3 Reborn As An Evolving Monster
'So I can evolve into a stronger version of the Skeleton or into a whole other species of Monsters?'
[Correct.]
'I didn't expect that. Switching from one Species to another is also Evolution, huh?'
The Skeleton picked up an unmoving Paralyzing Centipede.
The huge centipede, about one meter in length, was quickly Devoured.
With each bite, cracks resonated.
'What happens to my Skills once I evolve?' The Skeleton asked telepathically.
[Some will be kept.]
[Some might get upgraded.]
[Some might be lost.]
[It'll depend on the Chosen Evolution.]
[Skills can also be obtained through Evolution.]
'Is that so?'
[You have gained 10 Evolution Points.]
The Skeleton swallowed the whole Paralyzing Centipede and took what looked like a bigger version of the Muscular Goblin.
It was a Hobgoblin.
'Do Body Modifications have an impact on the Evolution choices that I get?'
[That is unlikely, but possible.]
'Mm.' The Skeleton nodded. 'I should hurry for now. Can't take my time when that Orc might come back soon...'
About fifteen minutes later, the Skeleton had Devoured every Monster in the room.
'Can I see my Status?'
[ Name: None
Species & Level : Skeleton Lv3 (10/50exp)
Evolution Points: 485
HP: 40/40
Endurance: 170/170
Stats: Strength: 5
Agility: 5
Sense: 5
Vigor: 4
Endurance: 17
Skill(s): Silent Steps.
Curious Ears.
Title(s): System's Holder.
Devourer.
Evolving Monster.
]
'Name... Name...'
The Skeleton shook its head.
'Alright. That's a huge increase in Evolution Points!'
[Would you like to check the available Evolutions?]
'Sure!'
[You can Evolve into:
1) Skeleton Warrior.
2) Hobgoblin.
3) Black Wolf Skeleton.
4) Venomous Paralyzing Lizard.
]
'This isn't super impressive. None of these can beat an Orc... '
[You have mostly devoured [F] Rank Monsters after all.]
The Skeleton thought about what to choose for a bit.
'Will Evolving use up all my Evolution Points?'
[Negative.]
[Each Evolution has a different cost.]
[That cost cannot be divulged.]
'So even if I evolve, I'll be able to get Body Modifications. These will be essential... Do the available Body Modifications depend on the Monsters I Devoured too?'
[Correct.]
'Alright then. Hobgoblin and Skeleton Warrior don't sound bad, but they're still weaker than an Orc. Long term, they might be good options but... Long term doesn't matter if the Orc kills me.'
The Skeleton thought for a bit.
'The cost of Evolution probably goes up the further I go from my current Form, right?'
The System ignored the question.
'It seems logical, right...? Skeleton Warrior is a stronger version of what I am now. Hobgoblin... I've seen some. Stronger versions of Goblins and... Well, they lay here, dead. If I take one of these two, I'll have to fight the Orc on its own turf. Punches, kicks, and all... If I had weapons, my choice would have been different.'
The Skeleton nodded.
'I need weapons to pierce its skin. Therefore... I'll Evolve into a Black Wolf Skeleton!'
[Understood.]
'Now, what...?'
As soon as the Skeleton thought that, its consciousness faded.
Its body hit the ground.
The next second, the Skeleton's bones started cracking.
Those bones were broken into pieces, before being reassembled differently.
***
'Huh... Where am I?'
White walls.
White sheets covered the lower portion of his body.
Machines at his side.
'What is-'
The person tried talking, but for some reason couldn't.
'A dream? What the hell is this place?'
The person tried to look around, but couldn't move their neck.
Knock-
A gentle voice.
"Hey, hey! It's me. I'm back..."
***
Minutes later,
[Congratulations!]
[You have Evolved into a Black Wolf Skeleton[F].]
'Cool... WAIT I FELL ASLEEP? HOW LONG DID I SLEEP?'
[You have been asleep for 3 minutes.]
The Monster sighed internally.
