Completely Different

"Phooo…" Raya breathed out as a shiver moved up and down her spine. "I'm getting goosebumps all over."

She let out a long sigh as she stretched, before pushing herself off the bed. 

"That was a nice massage, Paru. Mmm… I might really start using you for more exciting stuff."

The Paru chuckled internally.

[Species: Paru

Health Points: 170/170

Endurance Points: 1090/1090

Stats:

Strength: 12 - Agility: 8 - Perception: 9 - Vitality: 17 - Endurance: 109

Additional Stats: 

 Attack: 18 -Defense: 355

Skill(s):

Devour Lv4 - Enhanced Devouring Lv3 - Invisibility Lv2 - Night Vision - Thermal Vision - Heat Resistance Lv.2 - Venomous Fangs - Infectious Cut - Spiderweb production - Burning Mist Production - Burning Mist Expulsion - Regeneration - Water Affinity - Blade Of Bones - Sexual Endurance.

]

"If I get any hornier…" Raya's eyes burned as she blushed slightly. "I might just use you."

'Next time we meet…'

Enhanced Devouring Lv2.

Devour Lv4.

'I might just be the one to use you.' The Paru chuckled to itself as it started walking away. 

Raya stared curiously.

"Didn't you get bigger? Like… Thirty percent bigger? In total volume?"

The Paru stopped. 

'I guess I might have.' 

The Paru nodded.

"Trippy…" Raya whispered. "And exciting!"

'Wonder how I can show her that I change my body by eating stuff… Showing her that would be the best way for her to recognize me later.' The Paru thought to itself. 'Since my Devouring Skills are much stronger now, my body will change completely. It would be nice if they were still able to recognize me. Having them shoot at me would… Not be good.'

The Paru tapped Raya's thigh, and she lowered her gaze to meet the Paru's.

"What is it?"

The Paru pointed at its mouth, then its stomach.

"Eat? You're hungry?"

The Paru crossed its tentacles, obviously answering -No-, before raising one of its tentacles slightly, and curling it away from Raya repeatedly.

"You mean… You've eaten?" Raya asked, her eyes wide from the excitement of conversing with an unknown species.

The Paru nodded multiple times and in quick succession.

Raya scratched her head as the Paru stared intently.

"Do you… Want me to ask something?"

Nod-

"Alright. Then… Um… What did you eat, I guess? Ugh. Sounds like what I'm supposed to ask on a date."

The Paru's eyes sparkled as it answered the question. 

"Y-Y-Y-Y-You… Seriously?" Raya shouted, so surprised she could have fainted. "You ate… A Wizzo? Or, at least, part of one? I guess you could have found one dead but… How… How are you doing this?"

The Paru had gone with the easiest way to answer, which had made understanding the situation very easy.

It had raised a leg, and used the "Blade Of Bones" Skill. 

Seeing the Paru's leg turn into a blade, Raya understood immediately.

Eat, plus…

"Copy? Did you copy the Wizzo's ability somehow?"

Seeing the expression on Raya's face, the Paru knew it had made the right decision.

Raya was the right one to show this to. Not only would she understand, but thanks to her scientific curiosity and interest, the idea of the Paru being dangerous or a threat didn't even cross her mind.

'The others would have probably been wary of me. Well… Can't blame them. If anyone can convince them though…'

"Show me! Show me it again!" Raya shouted with wide eyes.

'It's her.'

About then minutes passed.

"Amazing. Truly incredible… That explains the strange viewing of your cells." Raya talked while noting down her ideas and observations. "You could copy its ability… The Parus in the database don't have those tentacle arms, or the crystals on your shell. Just how much can your body change?" She asked curiously.

The Paru stared, unmoving.

"Superficially? A bit? Just the exterior? Can your organs change as well? Can everything change?"

The Paru nodded at the last part.

"Then… You could look completely different? I mean… Change completely?"

The Paru's eyes widened as it smiled internally. This was exactly the idea it wanted to bring up, in the case that-

Suddenly, the door was pushed open. 

"Raya." The Commander, Roka, barged in. Accompanied by Liz. "We're going to search your quarters."

"Sure, sure." Raya shrugged. 

'Huh? Weren't they taking care of the outside? Are they leaving the excavation team alone and unsupervised?'

"You wouldn't know, huh? Since you wandered off right away." Raya whispered. "Apparently, we have a traitor in our midst!"

"You're not off the list, Raya." The Commander said coldly.

"Mm. Mm." Raya nodded. "Because of the jokes I made about taking your place, huh? I understand your suspicions. No hard feelings."

"Sorry about this… Raya…" Liz whispered.

"It's okay." Raya waved her hand as she started walking towards the door. "Someone seems to have stolen the Tsero Crystal. Or hidden it somewhere." She whispered in the Paru's direction.

'Oh… Shit.'

"Stay here." Roka ordered.

"..." Raya's eyes narrowed. "Wouldn't want your suspect to leave. I understand." She shrugged.

Both the Paru and Raya stood around as Roka and Liz searched the room.

"Losing it is a pretty big deal, you see." Raya explained. "It would make our sixteen-month-plus journey completely worthless. 

'Mmm…' The Paru thought for a bit, before walking forward.

"Get out of the way." Roka ordered as she looked down at the Paru in front of her. 

She bent down to check another one of the many drawers and,

Slap-

Her whole body froze.

The Paru took a couple of steps away before,

Slap-

A gasp of surprise escaped Liz's mouth. 

A third slap was handed out, and the Paru left the room.

"What…"

"What the fuck was that?" A confused, embarrassed, and flustered Roka asked.

"I told you, didn't I?" Raya whispered, her body leaning over the opened door. 

Her hand slowly moved up and down her butt, caressing it right at the spot where it had been slapped a moment earlier. "It's smarter than it looks."

'Getting a humanoid body isn't enough.' The Paru exited the spaceship, wearing a serious expression. 'I need to be stronger. Much stronger.' The Paru let out a sigh. 'I'll have to help them get another one of those crystals after all.'

[A Side-Quest has been issued.]

[Quest: "Destroy the nearby Granilith Tribe!".]

'Yeah…'

[Objective: Defeat the Graniliths as well as their Alpha.]

[Reward: 1 Skill Point.]

'I'm taking everything.'