Skittering Hollow (Bleach/Worm)

[Planeshunter]

Alright, ladies and gents, votes are now closed!

Spoiler: Vote Tally

Vote Tally : Skittering Hollow (Bleach/Worm) | Page 3 | Questionable Questing [Posts: 86-90]
##### NetTally 2.2.3
Task: Hunt
[X][Hunt] Hide.
No. of Votes: 3
[x] MysticReaper
[x] Demetric
[x] Smug_Cloud

---

——————————————————————————————————————————————Task: Forest
[X][Forest] Investigate Skull-Things
No. of Votes: 4
[x] MysticReaper
[x] Demetric
[x] MrMig
[x] Smug_Cloud

---

——————————————————————————————————————————————Task: Develop
[X][Develop] Punto Veneno
No. of Votes: 4
[x] MysticReaper
[x] Demetric
[x] globalwarmth
[x] Smug_Cloud
[X][Develop] Andar Gracioso - makes less sound moving and helps with movimento through difficult terrain.
No. of Votes: 1
[x] MrMig
-[X][Develop] Placaje
No. of Votes: 1
[x] globalwarmth

---

——————————————————————————————————————————————Task: Train
[X][Train] Develop
No. of Votes: 1
[x] globalwarmth

Total No. of Voters: 5

Tally looks a bit weird cuz you guys kinda threw format through the window, but it's still easy enough to figure out. For future reference, when you take sub-votes, the proper way is to first make the appropriate main vote and then add a line with the sub-vote, preceded by a hyphen (or two hypens, if it's a sub-sub-vote, etc.). Ideally, a vote would looke like this:

[x][Hunt] Hide.
[x][Travel] Explore the Forest.
-[x][Forest] Investigate Skull-Things
[x][Train] Develop
-[x][Develop] Punto Veneno

[x][Develop] Andar Gracioso - makes less sound moving and helps with movimento through difficult terrain.
( ...maybe if I carefully walk on the silk it won't stick to me.)
[Could in the future unlock construction with silk]

Click to shrink...

I love this, I'll touch it up a bit and add it to the development options from the next update onwards.

On other news, I woke up with a killer headache, so said update might take a bit... sorry about that.

 

[Planeshunter]

Hey there! My head's still killing me, but with the whole day to write I managed to somehow make it work. Enjoy!

[x][Hunt] Hide.
[x][Travel] Explore the Forest.
-[x][Forest] Investigate Skull-Things
[x][Train] Develop
-[x][Develop] Punto Veneno

---

Good night, cheating forest!

And I say 'good night' because it's always night here, apparently. I can't see the moon from down here, but I'd bet it hasn't moved an inch from where it was when I was still on the desert.

Stretching my stubby legs, I worm my way (a caterpillar worming her way, heh) out of my improvised Home. Honestly, it won't win any design price anytime soon, but the interior is cozy and doesn't stick to me, so it beats sleeping in the open. it's also mine and thus I'll munch on anyone laughing at it, so there's that.

Chupavidas!

As you can see, it's also pretty handy to pick up afterwards. Well, let's see if I can't track down the Skull-things, shall we?

---

On one hand… I haven't found a hint of them in hours. Which let me tell you, is really frustrating.

What do you mean I have no tracking skills? What skills would you need to stumble into something you know it's there somewhere in this empty forest?

… Yeah, yeah, I get it. Whatever. There are still footprints and broken branches on the ground level, so I'm still on the Skull-things territory. It's just a matter of time.

On the other hand… Even more stupid-ass cheating trees. Man, never thought a forest could be so boring.

On the yet another hand… because I'm a caterpillar and have a whole six legs… I've been experimenting with my gorgeous mane. I've always known I had killer hair, but I'm trying to make that literal.

I mean, I know I can munch others dry, unless they're stupid-ass cheating trees. Or sand. Not that I know for a fact I can't eat sand, I would need to actually try that to know for sure, and I didn't, because that would've been dumb.

A-as I was saying! I can Chupavidas the stuffing out of others, and I can tie them down with my Disparo Demora, so they don't struggle. But I kinda stopped experimenting there. And now I'm bored, and not in the mood to try and become the next coming of Spider-bug.

… Shut up.

Case is, I've been experimenting with my hair. Because gorgeous or not, I'm a caterpillar, and everyone knows hairy caterpillars are poisonous. Doubly so when they're brightly coloured. Like, you know, the bright-red tips of my hair.

So far, I've managed to make my hair wiggle a bit. And I have no idea whether it's poisonous or not because… well, lack of willing test subjects. Not that I would have much qualms about using unwilling test subjects, but the cowards refuse to be stumbled upon. So here I am, wiggling my hair while searching for Skull-things and finding a whole lot of nothing.

That's my life now. I swear, sometimes… Wait, what's that there in the distance?

---

Sneaky, sneaky…

After getting closer, I can finally get a good look at it. It's a Skull-thing… I hesitate to call it settlement. There's certainly a multitude of Skull-things mulling around the area, and something that could pass for building and fortifications if one were to squint and tilt the head sideways… while drunk.

It's more like trash piled up in a convenient way, really.

