《I Am A Monster Reborn [A Monster Evolution Litrpg]》 Chapter 1 - Unto Asphalt, Out Of A Hole He had enough of it all, and so he stood at the literal precipice of his life. To Victor, his life was nothing more than that of a slave. It was a inconsequential thing, a series of and a sum of bad choices and decisions. The life of a worker drone. Used, thrown away and abused by society. And now, he finally decided he wanted none of it, he was ready to end it all. It was time to end his miserable existence. But why did they have to make it so hard? It would have gone so smoothly. Why did they have to make it an issue right now? If only one of his bastard co-workers didn''t go up to the roof. They all stared at him in frantic panic. A crowd of onlookers stood from below the building, and behind him on the roof stood some of his co-workers. Most were simply staring, others were shouting, then there were those that were even silently mocking him. Like he couldn¡¯t hear them, like he wasn¡¯t standing right in front of them. It was a recurring theme in Victor¡¯s life, to be ridiculed, and made fun of. Even here as he prepares to jump to his doom, some of them didn¡¯t take him seriously. ¡°Get down right now boy!¡± His boss shouted at him. He could care less what the executive felt. He never cared much for the office Moguls. They did him absolutely no favors. Whatever bad publicity came out of this they more than deserved it. ¡°Make me you rich bastard!¡± Victor screamed back, flipped a finger at his now former superior. ¡°We all have our grievances son, and there¡¯s a way to do things, running away won¡¯t solve none of it. Killing yourself ain¡¯t the answer, so get down here¡­let¡¯s talk about this.¡± He was through with talking. His therapist couldn¡¯t fix him, his family didn¡¯t care for him and his friends had abandoned him long ago. To him there was one of two ways to fix the mess that was his life. Seclusion into the woods and to live as a hermit for the rest for the remainder of his life expectancy or the final solution, Self-annihilation and the past would never haunt him ever again. And so,may whatever judgment come his way, if there is anything on the other side at all. ¡°Someone call the police or an ambulance, he needs help from emergency services!¡± a voice suggested, it was one of his female colleagues, amelia. For the longest time now he has had a crush on this lady, she was fair in all she did, cute and petite, gentle and caring. Though she didn¡¯t show any particular affection to him, she had always treated him with an aspirational kindness. He considered professing his endearing feelings to her once, but retracted the idea. What would she possibly find in a loser like him. He wouldn¡¯t want her to live with guilt he could cause here. It was a real shame she had to see this. ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot, Amelia! That is a waste of government working resources, this fool is throwing a temper tantrum. If he was man enough, he¡¯d step down from there, face the consequences and move on with his life.¡± Victor snared at him, Mark was his name, and he hated every fiber of his existence. His superior and supervisor. Someone who made it an effort to make his day miserable. He was everything Victor was not. Charismatic , athletic, socially adored by the office cliques. Victor tried not to be envious, and so resentment is all he felt for mark. He was the epitome of someone who climbed the social ladder, the male counterpart of a career woman. Victor hated his guts. He shook his head, he had wasted enough time already, it was time to take a dive out of this world. He stared below at a sudden crowd that was forming. And for a moment he felt morally superior. ¡®Mindless insects¡¯ he thought, as he stared at the migrating bodies down on the street. Some of the car¡¯s in the street started to slow down and stopped. It disgusted him, he was no spectacle. Yet here they were making one of him, all he wanted to do was reflect while up here, then he would go his way. ¡°Well what are you waiting for? Jump already!¡± a voice shouted among the crowd of office workers. And There it was, the lovable hospitality he found in this company for the last few years. ¡°We didn¡¯t come up here for nothing¡­¡± Another reverberated, they were starting to get finicky. ¡°Jump, Jump, Jump¡­¡± The crowd started shouting in unison. Some among the crowd started to take out their phones. His fat boss had started panicking. ¡°Anyone who films this is getting fired.¡± he cried. Reluctantly they had started putting them away, but he could still see some of them filming the event. He honestly didn¡¯t mind. He would no longer keep his unwanted audience waiting¡­ He stood at the ground again, it was a hell of a thing. To willingly end his own existence, but he had now long decided to adopt the samurai mindset. He has lived dishonorably and he must conduct self-punishment as retribution for his dishonorable lifestyle. He took one more hard look at his former colleagues and snared. ¡°You''re all fools, every single one of you. Mindless chattel to fat fucks like him.¡± Victor pointed his finger towards his former boss. Who raised a eyebrow ¡°Slaves, indentured servants, thralls to the elite. They will work your bones until your skin is rotten and drained. And for what a mediocre paycheck, and barely enough life benefits to make it through. I¡¯m taking the only way out of this horrible deal. You''re all worthless tools¡­. ¡°Shut the fuck up¡­ Get on with it already, or get in a straitjacket.¡± another shouted, an individual who looked like he was nothing more than the embodiment of a virgin himself. A fellow loser. Victor was not surprised. Not even at the end of it all, did they respect him for speaking his truth¡­ He peered below onto the ground ,took a very deep breath, closed his eyes and then he jumped¡­ As he flew from the 7th story building, an incredible rush possessed his body. The acceleration to the ground, the sudden change in air pressure was exhilarating. Adrenalin flooded his body, and as gravity completely took hold of him. Only then did he regret it. Mere moments from colliding with the ground. He became enveloped with fear. He should¡¯ve ran away from society instead jumping towards his death, he wanted to martyr himself, this was not worth it. ¡° Oh shit¡­¡± Just as he said that, a pitch black tear in the ground was torn open, in the split of second, it expanded and swallowed him whole. For a moment Victor felt nothing, saw nothing and heard nothing. Everything was dark, like being trapped inside a large void and being unable to do anything. He couldn¡¯t move or scream, but the sensation of falling persisted like he was stuck falling in a dream except there was no wake up sensation. It was starting to feel like an eternity. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. In the flicker of a moment, that void had disappeared and he could feel his senses again. The sensation of falling remained the same but he could see now, compared to the pitch black darkness of that minute long void. Bright blue skies and large clouds. He was falling through the air again. ¡®Oh fuck.¡¯ Was the only thought he had, he couldn¡¯t scream as the density of the air was overwhelming. He was in the air likely kilometers up, he was no longer in his home city. He had somehow teleported here, from below he could see that he was somewhere much more ¡®wild¡¯, filled Lush green forests, and open pastures. He saw no paved roads, he was teleported out of the city and he would die in the next few moments. Some force or being had brought him here. He didn¡¯t want to process it further. He wanted out of this, his heart was beating like a locomotive. He was freefalling through the sky. Now merely moments away from the ground again. He braced himself, closed his eyes and screamed his lungs out. ¡°Aaaaaaaaah!!!!!¡± A large thud echoed through the surroundings. Victor felt his ears were almost ruptured. They were ringing in pain but surprisingly his ears were okay. He could hear just fine. He could hear birds chirping, and something that sounded like it was rumbling, perhaps a river in the distance. He felt unharmed largely. Nothing hurt and so stood up from the ground He was alive. He didn¡¯t die, that was for sure. Even in a suicide attempt, he wasn¡¯t very successful. It was the recurring theme of his life. Was it godly intervention, did some deity take pity on some godless fellow such as himself or was he cursed to die here in the middle of nowhere. Regardless, he suddenly found himself unable to care about processing any of it, traumatic as it may have been, he had a very, very, strong feeling to simply ignore what had happened so far. Something in his head switched it off, he didn¡¯t know why. More importantly, he needed to know where he was. He peered around . He was in a cultivated field, likely some farm¡¯s land, there were miles upon miles of woodland surrounding the field. He saw no tractors , cultivators or harrows. There were peculiar farming tools lying on the cultivated soil. Wherever he was, it was in some rural place. Was he even in the same country anymore? He didn¡¯t know. Was this heaven, did his last moments alive vanish from his mind because he passed on to the afterlife. Was he lying split open in front of his office building? He really didn¡¯t know. ¡°Where the fuck am I.¡±
NEW QUEST: FIND OUT WHERE YOU ARE
¡°What the fuck!!!¡± A box text materialized out of thin air. Leaving Victor into shock, he still hadn¡¯t processed what was happening . And now the blue text was crammed in his face. It was unbelievable before, now it was absurd ¡°A dream, that must be it.¡± There was no logical explanation Falling out of the sky, not once but twice. Not feeling any pain from the massive crash landing. Suddenly spirited away to who the fuck knows where. It had to be a dream. He started to pinch himself and nothing happened. Followed by biting himself on his wrist then his arm. Stupendously doing breathing exercises. He didn¡¯t seem to wake. A nightmare then, a very lucid nightmare that was haunting him or he really was dead and this was the afterlife. ¡°Yes, I died, didn''t I?¡± he started talking to himself aloud ¡°this is my brain just coping with sudden death.¡± It made sense, he loved playing video games in his pastimes a little too much for the average person. Was this ¡®Gamer heaven¡¯, which was ridiculous of course. If this was the afterlife or something else, where was the magical gate with angels to greet him, where was the purgatorius judge to decide whether he should go to hell or be reborn as an ant. He didn¡¯t understand. Could this perhaps be some kind of simulation?
DO YOU ACCEPT THE QUEST Y/N
Could it hurt to say yes? He reluctantly tapped on the Y. It disappeared and left behind another screen. He stepped back and it seamlessly moved as if it was attached to his eyes. Still in front of him. Active quests
Active quests
Find out where you are: You fell from the sky. You don¡¯t know how or why but you appear to be breathing. You need information, Urgently!!!
Review your Status: Knowing is half the battle.
¡®Urgently? Well if that isn¡¯t ominous at all¡¯ he wondered. There seems to be an active quest, one he didn¡¯t accept. He pondered on what he was supposed to do to review this status. Summon it out of thin air? ¡°Uhhh¡­. Open status?¡±
Status Information
Race: Human
Name Victor
Class Office worker
Titles Nerd(-25 charisma) + (10 intelligence), Wage slave (+10 constitution)
Level 5
Alignment Chaotic good
Attributes Strength 9 (Weakling) Dexterity 5 (non-existent) Wisdom 20 ( average) Intelligence 35 (Above average) Constitution 30 (Average) Charisma -15 (socially awkward)
He didn¡¯t know what he expected but he wasn¡¯t surprised at all. It would have been insulting if he was one to take offense. He wanted to contemplate the matter, but he knew he didn¡¯t have time to. Suddenly out of nowhere, he heard a blood piercing guttural scream. Something akin to¡­ ¡°SKREEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!¡± A few hundred meters away from the brush he was standing. A group of what he could only describe were foreign dressed civilians , dressed in ancient looking garments running like hell. Right behind them, a trail of destruction lay open. A minor tremor shook beneath the ground. The culprit¡­ A 7-foot snake with the torso of a man. Slithering and trashing the ground beneath it. He was in awe. It was a monster, an actual monster, its face resembled that of a twisted man. Deformed and disheveled. It wanted blood and it would get it. The runaways were headed his way. But Victor was fixated on the sudden appearance of this mythical being. It was exciting, because it was mythical after all. Out of the ordinary. At that moment he knew he was somewhere else, very far away from home city. Struck by its stature and visage. It dawned on him again, They were headed this way. He froze, falling on the ground. The monster had frightened him and he struggled to move at all. They sprinted past him, one the men stopped in front him, half dragging him upwards. It was moving towards him now. He didn''t know what garnered the beast, but he was in its way. ¡°What the hell are you doing standing here, run you fool!!!¡± up close he could see the resemblance to that of a roman garb, a toga. The man left him and fled towards his fellow men. ¡±Die there if you want!!!¡± It stood in front of him now, massive body, scaly skin and muscular limbs. The snakeman locked its eyes with Victor¡¯s as if it was judging what he was worth. It Let out a wild hiss, which simultaneously sounded like the scream of a wild monkey. Its saliva landed on his face, and he rubbed it off his face. What was left of the things mouth residue inside his hands started burning his hands.
-1hp
-1hp
-1hp
¡°SHIT!¡± It turned its back to him, bent over and swung its massive tail to strike him into the air. He landed on face, dirt in mouth, face bloody. His whole body hurt and ached severely. The screen had popped up in front of him again.
-18 HP
He didn¡¯t know how to check how much he had left. How long it would be before he would actually die.If the monster had hit him again, the possibility of survival would be low. Without contemplating it, and without turning his face towards the towering monster. He ran in the direction of the ¡®Romans¡¯. He didn¡¯t know where he was going but it turns out he actually wanted to live. Chapter 2 - The Boat Victor had been following the ¡®roman-looking¡¯ individuals for about a few miles now. They had gone through the fields he found himself in through a forest trail and were now past the treeline and near a riverbank. The Beast had disappeared for the moment. He had done his best to keep pace behind them, he was never the athletic sort. Out of breath but he had the will to keep moving, in fear of becoming the monster¡¯s meal. The last time he had was when an earthquake with the magnitude of 9.0 hit his city. Up ahead, the one who had warned him before called out to him. Jumping maniacally up and down, Waving erratically. ¡°Quickly stranger! Come with us!¡± Victor sped up towards the group, who were unlatching a small rowing boat. They were likely trying to escape by the means of the riverbed. Getting on a boat may have been a bad idea to him, snakes can swim. Now give the snake two arms, and it would certainly be a problem. They started boarding the vessel, the ¡®fat¡¯ chap had boarded it first and the buoyancy of the boat visibly shifted/ Victor immediately thought that the man was some fat aristocrat, judging by his clothing and the jewelry on him. He tried to hide his disgust, he was a stranger being welcomed into the arms of others. Then an older malnourished man entered the boat. He could hear the monster¡¯s roar in the distance, probably not too far from this unscheduled rendezvous. As he stared at the depth of the water, he was pushed in straight away without his consent. ¡°Hurry up marcus!¡± barked the fat one, at the man who pushed him in.¡±I told you to bring your weapon, now look at that.¡± Marcus was the epitome of a robust male. A desirable body every man would want to have. He gave the boat a heavy push, it was surprisingly weighty. Marcus jumped on the boat shortly after. And immediately took to rowing the boat. Victor, still dumbfounded by the last few minutes, sat down on the boat, mouth agape. He was plagued by sudden anxiety. First, he found himself in the middle of nowhere, ran for his life, and was now taken somewhere he didn¡¯t know anything about. ¡°A new arrival are you.¡± Marcus said. It sounded more like a statement then a question, it could imply many things Marcus didn¡¯t like. He nodded at Marcus, unsure where this conversation might lead. ¡°If you¡¯re going to do nothing but swallow air, might I suggest helping us row,¡± the fat one remarked. He attempted to row the oar, but found himself making a fool out of himself. It seemed the way he rowed the boat didn¡¯t help much at all. ¡°The other way! Yo fool!¡± ¡°Calm down, Claudio, he has clearly never rowed a boat a in his life before,¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s as green here as a fowl is to a horse. What country do you hail from newcomer, and do you have a name? The old man has questioned him. ¡°At ease, Marius let him get accustomed to the world first. It looks like he has just got here.¡± Victor wanted to say something, but kept quiet. He wondered how it was that they were speaking perfect English and how he was able to understand them at all. But he kept quiet, fearing that he may just offend them. As he got into the act of rowing more he started to get used to it. But it was a tiring effort. He just didn¡¯t have the strength that these 3 men had. The old man looked like he put in most of the work, something that was unnatural to him as he was as thin as a sugarcane. Peering at the deep waters beneath him. Victor felt uncertain about the structural integrity of the boat, could it keep the collective weight of four adult males. ¡°Put some muscle into it,¡± Marius the old man had told him, laughing at him. ¡°If you fail to row there in time we just might die.¡± That definitely bothered him, he¡¯d rather not be eaten alive.So he worked harder and harder. Rowing as much as he could, rowing more than he should. And so the unexpected happened.
STR+1 Due to vigorous and stimulating exercise, Your strength has increased.
Now he wasn¡¯t surprised at all ¡°Status¡± he called aloud.
Status Information
Race: Human
Name Victor
Class Office worker
Titles Nerd(-25 charisma) + (10 intelligence), Wage slave (+10 constitution)
Level 5
Alignment Chaotic good
Attributes Strength 10 (Meek) Dexterity 5 (non-existent) Wisdom 20 ( average) Intelligence 35 (Above average) Constitution 30 (Average) Charisma -15 (socially awkward)
He had gone from Weakling to meak. His strength was an additional point higher than before. It was much easier to move the large oar than before. ¡°Status?¡± Marcus questioned him. Victor had all his attention now, as he looked at him like he was a puzzle that had to be put together.¡± What do you mean by that?¡± ¡®Oh shoot!¡¯ he probably shouldn''t have said that aloud. He said nothing further and let the conversation die down. Victor wondered whether these people were considered ¡®npc¡¯s¡¯ then, if they did not have statuses like him. Were there others like him then? He wanted to know eventually. They had rowed for quite awhile now. They had passed a small mountain range, and were a few miles away from where they started. The monster''s roar had audibly become less focused than before. Perhaps it couldn¡¯t swim then, or perhaps it had lost track of their scent or whatever snake men do to track prey. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The air was eerie and silence filled the old fishing boat. ¡°So do you have a name?¡± Marcus had asked him. His eyes locked with Victor¡¯s. There was no prolonging anymore with these strange folk, he¡¯d have to get acquainted. ¡°It¡¯s Victor.¡± ¡°Victor huh,¡± He had changed his perspective and was being more than nosy. ¡°From which Time period do you hail from.¡± It was clear then, he had fluttered through space and time. Perhaps they were as well. ¡°The 21st Century. Based on the Gregorian calendar. I''m from the Pacific States of America.¡± ¡°I have heard of this america before, from other travelers, i assume it¡¯s very far into the future from where i am from,¡± he suddenly looked very prideful. ¡°Perhaps with the right charter and ships even great Rome may have reached it.¡± His head hurt. ¡°I can see by the look of your face, you¡¯re still very confused about all of this. Let me sum it up for you. You got into a near death situation and are likely presumed either dead or missing in your former ¡®timeline¡¯, you got thrown into another world and depending on what ¡®gift¡¯ you''ve been given by whatever gods rule this awful place. You¡¯re either in paradise or you''re slowly going to suffer here.¡± This complicated everything and yet Victor found hoped this ¡®second chance¡¯ would actually provide him with meaning, how and where he would go from here is very uncertain. Whether he trusted these people was a different matter altogether. He wanted to ask Marcus whether ¡®the gift¡¯ was referring to his system, or whatever power he was referring to. He wondered if it was safe to do so. Roman¡¯s were known for their slavery, what if these gentlemen sold him to a slaver of sorts. He¡¯d waste his second chance at life as someone''s dog. ¡°I can see you are startled by all this. You can calm down friend, i know it is a lot to take in, no need to ruffle any feathers,¡± ¡°Where exactly are we going, Marcus?¡± Victor questioned. ¡°There''s a guard post and a small settlement not too from here from this river, from there we''ll take a carriage to Nova Roma¡± ¡°If I may ask, what were you people doing? Where exactly are we? What was that thing? what do I do now?¡± ¡°Well we aren''t going to answer every question on a whim. Especially someone who is not a citizen of this land, that back there was a monster simple as it is,¡± Claudio snorted. ¡°So there are alot of monsters around then?¡± ¡°Abso-fucking-lutely infested everywhere, only In civilized area such as this, will you rarely find These beasts. Which means some people haven¡¯t been doing their their fucking job.¡± He said as he side eyed marcus. ¡°Are you some kind of noble or something ?¡± Victor asked, afraid he might have been dragged into internal politics. ¡°Well no, I am a patrician, so I get to govern some acres here and there. The new imperator has made it clear that he is the sole and absolute ruler of everything. Who am I to contest it?¡± he said. Though his tone was awfully sarcastic. It sounded To Victor, that civilization Was brewing here. What did the world out there look like? Were there other ¡®civilized¡¯ nations, were humans even native to the land? But refrained from asking. ¡°But let''s leave all the talking. For later, I grow weary having to do this talk once a week. If we get to the capital I will explain it all, and if you prove to be useful in any way or manner to me, I may even reward you.¡± Claudio closed the conversation, turned his head and refused to utter another word. ¡° Yes indeed. ¡± Marius, agreed. His voice was weary and tired. He wanted to pry more. But the Romans seem to want to hear or say none of it. Marcus however was smiling at him. Victor was afraid he may have some kind of ulterior motive. A stranger in a strange place doesn''t have a lot of leverage, and he didn''t want to be exploited; he had enough of that. ¡°I suppose I should get the fire going .¡± Marius said, suddenly setting off alarms for Victor''s Ears. ¡°What for?¡± Victor questioned. The old man started to make an isolated fire, with material that was stored in the boat. He threw pieces of straw hay and wood in a small brazier Victor hadn''t noticed was on the sail boat. ¡°A warning, and signaling our arrival.¡± Claudio answered. Rubbing the flint aggressively against a piece of steel.He set the materials aflame. ¡°We''re here!¡± Marcus exclaimed. Up ahead, on the far side of the riverbank, he could see smoke escaping into the air, there stood the small Settlement. Simple houses made of carved brick and concrete. Even from afar he could see it. marbled stone road. Two massive guard towers near the entrance. Marcus stood up, retrieved something from within his sleeve which awfully looked like a primitive gun. It was made of a large wooden rod, had a handle but there didn''t seem to be a discernible trigger. Something that looked like a round red and elongated tube was stuck Inside the wooden barrel. Marcus held the barrel, against the tube ignited it. Lifted it into the air and it sprang upwards like a rocket. Shrieking like a wildcat before popping in the air, releasing coloured smoke along the way slowly gliding down. A ¡®flare¡¯. These ¡®Roman''s¡¯ appear to have discovered Gunpowder here. Victor thought. Up ahead, armored soldiers left the towers and stood on guard. A bell was rung, putting the entire town on alert. As they reached the river shore, a soldier approached, he was slightly armored And appeared nothing like the legionaries that were portrayed in the media he was exposed to. They all had gotten out. ¡°Monsters, where and how many!¡± The soldier demanded. Stomping the bottom of his spear On the ground. Scrutinizing marcus. ¡°Around twenty or more, several ghouls and a Naga¡± ¡°Ghouls!?¡± Victor exclaimed. He was surprised he only saw the thing that chased them. ¡°Near Master Claudius'' residence, there are several Casualties. Survivors I do not know the locations about except the folk here with me¡± ¡°Why aren''t you in uniform, Marcus.¡± A very large and armed individual approached ,staring him down. ¡°It''s my off day commander, you should Know I was invited by my friend and ruler of that farmland, Master Claudius, Here for the remainder of the day.¡± The Commander scoffed. Calling over a few guards. He looked very different from the other romans. Extreme Germanic features, and a wild long beard that was braided, in different spots. ¡°Send this fat landlord to the capital at once,¡± he decreed. His mockery didn¡¯t go uncalled for by Claudio who mumbled something akin to brute.¡±There is no place for bureaucrats and bankers here, out of sight out of mind.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± they shouted in unison. The commander eyed Victor down, from top to bottom. ¡°Who Is that?¡± He inquired. Pointing his very large hands at him. ¡°New arrival, very fresh, just arrived,¡± Marcus replied nonchalantly. ¡°Can he fight, was he given anything?¡± ¡°Well Victor, I''m sure you can speak for yourself¡± They wanted him to fight a monster just as he got here? He thought was ludicrous It was absurd. He didn''t have an ounce of combat experience and this roman commander wanted to Send him to his death. ¡°I''m not sure, yet? I think¡­¡± he lied partially, he would not so easily be used like a wet rag. The commander cut him off. ¡°Enough, Marcus take him to the barracks, give him standard equipment. Meet us at the treeline you have twenty minutes. We will meet the enemy before they meet us.¡± ¡°This is nuts, I just got here! I don¡¯t even know what exactly is going on!¡± Victor shouted at the man hysterically. The commander responded by grabbing him by the throat, easily lifting him in the air. Victor gasped for air, his face had turned blue. He started kicking and hitting the large man in the face. Who threw him aside on the ground, and he started coughing up sand and dirt. ¡°You have no proof of citizenship in this land, which means, I own you son. Welcome, little cohort,¡± He had a stern demeanor about him, not too dissimilar to the bosses who he served in the corporate world. It felt like deja vu. ¡° Same goes for you old man, grab a sword and a shield.¡± ¡° He is Claudio¡¯s servant, commander, he''s no fighter.¡± Marcus objected. The commander shook his head. ¡° If he can work he can fight, ¡± The old man had given the commander an expressionless stare, though there was a glint of sadness in his eyes. ¡°Marcus, get on with it! He bellowed. ¡°At once, commander!¡± Marcus said with a frown on his face. He started lashing air with a whip he held around his waist against Victor. The green recruit has never sprang, upright so quickly in his life before. ¡°Get up from that dirt, boy. If you want to graze grass. Tell me and I¡¯ll send you to the fields.¡± Perhaps a sudden death would have been the best option for Victor. If he dies, he will probably be eaten alive by monsters. And if he survives, he is very likely to be conscripted or sold off. Now he knew what he wanted above all else, a comfortable life, not what he just got himself into. He wished he had quit his job earlier instead. ¡°What the fuck did I get myself into!¡± Chapter 3 - Death March Victor¡¯s legs had been aching for an hour already. Soft tissues were hurting, and his ribs were screaming in pain. He and old man Marius, had been subjected to an emergency draft, and were part of The Commander¡¯s Retinue, albeit as lesser soldiers. The pair marched in tow in the rear, behind the militia. The commander whose name he had learned was Arminius, had confiscated any and all of his belongings. Which apparently was perfectly legal here in the ¡®roman empire¡¯. He was a barbarian here, and his home of origin meant nothing. His office wear, identification card, currency form back home all taken into Arminius possession. Not even his underwear, which had an embarrassing display of an anime girl, was spared. Arminius took a special liking to those. He got blatantly robbed, not even a day into his arrival. But he was in no position to argue with a group of armed men, wielding swords, spears, and bows. Claudio, the Local ¡®regent¡¯ of farmland around here was sent away to the capital. It was clear enough to him that these people had set up an unfair class system and were doomed to repeat the mistakes of their predecessors. It was simply unfair that he couldn¡¯t go with the escort to the capital, but now had to risk his life for something he had no stake in. Markus, turned out to be a legionary, a special case, he was sent here as punishment, but not under Arminius orders. Which made Victor all the more suspicious of him. Using every opportunity under the sun to talk with him, much to the dismay of Arminius. One moment it would be. ¡°I¡¯m teaching him how to use a sword sir.¡± the next it would be ¡°I want to teach him proper latin sir.¡± And Arminius would respond with fury and irritation. ¡°Are you going to teach him how to shit too?¡± He missed that cubicle right now, perhaps there is a way to go back home or maybe he¡¯d commit seppuku. Such were his thoughts. He started losing pace with the militia, stopping and taking a deep breath, arms on his hip. He peered at his surroundings, branches and leaves, trees and the muddy dirt soil, fresh air, the sound of nature¡¯s spring. Perhaps it needn¡¯t all be that bad. ¡°Oi! Keep up back there.¡± Arminius shouted. And Victor sprinted back into position. They had been halfway on the route to the field. The land route proved much more arduous and haphazardly than the river did. He¡¯d pinched himself Occasionally on places making sure that what is seeing and feeling is real. You never know it could be some dream or a post death hallucination. Biting his tongue, breathing in absurd patterns, scratching open wounds on his body. ¡°Hey man, calm down with the theatrics,¡± Marcus whispered to him, concerned at his erratic behavior. ¡° I get it, I really do, a lot to take in all of sudden, trust me I would know. Most people Who get transported don¡¯t end up in a happy place. Trust me, You got lucky being here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a peculiar case Marcus, awfully friendly all things considering, perhaps i¡¯m skeptical,¡± he shook his head, frowning. ¡°No¡­.no¡­that¡¯s the wrong word.¡± ¡°You want answers, I can give them. You want security, perhaps even wealth. I know how to get those. Just bare with this shit for a moment.¡± he tried being as reassuring as possible. ¡°Do you know a way out, then,¡± Victor said. ¡°Out of this world i mean.¡± Marcus¡¯s smile had turned into a scowl as if Victor had done something very horrible to him. ¡°No. But perhaps we could help each other, with due time,¡± the friendly demeanor had vanished in a flash, and the spirit of cunning and opportunity appeared in the legionaries face. ¡°Your power, I know you have one, what can it do?¡± Marcus loosened his hands as if he was going to a magic trick, started whispering in a tongue Victor could not make out. Held his hands in Victor¡¯s face, electricity started pouring out. It zapped him on the cheek. ¡°What the Fuck.¡± Struck by sudden by sudden pain
-1 Hp
¡°Just a minuscule example of what I can do,¡± smiling about his display.¡±And yet still Victor I have so much to learn.¡± Who was this guy and was it a mere coincidence that he just happened to stumble upon him during that monster''s rampage. He also happens to be blessed by some special power. ¡°What exactly do you want Marcus¡­¡± Victor asked. Cutting straight to the chase. ¡°When this is all over, i have a proposition for you,¡± His happy go lucky expression had returned.¡±I need friends, friends with powers like yourself, i already know a few people but we are not enough.¡± Victor couldn''t believe what he was hearing, it was all so very convenient, Like those fantasy tales he¡¯d used to hear and see. Just in a very subtle, realistic and harsh manner. No summoning object, and not quite a magical kingdom. No mcguffin either but he¡¯s only been here a few hours, who knows what might happen. ¡°What for?¡± Victor requested. ¡°You see men like him,¡± he pointed to Arminius. ¡°They''re all over the world like a plague. No matter how many of them you dispose of, more always seem to arise. Perhaps Victor, I may have even known you would fall from the sky today.¡± This put Victor into even more of an edge. ¡°That just makes you some kind of stalker?¡± he said dumbfoundedly. Which caused Marcus to laugh at the remark. Victor wanted to say something about that but stopped. ¡°Quiet! Not a word! Not a sound! Arminius commanded. The Soldiers at the front had stopped marching. Every sound died down. Not a single animal could be heard, not a chirp, not twerp, not a rustle of a branch or bush. They had stood in front of Claudio¡¯s hamlet. Which consisted of around 5 buildings and a windmill. Victor saw what he would describe as a literal fog of war surrounding the place. The air pressure had changed. Like the air itself was alive, and it was pushing weight onto every living thing. Victor swore he could hear wailing, shrieking or crying. ¡°Something akin to Help! Help! Help us!¡± ¡°You hear that someone needs help.It sounds like a young woman.¡± One of the soldiers at the front declared. He attempted to run into the town, weapons drawn. Arminius tripped and he doesnt¡¯ get very far. ¡°Don¡¯t be a fucking idiot,¡± Arminius sneered. ¡°There is nothing living here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a trap, clearly¡± Marcus pointed out. ¡°Marcus pave the way¡± ¡°Yes, commander.¡± Marcus lit an abnormally large oil lamp. Stretch his arms and threw the lamp with olympic force against the building. Setting it aflame.
DANGER!!!!
Underleveled. Unexpected threats. Leave area. Unexpected consequences.¡±
YOU WILL DIE !!! LEAVE THE AREA!!!
Fear had taken hold of him. It was all so immediate and nerve wrecking. Like a nasty fear paralysis. Like he took large doses of hallucinogenic compounds and is stuck in a dream state with no way out. He wanted none of it. He wanted to rest. He wanted to run away.. He needed to stay alive. He turned around to leave. ¡°Desertion is a crime recruit!¡± Arminius shouted at him.¡± Leave and I will spear a hole through you myself.¡± ¡°At ease Victor, stay close and it will be over soon.¡± Marcus told him. practically dragging him back. ¡°Keep your pet close to Marcus, there is no help coming from the capital, military administration is burdened, we need all the manpower we can get.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± he replied, his tone hinting at something else. Yeah, fuck that. He wasn''t anyone¡¯s pet. He thought. The entirety of the militia had already drawn their weapons, Victor unsheathed and held his weapons properly for the first time. Sudden knarling and moaning could be heard among the flames.Then a bloody crowd screaming murder, like a hundred women were being violently assaulted. A swarm of alien corpses started running out of the buildings, who looked like sentient meat wearing human skin. They were grayish in color, utterly devoid of pigment. Wearing pieces of human clothing that weren¡¯t ripped off. Instead of the decaying rot he expected when he heard ¡®ghoul¡¯. These looked more like biological abominations. Like a parasite was put into the body of a living being.. ¡°Mars gives me strength to vanquish my foes.¡± a soldier shouted. And a radiant, aura had enveloped his body ¡°Lord Jesus Christ preserve us this day.¡± Another soldier shouted even louder. And Victor swore, some of his fear had dissipated. The whole crowd stood with some for resolve. He was gonna want to hear what this was, if made it out of this living nightmare.
NEW QUEST: SURVIVE Knowing is half the battle perhaps ¡®observing¡¯ the enemy will give you an advantage
What the fuck did it mean observe the enemy. He was already looking at it. He thought. And then recalled how in a role-playing game analysis was often a skill the player could use. ¡°Observe ghoul!¡± he shouted
Monster: grave ghoul Hp: ?? Weakness: Fire, limb dismemberment ??? additional information locked
Analysis leveled Up. Analysis Skill level 2
The beasts started running at them.. They were getting more by the moment they seemed to be more than just 20 twenty. Even the burning ghouls did not relent to pursue their foes. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°They die easier if their limbs are lobbed off!¡± he shouted. Marcus looked surprised and made eye contact with him and seemed to be impressed. ¡°We know that, but you seem to learn fast. Perhaps there is hope for you after all.¡± He clenched his teeth. He had to be honest he didn¡¯t believe the man liked him very much, he wasn¡¯t expecting a commnet. It made feel a little proud of himself. ¡°Victory or death!¡± Arminius waved his sword into the air, beating his shield, beckoning the enemy to come at him. ¡°Let none of these beasts through.¡± These monsters met the soldiers, at their swashbuckling shields. The militia seemed to hold them easily, Pushing the creatures away from the line Marcus proved to have exemplary strength in him. It took him no more than a few strikes to thrash the monsters. He beheads one swiftly, impales another simultaneously, kicks another one to the ground. Before another ghoul would take its place. The battlefield started being littered with undead corpses, the stench had gotten to him, distracting him.
You lost - 17 hp
Victor fell on his behind, letting the sword fall on the ground. Something threw him with a large rock, he felt something break in his body. Maybe a bone. He didn¡¯t have time to process it. A ghoul had flanked the line. He needed to get up to defend himself and fast too.
You are losing blood internally -1 hp/m
¡°Oh shit¡±
Slow regeneration + 0.5/m
He could barely read, and was distracted. The thing started running like hell at him, it¡¯s claw aimed for his face. He just needed to hit it. Is what he told himself over and over. It got close to him. And swung its disgusting claws at his throat. those distorted facial features and ruby red eyes froze him. He would surely die today. He closed his eyes and swung the blade as strong as he could. Nothing happened for a moment, only the shouting of the other men. He opened it and the beast lay at his feet.