'I had a dream... I was somewhere. I can't remember that place at all. The dream... I'm already forgetting it. Strange. Somebody... Called out to me... My name... My name...'
The Black Wolf Skeleton got up on its four limbs.
'This feels weird. Standing on all fours...'
It resembled the ancient fossils of wolves that could be found in museums.
'I like it.'
The Black Wolf Skeleton was the size of a small tiger.
The Monster tried walking around for a bit with its new body.
It only took a couple of minutes before it got used to it.
'Status?'
[ Name: None
Species & Level: Black Wolf Skeleton Lv1 (0/40Exp)
Evolution Points: 250
HP: 80/80
Endurance: 200/200
Stats: Strength: 8
Agility: 15
Sense: 10
Vigor: 8
Endurance: 20
Skill(s): Silent Steps.
Curious Ears.
Title(s): System's Holder.
Devourer.
Evolving Monster.
]
'Name... Name... Oh, right. My name. I remember it now.'
The Black Wolf Skeleton's thoughts raced for a moment.
'My name is... Mark. Or... Was Mark?'
[Your Name has been recorded as: Mark.]
'Mmm... I'd like to spend more time thinking about that dream. It felt more like a memory or something... What was I doing in that room? I can't... I can't remember...'
He quickly shook it off.
'That Orc will probably come back soon. I have to prepare for that. I didn't gain Skills. I kept those that I had though which is good, I guess. My Stats increased a lot, especially Agility. WAIT! 250 Evolution Points?? How come I still have that much?'
[Your Evolution consumed 235 Evolution Points.]
'I don't get an answer, huh? I guess I was right then. In the end, I'm still a bunch of bones. The more the body has to change, the more Evolution Points the Evolution will consume. Mm. Yeah. That seems to make sense. I'll take that this is how it works for now.'
[Would you like to check the available Body Modifications?]
'I bet my life on those, so... Yeah.'
[Available Body Modifications:
1) Strengthened Bones: 100 Evolution Points.
2) Horned Skull: 40 Evolution Points.
3) Sharp Fangs: 35 Evolution Points.
4) Poisonous Claws: 50 Evolution Points.
5) Stone Tail: 60 Evolution Points.
]
'Interesting. More options than before... Why is the Strengthened Bones Modification more expensive than it was before?'
[As your size as a Monster has increased, the quantity of bones did too.]
'Right. With 250 Evolution Points, I can get a good combination of Body Modifications. Just need the right combination to fight that Orc, or at least run away from it...'
Mark wondered for a bit.
'I'll get Strengthened Bones.'
While the bones that made up his body previously had some cracks, those disappeared completely.
'That Orc's strength can definitely shatter bones since a stomp crushed that Goblin's skull...'
Mark would have probably felt chills at the thought, was his body capable of producing such signals.
The bones that made up the Black Wolf Skeleton became sturdier.
[Your Bones have been strengthened.]
'Alright, Ummmm... Sharp Fangs.'
Mark's fangs grew in size.
[Your Fangs have been sharpened.]
They looked deadly.
'Alright. Wolves usually don't fight with their claws, right? Plus, the Poison would come from those Bats that I ate... I doubt it'll be Potent enough to hurt the Orc, since it has hunted a couple of them. Therefore, I'll bet on... Stone Tail.'
The Black Wolf Skeleton's bony and weak-looking tail got much longer.
The bones that made that tail up were covered by what looked like hard rocks, immediately increasing its weight.
At the tail's tip, a large rock appeared.
It looked like that of an Ankylosaurus.
Mark moved it around a bit until he got used to the difference in weight distribution. The back side of his body was now heavier than the front side.
'55 left, huh? The horn wouldn't be that useful since I'll mostly use my fangs-'
Suddenly, the rock that separated the room from the outside was moved.
The Orc was pushing away the rock that hid the hole in the wall.
It bent its body and entered headfirst.
And just when its head entered the room,
BAM-
The Orc's face was met by a huge rock. It was hit with great strength.