And there's a lot of those cowardly Rat-things I first noticed, but there's also a good number of Stag-things bossing them around. Finally, hulking around the place and being given wide berth by the other Skull-things, there's what I hereby name Boar-things. Huge, slow and dumb-looking… No, wait, they're all dumb, let's say dumber-looking. The still carry clubs the width of my body though, so no underestimating them. Those things look like a good ticket if I ever want to evolve into caterpillar-pancake.

Spoiler: Boar-thing

Intrigued by the newfound hub of Skull-thing-ness, I sneak closer. The first thing I notice is how the trees inside the circle of trash are actually just branchless stumps. Suspicious, I've seen nothing capable of cutting down trees here. Don't forget the stupid-ass cheating trees are fightening foes capable of ignoring physics and immune to my attacks, even those Boar-things would need to be way stronger than they look to take down one, much less every single one.

Next thing I notice is how they're actually… organized. Individually, it's hard to tell, because their organization sucks. They're stupid and mess up often but, again, if you squint and tilt your head, you can tell the whole is actually moving with pourpose.

The Boar-things mainly patrol around, though I've seen one leaving with a group of smaller Skull-things, so I guess they go out to do something from time to time. The Rat-things band together and, when they move about, their groups keep more or less consistent in spite of the terrain making them lose sight of each-other from long periods. And the Stag-things… well, they whack everyone else with their whack-sticks and somehow organization seems to be more organized around them.

The whack sticks are actually part of them, by the way. When I munched that one last time it disappeared into dust too, in spite of not being physically on him at the time.

Totally not bitter about that. I'm not a murder-hobo, killing things to steal their stuff, just a poor caterpillar trying to survive.

… Honest, don't look at me like that.

Anyway, the really interesting ones aren't the groups that leave, but the ones that return. They carry shiny spheres of energy, mostly brown-coloured like the one the late Stag-thing took from crushing a Rat-thing with its whack stick, but here and there you spy a dash of livelier tones. They arrive unimpeded, quickly making their way inwards.

I can't get into the place proper, that with no branches for one to sneak around on, but sneaking all the way to the edge it should be possible to get a peek at the heart of the place. Yeah, it's big, but not that big. So yeah, there I go, bravely sneaking from the safety of being hundreds of feet above any danger and...

And, that's when I see IT. Just standing there, in the center of it all, towering over everything but the tallest of the tree stumps, a figure of the deepest black, topped in a humongous deer skull. Just looking at it is enough to put my hairs on end and for a shiver to run up my spine. Whatever that thing I, it emits an almost physical pressure. Moving is hard, thinking is hard, simply looking away becomes harder than anything I've ever done before.

Hell...

Brimstone and bloody ashes.

What the fuck is that Thing?

Spoiler: That Thing

How can the Skull-things just stand around it without being crushed?

Should I take another peek? Merely thinking about it is enough to send another shiver down my spine, but yes, I should take another peek. Gathering my courage, I cover my eyes with my legs and then slowly move them away, just the bare minimum required to find out what's going on.

The Skull-things get suicidally close to that Thing and kneel, offering the colour spheres to IT. After a brief pause, the spheres leave their hands, slowly rising in the air all the way to the Thing's mask, where they get… swallowed.

Then, when I think the show's over, or maybe the Skull-things will be swallowed next, or maybe the Thing will look my way and vaporize me with weaponized disdain, the Thing decides I'm not freaked out enough and, with a screech that feels like fish hooks on my brain, fucking gives fucking birth to a new fucking Skull-thing!!

It's a Stag-thing, that walks out of the Thing's body as if it's just exiting the subway, and immediately gets to work. The group that brought the spheres leave then too, leaving the Thing alone again.

… What.

What the fuck did I just see?

Did that Thing just… make more Skull-things?

And most important, what am I going to do about it?

---

-Investigating the Skull-things yielded results! You've discovered their… let's call it stronghold. You've also discovered the fightening entity that seems to rule over them.
-Through experimentation you've discovered a new power! Or so you believe, since you've had no chance to actually test it. You've gained the Power Punto Veneno Lv.1/10.
-Routine usage of Chupavidas has granted a marginal increase in proficiency. Chupavidas 30% towards level UP
-Routine usage of Disparo Demora has granted a marginal increase in proficiency. Disparo Demora 10% towards level UP
-Through special voter interaction (aka. Amusing the QM) a new development option is now available:

Spoiler: Andar Gracioso (Graceful Steps)

You have super-silk, super-hunger and (maybe) super-poison. But there's something so obvious it has escaped you so far. Why wouldn't you have super-movement? As in… boost everything you do? Walk, climb, jump… you could do it stronger, smarter, better. Maybe not as obvious as other superpowers but Captain America makes it work!

-Oblivion compensation! You've lost 1695 Existence Essence!!
-WARNING: You currently stand at 0 Existence Essence. If you don't feed soon, you'll lose a Power Level.

---

What are you going to do about this?