  • 10 exp
Enemy defeated
Congratulations Level up! You are now level 6
A part of him wanted to celebrate this new found victor and success. He thought he found relief, and then another appeared from the rear flank. The beast fell to the ground without his input. Marcus had impaled it from behind. ¡°Stay close.¡± he tapped Victor on the shoulder. They all moved towards each other. A line grouped in the center, forming a circle. A pseudo phalanx, except it was filled with holes. Victor was pushed in the middle. He had looked for old man Marius but could not find him anywhere. They now ran in large ¡®human waves¡¯ no longer, testing the strength of the makeshift militia. The Hive had seen what they needed and now they were going for the killing blow. For Victor it was ¡®Night of the living dead.¡¯ He didn¡¯t notice it before, but the sky had darkened as if the sun had set. ¡°Damn you George Romero¡± he shouted in the air. A soldier had already fallen on the ground. That weakened the group severely. They were surrounded on all sides. Cornered like prey animals surrounded by predators in a corner. ¡°Shield yourselves.¡± The commander shouted. And everyone covered their bodies with the shield, Victor as well. ¡°Sol invictus, my life is yours, Smite my foes, so I may live a day once more.¡± Arminius exclaimed, his sword in the air. Flames left his blade, and surrounded everything around them. Setting everything aflame. However nothing burned except the ghouls, the remaining ghouls attempted to flee. The dark sky had broken. Victor looked up in the sky and was flabbergasted; he could have sworn he saw two sun¡¯s up there. Was he seeing double? ¡®Victor couldn¡¯t understand why Arminius hadn¡¯t done that earlier. Though he said nothing. ¡°Hunt them down!¡± he commanded. And the soldiers started running like wild dogs after the escapees. Letting out war cries. This left Victor next to some of the dying monsters. One came crawling towards him. Flaming flesh and hall. He mustered up the courage and stabbed the beast in the heart. The sound and the feeling of flesh being impaled disgusted him to no end.¡±
  • 10 exp
Enemy defeated
Those words excited him to avail. He knew what it meant. He would get stronger, and it. This would all get easier in due time. For now he had to wait. As the legion finished off the stragglers. He breathed a sigh of relief. It would be over soon and he could finally find some rest. ¡°Open Status¡±
Status Information
Race: Human
Hp: 84/166
Mp: 0/0
Name Victor
Class Office worker
Titles Nerd(-25 charisma) + (10 intelligence), Wage slave (+10 constitution)
Level 6
Alignment Chaotic good
Attributes Strength 10 (Meek) Dexterity 5 (non-existent) Wisdom 20 ( average) Intelligence 35 (Above average) Constitution 30 (Average) Charisma -15 (socially awkward)
Undistributed stats 5
Two new categories had appeared out of nowhere. Before he wasn¡¯t able to see his health. He was able to distribute additional stat points out into his attributes there by, by strengthening himself. As he was slowly bleeding out. The recruit thought it would be best to increase his constitution but then again he was weak and had an internal injury. He put 5 stats into the constitution. He hoped he wouldn''t regret it.
Constitution 35 (above average)
Health parameters changed
Health parameters changed
Max Hp: 166 > 176
He felt something changed in him, his weight felt the same, but he felt more composed. Denser, a little leaner. Perhaps he would develop an attractive body this way, it was an exciting prospect. The pain he felt before was gone too, it was a miracle of sorts. At the edge of a hamlet. He could see a little child. Holding a toy in her hand, all helpless and without supervision. She was surely in danger. He looked around and the ghouls had all disappeared; she must have been the only survivor. He needed to save her lest she was taken by greater terrors. He started running towards her, his vision was blurring, he was out of breath and his body was heating, but he didn¡¯t care. He needed to be a hero right now, a warrior.
  • 5hp (poisoned)
He heard his name shouted from behind him. Arminius and Victor, he turned around to stare at them. Sound was so vague. He couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying. He turned around the little girl. And there was no little girl. It was a corpse being dangled in front him. Bait and switch, he had been played. There were no villagers left. The ghouls were the villagers It was the snake man that fooled him, massive and an elongated body. It no longer looked like the reptilian it did before, but like the ghouls from before. It was an undead thing. It dawned on him, the large rock he was thrown with earlier, may not have been the ghoul. ¡°observe..¡±
Monster: Undead Naga lord Lvl: ?? Hp: ??? Weakness: Holy magic, fire, dismemberment ??? information locked
It grabbed him, wrapping its large hands around his chest, observing him as the prey he was now. Its tail grabbed him by the waist. Enveloping and constricting him. Subsequently lifting him off into the air, and smashed him into the ground.
Naga slammed your body. Critical damage taken
  • 107 hp
He felt almost every bone in his body injured and broken. The sensitivity of the pain went from one-hundred to zero in a moment.
Crippled minus 50 %max hp
Severe damage taken, recommend evasive opportunities. Nerve indicators: adjusted
It¡¯s ghastly beak snarled at him and said. ¡°Consume you, Evolve!¡± With joy, tongue slithering. It fit his head in its mouth, he could feel its teeth starting to gnaw at him. The acidity of the thing¡¯s venom started to burn him.
  • 10
  • acid
He fell from the beast''s mouth onto the dirty ground again. Arminius with a flaming sword cut through its tail. Leaving the beast on the ground. It¡¯s tail is still constricting him, even harder without being connected to its other half. Arminius had started fighting against the humanoid half. Marcus approached him and put his hands on the snake. Electrocuting it. The constriction ceased, the nerves of the snake tail dying. He was slipping. The pain had returned a little bit, and was too much to bear. He felt worthless, he really came here just to die in a bluff. However it was a hell of a lot more interesting to him than jumping off a building. Arminius finished what was left of the beast, cutting through it whole ¡°Thank you¡­.marcus¡­for the short adventure.¡± Victor said with gratitude. Marcus leaned on him, as if he was saying goodbye to a family member. And then he whispered in his ear. ¡°Victor listen to me, it¡¯s not over yet.¡± he said. The new recruit listened attentively. ¡°Once you arrive here, you can¡¯t leave this place once you get here. I¡¯ve done it countless times. And have gotten sick of it. That¡¯s exactly why I need your help. You''re different and I need that power of yours.¡° ¡°I¡¯ll bestow you a gift, though it will take me a while to recover.¡± he placed his hands on Victor¡¯s chest.
You have acquired a skill . Past-life memory retention
¡°If you are lucky and come back as a man, get stronger and find me at Nova Roma,¡± he then laughed nervously.¡°And if by some misfortune you come back as a beast, find the Damned men of the waste. They''ll find a way to make you ¡®human¡¯ again.¡± ¡°You have one year before I move somewhere else, goodbye my friend, and goodluck.¡± He lay motionless on the ground, everything was darkening. He felt his eyes grow weary. The pain was too intense. This was the end. Marcus, closed his eyelids. A flash of memories permitted in his brain, he had wasted his life. Did he really have another chance at living? Darkness took him and enveloped everything
You are dead!
Reincarnate???
Y/N
Yes
Chapter 4 - Ooze Victor dreamt of his childhood days, of his ma and pa, of childhood friends and of fragile love. It felt that he had been dreaming for days, every chapter of his miserable life was slowly passing by. Days upon days of media consumption flashed in his brain. Movies, where he could never be, but never stopped wondering about. Novels and comic books, which gave him stories to reflect on and pass the time. Video games, where he was the hero of his own story, where he made his own choices. It was the closest he felt akin to a safe space. The only worlds he felt he had a place in. Some days haunted him, manifesting in his mind like a nightmare. His Faults, and errors. The public humiliation he suffered, domestic trauma, and the pains of being a growing student. It kept playing in his head. Over and over. Where did it all go wrong? What could he have done differently? How could he have done it? And so it went on, again and again. He kept swimming in an ocean of his memories. An ocean? Swimming? He felt like he was Swimming in an ocean of slime and gelatin¡­ Slime..Gelatin..Goo¡­ ¡®I''m in a sea of goo!¡¯, he started panicking. ¡®I''m in sea of fucking goo.¡¯ He tried kicking upwards but could not feel his legs but they were not there. He tried pedaling his arms, but they weren''t responding. He couldn¡¯t move his toes or fingers, they weren¡¯t attached. No tongue to wag Or taste. No nose to scrunch, no nose to smell. Yet somehow he could breathe. His body was full of very, very small holes, and he was breathing simultaneously, everywhere, all at once. He felt small, really small like he was reduced to a toddler-sized child again. He wanted to scream to ask for help. He pleaded to higher powers, in his mind, to be free of this horror. Nothing answered him. This was a strange feeling. He had no mouth, thus he couldn''t scream. He had tried seeing, looking around but barely had proper vision. His eyes barely responded. He was in a dark room, he could see dampness, through the light that broke through very small cracks in the wall. And what looked like a door. Something was wrong with his eye, like both were stuck together and he could see the front and the back at the same time. Everything in a Circular circumference. Though he didn¡¯t have ears. He could partially hear muffled sounds echoing. Bubbling liquid and what sounded like slurps and slushy movements. Squelches and wet gurgling. There were things in the room with him, moving up and down. Sometimes touching him, other times slapping him. They moved and they sat still and they moved again. He felt something he hadn¡¯t felt since he was a little child. He wanted a pillow, a pillow to peek at what he was looking at. Without exposing himself to the horrors of the darkness. He really wanted to see.
You have leveled up a skill Dark Vision (lvl 2) (passive)
His vision had suddenly become clearer and progressively better. He could see what he couldn¡¯t before, even areas fully void of light, did very partially thanks to minor light exposure. Legions of greenish amorphous floppy beings. Lay there in the room with him. It was terrifying to say the least. Like an army of leeches, appeared out of nowhere while you had been sleeping on the floor. And they just stuck to the ground and did nothing but burble and gurgle. ¡®Oh yes, I remember now.¡¯ Everything had slowly come back to him. He had died.He had died with someone comforting him. ¡®Marcus, he said it wouldn¡¯t be over.¡¯
Reincarnation protocol_Successful Memory check_Verified_(Marcus''s Gift) Body transition_Successful Humanoid traits preserved_failed Humanoid appearance preserved_failed(incompatible) New classification Ooze_ Successful (classification: epidendrum Gigas)
You have successfully reincarnated. Request ¡°system¡± knowledge for questions required.
¡®Ooze?Ooze! Well was that just it then, he was reduced to giant mold duster and he was to spend the rest of his life in this damp, dark, dim-lit cave. Hell no! He wanted to human again¡¯ ¡®System make me human again!!!.¡±
Request unacceptable. Prerequisites not met. Currently impossible. Meet recommendations before requesting to evolve.
¡®What is the recommendation to become human! Answer me system!¡¯¡¯
Human evolution requirements: Be a high-level monster Become a humanoid Prove your humanity to the rulers of this world. Alternatively bypassed by special conditions.
He had wondered if it had been some kind of sick joke, like maybe, this was a prank pulled by his former co-workers. Perhaps he somehow survived the fall, and was hooked to some high-tech coma simulation device. It wouldn¡¯t be impossible, he had heard of a case of a woman surviving the fall from a plane. Not to mention the technology was there. ¡®No¡­. no¡­ no¡­ no, they wouldn¡¯t waste money on his existence.¡¯ he thought immediately. Perhaps this was one of the many thousands of buddhist or hinduist world¡¯s and what Legionnaire had said earlier was true, and that maybe he was subjected to a eternity of monster torture to atone for his sins before moving on. What would his crimes be, too much video games, life not spent well, suicide? ¡®Marcus¡­he needed to find him. For better or for worse or probably the damned men he spoke of.¡¯ Regardless, he wasn¡¯t going to do nothing about it and wait here for his next life cycle. What even was the life cycle of an ooze? ¡°S¡­t¡­a¡­t¡­u¡­s¡­.¡± the former human tried to gurgle.
(Additional status information hidden until necessary)
Status Information
Race: Ooze (Slime)
Hp: 10/10 (-90 hp, racial debuff)
Mp: 1/1
Name Victor
Class Dungeon Janitor
Titles Basic monster +1 str/+1 Dexterity, former human (retain basic mental attributes) +20 WIS + 35 INT
Level Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. 1
Alignment Chaotic good
Attributes Strength 1 (Meek) Dexterity 1 (immobile) Wisdom 20 (Former fool) Intelligence 35 (above the IQ minimum) Constitution 5 (feeble ) Charisma 0 (uninteresting)
Undistributed stats 0
It was obvious that he had lost his human attributes and traits, what bothered him was that it seemed that the system was intentionally mocking him. He was one-hundred percent sure, the descriptions for the stats were unnecessary and didn¡¯t have a function. Someone or something controlled this system, he would have to find out what eventually. It was fine to him, he knew he would get stronger, he knew he would evolve. He just needed to know where to start. He peered around scrutinizing. He tried communicating with the creatures around him but they appear to be akin to brain dead animals, or very likely only function a certain way. This isn¡¯t going to work. He could see behind him, more cavern holes which probably lead to deeper parts, very likely he was on the top floor of a very large caving or tunneling system, that would explain the streak of light that had broken through. In front of him was a set of two large doors and beneath a staircase which led upwards, He was inside someone¡¯s basement or beneath it. Dungeon cleaner started to make a lot more sense. And it didn¡¯t excite him one bit. He started to wiggle around, and struggled at first to move different gooey parts of him without moving the body as a whole whole. Victor started to make minor strides, but each great step ended up being a wobbly mess, often the contact with the new ground sending him stumbling. Or tipping him off balance. Over the course of 5 minutes, he moved what he estimates to be one meter. It was inefficient at best ,and useless at worst. Parts of his gelatinous existence, being left behind on the trail.
-1HP lost mass 9Hp: remaining
That proved to be very troublesome. He immediately wanted to scuttle back. And hoped it would let him recover the lost hp. It felt hopeless. He wished he could sigh aloud, so he imagined it. ¡®Sigh¡¯ He thought. Which certainly didn¡¯t help.
You have leveled up a skill Ooze manipulation level 1
It seemed that moving was worth the effort. And so he did attempt to move back, and he successfully recovered his gooey mass. But more surprisingly he didn¡¯t lose any of his by moving backwards again. Ooze manipulation likely led to him stabilizing and manipulating his body shapes. In video games amorphous creatures can often take on many forms, he was counting on that principle. He noticed he was significantly smaller than his peers. Curiosity got the hold of him. So he casted observe on fellow Ooze.
Monster: Infantile ooze Hp: ?? Weakness: Fire, limb dismemberment ??? additional information locked
¡®Infantile ooze?¡¯ he wondered. Why was that they were much larger but he wasn¡¯t considered an infant slime monster. He was also nosy about what additional information would be revealed, and would it be possible to gauge private information this way¡­ The doors to the basement stairs just flew open. A large thump sounded on both sides of the doors, as they mechanically clicked into place. Unnatural Light shining down into its depths Two figures slowly walked down the exposed basement stairs. Click! Click! Click! Then the cave was suddenly lit. Each click of a finger, turned on a light. ¡®Magic!¡¯. He recognised immediately.¡¯And not the chanting kind¡¯ Two figures appeared from above the basement door. A girl with medium bronze skin, lilac hair in a bob cut, standing at what looked around 4 feet 11, with pointy ears. She had a comically pointed hat and wore a dark blue robe. A mischievous frown on her face and a violent gleam in her eyes. A staff in her hands, she started impatiently tapping the floor with her very large safety boots. Her companion, a tall fellow compared to the elvish dwarf beside him. Who wore a classical black suit and tie, with a white shirt underneath. His hair was slicked back and glistening, there was a significant amount of makeup on his face. The earrings on his earlobes. Confirmed the flamboyant nature of this tall man. There was something amusing about them, like they were the epitome of parody. Something only seen in a work of fiction. He would dare to mock them if he had a mouth. ¡°Oh my lady Seraphine, the cleaners have multiplied again,¡± he purred as he stared at the masses of oozes. ¡° You may have fed them too much.¡± ¡°No matter Edrik, we¡¯ll just dispose of them tomorrow, after we dispose of every accident¡± she nonchalantly dismissed the issue. That didn¡¯t sound good at all. ¡°Minions! Bring in the minotaur.¡± She commanded. With a squeaky voice. ¡°As ya command Lady Seraphine.¡± which sounded to him like the most rough English accent he had heard. A group of armored goblin-like creatures appeared running down the basement, each of them storming the basement. Each moving for dear life as they carried in a massive bull like beast. Though they were less than a 20, combined with the mass they were carrying, it sounded like an army marching. It appeared to have human-like legs, a bull¡¯s head and Fur, an oxen tail. The elf looking girl didn''t lie, a minotaur after all then. Something he had only seen unreal stories. This world likely had epic tales of its own. He would like to see it if he got out of this body. They threw the overgrown bull on the ground. All but one goblin marched back to the basement door. He moved behind the elf and the butler man. ¡®The chain of command was visible here¡¯ ¡°Gormack, you traitor, i knew you had a soft side but treachery,¡± She walked up and down, left then right. She was frustrated, her hands shaking violently. She pulled her hat off and rumbled with hair using all of her fingers, she closed her eyes. ¡°How could you Gormack, i really liked you but you set me back at least 6 months!¡± ¡°Lady Seraphine, I mean no disrespect, but the experiments you are doing are immoral. ¡° The minotaur bowed his head below. ¡°If the Council of wizardry were to find out about your experiments they would hunt you down. I had to stop that particular case, if only to protect you¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what those groups of fools think,Nothing but hags and greybeards who mocked me for centuries. Centuries! She overemphasized that part. I had a plan, a risky plan, but a plan nonetheless and I will have what.¡± she paused. The manner in which she phrased it made her sound like a spoiled child. Her face contorted and twisted. She held her finger out, and aimed at the chest of the beast and shot a beam of light through him, leaving a literal hole. Pieces of blood and organs start leaking through. Victor didn¡¯t want to get hit by one of those. ¡°MOOO AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!¡± The minotaur bellowed. His roar was so loud it shook the cavern , Victor''s gelatinous body literally started trembling due to the vibrations. The noise echoed deeper and deeper, indicating various hollow parts which may have existed in the cavern. Now he knew at least ¡°Where is the girl, Gormack¡­¡± She whispered. He didn¡¯t reply, he said nothing further. She shot another hole through him, the beam torching one of the oozes near him. Victor started moving to the back of the cave in fear of being ¡®collateral damage.¡¯ The terror didn¡¯t stop. As he was subsequently shot with more holes. ¡°Tell us where the cat is , Gormack, and we will send you back home, albeit back very¡­crippled,¡± The butler demanded. Doing an obnoxious walk-up to the minotaur, he put his slender fingers on the minotaur¡¯s head.¡±What will it be Gormack my dear?¡± Implying more than simple torture, Victor wouldn¡¯t want to be caught by this one. He needed to get out of nowhere. The thought of them catching a sentient pile of goo terrified him. ¡°I will tell you nothing freak!¡± He spit in the butler¡¯s face. ¡°Disgusting beast, how dare you¡­¡± He made the spit disappear with a wave of his hands. Another interesting but largely superficial act of magic, Victor thought. He would have to learn, it would be very convenient. ¡°My Lady, he will tell us nothing, If I may dispose of him. Edrik pleaded. ¡°No he was my minion, he is my responsibility.¡± she replied AN enormous amount of pressure suddenly erupted from her Staff. The room had darkened as if all the ¡®light¡¯ had been sucked into, concentrated in the wooden staff which held an orb-like structure, now shining brightly. ¡°Gormak., my once faithful servant, do you have anything to say?¡± She questioned him one final time. ¡°I regret nothing, my dark lady.¡± ¡°Then I hereby sentence you to death!¡± She raised her staff, swung it forward and something ethereal escaped from it. Like a nasty spirit. Entering the minotaur, who stopped breathing shortly after and soon he fell on the ground. The thing had crawled out of the minotaur and crawled back into the sphere. The light slowly returned. ¡°Come on, Edrik, we have work too,¡± she said, happily skipping away as if she didn¡¯t just execute her follower. ¡± First thing is first, I would like Tea and cookies.¡± ¡°Your wishes are mine, dark lady.¡± He stopped to address the Goblin leader. ¡°Close the doors, behind us ragtag, don¡¯t want anything unnecessary coming into the keep,¡± he whispered.¡±Get a shaman, tomorrow if you can, we need to clean up, misbehaving spirits.¡± ¡°Yes, general. It will be done.¡± he saluted. And the butler-general left. Ragtag came up to the corpse. He spat on the ground. ¡°Rest in shit, Gormack, guess who¡¯ll be taking ya job now,¡± he started laughing then shook his head subsequently. ¡°I''m gonna miss ya chap.¡± Victor swore he saw a tear in the grotesque goblin¡¯s face. He left shortly after, closing the basement door behind him. Victor pondered on what had just happened. That said they would be disposing of the oozes, that meant he would have to escape some way or another. He looked to the basement door and then at the caverns leading who knows where. There was only one way out, but he wanted to see what was going on in there. Something unexpected happened and he noticed every ooze in the room had started gravitating towards the corpse of the minotaur. He had sudden pangs, like his stomach was hungry but he felt throughout his entire gooey body. Before he knew it , he was on top of the minotaur. Why did he suddenly move so fast?
Status effect : Assimilation frenzy. Move 5 times faster when extremely hungry
He questioned nothing. His body moved on its own, wrapping itself on the muscular arm of the dead beast. Enveloping and then settling. Slowly degrading the skin, fur, flesh and bone of the beast. ¡®Hmmm, taste like beef, raw beef¡¯ This was wrong, very wrong, he had just participated in the act of consuming a sentient being. There was no going back from this. The deed had been done. He did not know what compelled him to do it. Perhaps it was the monstrous nature of being a monster, or maybe because he was a dungeon cleaner. He had questions that couldn¡¯t be answered.
Absorption complete
  • 150 exp
Congratulations you have Leveled up! You are now level 2
His role as an ooze was clear now. Assimilate dead things. Become stronger. He was moving somewhere. Now he needed to decide what he would do. Chapter 5 - Digestion Victor woke again from another involuntary period of sleep. It had happened more than once, in these small moments of his new existence. He assumed it was a survival mechanism, as the other oozes he had observed would rest for a moment and then move around the circumference of the small cave room. He had try¡¯d counting the time, but that had made it worse. It made him irritable, and he would find himself ¡®Sliming¡¯ around anxiously. He did not know what hour it was, he had just hoped it was the same day, The sun hadn¡¯t set. Which meant he still had time to decide on what to do. He had leveled up before he fell asleep. It was probably time to pay attention to his stats and abilities. ¡®Status¡¯ he commanded.
Status Information (Additional status information hidden until necessary)
Race: Ooze (Slime)
Hp: 11/11 (-90 hp, racial debuff)
Mp: 1/1
Name Victor
Class Dungeon Janitor
Titles Basic monster +1 str/+1 Dexterity, former human (retain basic mental attributes) +20 WIS + 35 INT
Level 2
Alignment Chaotic good
Attributes Strength 1 (Meek) Dexterity 1 (non-existent) Wisdom 20 (Former fool) Intelligence 35 (above the IQ minimum) Constitution 5 (feeble ) Charisma 0 (uninteresting)
Undistributed stats 5
Initially he wanted to up his intelligence, as he thought being a little smarter would help come up with a good idea but¡­
Tampering with the user''s intelligence and wisdom. May have unexpected consequences. Not recommended.
The message was cryptic in of itself. He wondered how sentient the ¡®system¡¯ was. Was it an Ai or an advanced machine program? Alas he decided he''d rather not deal with ¡®unexpected¡¯ consequences right now.¡± So he pumped most of his stats into his strength ability. Dying was probably a common thing for a monster in this world, he rather be able to hit back than simply sit and take it.
STR+5 New values: Str 6( Ineffective)
Hopefully he is able to kill something now other than an insect. However he was concerned about how he was going to fight them. The had allowed him to move around more and even stretch his body to a better degree. Now that that was settled, he should focus on the issue at hand. The ooze-human wriggled and slithered himself, in the direction of those basement doors. He needed a way to get in. There was no lever or a switch handle on this side of the door. It must have been a one way entry inside and out. It made him wonder why they didn¡¯t move around this way. There could have been a lot of reasons. Security protocol not to let anyone in or perhaps it was to keep out unwanted things from the cave below. What horrible horrors could be lurking beneath. Ultimately It wasn¡¯t worth speculating, he decided. There was only one way in then, slipping by. He would have to wait for them to enter and hope they wouldn¡¯t spot him. He noticed a crack in the wall not too far from the lever. Deciding it is worth investigation. He dashed to it as quickly as he could. The problem was it was at least a meter above him. He looked for obstacles to move such as a large rock but there was none inside the small cave hall, Peering back at the other oozes. He noticed one was stuck on a wall. Which gave him the idea of climbing too. Initially he kept sliding down perhaps because he was moving too fast, or maybe his body was concentrated in the wrong places and his weight was horribly distributed. Yet he didn¡¯t stop trying. He tried to spread his body mass to his lower section. Like that of a table. Which didn¡¯t help at all.
You have leveled up a skill Ooze manipulation level 2 ( passive)
Something had changed in his body. And he got a weird idea stuck in his all of a sudden. ¡®It must be the effects of the skill.¡¯ He tried flattening the lowest part of his amorphous body like that of a cup¡¯s bottom. And slowly trying to become taller over time, trying to become thinner in his top section. Like the contrast to a triangle and a pyramid. Somehow through sheer will and concentration he managed to do it. Standing upright like a fat traffic light cone and a dorito chip dipped in sewer gunk. He managed to see inside. Although he had no head, he could move his ¡®eye¡¯ anywhere on his body which probably came with risks of its own. It was dark on the other side and damp. He could vaguely hear the dripping of something like a wet tap. Perhaps someone forgot to probably close a tap. There was movement inside, small movements. It could''ve been a small animal, he doubted it was a small humanoid. Too soft and yet too loud to be a rat. He hoped it wasn¡¯t a big insect. Who knows what creatures they may have kept as pets. He could hear sudden movement now. Only vaguely seeing the room. It was an empty room, a proper basement floor, and pipes ran through it. There were container¡¯s likely things of value stored in there. Lights were on. He could see two goblins carrying someone. A human woman, barely clothed in what he would use to describe clothing more akin to tribal rags. She didn¡¯t move or respond. The way they were carrying her without care made him think she was dead. They stood in front of the door. And turned something, likely a lever. And the door opened again. They maneuvered carefully down the stairs. And threw the corpse at the masses of slimes. ¡°All in a day¡¯s work, one few more of the vermin to find.¡± the smaller goblin said. ¡°Ey mate, dontcha think we ought to get a little reward for this,¡± The taller one consulted the other. The other goblin scoffed. Shook his head. ¡°What more dya want? You want that. A corpse!¡± he pointed at the dead body. ¡°You already took everything she had on her. You wanna do something messed up.¡± ¡°Why i would never, all i¡¯m sayin is. A day¡¯s wage ain¡¯t worth all this death and destruction. At Least we should sell that piece of meat to a witches coven, maybe a vampire¡¯s court. You know they need them fresh. They pay extra for young girls.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a sick fuck. Be thankful, I don''t tell the wizard about this. Then she¡¯ll fucking torch you.¡± ¡°You wouldn''t !¡± he sounded more than concerned, on the verge of tears. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Try me!¡± The goblin looked offended. ¡°I vouched for you know, working for great actors such as Lady Seraphine ain¡¯t easy work. SO behave. Be civilized or I''ll send ya back home in a drove.¡± The threat made the tall one shut up. They turned around and walked off.. Victor knew he had an opportunity to leave already but he was interested in the girl. She deserved a burial at least. He didn''t know her. Or who she was. But he couldn¡¯t let the oozes eat her. That would be thing he thought.¡¯ The goblins saw him near the door. ¡°Look boss, dis one almost slipped through the door.¡± the tall one said. Pointing at victors small body. ¡°Not my head, not today,¡± The smaller one said. Grabbed victor like you grab a bowl of hot goods and tossed him into the back of the cavern. Making him collide with the ground.
You Collided with the ground
  • 2 hp
That hurt, that really fucking hurt. He was going to get these goblins. They were going to suffer. Sure his health may have regenerated overtime but he found that wholly unnecessary. The lever shoved down and the door shut immediately. They had left. An Opportunity wasted, but he¡¯d find them and then he''d gut them all. Maybe torture the tall one longer for his grotesque nature. The fat one he decided will throw down a cliff. To even the scores. But for now Victor had greater issues. He stared at the girl. It was a shame, honestly. He would make sure these people would pay for harming a innocent. Karma will come around. ¡®Was she innocent, he didn¡¯t even know her.¡± He thought. She was a ginger, with sprouted freckles in her face .Had longish hair that was braided and knotted, hanging below her neck. There was a marking etched on her shoulder, a tree with lots of vines and curves, very much like a tattoo but seemed much more organic. Like it was painted with blood or something He wondered if he should pray for her soul. But what use would that be if she was just going to be reincarnated into something else. He silenced his thoughts and then he could hear it. A heartbeat The girl was alive, she was still breathing. He needed to do something. The Oozes were moving toward her, slowly but surely, they would eat her alive. If only he had a usable limb or something to keep them away. He had tried blocking them. Shaping himself akin to that of a wall, in hopes they would deter from their objective. Which was a futile endeavor. They would circumvent him, flank or crawl under and overwhelm him. The thought came to mind, he could shape himself to a partial degree, what if he shaped himself a proper limb then. Then he could smack them away He imagined an arm coming into existence. Which was to no avail . but he remembered what he did before maybe¡­ He felt a strange sensation in him and then a gooey appendage sprung forth. Chemically it felt was weird, like a third arm had just sprung out of his human body.
Skill obtained Limb manipulation (lvl 1)
¡®It was a tentacle thingy¡¯. He could retract it, or bring it out. Make it longer, more dense. Change it to his desires and more importantly, He could hit stuff with it. He fashioned it akin to a whip.
Natural weapon equipped. Tentacle whip (lvl1)
He started whipping at the creatures in hopes of driving them away. ¡®WHIP!¡¯
You have dealt 6 damage to Infantile ooze.
¡®WHIP!¡¯
You have dealt 3 damage to Infantile ooze.
¡®WHIP!¡¯
You have dealt 6 damage to Infantile ooze.
¡®WHIP!¡¯
You have dealt 8 damage to Infantile ooze.
¡®WHIP!¡¯ They started retreating to the cave walls, and made no aggressive maneuvers against him. He ¡®whipped¡¯ one for good measure.
You have dealt 12 damage to infantile Infantile ooze. (critical )
You have defeated Ooze You gained 10 exp
¡®Oops¡¯ It fell to the ground, started dissolving like jelly losing its texture. He didn¡¯t mean to kill just to send the right message to his ¡®siblings.¡¯ He then got the bright idea, to absorb its contents. But first he should focus on the safety of the girl. He casted on her.
Analysis Leveled up! Analysis level 2
Human: wild druid Hp: 25/250 Weaknesses: Not known. Effect status: Vulnerable. (Sneak attack damage x3); affected by unknown illness ??? additional information locked
She was just barely alive. If he was truly a monster he could have eaten her, right here and now. The monster part of his brain said that it was alright. But he was not a monster, at least not in soul. He thickend his tentacle whip, in hopes of making it less of a weapon. He touched her face with his tentacle. In hope she would wake up from her sickly slumber, in fear of her being frightened by him. He took as much distance as possible. Her eyes worked their way open. She looked beyond frightened. Immediately crawled to her back, disregarding her injuries. ¡°Stay back!¡± she shouted at him. Victor felt genuine terror in her voice. He retracted his whip. And simply stared at her. He tried speaking but was useless. He could gurgle some liquids around which was all he could to do at the moment. She merely stared in confusion. As if he was supposed to bludgeon her SHe started coughing wildly. Blood fled her mouth. ANd the most unnatural thing started happening. She started growing fur all over her body, slowly covering every inch of her skin. Her muscles and limbs twisted in unnatural ways , her face became more deformed like that of a beast. A tail grew out of nowhere and Her eyes started being slitted like that of a cat. In a few more moments she had become something akin to a werecat. One wrong move here and he would die. He made another whip limb form his mass and waved it around him in hopes of deterring her. SLowly moving back form the massive cat. He casted observe to gauge her abilities
Human: wild druid (panther) Hp: 75/767 Weaknesses: Not known. Effect status: Fire attacks ; affected by unknown illness ??? additional information locked
A big mistake as it agitated her. She let out the a crazy loud wail. Which sounded like a woman screaming bloody murder. Making Victor¡¯s jelly shiver and then She lunged. He didn¡¯t get a chance to parry as she and pronged clawed him.
You lost -10 hp
And he let his mass fall down on the ground in hopes, she would spare him not harm any further. She stopped thankfully. Then high-tailed deeper into the cave. Victor realizes he may have made a grave mistake here. He needed hp so he immediately slithered towards the Ooze infant he had killed earlier. The pain wasn¡¯t as bad. It seemed oozes felt pain differently than humans. But it did hurt, nonetheless. Which didn¡¯t seem to bother him for some reason and he sat on the dead body of his ¡®sibling¡¯
Absorption complete
  • 20 exp
  • 5 Hp
Absorbing the ooze was much faster than that of the bull man yesterday, maybe it was the mass, maybe it was his level. The very little pain he felt disappeared. Which was a dangerous thing, pain is an indicator that something somewhere was wrong. What would happen if he got into a fight and didn¡¯t notice it. He could suddenly hear sprinting from afar coming from the basement door, and so he scattered to the walls. In hopes none of the goblin guards would find it strange, Most of the other oozes scattered from him. He didn''t care and just stuck to the darkness. He had enough of this cave it was time to leave. The door opened, And he hid himself.
Skills Effect
Active skills
Analysis (lvl 2) Each level allows the user to see information of enemies and foes alike.
Passive skills
Dark Vision (lvl 2) Allows the user to see in the dark. The greater the user¡¯s ability, the easier the visibility.
Ooze Manipulation (lvl2) The ability to morph and shape one¡¯s body.
Limb manipulation (lv1) Allows the user to shape their limp in any form. The higher the level the easier the complexity of a shape. Every 3rd level of this skill allows the user to form an additional limb.
Special skills.
Passive regeneration (Slow) Recover 0.5 hp per minute
Past-life memory retention Retaining one''s memory after reincarnation is a special reward not easily granted.
Acidic Absorption (race) The ability to break down and absorb any organic compound. Chance to attain Victim¡¯s skill on completion.
Chapter 6 - Guards!Guards! also Rats! Victor had hid himself on the roof of the cave wall above the entrance. A small patrol had entered, the two grotesque goblins from before. Each approaching the room , longswords unsheathed. Looking around frantically and scratching their heads. Victor knew he couldn¡¯t afford to squander an opportunity like this again. So slithered down the hall and into the opened room. The basement, was rundown and not properly maintained. He could see clearly now where the dampness had come from. A leaking pipe, not a unclosed tap. He stuck behind the walls, out of the view of the doors and out of their visibility. And looked for something to obscure himself with. There were lots of trash and boxes, without further thought he looked for a box large enough to fit him, crept inside, closed the box and waited. His hearing was muffled by his actions, as the box now acted like a minor sound barrier. He could still make it out sounds from the outside, though they were much harder to hear. He used his to make a tentacle but as small as a needle, poked a large hole to see through and and a few holes around him to hear better. ¡°How¡¯ere gunna explain this one boss?¡± it was the tall one that spoke up, he recognised his voice. ¡°Shut your trap!¡± the smaller goblin fumed .¡±Inform the dark wizard that the subject was brought in alive and has escaped , i¡¯ll get a patrol ready.¡± ¡°Me!?¡± the tall one inquired. ¡°Yes! Get on with it boy!¡± he shouted. ¡°We¡¯re in deep shit no matter how you wanna look at it!¡± The goblin passed through the basement door, up a few stairs. Moving much slower when his superior didn¡¯t see him. Victor started piercing other holes to increase his vision. There was a window on the other side of the room. By the looks of it, it had appeared that the sun was beginning to set. It was a good thing he got away from where he had ¡®spawned¡¯. Tomorrow that area would be cleaned up and the Ooze colony with it. From here on out there was only one he could do fruitfully and that was lie and wait. Until the current situation had piped down. Where even was he. He thought. A wizard¡¯s tower, the dungeon of that possibly psychotic elf or maybe even one of Dante''s seven hells, the fantasy version. Regardless he was going to sleep if nothing else, it didn¡¯t look like these boxes were often used. He hoped he wasn¡¯t disturbed. As he drifted on to unnecessary sleep he swore he heard ¡®squeaking¡¯ but chalked it off to his imagination playing tricks on him.
As he woke, the very first thing he noticed was how dark it was inside, there was no artificial light turned on inside, the basement window had a glimmer of moonlight coming from it. There were no signs of any patrolling activity. His came into a clutch and leveled up.
You have leveled up a skill Dark vision level 3 ( passive)
He could see things clearer in the darkness now, even outlines of objects obscured with light, and just behind the area from which the moonlight shone, he saw something wagging. ¡®A tail¡¯? A very small dog perhaps. That would spell trouble for him if he got sniffed out. It was too slender to be a dog, and too small to be a cat''s. He peaked out of the box, curious as to what creature it was. It was furry but had slender limbs about half as tall as he was, chewing on something. It turned, it''s a head. Red eyes staring at him. A rat! A giant rat to be precise. He casted observe immediately.
