<Mutagens are points you can use to mutate parts of your body>
<They are obtainable by eating other creatures>
Ahhhhh, so that's how I can get mutations, that makes sense...
SYSTEMMMM! I raised my tentacles in the water and waved them around. How can I mutate?
<By spending Mutagens>
...
Yeah no sh*t sherlock...
I mean't I wanna spend my Mutagen points!
<Opening Mutations menu>
A massive menu with a plethora of different options of mutations appeared in front of me.
Woaaaaahhh... Now this is what I'm talking about!
Let's see...
Oooooooo... I can basically choose to mutate different parts of my body like my arms, ink sac, and even my... Hearts?
Wait, I totally have more than 1 heart, don't I?
I guess I could mutate that... I could get the <Strong Heart> mutation, I mean that should make me more... active? I guess?
Yeow! Never mind! I've got actually look click on the mutation that I'm thinking about getting and then it'll show me the prices!
I need at least 10 Mutagen points to get the cheapest option on this list for hearts!
Whatever. I mean it's not like my heart played a massive role in the previous battle.
What I really need is POWER!
Let's look at those tentacle mutations baby!
Hmm...
What the hell are some of these mutations?
Sticky tentacles? Makes my tentacles... well... more sticky? Why the hell would I need this? I already have suckers on them!
Maybe Small Spike Tentacles? It grows barbs on them which I can use to attack and get a better grip on things...
Slightly Smelly Tentacles? Really? Who the hell would want to make themselves stay smelly? Isn't the Inc sac already bad enough?!
I can even put eyeballs on my tentacles?! Hell no! I'm not trying to turn into some eldritch monstrosity dammit! At least not yet!
What do I need... what do I need...
Oooooo, or I could go with Wider Tentacles?
Just like the name sounds they would just become a little bit bigger... but I don't think that would help right now, maybe later down the line but I need something immediate and useful.
Maybe mildly poisonous tentacles? It makes it so that I can inject a small amount of non-lethal poison into whatever I grab...
Aha! I'll think I found the one I'm looking for.
<Spring Loaded Tentacles>
[Allows for faster and quicker tentacle responses which can be launched out faster, packing more of a punch.]
[Costs 1 Mutagen]
I like it! It should allow me to move my arms faster in battle AND I should be able to make them explode into motion so that I can make sudden attacks faster!
Yep, Yep, I choose this one!
<Are you sure you want to purchase Spring Loaded Tentacles for 1 Mutagen point?>
<Yes/No>
Yes!
<Understood>
<Mutating Spring Loaded Tentacles>
OOOooooooooo... This feels weird.
It kind of feels like my skin is crawling and moving like how it did for camouflage, but on a much milder scale and its mainly only focused on my tentacles.
I don't spot any major differences throughout the mutation process except for the fact that my tentacles now have a more natural coil downwards.
OHHH, I get it! My arms kind of have a natural coil shape and movement to them now!
I guess that's my sudden movements follow the logic of a spring then? I kind of just push off of myself and they shoot out?
I kind probably also use this as a movement ability now that I think about it...
Shooting off of cave walls or the seafloor straight into my prey, hehehe, makes me hungry again just thinking about it.
I think I'll just save my other mutagen point for next time. My tentacles was one of the cheapest upgrade options and I can upgrade them even more if I get more!
Alright! I need to become stronger! Let's keep hunting!