Nope. Nope, nope, nope and a bit more of nope. You're not getting closer to that Thing. You're not remaining only this far away from that Thing. You wouldn't even remain in that Thing's plane of existence if you could help it. For now though you're getting the hell out of dodge. Screw the Skull-things, this shit is above you pay grade… Okay, maybe you'll catch a bite on the way, you're feeling ravenous.
Careful Exploit. Okay, the Thing is scary as hell, but doesn't seem very proficient on that 'noticing infiltrators' thing. And the Skull-things go out of their way to keep it well-fed. Maybe you can take advantage of that? An ambush from time to time on the weaker squads should do the trick, as long as you keep it far enough from here to not alert reinforcements.
Aggresive Hunting. Just because you potentially can mooch off the Skull-things doesn't mean it's the best idea. The mere existence of the Thing proves this place is even scarier than you first thought. You need to grow strong fast if you want to stand a chance. Hunt them down as quickly and ruthlessly as you can, and leave once the ranks are so thin the Thing itself is forced to make a move.
Sucidally Aggresive Hunting. Like the Aggresive Hunting, but prepare for an epic confrontation with the Thing at the end, once you've grown stronger and the Thing itself has been weakened by hunger.
Plain Suicidal. Hit fast, hit hard, and do so unexpectedly. Nobody would expect you to strike at the Thing directly, mainly because that's a stupid thing to do, but whatever. The Thing scares you. And what scares you, you destroy.

---

[x][Action] Nope.
[x][Action] Careful Exploit.
[x][Action] Aggressive Hunting.
[x][Action] Suicidally Aggressive Hunting.
[x][Action] Plain Suicidal.

 

[lazyminx]

I would just like to point out arise to the Challenge.

That is all.

 

[MrMig]

[x][Action] Aggressive Hunting.

 

[MysticReaper]

[x][Action] Aggressive Hunting.

 

[Planeshunter]

I would just like to point out arise to the Challenge.

That is all.

Click to shrink...

It's a good point, and plays a big part on there being options other than NOPE. But just because you're willing to take actions others consider suicidal doesn't mean you'll take all the suicidal options. Specially when there hasn't really been any challenge involved. Now, if you'd heard the Thing talking about... I don't know, something random like... let's say killing kids.

Well, things might've played differently

 

[globalwarmth]

[x][Action] Careful Exploit.

 

[Megagulp]

[x][Action] Careful Exploit.

 

[lazyminx]

[x][Action] Careful Exploit.

 

[Smug_Cloud]

[x][Action] Aggressive Hunting.

 

[Demetric]

[x][Action] Aggressive Hunting.

 

[_mathilda]

[x][Action] Careful Exploit.

 

[Jubjub3000]

[x][Action] Careful Exploit.

 

[bobbya1]

[x][Action] Aggressive Hunting.

ESCALATE!

 

[Planeshunter]

Alright, ladies and gents, votes are now closed!

Spoiler: Vote Tally

Vote Tally : Skittering Hollow (Bleach/Worm) | Page 4 | Questionable Questing [Posts: 94-104]
##### NetTally 2.2.3
Task: Action
[X][Action] Aggressive Hunting.
No. of Votes: 5
[x] MrMig
[x] bobbya1
[x] Demetric
[x] MysticReaper
[x] Smug_Cloud
[X][Action] Careful Exploit.
No. of Votes: 5
[x] globalwarmth
[x] Jubjub3000
[x] lazyminx
[x] _mathilda
[x] Megagulp

Total No. of Voters: 10

We have a tie!

QM Tiebreaker!
[X][Action] Aggressive Hunting. (Because 'ESCALATE!' is actually a pretty convincing argument)

The other option will be taken into consideration and colour our brave caterpillars behaviour.

Due to the closely matched vote, I have nothing more than vague ideas about how to tackle this update just yet. It might take a while.

On brighter news, that horrible headache is a thing of the past, yay!

 

[Planeshunter]

[x][Action] Aggressive Hunting.

Spoiler: Author's note

I wonder if the readers realize how they're taking the place of a Passenger in our Brave Caterpillar's life…

---

Alright… Alright. Breathe deep… exhale.

Done.

Now think, and I don't mean think 'Oh, my god I'm going to die this world is the blazing hells and I'm the charcoal!!' kind of thinking. I mean the critical thinking that takes facts into account and puts them in place to construct a viable long-term survival strategy.

The first thing that comes to mind is that munching other bone-masked things, I don't only sate my hunger, but also grow stronger. I'm around twice as fast and strong now, compared with my first fight against the Mofo, back in the desert. That should mean there's room for improvement, simply by eating, fighting and training.

The second thing that comes to mind is… Well, actually the first, but my brain kinda refuses to dwell on it, is the very existence of the Thing in the middle of the skull-things nest. That Thing feels so powerful it's hard to wrap my mind around it and, in a world as stupidly wide as this one, there's absolutely no guarantee that Thing is the only one, or even the strongest one.

That means I need to get stronger. A lot stronger. And fast. Because every second I'm not strong enough, it's a second something even worse than the Thing could sweep down from the sky and have a caterpillar-shaped snack.

So I need to feed, fight and train. That means to hunt, since it includes fighting and feeding, and training kinda goes with fighting anyway.

… No, I'm not a muscle-brained battle maniac, I would very much prefer to leisurely train at my own pace on a safer setting. But when time's the essence, well, throw them into the deep end and see who floats. I'm not a hypocrite who would say one thing and apply a different one to myself.

I could just get away from the Thing and try to find prey somewhere else, buuuuuut…

It's obvious stumbling into prey isn't exactly easy. Ignoring the Mofo, who was actually laying a trap I accidentally sprung, I've only seen skull-things, and even they were hard to find. That means I might die of hunger before finding something else to munch on, if I just flee the Thing.

