Move

[You currently have no means of moving due to your biological nature. Most Blops reproduce and grow in the same spot they were born].

'You're kidding! I'm supposed to remain here forever? Dawg, what if I need to eat, or take a lulu?'.

[As a Blop, you lack a digestive system, meaning there's no requirement to consume food or expel waste. Instead, Blops sustain themselves by absorbing ambient magic essence from their surroundings. This essence fuels all necessary functions, including regeneration and reproduction, without creating any byproducts.]

'Ahhh, someone get me out of this nightmare! I don't want to get stuck in a cave for the rest of my life! Damn, that's one sick goddess, why not just make me bug or something, at least then I can move around as I want'.

Ploooo-!

Lumin suddenly heard something leap into the water behind him. Since he couldn't turn around to check what it was, he was left to wait and listen to the steps of whatever it was, moving closer towards him.

And then….

The creature was right beside him, using its long crab-like legs to pull one of the Blops towards its mouth.

'What the crab?! What is that?'.

[Crawlers, small insect-like creatures with multiple legs, known for their agility and ability to traverse difficult terrain. They feast on small species due to their primitive size. It appears to be feasting on the Blop.]

'Urghh! Welcome to the fantasy world I guess. Well, not really my problem as long as it doesn't come towards me'.

[I'm afraid Crawlers are massive eaters. They eat in small amounts. After a few bites on one Blop, it will move to another.]

'...'

The Blop looked to the side again, and this time, he could see that his system was right.

The Crawler took a bite of a fellow Blop, ripping its body off and swallowing it, before then moving to the next. And each time, it moved closer to Lumin.

'I'm supposed to stay still and get eaten like that? Nuh uhn, look how it's ripping off their bodies. I'm going to puke, ahh, that's disgusting'.

In a swift motion, the Crawler had suddenly ignored the rest of the Blops and arrived in front of Lumin.

'Eh?'

With its sharp claws, it dug into Lumin's body, pulling him closer.

'Ahhhhhh, I don't want to get eaten!!! Ahh.' Lumin cried.

[You will not feel any pain, and will regenerate in due time]

'Pardon me if I don't want to be a Crab's one night stand!!! Ahhhhh!!!'.

[If you truly despise the idea, then I suggest using Essence Absorption to absorb the Magic essence around the Craw-]

'Essence Absorption!!!'.

The red tendril-like energy networked from the Blop's body and began to completely devour the Crawler.

In terms of size, the Nightcrawler was a few inches bigger than the Blup. So having its magic essence absorbed was going to do some damage.

After a while, the Night crawler entered survival mode, it pulled out its claws from the Blups body and jumped into the water.

'Ahhah, yeah that's right, you better run and find your food elsewhere, I am my brother's protector!'.

[You have obtained a new trait.]

[Locomotive] (Basic)

[This allows you to extend small pseudopods that mimic legs.]

'Finally! I can move'.

[Correct.]

'Oh hell yeah, let's do this.'

The Blop, like he had been able to do it all his life, grew out small legs under its body, about six tiny tendrils that gently raised its body from the ground.

'Ohhhhhh, I can move.. ahahh, hey guys can you see? I can move!!!'.

He turned around, carefully making sure every single one of the Blops around him could gaze at his new legs.

'Ahh yes, this is a good time to leave this freaking rock, I should be able to swim in this water, right?'.

[Your legs are weak, it has a 65% success rate.]

'No risk no gain'.

The Blop moved towards the edge of the rock, the flowing river gently splashing against its body.

'Sorry Blop brothers, but this is where I part ways with you. I promise, I shall come find you guys once I've fulfilled my main character duties'.

And with that, he leaped into the water.

At first, it seemed like his six legs were helping him swim, taking him closer to the land he could see ahead of him.

But then, from nowhere, rocks began to fall into the water, making the water stream go unstable.

'Wooooo, hey nowww!'.

He began to lose control and fell under the control of the water. His body began to flow down the water, his entire body buried under the running river.

If he had a way to breathe, he would probably be losing his breath. But he was a Blop, all he could feel at the moment was the force of the water pushing him back and forth.

Lumin's body went falling down the waterfall, landing flat inside the water alongside multiple other rocks that fell with him.

Slowly, The Blop managed to swim out of the river, using its weak legs to crawl on the hard ground.

[You have made it to the ground.]

'Yeah no shit Jarvis.' Lumin replied, remaining still on the ground.

Sigh!

'For a second there, I thought I was going to die. Then I remembered a stupid goddess made me into a Deakin slime 2.0. Now the question is, where do I go from here?'.

The Blop looked towards the left, there was a narrow road stretched out, its uneven terrain littered with loose rocks, illuminated only by the soft, eerie glow of bioluminescent fungi clinging to the walls.

To the right, a steep and narrow staircase descended into the cold, humid air of underground tunnels, where the sound of dripping water echoed through the labyrinth.

'Hmm, both seem like I could die if I step into them, what do you think, woman computer lady?'.

[I detect more mana source from the right, if you wish to consume more magic essence, then I do believe that's the best route]

'Magic source? You mean like other creatures?'.

[Yes, most seem to come from Crawlers.]

The Blop grinned. Perhaps a bit of revenge wasn't so bad.