Animal: Giant rat Hp: 8/8 Weaknesses: Strong chemicals Effect status: Hungry. ??? additional information locked
He climbed back into the box. It had noticed him. And he started to feel squeamish like how a small child might react. He had tussled briefly with a large panther, fought living zombies and had been choked and slammed by a giant snake man. And here he was put off by a small creature, well large in fact for its species. Were megafauna common in this world? Why did it have to be a huge rat? His body wiggled and shivered about the idea of fighting it. He would have to touch it He had never liked to touch fiddly animals. Snakes, spiders, rats and mice. All a big no no. There was nothing he could do, it would kill him or eat him alive, like a jelly custard cake. Or he would run back into the cave. He could hear chewing noise on the side of his box. The sound of something that¡¯ shouldn¡¯t be in any mouth being gobbled and spit out. More than one chew session was in effect. There were alot more! Oh no The man-ooze was certain it was the end for him, they had gathered in the masse, and wanted his slimy flesh. Nasty teeth bit through cardboard. A ghastly rat face stuck itself inside sniffing at the contents of the box and staring at the Ooze with its red eyes. Putting Victor in a state of shock. Victor wanted to scream but he had no mouth to do so. He recoiled backwards. Putting all his weight behind, making the box topple over. The hanging head now nabbing and biting downward at him. Disease, filth, plague, skin crawling pest¡¯ was all that went through his mind. At first he was scared but now it had angered him, he didn¡¯t want to catch any of it¡¯s diseases. He ejected his tentacle whip, thickening it akin to a mace. There was barely enough room inside the box but it didn¡¯t stop him from bludgeoning rat skull. ¡°SQUAEAEAEK!!!¡± It retracted it¡¯s head. As victor hit it with a fat tentacle.
You have dealt 6 damage to Giant rat
Victor dragged himself out of the box, retreating towards the center of the room where the little moonlight shone. He readied his tentacle whip, lengthening it for extra effect. He swung it around like that of a lasso. The image of being surrounded in the wild west playing out in his mind. He could see three pairs of red eyes. Three beasts Circled him and then charged at him like a pack of rabie-infested animals. He whacked the first Rat, who flew away towards the back of the basement floor.
You have dealt 4 damage to Giant rat
the second had taken a chunk of his slimy flesh with devious bite
You lost -2 hp 9/11 remaining
But he whipped him all the same.
You have dealt 3 damage to Giant rat
The rat jumped backwards, readying himself for the next charge. Victor peered around the room, the third was nowhere to be seen. The second was recovering and the first locked his eyes with him. It came again. And he had more mass to his tentacle, and brought it down before the first could strike him again.
You have dealt 5 damage to Giant rat
You have defeated Giant Rat You gained 10 exp
It fell to the ground lifeless. The second now charged at him. And he spun himself like a child¡¯s toy being thrown. Thrashing the oversized rodent.
You have dealt 4 damage to Giant rat
You have defeated Giant Rat You gained 10 exp
He heard a sudden loud squirm from above. It was the third, who had climbed along a pipe and was jumping mid-air, it lashed its tail at him from above and Subsequently bit him, in the center of his body.
You lost -2 hp 7/11 remaining
You lost -3 hp 4/11 remaining
He lashed out and He whipped the creature in a rage.
You have dealt 12 damage to Giant rat (critical)
You have defeated Giant Rat You gained 10 exp
Congratulations you have Level up! You are now level 3
He wasted no time wondering about this tussle. Immediately buffing himself. ¡®Status¡¯
Status Information (Additional status information hidden until necessary)
Race: Ooze (Slime) Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
Hp: 4/12 (-90 hp, racial debuff)
Mp: 1/1
Name Victor
Class Dungeon Janitor
Titles Basic monster +1 str/+1 Dexterity, former human (retain basic mental attributes) +20 WIS + 35 INT
Level 3
Alignment Chaotic good
Attributes Strength 6 (Ineffective) Dexterity 1 (non-existent) Wisdom 20 ( Former fool) Intelligence 35 (above the IQ minimum) Constitution 5 (feeble ) Charisma 0 (uninteresting)
Undistributed stats 5
He felt that the last few moments of being near death didn¡¯t work out very well. He would need to be more survivable, even if his hits were akin to teddy bear punches. He put four points into constitution and 1 into dexterity. He couldn¡¯t afford to slough around anymore; he needed to be faster.
Con+4 New values: Con 9( Inept resilience)
Dex+1 New values: Dex 2( Fumbling )
Hp parameters changed New value: 12>20 HP
He felt a lot more at ease now, that he would be alot less squishy and more resilient to being assaulted. Though a long road was still ahead of him. It seemed leveling up also boosted his health points by at least a point. Deciding that time was of the essence he only consumed one dead rat. The bastard that stuck his head in the box and started gnawing at him.
Absorption complete
  • 30 exp
  • 5 Hp
Immediate dangers were disposed of and his health would slowly regenerate. Victor looked among the room for anything of value. Rummaging and throwing under every cart he could find. There were too many large things around that he could that might have been of some worth. Nothing interesting for his small body to find in the basement. No magic potion to be found, no hidden magic book. So he left for the stairs above. Slowly climbing up each step. Waiting as he felt awkwardly exerted after each step. There was another door at the top, the good thing was there was no unnecessary lock outside and so he proceeded without worry. Victor now found himself in a long and dark hallway. It was lightly lit, and so he stuck to his shadows. Out of his eyes and what movements he observed, consisted of- two or so patrolmen about, even then they seem to be refraining from seriously taking their duty. He assumed they may have been more alert after what happened earlier. Perhaps they were upstarts and this was just an amateur group. Their cautionless behavior would cost them their lives one day. Victor waited until they left the hallway. Moving from one darkened space towards another he started sneaking in room after room. Burglar roleplay, something he once saw himself doing if he ever found himself homeless in his previous life. Three doors he had passed in the last few moments. All were locked, no amount of fiddling. No amount of fidgeting and fussing would open. He didn''t know what was kept there, must have been important as he saw chemical flasks through the keyhole. Not to mention the noise it might have made if he busted his way in. ¡®What was the fantastic version of meth? Moon salts¡­Moon sugar?¡¯ He had wondered what type of people these were, judging by their lack of professionalism, they may have been raiders of sorts but they did serve that dark lady elf girl, who was part of a council of sorts. Magical warlords? Their security measures told a different story altogether, he thought. Passing through another hallway. His ability to smell was very ambient, however something strong caught his senses. Someone had baked or cooked something. And so he set forth. If nothing was worth robbing tonight , then he should atleast feast. Keeping his body as thin as possible, avoiding a guard, lurking in the shadows Hoping That he wouldn¡¯t be caught he sped off. As he moved through the second hallway the smell had only become stronger. The hunger had made him move faster. There was food nearby, good food and he Victor, formerly human, currently Ooze would reap the fruit of victory.. And then he laid his ¡®eyes¡¯ upon it, a kitchen or as these folks may have said a pantry. It was not unguarded in the slightest. There was a tall fellow sleeping inside, with a long beard, Larger than the goblins, greener than a piece of woodland grass. Probably over 6¡¯3. ¡®Orc¡¯ Victor had thought. This made it clear then, that he found himself in a fantasy-like world. Their guard duty was subpar and sloppy once again. The guard was snoring back laid back on a chair, feet resting on the kitchen counter. If he played his card¡¯s right he could score big tonight. There were bags upon bags of unprocessed food such as containers full of rice and wheat, freshly plucked fruits, and newly unearthed vegetables. There were left overs on the table counter. Half-eaten crusted pies, fishbones, unfinished beef stews and sausage link which was missing the rest of its link. Still warm. Unable to help himself, he crawled on top and started munching on their leftovers. Physically taking the food and stuffing it inside his body. It was weird, he felt it before when he had participated in the disposal of the minotaur, it was like the inside of his body was made of little cell tongues. He could taste everything he put inside of him. If he could cry he would have. Though it has hardly been a day, he had wondered if he would have a chance to eat real food again, and yet here he was. The guard shifted and he jumped off the counter, climbing under the table, and moving into a crevice. Hoping he wasn¡¯t seen. ¡°What?¡± the green beastman said in an awakened stupor. Flipping the plates which Victor had just cleaned up. ¡°Who the fuck. Those selfish fuckers.¡± And then he ran out of the pantry. Victor took this opportunity to nope out of there at once. Before he left, something caught his eye. Under a counter near the kitchen furnace, came a peculiar smell of something freshly baked. A sweet aroma. There inside a box, which he opened, lay a marvelous cake. He wanted to eat it. He really wanted to. If only there was a way to store it then he would be happy. He wanted to savor it. It would not make sense to put it inside his body as he would absorb it. Walking around with it would limit his combat ability and probably draw more attention to him . A blue screen popped up out of nowhere and for the first time he wasn¡¯t annoyed by the system.
System recommends using the inventory. Dimensional Inventory capacity is determined by the user''s strength and magic capability. Current inventory limit 0/1
¡®Oh, a pleasant surprise¡¯ He put a throbbing tentacle on it. And wished it away. ¡®Uh put it in the inventory?¡¯ he thought aloud. To his surprise it had vanished within a split second. Safely tucked away in some dimensional space he couldn¡¯t explain. He made for the exit. Objective secure. But he wasn¡¯t satisfied. They must have been something to help with where he wants to go like a map. He peered outside the kitchen, and could hear arguing. It was the orc chap, who likely took the issue of missing food to the goblin patrols. Passing yet another hallway stumbling into newly unvisited rooms. At first finding himself. In the wizard elf¡¯s room. The Queenpin of this operation. She was fast asleep. Her room was on a balcony, the balcony opened and clean air entered from here. He considered but refrained. As that might have unintentional consequences. He quickly left. The next room contained barracks full of what he assumed were soldiers or atleast henchmen. It was absolutely stacked with snoring bodies, he took a hard pass on this room as well. Down the hallway was a brightly lit room, and out of it appeared the butler general dude. He quickly hid behind a hallway statue so as not to alert him. Something was wrong, the butler due had started observing his surroundings, peering and even sniffing at the air. He started turning and pulling up pots and decorations. ¡®He was perceptive and He was dangerous¡¯. Victor moved and hid behind a statue of a screaming night. It was a peculiar statue, of someone screaming in agony as they stared at something coming at them. Almost like they were frozen by a spell or something. Now that would be something wouldn''t it. Putting up petrified people in your stronghold as statues. The butler had stopped searching and briskly walked out of the general area. Victor now lapped towards the brightly lit room from where he came, and another jumpscare left it. A giant eye with wings started scanning everything under its eye, he once again clinged behind a statue or what might have been a petrified person, morphing his body to match himself with the statues shape as much as possible. As the thing left by flying out of a window. He entered the room. He was flabbergasted. It was a everyroom, it was a treasure room, Ornate and gold thingies was stacked on a shelf. Medallions and decoration. These people were in a devious business. He kind of wanted in. it was a war room as well it seemed. In the center stood ten chairs in a circle, a giant map in the center. What was this a terrorist ring? Making sure no one was coming, Victor hopped on the table and started looking at the map. It was a world map, he didn¡¯t recognise. This was not earth in any shape or form, that sealed the confirmation for him. He started noticing names which seemed very similar to places back home. Nova roma, north of here. Winland to the far north. Yamato eastward. Daggaland to the west. There were much more to unpack, he noticed certain things were labeled by their race. Men in flat land, elves in woodland forest dwarven holds under mountains. He dropped the matter. He needed a local map above all else, something to guide around here. He started scrambling in the cupboards for scrolls and found a few. He picked one peculiar one which was labeled. Magic school of Malita which was crossed out and next to it Spire of Seraphine was scribbled with a dumb face. It appeared to be a detailed map from and to the surrounding area. There appeared to be quite a few towns in the vicinity. He would have to get around He grabbed it. And tried stuffing it in his inventory.
Impossible action: Inventory full 1/1
¡®Oh yes.¡¯ he would need to work on that. He internally signed and removed the cake from the inventory. And replaced it with the map. Then decided. If he couldn¡¯t have no one could. He shaped his tentacle into that of a hammer and started smashing it to bits. Pieces of cake flying across the room. It was time to leave. His objective here was to enable his journey to the damned men which was about to begin. Or so he thought. He had made it past the second hallway into the first. When siren which he was pretty sure was some kind of alarm bird started singing. And a army of footsteps starting scrambling He had been dumb and sloppy. Panic set in and he sprinted to the best of his ability through the hallway and back into the basement/ cellar. Just when he thought everything was fine. He was spotted going down. He looked back. A beast had spotted him, a dog-thing. He didn¡¯t have time to observe or gauge the nature of it. It was a weird creature, full on fur who appeared to be shaped like that of ugly pug with four symmetrical overly tall legs which resembled a frog. It started barking. Oh no, no, non, not today frankenstein¡¯s Monster! ¡°AAARGGHFFF!!!¡± ¡°AAARGGHFFF!!!¡± ¡®Freaky¡¯ was his only thought. As it came running after him down into the basement. He wasn¡¯t going to fight. No fighting would get him caught by the goblin army above. Escaping halfway through the basement. He spotted one of the dead rat¡¯s he killed and flung it at the thing. Which responded by biting it in half and munching on the innards of the rat. Distracting it just for a second. He pulled the lever and the mechanical door flew open. It started moving again, like a hellhound. A nasty idea came to mind. He needed to be rid of this thing and get away immediatly. He stood halfway in and halfway out of the doors. He stretched his body as wide as possible. Moved most of his mass outside of the door, moved his tentacle to the otherside of his body and opened the lever again to bring the door to a close. The door squashed him like a pancake, his other half was trapped with the frog dog ripped his former half apart.
You lost -10 hp 10/20 remaining
You have leveled up a skill. Ooze manipulation level 3 (passive)
It was hurtful being split apart by it. But Victor couldn¡¯t afford to ponder or be traumatized with it. He had to survive above all else. If there was a chance. He wanted to be human again. As he strode through the cave entrance. He had immediately noticed that the oozes were gone. It seemed they had been removed earlier than he expected. Likely the result of the druid girl going nuts. As he left for the deeper caverns. One thing he could hear from above being shrieked. Was a girl¡¯s voice. The dark lady¡¯s voice. ¡°MY CAKE!!!!¡± ¡®Welp¡¯ it wasn''t his problem anymore. Chapter 7 - Spelunking Victor had once again woken alone in some dark part of the world. A cave in the middle of who knows where. Though it was lonely at times, he was his own master at very least. He had kept running for miles upon miles not looking back at where his former ¡®spawn point¡¯ had been. It was outine now it seemed to creep in the shadows. As he was chased, by the patrol, the lever had been opened by someone and the dog-thing had come after him for a while, but had lost track of him as he had a good head start. For a while now he had felt tired, though couldn¡¯t have been exhausted as he didn¡¯t overexert himself. Perhaps the dog-things spread his drool on him and infected him with frog leg illness. Maybe he¡¯d sprout four legs, then he wouldn¡¯t have to slither like a sentient bowl of jello.
You have contracted rat plague Debuff: lethargy -1 con; -1 dex. Time remaining : 03:45:12
¡®Well wasn¡¯t that grand. ¡®He knew he shouldn''t have eaten that rat. It seemed the annoyance spurred on by the rats would bother him for a little while longer. ¡®Status¡¯
Status Information (Additional status information hidden until necessary)
Race: Ooze (Slime)
Hp: 18/18 (-2hp= -1 con penalty) (-90 hp, racial debuff)
Mp: 1/1
Name Victor
Class Dungeon Janitor
Titles Basic monster +1 str/+1 Dexterity, former human (retain basic mental attributes) +20 WIS + 35 INT
Level 3
Alignment Chaotic good
Attributes Strength 6 (Ineffective) Dexterity 1 (Fumbling) (-1 debuffs) Wisdom 20 (Former fool) Intelligence 35 (above the IQ minimum) Constitution 8 (Inept resilience )(-1 debuffs) Charisma 0 (uninteresting)
Undistributed stats 0
It would disappear in a while or so, it didn¡¯t bother him all that much. Though he was as slow as he started now, halving his speed essentially. Sprinting He had moved through the cave for quite a while, probably half an hour navigating. There wasn¡¯t much to see yet. Dead bats (which were cave rats to him essentially), the occasional salamander who paid him no mind and of course worms the size of a human arm tunneling the earth below. A creepy and icky place. In the distance, Victor could make out crackling noises and the smell of smoke filled his little slimy pores. Someone was making a fire or was camping in these caves. Friend or foe he would have to pass by them. He heard a hyena-like laugh coming in the general direction of the fire. It was disturbing but clearly the laugh wasn¡¯t that of a monster as the voice seemed to talk. It was too faint from here to properly make anything out. He¡¯d have to get closer.
You have leveled up a skill Limb manipulation level 2 ( passive)
His limb manipulation had once again gone up. Likely from all the rocks and weird stuff he had touched in the dark along the way. Everytime he had obtained or leveled a skill it felt like new knowledge was printed in his head. He now had gained the comprehension to make the perfect hand and was able to use it just like when he was, when he was human with some minor problems of course. He had to shift his mass to match that of his weight or else it was like walking with some small but dense object, getting heavier over time. It was an improvement regardless of pains that came with it. For sometime now he had a creeping feeling of a presence sneaking up on him. At first he thought the dog thing had caught up but then he realized it would have made the dog-frog noises to terrify him. He had napped every now and then, passed numerous pathways or tunnels. What was strange was that he caught no indication that his senses were picking up something, just the sixth at work. Noise, smells, visual disturbances, there was nothing. Just the sensation that he was being watched as he moved along. Perhaps it was a poltergeist, maybe the ghost of the minotaur he ate. Coming to horn him in vengeance. Or maybe the druid girl died and she was haunting him like a nasty specter. Maybe it was her tailing him. What would be the reason for following him? No proper motive. He quickly put that theory to rest as she had left quite a while before him. Did she even make it out in that wild cat state? Questions for another time. He kept moving onwards, eager to leave. He had followed a mine rail for sometime now, and it was sure to lead somewhere interesting. Where there were signs of artificial objects, there was sure to be life. The rail had split in two. One leading to a tunnel going up and one going down. In the tunnel going down. A minecart had laid defunct ahead. A dead miner remains in the cart, clearly dead. All that was left was bones and clothes. There was toxic fog around where he had died. The rail in front of the miner had an unexpected end, a deep hole in the middle of the passage, cut off from its original destination. He could climb around it but the risk of falling in was too real. Who knows where it leads? On the other side, the smoke was clearly flowing. That was where he would go for better or for worse. But he was going to see what that miner had on him. There wasn¡¯t much to find on the cadaver. No gold, no treasure. The miner was dressed in overalls and had a protective cap on his head. A pickaxe in his dying hands. Made him wonder what had happened. A symbol was imprinted on his overall. ¡®RM¡¯, perhaps the symbol of a company he had worked for. A strange thought had come to mind. Though he couldn''t wear the overalls, perhaps he could put the protective cap on his head. Shift his body so that it would just stick. Just in case something started lashing from above again. He put it on. And widened his mass slightly. Sure he would look alot fatter now but at least he was protected. Protection was an important thing after all, we don''t want any unnecessary consequences now do we. (Con+1 Str+1) It didn¡¯t provide much benefit but it would make up for Stat debuff. He moved towards the other passage on the other side of the splitted rail.The noise had become clearer. Just around the corner, he could see a thriving fire. And four greenish looking small men, sitting around a fire. These goblins look unarmored compared to the guards he had met before. Dressed in rags, some of them barely clothed That didn¡¯t mean he would let his guard down. He was sure even a child could kill him with enough motivation. ¡°We''ve been stuck here all day,¡± A goblin moaned, laying back comfortably on a bedroll. ¡°No treasure. No gold. And no fat whore to have fun with.¡± ¡°Well, if some of us worked more proactively we may have found some gud bloody loot. Ya know what dey say most lucky men quit right before they make it big.¡± The tallest one said, who looked like he was in charge. ¡°Where would that loot go anyway? The Warboss is way too harsh on his fucking quota.¡± The tall goblin stood up. Played around with his knife restlessly. ¡°Well just keep to Ourselves, don tell da boss nothing. Split the spoils only among trusted brother¡¯s, i''m gonna have another look in that dwarven burial ground if you don¡¯t mind. I know there¡¯s loot down here. ¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come with you.¡± A meek looking goblin told him. ¡®So fuck off already! I¡¯ll piss the night away.¡± The fattest among the four shouted. Drunk, and a full tankard in hand. ¡°May a fat dwarf haunt and your mother.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Imma catch a nap, have fun.¡± The lazy said. ¡°Useless! Come on then green grunt¡­¡± The tall one called out to his only loyal companion and the small part set off, deeper into the cave. They were a rowdy and a hostile bunch it seemed. He hoped not all of them were like that. The drunk one started chugging. Non-stop. Would blabber something to his sleepy comrade and then keep drinking again, occasionally saying something rational. ¡°Do ya know that local gnoll warlord is planning to ambush a humie village nearby, we oughta join.¡± He said confidently. His companion had said nothing and was snoring on. Deep asleep ¡°Though they are unpredictable characters, trusting a gnoll is like trusting a dog not to bite you.¡± and he Mumbled to himself and to no one in particular. Except to Victor of course, though he would find that out soon. Chugging more and more and was half dancing moving to the other side of the room, taking liquor from what Victor assumed was his companion¡¯s stashes. This was Victor¡¯s chance. He was weak, incredibly so. But a tool was a tool. He would kill the one on the floor in his sleep and then move on to the drunk one. He moved swiftly. Instead of using his tentacle whip. Thanks to his he formed a full five-fingered hand, took one of the weapons the goblins left on the ground. ¡®A dagger.¡¯
Martial weapon equipped. Steel dagger (+10)
Slowly but surely he crawled his way to the sleepy goblin. Jumpy that the drunk one might see him. He casted observe on each one to make sure they were ¡®vulnerable¡¯ as the Druid girl had been when she was unconscious.
Goblin: Rogue Hp: 80/80 Weaknesses: Goblins are often Weak and cowardly in groups. Effect status: Vulnerable. (Sneak attack damage potential up to 3 times); ??? additional information locked
Goblin: Fighter Hp: 85/85 Weaknesses: Goblins are often Weak and cowardly in groups. Effect status:Severely Drunk (Mental ability stats halved ); ??? additional information locked
As he found him on the chest of the sleepy goblin, shifting his weight off unto the ground. He wondered how he found himself here, how quickly he shifted to killing without remorse without a doubt. Then he snapped back to reality again, time was running out, if he failed here he could always retreat into the caverns. Staring at his soon-to-be Victim. He wondered if they would just let him go, was it worth doing this, sure he would get stronger, what if this goblin back home had a family. What if he was this goblin. He had never done anything nearly as gruesome as this before. It was disturbing, he hoped that this wouldn¡¯t haunt him. He gripped the dagger with his makeshift hand and tentacle arm, brought to his neck and slit the goblins throat. Slash!
You have dealt 16 damage to Goblin Rogue
The goblins throat was cut open. Metal tearing into flesh. Blood spurted from his neck like a kitchen tap overflowing . He woke from his lumber in panic and fear, immediately realizing he had been cut. Instinctively one hand was locked around the place where the incision was made. The other searching for his dagger. Not finding it. He realized Victor was on him. His eyes went wide. His other hand is now moving, trying to get Victor off of him. Victor moved his mass onto his body and covering his face. The goblin tried to scream, but everything was muffled. Victor restarted his assault, this time aiming for his brain and then his eyes.
You have dealt 36 damage to Goblin Rogue (Critical)
Stab! As the dagger got pressed inside his brain. He started twisting and shaking, legs, arms fingers and toes contorting.
You have dealt 12 damage to Goblin Rogue
Stab! Another in his eye rupturing and partially blind him
You have dealt 24 damage to Goblin Rogue
You have defeated killed Goblin Rogue You gained 60 exp
. Red liquid, stuck to victor, coated in the blood of his foe. He turned towards the other enemy. The drunk was already looking at him, but was doing nothing. If he was paying attention, he was not rational enough to know what would happen next. ¡°Look Deezer there¡¯s a green thing on your chest.¡± he started pointing and laughing very much like the hyena Victor heard earlier. Victor approached him and waited to gauge his reaction. "What you¡­ you meant, you''re all funny and squishy, kind of cut-¡± he was silenced. Victor jumped on his face, suffocating him. Victor¡¯s whole mass around his face. The drunk struggled to keep balanced. And fell to the ground, the man-ooze still clinging to his face. He started suffering acidic burns form being exposed to Victor¡¯s internal fluids. He opened his mouth to scream. Which was a mistake as Victor¡¯s oozy flesh started to flood inside. Victor dragged the dagger through his own body. And pressed it deep inside his Victims head.
You have defeated killed Goblin Fighter You gained 55 exp
No more would the drunk laugh and babble. As the drunk lied lifeless on the floor. He immediately moved away. Something smell weirdly like piss and sure enough on the pants of the goblin, there was it. He was surely not going to absorb that thing, so he moved away to the other. He started checking them for anything of value . The only thing he had on him was several gold coins. which was of no use to him right now. He had also leveled up which was of vital importance.
Congratulations you have Level up! You are now level 4
Status Information (Additional status information hidden until necessary)
Race: Ooze (Slime)
Hp: 21/21 (-90 hp, racial debuff); (-2hp= -1 con penalty); (+2 hp= +1 con equipment buff)
Mp: 1/1
Name Victor
Class Dungeon Janitor
Titles Basic monster +1 str/+1 Dexterity, former human (retain basic mental attributes) +20 WIS + 35 INT
Level 4
Alignment Chaotic good
Attributes Strength 7 (Ineffective) Dexterity 1 (Fumbling)((-1 debuffs)) Wisdom 20 (Former fool) Intelligence 35 (above the IQ minimum) Constitution 9 (Inept resilience )((-1 debuffs) (+1 con=equipement buff) Charisma 0 (uninteresting)
Undistributed stats 0
He put everything into dexterity. Fighting would mean nothing if he was going to keep moving like a slug. He felt faster, much faster. If it wasn¡¯t for his size, he felt he was probably as fast as he was a human before. He considered absorbing them and then he remembered There was the matter of the other two who went on a treasure hunt. Sure enough he heard sudden footsteps marching in his direction . WIth their swords drawn. He would run before he would get caught by them, he didn¡¯t trust himself to win a battle head on. ¡°What¡¯s going on here!¡± he shouted calling out to his former comrades. ¡° Deezer! Nats!¡± They look perplexed at the scene in front of them. Their comrades lying on the floor unresponsive. Blood leaking from their ruptured and punctured heads. The culprit was standing in the middle of the excavated room behind the fire they had made. A mass of gelatin and slime with a miner¡¯s cap on it. Dagger in its hand. ¡°What the fuck. Kill it grunt! Kill it.¡± The tall goblin shouted, fuming with rage. The grunt goblin started dashing towards him, longsword in hand. The tall one behind with a battle axe. This wasn¡¯t something he could face yet. Victor knew he would be on the run again. At Least this time he would have a fighting chance. He slithered around and sped straight to the tunnel he came from. ¡®Oh shit!¡¯ The goblins froze. Their prey had been caught and not by them. Immediately turned around and started sprinting for their lives. Victor was caught in a trap, much akin to a spider¡¯s web. A giant spider¡¯s web. His pursuer¡¯s tucked tail and ran the other way. The goblins tactical retreat was cut short. Throwing one back, he fell through the web besides Victor, the other¡¯s head munched off clean. The beast started feasting on the decapitated goblin. Indulging for a minute or two¡­ Victor had tried fleeing, tried forcing his way out. Tried to heat himself, hoping his acidic fluids might burn the webs. It was a senseless effort. The beast. A gigantic 12 legged arachnid turned it¡¯s attention to Victor. Slowly creeping forward, skittering towards victor. Ghastly twin mandibles, with little mandibles inside. Eight crimson red eyes staring at him in the dark. He wasn¡¯t scared of dying again, if what Victor told him was true. This would go on and on and on¡­. ¡°Oh i do apologize, for my behavior,¡± It said aloud. In the same manner, a sophisticated gentlemen may have. ¡± I get carried away by my behavior sometimes. It¡¯s a hard bugs life one could say it.¡± It giggled at its own joke disturbingly. It moved even closer, Victor started panicking. Here he was again in the shittiest of situations. He hoped the talking spider didn¡¯t eat ooze and slime. It was disgusting after all. Victor started wiggling erratically again ¡°Do not be afraid.¡± It moved his leg towards him :¡±Let me get you down from there.¡± he said as he cleaved off the web. Victor was less surprised and more happy it didn''t eat him. ¡®You¡¯re Free to speak.¡¯ the same voice that came from behind the mandibles now reverberated in his head. ¡®What¡¯s your name.¡¯ It had telepathic communication. How bizarre. ¡®Victor¡¯ he replied to the beast¡­ Hoping his manner¡¯s didn¡¯t offend. ¡°What brings you down here, Victor, it¡¯s not often I find someone similar to me.¡± It spoke aloud now, maybe it preferred to speak through its mouth. Victor¡¯s attention was caught, perhaps this giant spider was like him. ¡®Similar.¡¯ ¡®Yes where one and the same you and I. Cut from the same tree, branch and leaf.¡¯ ¡®Can i tell you a story, the hulking giant said.¡¯ Scratching its huge head, with its giant legs. They were surprisingly flexible. ¡°But of course, you may indulge in your spoils,¡± It tapped on the dead bodies. ¡°You¡¯ll need it to survive in the coming future," he pointed to the goblins Victor killed. He didn¡¯t exactly know what was going on but Victor would not throw away such an opportunity like this. If anything, for the first time in his horrible newlife he has been blessed. ¡°If you listen I''ll grant you a special boon.¡± The monster offered. ¡®Sure why not.¡¯ Chapter 8 - 12 legs, all broken Digesting the body of the goblin he killed had taken some time. Victor still felt it was an immoral act, and yet. Something was different inside him, twisted or turned by his transformation into a monster. Like he was obligated to fight, compelled to kill. He realized that confronting these goblins was an avoidable encounter. Not that they seemed to be good folk judging by their conversations, but because they were still sentient, and had a fully functional mind. In a sense they were ¡®human¡¯ or ¡®humanoid¡¯ He wondered if they were part of this cycle of reincarnation or whether it was reserved for the few interlopers such as himself and Marcus. Was Marcus even a reincarnator like him, was the commander Arminius ? He would need to find out when he saw them again. If he saw them again.
Absorption complete
  • 50 exp
The absorption progress had been awkward. Like someone was staring at you while you were sitting on the toilet. The Giant spider had observed him while he was in the process of doing his ¡®business''s and well the other way around. He had decided only to absorb one goblin, as it already made him feel sleepy and this was probably no place to sleep. Then their was the matter of how long it took ¡®So what did you say your name was again.¡¯ Victor Pretended to say these words aloud in his head. Knowing full well that the Arachnid would answer. ¡°You may call me Malak,¡± The spider said. ¡°Are you prepared to lend me your ear, Victor? My tale is brief though it may come with a request. There it was, he knew it wouldn¡¯t be as easy as listening to him. There was always an angle. The spider wanted something from him. It made sense,after all he clearly had a special interest in Victor. He also seemed to be civilized, too civilized for a monster even by his paltry standards. ¡°I¡¯m listening, if you are telling Sir Malak.¡± ¡°Sir¡­Siiiirr¡­.Siiiiirrr... A title I haven''t been called in many years.¡± The spider crouched in front him, his giant legs resting on the floor of the open room, a small tremor echoing through the Cave. His Bloody red eyes fixated on the ooze. ¡°It was the dawn of the 17th century, the age of enlightenment when I used to walk through life as a professor two lives ago. I was at the highpoint of my life, my slippery friend. My work in psychological science was nothing short of prolific. Decades upon decades of scientific work, A loving wife with whom I intended to grow old, Children well on their way out into the world.¡± The atmosphere seemed to darken heavily, and the mood tense. Malak started shaking his large spider head, two of his large legs gripped at the base. Victor¡¯s anxiety rose, unsure the spider might lash out at him in a fit of frustration. ¡°And then it happened one day without warning,¡± he began. He paused his tale, slammed a rocky wall inside the cave with one of his legs, making the cave rumble from inside. ¡°They took the streets-the people, driven by their own insanity and gullible minds, took to torches and pitchforks. Set everything ablaze. My home, my family, my life¡¯s work¡­all consumed by the flames of peasants'' anger. The church did not approve of what I was writing. ¡®Godless!¡¯ They branded me. ¡®Devil worship!¡¯ They slandered me in the courts, in the papers, in their streets.¡± The Giant spider gradually calmed down. Started tapping on the wall with its large and hairy leg. ¡°I wasn¡¯t present at the time,¡± He continued, his composure slowly regained. ¡°I had been abroad in another country, seeking knowledge from fellow peers of my profession. When I returned, I wasn¡¯t pleased with the ¡®justice¡¯ presented by the authorities. So I lured those people out, those responsible. Invited them to a Grand hall, I rented under the pretense of a theater. And there, with several kegs of gunpowder and every chemical I could find under the sun. I took their lives, mine included.¡± He deeply sighed. ¡®Suicide, something both of them seem to share.¡¯ Victor thought. ¡°And then I found myself here. I had believed it was the end but it wasn¡¯t. In this world, but not as the beast you see in front of you. At first, I was still a man. Reborn in daggaland, which lies to the west of here. I couldn¡¯t tell if it really exists anymore. I don¡¯t even remember how long I''ve been here.¡± In an unpredictable manner, Malak began to cackle and his mandibles moved along like a tongue tapping to a song. ¡°A wizard found me. An orphan struggling to survive on the street. I had no memories of my past then, but he showed me how to regain them. I served that man for half my new life. Together, we did great work. Magic, can you believe it. Something not only metaphysical but tangible. Of all the wonders of this world presented, Magic was the thing I found fascinating above all. Magic! So I started experimenting. What if¡­ there was a way to travel between time and space. What if I could go back.¡± ¡®Space and time?¡¯ Now victor was invested, as this could potentially be an aid to him too. ¡°And we did it, we managed to open portals to worlds never before seen. None of them were our old, familiar earth¡­ However, I didn''t relent, progress is progress after all. And progress Is the hope of mankind. If there was a chance of me going back in time. Back to earth, before the mob could ruin everything I would give it my all. ¡° He started hitting stuff again. Victor took a few steps back just so he wasn¡¯t caught in the crossfire. ¡° But he betrayed me. The bloodless bastard. His master''s put their filthy hands down. Seized my research. Dirty wizard lords, told him dark secrets in exchange for my life, locked me away. Said what I was doing was too dangerous that it would cause catastrophe across space and time. They put me on trial, cursed me into what you see before you, didn¡¯t even kill me. Said killing me would be a problem. Send me downhere to the depths to repent for my sins.¡± The spider stopped. A lot more at ease. ¡°Thank you for listening, my friend,¡± As promised, a boon.