Guess that means I'm eating his hunting parties then… I might even try and fight them fairly once I'm a bit stronger. You know, for the combat experience. All that without forgetting there's a very scary Thing nearby, so I'll need to be discreet and make sure nobody walks out alive from my ambushes. Last thing I need is for the hunter to become the prey.

…

…

Somehow, that mentality really pisses me off. Curse you Nature, and your cruel ways!!

Anyway! I've decided! Lurk around sneakily, ambush and take down the skull-things before they know what's going on, eat my fill and then some, then actually set things up so I can fight them instead. Once I start running out of skull-things to ambush, run like hell before the Thing decides to sprout legs and chase after me with the tab or something.

Hey! I can mock the Thing now! That means I'm over it, right?

A glance towards the centre of the nest and a shiver up my spine confirms my suspicions: No, I'm not getting over it.

---

Take 1: Splinter Cell Caterpillar vs Pack of Rat-things

So, here we are. Far enough for the… Thing to not feel icy fingers grasping my neck everytime my mind wanders that way. Sticky threads covering everywhere non-obvious, and myself perfectly positioned positioned to cover the obvious places too as soon as the ambush is triggered. The skull-things always come back the same way they left, as far as I've been able to check. That means a pack of rat-things will come through here sometime soon-ish. Right into my trap…

… You know? Saying 'Right into my trap' loses a lot when you can't press your fingertips together kind of loses a lot of luster.

Anyway, besides the obvious, this ambush serves to accomplish an important extra objective. Verifying the munchability of those colourful orbs they skull-things use to feed.

And, judging from the chittering sounds I hear approaching, we'll soon see results...

---

-Your ambush was super successful! You didn't just flawlessly neutralize every single rat-thing in the pack without sustaining injury, but you also feasted in a bunch of brown shiny spheres for extra Existence Essence!
-You have gained 47619 Existence Essence!
-Power Level Up! You're now Level 10!
-Setting a hidden and overly complicated trap took a lot of planning and resourcefulness! Disparo Demora is now Lv. 5! You no longer stick to your own threads (unless you want to).
-Routine usage of Chupavidas has granted a marginal increase in proficiency. Chupavidas 30% towards level UP
-You took a nap.
-Oblivion compensation! You've lost 2065 Existence Essence!!

---

Take 2: Splinter Cell Caterpillar vs Stag leading a pack of Rat-things

So! When planning the ambush at the skull-things, I might've overestimated their intelligence. Apparently, 'dumb like rocks' is still a generous estimate. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining they got scared by my sudden attack and jumped right into the threads and practically wrapped themselves but…

Yeah, all that hype for nothing.

Anyway, that's no reason to relax. I'm not getting cocky just because last time it went so well. Even if setting a trap is way easier now that I no longer stick to my own threads, I still find myself in trouble if I'm overconfident.

Plus, the group I'm expecting this time includes a Stag-thing. Those makes everyone else more competent so maybe this time they'll be a challenge… Oh, I hear them coming. Let's see how this goes.

Crap, they saw the trap! Quickly! I need to rush them before they have time to react! If they get away I'm in trouble!

Aha! First blood! The rat-thing didn't even see me coming. For such a bottom feeder, they sure don't look upwards often enough…

*Crash*

Ouch!!

Damn! Those whack sticks sure pack a punch…! At least they've decided to stand their ground. Now I'll just climb up and keep my distance while harassing them. I can't get too far away though, if it doesn't seem like they have a chance to catch me, they'll surely run.

*Crash*

Ouch!

Stupid triple-jointed arms, I completelly forgot! The Stag things have a lot more reach that in seems! And the rat-things have bows! I kinda forgot that with them being so pathetically useless they never had a chance to shoot before.

...At least they aim like stormtroopers.

No matter, now that I have a measure of their reach…

*Crash*

Ouch!

What do you mean the whack stick can stretch! I call foul, foul!!

Oh, screw this, let's see how you handle me in CQC, all close and personal!!

Damn, those claws hurt! Take some sticky thread for the trouble!

Ouch! Okay it knows how to use the knees! But I have poisonous hair!!

Stupid rats, turns out they can actually hit an unmovile target at three feet range… who could've known?

Aha!! Take that stag-thing! I win! Now to take care of the…

Hey! Where are you going! Come back here so I can much you to death!!

Ouch ouch ouch… Note to self, don't try to sling around in a hurry, I might've improved, but I'm no Spider-bug yet.

… You know what? Whatever.

The stupid rat-things ran straight into my threads, again. How did they manage to do that? Where they trolling me? I don't know, I don't care. All this panic for nothing… I just… I just wanna take a nap. This sucked.

---

-Your ambush was at the verge of catastrophe. Your only saving grace is that you somehow managed to keep them from sounding the alarm. Half your earnings go into recovering for this fiasco.
-You have gained 19450 Existence Essence!
-Setting the same trap again didn't give you that much extra practice, Disparo Demora 16% towards level UP.
-Routine usage of Chupavidas has granted a marginal increase in proficiency. Chupavidas 45% towards level UP
-Your first trial of fire with Punto Veneno has granted some increase in proficiency, even if you barely did anything with it. Punto Veneno 50% towards level UP
-You took a nap to recover from your wounds.
-Oblivion compensation! You've lost 2065 Existence Essence!!

