An Imps' Beginning

by FallenHuntr

Reincarnation is a fickle thing. One never knows what exactly they'll be reborn as, nor are they capable of controlling what they become. It is only when they reincarnate, can they take action. When the Esper, Tomokui Kanata reincarnated as the goblin, Rou, so did another, except... he's not a goblin, but an Imp. Rated T, but may change.

1. An Initial Beginning

Hello there.
I do hope you enjoy this story.
Disclaimer: I do not own Re: Monster.
()()()()()()

{Day 0}

I knew not what I was, nor where I was.

All I knew was the empty void where I drifted aimlessly, my sole companion being various lines of wording drifting through my mind every so often.

{Recalibrating body...}

Despite being capable of reading the words that filtered through my vision and mind, I was, unfortunately, incapable of comprehending the meaning behind them.

{Converting Primary Memories...}

There was a single constant I noticed as these words appeared. Whenever such words came to be, I would feel pieces of myself, both physical and mental, drift away from me, as though I was being split apart. If such a thing was the case, I was unfortunately incapable of preventing such a thing, as I was only capable of drifting aimlessly.

{Primary Memories converted...}

It was through learning this constant, did I learn how powerless I was regarding the state of my being, seeing as I lost all recollection of who I was, prior to appearing in this void. I was incapable of remembering my name, sex, race, age, nor appearance.

{Beginning conversion of Secondary Memories...}

Even now, as I speak, more memories I possess, yet unable to remember is being torn from me. I was unknowing of what memory was being taken away, only knowing on a subconscious level that such an event was occurring at the very moment.

{Conversion of Secondary Memories completed...}

And now… I knew as I lost understanding of my thoughts, I now possessed nothing. No memories, no identity, only a fragmenting body that was in the process of losing itself.

{Body was unable to recalibrate successfully… Restarting process...}

For a time, I felt the procession of my fragmenting body come to a halt. But, since as I mentioned, I am incapable of comprehending these thoughts, and as a result, was incapable of understanding the reason behind the halt.

{Beginning recalibration of Body...}

And yet, the halt was for but a brief period, given to a fragmented being incapable of comprehending thoughts. Beginning once more, the fragmentation began once more.

{Body successfully recalibrated...}
{Soul successfully recalibrated...}
{Essence successfully recalibrated...}

Unknowing of these thoughts, nor the meaning behind these three lines, I instinctively knew, that the fragmentation was completed. All that remained was the mind of what the person once was.

{Mind successfully recalibrated...}

'Staring' at this message that appeared, I felt something change, before everything came to an e-

{Day 1}

I drifted.

Aimless was the direction I took. My sole company being what seemed to be a message. A message of the color blue, though what color or blue was, I knew not, only instinctive knowledge keeping me from following this train of thoughts.

---

{Name} Nameless
[Sex] Genderless
[Race] Mana Cluster
[Age] 1 Days

{Stats}
[Hp] 1
[Mp] 1
[Str] 1
[End] 1
[Agi] 1
[Mag] 1
[Int] 1
[Luk] 1

{Level} 1
[Exp] 0/3
[Pt] 3

---

Though I knew not of the information before me, my mind instinctively understood what it was, even if I could not. It is unfortunate that I cannot comprehend the text, even though my mind could. Even more unfortunate that I did not have access to my mind. As such, even though I desired the knowledge of the information before me, I did not attempt to gain such knowledge, as I have no means of doing so, nor did I possess the ability to do so.

{Day 2}

As I drifted, I felt a stir within my mind.

It began as an incomprehensible shiver, one passing through my 'body'. When the feeling had passed, a message appeared, the ability to comprehend the information before me, filtering into my mind.

{Congratulations! You have reached the designated level to initiate Evolution!}
{You are now capable of evolving into [Lesser Impling].}
{You will begin undergoing the Evolution process shortly.}

I was only able to briefly read the information before a surge of some sort surged throughout my 'body'. As though on instinct, I felt myself curl into a ball. Incapable of movement, I was only capable of releasing a soundless moan, as waves of energy pulsed through my body, bringing the feeling of change. Through this feeling, I could sense my body undergoing a physical change.

…

Soon, after seemingly an eternity, the changes came to an end. As the once-surging energy filtered out of my body, I subconsciously uncurled my body, a message appearing, the information it contained, drastically changed.