You have acquired a skill . Telepathy
Victor was shook by a sudden ray of electrienergycty that took hold of him. Though he had no brain, it felt like his mind was being twisted and rearranged, rewired or reprogrammed. And then his mind was clearer than before. ¡°What did you do!¡± Victor shouted out of his mind. He could physically hear his thoughts aloud. ¡°A gift, something that will help you survive, do you think sentient monsters get by just existing. No, you will be hunted down unless you can prove your humanity. You should use every tool at your disposal if you want to survive.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve asked for permission first!¡± ¡°You agreed, regardless of our deal being concluded.¡± Something felt terribly wrong Victor didn''t believe that was the end of it. He didn¡¯t doubt the story of the Malak. But it was awfully convenient. He was a little manipulative it seemed, was hiding a darker intent. ¡°I have a favor to ask, if you would be so kind, i realize it is a sudden situation i would be entrusting upon you.¡± Victor was cautious, though he feared denying the spider¡¯s wishes may invite retaliation from Malak. The spider definitely had screw loose in his opinion. ¡°The wizard, I want you to lure him here.¡± ¡°Are you Nuts you want me to lure a magic wielding sage here. Me a pile ooze.¡± He pointed his comically large hand hanging by tentacle at himself. ¡°I¡¯ve met monster-men like you Victor, and not unlike myself. You have a special power, I can see it. I know that everyone who comes from another world here differs greatly in ability compared to those originally born in this one. The curse of reincarnation can be a blessing if handled well. Only those who retain their memory as monsters and men are exceptional cases. It¡¯s no small feat to master this life. Life or death, survival of the grittiest. I won¡¯t inquire about your own special nature. But I know you will get stronger. I can see it. That confirmed ¡®some¡¯ of Victor¡¯s prior suspicions. ¡°How exactly am I supposed to it¡± Victor asked. ¡°I don''t¡¯ exactly expect you to do it now, when but when you are more able¡­ I want you to seek him out in Daggaland, talk to him, bring him here. You¡¯ll find a way¡± ¡°What is it you desire Victor. You want a way out. The riches of the world, you want an empire. I can get that for you.¡± Victor had thought about it for a while. He had wondered whether it was worth it moving on. Back on earth. Would that even work out to say he went back as an ooze or a man ooze. He¡¯d be locked up, put in a zoo or thrown in some military facility. ¡°I want to be human again, which is why I was told to seek the damned men.¡± The spider snickered. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put any in trust them, snakes the lot of them are. Their price may very well be your soul. ¡°Can you make me human?¡± ¡°No, but i can give you more gifts make you stronger, levels the playing field in this unforgiving world The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He pondered. ¡°What¡¯s the wizard¡¯s name¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell, as it written in my curse to never utter his name, Should you reach daggaland, you¡¯ll find a way to him trust me. I can ¡®See¡¯ it.¡±
NEW QUEST: Lure the wizard to the Malak
DO YOU ACCEPT THE QUEST Y/N
He did.
Active quests
Reunite with Marcus The man in whose arms you died, the first person you met here and your savior. Marcus had plans that need your help seek him out
Find the damned men and hope you become human again. You were told to seek out the damned men in hopes becoming human again
Leave the cave. Finish the tutorial; Staying here will stunt your growth.
Bring the wizard ??? to Malak Malak, the Giant spider wishes you to lure the ¡®Wizard¡¯
There was a lot of quests he didn¡¯t keep track of. He would have to remind himself to keep track of it. But that could wai, t he wanted out of this damn cave now. ¡°Very well! Whether a year from now or tomorrow, I will bring the wizard here,¡± Victor sighed hoping the intentions of Malak will be more than bloodshed and murder but who was he kidding. It was precisely what Malak would do. ¡°Do you know a way out of here? I¡¯d like to find the damned men first.¡± The spider was giddy excited. ¡°Splendid! and of course, follow me through my lair and i''ll show you to the surface.¡±
The debuff had disappeared and he no longer felt tired. After a while. They had been moving for at least a few hours. Sometimes, they waited and moved very fast to get out of the danger. Not that Malak feared it, but because it would delay them both. Victor felt fortunate that he found the spider when he did. Or else you have been stuck here for a week. They had met a nasty large goblin party on the road. All manner of goblins. Small ones, tall ones. More human looking ones, fat ones that looked like obese trolls. Some older than others, grayed hair and carrying magical sticks. He¡¯d hate to be caught by them. But they had avoided any and all confrontation by sticking to the shadows and alternate cave routes, also delaying them.. The goblins were throwing a warparty from what he summarized in celebration for an underground raid. He wondered whether the four they had killed were a part of that crew. Malak stated. That killing them would simply cause more goblins to come in looting and raging.. It could keep Malak awake for months. After their long trek through the tunnels they had reached the spider¡¯s lair. Malak¡¯s nest was something out of a horror movie. There rows upon rows of armor and clothes of his victims. Crude and clean, crafted and mass produced. Swords, bows, arrows and spears. An entire battlefield . Skeletons and broken skulls. Nasty webs on each side of the open room. ¡°So do you indulge in the sentient.¡± ¡°Only when I have to, I don''t kill innocents¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t quite the answer Victor wanted but he couldn¡¯t judge now Victor was glad Malak had spared lest he end up like the people in the room. He stopped for a moment. ANd swear he saw the specter of a man waving to him. Ghastly eyes and as pale as chalk. Dim translucent clothing, and a misty aura every time it flew. Victor stopped to stare. Malak spit venom in the direction of the ghostly being, Victor could only shiver. It disappeared for a while. ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to them, They¡¯ll suck out their soul if they want to. Monster body or not.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°A victim, a lost soul. Victims¡­Casualties of war, of unfortunate accidents, of unforeseen tragedies, some¡­. may be my Victims.¡± The spider turned to the tunnel leading out of Malak¡¯s lair, his jelly oozing and shivering out of fright. He wasn¡¯t scared of the paranormal in general but it seemed if ghosts were more than a paranormal myth, then there were much more sinister things lurking about. They once again passed through a few chambers, where the plant life had shifted to staggering transformation. The mushrooms and fungi that appeared earlier had changed to something more fluorescent. Though they looked like colour, glowing in the dark, each flower a different color almost like neon lights in a dark world.. Light was beaming through small gaps, in the rocky roof above. Victor could finally see proper sunlight, which seemed surreal after the tumbling in the dark. ¡°This is it.¡± the spider murmured on, stopping or rather was stopped. He could move no further, he was bound here. Like an invisible barrier had materialized out of nowhere blocking him. ¡°I have studied this world Victor, if you have questions do come by. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± victor answered. ¡°Remember, you promised to bring the wizard here, while you are not quite a ¡®man¡¯ i¡¯m sure you¡¯ll keep your oath. ¡°Farewell.¡± The spider turned, retreating into his lair of torment. A realization came to mind, he had forgotten to cast observe on Malik. He was curious about the strength and nature of the spider.. But it was too late. It was better not to seek out unnecessary trouble Victor exited the cave and left for the outside world. In front of him lay an outstretched plain full of ancient and tall trees and winding rivers. It felt like an old forest, creepy old bark and swinging branches. It felt as though something primordial lived here. The rivers flowed at a flooding speed, the water here seems dangerous, he wouldn¡¯t go for a swim anytime soon. He took a look on his map he was given. Looked up on the mountainside he currently stood and sure enough, stood a tower. Seraphine''s tower and her goons. Something had at least changed in Victor while he resided under that tower, he felt a lot more determined about life. He would make the best possible outcome of his situation for better or for worse.
You have completed a quest: Leave the cave
  • 115 exp
Congratulations you have Level up! You are now level 5
You have 5 unused points
He was getting stronger slowly but surely. He felt diversification was important,as opposed to dumping all the stats into one ability. He was never charismatic so he thought some variation was important He put 2 points into charisma, 1 into dex, con, and str respectively For now he needed to focus on finding friendly civilization. If there was such a thing. There was a village north of here and west of here. He hoped they were tolerant of telepathic monsters and set off in what may be the start of a strange adventure..
Status Information (Additional status information hidden until necessary)
Race: Ooze (Slime)
Hp: 27/27 (-90 hp, racial debuff) (plus 1 con equipment buff)
Mp: 1/1
Name Victor
Class Dungeon Janitor
Titles Basic monster +1 str/+1 Dexterity, former human (retain basic mental attributes) +20 WIS + 35 INT
Level 5
Alignment Chaotic good
Attributes Strength 8 (Lackluster) (+1 Miner¡¯s Helm) Dexterity 8 (Lumbering) Wisdom 20 ( Former fool) Intelligence 35 (above the IQ minimum) Constitution 11 (Mildly resilient ) (+1 Miner¡¯s Helm) Charisma 2 (Unappealing )
Undistributed stats 0
Skills
Active skills effect
Analysis (lvl 2) Each level allows the user to see information of enemies and foes alike.
Passive skills
Dark Vision (lvl 3) Allows the user to see in he dark. The greater the user¡¯s ability, the easier the visibility.
Ooze Manipulation (lvl3) The ability to morph and shape one¡¯s body.
Limb manipulation (lv2) Allows the user to shape their limp in any form. The higher the level the easier the complexity of a shape. Every 3rd level of this skill allows the user to form an additional limb.
Special skills.
Telepathy Allows the user to communicate with his thoughts or aloud with no mouth to speak from.
Passive regeneration (Slow) Recover 0.5 hp per minute
Past-life memory retention Retaining one''s memory after reincarnation is a special reward not easily granted.
Acidic Absorption (race) The ability to break down and absorb any organic compound. Chance to attain Victim¡¯s skill on completion.
Chapter 9 - A Monsters Folly ¡®This heat is fucking intense.¡¯ Victor complained to no one but himself. His oozing and gelatinous body was not well suited for an out and about Sun. He had found himself traveling a paven path along a golden meadow. So far he had seen no sign of other people. Just the Open field, tall grasses and scattered flowers, and some sparse trees. Nothing but birds humming and the branches of trees whispering with the wind. A heavy breeze made the grass sway and dance. He had left the darkened hollow world for heavy sunlight, which he couldn''t stay in for too long, forcing him every now and then to cool down under the shade of an old oak tree he would seek out. It was a minor nuisance, but he was sure it would go away when the sun wasn''t scorching the world or if he got stronger.
  • You are melting
  • Debuff: Lose 1 hp every minute.
  • Time remaining: 05:00
The box would pop up, every time he traveled more than under five minutes under the sun. And for another 5 minutes would be stranded and stuck. He needed some shade and very fast. Victor clammered to the nearest tree that had thick foliage. Thus he needed to wait for the effects to disappear. The air was starting to get cooler, he hoped he found some form of shelter by midnight. He didn¡¯t see monsters, he tried to be as cautious as possible. It was a dog-eat-dog world and he didn¡¯t want to sleep inside something''s belly. He had the funny idea of carving his initials into the tree with its iron dagger. One step closer to making his mark on the world. As he carved the V and moved on to write the initial for his surname the dagger broke. Brittle steel. Oh oh. That was going to be a problem later, fighting with tentacles was an annoyance as it physically hurt to hit things with an appendage made from his body. He retrieved the map from his inventory, which had increased from . He was going to need a bag or knapsack until it increased significantly. The map he had stolen from the tower was very vaguely detailed, and many of the inscriptions cryptic or outright unreadable. Just from the look of the general area on the map, records of non-existent or obscure landmarks existed such as caverns and hidden entrances. He didn¡¯t have time to go treasure hunting, his main focus was to reach a village and find proper directions to the Damned men. If Malak the cursed spider, formerly wizard, had told him the truth, there would be a village east of the river to the north. Which reminded him. He hasn''t partaken in any form of swimming activity in years, maybe in a decade. Then there was the fact he was no longer human, would his gelatinous blobby body withstand the current? He would have to do his best to look for a proper crossing, lest the current sweeps him away. He peered back at the path he came from. He could still see ¡®Seraphines tower¡¯ from here, a long and towering mess of stone and brick. He must have only reached the first floor. As the structure was massive, windows upon windows as far as the eye could see, which meant rooms next to rooms. The closest thing to a skyscraper he had seen in the world, though you can argue he hasn¡¯t seen much. At the very top stood a building upon a building, a giant telescope sticking out of its roof. ¡®An observatory.¡¯ People might not be stuck here quite in medieval times, he saw makeshift flare gun before. There likely existed a mishmash of technological applications. Has modern technology arrived here however? The things he would do for a dose of internet dopamine. Now that he thought of it, his smart phone was on him when he took the leap, he didn¡¯t remember arriving here with it. A question left for another day. He took the shade in, as one does a sunrise. Something caught his eye, as he felt a streak of wind bypass. A black streak blitzed by him. An animal? Black fur and almost cat-like. It had to have been the druid girl. He was flabbergasted. He didn¡¯t believe he¡¯d see her again. The figure disappeared behind the trees, in the direction of the river. . There was a thought perhaps he should go communicate with her. What¡¯s the worse that could happen? She left him alive before, which may or may not have been intentional. But she was the only human he knew. Who else could he request assistance other than strangers. He heard flapping in the air!?, Soft but thunderous in whole. A earsplitting screech tore through the field. Making Victor¡¯s body hum, like a barrel disturbed water. He looked up. And there it was. A giant eagle-like creature soaring through the air after the panther. Its feathers were golden with a bronze sheen, shimmering as it flew lower to the ground. . Its large beak was terrifying, probably as big as a human¡¯s body. His fight-or-flight response kicked in. Victor hid behind the tree in fear of being cornered and snatched up like a two-bit snack. Suddenly, as if mocking the rhythmic flaps of the ¡®Griffon¡¯, a clapping of hooves echoed on the other side of the meadow. Another thunderous wave, this time from galloping of horses. The riders moved along the road in his direction. ¡®People, but were they civil?. From afar they almost looked human. Though he could only see metal men. Victor removed himself from the tree crouching deeper into the bushes. These men were riding , Stopping them might have been an instant way to die. It was probably better to approach some lone villager in the dark than to attest to this challenge. He hid further, crept deep into the thicket. Pieces of thorny vines stabbing holes in him. But he resisted his irritation. They also appear to be moving in the same path of Griffon, and panther girl. As they passed, Victor glimpsed at their faces. They were human alright but something was ¡®off¡¯. All clad in heavy steel armor, and all carrying a weapon whether a lance, a sword or a spear. l. At the center of silvery chest plates was an embroidered metal skull. Interwoven motifs which seemed to imitate a knitted skull with intersecting lines, the eyes of the skull hollow and black.. Not a single rider spoke a word. For a brief second. One glanced at the spot Victor was in and turned back forward. As if he saw nothing. Something absurd was occurring, and he was thankful he wasn¡¯t going to be caught in the crossfire again. He was unwilling to cross paths with unknown variables, so he changed his plans. He would go slightly north but travel west, cross the river and then wait out the chaos that ensued. If everything had settled down. He take his chances And so he moved forward, cautiously making sure no predator stalked him from behind. The most interesting thing is he hasn¡¯t seen a single monster since he got out of the Cave. Perhaps monsters knew not to meddle here in fear of civilization or perhaps they were waiting for him. Watching, and reading themself to strike.
Nearing the bank of the river, he stumbled across a crossroad. Wooden boards stuck deep in the ground, wood decaying and breaking down. The very first read: North across the river lays Marrbridge. The second read: To the south lies the wizarding school of Malita which was scribbled out without proper care which now reads the Spire of Seraphine. A motif was graffitied on it. Killgob was here. ANd he couldn¡¯t help but smirk. The sign was very similar to something he knew from history back home. It made him wonder if the people here also consume amounts of propaganda and ideological strife. And finally, the final sign stated: To the west lies the tomb of Cenere the eternal (arch wizard). He certainly will not go grave robbing on some dead wizard¡¯s tomb any time soon. It was probably filled with treasure. Perhaps if the winds of fate take him there. He moved west, in search of a way to cross the river. The river tide was too heavy even a larger animal or human child might not make it across safely. He hoped nothing unpleasant came upon, as this side of the meadow was dense with trees. There was nothing except just the occasional large sticking out og the water, if he finds nothing he would have to backtrack. He couldn''t exactly jump so that was out of the way. Maybe when his had leveled up significantly he could form some legs. Moving along the riverbank he became increasingly frustrated, hunger started to irritate him. The life of an ooze was a miserable hell when the entire body of a monster or a man couldn¡¯t fill him for a few days. He suspects why he and his ¡®siblings¡¯ were considered disposable tools. An unfilling hunger and an acidic body made for the perfect way to dispose of unwanted bodies. He had seen a few fruit trees, but they were laid out across the river, out of reach.
Status effect : Assimilation frenzy. Move 5 times faster when extremely hungry
It had happened again, hunger had occupied his mind he would have to find something edible soon. He oozed along the river, moving as fast as his body allowed him.. All he could see was patches of dirty longrass, scattered rocks and clumps of muddy dirt. Nothing to pluck and nibble on, and surprisingly no fishes he could snatch out of the deep water. His frenzy grew. He felt control slipping, an animalistic urge overtaking him. It was a sealed deal, he was a monster and he needed to feed. Not far away, a golden orchard tree stood in the ground deeply rooted. It was an apple tree and carried golden and vibrant fruit. Glistening just waiting to be eaten. He sprinted towards it.. He knew this food was probably dangerous. Bright colours are clearly a warning. Perhaps it killed fast, maybe it killed slowly. He however was confident he could stomach any position. He¡¯d take the risk.It couldn¡¯t wait. It had been half a day since he had eaten, and his stomach felt as though it wanted to rip itself apart. He sped up, like he had taken a mouthful of hallucinogenic shrooms. He formed a magical hand with his limb manipulation. Shooting it towards the golden fruit, and before consuming, stop to admire it. For it was beautiful. It was strangely polished like how you would keep an ornament clean, the surface of the skin was unnervingly smooth. A freshened scent came from the fruit. He tore it to pieces, absorbing it. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Its juices made him burst on the inside and jiggle with excitement. Sweet. Sweeter than any of the honey and nectar he had tasted. It filled him, he was really full. There was no hunger any more. He was fine, everything was fine. It was surprisingly dense for what it was, a magical apple. Maybe, just maybe it wasn¡¯t all so bad. Perhaps some just god really did look after him.
Golden apple consumed exp gained! +80 exp gained
Congratulations you have Level up! You are now level 6
¡®Neat!¡¯ but he wasn''t eager to upgrade his stats yet. Those were decisions for the future. He couldn¡¯t just toss it around willy nilly. Generalist?, specialist? who cared right now. Greed now overtook him as he stared at the tree. There were more than three dozen fruits hanging. If he ate all of these apples he could gain so much exp. Leveling up several times over. It was amazing, but his stomach was full right now, he couldn¡¯t stomach anymore. It dawned on him that the appearance of this tree was out of place. It appeared when he needed it. He hoped no one was guarding the tree or would come looking for missing fruit he had not. The orchard tree was strange; it stood alone in a field of maple and oak trees. As if waiting for someone. He couldn¡¯t risk getting caught; he needed to move. And quickly. Victor plucked another apple from the hanging branches and plucked it in his inventory space. Which now contained a Map and an apple. He started stressing. It was time to slip away. Then he heard the wind whisper his name. ¡°Victor.¡± the wind whispered. Chills. Something called out his name. ¡°Victor¡­Leave¡­.¡± It was that of a specter, he heard them in the cave. It wanted him out. He would not. Something was wrong with this tree, something was odd about the whole immediate area. The air felt foul. He wanted to find out why. The wind blew in the direction behind the trees and the clouds obscured this area, shadowing an already dark part of the forest. He moved towards the thicket. And there, once, out of normal sight. Lay the dead, a mass grave. Curved Swords, long blades, halberds, bows, and arrows scattered among the crime scene. A strange sight indeed. Each corpse had different armor, a view into many different eras of civilizations.. Many of them naked and their armor beside them. One resembled that of fully plated samurai, what appeared to be a janissary. He spotted a viking, braided beard, an ancient warrior clinging to his shield. Then he spotted the unmissable roman soldiers, the roman eagle marked on their shields. There were many more, but he couldn¡¯t recognise them. ¡°Run, Victor,¡± The same voice repeated. He caught a glimpse of them, a glimmer of light, masquerading these fallen men. They stared at him hollow, but sad. ¡°You are not safe, victor!¡± a new voice said, furious. They weren¡¯t lying; he needed to leave. They weren¡¯t haunting him, they were stuck here. It was time to go. But something in the center of the mass grave stood and drew his eyes. It stood out in the chaos of the field. A sunray had broken through the clouded sky and stayed on the shining shortsword. He recognised it. Arminius had fought with one, a Roman gladius. He needed it. He lost his dagger, the heavens itself highlighted it. He lost his dagger, he needed to take it. He approached it, cast observe on the object.
Roman gladius (+20) (sword name hidden) ¡®He who is worthy, may smite their foes with the burning fury of the roman eagle.¡¯
Cryptic. He moved towards it. And a happy spirit appeared. Resembling a dead centurion, one who¡¯s corpse lay not too far. ¡°It was mine once, a fine blade. Take it,¡± The specter smiled at him.¡±Take it, then leave.¡± And so he did. He plucked it from the ground. A childhood memory played in his head. He had once pretended. To be the king of camelot plucking his sword from the stone. The legendary blade, Excalibur claimed. This wasn¡¯t that but he felt giddy, joyous. As it was crafted for him. he put his slimy hand on it pulling it from the cracked ground. ¡°Now leave, she is coming!¡± ANother spirited shouted from afar, frantic and desperate. From where the tree stood. Out of thin air, a naked woman materialized. ¡°You¡¯ turn your back for one moment,¡± she ranted. ¡°you go off on an errand for a great tree, and when you come back there is a filthy beast in your home, disturbing your guests.¡± The spirits were gone, none stood in her presence. A young woman naked in every sense of the word. She was desirable. A curvaceous body. Smallish but supple. She held not a single piece of clothing. she had no clothing but was covered in patterns with vines and plant roots. Soft visible aura radiating from her, and was rising with her fuming temper. A spirit of nature. He casted observe.
Nymph??? Unobservable! Magic blocks you from seeing what she is.
You have leveled up a skill Analysis leveled up (lvl 3)
¡°Begone beast!¡± She commanded with fury. She peered at her tree and noticed that her fruit was missing a few pieces. ¡°My tree! A filthy creature like you plucked from my tree! You will pay for this.¡± She was pissed. Perhaps she was justified in her anger, he really was a thief. But the mass grave told a different story. These men were victims. Her victims. He gripped gladius, he would strike her down if she as much as touch him. She was beyond beautiful but he would throw his life away so easily. She judged him for a moment. Her piercing gaze touched him, touched his ¡®soul¡¯. She had seen him for what he is.
Analysis spell has been cast on you.
''Concerning'' Her eyes changed for a moment turning as red as her aura and then it dissipated. As if captured by her sight ¡°What are you? She demanded. Silently judging him. ¡°You¡¯re no monster, you are a man, trapped in one.¡± Her radiant aura completely dissipated. Then she locked eyes with his small body. A mix of curiosity and anger. ¡°Victor,¡± she said with a soft tone. The spirits whisper your name, often they are pests but they do bring me comfort sometimes. Would like to stay and talk with them.¡± Reddish flags start to wave in victor¡¯s mind, he refuses to be stuck.¡± ¡°¡±How did you come to be like this Victor, perhaps my talents can even fix you.¡± ¡°Do you want riches victor, do you want me.¡± She teased seductively her finger tips tracing along the sensual parts of her body, even the lower part. ¡°She looked at him again, I know what you want. We can help each other..¡± Maybe she could, but Victor couldn¡¯t afford to trust her. It made sense why this grave existed . She lured these men here. They all likely strayed off the path hoping for respite and recovery. She had used them and discarded them. ¡°You wonder about these men,¡± her manner of speaking shifting stoically. ¡°It''s the duty imposed upon me, so I punished them. As they deserve. Men, nature¡¯s bane¡± She approached him slowly. A step in his direction every so few seconds. ¡°But you deserve more, you¡¯re special.¡± ¡°My body is different, I will not succumb to the woes of the succubus¡± he shouted aloud. Telepathy at work. Her eyes narrowed, her arms reaching for him ¡°Is it murder to execute criminals, dear victor? Come closer and I''ll give you what you desire. Victor was fool by his own admission yes, but never again will he fall for an elementary trap. Not after the snakeman. He slimed away in the opposite direction, his senses on high alert. ¡°Come back here!¡± Her voice thundered behind like an angry god. ¡°You took what isn¡¯t yours, pay me back,!" The air clapped with a loud ping, like an artillery shell being fired. A Giant boulder bursted into the air, just narrowly missing him. Colliding with a tree, making it fall over. Dust rock and wooden fragments exploding everywhere. A poor man''s shrapnel bomb. A large piece of wood, spun in the air, turned towards him and chased him like a missile, piercing him.
You lost -9 hp 19/28 hp remaining
Impaled. Movement speed restricted by -2 dex
¡°You ate from my tree!¡± she shouted. Sending a flurry of sharp pebbles at him.¡±
You have lost -5hp 14/28 hp remaining
The allegory creeped Victor out, did the fruit contain a physical piece of her? He ran. He was impaled by something and it slowed him down. Vines started tussling and tree branches started coming alive, a thick vine lashed out. It reminded him of Arminius, whipping the air. He imagined he was back in that militia, and was marching. The vine was the whip punishing him, he did like being punished. He sped up.
Adrenalin!!! Activated. You need to survive.
He sped up, slithering away from the obscured grave. He was free of her, one obstacle remained in his way, the river, his only escape route. There was only one way out. The river called out to him, alluring but sinister. Like it wanted a piece of him, a piece. Like it was alive and it wanted to consume him. He turned around, and to his irritation, the nymph was approaching calmly. ¡°I can help you little Victor,¡± She spoke as if he was a child. Then the charade faded very quickly. ¡°Even if you leave me now,we''ll be together soon, and you will pay, you''ll take proper responsibility as a man should.¡± Her aggression was gone. Was it because he had left the part that was her home? He couldn''t care any less. He had Desperation to live on, nothing could compel him anymore than that. He wanted to live longer and that was all that mattered. Victor jumped into the river. It was cold and wild. It dragged him across its body,he looked back, and for a moment, they glanced at each other. A cold smile on the devil''s face. As the river tossed him around. He felt the water mixing with his insides. Excruciating pain, yet he didn¡¯t lose any health. He had tried struggling with this force of nature but it proved futile. He held tightly to the gladius. It was slipping, and soon he would lose it as quickly as he saw it. He didn¡¯t know if he would wake up again. And thought of the few acquaintances he had met. Markus and Malak. They were strange folk but he hoped he could see them again. The sword finally slipped from his grasp. Audible words escaping from it. ¡°I came. I saw. I conquered.¡± Then everything was black. An: I really try. Really try to write short chapters, but the word creep happens naturally and then the editing (Takes more time writing) is absolutely horrendous. Sometimes I write like gigantopithecus, other times like Stephen king on white powder. Thank you for bearing the weight of my words. Chapter 10 - Croaking Troubling Victor awoke from his deep slumber. He had done it. Just barely escaped death again. Surviving impossible outcomes. He wondered how many more of these would he have to do in order to live a peaceful life again. Would he even live a peaceful life as a human here? War was rampant in this world. Diseases? Like the days of old. Could he live a peaceful life if the moral laws of such a savage world? He restricted him? HE stood alone on the riverbank. The nymph didn¡¯t attempt to follow. When he had left the surrounding area of the tree, she had stopped aggressively pursuing him. WIt could very well be that she doesn''t have much influence outside her Demesne. Was her spirit tied to the tree, maybe one day he could find out, maybe even free those lost souls. He had some of his mass, and was slightly smaller than usual. Victor moved around, he was stumbling and felt strangely wet, like he was doubly wet. Though there wasn¡¯t a lot of water inside of his body anymore, the feeling of being sloshed around the water like ingredients in a mixing bowl didn¡¯t subside. There was no overbearing sun today. So that was all good he guessed. So no debuff. ¡®Today!¡¯ it seemed a day had passed very well. The sun stood on the other side of the planet. Where it wasn¡¯t yesterday. That confirmed he had slept for some time then. He realized as it would have been dusk shortly after his slimy body took a plunge into the bottomless waterway. He peered around his surroundings scouting and observing the area for unnecessary threats. Relief washed over as there was nothing of immediate consequences, just birds. He also swore he heard some very large croaking from far away. He was hungry again, but there was no frenzy in him. No raging fire to tell him, Eat consume absorb. He was just generally hungry. There was nothing in the intermediate vicinity. He would probably have to go hunt something. Fish was out of the way until he found a way for his body not to start tearing itself apart, the moment he entered a body of water. Way too heavy of risk not to mention. He also didn¡¯t want to eat raw meat for the sake of it. If he was going to eat raw there had better been an incentive. He remembered he plucked an extra golden apple and had put it in his inventory. He immediately removed it.
Golden apple consumed exp gained! +80 exp gained
The hunger had vanished instantaneously, and the feeling of being sated returned to his body. For a few hours this would be great. It was a pity he would never feel like this any time soon. Not unless he steps into another near another nymph''s trees.. Usually he would wake up during his slumber, because his body requires needs. The golden apple made him sleep right through He had hoped for another level up. ¡®If only he could see how many exp he had left.¡¯
User requires 28 exp to move on to the next level (7)
¡®Bummer¡¯ No matter, he was already in reach of his next level up. With each subsequent level up, he felt a lot stronger than before. Something shiny reflected light in his eyes.A few meters away not too far from where he had been spilled away. It was a sword. Victor immediately slithered towards it. It is no other sword than gladius destined for him and no other. He picked it up, and put it into his inventory until he found a solution.
User does not need to store weapons and armor when the user can equip it.
¡®So the system can be useful.¡¯ he¡¯d need to ask it serious questions in the future
You have equipped Roman gladius (+20) (sword name hidden) ¡®He who is worthy, may smite their foes with the burning fury of the roman eagle.¡¯
¡®Check equipment¡¯
Equipment: Miner¡¯s hat (+1 Strength); (+1 Constitution) [head] Roman Gladius (does 20 damage) (hidden properties locked until user meets requirements.)
¡®All''s well that ends well¡¯. He thought to himself. ¡®It couldn¡¯t possibly get any worse than this.¡± He swung the sword around a bit. Even with his lackluster strength he had developed , the sword proved a bit too heavy to use in any swinging or zig-zagging maneuvers. He remembered he had level up, and had 5 unspent attribute points. He decided, since he was forced into a warrior build for the remaining time. He may as well embrace it until the future presents itself. He didn¡¯t want to be a dungeon janitor anymore. He wanted a real class. He put 5 points into strength.
Str+5 New values: Str 13 ( Lackluster )
Several took immediate effect. His inventory size had increase by a value of 1.
Inventory size value changed 2>3
The inventory was a prospect he still found amazing. Changing his strength directly affected the size of this dimensional pocket. He wondered, if magic very well could tie into that. It would make sense compared the ol''baggage carry limit. One was peculiar to him. How quickly he became physically stronger than his human self had been, which isn''t saying much by modern human standards, but he''s was more than a pile of goo now. Still he was a far cry away from becoming godly however. A good hit from a larger opponent and he would be either staggered, flying or retreating into the wind. He needed to be cunning, play it like a burglar would. A thief in the night. His next stat goal was in sight, to raise his constitution above that of a normal human. Victor was pretty sure a falling boulder made plunged him into the next cycle. For now he was a glass cannon. The average person may kill a snake with their bare hands. Though at least back on earth, there are few snakes who are easy to toss around. Venom would tear into you sooner than you could grab the danger noodle. It is a matter of probability and chance. He would have to play that that role to a tee. Survivability, above all else. He who is fanged sleeps safer than he who is without fangs. The croaking had started to become obscenely annoying at this point. The type of sound you couldn''t get out of your head. It wasn¡¯t every day you heard frogs bellowing and croaking like a tea party was occuring. He was a few levels. Away and he needs exp. And he need those frogs to shut up. Why not start with those annoying amphibians, the croaking had started to mess with his mind. Because It was all he literally heard. He moved in the direction from where the frogs were. The audible intensity a frog just made gave him the impression these were probably not normal frogs. Then if he didn¡¯t see it with his own eyes. He wouldn¡¯t have believed it, a frog man, standing no larger than a preteen was sprinting somewhere down the river, wearing nothing more than loincloth, and hunching down like a caveman with his spear. A 3-man group of smaller frogmen as large and as awkwardly build like a fat toddler, following from behind. He heard running down the river, the kind shoes make. A human. Then followed by distant barking.
NEW QUEST: Save the young girl.
¡®What young girl?! WHat young girl! Victor was bothered by the fact, the system generated a quest that may have been vital to someone''s life. Could it design a quest simply based on a need? what if it doesn''t generate one, and someone ends up dying he could have saved.¡¯ He accepted the quest without hesitation. Running after the frog menace. Each frog possessing a makeshift spear, in both hands. The croaking became louder and then he saw the crime scene. Four frogs were surrounding a young human girl. She had a glowing stick in her hand that she waved against the frogmen. Which seemed to irritate them even more. Her dog resembled that of a domesticated wolf barking at the frogmen. It was small still a pup, yet loyal and protective. It ran around in a circle, setting up a perimeter surrounding the girl They seemed to be spouting gibberish from the top of their lungs. Shouted at the little girl as if telling her what to do. ¡°Rabbbeittibriribtibtirb!!!.¡± The Largest of the group reverberated ¡°Ribbbiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!!¡± ¡°Stay away, I''m minding my business.¡± The girl told the beastmen. Bark! Bark! Bark! The dog, urging them to back away. They did not seem to care. So it went with the two parties. They attempted to move closer. Causing the dog to snap bite mid-air at the assailants. Victor could abide by many things, but not an innocent being attacked nor a child. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Fuck faces over here!¡± he echoed out to them. Victor himself launched himself into the fray, Bless with his newly enhanced strength, his gladius felt lighter. He lashed out at the nearest frogman. Bringing his blade towards a swing. Slashing it across it''s naked chest.
You have dealt 33 damage to an adolescent frog man.
The small frogman staggered back. Held it''s wound tightly with his four-fingered hand. All four of the of them shifting their focus away from the girl, and their attention locked securely on him. It moved back, retreating slowly, as if ready for the next attack. The largest spouted something in frog language as if commanding them to strike. So they did, all charged at him. He dodged piercing strikes easily by simply changing his shape. Slashing one frogman and then another with his gladius. Red blood dripping and tapping form the amphibian folk.
You have dealt 27 damage to an adolescent frog man.
You have dealt 12 damage to an adolescent frog man.
They went on the defensive and retreated slowly. Gauging him time to make the next attack. But he was struck first. Lunged from behind flanking him. It was too late to dodge, he picked a fight that would certainly not be easy to win. He retreated. Chunks of ooze dripping off his body.
You lost -7 hp 21/28 remaining
It hurt. This was much worse than fighting the rats, a whole different world. There it didn''t hurt like this. He felt with each additional hp he gained the threshold of pain seemed to widen. Victor retreated by fleeing back towards a tree near the riverline. All the smaller frogmen formed a small line waiting for him to strike. ¡®Formations!? They clearly more than intelligent. He would not make the first move.¡¯ The leader frog took the initiative. Circling around the tree. Victor also took to the defensive ; he didn''t expect a sudden attack from the large leader. He raised his gladius waiting for the strike from the 5 foot frogman. ¡°Ray of fire!!! Ray of fire!!! Ray of fire!!!¡± He heard a shout coming from the otherside. Three magical rays of fire burned the back of the giant frogman. The attention of all the little frogmen, shifted back to wards the girl. She proved herself to be a threat. They were already confused without the leader to give them proper instructions. Now they were demoralized. The starstruck leader who was on fell his knees, bent over to ground, croaking in pain. Victor jammed the blade in the back of the leader ''s head.
You have dealt 42 damage to frog leader( critical)
The blade was stuck for a moment inside the leader, he struggled to pull it out. The smaller frogmen, left their spears as if waving a white flag, and took to swimming away in the river. The frog leader wasn¡¯t dead but he appeared to be paralyzed. Trying to close the hole at the back of his neck where Victor had shanked him. He started making horrible croaking noises. ¡®RRAABBIIIT¡­.¡± ¡°Ribbbbbit.¡± Victor did not let the opportunity slide. He lobbed the head of the beastman''s head right off.
You have defeated Frogman leader You gained 40 exp
Quest completed! +100 exp
Congratulations you have Level up! You are now level 7
Limb manipulation leveled up! Limp manipulation now (lvl3) You may now form an additional limb.
¡®Sweet!¡¯ He immediately formed another arm on the other side. He could get a shield, maybe another sword and ¡®oh¡¯. He realized he had messed up proper communication, fearing possible retaliation from the magic wielding girl. He immediately boosted his constitution by 5. That flame ray did a number on the frogman. Who knows what it might do to him. He was ready to flee regardless of the outcome.