---

Take 3: Splinter Cell Caterpillar vs Solitary Stag-thing.

Yeah… trying to tack down a hunting party didn't work as good as I would've hoped. That's why this time I'm going after a rare solo stag-thing. What's it even doing alone? Maybe it has realized the rat-things get in the way more than actually help? Or maybe he just got lost, being the smartest doesn't mean they're overly smart either.

Anyway, there's no guarantee this one will return the same way, or that it'll return period. So I'll be forgoing laying traps and simply shadow it until we reach a convenient location. Like… this one, actually.

Okay, last time sucked but it will be different now. Deep breath and… rappel down!

Since the stag-thing is still moving I can't just leisurely let myself down, so this has been the fastest descent so far. Still managed to perfectly calculate when and how to stop so I was positioned in an advantageous position behind him and a little upwards.

What I didn't calculate was the loud *Twang* sound my abrupt stop caused.

*Crash*

Ouch!

I might've miscalculated the stag-thing's reaction speed too. In my defence, this one is quite a bit faster than the ones I've fought so far. Also, are we on send-a-caterpillar-flying-against-a-tree season? Because this is getting old!

Whatever. Come here and get some!!

---

-Your ambush didn't work as intended, but you managed to pull through.
-You have gained 99100 Existence Essence!
-Power Level Up! You're now Level 12!
-You've got some good practice with your powers and they all progressed towards level UP:
-Disparo Demora: 32%
-Chupavidas: 60%
-Punto Veneno: 75%

---

Take 4: Splinter Cell Caterpillar vs Boar-thing.

In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have picked a fight with one of these brutes straight after my last brawl. I'm feeling a bit sore after facetanking the stag-thing's whack stick. And being sent flying against trees. Four times.

In my defence though, it wasn't so much picking a fight as the fight picking me, turning around after munching the stag-thing only to find myself fate-to-hoof with this boar-thing. That was bad. Dodging its mace, if barely, that was good. That was very good, because when it flew past me and hit one of the stupid-ass cheating trees, it gouged a chunk three times my size.

I can only thank whatever stars are watching over me that the boar-thing is at least slow and dumb. Like… real dumb, rat-things seem smart in comparison dumb. I tricked it into bashing his own head with his mace. That's what finally did it.

Now, I'm pretty sure the thousand trillion Chupavidas and Punto Veneno I managed to sneak in helped a lot, but it was the dumb-ass brute bashing his own head down with his own dumb-ass mace that took it down.

I feel insulted, somehow. And really, really glad it's over.

---

-Your ambush didn't work as intended, in fact, you were the ambushed one. But you managed to pull through.
-You have gained 120700 Existence Essence!
-Power Level Up! You're now Level 14!
-This nightmare of a fight did wonders for your Powers.
-You've learnt a lot about what Disparo Demora isn't useful for: 80%
-Spamming Chupavidas has its uses, but after today you really want to improve the range: Chupavidas is now Lv3 - (33%).
-This has been a real stress test for Punto Veneno. Emphasis on stress. You didn't learn as much as you would've liked, that with the permanent state of do or die panic and your lack of familiarity with the power, but you still learnt something: Punto Veneno is now Lv2 - (50%)
-You took a nap, because fuck this.
-Oblivion compensation! You've lost 3940 Existence Essence!

---

Take 5: Splinter Cell Caterpillar vs Stag leading a pack of Rat-things, the revenge.

Today I'm hitting another hunting party. After the boar-thing, they don't seem so tough anymore. And I'm pretty sure the stag-thing won't notice my threads this time, there's an actually hair trigger in the trap and everything. Once they trip it, my net will drop from the trees and trap them, then I'll just have to go all matador on them and… Ole!

Ok, maybe my 'net' is more like a pile of threads more or less evenly spread on the branches. I might not get stuck on the stuff anymore, but that doesn't automatically make me a proficient weaver. It just… doesn't work like that.

Trust me, I tried.

So! Stag-thing triggers the trap, and the shapeless crochet of doom descends on the unsuspecting skull things. I'd say all according to plan but, by this point, I'm pretty sure Murphy hates me.

Any time now I'll lear stag-things can set shit on fire, or the rat-things will suddenly learn to gnaw at my silk, or a boar-thing will drop from the sky to dunk me or… Oh, wait, it's working? The entire party got caught and they're struggling to even wave their arms around. How cool is that? I- I mean… All according to plan!

The stag-thing notices me and panickedly tries to bat me away. But he can't! Cuz his whack stick is trapped in my threads!! Muahahahahahaha!! And now he's trying to throw my own threads at me. That might've actually worked a while ago, but I no longer get stuck on my own traps, so it's pointless.

No, wait, what're you doing? Don't pull there! Don't do that! Stop, stop, stooooop!!

…

I… Might've discovered a hole in my plan. Namely, not getting stuck in my sticky threads isn't enough when you're tangled up in the stuff. Just… Why Murphy? Why? I'm a good caterpillar, I eat all my food and don't leave messes behind… Oh, yeah, I don't leave messes behind.

Chupavidas!!