---

{Name} Nameless
[Sex] Male
[Race] Lesser Impling
[Age] 2 Days

{Stats}
[Hp] 3
[Mp] 3
[Str] 1
[End] 1
[Agi] 1
[Mag] 1
[Int] 1
[Luk] 1

{Level} 1
[Exp] 0/5
[Pt] 3

{Maturity} 1/3 | Child

{Skills}
[Sense] Releases a pulse of mana into the surroundings, revealing the presence of everything within its radius.
-Rank: Beginner
-Requires 2 Mp
-Releases a 3-feet radius pulse, revealing inanimate objects, and foliage.

---

It seems that I have become something called a -Lesser Impling-. Though what an impling was in the first place, I knew not. I did, however, understand that I was a weaker version of an impling, as the lesser title implied.

When the message had disappeared, another had taken its place.

{Alert! You have been issued a new quest.}
{Tutorial Pt 1} In order to survive in this new life, it would be prudent to first understand your limits, and what you can and cannot do. To begin, live for an hour.
[Objective]
-Survive for 1 Hour. (0/60 Min)

[Reward]
-[Maturity Progress] +1
-[Skill: Mana Conversion]

It seems I have been issued something called a quest. It seemed simple enough. I only had to survive it seems for an hour. As I said a few moments ago, it seems simple enough.

…

While I had been completing the quest, I did not stay idle. I wanted to be sure that I was within an environment where I could survive within. And so, I began using the skill; Sense, in order to confirm my hope. Though the radius it possessed was small, it was enough to bring a sense of relief to my mind. Since it would be a while before an hour would pass, I made use of the skill whenever I could.

In the end, a few minutes before the hour passed, I learned I could raise the level and efficiency of my skill.

[Sense] Releases a pulse of mana into the surroundings, revealing the presence of everything within its radius.
-Rank: Rookie
-Requires 2 Mp
-Releases a 4-feet radius pulse, revealing inanimate objects, and foliage.

{Alert! A quest has been updated.}
{Tutorial Pt 1} In order to survive in this new life, it is prudent that one first learns their limits, and what they can and cannot do.
[Objective]
-Survive for 1 Hour. (60/60 Min) -]Complete[-

[Reward]
-[Maturity Progression] +1
-[Skill: Mana Conversion]

{Alert! You have completed a quest.}
[Maturity Progression] +1

[Mana Conversion] Drawing upon the ambient mana found within the air and earth, and mixing the energies with one's own mana supply, it is possible to convert the energy into an Exp and raise the power of the individual.
-Rank: Beginner
-Requires 1 Mp
-Absorbs 2 Mp from the surroundings and converts them into 1 Exp.

In addition to my new skill, my body has also undergone a change. Though I was unsure what form I took exactly, I knew that I now possessed a few new appendages, them being, four independent limbs, and a mouth. Testing out my new skill, my new mouth opened up, as some sort of energy flowed into it. The energy itself felt both physical, and not. It wasn't a liquid, nor a gas.

Desiring to see whether anything had changed due to my maturity, I instinctively drew forth the message from before, one I would now dub as -Character-.

---

{Name} Nameless
[Sex] Male
[Race] Lesser Impling
[Age] 2 Days

{Stats}
[Hp] 3
[Mp] 3
[Str] 1
[End] 1
[Agi] 1
[Mag] 1
[Int] 1
[Luk] 1

{Level} 1
[Exp] 1/5
[Pt] 3

{Maturity} 2/3 | Adolescent

{Skills}
[Sense] Releases a pulse of mana into the surroundings, revealing the presence of everything within its radius.
-Rank: Rookie
-Requires 2 Mp
-Releases a 4-feet radius pulse, revealing inanimate objects, and foliage.

[Mana Conversion] Drawing upon the ambient mana found within the air and earth, and mixing the energies with one's own mana supply, it is possible to convert the energy into an Exp and raise the power of the individual.
-Rank: Beginner
-Requires 1 Mp
-Absorbs 2 Mp from the surroundings and converts them into 1 Exp.

---

Nodding, knowing that it did change, I mentally closed it, not quite grinning as I knew I was incapable of such actions, at least, not right now.

…

For the next hour or so, I continued using -Mana Conversion-, raising its rank twice, and gaining a new quest in the process.

[Mana Conversion] Drawing upon the ambient mana found within the air and earth, and mixing the energies with one's own mana supply, it is possible to convert the energy into an Exp and raise the power of the individual.
-Rank: Novice
-Requires 1 Mp
-Absorbs 6 Mp from the surroundings and converts them into 3 Exp.

