There was always a first for everything.
Like, say for example, losing feeling over your own body slowly, as your head disconnects from your body, or maybe feeling your shirt warmly bond to larger areas of your skin, as it graciously gets drenched in your own blood because someone really, really wants you... or... even better yet, that weird high feeling you know? when you're slowly drifting in and out of consciousness? now they may sound weird, but a first's a first you know?
And do you know the ultimate best part of it? You get to experience this "first" over and over again because you can't just give up, maybe that and a ridiculously powerful healing skill that just doesn't take no for an answer,
But...!
If you haven't yet? shame, someone's living your life, and more...!
[Multiple puncture wounds detected!]
[The First Puzzle Piece is drastically regaining its past memories!]
[Nature detected!]
... ?...
[Nature has triggered dormant energy!]
[Absorption of Nature will begin!]
"...!"
The beast's slits widened a bit mid-rendering its prey's flesh within, it had once tasted something similar before. A tiny ball with quite a nasty property. It briefly resumed cracking the tough nut knowing that even if its current prey had a troublesome quality like that leafy menace, it would not hold a candle to it and would instead in good time, provide its due nourishment to it like everything else scary that it ever came across.
After all, wasn't it the Resident of ??? ? an apex?
Meanwhile, as the abomination sought for a place to rest awaiting fulfillment, the provider of that same fulfillment within was undergoing a combo of a flood of messages, brief flashes of pain before the law took them away and a rush of urgently needed body upgrades. He was, sorry, they were both working overtime within the belly of the beast.
And as he lay in the diverse midst of scarlet gums, jagged teeth and green mucus, he could only wonder why the Giant's Path that he read whilst in the library was not recognized in the Pathway skill that he obtained,
[...]
He feared that all this "nature" that he was absorbing was going to be lost. Wasn't that the whole gist of it? Like that one time, he overheard someone say that his student had to release the extra energy because his bowl would crack...?
[...]
He would be reversing his progress by leaps and bounds! Finally, he was getting that mysterious energy that should have been his since time past and now he was going to give it up? impossible.
Wait what's the time right now, ouch...
"...,"
...
... over on the other side of the forest, far from the "stuffed" beast from nowhere, a group was hidden beneath the earth probably because a twig had snapped,
"You think I did it right...?"
"What do you think...?"
"Yeah, what do those wonderful whiskers te~ll you?"
"!"
From the left wall of their little hidden chamber, the earth gave way, a familiar face popping through like a pimple,
"Here they are!" Aluri called out to other mysterious figures behind him as he willed the soil to gently push them into the chamber, himself joining last.
He had finally seen him, from the time they fought with their lives on the line against the thrashing tentacles to a recent fight he heard that his icon emerged from victorious, he could not believe that, that one person was now in the same vicinity with him. His whiskers trembled in relief as now he could shove all his worries onto a greater control. Remembering how earnestly he declared his friendship to the lusciously, dark-haired kid to the right, he definitely had that heart that he wanted.
And so, resorting to his innate instincts, he bowed down to the mighty...
"!"
... but stumbled a bit midway as the ground started to sink, further and further,
"I'm sorry, I know this was sudden, but as we sink, we can get to know each other...,"
He was still so kind, he still was the same, just as that day,
"...??"
and his best friend, still,
"!"
"... you, what's your name?"
"... uh...,"
Seiza gathered wind beneath his feet as he glid towards the awkwardly bowing mouse-faced individual. A blink and now he was face to face with him, his blue eyes staring intently, as if he was reading his soul.
"M... Morris,"
"Easy,"
"..."
"Zip! Sorry...,"
He turned back to Morris, taking in the slightly tensed stance and in delight stretched out his hand in greeting,
"Nice to meet you, Morris,"
Morris's crew stared on confused, their beady eyes trying to understand the boy's weird actions.
They had arrived.
"Oh...,"
"Now we stay, until the storm passes!"
Aluri huddled everyone together, hushing down the "what storm?" whispers amidst the separate party of five,
"So, I heard your name is...!"
"...,"
"Ugh! I want to burn them so bad, have you found them yet...?!"
A silver line cleanly split a leaf in half, a part of the search team coming through. Their presumed leader briefly locked onto something on the ground before kneeling and rubbing the...
... slightly, scarlet-tinged soil between his fingertips, his grey eye and left eye looked on towards Baxter who had his back against them barking orders elsewhere,
"We have something...,"
"Before you even continue, is it another trail,"
"It was, but...,"
"But no~thing...! I already burned one, don't join him just yet and you're one of the more bearable ones...,"
"...," he stood calm as Baxter gently threatened him,
"... so, please give me results about yay high, I'm already tired of seeing blood,"
"...,"
"... I think you've understood me, now go."
And that ladies and gentlemen, is why holes are always dug to this very day.
"..."
"Hello...? how do I do this; should I knock or...? have you started feeling weird...? It's getting a bit crampy in here..., h... hello...?"
He shifted himself to occupy more of the fleshy part within to stretch out, along that, also wondering how he could leave because at this point all had been done. The system had stomached in everything that it could, and the numerous resistance messages made his stay very boring...
"!"
I forgot about you!
The ornate mark that he had received from Greg a while back, subtly cast an azure glow as if recognizing Park for finding the answer to his green problem.
He looked around to see if the creature had something else within that he didn't know, like a stomach somewhere but luckily it was a small pocket of teeth...
... and so, did the explosive mission begin. His etched hand stretched coldly within that space, readying his dish for the unholy reception that he had received. A colored swirl of dust similar to the treat summoned appeared, more and more, as he began his journey to pop that demonic balloon into unrecognizable bits and pieces...
"Hmm...?"
It immediately absorbed one of the treats conjured, taken aback by something within and for the first time before his very eyes,
"... wh... at is... this...?"
It spoke.