There, the threads dissolve, leaving me free like the wind and… everyone else too. I really need better control on that. Whatever. Rat-things with bows and a single stag-thing? I've dealt with that before. Come at me!!

...

In the end, the rat-things broke formation and fled… straight into backup traps. Seriously what's with the rat-things and running into my threads?

---

-Your ambush didn't work as intended, but it worked well enough.
-You have gained 81300 Existence Essence!
-Power Level Up! You're now Level 15!
-Your Powers improved during this fight.
-You've learnt about Disparo Demora and your limitations using it: 92%
-You've focused on improving the precision of Chupavidas: 66%
-Casual usage of Punto Veneno is probably the best way to improve at this point. Punto Veneno is now Lv3!
-Oblivion compensation! You've lost 4510 Existence Essence!

---

The feeding frenzy has provided results but, somehow, you don't feel any more confident in your chances against the Thing. You need a better plan than to just lurk in the shadows and take targets of opportunity. (The results of the plan will happen off-screen and be summarized at the start of the next chapter)

Daredevil. Knock it up a notch. Stop wasting time and chances by letting the groups distance from the nest. You'll lurk closer (but not too close, there's still the Thing to consider) and tackle any group carrying shiny orbs. When/if reinforcements arrive, keep fighting for as long as it's reasonable. Keep an exit strategy in mind to disengage before getting overwhelmed. This plan provides balanced and increased growth in all Powers, greater Essence earnings due to attacking returning parties and a lower Oblivion Compensation due to the swiftness involved, but it's very high-risk. There's a considerable chance you end up biting more than you can chew. Chance all your earnings are lost due to ?????.
Trapmaster. Focus on trapping… a lot. You don't need to be there for your traps to spring, so just siege the freaking place with sticky threads and collect the results later. This plan greatly increases earning in Disparo Demora, but you don't get any experience with Punto Veneno. It's a safe option with an average Oblivion Compensation, but you won't earn as much Essence, since you'll be hitting the leaving parties before they can get spheres.
Wide-spread. Where are the skull-things getting their spheres anyway? Follow some hunting parties to their destination, so you can see them in action. And you have an idea what to do once you're done with this place. This plan is the safest, with almost no risk involved, and will increase your options once you're done here. Powers will increase in a balanced fashion. Increased Oblivion Compensation due to this plan taking the longest.
Write-in If there's a time to propose alternate options, it's now. This plan results depends on the content.

---

[X][Plan] Daredevil.
[X][Plan] Trapmaster.
[X][Plan] Wide-spread.
[X][Plan] Write-in.

---

 

[Jubjub3000]

Is it possible to lace the traps with punto veneno?

Because if so then I'll vote

[X][Plan] Trap master. Laced with punto veneno

 

[Megagulp]

[x]Trapmaster

 

[MysticReaper]

[X][Plan] Trapmaster.

 

[globalwarmth]

[X][Plan] Trapmaster.

 

[bobbya1]

[X][Plan] Daredevil.

I would say yolo but we already dead. :[

 

[Demetric]

[X][Plan] Trapmaster.

 

[Jubjub3000]

I'm just wondering but who is planning on a (I'm a spider, so what?) Build?

Because so far we have 1 evil eye equivilant
The spider silk equivilant
Poisonous hair (poisonous fangs equivalent)

And I'm sure we'll pick some more up in the future too

 

[Smug_Cloud]

[X][Plan] Trap master

I would have gone for the wide-spread plan, but seeing the overwhelming majority...

 

[MrMig]

[X][Plan] Trapmaster.

 

[Planeshunter]

I'm just wondering but who is planning on a (I'm a spider, so what?) Build?

Because so far we have 1 evil eye equivilant
The spider silk equivilant
Poisonous hair (poisonous fangs equivalent)

And I'm sure we'll pick some more up in the future too

Click to shrink...

I belive it was a bit of everyone. It doesn't take rocket science to see where I took the basic options from, and it wasn't even the same genre as Kumo. Heck, that isn't even the build I had in mind when I first thought out this story, so a good chunk of the merit goes to you voters. That said, Disparo Demora is way too versatile to pass up, so it makes sense to be picked first, unless you're aiming for a specific theme.

Once the heavy-hitting option was disregarded, I guess a Kumo-like build kinda grew by itself, it's a solid option, after all.

That said...

Spoiler: *whistles innocently*

 

[Planeshunter]

Alright, ladies and gents, votes are now closed!

I... don't really need to paste the tally this time, do I?

This time's winner is...

[X][Plan] Trap master!!

With Christmas coming and so and so I won't have much access to a PC for a couple of days, so can't promise a swift update. Some people write on the phone, they have my outmost respect. Because I am... less than capable in that field.

 

[Planeshunter]

Your traps have yielded results!
-Disparo Demora has grown a lot, but you're starting to seriously consider weaving lessons. If there's instinctive skill locked in there somewhere, it's mighty hard to find. Disparo Demora is now Lv. 8!
-Munching on so many skull-things isn't exactly a complex activity, you could say it gets plain boring after reaching a certain point. Still, practice makes perfect, and all that. Chupavidas is now Lv. 4-(50%)!
-Putting the nest of skull-things under siege was a cheeky thing to do, but there's no arguing it produced results! Your Power Level has massively increased! You're now Level 25!!!
-You also have enough Existence Essence leftover to cover for 3 Compensations

---

I… have made several miscalculations.