{Alert! A new quest has been issued.}
{Tutorial Pt 2} Even though one now know how to survive, to not improve oneself, will lead to stagnation, and thus render them incapable of defending themself, should they be lead, or fall into danger.
[Objective]
-Achieve Level 5 (3/5 Lvl)

[Reward]
-[Maturity Progression] +1
-[Skill: Visual Clarity]

When I had gained the quest, I had just increased my level, meaning I would finish the quest within the next hour.

Especially so, considering my new -Stats-.

---

{Name} Nameless
[Sex] Male
[Race] Lesser Impling
[Age] 2 Days

{Stats}
[Hp] 18
[Mp] 17/18
[Str] 4
[End] 4
[Agi] 4
[Mag] 4
[Int] 4
[Luk] 4

{Level} 4
[Exp] 4/5
[Pt] 15

{Maturity} 2/3 | Adolescent

{Skills}
[Sense] Releases a pulse of mana into the surroundings, revealing the presence of everything within its radius.
-Rank: Novice
-Requires 2 Mp
-Releases a 5-feet radius pulse, revealing inanimate objects, foliage, and entities within 3 levels.

[Mana Conversion] Drawing upon the ambient mana found within the air and earth, and mixing the energies with one's own mana supply, it is possible to convert the energy into an Exp and raise the power of the individual.
-Rank: Novice
-Requires 1 Mp
-Absorbs 6 Mp from the surroundings and converts them into 3 Exp.

---

I would only need to use -Mana Conversion- one more time before completing the quest. And since the skill itself was cheap, I was capable of using it with only a few seconds of delay. The only reason I hadn't gotten and completed the quest sooner, was due to my desire to increase the rank of my other skill; -Sense-, which I have done.

Using the skill once more, I felt the slight drain to my -Mp- as a ping was heard.

{Alert! A quest has been updated.}
{Tutorial Pt 2} Knowing how to defend oneself without the need to is better than needing to defend oneself, yet lacking the ability to do so.
[Objective]
-Achieve Level 5 (5/5 Lvl) -]Complete[-

[Reward]
-[Maturity Progression] +1
-[Skill: Visual Clarity]

{Alert! A quest has been completed.}
[Maturity Progression] +1

[Visual Clarity] Given access to the lines of mana, the eyes are capable of temporarily improving the clarity of one's eyesight.
-Rank: Mastered
-Requires 10 Mp.
-Grants 100% clarity in the dark for 300 seconds.

With the progression of maturity, I felt the change immediately. I felt my mind expand, the senses of sight, smell, and hearing being granted to me. My limbs, once ending in stubs, now possessed three new appendages, each ending with a small claw.

I only fully began to comprehend that I could see, when I noticed the sea of flesh before me. Only a few, like myself, possessed the same maturity, small pointed ears, a pair of reddened eyes, and a small gap for a mouth. Glancing around, I caught the eye of another, who held its arm up in greeting, swinging it to the side.

Surprised at the gesture, I returned it. As though it was a signal, the other impling began wading its way towards me. To help lessen its journey, I did the same, effectively halving the distance needed. However, since we were within the sea of moving flesh, I waded towards the impling by only inching my way forward, letting the movement of other implings to guide me forward.

When the two of us finally reached each other, I almost immediately began examining the appearance of the other, the impling doing the same. It was apparent that despite possessing almost the same characteristics, we were inherently different. The primary difference between the two of us was that the other impling possessed a feminine appearance, possessing two slight mounds on her chest, and having a slightly leaner frame, than my own. There was also her eyes, which were slightly narrowed.

Finishing up our examinations of each other, the female impling turned, and glanced back, waving for me to follow. I complied.

…

As we waded through the sea of flesh, one by one, the fully matured implings scattered throughout the sea, waded and gathered around us, each of us all following the impling that began it all. I didn't need to follow her, at all, except, I felt slightly compelled to do so, and so I did. I suspect that the others felt the same, otherwise, they would have likely gone their own way.

Perhaps this one will evolve into a being of power, though it was too early to even think of this possibility. As we were joined by more and more implings, I soon felt something resonate within my mind, making me come to a stop, the others doing the same, as they all froze, staring slightly upwards, focused expression on their faces.

