Metamorphosis: The Story of a Butterfly

The leaves tasted better than they had any right to. Every bite sent a wave of satisfaction through his tiny body, filling the gnawing emptiness inside him, but only for a moment. No matter how much he ate, the hunger never truly went away. As soon as one leaf disappeared down his throat, the craving returned, gnawing at him like an itch that refused to be scratched.

It was relentless.

This is insane. I can't just keep eating like this forever, right? He paused between mouthfuls, staring at the half-chewed leaf in front of him. His tiny body felt sluggish again, as if the more he ate, the more energy his body demanded. Is this how caterpillars work?

He couldn’t remember much from biology class, but he was sure caterpillars ate a lot before transforming into butterflies or moths. Still, this hunger felt like torture. He kept eating and eating, but it never seemed to be enough.

Wait… was he a butterfly or a moth?

I’m a bottomless pit.

He didn’t know if he was a butterfly or moth, what he did know was that he was a bottomless pit. Another bite. Another burst of flavor. Another wave of hunger.

As he chewed through another section of leaf, his mind wandered back to that strange ability he’d discovered—Appraisal. It had come out of nowhere, like a tool his new body had given him to survive. But how far could it go? He had appraised the leaf and a rock, but what else could he appraise? His environment? Other creatures?

What about... me?

The thought struck him suddenly, and he paused mid-bite, his mandibles hovering over the leaf. Could he appraise himself? Could he learn what this body was, what it was capable of? The idea filled him with a strange excitement. If he could see his own stats, maybe he’d understand why he was constantly hungry or what else his new body could do.

Only one way to find out.

Focusing inward, he willed the ability to activate, directing it toward himself. He wasn’t sure how it would work, but he felt something shift—like a mental click—followed by a rush of information flooding into his mind.

[Appraisal Activated]

Name: Unknown

Species: Common Tiny Caterpillar

Level: 1/5

Rank: F

HP: 5/5

MP: 3/3

Stamina: 2/10

Echo Skills: [Bite Lv: 4] [Movement Lv: 3] [Camouflage Lv: 2]

Resonance Skills: [Appraisal Lv: 8] [Wisdom Lv: 1]

Titles: [Earth-003 Reincarnator]

Status Effects:

Hunger: Constant

Fatigue: Mild

He blinked—or at least he thought he did—staring at the information displayed in his mind like a screen. His mind buzzed as he tried to make sense of it all. What... is this?

He had stats. Real stats, like something out of an RPG. His heart—or whatever was functioning as his heart—raced. HP, MP, stamina... He had levels too? I’m a Common caterpillar? At Level 1? The words echoed in his mind like a cruel joke.

The more he looked at the stats, the more questions he had. The term Resonance Skill stood out. Camouflage—was that why he had been able to hide from the snake earlier? And Appraisal was listed as a Resonance Skill. What did that mean? Echo? Resonance? None of it made sense.

Wait, Hunger? Constant? He looked at the status effects, and the answer to his relentless hunger was right there. It wasn’t just his imagination—his body was in a constant state of hunger, likely because he was stuck in this larval form. He was supposed to keep eating.

A deep sigh escaped him. Great. So I’m a bottomless pit because that’s just how I’m built. It was frustrating, but at least it gave him some understanding. This form—this tiny, squishy body—was all about survival and growth, and eating was a part of that process.

His eyes—or rather his compound eyes—scanned the rest of the stats. HP and MP are full, but my stamina is low. That explained why he felt so sluggish. He had been burning through energy just by moving and eating.

But the real surprise came when he noticed the list of skills. Bite? He had a basic biting attack? That made sense, given that he was chomping through leaves like they were going out of style, but seeing it listed as an actual skill felt surreal.

And then there was Appraisal. He had already figured out how to use it, but seeing it listed here cemented that it was a real ability. Resonance Skill... The term echoed in his thoughts, but he didn’t have enough information to understand what it meant.

His mind whirled with possibilities. If he had stats, skills, and levels, could he grow stronger by leveling up? Could he gain new abilities as he evolved? The thought filled him with a strange hope. Maybe he wasn’t doomed to remain this helpless, squirming thing forever. Maybe he could become something more.

But first, I have to survive. And to do that, he had to keep eating. His body was built for this—constant consumption, constant growth.

His eyes flicked back to the leaf in front of him. As weird as it felt, this was his reality now. If he wanted to level up, to evolve, he had to embrace it.

All right, let’s get to work.

With renewed determination, he dove back into the leaf, biting off chunks with newfound purpose. Every mouthful brought him closer to something greater, something stronger. He could feel it. And now, with the knowledge of his stats, he had a clear path forward.

The hunger wasn’t just a curse—it was a sign that he was growing. And one day, if he ate enough, fought enough, maybe he wouldn’t be so helpless anymore.

Maybe, just maybe, he’d become something incredible.

As he chewed through another section of leaf, a small, defiant thought entered his mind.

Level 1? Not for long.