Most don't matter all too much, and I'm sure people wouldn't find how I once was thrown flying and bounced around three different trees or how I tripped and fell on my own trap once all that interesting. A couple of those miscalculations though… they do matter. Kind of a lot.

First one, hunger keeps growing. The stronger I get, the faster I go hungry, and the more pressing the instinct to keep feeding. It makes sense, in hindsight, I am growing stronger, it's only fair maintenance becomes more expensive because of it.

I'm a bit conflicted about that. Is there a point in all this? Some endgame for this feeding game? Or will I gradually become just a junkie, incapable of thinking of anything beyond my next fix? Screw conflicted, I'm terrified. Fortunately now's not the time to think about it.

Because, that other miscalculation? Yea… The Thing's chasing me down.

It makes sense, really. If you isolate a place so nothing enters or leaves, and whatever tries to leave is never seen again either, then no matter how stupid the inhabitants of that place are, they'll definitively notice. That and, as stupid as I've observed the skull-things to be, I have no idea how smart the Thing actually is. And I cut out IT's food supply.

I... might've grown excessively cocky with my successes.

Then, a shining beam of light barely misses my head, forcing me to hurriedly correct my route and just like that I'm suddenly not in the mood for introspection anymore. Because I have better things to do like run and… Holy shit did that beam just obliterate a tree? Why does that Thing get tree-obliterating beams when I only have lame silk and gorgeous hair anyway?

I am not completely stupid. I laid traps big enough to inconvenience the Thing just in case it came to that. To my surprise, IT didn't just bulldoze through them. To my despair, while the thousand layered threads managed to withstand IT's trashing, the stupid-ass cheating trees my threads were tied to… didn't.

Moreover, the Thing is fast. I had to resort to silk swinging just to avoid being trampled. Having a towering mass of darkness at your heels is a magnificent motivator to learn fast, who would've known. I can finally say to have mastered the way of the Spider-bug.

… Seriously, so not the time. Shut up.

Anyway, the beams are new. So far it's only been crying or yelling or something like that and running after me. As you can imagine, I didn't stop and see what IT wanted. But I can't seem to lose IT either. Everytime I think IT lost sight of me and is going to rush forward and miss me, IT turns at the last second to give chase away.

I'm getting tired and sick of this stupid game. I can't outrun the Thing, I can't outsmart IT, I can't hide from IT… And now our game of cat and mouse is spiced up with energy beams. I'm seriously running out of ideas. I mean, IT straight no-sells my Chupavidas, and while Disparo Demora isn't completely ineffective, I don't have the time or means to cocoon IT mid-fight. Punto Veneno… Yeah, it's still contact-based and if I have to get close enough to touch IT… I'll be close enough for IT to touch me.

… I case I wasn't clear, I'm not doing that.

Another beam zooms past me, causing an explosion against a nearby tree and forcing me to alter my course again. Swerving like this is bad for my average speed, even without the very distinct possibility of missing a shot and slowing down even more, but what else can I do?

As if to confirm my thoughts, yet another beam causes another explosion, on the ground this time, and the shockwave sends me flying off-course. Damn but those things are powerful, thankfully I have a pretty small profile, because one direct hit and I'm toast. Still, just the explosions around me are slowing me enough.

… No. That's not it. It's not that I'm being lucky, it's that IT cannot hit me. But that doesn't matter, because he doesn't need to. That's IT's plan, isn't it? The Thing is corralling me.

At this rate, three more explosions and I'm within his reach.

And I still have no plan.

Two more explosions, and my brain scrambles to grasp something anything that could get me out of this mess.

One more explosion, and I can practically feel the Thing breathing on my neck. If I have the resources to try something, I lack the time to set it up. If I can think of something I might be able to achieve in the moment, I lack the resources to do it.

After being on the receiving end of so many, I can somehow tell the Thing is charging up the last blast. This is it, I have no more tricks, no more plans. Not even a reckless gambit depending on insane luck to save my skin.

In that moment, I consider simply jumping into the blast, to be blown into smithereens so at least the Thing cannot feed upon me. The end result would be the same, and it would be a last fuck you towards my killer.

It wouldn't even be hard. Now that I know IT is intentionally aiming to corral me, I can predict where the blast will hit. Just a swing on an unexpected direction, a moment of searing hot and…

No.

No, I refuse.

I won't give up, I'll never give up.

If the choices are to fight or die, then I'll fight.

I'll give the Thing something to remember, and even if I end up devoured by an impossible foe, I'll go down kicking and screaming.

Even if I'm devoured, I'll keep fighting. I already took control of the ever-encroaching darkness once, I can do it again. So I'll fight, and fight, and keep fighting. Because you cannot defeat that which doesn't give up.

And I don't do giving up.

Spoiler: The unheard voice

{Agreement}

It happens again, as it happened that first time, what feels like a lifetime ago. My being swells with power. Suddenly, I am heavier than the moon who pulls the tides. I am deeper than the abyssal scars marring the ocean floor. I am older than the very sun giving life to the world.

With those new depths, I turn towards my pursuer. The thing still feels powerful, but not more powerful than me. The thing is still smarter than its minions, but in no way smarter than me. The thing still feels dangerous, but no more dangerous than me.