Con+5 New values: Con 15 (+1) (Slightly Resilient)
Hp parameters changed New value: 28>39 HP
¡°She held her stick wand in his direction.¡± brandishing it, a spark of light escaping the tip. ¡°Stay back or I''ll burn you, I swear I will.¡± This was his first interaction with civilization in a while, if you could excuse malak. The dog moved in his direction barking repeatedly. BArk!! BArk!!! BAARRK!!! ¡°I mean no harm,¡± The telepathic message audibly escaped his body. She was taken aback, retreating backwards, her body slumped against a tree. She moved her stick around another warning. ¡°My father is a great wizard, he will destroy you if you touch me demon.¡± the dog growled as if backing up her statement and cementing her father¡¯s status. ¡°Stay back!¡± ¡°I assure you, i may have the appearance of a monster, but I''m man as any other.¡± ¡°What is it you want, spirit, there is nothing for you here, leave!¡± she insisted, frightened. ¡°I only wish to ask for directions,¡± Victor told her, he hid gladius in in temporal space of his equipment. ¡° I was told there was a village nearby and I was hoping to ask for directions.¡± Telepathy was turning into a minor effort. Everytime he had done it, he had felt weaker. ¡°Directions for what, souls to hunt, mischief or just trickery.¡± ¡°I am looking for the damned men, I heard, that cursed souls may turn human again.¡± ¡°Human, you are cursed, are you?¡± Her frightened expression. It wasn¡¯t exactly a lie, more a subversion of the truth regardless victor couldn''t afford any mistakes. ¡°Yes, I was slain by a monster, not so long ago, when I woke up, I woke up at this ." he pointed, using his now 2 limbs to point at him, making one a human shaped hand and the other a thick tentacle.This was also going to take a while, as he hasn¡¯t gotten used to using more than one limb at all. He made an ok sign. At her. ¡°Well I don''t know about all that, sir gelatinous blob, but my father might.¡± ¡°Could you take me to him, perhaps, I only seek information to tell. Lady?¡± ¡°Isilwyn, ¡° the pre-teen told him. She seemed flattered by title. She appeared to look the epitome of a redneck¡¯s daughter. A missing bucktooth, a straw hat and practically barefoot. Were it not for the miraculous rays of fire, he have thought her an orphan or a waif. ¡°What are you doing out here lady Isylwyn.¡± he asked out of curiosity. ¡°An errand for my father, I can assure you I can handle myself. These frogs usually aren¡¯t aggressive; something must have shaken them.¡± Could it have been him, could have been nymph''s chaos upstream, or was it the work of those skull knights, maybe the griffon. ¡®Some father this was, making a young girl fight deadly monsters and scour the woods for errand nonsense.'' He did his most polite attempt at bowing, which made him look like an ugly lamp post. "Well lady islwyn, if you can lead the way. I would be grateful." She returned the courtesy. She smiled at the prospect and hip and skipped along the road. ¡°Come on!¡± She led the way and he tried to keep up with her childlike energy. The dog occasionally glaring at him and barking.
They did not travel very far. They reached a modest village that was fortified with wooden planks. A guard post at the top. Fortification implies someone else was occurring here. The guard instantly locked his crossbow on Victor and shooting an arrow inside him.
You have suffered 18 damage!
''Fuck!'' He slithered into the shade out of sight, ready to flee. he didn''t know what he was expecting. It made sense that they''d attack him on sight. ¡°Quickly isylwen, into the village so i can smite this beast!¡± The guard shouted running down hastily to chase Victor down. ¡°Stop, Magnar. He is a guest. I bought him to father.¡± she shouted frantically. The guardsmen lifted their crossbows. Though there was disbelief in his eyes. His face told a different story. that strange things indeed did probably happen around this girl. She called out to Victor and took him inside the villages. Gazes immediately fixated on him. A robed man approached, furiously. Arms swinging about in the air, staff in his hands. Eyes fixated on victor then his daughter. ¡°Islwyn what is that!!!¡± he pointed his fingers at victor, his hands echoing with lightning. ¡°He is a traveler who requested help, he said he was cursed and was looking for the damned men." She tried her best to explain. ¡°I don''t believe it, Speak then ooze.¡± ¡°Gooday, sir my name is victor, and i''m seeking directions for the whereabouts of the damned men." ¡°I have heard enough," the wizard exclaimed. At the mention of their damned men¡¯s name, the wizard casted a spell on victor. ¡°Be quiet!¡±
You have been silenced. All magical or psychokinetic effects have become powerless.
He found himself unable to do telepathy any further. He couldn''t speak to represent himself. The wizard had truly stripped it away. He cast another spell ¡°Bind to my wishes.¡± A magical chain formed around Victor''s body. He was bound, unable to speak, unable to run. The chain disappeared shortly after. The wizard then looked at his daughter, who looked terrified at what just happen. ¡°You are grounded, you wont leave the village until I say so. Go to your room, study or do a chore.¡¯ ¡°But¡­¡± The wizard¡¯s stare was all it required to shut the girl up. And she ran off into a house, the dog following suit. "You will follow me, you will not struggle and you will not resist." He told victor. Victor did his best to contest it but the wizard''s words were binding, forcing him to obey. The wizard dragged victor along a dirt road, not physically but simply with his magic, every villager staring at the spectacle. "Tomorrow you will answer my questions, truthfully or I... will... end... you!" He threw victor in a large barn filled with hay and dirty animals. Specifically a pen with one ugly and dirty fat pig. And closed it. Squealing ¡°OOOOINKKK!!¡± The wizard walked away. ¡®Aw shit!¡¯ Perhaps this place was not worth the trouble. The pig approached him, and then it started licking him. He immediately ran away from the pig who followed him like he was candy floss. It licked him all over. ¡°Eww the fuck.!¡± Victor scattered away into the corner. He climbed up the stacks of hay to get away from the pig. The pig is desperately trying to climb up after him. Which was futile as it was large and too fat, could barely get up the hay. He saw a railing he could attach to and luckily he was able to stick to the wall and slowly moved way up. He stuck to the upper railing, there was roof above and a hole. Sliding through the hole and then cursing his bad luck. ¡®Well that was just fucking great.¡¯ he thought. The pig''s squealing didn¡¯t stop for quite some time. Chapter 11 - Break and Enter Boink!
-2hp You have suffered fall damage.
Victor fell ooze first and collided with the floor for the umpteenth time. Barely awake and bore the pains of waking. At Least hunger didn¡¯t eat at him, no thanks to the golden apple, though the effect of that would subside not too long from now and , he required his sustenance. ¡® A large obese snout started sniffing obnoxiously near his slimy body. The pig¡¯s fat hooves stepped on his gelatinous body. Causing him to jerk upwards. Snout protruding, it started nibbling on Victor¡¯s gelatinous flesh, tongue at work licking him like he was a bucket of fresh ice cream. Victor formed a whip-like limb, and hit the obese pink beast across the face, and then the backside for extra measure. Causing it to yell in agony. ¡°Squeeeeeeaaalll!!!!.¡± And so the night had gone. This has happened twice so far. The roof above was unmaintained and he found himself slipping through cracks and holes every time he dozed off into a slumber. These poor ingrates of peasants did a bad job at cleaning the place as it smelled like a urinal and a manure factory to him. It was a good thing he was able to suppress his senses. The damn wizard had locked him up, almost the entirety of the day, stripped him of the ability to communicate. He had heard audibly how he restricted the villagers from coming in here. If this wizard was so wise, he would know Victor had to eat. If push came to shove there was always his new neighbors, porky in the corner thought he was a delectable dessert, Victor could return the favour in kind. How long has it been since he had proper roasted bacon? With both his hands now, it would not be hard to make a fire. A large dusty oil lamp lit up the filthy barnyard. The perfect tool if one didn¡¯t have flint and steel.¡¯ There were a few chickens in here, though they appeared to be mad. Plucking and cuckling around in their little hen house without end in sight. The rest were goats, mostly young goats, and three adults. He assumed they kept them for milk and possibly slaughter. There was a horse in the building, in a stable compartment leading outside. The horse acted very aggressively if victor so much as moved in his direction. He had tested every nook and cranny for an escape, but all were blocked off. He tested his telepathy every hour to see if the wizard had forgotten about him. Or if the power of the cell waned. If he freed himself he¡¯d flee immediately. The magic that binds him was the real concern, if only he had been a little stronger he¡¯d have shown the wizard what business was really about. A punch in the face, will shut up any scrawny trickster. A pity he didn¡¯t know a sorcerer, or a proper god to call on. No Marcus to save him, and no Malek to guide him through this. He would just have to play this out the hard way, alone. The chirping that crickets make, made him realize what time it could have been now. Dawn or midnight. Victor climbed back up the wall of the barn, and up to the attic. There had been an attic up there, It might be better to spend it under the moonlight then down here with the animals. The pig had desperately come for him again. But Victor just dashed away, not wasting his time on trivially attempting to discipline the beast. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t learn, why wouldn¡¯t it learn it lesson,¡¯ Near the attic window, bright lunar light shone its heavenly light under Victor, the moon was weird here. It had a slightly more Goldish profile than old luna back on earth. A lot more rocks and craters, and a giant arc, which resembles that of a canyon or a large river running through it. It was also so mu obscenely closer than luna had been to earth, The town below was relatively quiet. It was modest town, for a medieval period. He guessed there were probably around 300 people here. But he see a lot of people moving around at night, some working, some potentially fooling around. The specific behavior of a local resident caught his eye. It was a cloaked man, fitted in a robe. At first he thought it may have been Mr. Doom and gloom wizardry, but his movement was sly to say the least. Only moving when no else was looking, and when someone happened to spot him, he¡¯d do something else, smoking tobacco or pretending to take a piss. The strangest part is he was heading in this direction, towards the barn. Victor was no intellectual but he could smell trouble brewing. In his hands was a brown burlap sack. Was he a thief, did he intend to steal cattle, when everyone was looking. Victor creeped away in the shadows of the rooftop attic so he wouldn¡¯t be seen by this funny assailant. He was pretty sure that everyone in the village knew he was thrown in there by the wizard. Why would this man risk breaking and entering, knowing full well a ¡®wild monster¡¯ resided here for the night. The man attempted opening from the front, but the big lock bars had been locked. He had attempted to brute force his way in initially but when he did his best to rustle it opened. . It made way too much noise. He moved around the barnyard building, rushing towards the otherside. Much to the thieves dismay, everything had been locked. Every door, including the horse''s one. As if attempting a last resort, the thief took a large rope and a steely hook and circled around the barn again. ¡®Oh oh!¡¯ he was going to break in. Victor might have to ¡®confront¡¯ him. Teach him that messing around on other people''s property was not a moral conundrum. One big flaw in the design of the building was that the windows were partially broken. There are big holes on both the North and South window. A hook flew through the large hole. Clamoring and eventually due to the nature of the steel hook point collapse towards the ground with a large thud. ¡®Critical success for him I guess.¡¯ Victor moved towards the very window, and slithered into the darkest corner next to the window. He wanted a front row seat. The robed burglar started climbing inside. He must have had incredible physical prowess if he was walking upstairs. As he reached the top he stuck his hand inside, like inside the glass vacuum and started fiddling around for the opening and found it. Turned a handle, and climbed up. Victor wasn¡¯t going to stop him. It also seemed no magic barrier affected the menace. Perhaps it was put only to keep out ¡®Monsters¡¯. Or only him. Victor thinned himself out as much as he could, laying still in the darkness. A nasty thought came to his mind. The way he saw it he had two choices. He could eat this thief of a man for exp or he could play a nasty prank on him. The shrouded burglar found his way in, and immediately scuttled forward to peer below. He misstepped on a rotten plank. One of legs slipped through and made him fall on the terrible attic floor. Now victor couldn¡¯t giggle, but he sure as hell jiggled like it. The man got himself together and looked below, through the opening. ¡°Where oh, where oh are you my dear prize.¡± The scoundrel said. Taking out the attic ladder and immediately sliding downwards. Burlap sack in hand, a dagger nestled in the other. Victor followed suit, stayed above and peered below. The bastard wasn¡¯t looking for cattle, he was looking for Victor. It dawned on him. Though by his entrance inside it must have not been his first rodeo. He looked behind every pen, gate and fence. Even among the animals. Disturbing the henhouse by forcibly throwing out all the chickens. ¡°Fucking slime ball come out!¡± ¡®Ok then, pranking time.¡¯ Victor thought in response. Despite being silenced. It seems his inventory and his equipment didn¡¯t fall under ¡®magical properties¡¯ probably because they inherently weren¡¯t they were part of being magical. And what exactly was the system again? He didn¡¯t really know if he was being honest. Victor formed an arm and hand, equipped his gladius out of thin air and cut the escape of the barnyard thief away. The brittle wood of the ladder simply succumbs to the clashing of roman steel. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. A buzz, a clang, and then a large crash. As the ladder fell down completely landing in the kitchen coops. Someone was definitely going to hear that. The suspect, immediately looked above. Staring in shock as Victor stood there calmly with a sword in his hands. ¡°What the fuck¡­What the fuck¡­¡± His dagger fell to the ground as well as the burlap sack. Panic set in and he immediately made for the farmyard doors. Trying desperately to get it open. It seemed he didn¡¯t expect a sword wielding ooze. It appeared he wanted to shout for help, but didn''t as he would find himself in an even darker jar of pickles. Victor then took it upon himself, to make a hammer-like shape and started pounding the frail attic. Hitting roof, wall and floor. Making every noise under the sun. Making wood fall from above. Loud and dangerous, he sought attention with the ruckus he was creating. The thief struggled to no avail. Occasionally peering back at Victor like he was a victim of a serial killing in action. He attempted to climb on the horse, very likely to force the horse to break the door open. The black steed responded by throwing him off horseback, and kicking him hard enough to send him flying into another pen. No response from the local villagers or the wizard yet. Victor needed to up the ante. He split pieces of him in small concentrated parts and cut them off. He threw each animal in the barn with it, making them whine and whistle.
  • 3 hp
  • Self-damage inflicted
You have dealt 1 damage to obese pig
You have dealt 2 damage to goat mother.
Squeals and bleeting could be heard about, combined with the horses neigh made for the perfect party of sounds.
You have dealt 1 damage To chicken thief.
¡®Chicken thief!?¡¯ definitely not something he wanted on his gravestone. Then the doors flew open with a resounding bang. It was the wizard and a local village guard. Each brandishing a weapon. The wizard held his quarterstaff, and the guardsmen held a longsword. The thief had given up and fell towards the ground. The first thing coming out of his mouth were excuses. ¡°I have been wondering why the chickens have disappeared every so often,¡± the wizard said. Victor felt a wave of disappointment in his words.¡±Really Greg after all this village has done for you.¡± The thief started balling in tears. ¡°I needed the gold, I needed the gold to feed my sister. I owe gold to a goblin outside the village, you¡¯ve got to believe me .¡± ¡°An issue best left for the village council tomorrow morning. You have committed crimes against Iorestead and its people, if you have anything to say in your defense. I suggest you keep to yourself until tomorrow.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s gonna kill me. It¡¯s gonna kill me, you have to kill it first.¡± He pointed at Victor standing on the broken mess of the attic which had barely a functioning floor now. The guard looked to the wizard as if what to do about the situation. The wizard waved it off. Pointed at the livestock thief and gestured to the guard to take him away. The thief was dragged out screaming. Victor is now in an intense staring contest with the wizard. ¡°I half expected you to consume most of the animals here. Your kind initially needs a lot of food to survive,¡± he waved his hand. As if doing a magical trick. ¡°Perhaps I''ve judged you too harshly.¡±
Silence spell broken!
He could speak again. ¡°Perhaps!?¡± Victor said, outraged by the treatment. ¡°Trust me, ¡®cursed soul, I''ve treated you better than most people would have,¡± the wizard put the quarterstaff in his strap behind his back. ¡°I put you in the barn as a test of strength and character. You were supposed to feed on one of the animals. And I''d have judged you by the breath of your gluttony.¡± ¡°Maybe I would have, magic master, but a golden apple has kept me full so far. I pity I may need nourishment soon,¡± he complained. ¡°It¡¯s either end me, or let me go. I only came to ask directions so as not to be caught up here.¡± ¡°A golden apple? The path you walk is a dangerous one, not many who are reborn as monsters retain their sanity, much less are those who retain their memories. You need someone you can trust.¡± ¡°You seem to know a lot.¡± ¡°Indeed though my daughter was born into this world, I was not. The cycle is for us outsiders, not the people of this realm.¡± He took off his hood with a bright smile on his face. ¡°You have proven your morality by saving my daughter earlier, though she required none and the current circumstances, you found yourself in tonight, you had, i¡¯d say a perfect reason to kill but stayed your hand.¡± ¡°...¡± Victor kept silent hoping he would get to the point already, he was sick of this damn barn. He wanted out. ¡°Would you care for some tea and some food, cursed one.¡± The wizard asked ¡°Yes¡­yes that would be nice.¡±
Status Information (Additional status information hidden until necessary)
Race: Ooze (Slime)
Hp: 39/39 (-90 hp, racial debuff) (plus 1 con equipment buff)
Mp: 1/1
Name Victor
Class Dungeon Janitor
Titles Basic monster +1 str/+1 Dexterity, former human (retain basic mental attributes) +20 WIS + 35 INT
Level 7
Alignment Chaotic good
Attributes Strength 13 (Lackluster) (+1hat) Dexterity 8 (Lumbering) Wisdom 20 ( Former fool) Intelligence 35 (above the IQ minimum) Constitution 15 (Slightly resilient) )(+1hat) Charisma 2 (Unappealing )
Undistributed stats 0
Skills
Active skills effect
Analysis (lvl 3) Each level allows the user to see information of enemies and foes alike.
Passive skills
Dark Vision (lvl 3) Allows the user to see in he dark. The greater the user¡¯s ability, the easier the visibility.
Ooze Manipulation (lvl3) The ability to morph and shape one¡¯s body.
Limb manipulation (lv3) Allows the user to shape their limp in any form. The higher the level the easier the complexity of a shape. Every 3rd level of this skill allows the user to form an additional limb.
Special skills.
Telepathy Allows the user to communicate with his thoughts or aloud with no mouth to speak from.
Passive regeneration (Slow) Recover 0.5 hp per minute
Past-life memory retention Retaining one''s memory after reincarnation is a special reward not easily granted.
Acidic Absorption (race) The ability to break down and absorb any organic compound. Chance to attain Victim¡¯s skill on completion.
Chapter 12 - Cookies and Tea Victor blobbed and flattened himself, sitting next to the cross legged man, staring at each other. He wondered if the man knew he was looking at him, you couldn¡¯t see it from the outside, but Victor could form an orb to see, anywhere he looked. Though he preferred two. The wizard had let go of the binding magic, Victor was finally able to speak his mind. The ooze remained wary of man¡¯s intentions, keeping a safe distance just in case he blasted him with a spell. The wizard was a handsome bloke, if one could say so without attachment. Long beard one would expect from an ancient philosopher and the straightest dangling black hair that could put a rockstar to shame. The only unnatural thing was the red eyes . Which made his gaze feel so much more wild, like he was a beast on the inside. Tamed, but still trapped in a cage, restraining himself. They were outside the mages cabin. It was shaped almost like a long capsule but made entirely out of wood . Sitting on the porch in front of the entrance. The wizard Stared at him with a frown, like he was some puzzle that needed to be pulled apart or broken. His wife had appeared, though he could only see her face, as she was covered from head to toe in dark robes and head covering scarf. Only her face was visible, and her piercing eyes locked on him. She appeared to be frightened by his non-conventional visage. She Brought out a fat jar of cookies, and sweet treats to Victor¡¯s delight. Large as it was, It would probably not sate his hunger. Then again he shouldn''t expect a treat as a source of nourishment. He shouldn''t expect the wizard¡¯s family to feed him. She put down a tray, filled with spoons, sugar and a variety of tea. It wasn¡¯t everyday he was treated like a guest, even in his previous life he could probably count on one handful, how many times he was treated as someone of relative importance. ¡°Thank you dahlia, dear.¡± He said with the brightest smile on his face, though the fatigue was not unnoticeable. It was roughly around midnight. His wife escaped into their very large cabin, the door shutting tightly behind her. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you, but I''ve been ¡®silenced¡¯ for reasons¡­ He paused. Then continued, making an effort to let his mistreatment not go unnoticed. ¡°I heard from a drunk goblin how there was a gnoll party planning to engage.¡± ¡°Yes, we have knowledge of growing gnoll menace not too far from the gates of the Settlement. Judging by their actions they plan on attacking in a few days from now. Interesting company, you keep¡­goblins.¡± The wizard remarked. Victor made his best imitation of a giggle. ¡°No . I killed him right after, trying to sneak out of the cave. They were in the way,¡± Victor said casually. Which piqued the interest of the wizard. "What was your name again, master wizard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Faelion, a name given my parents, my third name, second in this world.¡± Faelion has died twice at least it seemed. Victor¡¯s tentacle grasped the spoon uncomfortable, wrapping around it like that of a noodle being twisted. Holding it with his magic hand was even more uncomfortable as he found it impossible to control his strength. His sad imitation of what a real hand was, either came down to being too slippery or holding too much grip strength. Something he hoped leveling up >Limb manipulation< might solve. He took a cookie from the jar, waiting for Faelion to eat. Who seemed only to be interested in nothing more than observing Victor. It was the right kind of sweetness, and soft but chewy at the center. He¡¯d savor it, then he would eat another cookie, and indulge in another. ¡°Victor, tell me a bit about the cave you spawned inside off. You said something about a small elf girl barking orders. ¡± Faelion was too on the nose for Victor. He made no effort for small talk. Every conversation was a probe for information. ¡°yeah..uhh ... .Seraphine her name was i think, crazy bitch,¡± he said. While stuffing the cookies into his gelatinous body. ¡°Fed one of her former commander¡¯s to the pile of oozes, where I spawned, and killed him right there on the spot.¡± The wizard frowned at the mention of the name. ¡°Did you consume the matter of that minotaur, and did she say anything strange at all towards him?¡± ¡°Well yes, i had just woken, was i not supposed to, not rely on my newly found instincts?¡± Victor stuffed his body with an assortment of sweet treats. Chocolaty goods, a hint of cocoa, and the taste, dissolving flour in his stomach. Though they all looked the same there were a variety of choices. ¡±Yes¡­They were hunting down fugitives or something, the minotaur wouldn¡¯t spill a bean, I think he deliberately kept a girl''s position safe. I think it might be the same girl I''ve encountered so far. He put the spoon down, manners be damned. He needed to feed himself. ¡°Are you going to eat that?¡± he asked Faelion. Pointing at the full tray of cookies. ¡°Not really no, i keep a strict diet, do help yourself,¡± Faelion sipped his tea, one question after another. ¡° Tell me about the girl.¡± ¡°Well I think she''s a druid or something. They presumed her dead and threw her body into a cave near the ooze pile. I noticed that she was still alive and tried to wake her. Which was a mistake because she pounced and nearly clawed me apart. He illustrated the scene by making his hands fight against his tentacle arm. I¡¯ve encountered her thrice I believe. The second time I heard her in the cave, and the third time she was pursued or uhh¡­ followed by a griffon and a small army of riders, with skull insignia¡¯s.¡± ¡°Death knights of morrigan!¡± he uttered with disgust. All the information made the wizard scowl, and he held his hand on his head. ¡°Are they super important? Did I say something wrong?¡± Victor¡¯s tentacle was stuck in the teacup, the fluids being slurped up like a straw ¡°No¡­no¡­it¡¯s just so many developments that happened in the region without my input,¡± Faelion, removing his sleeve from his robe, pointed to his lower arm. ¡°You see, this brand Victor, it strips me of most of my power. A curse mark, I was caught in a fight with the elf brat Seraphine, solving it is not a simple matter. It may take some time.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The mark on his lower forearm was a 9 point pentagram. It looked like it was physically painful. ¡°The shifting girl, in which direction they chase her?¡± he inquired ¡°East of here, I originally planned on going to a village east of here I believe. But to avoid them I traveled. I think one of those death nights sniffed me out or something.¡± ¡°Yes, they tend to do that. He sighed aloud. ¡° Druids and death nights, griffin hmmmm. The sorcerer walked up and down finger on his lip, fist on his chin. ¡°Where did you learn of the damned men Victor, those are words only uttered in certain circles. Dangerous circles¡± ¡°Before I actually died, once I got here. I got conscripted by romans. A legionnaire called Marcus told me while I was dying. That he might need my strength. Told me to seek these people out.¡± Faelion scoffed. ¡°And you are just blindly trusting this roman are you. Same with the spider you told me about resides underground. ¡° Agitation and frustration was in the wizard''s voice. ¡°Your way too trusting victor, it wouldn''t take more than a few ¡®sorry folk¡¯ to end you. No ill intent meant.¡± Victor knew it was true, that he blindly believed what he was told, perhaps even the system was lying to him. ¡°None taken, Marcus intentions seemed pure and Malak the spider i told you about¡­ well his revenge is clearly not directed at me. ¡± The wizard took a deep breath. ¡°Ok Victor, I think I have a proposition for you. ¡° Victor simply stared ¡°You need to eat Victor, you need to consume Victor. But only severely in the beginning. And only certain stuff. All monsters can evolve if exposed to the right conditions . Enough experience and absorption. People however were never meant to burn as a monster¡± That made Victor feeled bad, he ddin¡¯t choose to be born in the body of a monster. ¡°I once again, apologize for the way I mistreated you,¡± he sneered at the sky. ¡°But many reincarnated souls who transform into monsters, don¡¯t retain their sanity. Those who act quickly enough¡± Victor was reminded of his murderer who had constricted and slammed him. The snakeman, who ended him. He may have been sentient, he was probably a man like Victor was and like chase to be monstrous.¡± ¡°How are reincarnated folk treated here?¡± ¡°Like normal folk, if you are referring to ones reincarnated as monsters. Well they don¡¯t last very long,¡± Faelion stretches himself out. ¡°Those who don¡¯t succumb to madness often find themselves looking for help among villagers. If they arent lynched, murdered or sold off. They are often used as military arms.¡± ¡°Cruel, that¡¯s basically slavery.¡± ¡°Yes indeed, Nova Roma which I''m sure you''re familiar with now. Has a legion dedicated to monsters and monster men. No doubt if you crawl back to your ¡®roman¡¯ friend they¡¯ll end up conscripting you against your will. Which is probably why he referred you to the damned men of the waste.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s exactly how I died. Fighting for their militia.¡± The wizard peered around him in the air, fidgeting and turning his head. ¡°As more and more people from the other world come here, more and more, will they attempt to shape this world in their point of view. ¡± The wizard snickered. ¡°Rome didn¡¯t exist here a hundred years ago, but it didn¡¯t prevent the spawn of Romulus from spreading their taint here. ¡± Victor felt a conflict of interest, Faelion held disdain for something he found. ¡° Are you equating reincarnation with invasion and colonizers?¡± ¡°In a sense. With their flawed ideology and hopes and dreams, they will end up ruining this world as they have ruined the earth with their beliefs. I¡¯ve seen it all. Where I come from Victor there is no whole earth.¡± A hint of sadness on his face. ¡°Ruined and torched, by the powers that be, by weapons of mass destruction, only a fraction of us remained. Trying to move forward.¡± Victor immediately got giddy from excitement. ¡°You''re from the future!¡± ¡°I know what you mean by that but no, not the future you want to think about. That came before us. A cyberpunk dystopia as the 21 century kids would dub it. But no, I never lived through that. Only saw it through the simulations.¡± Victor didn¡¯t know what to say other than it was kind of cool and kickass. Post apocalypse, dystopia, scientific impossibilities, his nerd brain was fangirling. ¡°So did we ever explore space.¡± ¡°Yes, more than you might believe. Planet Mars, the Kuiper belt. They all had thriving settlements and fell trap to the same demise Earth did. Some seed ships ventured off for distant stars. They did not return in my lifespan, I lived for around 200 years. I wonder if they found something out there in the dark forest.¡± It was the greatest news victor had heard in his life, If Malak did find a way to move through time and space. He knew what he would do. ¡°But enough of that, i need to sleep Victor, thank you again for catching the thief. Most of the guards have been sent off to patrol the surrounding area, and I need to be aware, strange times these are.¡± ¡°Strange indeed.¡± Victor concurred. Thinking about the whole debacle. ¡°There¡¯s a cabin south of my home, it was my old cabin before there was a village here. I''d like to think of it as a refuge of sorts.¡± He pointed upwards to the mountain, which was a bit away from the village. ¡°You can stay there until you are ready to travel to waste. Trust me as you are now you won¡¯t survive the journey. Victor agreed. He come close to death several times over. He did his best impression of nodding with his stocky body, morphing into something that vaguely resembled a human head. ¡°Thank you. Sir¡± ¡°Let me show you the way. ¡°
Victor followed him through an alley obscured by trees, upwards leading to the mountain above the village. There upwards along the trail, a small river ran down, Probably leading into the larger body of water below. Darkness and obscurity, he had wondered if the wizard would shank him out here. But dismiss the thought. It must have been at least a thousand steps up the trail. Though it wasn¡¯t that far out, it was a hassle with his slimy body, going down was going to turn out better. The wind was strong up here especially for his small compressed body. He ¡®d have to do his best not to stumble down. Too cold of a temperature messed with his stickiness. There alone and secluded from the town below, stood a lone cabin, with a primitive slide door, and beautiful thin wood, but crafted in a minimalist manner. The sounds of an already silent village drowned out completely and he could hear the sounds of owls cooing and birds singing and flirting in the absence of the sun. They stood in front of the small cabin. The wizard slid the door open, it was old and a little dusty, spartan most of all. A single flatbed on the ground. Wooden desk on the side, an internal bookshelf built into the wall besides. ¡°You are a reader, Faelion?¡± ¡°I gather literature, yes. I try to make my best attempt at a collection. Though I rarely find time to read these days,¡± the wizard sighed, clearly tired. ¡° Try not to eat my books Victor. It won¡¯t make you smarter.¡± Victor had found the statement to be actually quite offensive. He didn¡¯t know if Faelion was taking a jab at his gullibility or his IQ. ¡°Uhh¡­ You think I can learn magic, in this state of being, like you.¡± he asked. Suddenly hoping to become a wizard himself. Faelion shook his head pondering. ¡°Yes possibly, but let''s leave the theory crafting for tomorrow Victor. Get some rest whatever Ooze and slimes get up to at night.¡± Eternal hunger, the only thing Victor had thought about at night. Sating the monster within. Evolution, a worthy goal. If only he could get out of this sorry state. He felt like a child, forced to accept the world has dictated a role for him. ¡°Well then goodnight Sir faelion, thank you for hospitality,¡± ¡°Yes,yes all that and more, tata¡­¡± The wizard stepped out, the door closing behind. Victor found a small taste of peace. At Least now he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with that snout trucking pig. He crawled up the bed, it¡¯s been a few days and nights since he had last slept on the bed. The feeling however wasn¡¯t the same. He missed having an old body. The new perks were great and all but he probably grew faster than the average human. But he missed having body parts and a mouth. Telecommunication wasn¡¯t a fun way to communicate. Just as I attempted to rest.. He had a large crash¡­ something akin to a loud explosion, something akin to Boom!!!! He immediately got out of the cabin, ready to see what was causing all the ruckus outside. Sliding the door open he saw the wizard running down. A building was on fire near the edge of the village, the wall breached and a part of it blown to pieces. Victor pursued. ¡°Come on Victor, I may require your help.¡± The wizard said. The wizard casted a spell, and then he jumped into the air, floating down below. How was he supposed to keep up? A nasty idea came to Victor¡¯s mind, even with his above average dexterity he¡¯d never be able to catch up. He retracted his tentacle and hand limb and formed primitive feet akin to a child''s safety boots and chased after.
DANGER!!!!
Over leveled threat has entered the area. Recommend fleeing for the user''s personal safety. Perseverance may lead to unexpected consequences.
Death is more than a possibility.
It was that moment again, He had all the reason to run away. Skulk in the shadows, somewhere alone. The last time something like this had happened he had fallen for a trap and died. Faelion and his family did right by him, he should at least return the favor. ¡°Oh well.¡± Chapter 13 - Bone and Marrow at the Gate Victor ran like a disheveled ostrich after the flying wizard. His Puny feet and legs struggled to navigate the obstacles that came with the ground. Rocky piles and wild grassy thorns of the mountainous wild terrain, pierced and punctured him. As he fled down the mountain path, the speed at which he was traveling downward hurt alot. ¡°OW!¡±
-1 HP
¡°OW!¡±
-1 HP
¡°OW!¡±
-1 HP
It felt like parts of his flesh were being burned off by the velocity at which he was spiraling downwards. In the process of this predicament his limb manipulation had gone up a level.
Limb manipulation leveled up! Limp manipulation now (lvl4) User obtains a easier understanding of ambidexterity
It seemed to him, in this world, for his powers to grow beyond eating. Pain equaled progress. He would have to experiment with new situations, repetition would only take him so far. At the bottom, he did his best attempt at following Faelion to the event of interest. A loud streak of smoke arose above the buildings. The heat had become significantly hotter, which was dangerous for Victor¡¯s gelatinous body. He¡¯d need some kind of protection if he was going to run inside a fire. Hopefully he would not touch it. He sprinted past fleeing villagers, some were women, some were young children, some were women clinging to their younger children. They all came from the direction of the smoldering building. Many villagers are only freshly awake, unaware of the unfolding chaos. The few who spotted him in the dark. Were struck between newfound panic, startled by his appearance. Caught themselves indecisive in two positions. ¡°Fear not, I am with the Wizard faelion!¡± he had hoped that would clear things up for the moment. He couldn¡¯t afford to stop and reassure them. There simply was no time. He found himself at a dead end. Turns out following something floating in the sky is not the best way to take directions on the ground. Victor took to climbing some of those buildings. His gummy boot like limbs sticking to the wall. Making a ¡®SQUEAK¡¯, everytime he took a step. Faelion never explained to him how big this ¡®village¡¯ was. There were hundreds of people, for medieval standards anyway, that should by no means be a small village. Or did his video game brain screw with him. From up here he saw the burning building, the watchtower, he had passed earlier yesterday afternoon. A large portion of the village''s palisade walls were burned off. He wondered if the chap who greeted him with the crossbow and the nasty words were okay. Not that he would miss him if something had happened to him Up ahead, Civilians and guards alike scrambled in every direction attempting to fan out and smother the flame. The fire spread rapidly by the minute as wood was abundant in the village .He saw guards forming a loose formation, clashing with an invading crowd of soldiers The invaders he couldn¡¯t probably tell from here. They Seemed strangely pale and thin, almost bony. The flying wizard looked upon Victor, gesturing to him to follow along. ¡°Come follow me Victor, the Village militia will know you stand with me.¡± So much for friendly greetings He tailed Faelion, and retracted his awkward limbs. And sprouted arms again. His Gladius equipped in one hand. And used a bucket he swiped off the ground as a makeshift shield.
Wooden Bucket equipped +5 percent defensive bonus
He would have to use what he could get. As he got closer. It was clear as crystal now. His enemies were undead, and an army of roaming skeletons. Each carrying a different weapon set. Axes and bows, a few carried explosive balls in the hands. String of fuses sticking out of the spherical construct. ¡°Make Way!¡± The Militia dispersed by retreating as defensively as possible. Faelion ran straight into the horde, Victor followed in hopes he could help the wizard as much as he could. The marching legion of the undead centered on the both of them. Victor tried to keep his composure. The urge to run away was still strong as ever. The wizard summoned a staff into his hands out of thin, a magical grey cloak appearing on him. He raised his arms in the air. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°I smite you. Ashes of the past, with the light of paradise. Begone from the world of the living, you have no power here.¡± White light ejected from the sky above, surrounded the entire area. The marching skeletons, fractured into bone dust and collapsing into the ground, leaving only weapons behind. none remained. The sheer amount of bone dust made a thick cloud, obscuring the area. The light fell on Victor and Faelion as well. touched Victor, bathed him in soothing light. It was a comforting feeling. Relief washed over him, as if the heavens himself told him, it would be alright. The damage he had felt earlier from sliding down the mountain pass, had healed up and the pain had disappeared.