{Alert! You have achieved one of the two conditions to Evolve.}
{Condition 1: Reach Level 5: Completed}
{Condition 2: Reach Day 3: In-Progress}

The message soon closed itself, allowing me to notice the others giving each other and myself curious glances. As I suspected, we all possessed access to whatever it was these messages were. This would mean, we will all evolve the coming day. With this thought on my mind, I continued following the impling that headed this gathering. Following her figure, we soon reached the end of the sea of flesh.

Since we had achieved the maximum level required to evolve, we had all ceased absorbing the ambient mana, instead, focusing our attention on the lead impling who had begun to scale the walls before us, and towards a cliff overlooking the mass of flesh. Without hesitation, we scaled the walls as well. Hearing scraping from below, I glanced down, finding more implings who have fully matured, climbing after us.

Once I reached the cliff, I settled near the lead impling, within a small space near the edge of the cliff.

…

As the day went on, more and more matured implings joined us. When space on the cliff became scarce, groups of implings began to settle on crevices and other cliffs surrounding the sea of flesh, which at this point, was reduced to several clumps.

By the time the clumps had been reduced to a single handful, the walls around us were covered to the brim with implings, only hints of stone being seen through the tiny gaps between the flesh covering it.

As I lied in my little space on the cliff, I heard a ping.

{Congratulations! You have reached the designated level to Evolve.}
{You have fulfilled the conditions required to Evolve.}
{You are now capable of Evolving into [Greater Impling].}
{You will begin Evolution shortly.}

Feeling a pull on my mind, I instinctively curled into a ball, a near soundless groan being heard as the familiar surge of energy coursed through my body. Feeling my body begin to bubble painlessly, I noticed many other implings having the same treatment. Feeling the pulses of energy surge through my body, I felt a sense of relief. Why I felt this relief, I wouldn't know, as my vision went dark, as my skin began to rapidly expand.

{Day 3}

When the next day came, I felt the energy slowly disappear.

As I slowly uncurled myself, I could greatly feel the difference between my new body, compared to my old one. From what I could feel and see, my spine was now slightly protruding outwards and extended past my pelvis, becoming a tail. Sprouting above my forehead was a pair of three inches, and I have grown to what I believe to by two feet, as opposed to my old body, which was only one foot.

That was not the only change, I noticed. My skin has changed from the pink to grey, my eyes gaining a slightly darker shade of red, and I have started to gain a few visible muscles.

---

{Name} Nameless
[Sex] Male
[Race] Greater Impling
[Age] 3 Days

{Stats}
[Hp] 45
[Mp] 45
[Str] 5
[End] 5
[Agi] 5
[Mag] 5
[Int] 5
[Luk] 5

{Level} 1
[Exp] 0/10
[Pt] 25

{Maturity} 1/3 | Child

{Skills}
[Sense] Releases a pulse of mana into the surroundings, revealing the presence of everything within its radius.
-Rank: Novice
-Requires 2 Mp
-Releases a 5-feet radius pulse, revealing inanimate objects, foliage, and entities within 3 levels.

[Mana Conversion] Drawing upon the ambient mana found within the air and earth, and mixing the energies with one's own mana supply, it is possible to convert the energy into an Exp and raise the power of the individual.
-Rank: Novice
-Requires 1 Mp
-Absorbs 6 Mp from the surroundings and converts them into 3 Exp.

[Imp Fire] Conjures a simple ball of fire, the size of a pebble.
-Rank: Beginner
-Requires 5 Mp.
-Has a slight chance of inflicting -Mild Burns-.

---

{Alert! A new quest has been issued.}
{Tutorial Pt 3} With a new form, the need to adapt to this new body is crucial. It is desirable that one gains the needed experience to evolve once more.
[Objective]
-Achieve Level 5 (1/5 Lvl)
-Increase [Imp Fire] rank to ]Novice[ (Beginner)

[Reward]
-[Maturity Progression] +1
-[Skill Upgrade]

I knew not of what this -Skill Upgrade- would do for me, but I was determined to complete this quest. Looking around, I then realized, that everyone likely got the same quest as well, cementing my un-thought theory that everyone possessed the ability to gain quests, in addition to the messages and the ability to view their -Character-.

As though to further confirm my theory, a -Greater Impling- climbed to the bottom, and began practicing his -Imp Fire-. Without hesitation, I followed after him, before doing the same. Soon enough, everyone was practicing their new skill, each determined to finish their quest. Every time I cast -Imp Fire-, I made sure to use -Mana Conversion-.

