The Hollow Moth: Reincarnated as a Caterpillar

I don't know how long we've been traveling. Then again, I never know how to track time in the first place. Ever since I hatch, it's just been… moving forward. No sun, no moon, just endless glowing fungi and the occasional monster trying to kill us. Not exactly the best environment to develop a sense of time.

Maybe I'll figure it out once I leave this labyrinth—if I ever do.

"How far is the 4th Zone?" I ask, breaking the silence.

Goldy, leading ahead, glances back. "Don't know. Never been there."

I stare at her. "Wait, what?"

"But I know this is the way!" she adds quickly, her usual energy unfazed.

I keep staring at her. The others don't even seem bothered. They just keep crawling forward like this is normal.

So we're just blindly heading deeper into unknown territory, with no actual idea how far we need to go? Fantastic.

I sigh and press on. Not like I have any better options.

We find ourselves in a vast hall, the dim glow of the crystals and fungi fading as we move deeper. The lack of light makes everything feel… eerie. Almost like the labyrinth itself is swallowing us whole.

Then, on the cave wall, there it is—a hole, just large enough to fit us.

Goldy, ever the fearless leader, goes ahead to check it out. We wait in silence, the only sound being the distant echoes of shimmering crystals. After a moment, she pokes her head back out.

"It's safe!" she announces.

With that, she makes a firm decision. "Alright, we're sleeping here."

I glance at the dark hole. It does seem defensible—one entrance, easy to barricade if needed. But something about it unsettles me. Maybe it's just the creeping darkness, or maybe I'm getting paranoid.

Still, no one objects. We're all tired, and arguing with Goldy isn't exactly an easy feat.

"Fine," I mutter, crawling in after her.

As usual, everyone gets to work setting up their sleeping spots. Some weave hammocks on the ceiling, others make simple silk mats on the ground. And me? Well, I can finally produce silk, and there's no way I'm not going to make full use of it.

So, I go all out and make a tent.

It's not that fancy, just a small cocoon-like shelter, but compared to everyone else's more practical setups, it probably does look a bit extra.

Victor, ever the verbose one, immediately chimes in, "Ah, darest sister, thy artifice doth emanate an aura of refinement most becoming of a noble spirit!"

Goldy, on the other hand, simply tilts her head and smiles. "It looks nice!"

Then comes another voice—a venomous brther, his tone dripping with something between amusement and mild annoyance.

"Show off."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Oh, I'm sorry, should I have made a mud pit instead?

Still, I just shrug, crawl inside my tent, and get comfortable. At the end of the day, I'm the one with the best sleeping spot, and that's all that matters.

As everyone gets comfortable in their own spots, the cave gradually falls into silence. The soft glow of bioluminescent fungi casts faint shadows on the walls, and the gentle rustling of silk and shifting bodies becomes the last sounds before sleep claims us all.

I nestle inside my silk tent, feeling oddly satisfied with my work. It's warm, it's cozy, and—most importantly—it's mine.

Then, just as sleep begins to take me, I feel it again.

That strange pull.

My consciousness drifts, the weight of my body fading away. The darkness behind my closed eyes deepens, then shifts—warping, twisting—until I find myself once again in the Lucid Reflection.

Everything around me is white. A vast, endless expanse of nothingness. The only thing breaking the monotony is that mound—the same one as before. Cracks run along its uneven surface, leaking some gaseous substance that shimmers unnaturally in the empty space.

I let out a sigh. "So, Lucid Reflection yet again."

At this point, I'm not even surprised.

If I recall correctly, this mound is supposed to represent my lifespan, and that gas… it's my life essence itself.

Which means… if I reach out and touch it, I'd merely be looking into my own life essence. Something like a status screen, if I have to put it into words.

"Well, no harm in checking, I guess." I mutter to myself before stepping closer.

Mother does mention that aside from my skills, I can also check my evolution progress… but where exactly am I supposed to look for that?

Like usual, as soon as I reach out to the gas, everything turns black, and then images start to form—my skills, just like before.

I furrow my brows. "Still the same… Wait—what if…"

An idea clicks in my mind. What if the mound itself is the key?

I crouch down, placing a hesitant hand on the cracked surface. The moment my fingers make contact, the darkness around me shifts.

The black void twists, morphs—then, it's as if I'm thrown into space itself. Stars glitter in the vast emptiness, but in the center of it all, something new emerges.

A tree.

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No… not just any tree—it's more like a branching path, glowing faintly as if waiting to be traversed.

At the very bottom of the path, I see my name—or rather, my current form—Hatchling Spike Caterpillar.

From it, a single path stretches forward in a straight line, leading to the next stage:

Lesser Spiky Caterpillar (Unlocked).

Beyond that, there are further paths branching out in different directions, but they are all locked.

I squint at the words, then focus on the first part. "Spiky Caterpillar, huh? So that's what my species is called."

I don't know what I expect, but seeing it written out like this makes it feel… official.

Still, Lesser Spiky Caterpillar? What is that supposed to mean? Lesser than what?

I stare at the glowing words. "Unlocked" means I can evolve now, right?

I mean, it's called Lesser Spiky Caterpillar, so it should be better than a hatchling… I think?

It isn't exactly a fancy-sounding evolution, but it's progress.

"Well, no point hesitating."

I reach out toward the glowing path, ready to see what this evolution will bring.

