Cha. 4- Important Lesson
By the time Vit is done chomping on the crowd of "white cheese," he has split into fifteen cells.
Around him, invisible waves of communication flourish like a busy antfarm.
"Antfarm? What's an ant?"
The cells bounce together and "look" at the surroundings. Amidst the rainbow flashes, no more of the white solids are present. Not even when he extends his brainwaves into a chain can he find more.
Nevertheless, Vit feels "happy." He speculates that this is an emotion stemmed from eating. Even though he's still hungry, he's happy because he ate a lot…?
An urge comes to him to do a "victory dance," but he pushes against it. In his understanding, unnecessary movements can only decrease energy, which is a complete waste.
Speaking of movement, becoming individual cells are not at all a bother to him. He can control each like his own without stress. In fact, becoming fifteen has only increased his capabilities, which even makes it easier for him to control his body than when he was one cell!
Vit drifts through the water without a clear objective. He hopes that new food will simply float to him, and then he will eat it, and eat… eventually, he will get big enough to swarm across the entire…
A strange figure interrupts his daydream as it hovers into Vit's horizon.
It looks very special, unlike anything he has seen before. Its top is round, like a cell, but at least twenty times smaller. A black needle stuck out of its bottom, with short barbs attached to it.
Food?
A slight fear enters Vit's mind. This certainly does not look like the harmless white cheese he has seen before. Still, his digestive desires overpower his unfounded caution.
One cell lunges forward and envelops the mysterious object in one gulp.
Initially, Vit does not feel anything. The little object shakes within the cell membrane, but it does not get smaller, and it most certainly is not digested.
Only a few seconds later, the cell that contains it begins to shake uncontrollably, like a seizure. The normally pressurized, transparent membrane shrinks down without warning, while taking on an eerie, black hue.
Then, the ominous, black, barbed object starts twirling around Vit's insides. In no time, it stabs itself into the nucleus.
A feeling never felt before slices into Vit's mind. Instead of being interested, a magnified urge to dash away impales his thoughts.
"This is… pain?"
As the black figure eats its way completely through, the pain signal expands into an irrepressible decision.
PAIN! PAIN! RUN! AWAY!
Before Vit can put his plan into action, the invaded nucleus shrinks down, like the outer membrane. The pain message stops completely, and the outer brainwaves of that cell dissipate as well.
At the same time, Vit finds that he has lost all control of the cell. He cannot feel it anymore, nor communicate with it.
"Death? It died?"
All of Vit's cells stop functioning completely. His mind turns into a blank, not knowing what to do. They surround the dead cell, frozen.
Death. The fresh word resonates in Vit's thoughts. It has an incredibly scary tone to it.
Wait! WHAT!?
The previously dead cell begins to inflate again. Even so, Vit is still failing to control it.
POP!
It explodes violently. With it, a dark liquid ooze out, carrying… THIRTY of the objects that previously made his cell die.
Thirty! Even more than Vit's own crowd! One of them splash up against another of Vit's cell before he can react. It digs into the powerless membrane, and, before long, the cell contracts into its death, like before.
PAIN flashes across Vit's mind again. The brainwaves around spatter into a total mess.
RUNRUNDEATHRUNRUNRUNDEATHDEATHDEATHRUNFIGHTRUNRUNRUNRUN!
The second dead cell burst open too, revealing even more waves of the terrorists at Vit. Seeing the massive tribe of black spikeballs, countless thoughts drill through his mind.
Vit, runs away fatefully.
His cell membranes vibrate at a immense speed that he doesn't even know is possible. He can feel a stream of substance flow into his exterior from the nucleus, but he pays no attention to it.
Behind him, the spikeballs only chase Vit for a small distance before coming to a stop. It seems like they can't really move on their own, only when they come into contact with a cell.
Doesn't matter. Vit dash into the distance faster and faster, until he cannot see the black spikes anymore even with maximum Detection.
Okay… what… WHAT WAS THAT!? Now that, he is sure of his safety, Vit thinks back on the previous horrid scene.
"Virus." A new word pops up. The natural counter to all cells.
Twelve cells flow in the water. In his escape, another one was lost too. This has been the most casualty he has suffered since awakening yet!
Nonetheless, Vit learns a very important lesson…
In this world, there are not only food and intangible, harmless objects. There are still many other terrifying things out there that can destroy him…
It needs to be more careful, to act smartly…
By losing three cells, he already feels himself becoming less powerful. His thoughts dim, his Detection shortens, and his control less assertive.
His consciousness is formed from all of the cells. If he has cells, then he shall exist.
On the contrary, if he has no more cells left… then it will be the end of the being named "Vit"!
A/N: Poor Vit.