…

As the day came to an end, I quickly climbed my way back to my spot, nodding my head towards the lead impling, who did the same. As I settled in, I checked my progress.

{Tutorial Pt 3} With a new form, the need to adapt to this new body is crucial. It is desirable that one gains the needed experience to evolve once more.
[Objective]
-Achieve Level 5 (3/5 Lvl)
-Increase [Imp Fire] rank to ]Novice[ (Rookie)

[Reward]
-[Maturity Progression] +1
-[Skill Upgrade]

I had made good progress today. Hopefully, I could complete the quest sometime tomorrow. Closing my eyes, I slowly drifted off.

{Day 4}

It took the better half of the day before I completed the quest.

{Alert! A quest has been updated.}
{Tutorial Pt 3} Through diligence, one will find themselves capable of adapting to any situation, be it a new form, or scenario.
[Objective]
-Achieve Level 5 (5/5 Lvl)
-Increase [Imp Fire] rank to ]Novice[ (Novice)

[Reward]
-[Maturity Progression +1]
-[Skill Upgrade +1]

{Alert! A quest has been completed.}
[Maturity Progression +1]

[Skill Upgrade +1] A small rectangular cube that when mana is imbued into it, will increase the rank of a single skill by one.
-Rank: Rare
-Type: Upgrade
-Increases Skill Rank by 1.

{Alert! Inventory has been unlocked.}
[Inventory] A pocket dimension exclusively accessible to only the bearer of this skill. Enables access to a pocket dimension, allowing the bearer to store a near infinite amount of items. The only limitation to the skill is whether the item in question can fit inside the opening of the pocket dimension.
-Rank: Mastered
-Access to Shared Pocket Dimension.

Trying out my new skill, I watched at the corner of my vision, as multiple small tears appeared before each impling. Peering inside, there, lying on the ground, was a massive pile of rectangular cubes.

I was only able to acknowledge that there was a pile of -Skill Upgrade +1- in another dimension when a message appeared.

{Alert! A new quest has been issued.}
{Tutorial Pt 4} Soon comes a day when one desires to explore the world. Except, they cannot explore the world as they are not ready. Prepare for the journey, or be left behind.
[Objective]
-Achieve Level 10 (5/10 Level)
-Raise all Skills to ]Adept[ (Sense: Apprentice) (Mana Conversion: Apprentice) (Imp Fire: Novice)
-Time Limit: 32:00:00

[Reward]
-[Maturity Progression +1]
-[Skill Upgrade +1]

[Failure]
-[Maturity Progression -1]
-Level -1

It seems there will now be a penalty regarding quests. If I fail this quest, not only will my body be reverted back to its -Child- state, but I will also lose a level. Ah, speaking of which, with the completion of the quest, my body has undergone a small change. I've become slightly more muscular, and my senses seem to have slightly improved.

Thinking to myself for a bit, I came up with an idea. Opening the -Inventory-, I took one of the -Skill Upgrade +1- and imbued it with mana. A message appeared.

{Which Skill do you wish to improve?}
[Sense] Releases a pulse of mana into the surroundings, revealing the presence of everything within its radius.
-Rank: Apprentice - Adept
-Requires 2 Mp
-Releases a [6-feet] - [7-feet] radius pulse, revealing inanimate objects, foliage, and entities within 7 levels.

[Mana Conversion] Drawing upon the ambient mana found within the air and earth, and mixing the energies with one's own mana supply, it is possible to convert the energy into an Exp and raise the power of the individual.
-Rank: Apprentice - Adept
-Requires 1 Mp
-Absorbs [8] - [10] Mp from the surroundings and converts them into [4] - [5] Exp.

[Imp Fire] Conjures a simple ball of fire, around the size of a small rock.
-Rank: Novice - Apprentice
-Requires 5 Mp.
-Has a [moderate] - [high] chance of inflicting -Mild Burns-.

Thinking to myself, I quickly thought of the time I would need to raise the ranks of the other skills I possessed within the limit. If I wished to save time, it would be more efficient to raise the rank of either -Sense- or -Mana Conversion-. Stopping my train of thought, I just realized something. Why was I thinking hard on a choice that should be obvious? I chose -Mana Conversion-.