HP restored +3 Hp fully restored
¡°Is it done?¡± Victor asked. And yet somehow doubted that it would be true. ¡°Faelion!Faelion!Faelion!¡± The militia shouted at the wizard. He waved them off. Faelion peered behind at the crowd behind him. Something was amiss and he stared among the crowd looking for something, perhaps for someone. He looked in the direction from where the skeletons had come. His head turned like a camera would on an intruder, like he sensed something. Something was coming, Victor knew that alright. ¡°Merry! To me!¡± he shouted aloud as he could in the air. A gleaming white horse galloped from afar, Faelion leaped on it swiftly.. Offered Victor hand on top. The horse groaned as the slimy ooze sat on it¡¯s saddle. ¡°Something amiss,¡± Victor asked ¡°More then, my captain hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡± he swore under his breath. "Where is that fucking captain, i can¡¯t command and fight at the same time. These people are simple peasants.¡± he swore in the air. Victor thought back to the day he had suffered his death, The roman Militia had survived by forming an impenetrable which was vastly different compared to the disorganized mob that he had seen just now. ¡°Perhaps force your men to hold the line. Shields on the ground, spears in the backs, arrows on the rooftops.¡± Victor suggested. Whether it was a good plan or not was irrelevant. At Least Victor thought of one He got the impression that Faelion may have been a good tactician but not have good foresight for military things. The wizard shouted out his suggestions ¡°Magnar you are in charge, take the lead. Do as you need to.¡± It was the person who nearly shot him at the gates. ¡®So he is alive after all.¡¯ Victor thought. It was probably no time for grudges ¡°Every man who holds a shield, form a line around the perimeter. Spearmen at the back guard them with your life. Archers form rank on the rooftops. Aimed for their brittle spines or heads, more will be coming. ¡° The villagers took to scrambling, Magnar taking charge of the reorganization. The wizard gruntled in pain. Leaning down on the horse. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± ¡®What¡¯s wrong.¡± Victor asked. Victor felt powerless if he was a little stronger; perhaps he could have properly taken charge of the situation. ¡°The curse ... .causes excruciating pain whenever I use a high-level spell, never mind the power i can¡¯t use.¡¯ he dismissed it, sat upright again. Staff drawn.¡± No matter.¡± Victor could hear soft galloping coming from the forest line, bone saw dust cleared up and he could clearly see the figure. A deathly visage, hollow and devoid of flesh, blood red eyes. Donned in pitch black armor and a giant sword held in one hand. A skeleton man with a horse as shiny and devoid of flesh as him. He approached the two. ¡°Faelion the wise, Faelion wizard of the peasant folk. Faelion tree fucker.¡± The skeleton knight spat. ¡°And little Victor, of course stuck in a monster¡¯s body.¡± How did he know ¡°What is you want devil, The souls of innocent children¡¯s to torture, were you perhpas satisfied in life. So you choose to harass the living in undeath.¡± The skullman laughed. ¡°And yet, I''m not the one who has cheated death. It¡¯s you interlopers. You ruin this world, it was better before the first of you set foot on this soil. I know what you two are.¡± Shivers went down victor¡¯s body, whatever this was. It meant that more people could be observing him from somewhere. Deciding what to do with him, how to play with him. The nymph words in his mind again. ¡°You cling to the past too much, bone man, what is your name?¡± Faelion requested. ¡°My name is irrelevant, my master¡¯s however is very important. My master Cenere the eternal sends his regards and comes with an offer of peace.¡± Cenere, Victor had heard the term before. When he left the cave system, he came in search of a route to the nearest town. He saw the name on a sign post. Cenere something something. ¡®A tomb!?¡¯ ¡°And here I thought you were scourge risen from the grave, but no just some necromancer¡¯s toy soldier.¡± The wizard scoffed. ¡°There will be no negotiation with walking calcium. Get lost.¡± ¡°Ah but my master has an offer for you. He can lift the curse on you Faelion, you need only swear allegiance to him.¡± ¡°Tempting, but I very much prefer being alive.¡± Faelion smiled at the offer. The skeleton night fell in a fit of laughter again. ¡°No matter, you¡¯re daughter will do, my master has big plans for her.¡± And the smile vanished from his mouth. It was one thing to threaten one''s life and was wholly another thing to threaten his family. ¡°And you Victor, I have an even greater offer for you,¡± the knight''s attention stuck on ooze body. ¡°My master can make you whole again, your original body back from the dead. You can be human again. You could have all the power you want, do whatever you want. You only need to serve.¡± Victor was by no means that idiotic, this necromancer would use him, like rolled up toilet paper. What was it with the evil types trying to convince people to join their charade? They got scammed and now they were looking for more losers to join. ¡°He has been watching you Victor, ever since you fell into that nymph¡¯s backyard, ever since you ate from her forbidden fruit. There are consequences to your actions Victor. You can¡¯t just defile the world and expect zero consequences.¡± Faelion eyed Victor, as if victor did not wholly tell the truth of his coming here. Victor did his best to pretend he didn¡¯t care. Victor was tired of this. He wanted nothing more than to be human again. There were too many voices telling him what to do. He wanted to decide for himself. There were the damned men that Marcus told him about. Marek and Faelions distrust for them bugged him out, The nymphs offer, and now this Cenere. Then there was the predicament of being trapped in this body itself. It was painful to endure sometimes. Would it be better to end himself or to live it out persecuted as a monster.. To spare the suffering and pain that would be inflicted on this journey. He wanted to decide for himself. He hadn¡¯t had a real moment of respite, since reincarnation he needed to think for himself properly alone. Therefore he couldn¡¯t allow these monsters to get what they want. ¡°You know nothing, your master knows nothing, ¡± Victor hopped down the horse. Gladius drawn and bucket shield sloshing against his oozy body. He pointed the sword at the skull knight. ¡°A quarter pounder with cheese is what I want! A good fucking game to pass the time! Good ol popcorn flick to watch! Does your master have that?¡± The skull knight was in confusion. He didn¡¯t seem to recognize any of the meanings Victor was uttering. ¡°No¡­ then fuck off!¡± The villagers cheered after him. ¡°Fuck off!!!¡± ¡°Fuck off!!!¡± ¡°Fuck off!!!¡± Faelion smiled at the slime. ¡°Some people never seem to learn, you could impale them with sticks three lives over and they wouldn¡¯t learn a thing,¡± The skull knight shook his head. "I''ll just have to drag your corpses to my master myself.¡± The skull knight raised his sword up into the air as if signaling something. The forest seemed to tremble as the marching of hundreds of footsteps could be heard. Another army of skeletons and a larger host this time. They moved and stopped behind the skull knight. ¡°Any last words Wizard, and¡­human snot¡± They stared at him. Victor did his best to morph his awkward hands and flipped off the skull knight. ¡°I will handle him Victor. You cut down any who breaks through, defend the villagers.¡± The wizard and the skull knight clashed with each other. Staff meeting sword in a fierce battle, The skeletons moved onwards. An army of unliving automatons preparing to slaughter an entire people. Victor hurried towards the back of the line, The guardsmen awkwardly letting him through. Staring at him. ¡°So are you a familiar or something? Someone had asked him.¡± he did not reply. He found it incredibly rude that they considered him, Faelion¡¯s glorified pet. Magnar approached him. Took the bucket from his hands, and offered him a shield, ¡°Take this slime boy, you¡¯ll need it.¡±
Wooden round Shield acquired +20 percent defense bonus
Chapter 14 - Keep The Wolf From The Dor Victor stood steadfast behind the village militia. He had taken a good look at the town¡¯s folk. Some were old men, likely hard laborers, fishermen and hunters. Others were as old as he was before he took a dive off a building. Young men with aspiring dreams. What bothered him the most was the presence of even younger actors, young boys, children to be it seriously. No older than fourteen, maybe fifteen awaiting battle. Forced to fight. Forced to defend their homes. A harsh reality. He could see the fear in their eyes. Some were sweating, others on the verge of tears. Only the older men were composed. He¡¯d need to speak to Faelion about this. After this debacle The skeleton army had approached, slowly but their numbers seemed unending, they went down easily, the only advantage the militia had was a battle of attrition. It was a war of attrition for the village, and a numbers game for the invaders. The undead behavior changed immediately, they switched up their tactics. A small group broke off from the main body and dashed to meet the defensive force. Swords clanging, shields drawn and bones shattering. The boney men were not match for shields on the front line. But they did fend them off without casualty, two men at the front were injured. One person had fallen down on the muddy earth, dead. A probe attack! ¡°What are they doing? Why aren¡¯t they all coming at once?¡± A younger soldier asked his fellow comrades-at-arms. ¡°They''re testing our strength.¡± Magnar answered from above on the building. Now the De facto captain in charge.¡±Someone cycle out positions with the wounded, Archers ready a volley. Someone carry that dead man away.¡± The troop rustled, making their best attempt at doing everything quickly. Fingers stretched and arms stretch back on wood above. They were simply waiting for the signal. ¡°Let loose.¡± Dozens of arrows fled through the air, colliding with their targets, some missing, some ineffective. The attack stirred the lurkers of the dead to life. The archer¡¯s readying another volley to let loose the missiles again. As if willed at the same time like a machine, the skeleton army charged. No longer being tested but challenged by waves of bony soldiers. Bone was brittled and crushed, flesh and blood was spilled. In the distance Faelion and the skull night were going at it. Slashing at each other, then sending rays of energy or a volley of magic at the other. They battled it out in the deeper forest. Mounts pushing against each other, so the rider¡¯s may gain an advantage. Victor could no longer see him as his height prevented him. His focus solely on any stragglers that might have broken through. Initially all seemed well. Until some of the skeletons simply attempted to run through the poorly held line. As it turned out, some of the attempts were successful. A skeleton had rushed though fixated on Victor. His gladius at the ready, he bashed it against his newly equipped wooden shield beckoning the skeleton to come. Behind those hollow red eyes, he saw a glimpse of life, acknowledging his challenge. Coming in range of him slashing downwards to split ooze into a puddle. Victor deliberately blocked it to get a feeling of the shield. The shield was shaken but held.
Attacked blocked
He rushed backwards, maneuvering into a better position waiting to parry again.
Attacked blocked
The skeleton made a relentless onslaught against him. Hitting him over and over again. Not learning from it¡¯s mistakes. Deciding he had done enough defending; he countered instead of blocking, striking the skeleton in his ribcage.
You have dealt 32 damage
You have defeated skeleton You gained 15 exp
Bones shattered, and the skeleton collapsed inwards, Fragile skull shattering on the floor. It was a perfect cadence, he was slowly getting the hang of it.
You have leveled up a skill Limb manipulation level 5 ( passive)
Special trait attained ¡®Ambidexterity¡¯
It was evident now that the more he was pressured to use a skill; whether active or passive it would inevitably improve. If he felt uneasy holding the shield before he was much more comfortable due to limb manipulation making it easier. The size of the shield was very much like a tower shield to him. Shielding and covering his entire body. The crowd in front him descended into chaos and more and more skeletons had broken through the barely kept up line. Two skeletons approached him, he did not fear them he would dispatch them swiftly. The first lunged at him and he attempted to dodge.
You have suffered 5 damage; 34 hp remaining
The skeleton rusted sword nipped a piece of him away. Victor didn''t take into account that the heaviness of the shield would hold him back. Though his strength was significantly better, the mass to height distribution was uncomfortable. If he morphed into a different shape, he would find it difficult to keep pace even with these brainless men. He parried the second skeleton''s strike. His sword touched his opponent¡¯s rusty sword. He sent it flying away, due to the amount of strength he exercised. Though he had no proper muscle, it was his slimy mass of ooze vs pure bone. He shifted tactics, He unequipped his sword and shield. Arms disappearing into non-corporeal space. Sprouted two legs, used the skeleton as a stepping stone, jumping into the air. Retracting his legs, and reforming arms. Reequiped his sword and shield. He bashed the skeleton across the head, mid-air with the wooden shield. Making it fall on the ground. Stabbing it in its already delicate head.
You have dealt 8 damage(shield); You have dealt 30 damage(sword)
You have defeated skeleton You gained 15 exp
The other sprinted at him, intending to thrust the sword inside Victor. Victor attempted to slither away.
You have suffered 4 damage 31 hp remaining
Goo spilled across the battlefield. It had hurt but he could keep going. He slashed at the bone man aiming for its neck, cleaving its head clean off.
You have dealt 34 damage
You gained 15 exp
Fatigue took Victor. It was the first time he had excessively wasted his energy since the escape from the cave-basement. Here in the battlefield he couldn¡¯t afford to hide. The consequences were too dire. The skeletons had more than doubled and now there were more than before. Septuple or even more. All hollow, ready to take him to his grave or worse make him one of them. He braced. He could handle them if he played his cards right, or maybe he should lure them away, pick them off one by one. No, they might go for the villagers. What to do. He felt the sword hum in his hands. The ghostly visage of the dead roman he once saw in the nymphs playground appeared before him. Was it haunting him? Saying the words that described the sword, in the inventory. ¡°He who is worthy, may smite their foes with the burning fury of the roman eagle. This is my Gladius Aquila Ignis. Shout its name. And your foes will burn as my foes did. ¡± The dead legionnaire stared at him. ¡°You have heart Victor, you just need to direct it.¡± Like it was embedded inside of him, the words flowed from his speech, fiery rage inside of him. ¡°Gladius Aquila Ignis!¡± he shouted. Flames escaped from the blade, like a rising phoenix. He pointed it at the squad of skeletons. And hit them with the rage of the fire. The flames reduced the fragile bone to burned embers. Causing an explosion and sending shattered bone fragments across the battlefields.
You have dealt 200 damage to skeleton group
You have defeated several skeletons; you gained 120 exp
Congratulations you have successfully leveled up You are now level 8
He checked his health.
Remaining hp: 32 out of 40
It seemed leveling up didn¡¯t provide much of a hp bonus as he thought as his health points only went up a point. ¡®No matter.¡¯ His sword was now flaming, without any magic at work. It must have been the hidden effect. His attack seemed to have bothered the entire army of skeletons and shifted their focus to him. Amidst the battle, ignoring their opponents'' attacks. For a brief moment relief was provided to the militia. The skull knight rode out of dense treeline surveying the battlefield, Faelion not to be seen anywhere. ¡°Unexpected!¡± He shouted. ¡°But not unprepared for.¡± He whistled¡­somehow, without a tongue. His call answered behind him. Howling. Out of the wood clearing, zombified wolves appeared out of nowhere. They sprinted towards the amassed battlefield. And jumped over the crowd. All scattering into different directions into the village. Their intent was unclear but the damage they would be able to do was massive. With the frontline significantly less occupied by the undead. Magnar shouted towards the spearmen, redirecting them at the rampaging canines. ¡°Spearmen, half and disperse. Defend your homes!¡° he commanded. The men turned around in rage intent on running after the hounds. One of the zombified wolves landed next to Victor, Flesh rotten, visible bone sticking out, grotesque and dead tongue hanging out. At Least a meter in height, he didn¡¯t fear it , but was cautious of how it would react. It¡¯s busted jaw snapping at the air. He¡¯d been chased by dogs alot in his life, it was nothing new. An ancestral memory awakened inside Victor''s head. When he was a young boy once, wandering far away from home as young children often did. Playing in streets with friends and neighborhood children that wasn¡¯t his. They had come across a loose pitbull, His friends had all left, left him behind. it had knocked him down. Teetering and tearing at him, locked its jaw on his chubby legs. Let him go only after a bystander had saved him. He¡¯d ended up in the hospital. Ever since that day Victor had never been comfortable with big dogs, puppies were fine. He couldn¡¯t tolerate the big ones. He didn¡¯t like them. And what was a wolf if not an oversized dog. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. It moved slowly towards him, growling. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± ¡°Scared of dogs Victor-boy, a phantom voice wormed its way into his head. Afraid of a little bite.¡± It laughed at his fear. It came from the ground, one of the skulls. It¡¯s eyes glowing purple, jaw cackling. ¡°Ahahahhaahahhah.¡± ¡°Cenere?¡± he asked. Curious who was playing tricks on him. ¡°yes.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Victor swiped his sword in the direction of the skull, reducing it to dust, ¡°I¡¯m watching you Victor-boy, you hold so much promise. Oh the things I could do with that gelatinous body of yours. ¡± The voice had moved to another skull Victor tried not to get distracted by the Necromancer voice. It had weirded out him.
Status effect demoralized.-2 wis; -1 intelligence. Status reroll any minute
He couldn¡¯t afford to get further distracted. The necromancer was fuddling him with magic. He focused on what was in front of him, shutting out any external noise. The wolf-zombie, it was a nuisance, it needed to go. He cast an observer on it.
You have leveled up a skill Analysis level 4 (passive)
Undead wolf: beast Hp: 55/55 Weaknesses: They fear holy and fire. Effect status: Endless hunger ??? Information locked.
Victor slashed through the air, edge of his blade, barely cutting into the oversized wolf''s flesh. The decaying flesh had burned and sizzled, giving off a rancid stench. The wolf whimpered at the pain inflicted by the burning sword.
You have dealt. 10 flaming damage
But it did not relent. Dirty claws came at him, leaving a pronged trail of marks across his gooey body.
You have suffered 8 damage 24 hp remaining
He waited for the next attack. The wolf lashed out again. Predictable It¡¯s paw was lobbed off. It whimpered and retreated backwards, it didn¡¯t like the fire very much cowering away from it. Victor pressed the attack relentlessly assaulting his foe. It dashed with incredible speed and dexterity , flanking him from behind. ¡°How do you want to deal with this victor,¡± The voice of the dead soldier, but came from the sword, though he only heard it in his head. You can play cat and mouse with these devilish creatures all night. Hunting villagers, even people you may know.¡¯ Victor spun his vision around, he saw three hounds going upwards, towards the Wizard¡¯s hut. ¡®Shit.¡± ¡°End it Victor! There is no time, you have none.¡± ¡°Flaming smite.¡±
You have dealt 17 damage
The Zombie dog attempted to dodge, but it¡¯s rotten hide had been caught by the flaming sword. It burned down, whimpering
You have dealt 37 flaming damage
You have defeated Zombie-wolf You gained 35 exp
The fire died down, Victor was in a state of exhaustion. He wasn¡¯t used to fighting excessively with a sword and shield. The fire on his sword died down, he did not know how to summon it. The stragglers'' target was the wizard¡¯s wife and child, he needed to do something. He could try calling out to Faelion, but the wizard was stuck in battle; he didn''t want to cause his unnecessary death. Gripped by determination. He ran in the direction of the hounds. He saw squads of spear, tussling with some of the dogs wrestling them down to the ground. Even the female villagers took a part hammering the beasts with makeshift weapons. Iron pots, kitchen cutlery, farming equipment. That eased one part of his worries. At his destination now, the wizard¡¯s house. He saw the creatures desperately trying to claw their way inside, to no avail. They dug the ground underneath trying to crawl inside, jumped on the roof to bring it down, to no avail. Did the house have a barrier or something? He cast observe
You have leveled up a skill Analysis level 5(passive) You have unlocked advanced analysis.
¡®Cool but not now.¡¯ The barrier wasn¡¯t going to hold much longer. They had broken through. In a state of panic, The daughter, Isilywyn and her mother who¡¯s name he hadn¡¯t learned yet, made the mistake of running outside. Their household puppy appeared in front of them. Victor attempted to make noise to distract the dogs! He was on the verge of exhaustion, but he had to try. ¡°Over Here you rotten mutts!.¡± One of the dogs locked its crooked eyes with victor, licking its decaying lips. He cried out to Isilywyn. ¡°Run away, Isilwyn, run away!¡± She tried gripping her wand from her pocket frantically, shook it and pointed at her dog. One of the Zombie-wolves lunged at her. Victor Now used to switching limbs, reformed and sprinted in front of the ravenous dog. Dodging his upcoming pursuer. Reequipping his shield. He blocked teh attack. ¡°Enlarge she shouted.¡± The wizardling¡¯s spell hit him, as she shielded the puppy. ¡®Oh.¡¯ Victor¡¯s vision seemed to rise as he felt like was getting larger,like he had just experienced a growth spurt. His sword became too small for his big hands to use, and he resorted to growing two massive tendrils.
You have leveled up a skill Limb manipulation lvl 6 (passive) You can now use three limbs of your choice.
Status effect: enlarged. Strength and Constitution buffed twice over.
The puppy had grown to exponential size. Nearly 7 foot large. Much bigger than Victor had grown. He wondered if it had affected him all the same. ¡°Amazing¡­¡± ¡°Crush him Faro.¡± She shouted at her puppy-dog! Faro, who¡¯s name he had just learned, smacked one of the wolves away with sheer force, sending it flying away like a toy. Victor gawked in amazement hoping the enlarged puppy would never see him as a threat. Which made him think, it had never excessively barked at him. Could it sense that he was human? His thoughts returned to the battlefield, he had a habit of dozing off in the middle of something important. Victor wasted no effort and brought his giant tentacle down to pummel the dead dog glaring at him in caution .
You have dealt 23x 2 damage; You have dealt 18 damage
You have defeated zombie-wolf You gained 36 exp
The final one attempted to retreat into the city. But faro chased it after it, the ground shaking with the puppies massive weight. The first of the three that had been blown away by Faro returned, sprinting towards Victor. His health was on the verge of being brought down to negative numbers. Realizing that if the beast had touched him more than once, he would be dead. Victor let go of his fear. It struck him several times. In a massive barrage of attacks.
You have suffered 25 damage.
That had been a lot more than he should handle. ¡®But he was alive, the pain had lessened? He was invigorated. ¡®Heal!¡± Both mother and daughter shouted from behind, his life force recovering significantly. It seemed Faelions lady had a talent for magic as well.
Hp, fully restored. 80/80
No longer fearing any negative consequences. He finished the beast off with a flurry of tentacle strikes.
You have dealt 92 damage to Zombie wolf.
You have defeated zombie-wolf You gained 35 exp
The immediate danger had disappeared. Victor moved his eyeballs to his backside, his body shrinking rapidly and significantly. Staring at the daughter and the mother pair. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°yes¡­ Thank you¡­Victor.¡± The mother answered. He could still see some minor fright in his eyes. The barrier may have been her work. But he wasn¡¯t going to ask them a lot. He had to return to aid Faelion. He looked the roman Gladiuis now, properly fitting in slimy hands again. ¡°Are you there spirit?" he called out to the sword.¡¯ Nothing happened. The spirit did not answer him again. He focused on Isilwyn, who was cautious of the surrounding area. It seemed the wizard had given her significant training. ¡°I apologize for doubting you, Lady Islwyn.¡± he said out of courtesy and genuine surprise. It was inconceivable to think that a mere child could possess such power. But she was living proof. ¡°I told you before, I can handle myself.¡± Faro came uphill, the now twice dead corpse in its mouth. Slipping out as the dog shrunk. Now smaller than Victor again.
You have assisted in the defeat of a zombie-wolf You have gained 17 exp
You have leveled up. Congratulations you are now level 9
Invasion event survived
You have been awarded 200 exp
You have level up Congratulations you are now level 10
It was over? He had leveled up three times. Things were progressing a little too fast for him to keep track off. His ¡®head¡¯ had hurt or rather his mind. Victor rushed down towards the battlefield. It was eerily quiet and there were crows circling near the corpses of the dead, but were chased away by the weary soldiers. It seems to be already over. The soldiers were at work once again, tending to the fortification, the wounded and carrying the dead away. Faelion stood there talking to Magnar. One of the soldiers was staring at him in fright, as he approached the wizard. Most people had ignored him. Victor tried to comfort him, but his eyes were hollow. ¡°At ease friend.¡± he said. Marching off. He approached the wizard who sat on the ground in fury. ¡°Did you get him?¡± ¡°No, he ran back to his.master.¡± The wizard ripped off a bone of one of the crushed skeletons and threw it into the woods. Frustration and anger in his eyes.¡±I¡¯ve been dormant too long. The captain of the settlement is missing. The mayor I believe is busy with unsavory actions. My family''s life is once again in danger. So many things I could go on and on.¡± ¡°I understand your frustration.¡± Victor said to him. In hopes of calming him. ¡°When I started this Village, I vowed to live a better life, a peaceful one. I was arrogant and got tricked by a brat. When i started this villaged i hoped to make a place where all could come who were in need. No need for borders or the formation of nations. Only people living. I see now it is but a pipe dream. Reminds me of back home.¡± the wizard stared back at the sky again. Like he did the earlier at the stars. The sun was beginning to rise. Hunger gripped victor, he was in need. Victor immediately thought of the zombie dog flesh. It wasn¡¯t appetizing but it was the easiest solution. And he needed to consume. ¡°I need to rest.¡± He attempted to move off. Everything would be fine here. For now ¡°I know what plagues you Victor,¡± The wizard alluded. ¡°As long as you leave the people here alone. No Human bodies. We¡¯re more than fine.¡± ¡°Of course not," Victor replied.¡± ¡° I have a preposition for you if you¡¯re willing to bear with me for a moment.¡± This ought to be good, he hoped. ¡®I want to give you two choices. You can leave now and I''ll grant you a boon of your choice and send you on the next part of your journey, or you can stay awhile. I intend to finish off that lich. I need only trusted individuals on that journey. I¡¯ve wasted too much time on trying to get back at that little wizard brat, after the lich, I intend to take my power back, by force if necessary.¡± He thought about it. He hasn¡¯t probably gotten a moment of respite. He needed to think, to plan. Time to understand his powers. Earn a moment to grow. Time to possibly evolve. The wizard continued ¡°Your arrival here spells both misfortune and truth, every now and then the world stirs and hell breaks loose, because the gods start playing chess with our immortal souls. When I hunt down that decrepit pile of bones, I may need you there. It¡¯s ultimately your choice Victor but I would appreciate your help.¡± ¡®Immortal!? He needed a serious history lesson about what happens here.¡¯ He agreed. Though their meeting was botched, Faelion turned out to be an honest fellow, he was much more open than anyone else he encountered. He wouldn¡¯t mind staying here for a while. Then there was the matter of magic. ¡°Yes, I''d like that very much, Master wizard.¡± ¡°Alright, go¡­¡¯rest¡¯ maybe for a couple of days. The mountain cabin is yours until you leave. I¡¯ll be cleaning up here.¡± Now for that nasty zombie meat. And stat¡¯s to raise. He was becoming powerful fast. Too fast for his liking . He couldn''t¡¯ help the feeling that he was being played. The necromancer had done one thing and that was to make him paranoid. He wondered what Marcus was doing at this moment. It was strange, they had only briefly been together, but because the man saved this life, comforted him in death. Gave him a minor purpose here. He felt the need to repay him. Victor retreated to the cabin, rotten wolf meat stuffed in his inventory. There he¡¯d decide where to take his stats.
Unused attributes:15
Chapter 15 - Tryna make a dime outta a dozen Victor scarfed down on the rotten wolf meat. Hunger ruling his body again. The monster inside of him, crying out, trying to be sated, to be fed. Eternal hunger, unstopping hunger. He needed a better solution, he wondered what the average lifespan of ooze is. Was he even supposed to keep going so long, was he even supposed to move around the way he did. Was it natural? No it wasn¡¯t. A stupid question. Nothing in this world was natural You have absorbed zombie wolf meat exp gained 30 exp Someone knocked on the door. It was unexpected, he hoped he would have been left alone to do his deed. It was Magnar, the now de facto Captain of the village guard, and the person who had almost shot him. He could hear him by the way he groaned as he moved. He opened the wooden slide door. Victor considered, hiding under the bed, what he was doing was bound to frighten the man. But what was the point? He took a hard long look at the man. He was the embodiment of a wild ¡®northerner.¡¯ raggedy blond hair, tall but fat, hair braided. The viking look. ¡°Gods above!¡± he exclaimed.¡±What the fuck is that smell.¡± He stared at Victor and Victor stared back at him. His mouth slightly agape at the scene in front of him, the zombified dog they had fought earlier. Sitting inside Victor¡¯s stomach, dissolving slowly. Everything was slightly translucent. Magnar saw it all. He shook his head. Barely able to to hide his disgust. ¡°Excuse my ¡®Manners¡¯...Faelion has instructed me to let you know, he will be going on a pilgrimage with his family for possibly a day or two.¡± Victor stopped to think. He wanted to ask the man if he could help practice magic today. And now he is gone. Oh well ¡°I thought he was going to help with reconstruction and¡­stuff.¡± The ooze complained. ¡°He still is, but he is a very busy man. He has places to be. Something you should get used to,¡± The crossbowman sniffed in the air, obnoxiously. ¡°I¡¯m gonna be honest with you. I don¡¯t like you. I don¡¯t trust you. I don¡¯t even want you here. You don¡¯t eat children do you?¡± That was uncalled for. But now the truth was out of the bag. Victor suspected as much, he didn¡¯t blame the man, he was a monster after all. A monster inside their home grounds. ¡°Well, I suppose that simplifies our relationship. Let''s agree to disagree.¡± The man rolled his eyes. ¡°He also told me to tell you to check on Faro, the dog. Hopefully you don¡¯t eat her.¡± he remarked. ¡°Tell me though what does that taste like, rotten wolf mutt. Is it doubly dead now that it¡¯s inside your ¡®stomach¡¯.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite nasty, I''ll be honest. But I can shut my ¡®tastebud¡¯s off at will, it¡¯s no issue. A growing boy needs to eat,¡± he monitored the man¡¯s expression. ¡°Why? Do you want some?¡± He didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Just touch the villagers, or you¡¯ll be dealing with me.¡± he pointed his fat finger at himself. Arrogant and overconfident. The Unreasonable kind. The man turned and rudely shut the door behind him. Leaving Victor to wonder what he did to offend him. Perhaps monsters had harmed him or loved ones in the past. Who was he kidding, nobody liked monsters. Maybe it wasn¡¯t that deep. He was just grotesque and disgusting. The story of his life. It was time to attend to the matter of his stats. He opened his status screen.
Status Information (Additional status information hidden until necessary)
Race: Ooze (Slime)
Hp: 42/42 (-90 hp, racial debuff) (plus 1 con equipment buff)
Mp: 1/1
Name Victor
Class Dungeon Janitor
Titles Basic monster +1 str/+1 Dexterity, former human (retain basic mental attributes) +20 WIS + 35 INT
Level 10
Alignment Chaotic good
Attributes Strength 13 (Lackluster) (+1hat) Dexterity 8 (Lumbering) Wisdom 20 ( Former fool) Intelligence 35 (above the IQ minimum) Constitution 15 (Slightly resilient) )(+1hat) Charisma 2 (Unappealing )
Undistributed stats 15
If he took away his miner¡¯s hat, then that left two stats in vacancy. He¡¯d have to miss it. He was getting sick of it, he needed something better or decent looking. Like a wizard¡¯s hat. Or a fez, that would certainly make him look more presentable. Charisma was useless, as he was just as appealing as a wet gnome. Intelligence and wisdom weren''t things he wanted to delve into until he found a proper use for it. If he somehow found a way to use magic, he would reconsider this decision. That left the holy trinity of athleticism. He considered distributing it evenly. But killed the thought. He felt he hit pretty hard already. But if he had learned anything in the fight this early morning was that he didn''t move fast enough. He wasn¡¯t nimble enough, not agile enough. Then there was the matter of his health points. He wasn¡¯t durable , and he was afraid he might sizzle himself with his own now apparently flaming sword. That left two choices it seemed. He dumped 8 points into his dexterity, 7 into his constitution. Constitution value changed 14> 21 (Moderately resilient) New health parameters attained 42 health points> 54 health points. Dexterity value changed 8> 16 (twitchy) If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. He felt amazing. He was twice as fast as he was before. He zipped around the room, Very fast, he was hardly sluggish anymore, he found it possible to make a proper jump and sprung onto the ceiling to test his power. Sticking to it and slithering around. Like he was a 2000''s DVD logo. He fell down, now experimenting with some new power. His had given him the ability to form three limbs. Shifting between three arms and then three tentacles. The things he would do with three tentacles.¡± ¡®Absolutely devious, his opponents would stand no chance.¡¯ Victor left the room, he wanted to read but didn¡¯t want to risk damaging the collection with his slimy hands. Outside in front of the small mountain cabin, he stabbed his gladius into the ground and cast observed. Weapon: Gladius Aquila Ignis Does 20 base damage Does an additional 50% fire damage based on user strength when awakened. It was a good weapon to him, possibly legendary, it would scale good in time. He had tried, repeating what he did yesterday. It had worked to an extent. Though the spirit didn¡¯t return and didn¡¯t answer him. He wondered if he was stuck with the spirit of the legionnaire, if it had been trapped inside. He moved into another spot, placing it into the ground, in full view of the town, if the spirit resided inside perhaps it needed time away from Victor. Away from his mediocre and sad thoughts. Weapon unequipped Victor skipped away, heading into the town.
