The snail’s excitement faded as it found a puddle of water between itself and thick grasses. Its excitement sputtered and died when the snail drank a bit of the water and found it to be really terrible. The snail used Identify.
*ding*
Brackish water (salt content: 0.1%)
“Salt? I hate salt!” The snail complained. It remembered the only other time it had encountered salt–the salt had nearly killed the snail before it could rinse the salt off its foot. Grumbling internally, the snail turned to the south and followed the boundary between forest and marsh.
The journey around the edge of the marsh was long and frustrating for the snail. The snake proved to be an adequate swimmer and often left the snail to cruise through the marsh grasses and reeds to hunt tiny creatures. The longest time that the snail went without seeing the snake was after the snake managed to catch a small fish which was very nearly too large for it to swallow. The snail thought that the little snake looked bloated and smug when it returned, and the System seemed to agree with that assessment.
*ding*
Wild intuition level up: 2
Even though the snail no longer dug up any food for the snake, the snake seemed content to uphold their arrangement and provide occasional protection for the snail. Occasional ducks and gulls were the biggest danger to the snail, but a single look at the snake’s viper illusion discouraged them. The only predator that the snake failed to drive off was a particularly large and grumpy crab with terrifying pincers. The snake was forced to flee and lead the crab away from the snail. The snail wasn’t sure if the snake had led the crab away on purpose, but it managed to get out of sight before the crab returned.
*ding*
Garter snake (ally). level: 4
The snail noted that the snake had gained a level and now matched the snail’s own level. “The snake gains level much faster than me because it absorbs the experience from all the creatures it eats.” The snail thought. “I wonder if I should be worried about that. Will the snake get stronger than me and eat me when it grows large enough?” The snail wondered. It pondered this question for most of a day. “The System things the snake is my ‘ally’, so I should just keep an eye on that to see if it ever changes.” The snail decided.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
A few hours after that decision, the snail found a new edge of the forest–one that didn’t transition into the marsh. A hill of sand rose in front of the snail. Patchy grasses and stunted looking shrubs dotted the hill, and the snail’s olfactory tentacles picked up entirely new scents. The snail used Identify on the plants out of habit. A low growing plant with wide green leaves gave the snail some much appreciated good news.
*ding*
Beach strawberry (basic)
“Hooray!” The snail cheered. It wiggled it’s sensory tentacles in excitement. The excitement faded when the snail used Identify on the sand.
*ding*
Beach sand (salt content: 3%)
The snail’s eye stalks drooped in disappointment. After five minutes, it used Identify on the ground under it’s foot.
*ding*
Forest soil (salt content: 0.0-0.05)
The snail sat and moped for a few more minutes before it realized something. “Oh, I can handle a little salt without any problems. I must have been moving over soil like this for days and days.” It thought. “I wish I could handle any amount of salt.” The snail thought.
*ding*
Passive available: Saline adaptation (5 points). Insufficient points (1)
Saline adaptation: Adapt quickly to changes in the levels of salt around you. Provides protection from dehydration from exposure to salt.
“Amazing, that would be perfect.” The snail daydreamed about gliding over fields of salt without care. The snake cautiously slid out onto the sand and started climbing the hill. The snail shook itself free of the day dream. “I can’t buy that passive right now, though. I need four more points. Is there another way I can cross the sand?” It wondered.
After thinking through a few unlikely approaches, the snail decided to try its most potent active Slime shot coated the sand in front of the snail with a film of slime. Slowly, so slowly, the snail eased out onto the patch of slime. There was no trace of the horrible feeling of touching salt. _“Yes! I did it!” The snail cheered. It began cutting a path up the hill of sand.
The snail had two pause twice to rest and regain a bit of stamina before it reached the nearest strawberry plant. It began eating at the tip of one leaf. As it ate, the snail noticed that the plant was connected to a larger plant which grew a bit further up the hill. The stem that connected the two plants reminded the snail of the rhizomes of the rushes in the meadow. The snail was disappointed when the leaves and stems of the strawberry plant didn’t provide any points, but it found a small green berry hidden under one of the leaves which gave a single point.
“I guess this plant doesn’t put its points in the leaves or the roots. I need to look for more berries.” The snail concluded. It made another slime bridge over the sand to the larger plant. It hunted under the leaves and found a few green berries. While the snail was eating the first berry, the snake slithered up and began to swallow the other berries. “Hey! Stop that!” The snail screamed in outrage. It tried to throw a Slime shot at the snake, but the snail’s stamina was very low. The snail continued to munch on the fruit it had while glaring at the snake with both eye stalks.