The blue-skinned Monster growled as it let go of its full pouch.
Drops of blood went down its bleeding nose.
Nevertheless, the Orc fearlessly entered the room.
It looked around but couldn't find a thing.
Not the enemy.
And not even the food it had spent much time storing.
Suddenly,
Pierce-
The Orc's neck was bitten by extremely sharp fangs.
The attacking Monster used all its strength not to let go, and only did so once a portion of that neck was stolen.
Huge amounts of blood squirted out of the Orc's neck.
It jumped away, and its eyes finally found the sole other Monster in the room.
A Modified Black Wolf Skeleton.
The two Monsters faced one another.
A river of blood was going down the Orc's body, as numerous arteries and veins had been severed by Mark's fangs.
'Come. I'll attack again, then make a run for it!'
The Orc growled. The next second, its feet hit the ground.
It pulled its muscular arm back, ready to deliver a strong punch.
In response, Mark quickly turned his body sideways.
The Orc's hard fist was met with an even harder rock.
And its fist broke.
The Orc growled in pain.
'Should I run now? While it's distracted by the pain?' Mark asked himself.
[The Orc has less than half of its Health Points remaining.]
'Is that so? Losing a portion of its neck and bleeding that much obviously hurt it a lot. Still, what should I-'
The Orc, painfully aware of the amount of damage it had sustained, suddenly turned away.
'Huh?'
The Orc had turned its back to the enemy.
'Is it... Running away?'
The Orc took a desperate step towards the hole in the wall.
'Running away... From me?'
But before it could exit,
Pierce-
Fangs sank deeply into the other side of the Orc's neck.
The latter tried to grab the Monster on its back with its strong arms, but Mark was agile enough to jump away at the right time.
Just after landing on the ground, Mark used his heavy tail to sweep the Monster's legs off the ground.
The bleeding Orc hit the ground, and Mark continued attacking with fangs and tail.
It didn't take too long before,
[You have defeated one Orc. 70Gold Coins and 140Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
'Holy shit... Holy shit. That was simple enough. But it sure was stressful. The element of surprise helped a ton.'
Mark's thoughts ceased for a bit.
He stared at the unmoving Orc.
'Getting used to having a tail and using it to fight are totally different things. Holy shit...'
Mark felt ecstatic.
Not just because he had won, but because the tables had turned.
And the predator greedily savored the fallen prey.
[You have gained 100 Evolution Points.]
'Oh, right. I also get Gold Coins when defeating Monsters. What are those for?'
[Gold Coins can be used in the Store to buy Items or Skills.]
[Would you like to check out the available Items and Skills?]
'Huh? Well yeah, of course. Why wasn't I told sooner?'
[Select what it is you are looking for:
{Items} {Skills}
]
'Umm. Let's start with Items.'
[ Available Items:
1) Healing Potion: 5 Gold Coins.
2) Iron Sword: 50 Gold Coins.
3) Wooden Shield: 50 Gold Coins.
4) Mana Potion: 25 Gold Coins.
]
'That's it? The weapons won't help much in this form. Maybe they'll be useful in the future... Show me the Skills.'
[ Available Skills:
1) Slash: Damage Inflicted by Slashing Attacks increases by 10%.
Cost: 200 Gold Coins.
2) Pierce: Damage Inflicted by Piercing Attacks increases by 20%.
Cost: 500 Gold Coins.
3) Poisonous Bomb: Grants the ability to shoot spheres made of poison.
Cost: 1000 Gold Coins.
4) Paralyzing Bomb: Grants the ability to shoot spheres made of a paralyzing substance.
Cost: 1000 Gold Coins.
]
'Alright. How many Gold Coins do I have?'
[You currently possess 90 Gold Coins.]
'What the hell? Really? How am I supposed to get 1000 then?'
A chuckle would have escaped his mouth, was his body capable of producing such sounds.
After the fight against the Orc, Mark was obviously in high spirits.