As soon as I touch the glowing evolution path, the mound beneath me pulses with a blinding white light.

"Whoa—!"

The glow fades just as quickly as it comes, but something has changed.

The mound—it's… taller? Bigger?

I take a step back, staring at it while my hand still rests on it. Does evolving just make my lifespan longer? Or is it just a side effect? Either way, this is new.

"Huh… well, that's interesting."

I glance back at the evolution tree, half-expecting something else to change.

I stare at the newly revealed paths, arms crossed as I mull over the choices.

Spiky Caterpillar.

Probably just a stronger version of what I am now. Basic but reliable.

Venom Caterpillar.

Like the edgy brother—coated in poison, deadly up close. Definitely useful, but I'm not sure if I want to smell like venom all the time.

Bristly Caterpillar.

Like Victor—keen senses, able to detect enemies from far away. That could be incredibly useful, especially in the labyrinth where visibility is often limited.

I glance down at myself, still in my human form here, arms crossed and deep in thought. Which one should I go for?

I let out a sigh, deciding to push the thought aside for now. It's not like I can evolve again anytime soon. No point stressing over it.

With that, I step away from the glowing mound, letting the strange space around me fade into the familiar white void.

Wait a second—if my evolution is already unlocked, then since when?

Did I just waste all that XP by not evolving earlier?!

A wave of frustration hits me like a slap. How long have I just been sitting on this upgrade like an idiot? Is it after the Lumi Viper fight? Before that? After the war?

I groan, rubbing my face. There's no way to tell. I have no clue what criteria I need to evolve. Do I get stronger just by existing, or do I have to fight and eat things? And if I had evolved sooner, would that have made battles easier?

Ugh. No use crying over spilled milk. At least I know now.

I take a deep breath, calming myself down. Lesson learned. From now on, I'll check this evolution thing more often. No more wasted progress.

Well, might as well check on my skills while I'm here.

Reaching out to the gas, the white void darkens, and just like before, images of my skills start to appear. When I touch them with my other hand, details emerge one by one in the shape of me, using it like I'm doing a tutorial video.

I glance over my list of skills. Pretty much the same as before, except Spine becomes Enhanced Spine, and I gain a new skill, Spine Shot.

[Current Skills]

Bristle

A versatile ability that can be used for offense, defense, and detection. My body's natural armor and weapon all in one.

Enhanced Spine

An improved form of my original spines, making them sharper and sturdier. Useful for both combat and protection.

Spine Shot

The ability to fire my spines as projectiles, one at a time. Not rapid-fire, but still useful for attacking from a distance.

Silk Production

I can produce silk. Handy for making shelters, traps, or maybe even tying up enemies.

Psychic Telepathy

Allows me to communicate through telepathy, mainly with my own species.

Lunar Ascension

…Still nothing. The skill is there with an image of a shimmering moon but it refuses to show anything.

It's pretty much the same as before, except Spine evolves into Enhanced Spine, and I gain Spine Shot as a new skill.

I narrow my eyes at the last one. "Still not showing anything, huh?"

Frustrating. But there's nothing I can do about it now.

I step back from the gas, and the familiar white void returns.

Crossing my arms, I close my eyes and reflect. My evolution is great and all, but it'd be even better if I had a way to measure my own physical capabilities. Like, how much health do I have? And what about magic? Do I even have mana?

As I open my eyes, something catches my attention—a small sapling sprouting atop the mound.

I frown.

"…That wasn't there before, right?"

Curious, I reach out and touch the sapling.

The white void shifts, turning into a deep crimson as a new image forms before me—my own body, or at least an anatomical representation of it.

I blink.

It's… detailed. Too detailed.

My wounds? None.

My sickness? None.

But then I notice something else—weak points.

A section around my abdominal segments is highlighted in red, marking it as vulnerable. But what really catches my eye is the gap between my thorax and head, glowing an even deeper red.

I exhale sharply.

"Great. So, aim for the neck. Got it."

I narrow my eyes, scanning the image carefully. As I focus, more areas start to glow with that ominous red hue—weaknesses I haven't even considered before.

Aside from the abdomen and the neck gap, I now see:

Leg joints – Marked in a lighter red, likely spots where a strong enough force could sever or cripple my movement.

Underside – A broad red patch runs along my ventral side, indicating it's softer and less protected compared to my bristled back.

Mouthparts – A small but deep red mark near my mandibles. If they get damaged, I might have trouble eating… or fighting.

I click my tongue.

"Fantastic. I might as well be wearing a 'stab here for maximum effect' sign."

As I withdraw my hand from the sapling, the glowing red images fade, and the familiar white void returns. I exhale, crossing my arms in thought.

That sapling… it isn't there before, right?

It must have appeared only after I evolve. That means back when I'm still a Hatchling, it's either a seed or just too small to notice. But if I can already check my physical condition before, then… maybe it's always there, just not developed enough to be visible.

I glance at the sapling again. So, if this thing represents my health and physical condition, then its size must indicate my overall HP. In other words, the bigger the sapling or tree, the more HP I have.

I shift my gaze back to the mound, taller than before. A bigger mound means a longer lifespan.

Huh. So that's how it works.

Now that I've got it all figured out, there's nothing else to do here.

I close my eyes, letting out a slow breath. Time to wake up. Time to prepare for whatever comes next.

End of Chapter 9