As he strolled into the village, as uncaring as he tried to be. The villagers all gave him uncomfortable stares. Some hiding away, out of sight. Pretending to be looking elsewhere or maybe the grass under him. ¡°Is that the wizard¡¯s familiar. What¡¯s he doing without his leash?¡± A stranger he passed, barked gossiping with the neighbor. ¡®Oh boy. This was going to be annoyance for him.¡¯¡¯ ¡°Do you think he gets bed bugs, with all that slime on his body?¡± so it had went. A child stopped in front of him. Doing nothing but giving him the stare. The stare that said ¡®What even are you.¡¯ Perhaps the child was frightened or amused by the sudden strangeness appearing in front of him. Victor had an idea, in hopes of cheering up the kid. He summoned his three arms, and picked up the nearest possible large rocks and started juggling and skipping like a jester. ¡°Behold!¡± he exclaimed to the child. He let the rocks fall and ejected three legs and let them cycle around like something akin to how a conveyor belt moved in cycles. The kid picked up a large rock and threw him with it. You lost -1HP The rock stuck inside his body, and he spit out of a hole he formed. ¡°That¡¯s just fucking rude man.¡± He knew he would''ve liked playing with a slime monster as a kid. Kids these days. No etiquette. No respect. A woman frantically ran across the cobblestone path towards the child, picked him like a sack of potatoes and left. Dashing straight towards a building he assumed was her home and shut the door behind her. He heard another mother in the distance, whispering loudly. ¡°Do not look into his eyes my son, you will be cursed.¡± She also hid her kid inside the house. That hurt, even as a cool monster, people didn¡¯t like him. It was just like home then. All in a day¡¯s work. Victor skipped along, his destination in reach. He wondered why he didn¡¯t go straight here, the stroll through the town may have been a mistake. He had hoped the people would treat him nicely, after he served in their defense. In front of the wizard¡¯s house. The dog pharaoh waited there patiently and obediently for his owners to return. He resembled a mix between a husky and a shiba. Between breed maybe, or native?. It seemed, the entire family has decided to leave the dog here, alone at home. Which made sense after the trauma-inducing attack they faced the previous night. The dog barked at him. ¡°Woof.¡± He wasn¡¯t good with animals, he had never been. He approached it. ¡°Greeting Faro,¡± he said. The dog wagged its tail excessively. Left right, left right. Then it jumped at him, knocked him down and started licking him excessively, to the point of doing damage You suffered -1HP ¡°Aaaargghhh, eww. Get off you mutt!¡± The dog barked, but immediately obeyed. Sitting back down on the spot he found him. It was annoying, but it was heartwarming to find someone who liked him. The dog seemed, therefore he had no reason to stay. There were dried food, water in a large bowl. He would be fine. ¡°Okay, okay. I only came here to check on you, i¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± The dog barked. Slowly following him in his direction. As he turned around, the dog sat down again, following him when he wasn¡¯t looking. It was an ordeal, as the dog deliberately disobeyed. Stay, don''t follow. It barked. He walked off, stopping every now and then to tell it. Don¡¯t follow. The dog listened after the 20th time. His uninterrupted walk resuming. Victors¡¯ stomach had rumbled again. Turns out rotten zombie meat wasn¡¯t good for you even if it was for the exp. If push came to shove he would have to procure his own food and that was pure biomass, he had to go out and hunt for it. As he walked back towards his cabin to pick up the sword. He spotted a haggling merchant near a stall. Dressed in a dark robe with a pointy hat. Selling all manner of trinkets on one side and pieces of fried meat on a stick on the other side. He couldn¡¯t help but approach. The merchant was taken aback by his sudden appearance but kept the facade of being business friendly. ¡°Good afternoon, if a cursed soul may bother you.¡± ¡°Yes, the monster with the soul of a man, I have heard of you. You valiantly defended the village, i¡¯d say you deserve a reward. The merchant smiled at him, and retrieved from a large jar, a big sugar cookie. ¡°For free!¡± The merchant nodded. Victor gobbled it up stuffed it inside his body. ¡°Say what does this cost?¡± He pointed to chicken meat on a skewer. ¡°Oh these are about 5 silvers each.¡± the merchant said giggling ¡°5 Silver each?¡± Victor just realized he had no money. The lifeblood of the free market. Trade, he could not participate in it. His inventory was empty despite his expanded size, he hasn''t gathered anything. There was only a map. Which he supposed he didn¡¯t need anymore. ¡°Hmmm there¡¯s no way I could take a loan or something?¡± ¡°You¡¯d need to give some proof of payment,how long have you been here mr monster?¡± The map needed to go, he didn¡¯t need this map at all. Not anymore. He retrieved it from his inventory and handed it to the merchant. The seller observed, his grin wide. ¡°This is a very good map, but I''ve seen better charted ones. It¡¯s about one and half gold give or take.¡± Victor surrendered the map. He had no use for it, Faelion could guid him from here on out, or he¡¯ll just get a better one. He needed to do this because he was hungry. He salivated at the chicken skewers and small beef treats. He needed to eat now. The merchant exchanged the gold in a pouch. You have received 1 gold and 50 silvers. ¡°I¡¯ll take a bunch, ten if it¡¯s not too greedy.¡± You lost 50 silvers ¡°Of course, first come first serve.¡± The merchant said handing the skewers over, which he instantly devoured most, walking away slowly with three still left, one in each hand.¡± He had money to his name now, the gold pouch fitted one slot in his inventory perfectly. He strode off. He forgot to thank the merchant. As he turned around him. The stall was gone, any trace of the merchant gone without a trace. A bad feeling lingered in him. Where could have gone so far away. Now that he thought about it, the merchant was eager to take the map off him. Was it really worth the money received? He thought as he kept chewing onward. The food wasn¡¯t all that great to be honest, tasty in moderation. He would have to ask Faelion when he saw him. On his way to the outskirts of the town, Victor happened to run into Magnar again. Who was surveying the palisade repairs. Magnar smirked. ¡°What are you upto slimeball?¡± ¡°Nothing much¡­sightseeing.¡± he said nonchalantly. ¡°Perhaps I will go hunt in the woods soon. These foods are pretty bland. ¡° Magnar looked at him in disbelief. ¡°You bought that from the trinket merchant. Long nose, has grubby smile about at all times, black robes.¡± ¡°Yep, I hoped you paid no more than silver for each of those. Where do you even get the money.¡± ¡°A silver! I paid 5 for each skewer. Are you saying he screwed me over?¡± Victor was in disbelief. His nudge was correct. But his impulsiveness landed him in this situation. ¡°Yes, use that brain of yours if you even have one jellyfish. Get someone accustomed to the place next time to tell you the next time the do¡¯s and don¡¯ts.¡± ¡°He gave me 1 and half gold for the map, is that bad?¡± ¡°A map? A charted out map? For such a measly sum.¡± Magnar raised an eyebrow. ¡°Where did you find this map?¡± Horror and terror gripped Victor at his center. He had been bamboozled. Made a fool of. Played like a open hands of cards ¡°Where did you get this map?¡± ¡°The school of Malita, I believe, now known as seraphine tower I think.¡± The crossbow man was face planted.Victor knew he had fucked up. ¡°Did you think it was just an ordinary map. Map¡¯s aren¡¯t easy to come by. We have to find that fucker, but first consult Faelion when he returns.¡± The warrior¡¯s face tightening at his words he mentioned. He pointed at him ¡°Perhaps I''ve been too harsh and not helpful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I''m a certified fool¡­for now.¡± oh he would get his revenge. A mischievous smile appeared on Magnar¡¯s face ¡°You wanted to go hunt, here¡¯s a challenge for you. An albino boar stalks these woods. He has long terrorized travelers and village folk alike. Find the pig, injure it and bring a piece of its body. I don¡¯t expect you to kill it. A hair or something. Then you¡¯ll earn my respect.¡± He gave Victor¡¯s crossbow. Victor was reluctant to accept. Did the man have an ulterior motive? Quest opportunity: A beasts stalk these woods, injure it and bring back proof for a reward. Do you accept Y/N ¡°Challenge accepted.¡± ¡°Good luck!¡± He took the bow¡¯s from the man¡¯s hands, equipped it and sent it to temporal space. Magnar pointed him in the direction of the last sighting. He set off. For the first in the longest time, in a while, he felt he had proper focus. This was so much better than being slumped in front of a desk. He now had a few proper goals. Evolve himself. Reunite with marcus. Fulfill an oath. Perhaps avoid an omen, he thought of the nymph. Definitely find that merchant and give him a piece of his mind. Move on. Become human. It wasn¡¯t all that bad in retrospect. As he entered the woodland clearing. Where Civilization separated from the uncivilized wilds. He heard a rustling behind him. ¡°Woof!¡± A bark. Faro had appeared from the bushes behind him, following. ¡®Oh no.¡± Chapter 16 - The Hunt Victor had embarked into the perilous woods, for a while. He had attempted to shake the clingy dog off but it always found a way to get back to him. Refusing to obey his commands, hiding itself if he had gotten angry behind a tree, chased after him if he ran. It was an uphill battle and so he gave in. Accepted his fate. I¡¯m not turning back no matter what. Boar meat no matter what. He hoped the dog would come out unscathed from this journey, he¡¯d have a hard time explaining it to Faelion. However, would he explain if something did happen, how he would explain it to little Isilwyn, would be undoubtedly worse. ¡°Sorry, child. Your dog chose to follow me into dangerous woods, bummer.¡¯ that would go well. He turned towards the dog and asked it straight up. ¡°How will I explain this to your master''s little Mutt!¡± The dogs ears perked up, its head shaking around and tail wagging. It barked, short and very aggressive yips at him. As if it fully understood what he was saying and was now berating him. It ran circles around yapping and barking, its nose suddenly picking up something in the air, like an antenna., it ran away. It ran off west of Victor and he tailed. ¡°Wait!¡± Its nose stuck to the ground, it was sniffing something out and moving itsbody, something was clearly amiss. ¡°What is it boy!¡± The dog barked in front of an old tree and started digging into the earth below. ¡®This had better be good.¡¯ He thought. He unequipped the crossbow gifted to Magnar. With his three tentacles he formed limbs akin to a shovel, a hoe and a spade. Joining in digging up whatever treasure the dog was digging in up. Some of his shoveling ended up being very aggressive, resulting in dirt being spat in the dog''s eyes. It cried out with an annoyed moan. ¡°Sorry.¡± The dog growled at him and continued digging. As he continued digging with his spade, it hit something, which made a ting sound, something akin to glass. A foul but chemically strong scent invaded his sense of smell. It reeked like burning diesel and the foulest of rotten meat He did his best to reduce the scent of the smell, Faro retreated, staring in anticipation for him to uncover teh mystery of the dug up treasure. As he removed the last pieces of dirt, the object of interest became clear in his eyes. It was a flask, with the imprint of a skull on the front. Inside was a gooey and black like substance, It jiggled around. The smell had easily become ten times worse. Before he stretched out to touch the glass flask. And potentially touch a chemical hazard that might melt him or worse reduce him to an atomic state. He cast his observation skill on it. Skill Analysis ¡®Dirty Chemical Mixture.¡¯ Who knows what it contains or what it can do. Contains dangerous and hazardous materials. Highly volatile¡­ Whatever it was, it was probably best not to play around or move it around like a football. It could¡¯ve very well have been some kind of nuclear bomb, or a pathogen to be released, an unspeakable disease he might yet use on his enemies. He wouldn¡¯t know unless he had to use it. He stuffed it inside his inventory and the smell had vanished along with it. Trapped in dimensional space. His inventory space was occupied by two things now. 1.The sack with the gold coin in it. 2.The dirty chemical mixture. He had space for one more thing, he remembered the last time he had upgraded and massively boosted his strength stat, his inventory had directly increased in size. It was something he would have to get around to. Faro seemed appeased, by him finding the black chemical substance. ¡°Thank you, Faro. Did you know it was here the whole time?¡± The dog simply barked, whether it was a yes or a no he wouldn¡¯t know. They had dug a little more, but nothing else of relevance came out of it, only what resembled a femur, moldy old coins and a small bag which said lucky tooth. Except the tooth was missing. The coins did not resemble the currency used by the people of the village. Now that he had thought about it, he didn¡¯t even know the village name, he would have to ask when he gets back. The tooth bag held no value. Strange set of items, maybe the tooth fairy laid its victim here. A silly thought. Victor thought it would be a good idea to attempt to play fetch with the femur. He threw the bone into the distance, asking Faro to go get it. The dog did not, stayed far away from the femur, probably haunted. They started moving again northwards, a few hundred meters and the forest grew eerily still. No chirping birds gliding through the sky, no critters rustling among the leaves, even the trees seemed quieter than usual. The light of the sun had darkened under the cloudy umbrella, making the forest harder to see inside of. Certain things started to blend well with the dark. There was an unnatural pressure floating around in the air. Like something was lurking about. ¡®The boar.¡¯ Despite the dark becoming an obstruction, Victor¡¯s ¡®Dark vision.¡¯ skill happily came in a clutch. It had allowed him to see the object¡¯s of interest in his line of sight. He heard a low groaning moan near the general vicinity, it repeated every so few seconds, like something was in severe pain. ¡°You hear that Faro, can you lead me there?¡± Victor did his best to attempt to whisper, though his telepathic voice often sounded like a disjointed radio. Echoing and buzzing. Faro, the ever vigilant vanguard, slowly stalked his way towards the epicenter of the event. Yipping every time he made a wrong turn and circle behind a tree every now and then. Retracing his step, then moving in a different direction. Finally settling on one. In the distance, Victor could see a bleeding deer impaled by the thick branch of a fallen tree log, the other end of the branch sticking out, small pieces of organ matter laying on the ground. The deer was still alive. It turned its head towards Victor and Faro, making whimpering noises and trembling. This was nasty work and no human being was involved here. The work of the albino boar perhaps. He approached and it seemed to move towards him, calling out like a dying pet did in its last moments . It attempted to slip out, kicking its hind legs, but only severely worsening the wound. The sound of a fleshy scrape and then the blood started to pool down like a wine keg being opened. The creature is clearly in agony and on the verge of death. Victor decided to take matters into his own hands. End it¡¯s suffering. He re-equipped his crossbow, aimed for its head and fired a shot. That left him with five of six bolts given. He¡¯d need to use it wisely from here on out. It¡¯s moaning finally silent. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. You have defeated young deer. You have gained 15 exp ¡°Rest in peace¡­And forgive me.¡± Despite having remorse for the deer, he thought he couldn¡¯t just leave it here. Justifying by telling himself it would be a waste of resources. And started skinning the young buck¡¯s leg. A small occasional nibble of raw venison in his stomach. He was beginning to crave fried food, he may have been monstrous but he was still human. He looked at the dog for approval, who didn¡¯t seem the slightest concerned with his activity instead peering surveying the area for whatever was at work here. Whatever killed it was probably around, he¡¯d have to move fast. His best attempt was botched at its worst, but the meat was separated from all the unnecessary parts. That left him with a big piece of thigh meat, he stuffed it into his inventory, filling it completely for now. It would come in handy for his unending hunger. Victor returned his attention to the forest¡¯s eerie atmosphere. The howling of the wind had significantly raised its tempo. He swore he heard his voice being called out by the winds. In a blink of an eye and only for a few seconds his eyes were obscured by a naked woman¡¯s body, greenish vines and fiery red hair. ¡®The nymph.¡¯ Was she here? Was she playing tricks on him, so he could lower his guard? Or was it simply a hallucination or an illusion caused by the forest. It couldn¡¯t have been, it had to have been stress at work here. Looking after Faro gave a extra mile to worry about, worrying about his own life was hard enough. The dog had started barking like she was nuts right there after, growling in one direction and then another. Victor heard a crack of a twig in the distance. Hooves galloping with the ground. He turned it moved towards, glowing red eyes locked on him from afar. The beast was far bigger than what he had thought it was. Twice as large as a normal boar, even muscular, two giant curved tusks as big and angled like scimitars, and teeth the size of a human''s finger. Its white fur was complemented by the fresh deer blood that stained it¡¯s head. The mad beast stopped dead in its tracks. Readying itself for a charge, hooves digging deep into dirt scraping backwards and forwards. It drew its leg back one more time before committing to the charge. It lowered its skull and thrusted forward, Victor was going to be impaled and not by a tree trunk. The Charging battering ram came at him, tusks flailing like twin blades being used to slash at its enemies, head shaking with each skip and bump. Foliage, rock and grass all trampled in its path, its eye set on victor¡¯s gelatinous body. He shot it in the face, but it didn¡¯t relent. You have dealt 18 damage Four bolts left. Not having his flaming sword with him may have been a mistake; he was not proficient in the arts of marksmanship. He shot another dealing better damage but not significantly You have dealt 26 damage Three bolts left. The Boar kept coming and was on the verge of impaling him. He shot another, hopefully the next shot would be his lucky shot. A metallic click came from the crossbow. He tried to pull the trigger but it wouldn¡¯t budge. It was jammed. ¡°OH fuck!¡± The boar rammed him, sending him flying against a tree. He collided in the air stay¡¯d there planning. But didn¡¯t impale him. You have suffered 20 damage. 34 hp remaining. It was still more than half. Faro was on its back tearing and biting into it with. The dog likely forced the boar to change trajectory. The boar let out a wild squeal, he¡¯d have expected from a pig being slaughtered. It started violently shaking and running around in a circle like a mechanical bull attempting to throw off its rider. With violent spin, it send the dog flying through the air out of view.¡± ¡°Faro!!!¡± Shit. This was not what he was expecting. He hoped the dog came out unscathed. The Mad boar returned it¡¯s attention towards victor, making ready for another charge. Its target this time appeared to be the tree victor stuck to . Victor once again attempted to use the crossbow, One of the mechanisms appeared to be stuck. He hit it with his tentacle, and it let loose the arrow, narrowly missing the target. If he had known it would do that he would have aimed properly. The boar charged again, ramming the tree. Leaves and branches fell off because of the collison and as it fell down, Victor used the momentum to slither his way to another one. He wouldn¡¯t survive a direct hit, if he was impaled, He needed to use his mobility to stay away from its tusks. Now limping another tree which was not as stable, Victor slowly felt himself slipping down. The boar got into position again, its stubbornness seemed to know no bounds. But he noticed it was slower than before, either it was hurt or there was a limit to how much energy he could hold. So wear it down then? Victor remembered a skill he had acquired not to long ago ¡®flaming smite¡¯ The crossbow was no gladius but wondered if it had worked. Tis time he aimed for the boars head, specifically red glowing eyes. ¡°Flaming smite!¡± The arrow launched from his crossbow, igniting the crossbow bolt with supernatural flame. The bolt pierced the eye of the boar. Critical Hit You have dealt 45 damage+ 22 incendiary damage. He had no possession of magic, and the gladuis was far away; he''d need an explanation as to this skill working with no mana. ¡®Two bolts left.¡¯ The boar staggered backwards. The arrow had done its work another and it would fall to the ground. It turned and ran away from him. ¡±That¡¯s it, You give up!¡± Blinded by a literal arrow and its rage for the slimeball of man. The boar circled back and sprinted twice as fast as its previous charge, using a large rock as a ramp. It jumped from the stone, into the air, tusks aiming for Victor, it went for the tree. Instead of evading, Victor summoned his wooden shield and hoped that the tusk did not pierce the wooden shield. It was a horrible mistake. You have lost 25 hp A sharp pain stinged throughout him, the tusk had impaled him. The shield broke apart. The boar fell to the ground dragging Victor down with it. Pieces of wood falling alongside them. It stood up, holding Victor like a hanging coat. It turned towards a log on the ground, one with thick branches and sprinted towards . Intending to double impale him. ¡°Is this what happened to the deer,¡± Big mistake. The benefits of not having a human nervous system meant that the pain he felt was minuscule he could still feel his limbs. Victor, struck out his tentacles into the nostrils of the beast, and another in its eyes. A grotesque job. It fell down likely to bad coordination, Victor re equipped the crossbow and fired another bolt. The boar had anticipated this, and thrashed its body to the side freeing VIctor, but readying itself to finish him off. He had one shot left ¡°Flaming smite!¡± He shouted.But it did not ignite the bolt. He¡¯d to get the gist of it. In a last resort to stop the approaching juggernaut. Victor shot it in the legs, making it fall forward on its front legs. He jumped on the beast. Stuck three tentacles inside, transformed them into hands, causing the head of the boar to physically tear apart. . Victor crushed its brain from the inside. You have dealt 200 damage. Mad albino boar defeated. It had let out a final screech, and twitched like it was having an aneurysm. Finally it settled into silence. That was it then, he would live another day. This fight to the death was worth it. No, it was rash, this was beginning to become a horrible habit but he was beginning to enjoy it. You have gained 340 exp Congratulations You have leveled up twice 10 Undristubrited stat points A concern for later. He wanted more than to bring back proof of a fight, he¡¯d bring back the whole thing. He¡¯d love to see Magnar¡¯s expression.¡¯ Right now he needs to find out where Faro is for better or for worse. Just as he was beginning to calm down, he heard the guttural snorts and the clapping of hooves in the distance. It sounded like a rumble or a stampede. He was ready to flee. Out of a bush, Faro came sprinting in his direction. ¡°Faro! Are you hurt?¡± He could see no visible damage on the canine. Victor couldn¡¯t believe what he was saying to himself, but he was happy to see him. ¡°C''mon let¡¯s get out of here! ¡° The dog barked with affirmative confirmation. He removed the deer leg from his inventory and threw it in the direction of a rampaging stampede, Took the whole boar into his inventory. And sped the other way. As the pair made their way out of the forest. Victor stared at the dog and said. ¡°You''re a lot tougher than me aren¡¯t you!¡± Faro barked proudly, his chest puffing with pride. As they stumbled out of the immediate open, Victor¡¯s thoughts immediately set on Magnar. The man didn¡¯t warn of multiple boars, nor did warn him on how it would fight. He felt as though the man had deliberately sent him after to get rid of him, he¡¯d have to have a ¡®talk¡¯ with him. Chapter 17 - A merry feast, because tomorrow we lay six feet under. Victor and Faro had reached the outskirts of the village, just barely, hanging on by the threads of his gooey flesh. In the short time he has spent with the cute-little dog, with its strange mannerisms, he has grown to trust the animal. Though he knew sooner or later he would have to sever the bond they built. His mind had drifted towards the nymph.She was there in the forest, haunting him if only for a brief moment. Did his encounter with her leave him with some unseeable curse or worse,was she stalking him. Slowly tormenting him, did the herd appear at her desire. Did she direct nature¡¯s anger at him? No, it couldn¡¯t have been. He was simply paranoid. He had barely seen the world outside of this region, but he more than knew that this was an old realm, with old tricks. It may very well be true, as Faelion has once said, that they were the reason it was getting worse. Ever since he had left that forest he had been feeling strangely uncomfortable, glitchy and twitchy. Something was creeping up his boneless spine and he didn¡¯t like a single moment of it. As he approached the Village gate, a familiar large hulking man with a crossbow greeted him. He looked slightly different than before and wore a different uniform, befitting his new rank. Blond hair braided backwards, and with a wide grin on his face. Victor could see he even had a new crossbow on his back. Someone¡¯s enjoying life. ¡°Victor, you returned unscathed!¡± Magnar shouted from the village walls. It seems Victor had piqued his interest, as he slid down the wall ladder. ¡°Not unscathed, but victorious in my quest.¡± He made sure not to overplay his hand, he had something to ask the man after all. The gates flew open and he entered inside, Magnar waiting for him at the entrance. ¡°Well did you encounter it, brought something to show for it?¡± The man asked curiously, Victor wondered if his conscience was clean. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything about a herd of these beasts?¡± ¡°What herd!?¡± He seemed genuinely surprised. Though Victor doubted this sincerity. He wondered how he wanted to go about it. Accusing this man of luring him to his death, then again Victor chose to eat the bait. Was the paranoia getting to him. He did initially not like him after all, then there were the remarks he made while he was absorbing zombie wolf meat. He was sure Faelion explained everything. He remained silent. ¡°Victor I swear, I knew nothing about a herd, we usually don¡¯t even go into those woods unless Faelion requests it. A herd of these beasts. I thought it was only the mad boar,¡± he looked at the dog next to Victor and his face went pale. ¡°Faro? Did she follow you there? Is she unharmed?¡± Victor could feel the fear emanating from the man, how the wizard would react, if his¡¯ daughter¡¯s dog ended up impaled in the middle of the woods. Might be a messy affair. Though he would also be to blame. He retracted all negative thoughts, what was he even thinking? Is he going to outright accuse him of attempted murder. That would go well. Many of the soldiers around them were already twitchy. He let it go. He switched up his mood, like if it was a sock plucked out of the drawer. ¡°Faro?, He¡¯s fine, helped me take the beast of a boar down, and did a large number on the pig.¡± he said enthusiastically. The warrior-captain raised his eyebrows, he got giddy like a child did when they saw a new toy. ¡°Take it down? What do you mean, Prove it then!¡± Actions more often than not speak louder than words. Victor removed the massive beast from his inventory, the beast materializing out of thin air and collapsing in the ground in front of him . It was still as fresh as when he had caught it, not a sign of rotten meat. It was dead cold though, no indication of heat activity. Did dimensional storages serve as a fridge, perhaps as an infinite vacuum. ¡°What the fuck!¡± The man in utter shock ran towards the beast, and started laughing like a maniac.¡± you actually killed it.You mad little devil¡± Was that praise? A crowd started gathering near the gate, and he could even spot some jealousy in the eyes of the guardsmen near the entrance. Outright abandoning their posts to come stare at obese pig. Quest complete! You have received 105 exp You have leveled up! You have 15 undistributed stats. Level threshold reached, you may find it harder to level up in your current state. What did it mean by that? He internally checked how much exp he needed to level up. You have 44 exp, you require 188 exp to level up. Level up threshold reached, excessive experience will not be saved. What was this all about? Regardless he didn¡¯t have the energy or the stomach to focus on issues like this. He wanted to rest. Maybe actually read on Faelions books to pass the time, stuff himself with that boar meat. His thoughts drifted. ¡°Victor¡­¡± ¡°Victor!¡± The rugged man called out to him, shaking him. Making him jump up into the air. ¡°Sorry, you¡¯re clearly tired after that Victory, what do you intend to do with the boar?¡± He only had one thing he could do with it. ¡°Uhh absorb it.¡± Magnar scoffed. ¡°Hah, don¡¯t be dumb. This fur could make some fine leather, you only need someone to skin it. And the meat, don¡¯t get me started, trust me you don¡¯t want to eat this raw. You could get some excellent grilled cuts.¡± To Victor it sounded like Magnar was trying to worm his way into his spoils. The spoils he had worked hard for, he and Faro of course. Though he could care less about leathery wear. He was hungry once again, he had lost the deer meat in the forest. He¡¯d hate to go back and hunt again. The boar however was much larger than what he could outright absorb. Even with the minotaur case, he wasn¡¯t alone in that room. His ¡®siblings¡¯ were there, he still found them disgusting creatures, despite being born in the same spawn. ¡°The leather, how much would it be worth¡­in gold?¡± Victor asked, interested in the amount of monetary gain he could achieve from this.¡± ¡°More than a couple of gold, not something that is regularly hunted after all. A good friend of mine, a skinner and a hunter. He might be able to sort it out, though he asks a hefty amount for his work.¡± A rare opportunity and yet risky a preposition. A couple of gold coins? He could only think of the sheer mass of food he might get to eat. ANd not raw wild animals, not disgusting humanoid flesh either. He could perhaps not exactly eat like a human but maybe he could get some proper eating habits in order, he was a growing boy after all. ¡°How about a thirty-three percent split, you, me and your hunter friend.¡± A sly smile grimaced the man again. Victor hoped he wouldn¡¯t scam him, after the merchant debacle he should be twice as cautious. Though Magnar wasn¡¯t someone who could simply run away, much less is in a position to steal. He definitely was an opportunist. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Are you serious! What about the meat?¡± he put his hand on the boar, sliding it down the fur.¡± you know¡­ some of my men still think you nothing more than a monster or even the wizard¡¯s thrall. You could prove them wrong tonight, perhaps even gain their trust.¡± He knew what he was suggesting, splitting up the meat among his retinue, for social capital. He didn¡¯t feel too strongly about it, he just wanted to eat and take a proper nap. If he gained something out of this, then that would be fine. Victor considered it. ¡°Fine, but I want part of the meat, and some for Faro too.¡± The dog barked in affirmation. Clearly aware of the role it had played. ¡°Very well then, We feast tonight.¡± the captain laughed. ¡°You said something about a herd.¡± Victor had a sneaky suspicion he¡¯d be seeing lots of villagers with white leather in the coming weeks. The creature may not have been so legendary afterall. How long had these people been here, if they didn¡¯t know their own backyard. Faelion did mention something akin to starting the village. Inquiries, inquiries best left for tomorrow.
The sky had darkened and nightfall had taken the village. The feast is unlike anything Victor expected.. Though he could not blame the people, dozens of battle-hardened men were guzzling on boar grub, stuffing their mouths, dancing around. Slurping more alcohol than blood they had in their veins. Arguing then fighting and then some more arguing. There was a minor tense-atmosphere whenever a soldier walked near him, like their battle instincts were going off. A threat sitting right next to you. One drunk soldier in particular had marked him for war. ¡°Look monster! Get him!¡± The drunk had drawn a sword and was charging at him. Victor wasn¡¯t concerned. The man was subsequently held back and knocked out by the legion of men. Magnar had apologized for it. No doubt playing nice, to further his agenda. More drunk fights also broke out, He did not enjoy this. He needed some peace and quiet. Someone was stringing along a guitar-like instrument, the men singing along. Though the rhythm was off, no doubt the work of a fermented mind. A village girl and a relative of Magnar had taken to cooking the meat. Though it appeared to be a difficult and arduous process. She was still in the process of handing out large pieces of boar meat, eventually and reluctantly coming up to him and the dog. With two large plates, even utensils, which he didn¡¯t need. . Her face was every bit pale and she seemed spooked, no doubt by his appearance. ¡°For sir¡­. Victor, and Lord Faro.¡± She said as she was putting down in front of them. On the ground. Faro had immediately dug into the plate of steaming boar flesh, devouring it. Victor had met her terrorized gaze. And for a moment she froze as if asking for permission to move along. Like she had been under a spell. Victor blinked. Up close she was a beautiful girl, dark hair half hidden by a headscarf, a v-shaped face and soft blue eyes. He hadn''t seen her before today. She was almost too perfect in this grim and grotesque reality, like something out of a hallucination. Victor was reminded of past-life crushes he could never speak to. He never had the privilege of a proper social life. Back in school he was seen as a weirdo, as an adult people were naturally averse towards him, like he was a monster. Here he was in the face of an elegant girl. Literally a monster. There was no hope for him. He should have given up while he was ahead. ¡°Thank you¡­ I apologize for scaring you¡­¡± ¡°You¡­didn''t ... .scare¡­me..¡± she said, as if she had to force the words out and slowly trailed away. ¡°Can I ask your name, ms? He shouldn''t have asked her, she would probably have nightmares tonight about him. ¡°Erin¡­¡± she said reluctantly and briskly walked away. He was sure she would run had they been alone. She was a pristine light in the dark and dirty barracks. Victor wondered if he would see her again. That¡¯s if she doesn¡¯t drive a dagger inside his flesh. ¡®Monster, i¡¯m a fucking monster.¡¯ He looked at his gelatinous hands and squeezed them together, staring at his crude and makeshift hands. He stoved the meat inside of him, and did his best impression of shaking his head. The meat was really good, like some refined pork you would find inside an expensive restaurant. It had filled his stomach, but it did not make him feel any better. Then that feeling came back. That pervasive feeling that he was being utterly fucked with. This isn¡¯t right. A light rain started falling in the sky, as if adding insult to his mental injury. The water drops falling inside of him, messing with his body chemistry. Some of the men darted away, other¡¯s continued, sheltering the fire under the light rain. Victor took this as a queue to leave. Everything was fine and everything wasn¡¯t. Faro had beaten him to it. The large slab o meat in his mouth. Running off towards his family home. Victor himself drifted away. ¡°Leaving so soon hero?¡± a soldier had asked him, approached him from behind. Victor stopped dead in his tracks. His skin shivering he turned towards the newcomer. He was wearing the uniform every other soldier around them wore, though something was off. He was way to clean, no cuts, no bruises, no scars on his flesh. A perfect physique and teeth whiter than the fur of the torn apart boar. Short but clean cut hair. ¡°Pardon. Do you need something?¡± He asked the man, cautious None of the soldiers had confronted him, if he hadn''t confronted him first. Except this man. ¡°Just curious that¡¯s all. Man cursed in the body of a beast shows up in the village on the day of its need, makes friends with a powerful wizard who had just taken him prisoner earlier, slays a beast and gives it away as a charitable deed. Saves his daughter from four overgrown frogs. Makes one think.¡± Victor doubted everyone knew about that last tidbit. This man was dangerous. ¡°Did you lose something, did I offend you. In anyway shape or form..¡± The man clapped his hands together. ¡°I¡¯m just a busy-body, that''s all.¡± his eyes narrowed. ¡°Where are you running to Victor, the feast has barely begun. Scared of a little rain. Or are you hiding something.¡± Whatever he had felt earlier had intensified severely. Mental sickness had become a physical one, he felt nauseous for the first time in short-new life. There was also a hunger growing inside. Not the hunger to eat but hunger to devour living things. ¡°Who are you?What is it you want?¡± The man spun a coin in his hands. A gold coin with a face imprinted on it on both sides. ¡°Heads,¡± he moaned. His grin stretching almost impossibly wide ¡°Damn, looks like you''re off the hook for now. Lucky man¡­¡± No one around them seemed to notice the scene. Victor readied his tentacles to strike the man. His body reacted very slowly. The growing hunger, and the rising sickness, then there was the temptation to do things. This strange man. He wanted to hurt him. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around, Victor.¡± he said. Walking towards the fire in the center of the barracks, without another word. Victor sped away, deciding he would tell Faelion all about this when he came back, he didn¡¯t feel good he needed to get away from here. He also couldn¡¯t afford to ruin the little trust he had built with the people here. As Victor left, he peered back one more time at the strange soldier. He had completely vanished without a trace. He couldn¡¯t have gone in any other direction that fast. It was clear to him none of that was normal. He wouldn¡¯t question it. It was time to go.