"I got this."

---

By the time the conflict ends and the power swelling me dissipates, I stand on a clearing that definitely wasn't here before. Deep trenches of burnt dirt and pieces of splintered wood in different sizes and shapes litter the ground. The thing has vanished, whatever resistance it held against my Chupavidas finally overwhelmed after I broke its body and crushed its mask.

I had assumed this fight would've left me energized. You know, sore but the good kind of sore, tired but giddy with my victory. Instead I feel… just tired. Tired, drained and constrained. As if suddenly my skin is too thigh and pushes back against all my movements. Whatever I did to fight the thing, it obviously had a price.

Moreover, it was barely enough. The thing was stupid, but it was fast and sturdy, and had resources out of my reach. As much as our raw power felt equally matched, I had nothing that could compete with its energy blasts, and its skin was way harder than anything I've encountered around here before.

Don't… don't get me wrong. I'm absurdly grateful to still be alive, but this was something I cannot take for granted. Even assuming this power up came from my fighting spirit, which I don't really know, it only put me at the things level on the most basic of the senses. Had the thing been smarter, or have more polished technique. Heck had I not seen how it fought beforehand, I would be a smoldering crater on the dirt right now, power up or not.

And now I'm dead tired, feeling a dull, pulsating pain all the way down to my core, and something tells me my hunger will be coming back with a vengeance as soon as I stop feeling like death warmed over.

That means I need to go back to the skull-things nest and repair my traps before I can try and sleep so they don't have a chance to scatter. Maybe having lunch waiting for me when I wake up will help stimie the problem.

---

-Not giving up during a hopeless fight has awakened a perk you were previously unaware of!! ????? becomes Escalada(Escalation).

Spoiler: Escalada(Escalation)

(Active/Passive)
A conceptual skill based around the concept of 'Growth'.
Active: Temporarily increases this Hollow's raw spiritual power to rise to the level of an opponent... For a cost. Afterwards, the user's growth becomes stunted for a duration depending on the power increase. Escalada only affects raw power, and cannot compensate for superior skill or techniques. Escalada cannot stack with itself, nor be reactivated during the 'stunted' period. It won't work against an opponent with 'infinite' spirit power.
Passive: The growth potential becomes literally second to no one. This skill affects only raw potential, without considering factors such as 'effort' or 'environment'. Thus a creature with a lesser potential might grow faster under the right conditions.

-Due to usage of Escalada, you've incurred on a Karmic Debt!! You won't be able to earn Existence Essence beyond the amount required to stave off Oblivion Compensation until you pay the debt.
-After consuming the Thing, your remaining debs amounts to 754,000 EE.
-During the course of the chase and later on the fight, your proficiency with all your Powers has grown:
Disparo Demora becomes Lv.9!
Chupavidas becomes Lv.5!
Punto Veneno becomes Lv.4!
-Oblivion Compensation! You lose 12195 EE!!

---

Now that you've solved the life or death situation, maybe it's time to focus on the other serious problem in your life. Your hunger keeps growing. How will you face this?

Abstinence. You should've known. Power comes with a price, as it always does. And it's a prize you're not willing to pay. You'll give up on feeding, and let your power return to its original levels, even if you have to tie yourself down to pass the hunger! Through abstinence you'll become master of your own fate. You became Spider-bug, now it's time to become Mahatma Caterpillar!
Restraint. Being able to eventually match to the Thing and whatever other monstrosities inhabit this world isn't worth the risk of losing yourself in the process. You'll hunt to stave off the Oblivion, but you won't aim to keep increasing your power. Not while it means increasing your hunger too, at least.
Trust. You instincts are your only companions in this life and, while they've surprised you from time to time, they've never steered you wrong yet. You'll trust there's a point in this apparently ever-increasing game of power and hunger, an… endgame.
Frenzy. Same as trust, but throwing restraint through the window. If you focus on feeding to the exclusion of all else, you'll undoubtedly become better faster and reach whatever goal there is sooner. How much of your original self will survive behaving like a ravenous animal in the meanwhile remains to be seen…

---

[x][Choice] Abstinence.
[x][Choice] Restraint.
[x][Choice] Trust.
[x][Choice] Frenzy.

---

Besides this, your encounter with the skull-things is now over. You've taken down the mastermind and, one way or another, the skull-things won't survive for long without it. For you, that means back to business as usual!

---

[x][Hunt] Actively.
[x][Hunt] Passively.
[x][Hunt] Trap.
[x][Hunt] Hide.

---

[x][Travel] End of the World.
[x][Travel] Explore the Forest.
[x][Travel] Take a break.
[x][Travel] Other.

---

[x][Train] Disparo Demora
[x][Train] Chupavidas
[x][Train] Punto Veneno
[x][Train] Take a break
[x][Train] Develop
-[x][Develop] Placaje
-[x][Develop] Andar Gracioso
-[x][Develop] Malicioso
-[x][Develop] Zumbido
-[x][Develop] Write-in (Short description of what our brave caterpillar will aim for.)

 

[MysticReaper]

[x][Choice] Trust.
[x][Hunt] Actively.
[x][Travel] Explore the Forest
[x][Train] Punto Veneno

 

[globalwarmth]

[x][Choice] Abstinence.

[x][Choice] Restraint.