[It is possible to exchange Evolution Points for Gold Coins.]
[Rate: 1Evolution Point-->10 Gold Coins.]
[You cannot exchange Gold Coins for Evolution Points.]
'Oh...OH! That's perfect! Wait that's more than perfect. Almost sketchy... But I'll exchange 150 Evolution Points for Gold Coins.'
[You have exchanged 150 Evolution Points for 1500 Gold Coins.]
'Perfect. I'll get that Pierce Skill. It'll go well with my sharp fangs.'
[You have obtained the Passive Skill "Pierce[F+]".]
'And, ummm. I guess I'll go with Paralyzing Bomb for now. Hopefully, I'll buy the other one too in the future.'
[You have obtained the Magic Skill "Paralyzing Bomb[F+]".]
[You have developed a Mana Stat.]
'Mana? Magic??'
[Affirmative.]
'Then I can shoot firebombs and stuff? Seriously?'
[That is not possible since you lack a Magic Skill that would allow you to do so.]
'So if I get the Skill, I could do it, huh? Great!'
Mark's gaze fell on the pouch the Orc had brought.
In it, he found two unmoving Gray Wolves and one Goblin.
They were devoured right away.
[You have gained 40 Evolution Points.]
[You have gained 40 Evolution Points.]
[You have gained 5 Evolution Points.]
'Perfect. I'll exchange 100 Evolution points with Gold Coins and buy the Poisonous Bomb Skill.'
[You have obtained the Magic Skill "Poisonous Bomb[F+]".]
[Two Skills of yours have merged.]
[The Skills "Poisonous Bomb[F+]" and "Paralyzing Bomb[F+]" have merged to give birth to a new Magic Skill.]
[You have developed the Magic Skill "Venomous Bomb[E]".]
'So Skills can also merge, huh? Nice. Any info?'
[The Magic Skill "Venomous Bomb" grants the ability to shoot balls of venom that can both poison and paralyze.]
[The effect is stronger if the venom enters the enemy's body through wounds.]
[The Magic Skill consumes 10 Mana Points per use.]
'Venom? Yeah, I guess that's a common use for the word... How many Mana Points do I have?'
[As your Mana Stat holds 15 Stat Points, you currently possess 150 Mana Points.]
Following this message, Mark immediately left.
He found himself, once again, in the dark corridor.
As soon as Mark got out, he noticed some kind of small Monster running away.
A rabbit.
But with a horn.
A Horned Hare.
Mark used his four limbs to chase after the Monster. It was only a dozen meters away.
And the difference in speed was obvious.
He caught up in no time.
The Horned Hare had some kind of piece of paper in its mouth, but Mark did not notice it.
His fangs sank into the Monster's body, and blood flowed into his mouth.
[You have defeated one Horned Hare. 5 Gold Coins and 10 Experience Points earned.]
[You have acquired an Item!]
[You have acquired the 10th Floor's Map.]
The piece of paper disappeared as Mark devoured the small Monster.
[You have gained 5 Evolution Points.]
'So this is what I could have appeared as at first? Good thing I became a Skeleton... Oh. What was it about a map?'
[You have obtained this Dungeon's Tenth Floor's Map.]
[Would you like to view it?]
'Sure.'
A digital map appeared.
There was a white blinking point on the map, highlighting Mark's current location.
'So this floor is kind of circular. According to this map...' He started running.
About 5 minutes later,
'Yep. Right where I...'
Mark was back at the crossroad next to which he had first appeared.
The 10th Floor's layout followed the symbol ♀.
The lowest point of that symbol, according to the map, was where the "Floor's Guardian" was.
A Certain Floor's Guardian is a Boss Monster whose sole purpose is to block access to other Floors, the System explained.
'So there's a Floor Guardian on every Floor. They won't let you go to the higher Floor, and they won't let you go to a lower Floor? Since this is the lowest Floor, I can only go up. Although... I still am too weak for that.'
Mark stared at the map.
'Probably.'