At the cabin. At the first sight of his sword being near him, it glowed repeatedly like strobing lights coming alive. The roman ghost appeared in front of him. There was anger on his translucent face. ¡°You need to leave Victor, you need to leave this place.¡± The spirit said without explanation ¡°Why.¡± Victor said, his body starting violently rejecting some of the food he had eaten. Exciting his stomach like it had been cut open. He was hungry, something raw and old and primal was carving its way out. ¡°Don¡¯t you see it. Are you willfully ignoring it, you¡¯re changing and not for the best reasons. You need to leave, then we need to speak. Take Gladius and leave town. We will have a proper discussion soon.¡± Strange images started flashing in victor¡¯s head.An explosion of colors, visual shapes were beginning to distort, his vision had become almost blurry. Victor pondered the ghost''s words. The spirit had kept him alive at least twice now, he should probably listen to it.He grabbed it and started his trek out of the village. The soldiers at the gate had let him pass with no issue, however they were giving him strange looks, as if the undead had justy past them. He could have unequipped it and yet he didn¡¯t feel like it. He was weak; he felt safe dragging the blade along the ground with him. On the outskirts of the village, he had entered the southern forest, leading along the east river, where he had come from. He heard a rustle from the bushes. Throwing the blade around, preparing for the worst. The dog approached him, sniffing and observing him, touching him with his paw. Victor snapped, shoving the dog away. ¡°No, Faro! Go back! Go back Now!¡± His voice sounded all round, grumbling, harsh and animalistic.¡¯ The dog retreated with reluctance peering at him occasionally. He had followed the river upstream in the same direction the nymph had been. He didn¡¯t have a death wish, whatever happens he hoped. It didn¡¯t result in him harming the villagers. He shut out the world around him. Starting to look for a safe place to rest. There was none, nothing safe, nothing hidden. A particular large oak stood out to him, tree roots deep and old. It would more than suffice. He moved behind it, out passerby¡¯s and started digging and burrowing a hole frantically. Tentacles turned into claws, throwing out dirt. The hole, now large enough to fit him, was quickly occupied by him, He covered his head with rough patches of dirt.. A couple of worms had ended up in the hole with him. The nature of his body made their lives horribly short. He was desperate to hide himself from the world. Thunder struck in the distance, startling him. The rain had intensified, he wondered if they would stop the barracks party. The system displayed something in front him Evolve? Y?N Evolve into what? Chapter 17.5A - The Blob That Ate the Forest Aelit huddled against the corner of the hollowed-out dead tree. She held her arms together shivering, in the cold weather, lying on a makeshift leaf bed she had constructed herself. The chilling air had irritated her nose and ears. She was sure to catch a cold tonight. Or worse succumb to hypothermia. Shelter and a bunch of leaves were all that the forest had permitted her. She stared up into the heavens above, at the azure-lit moon, that brought light to the damned forest around her. Some ¡®druid¡¯ she was, she hated every moment of being here. Not even her title was of much help, the forest didn¡¯t welcome her. It didn¡¯t want her here. It had been a rough couple of days. She had been captured by bad actors just after her tribal home was torn to shreds. Tortured for days on end, for things she had no knowledge of or understanding of. Dumped into a pool of flesh-devouring slime monsters, like she was unwanted laundry. The minotaur who had helped her escape, she hoped he was okay. Gorm or Gormark, she couldn¡¯t remember his name. He¡¯d get in trouble no doubt, she planned on meeting him again after this debacle, make things even. Serephine that vile whore, she was going to slit her throat, sew it back shut and torture the elf hag. An eye for an Eye and all that. She had barely escaped with her life, nearly devoured alive. Chased around by goblins and then there were the skull knights and the griffon that had gone after her, likely their pet. They had stopped following her, though she couldn¡¯t be sure, she had completely lost them. They could be out here, waiting for her to make the wrong move. Pouncing her from behind. It was all so stressful, so tiresome, just a month ago, she had a normal life. A prodigal daughter according to her parents. ¡°Fucking invaders! Fucking Elf! Fucking skull knights! Fucking Forest!¡± She shouted, frustrated at the position she found her in. All she wanted was to go home, except there was no home. She was alone with no family. She was a vagabond now, cursed to roam the open plains and smelly woods. ¡°Aarrghh!!!¡± A pebble flew right through the hollow gap, hitting her on the head. ¡°I said fuck this forest in particular!¡± A single pebble had turned into a volley, all aimed at her face. She threw her arms up to cover her it, from being battered by a barrage of stones. Sharp pains graced her fragile arms, grazing her skin. The volley had kept going until she was forced to profusely apologize, to the spirit of the forest. She wanted nothing more than to tear her hair out. Climb into a chasm, and sleep away this restless nightmare. She hadn¡¯t had a good meal in a while, she wasn¡¯t sure she would ever taste a home-cooked meal ever again. ¡®The invader¡¯, had destroyed everything. She felt nothing, just deadness. Maybe running around was a futile endeavor, at least in captivity she would be fed. Maybe get experimented on once or twice a day. But at least her stomach would be full. A bright white flash collided with the ground, not too far from her. The sound of thunder cracking through the sky made her spring up into the air. Shaking her to her core, her heart raced, she was trembling from the sudden noise. Thunder and lighting. She had never experienced it so close. Not once. It didn¡¯t stop there, a series of thunderclaps started rolling out, and the light drizzle that had blessed the earth had turned into showering chaos. She could feel the woodland animals scattering among the trees, not too far from her. A fight had broken out not too far from her. Between a whistlingbird and a stonepecker. Though she was no animal communicator she could often make out in human words what the animals had meant. The birds had started bickering for territory and were ready to start fighting for it. ¡°I own this tree, you are in my nest. Get lost! You can¡¯t just start living here!¡± The stonepecker complained. ¡°Brother, do you see this nasty rain? I need shelter, or else i may not make the night. You have enough space here, surely you can share.¡± The whistlingbird argued. ¡°No! Do I eat out of your hatchling''s nest, when I feel hungry? Go away now. Or I¡¯ll Peck you a hole in you.¡± ¡°Selfish! Your kind is all the same.¡± She couldn¡¯t block out the words she was hearing, it would come and go. Part of the package of being a druid by bloodline she had supposed. But she didn¡¯t need more voices in her head. Much less wild animals. If they couldn¡¯t come to terms, then she would make them both go away. She picked up, one of the pebbles the forest had thrown at her and prepared to throw at the bickering avians. ¡°Do! Not! Do! That!¡± A voice manifested herself out of nowhere, commanding her to stop. It was guttural, old, feminine.¡±Do not interfere! Where you are not needed! Nature will sort itself out¡± Goosebumps, her back tingled and her fear had doubled. A spirit made its presence known. It had the appearance of a naked woman, skin paler than mountain snow, and black eyes as empty as the void. Long hair that flowed below her waist. Nails ebonblack and as long as sharpened knives. She knew exactly who this was, it was the forest itself, in humanoid form. Presenting itself. No doubt it would ask her things now, or force her to conform with its rules. She was clueless as to what she was supposed to do exactly, as she was still green in her in this profession. ¡°What exactly¡­is it that you want.¡± She asked the spirit of the forest. SH wanted no games, no riddles, she needed rest. And preferably a direction to the nearest village. ¡°I want you to stop, I want you to think, and I want you to help me,¡± The spirit approached her, she could barely hear any footsteps she was making.¡±You may call me Mournvine, I am the forest, I am the tree you are sitting in. I am the leaves you have plucked from the ground below.¡± What was next, did she expect her fall on the ground and gravel for it? ¡°I can hear your thoughts. What I want you to do is to listen, treat me like barren dirt and I will do the same.¡± it threatened. Shutting her up. How comforting. She wasn¡¯t even allowed to think. ¡°Can you feel it? Something is very wrong within the circumference of my trees in the disturbance inside the forest. Growing, consuming, devouring. An outsider¡­Trapped man in the flesh of a monster. I want you to stop him. Before he takes too much. Too much of me.¡± It put its fingers on her face, long-nailed trailing along her soft skin. She felt uncomfortable, she was taught not to communicate with great spirits without the help of a senior druid, there was too much she could lose to it. It could curse her if it wanted to.¡± ¡°Do this, and we will treat you accordingly. We¡¯ll treat you like our own, teach you what should¡¯ve been taught to you long ago, young druid, damaged girl. You are confounded and confused, infantile and ill-prepared. I understand that.¡± The last thing she needed was a psychological lesson, from a glorified network of trees. But if this favor could grant her a boon or two. Then she was in no position to refuse. She had grown sick of being on the run. Scavenging up and below for fruits, nuts, and wild mushrooms that didn¡¯t poison her. What did she have left to lose except her sanity? ¡°My staff¡­I lost it, along my journey here. Without it... Nature will refuse to answer my call.¡± It had been a gift from her father. ¡°You have lost a very personal thing, young Aelit. Something no keeper of woods should¡¯ve ever have lost.¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°I know,¡± she said with a hint of guilt. ¡°And why exactly can¡¯t you deal with yourself, you command the forest.¡± The spirit grabbed her hands and held them together with its crude animalistic hands. There inside the crevice of their hands, something had formed. Something was rumbling in her hands, wood, she could feel it, treebark. It was growing, slowly taking shape, with wild and jagged edges. Its length grew outside of her hands. It came along nicely, though made of nothing more than simple wood, it was ornate in its carved-out shape. As she held it in her hands, she could feel a surge of energy gripping her, the life force of the forest, it would aid her in the coming battle. ¡°We do not make the rules, the gods do. We cannot harm interlopers directly. We can only influence the beasts of the land.¡± ¡°But they may hurt us freely, and their powers are calamitic, destructive, and ruinous. They have no place here. ¡°A pain we all bear. Now go little black heart, waif of the forest.¡± The forest urged her on. She sighed. She didn¡¯t understand what she was supposed to do. Heavy rain hit her, and she took it head-on. Standing at the edge of the hollowed-out tree, she listens to the forest. The voices of passing critters running for their lives, a willow tree whispering of the chaos, foreboding warnings from the birds above. West of here, near the river, something was going crazy there. Eating everything in sight, from the smallest rocks to bringing down the tallest trees, sparing not a single bush. The devourer had actively chased after large animals. Its hunger seemed unstoppable. It seemed like an impossible task. She morphed, her pale skin darkening, the small hairs on her body had started enlarging new fur-like hair that sprung up. Her spine contorted, all of the bones in her body bending and reshaping herself. A tail appeared on her backside. She leaned forward, body lying in a fetal position. Slowly becoming a feline beast. Her clothing shrank into nothingness and her newly gifted staff disappeared, dematerializing into thin air. The transformation had its drawbacks. But she would not linger on its pains. Her senses were heightened. She could hear the chaos better, and see her surroundings in detail. Run faster, every physical thing a human could not do without powers, she had become a master of. On all fours, and alert. She sped into the direction of the disturbance. The journey there had been an arduous one, the ground was all sloshy with deep mud, the rain had constantly blurred her vision, and then there were the animals as large as her, fleeing but on a path of collision with her. Then she saw it. A giant collective mass of blob, goo, and what was probably slime. Inside its body were all the things it could not digest, like the rock of the earth itself, and various metal stuAffs such as ore. Dozens of tentacles and long arms flailing about, she noticed most peculiarly the sword it held in one of those long arms. Using to cut its surroundings. Reverting to her human, she held the staff in place. She would try to negotiate with the beast, and if it was truly mindless. She would put it down. A strange feeling took hold of her, the beast seemed very familiar. In her panther form, it smelled very much like the cave she had been dumped inside of. Could it be¡­. Her father had always dealt with trapped souls like that. Interlopers who had reincarnated into the body of beasts went mad and had to be put down. Looks like she would be walking in his footsteps. ¡°You there, Monster!¡± She called out to him, and like as if its attention shifted towards her, two big googly eyes, locked themselves on her. ¡°Stop this madness at once!¡± It gurgled at her, some combination of a guttural growl, a burp, and the sound of vomiting in her ears. Welp she had tried. It clearly didn¡¯t speak. With the help of her staff, she broke off a piece of dead wood and launched it at him. Piercing a hole through him. Well shit! It didn¡¯t do anything but anger him even further, its tentacles came together and started lashing out at her. She retreated doing her best to hide behind structured obstacles such as the trees. She crept behind it, she needed some way to reduce its mass, reduce its ability to harm the surrounding area. Feeling the presence of the forest spirit, well around her. She calls out to her, curious as to what he may do to fight the ever-evolving monster. ¡°How do you bring him down?¡± ¡°What doesn¡¯t mix well with oil.¡± it had answered. ¡°Try to minimize the damage it might, the forest won¡¯t survive if everything is uprooted.¡± Sure, just tell the giant monster to stop smashing trees. Lure it to a large body of water while you¡¯re at it. Speaking of trees, the feeling of heat being built up behind her intensified. The Tree had been set aflame. ¡°What the hell.¡± she fled towards another tree, repeating what she had done earlier, but targeting the blobs tentacles, with the pieces of tree projectiles. Guerilla warfare. The blob had approached and had gotten closer. She barely had enough time to get away and fired at it, while she scrambled to find more cover. She accidentally tripped and fell, her face landing inside a small hole. There inside a small tunnel, stood a large group of squirrels chattering intensely. They all stared at her. ¡°Hello!¡± she said awkwardly. ¡°What¡¯s all this ruckus, we live here you know, get out of here.¡± The tallest of the squirrels spat and she struggled to get her head out. ¡°No more humans and elves, leave nature alone!¡± another shouted. As she pulled herself out the blob was practically on top of her, she was grabbed by one of the icky tentacles and thrown through the air, just barely by the breadth of her neck landing safely. She pointed the staff to a nearby tree, a very thick branch had formed and grabbed her mid-air. While she was in the air she spotted it, the river. She¡¯d make it there with great effort. She wondered why the rain didn¡¯t massively affect the blob¡¯s body or perhaps it did, and that is why it was devouring. She killed that theory pretty quickly when it reached out for her. She started sprinting, maneuvring across the muddy ground, Large boulders older than the trees, and the deep roots of those trees that connected from one tree to another. Now standing in front of the river, where she would make her last stand. She needs a way for it to get inside. The blob approached but stopped, observing her. Did it know that the water was a weakness? That more than complicated things, it was more than smart enough to have survival instants, but dumb enough to determine the full ramifications of its growing destruction. ¡°Use the water, call out to the river, call out to its blessing .¡± the forest had guided her. Between dodging tentacle attacks and trying to summon a large swathe of water to dump on the blob was an extraneous effort. The river was already wild no thanks to the storm. ¡°River spirit! I call out to you in a time, of need, wash away our mutual foe. So that the forest may once again be at peace.¡± At first, nothing happened. Despite the feeling of magical energy leaving her body. But then a tidal wave rose, up into the air, slowly rising, rainwater mixing well into it. All her energy taken by it, she sent the massive wave against the blop of slime slop. It splashed against it. The Blobs from slowly disintegrating and being split into dissolving pieces. The water was spilling everywhere, she was already drenched, and now she was covered in The Blob in a fit of rage, threw the sword at her, with flaming fury. ¡°Gladius Aquila Ignis!¡± it had shouted, narrowly missing her as she blocked it by, summoning the earth to form a wall of protection. The beast now miniature but mad creature was practically defenseless, she would have to put it down. The sword in front of her started humming madly and glowing, drawing her in, urging her to pick it up. She couldn¡¯t help it, she felt compelled. As she picked it up from the ground. A spirit appeared in front of her, a dead soul of an interloper, she recognized the armor. She knew the spirit was trouble. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t kill him, he is not a wild beast, he is undergoing something right now.¡± The spirit begged her. ¡°Yeah, just let him devour everything, that will go well.¡± ¡°I have seen you in Victor¡¯s memories, you would not be here if it wasn''t for him.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, I''ve never met this beast.¡± She stared at the small ball of goo, dozens of noodly tentacles arms going absolutely nuts.¡± ¡°Oh, but you have, in that cave. Help him as he once helped you.¡± She remembered. It was an awkward memory. She had been woken by an amorphous pile of slime, and it simply stared at her. Didn¡¯t do anything like most of the things that gravitated toward him. She sighed. She had made a promise to the forest. But she also couldn¡¯t bring herself to end him. What was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to control him? A softened lightning arched through the air and struck the ground next to her. A man appeared in front of her with a white staff, fully hooded by his robe, but she could still see his face in the dark and A zoom spell. She was fucked. A high-level wizard appeared, this spelled trouble. Now she wanted out of whatever this was. She turned to run but found herself kicking air as she was lifted. ¡°That¡¯s quite enough,¡± the man expressed. ¡°I don¡¯t know whether to thank you or whether to harm you.¡± ¡°Go to sleep!¡± She collapsed on the ground, the smell of wet earth entering her nose. Finally she could rest, her muscles ached, throbbing with sore pains. When was the last time she had a proper nap? The last thing she had heard was. ¡°Oh¡­Victor what happened to you.¡± Chapter 18 - From the balls of Charles Darwin He was much smaller than the others, by a wide gap he could not bridge. Whether it was due to lack of nutrition or poor genetics. What was clear is that he was everyone¡¯s scapegoat. The horrible and mocking faces of his classmates were all around him, surrounding him with their cruel laughter, echoing into the hallway of the school. He was grabbed by multiple arms, extra hands tearing and tucking at his new shirt, ripping the fabric apart. He was manhandled. He was lifted into the air and thrown like a ragdoll. Landing against the school dumpster. The metal banged as he collided with it. Filthy trash had fallen on him, making nasty stains, and undrunken liquids stuck itself in his frizzy hair. How was he going to explain this one to his parents? ¡°Learn your fucking lesson, trash!¡± One of the stronger boys had shouted at him. The entirety of the crowd, like a choir in sync, mocked him and made fun of him for being who he was and what he believed in. For not conforming to the standards, for not being normal. The insults didn¡¯t bother him, just that no one seemed to care, the few that weren¡¯t inherently black-hearted monsters, turned a blind to his pains, careful that they might become victims themselves. He tried to hold back the sorrow he felt. But tears fell from his eyes. His body ached with pain, his shins and thighs throbbing with excruciating pain. The weight of being choked around his throat, he could still feel it. As he got up, he stumbled barely able to move forward. Tripping over his loosened shoelaces, he hardly had the strength to tie it together. As he lay on dust-covered asphalt, he got up again. Standing upright, he limped onward and away. Someone shoved him, causing him to fall on the ground again. His nose was bloody and his knees weak. He struggled to get up again, he didn¡¯t feel like it but did so anyway. He wiped away the tears and left. They could thrash him all they wanted but they could never break him.
He had been having disjointed and incoherent dreams slash memories all night. His body ached with soreness, which was unusual in his slimelike state, only ever felt exhaustion and had never experienced limb soreness. And yet he felt like his limbs were squished together, crammed in a can, the type used to preserve old food. He felt like he was a packaged like Meal-ready-to-eat, waiting to be opened and consumed. Ebon black darkness greeted Victor as he awoke from his deep slumber. He had tried moving around, shaking himself in an attempt to wiggle himself free. From this morning-day nightmare. As he moved around he could hear sounds of metal chains swinging around, and yet he was stuck in here. His body squished together. When exactly did he get so large anyway? His thoughts trailed back to the day before. A lot had happened. The war with the Lich; His stroll around the village he still didn¡¯t know the name of, the merchant who had scammed him out of his map, though no fault of his own. The boar hunt he and Faro had cooperated on. Feasting with the barracks boys, the strange soldier who had approached him, the rain, the images of the nymph, him feeling unwell, vomiting. Everything just fucking with his mind. He remembered he had left the village right after he felt ill. Ravenous and wholly unholy hunger. Had taken ahold of his mind, he yearned for flesh. He wanted to devour, the monster inside of him had been unhappy and unsated. It wanted to absorb, absorb, and absorb even more. But¡­ least it was quiet now. He couldn¡¯t recall what exactly had happened. He had dug himself into some kind of crevice beneath a tree. The possibility that someone had caught himself sleeping in the woods was a high one. And yet he had taken great precautions to obscure himself. But¡­that was enough mental bickering. He was supposed to evolve. Did he evolve? Congratulations you have evolved two stages. Your racial status has changed Ooze(slimelike)>Ooze devourer> Jelkin(humanoid slime). New status rebuffs You have 15 unspent attributes. New health parameters values: check status It was all so much at once, he had evolved twice? Devourer what was that all about. A humanoid. Now that he thought about it, he did feel very strange, unusually he had been able to compress his mass, to fit perfectly with obstacles that had held him back. Now it was retracted just so he could squeeze into the block. He had tried retracting his artificial limbs, into his body but it would not budge. He could move them around, gelatinous-like as they were, there was something eerily familiar about the weight and manner the mass had been distributed. Almost like his oozy bits were simulating imperfect muscles. He needed to get out immediately. ¡°Status.¡± he said aloud with his mouth.¡±My mouth.¡± His mouth! He could speak! He had some kind of throat, even a tongue. He could swallow like a normal human being again. ¡°What!¡± he heard in the room, he was placed somewhere and someone was watching him. He needed to get out. With his skin, he started feeling the material he was housed inside. It had a metallic smell, an oxide, maybe Iron. Victor needed out immediately. ¡°Status.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get paid enough for this shit,¡± he heard the same voice call out. "Boss the box is acting up again." "What ya say?" the other voice replied. This person was about to pay with an ass-whooping once he got out of this ''box''.
Status Information (Additional status information hidden until necessary)
Race: Jelkin(Slime)
Hp: 158/158 (+10% constitution hp buff, racial debuff) (plus 1 con equipment buff)
Mp: This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. 10/10 ( base)
Name Victor
Class Undefined
Titles Evolved monster +4 str/+4 Dex/ +4 cha, former human (retain human intelligence) +20 wis + 35 int
Level 13
Alignment Chaotic good
Attributes Strength 17 (Feeblefisted) (+1hat) Dexterity 19 (roughly nimble) Wisdom 20 ( Former fool) Intelligence 35 (Human-like) Constitution 22 (Moderately resilient) )(+1hat) Charisma 6 (Uncharismatic monster )
Undistributed stats 15
¡°Oh fuck yeah!¡± he shouted from within the iron block. He was moving up in the world, slow as it was. One step closer to regaining his humanity. ¡°Stop! Stop the noise! Don¡¯t move, stay absolutely fucking still.¡± the voice said, Victor could hear his footsteps as he left the room. Was he ''talking'' to Victor? He tried to summon his gladius, which was missing for some reason. Did he leave it in the woods? That left the idea of cutting chains that held the iron block while he was stuck in the air. Screw his slime-gobbling limitations. If he couldn¡¯t slither out of a small hole. He¡¯d punch his way outside. He dumped all of his unused stats into his str. 15 stats distributed New strength value 15> 32. Inventory space value increased to 7. It was amazing what a long night of sleep could get you in this world. He felt his new bipedal arms expand and contract. Moving the block had become easier. He could push it from the inside, sending it swinging around, like pinball on a desk. Maybe with enough momentum he could¡­no. He needs to do something else. He started punching the iron block, a dent immediately appearing in it, curving outwards. It was sure to be eventually cracked due to the pressure or as the penetrative power of his punches would get easier, with time." ¡°Coop thief, you making that noise. Quiet the fuck down.¡± Someone said, a different person. Not the man he heard earlier. This one was older. ¡°It ain¡¯t me I swear. It¡¯s that fucking slime you got in that cube, it¡¯s going crazy.¡± ¡°Stop plucking your cock chicken thief, I saw you throw something earlier. ¡± The man declared. Was he a prison guard? Who¡¯s prison was he in? Was the chicken thief the same one he had encountered in that barn? What did Victor do to end up here? Was he in the village at all, What exactly happened last night Well, it appeared it was too late for light conversations. With all his might Victor punched the iron hard, sending him and the iron block airborne, causing some of the chains to rattle and break. Simply due to the sheer force of his punches. The metal lid of the iron block bent open. Victor¡¯s head peaked out. It seems he really was in a prison cell. A magical barrier had surrounded his cell. There had been more than one, the thief who had tried to abduct him much earlier, stood staring at him in fear. A guard came running around the corner. ¡°Look, Cornelius! I told you! Look I told you to so.¡± A younger guard pointed at him making proper contact with his eyes. They seemed to wear the uniform of the Village militia. Victor had clearly fucked up then if they had locked him up. What was he supposed to do now? Wreck havoc and escape. No. he would be put down, as that would be a life or death matter for the villagers. He climbed completely out of the box, his cramped body, slowly decompressing. Growing in volume and size. His stature grew to a height of an average-sized man. Easily 5¡¯6. The two guards stared in disbelief and immediately fled the jail. Running off, to tell who knows what and who. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that, come back. Can we talk about this!" The magical barrier told him that it may have been the work of Faelion. That meant he had returned, and shit was about to go down. If so he, would have to plead his case against him. Maybe he could silently exile him to another country or even sell him off to Nova Roma. He sat on the ground with his new body. It was still icky and it was still gelatinous in material. But he was once step closer to becoming human and that was all that mattered. As he awaited whatever ever verdict headed his way. He up-picked the compressed block of iron he had been in. ¡°Who¡¯s sick fucking idea was this.¡± ¡°it¡­ I¡­.it¡­it ¡­was the wizard.¡± the thief said out loud. Victor was reluctant to believe him, why would Faelion put him in a cage? His memory was hazy, but he did remember a storm last night. Images of a river body falling on him. He hoped he didn¡¯t sleep with a wrinkly old witch, or stole someone¡¯s goat to eat. That would be a terrible way to start his new life. Hopefully, he didn''t get drunk. Victor moved in the direction of the cell. That house the livestock thief. The thief started clutching the bars, shaking them erratically. His face had turned ghostly pale and a crazy expression on his face. ¡°Please don¡¯t eat me! I¡¯m not worth it!¡± he begs as Victor approaches, voice high-pitched. Victor smirks, half-joking, ¡°Maybe if I get hungry.¡± he joked. The thief started running to the back of the cell, climbing in his bedrolls, and covering his body. ¡°Please you have to understand, I was only trying to get by. We normal folk have to make do with what we have you know. Please, man just leave me alone.¡± Victor shook his head. Neck stretches. It had felt good, he hadn¡¯t felt it in a long time. His body was still stiff but slowly loosened up. The guards came back inside running, a worried wizard behind them. Encouraging the wizard to come to stare at the spectacle. Their weapons were gripped, even Faelion had his staff on him. ¡°Look he done changed again. Standing on two legs now. You said to call you in an emergency, well if that isn¡¯t an emergency I don¡¯t know what is.¡± the older guard, Cornelius said. Victor¡¯s eyes met Faelion. Who had a shit-eating wide grin on his face? ¡°Well I''ll be damned, I thought you had gone mad forever,¡± Faelion said happily. ¡°Mad....I have no idea what you are talking about.¡± ¡°You have no memory of what happened?¡± the wizard approached. ¡°You can speak!?" ¡°I can speak?!¡± Victor said questioning whether it was a bizarre thing at all. ¡°You no longer sound like a telepathic vocoder.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a vocoder?¡± the younger guard asked curiously. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get it," the wizard replied. "It''s a if you know, then you know kinda thing." Something strange was happening, Victor could sense the mana coming from the wizard and it was massive. ¡°Well come with me Victor we have much to talk about, a lich to kill.¡± Faelion dropped the barrier with a wave of his hands. Victor was jealous, he noticed the increased amount of mp in his inventory. He wanted to use magic, but first, he needed to find out why he was chained in the first place. ¡°You¡¯re letting him out!¡± the older guard was outraged. ¡°He poked me with his tentacle, that''s harassment, I want compensation dammit.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll receive better pay for your efforts, now tend to the farm thief. Or perhaps no one needs to employ jail guards. He dismissed them. The guard started non-stop moaning. It was a pretty empty prison in retrospect, did the village simply not have crime, or were all the other prisoners sent away to the gulag? Because there was only the thief stuck in here. A question for later, honestly. ¡°Come along Victor. Time is of the essence.¡± Chapter - 19 Unflattering Reunion If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Chapter 20 - Fellowship of The phylactery Victor had lay restless all night. Shifting from slumber to being awoken again. It was easier to sleep as a sludge of pure goo. he might honestly miss that feeling, but now here he was being bogged down by excessive limbs. He had watched the stars all night, thinking about home and how he would fix his life, if he went. That¡¯s if he was able to go back. This world seemed to be largely untamed, but nothing so far has given inner joy other than consuming things. Faelion was going to drag him into a war, which he honestly could ignore. But he did agree to it, and the necromancer who had spied on him like some sick pervert did annoy the fuck out of him. Aelit, the girl whose life had attempted to save in the cave would not breathe a word to him, which was fair all things considered, as she returned the Favor. He needed a place to settle down for a while. This ¡®trekking¡¯ is not going to cut it. He¡¯d want a home of his own at least, the cabin was now out of the question. As he rustled from side to side, he could hear footsteps slowly approaching his tent vicinity of the tent. It wasn¡¯t Faelion¡¯s as he would have called out to him by now, and his footsteps moved at a different pace. The wizard had no etiquette sometimes. It wasn¡¯t Aelit¡¯s either she had a smaller frame, he would know the difference. This was a rugged man. And he was carrying something. He summoned all two arm additional limbs he could muster, four arms sprouted underneath his normal two and waited inside the tent. Ping Ping! Limb Manipulation has leveled up (lvl6) There was a sharp and tingling sensation going to his jelly-like body. He could now summon another and so he did. A giant fleshy tentacle came out of his back. He was ready to strike whoever it was, just in case this person had some kind of ill intent. A rugged face stuck itself into the tent flap, his eyes bulging out in fright and his mouth wide open. Came face to face with hulking Victor, four arms ready to throw hands, and an appendage that was ready to slap and do devious things. ¡°Victor what the hell¡­¡± It was Magnar, being nosy again it seemed. Victor shook his head, the man had no regard for other¡¯s privacy it seemed. ¡°Uhh, Faelion is looking for you,¡± he said with hesitation. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve changed again, you¡¯ve become something else.¡± He knew they were to go early but damn was it early. Victor looked up in the sky, the Sun had barely stuck out its light and they would be away not shortly after. ¡°Yep, indeed one step closer, to being a man again,¡± He did his best attempt to smile, which may have come close to being creepy. ¡°Speaking of something else, did you sell those boar skins yet.¡± ¡°No¡­the harvester is full of crock, said he¡¯d only work on it if it served a purpose, said the skin was magical or something. But no worries I¡¯ll get some coin from him.¡± ¡°No pressure, Magnar. Though if he able to make something useful with the skin?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­, you don¡¯t want the coin anymore.¡± ¡°No, if the skin is magical the properties would probably be beneficial in battle.¡± ¡°Well I suppose I should get going.¡± he collapsed the tent in a fell swoop. And made to repackage it again. ¡°Are you generally up this early?¡± ¡°Depends on the shift, you know Victor after you took down that beast, my men have been driven to be inspired by you. I¡¯ll take a page from your book and start training to become stronger. Thank you for listening to my request, the day before yesterday.¡± ¡°No worries. Just don¡¯t skip leg day ¡± he commented. While looking at the burly man¡¯s skinny legs. Magnar laughed it off. Good for him, Victor supposed and it seemed his demeanor had changed as well. He was less snarky than usual, or perhaps that was because it was early morning. The man walked off, and he made sure to pack up the tent. He took it to the barracks and returned it there, making his way to the center of the town. Which was quiet for once. At least no one will give him unusual stares this early in the morning. The streets were barely lit up, there were lights and oil lamps in use. He wondered how long it would remain this way, with all the interloper¡¯s meddling. There he saw means of transportation. A stagecoach that seemed to be as ancient as the elderly man standing next to it. Its wheels seemed to be barely attached to the wooden hull of the vehicle, two horses stood in the front, each as black as the night and unusual red eyes. The wizard stood there, and an elderly hunched-over man was speaking to him. Though he couldn¡¯t see him properly from here here Our driver. He assumed He approached them. Both of them turned their attention towards him. Their coach driver¡¯s face was deformed and looked like it was on the verge of splitting into two. The skin attached is discolored from its normal pigment, greenish and resembling a cube cut. He seemed very much like Doctor Frankenstein¡¯s monster had turned old and and a new leaf. Freaky face ¡°Finally¡­if we don''t have pressing emergencies, we should take off immediately. The sooner this threat is dealt with, the better. If you need to take a leak or something.¡± He didn¡¯t pee. He didn¡¯t need to. What he wanted was a good meal, but that could wait for later. ¡°Here.¡± The wizard held out a piece of clothing. ¡°It has a magical edge to it, you should wear it. After the miracle you performed yesterday, I fugure we should jump-start your journey.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Victor took it from his hands. A cloak or a cape. He inspected it. Analysis skill: Apprentices cloak Slightly boosts mana and intelligence +10 mana and 5 INT Interesting he could slightly boost his intelligence stat with this. Instead being able to dump stats. He supposed it made up for the miner¡¯s cap he can¡¯t seem to find. As he touched it, very tiny electrical sparks seemed to dance from it. He equipped it. ¡°Also here,¡± he handed over his sword. Gladius Ignis. ¡°You are a cursed man, Victor, are you aware that you are being haunted.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it a haunting.¡± ¡°My, my aren¡¯t you a strange fellow.¡± The old man told Victor. He took a good look at the man. He had a crooked twisty nose, and one eye seemed to be larger than the other. He wondered what physical trauma he went through. That left him that scarred. ¡°Likewise, Mr¡­?¡± ¡°Grimthorn¡­.. And you must be Victor.¡± he did a polite bow. And Victor did his best to imitate the gesture. ¡°Shall we then, we¡¯re racing against time here, every minute we wait, is a minute that undead fool raises another body.¡± The wizard proclaimed. The old man got on the front seat, The horses stared at Victor very uncomfortably. Very silent, likely marking him as a predator of sorts. If it was him from a few days ago, they¡¯d had a valid reason. Now that didn¡¯t feel like a bottomless stomach. These horses had nothing to fear from him. He followed Faelion to the back of the stagecoach, climbing inside of it. It was awfully cramped. There in the dark, sat a petite red-haired girl, with a robe that was probably too big to fit for her. Arms crossed, and a fowl scowl still on her face. She hardly looked in his direction. A dim oil lamp lit the compartment. He did his best to make himself comfortable, squeezed in and all. She had made an effort to sit as far away as possible from him. Moving to the other end opposite of him. He closed the side door they had entered from. ¡°Yah!¡± The driver shouted. The stagecoach set into motion and the horses started neighing, slowly galloping on to their destination. He could hear the wheels creaking underneath. There was an awkward silence in the air. He could sit alone with Faelion for hours without a word, The female factor made it horribly awkward. ¡°So¡­ You sure this brittle wood bucket can handle the road.¡± he directed his question at Faelion. ¡°I assure you, I have traveled with Grimthorn for¡­¡± he was cut off from a shout to the front. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to drive in a wood bucket Mr. Victor you always walk your way there. Of course one of us will get sooner there than the other.¡± He was quiet at that remark. But with the burning fire that was awkwardness instilled in him, he decided to make more conversation. ¡°So boss¡­where are going exactly, how long will this trip take, and what''s our gameplan.¡± ¡°Boss, that¡¯s a new one,¡± The wizard exclaimed. ¡° It¡¯s simple, We break into his tomb, we break his phylactery.¡± Aelit snorted. ¡°I doubt it will be that simple. You want us to break into a dead archmage''s tomb, that is bound with death magic and probably booby-trapped to the hells.¡± ¡°I said it was simple not that it was easy, every action has a reaction and every force has one that counters it, Cenere is an old fool, who couldn¡¯t accept his own death and retirement. A visit to his phylactery and he will panic and that will be it.¡± Doubtful, they would need to get through an army of flesh and bones. ¡°And what makes you think, his phylactery will be so easy to find. Don¡¯t liches hide in some obscure spot.¡± ¡°Fair point,¡± The druid girl said. ¡°Aha, but I know where he hides it his arrogance here will be his downfall.¡± ¡°Where exactly does he keep it? ¡°On that skull knight he likes to prance around,¡± Faelion yawned, and lay back on the seat of the stagecoach, leaning with his side on the window. ¡°If you¡¯ don¡¯t mind I¡¯ll be taking a very long nap, we should be there in a few hours.¡± Victor was annoyed, he let them wake up early, just so he could take a nap. It seemed a bit rude to leave him alone with the girl, in a cramped compartment ¡°Father!¡± he heard outside a window on a passing street. It was his daughter and Faro, jumping up and down and waving them off. The dog barked as if he was communicating something. Victor stuck out his elongated hands, stuck it out, and waved for them. He looked to Faelion to see if he would say bye to his kin. But the wizard was already fast asleep. So fast. The dog ran after the stagecoach, he stuck out his arm, and it bit him. -2Hp ¡°What the hell, Faro!¡± The dog retreated, he wondered what the hell that was about. Did he not recognize him in this form, or was that some kind of ¡®fuck you¡¯ for chasing away the night before yesterday? whatever The stagecoach started speeding up, he could no longer see the two behind him. They were taking off, nearly passing the village gates. ¡°What did you do to the poor dog,¡± Aelit asked him curiously. ¡°I didn¡¯t do a thing, he¡¯s angry for some poor reason.¡± ¡®Hmmm¡­¡± Then there was thick silence again, only the sounds of the moving vehicle, and the horses galloping. He didn¡¯t know if he should go to sleep as well. She had a book with her that she was reading. All in all, he was very uncomfortable socially it seemed. The wizard started snoring in his obnoxious snoring in his sleep.¡± ¡°What a sound for healthy ears.¡± she mocked and plopped her book closed. ¡°You don¡¯t snore in your sleep,¡± he asked. ¡°Do you slime man?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you before it¡¯s Victor, and no¡­ I wonder.. Perhaps I should go to sleep right and you can tell me when I wake up.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± She gave him an iciest glare. ¡°I know what you are Victor, you and that man sleeping there.¡± This conversation sounded like it was headed in the wrong direction, the tone in her words. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Yes, I will be honest¡­I do not like you, I realize I may slightly be in your debt, you were the thing that kept the other slimy things off me weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s because of people like you and him, that my tribal land was razed to the ground, ¡®interlopers.¡¯ you do not belong here and yet you have been popping up everywhere for the last hundred years.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. Hoping that an apology from him would be a start to make amends. ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to be. It wasn¡¯t you after all that did it. All I¡¯m saying is, I see right through you two, I know what reincarnated monsters like you need to survive. I know what happened in that cave. I don¡¯t trust you.¡± Now he was genuinely silent, he didn¡¯t know what to say. She had lost a lot it seemed, it made sense why she would hate interlopers. ¡°Is there any way I can broker peace between us?¡± ¡°Just keep your distance¡­ Once this little dungeon raid is over, I¡¯ll be going my merry way. I don¡¯t want to be dragged into your holier-than-thou wars and hunts and quests and stuff¡± She sighed. They had passed into the forest for a while now. Victor was thinking about what he would do after this lich attack, would he stay or leave like she did? Maybe stay awhile to learn a bit of magic, then seek out those damned men of the wastes. She was locked onto one of the books she was reading. It was titled. History of the planet Earth Centuries 15 to 20th. Where the hell did Faelion find those? He could understand why she would be locked in. the history of another world in the palm of your hand. He¡¯d read the fuck out of it too. The thick silence was broken by a nasty screech, he looked out the window. There up in the air, a Massive beast was circling the stagecoach. An Eagles, head and wings, and lion''s mane. She stuck out her head next to him. ¡°Is that the fucker who chased you, a few days ago.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ How do you know about that!¡± She started tearing her hands into her hair. ¡°We¡¯re fucked.¡± He shook Faelion aggressively, attempting to wake him. ¡°What is it? Victor can¡¯t man have his sleep.¡± ¡°Angry griffon outside.¡± The man rambled on. ¡°Why can¡¯t you deal with it.¡± The stagecoach came to a stop. Hiatus notice and a apology I''ve started to notice that I apologize a lot. I guess i have to continue that habit here. So i''m genuinely sorry, once again. I have reached burnout much quicker then i anticipated, i also have no backlog. Therefore this story will be on hiatus at least until mid january. I Am A monster reborn was the first actual novel I wrote, that wasn''t a concept or a unfinished first chapter. And being my first book i was confronted by a lot of things i weren''t ready for. I wish i could go back to months ago, and properly plan it out, make better choices but the deal has already sealed. A lot of things i plan for also went wrong, Victor was never meant to be stuck in the ''village'' for so long, he was supposed to meet Aelit earlier, The wizard Faelion was intended to be a mentor that appeared every few chapter''s or so. Marcus was meant to have a larger role in the story and so and so on. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. It''s very hard keeping track of litrpg stats, skills etc. I have a analytical brain but not a mathematical one. My biggest mistake starting out was not properly building a system. I learned that the Hardaway. It was only later i learned i could be much more subtle with it. I don''t plan on rewriting the earlier chapters but i will re-edit them some point starting january. Then I will release them again, chapters will be post-2000 words probably less than 2500. It''s a lot for me when i''m preoccupied with irl stuff and other projects which i have a greater passion for. I plan on participating in the upcoming writeathon, therefore there is no room for this story. Thank you to everyone who commented and shared their opinion on the story on both RR and SH: Doolb, Superbort, Sizano, werewolf1987, tacticus, se05239, Ginkodomo. You guys made me feel that my writing was not in vain. Special thanks to Landi who convinced me that broken grammar does not make for a good story. If you feel the story still has some worth tune in on January 15th.