Interlude: The Murderous Octopus (Patreon)

Note: I might end up releasing this to RR as well, as I think it gives insight into Ernie's development.

Note 2: I've made slight revisions to the Sociopathic Rope chapter if you'd like to check them out. The ending is slightly different now.

The octopus was a savage hunter. Agile and quick on its tentacles, able to target its prey and latch on with killing precision. It prided itself on its kill rate; all who tried to escape, eventually became victims to its superior tentacle attack!

Already, it had grown, grown from a sprite of an embryo, ballooned in size, gobbling up tasty treats, one after another. Now, it was the size of a rock, an immense, immense rock! Plus, with its agile tentacles, it could quadruple its size, look intimidating to other predators and scare them away. Those pesty sharks were nothing to its—

Dammit!

Another one! The octopus darted away, fleeing from the lunging bottom shark with huge surges of its tentacles, spraying black ink all the way, covering its retreat and confusing the thing. After all, it was dumb as a brick and the octopus was a genius hunter. It would triumph! It was no match against such pathetic weaklings!

Just… on another day.

The octopus still remembered the last time one of those buggers chomped off the end of one of its tentacles. It had to bury in a cave and hibernate for a week until the limb regrew.

But no matter, it was soon whole. A perfect, savage killer. The octopus rivalled all!

It ducked behind an overhanging coral formation, burying deep into the sediment, taking on the colors around it. It was a rock! Nothing to see, here!

And then, it waited. Like a cunning, springing predator, just lying in wait for its prey.

And also escaping sharks.

After waiting eons, the octopus peeked, opening its eyelids a slit.

Blue water, darting small tropical fish, and seaweed swinging in the current. Nothing.

It had outsmarted it once again! It rivaled all!

***

The System Integration came on a day like any other, a day in which the octopus was once again triumphing and rivaling everything around it. It only made sense when it comprehended the all-knowing being’s message! Of course it was a Murderous Octopus, it had known it all along!

Now, when it killed prey, it not only received a tasty treat, it received bonuses and rewards! Numbers, numbers that went up! It was such an exciting revelation that it kicked up its natural hunt, savaging everything around it. Instead of killing a bucket full of fish, it killed a cauldron. Instead of targeting only tasty treats, it searched out others in the water, others just like it, who made the numbers go up.

And the numbers went up very quickly.

Gradually, an awareness seeped into the Murderous Octopus’ consciousness, an expanding of its comprehension. It had always been a genius, but now, that intelligence took on a different complexity. The numbers were exciting, but if it focused on upgrading one specific attribute—strength—it could target even bigger prey, turning the sharks, those buggers, into fuel for its endless slaughter! Level after level, upgrade after upgrade!

Cackling underwater, it spung in a circle, tentacles darting back and forth, dancing a celebratory savage dance! The octopus rivalled all.

And then, a day came when it came across items. Curious items. They were both above and below. Mechanic in nature, with precision-like holes and fine-tuned metal. And below, soaked and soggy, but still clear, he found tomes of things, mysterious things.

The Murderous Octopus didn’t like not knowing. After all, if it rivaled all, it should know what these items were. What if they were a threat! A sneaky, paper threat!

It knew what to do. While strength was smart, lately, it was rare to find prey who could fight back; it rivalled all. Instead, the octopus put the level rewards somewhere else.

Intelligence.

As each upgrade surged through it, that original growing awareness expanded. Now, those curious items were not just a mystery, but an affront. How dare they challenge him! Him….

Him.

Yes yes yes. He was not an ‘it,’ he was a ‘him.’

Of course. He had already been a him; why had he ever thought anything else. The octopus was a person, with feelings, desires, and goals. An individual, distinct from his other brethren.

And just like that, as he threw another hundred points into intelligence, the world opened up. Those items had words. And the octopus could read them!

How dare they try to hide their vast tome of knowledge from him. Knowledge about… The Wellhead Structural and Pressure Containing Interface.

Yes yes yes. So exciting.

So boring.

But there were other volumes! Other texts full of hidden, secret knowledge. The octopus would read them all! And some had pictures! He particularly liked one manual that had a main character who was named Ernie. Ernie, a savage killer, much like the Murderous Octopus.

Ernie.

That was a nice name.