Corrupted Malakim

Keeping my hand on the red core, standing just as proudly as ever on its pedestal in the middle of the round room, my brows were currently crumpled up.

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Evolution available!

List of available evolutions:

Aderyn

Corrupted Malakim

Fallen Cherubim of Iniquity

Fallen Cherubim of Sensibility

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I had stumbled upon a problem and quite a large one at that.

In contrast to the last time when I picked my evolutionary tree the core no longer gave me information about the different options that were available to me, meaning that I was now supposed to pick something without actually knowing what they were.

Though I had spent an entire day looking through books in the library that spoke about these beings, as I didn't want to ask Tatiana after I had acted like I knew what I was doing when I had become a Fallen Angel, there wasn't much for me to find.

The only books that I had found that addressed these beings were religious texts, describing the different creatures but there was nothing about what they could actually do.

Having already figured out what a cherubim were, kind of at least, I had focused more on trying to understand what the rest of them was.

Aderyn was some kind of bird? A pretty unhappy bird that had something to do with death according to the books, but a bird nonetheless.

I had no idea what to think of this, but there was no way I would allow myself to just become a bird, especially so when there was no major justification for it. How could the terrifying, tyrant of Terros allow himself to become a bird?

Up next was the Malakim...

Honestly, I still couldn't quite wrap my head around what it was. From what I could extract from the books, it just seemed like it was another kind of angel, much like the cherubim, only that it was of a higher rank.

Which, honestly, was quite alluring.

Mostly because the other forms of Cherubim that I could pick both seemed like they would be specializing in either light magic or dark magic, something that my heart determined would be detrimental.

In reality, it would probably not matter much, and it might even be a large boon for me to focus more on just the darkness element. But I didn't want that. I didn't want to lose the ability to create my own light, as I had already realized just how symbiotic it was with darkness.

I would not allow myself to become nothing but darkness, as that would put me at the mercy of the light of the world. I needed to be able to create my own light, I needed to be able to pave my own path.

I needed to be able to define my own existence.

So, in the end, there wasn't really much of a choice to make, as I did not want to become a bird.

'Here goes nothing...'

Willfully injecting part of myself into the core, it didn't take long until the rebound happened, with the altered energy returning to me and with it the hellish heat that started melting my bones.

This time, however, I didn't scream. No, this time I found pleasure in the pain, aware that this pain was the symbol of me, the design that would make me meet the future with a grin. If Willy Wonka was a masochist, this would be my golden ticket.

Standing in the metaphorical fire that purged me, I could feel my body start to change, growing taller, stronger, and compressing while still becoming larger.

On my back, I felt two more feathery adornments pierce through my skin, taking their place next to their siblings, and a bit further down, I felt something tear apart the fabric in my black pants.

The hair that was already reaching down to my shoulders grew longer, inching down my torso seemingly becoming even darker for every second that passed, contrasting the skin that served as the boundaries of nothingness that only grew fairer.

"Hah...hah..."

Then, the heat released me from its clutches, making the air around me feel even cooler than usual against my white skin.

It was a strange sensation, now missing the hellish pain that had contorted and reconstructed my body.

Yet I was also aware that getting addicted to that pain could only serve as a crutch, for fear of pain was a necessity for progress.

I was not allowed to forget that my most important priority had to be to survive. That had to be the driving force behind all my actions, it had to be the seed from which my future would grow.

Moving my body a bit, stretching out the tension that had accumulated from my transformation, I was a bit surprised to see something in the corner of my eye. Looking down, I got my first look at one of my new assets,

"Ho? That's pretty cool."

With a shape similar to that of a snake, a black tail was moving around like it had a life of its own, with sleek skin like that of a reptile.

On its end, a sort of black triangle figure was present, serving as the end of my new appendage.

At the same time, without a need to even turn my gaze to them, I was already fully aware of the new pair of wings that had emerged on my back, listening to my will just as naturally as the first pair.

Walking out of the core room, into the large throne room where Tatiana was waiting for me, I was surprised when she seemed a lot smaller than before.

Previously, the white-haired demoness had been almost as tall as me but, now, she barely reached up to my shoulders, and she somehow looked even frailer than ever.

A fact that even managed to surprise her, as proved by her crimson eyes getting bigger and her two sharp fangs being shown to the world due to her mouth opening up.

Just her reaction alone was almost enough to make me feel like I had made the right decision, as I walked over to her while trying to maintain a poker face.

"Don't you have anything to say, Tatiana?"

Flinching a bit as she was returned to reality, it didn't take even a second before she was back to her normal self.

"Your evolution seems to have gone well, master. I am glad."

'Tch!'

Though I was a bit disappointed that she didn't have more of a reaction when witnessing the hunk of a man that I had become, I sat down on my throne, letting my wings lie down over the armrests.

Leaning my head on my fist, I brought out my status in an attempt to regain the enthusiasm that had been lost due to Tatiana's limited reaction.

===Status===

Name: Aldric the Demon King

Race: Corrupted Malakim

Level: 20

Strength: 25

Agility: 25

Stamina: 30

Intelligence: 90

Free stat points: 10

Demonic energy: 450/450

Traits: [Blood of the Patriarch]

Skills: [Demon Claws], [Flight], [Claws of Darkness], [Glow], [Feathers of the Underworld], [Hysteria]

Talents: [Light magic - Beginner], [Dark magic - Apprentice]

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'That's... quite the improvement...'

To be honest, it wasn't even close to what it had been before. Even the stats that my race wasn't specialized in had made quite a jump, explaining why I my body was surging with power, more vigorous than ever before.

Despite that, it only made me look even further into the future, a future where I would evolve even further, and become even more powerful. At the same time, it was getting progressively harder to see a future where I could somehow find a place amongst my old classmates, a longing I would never let go of.

It was the duality within me, the sanctimonious way of thinking that only I was allowed to have.

Naturally, I already knew that they would never accept what I had done, and more than that, they would never accept what I would do in the future. But despite all that, a part of me wouldn't ever be able to let go of those thoughts.

Which made everything even more interesting. Because I could also not deny the part of me that would trample whatever crossed my way.

'I wonder what I will do?'

Unfortunately, I was not allowed to be engrossed in contemplating the future for long, as there was a demoness in front of me who opened her mouth.

"I am sorry to interrupt your deep thoughts, master, but while you were in the core room, an incident occurred."

"Hmm?"

Due to her very casual way of speaking, there was no way I would be prepared for the absurd words that came out of her mouth. Words that clearly contradicted her earlier explanation of our situation, where she had told me about the Dead Valley.

"I'm afraid that a group of dwarfs has made their way here, having somehow been able to avoid all the monsters beyond the mountain range as well as found a path through the Snowy Peaks that leads here."

"Of course they have..."