{Mana Conversion rank has increased to Adept}
[Mana Conversion] Drawing upon the ambient mana found within the air and earth, and mixing the energies with one's own mana supply, it is possible to convert the energy into an Exp and raise the power of the individual.
-Rank: Adept
-Requires 1 Mp.
-Absorbs 10 Mp from the surroundings and converts them into 5 Exp.

Nodding is approval at my choice, I turned and began casting -Imp Fire- at a wall.

…

When the instinctive feeling that the day has come to an end, I once more, quickly made my way to the small crevice on the cliff that was my designated home-space. Before I drifted off to sleep, I checked my progress.

{Tutorial Pt 4} Soon comes a day when one desires to explore the world. Except, they cannot explore the world as they are not ready. Prepare for the journey, or be left behind.
[Objective]
-Achieve Level 10 (9/10 Level)
-Raise all Skills to ]Adept[ (Sense: Adept) (Mana Conversion: Adept) (Imp Fire: Apprentice)
-Time Limit: 32:00:00 [12:34:19]

[Reward]
-[Maturity Progression +1]
-[Skill Upgrade +1]

[Failure]
-[Maturity Progression -1]
-Level -1

I have about half a day to finish the quest. Thankfully, I was almost finished, so that was rather relieving for me. Nodding to myself, I closed my eyes and drifted off.

{Day 5}

When the morning sun rose behind the horizon, I heard a ping.

{Alert! A quest has been updated.}
{Tutorial Pt 4} Soon comes a day when one desires to explore the world. Except, they cannot explore the world as they are not ready. Prepare for the journey, or be left behind.
[Objective]
-Achieve Level 10 (10/10 Level)
-Raise all Skills to ]Adept[ (Sense: Adept) (Mana Conversion: Adept) (Imp Fire: Adept)
-Time Limit: 32:00:00 [06:51:46]

[Reward]
-[Maturity Progression +1]
-[Skill Upgrade +1]

[Failure]
-[Maturity Progression -1]
-Level -1

{Alert! A quest has been completed.}
[Maturity Progression +1]

[Skill Upgrade +1] A small rectangular cube that when mana is imbued into it, will increase the rank of a single skill by one.
-Rank: Rare
-Type: Upgrade
-Increases Skill Rank by 1.

{Alert! A condition for evolution has been achieved.}
{Condition 1: Achieve Level 10: Complete}
{Condition 2: Reach Age of 5 Days: Complete}
{Condition 3: Raise Skills to Adept Rank: Complete}

{Alert! All conditions have been completed.}
{Congratulations! You have reached the designated level for Evolution.}
{You can now Evolve into Arch Impling - Variant}
{Alert! Due to completing the Tutorial, you have achieved a hidden condition.}
{Hidden Condition: Complete Tutorial before 7 Days of Age: Complete}
{You can now evolve into Arch Impling - Elite Variant}
{Evolution will begin shortly.}

As it happened before, I felt a change within. Surprisingly enough, only a small group began to evolve; our leader not included. In total, only around thirty-two of us were evolving. As the surge of energy coursed through my body, I visually and mentally blacked out.

{Day 6}

Reaching consciousness, I noticed immediately, all the stares the others were giving me and several others.

Once I felt the energy filter out of my body, I immediately opened -Character- to see what has changed. Many things it seems.

---

{Name} Nameless
[Sex] Male
[Race] Arch Impling - Elite Hunter [Bodyguard]
[Age] 6 Days

{Stats}
[Hp] 100 + 150 + 75 = 325
[Mp] 100 +75 = 175
[Str] 10 + 15 = 25
[End] 10 + 15 = 25
[Agi] 10 + 15 = 25
[Mag] 10 + 15 = 25
[Int] 10
[Luk] 10

{Level} 1
[Exp] 0/20
[Pt] 100

{Maturity} 1/3 | Child
{Affiliate} ? ? ?

{Titles}
[Elite] Learned skills are all 1 Rank higher.

[Bodyguard] +100 Hp, +15 Str, End, Agi, & Mag.

{Appearance}
A humanoid with a height of four feet, and possesses grey skin, as well as red eyes. His horns are now six inches long, and also possesses a pair of leathery wings sprouting from his shoulder blades, each also connected to his spine. His hands now possess four-digit claws, three fingers, and a thumb. His body also possesses a bit of muscle, except, now a bit more defined. Finally, his tail now possesses a tooth, allowing the tail to act as an improvised weapon if needed.

As a sign of his status as an elite, as well as his allegiance, he possesses a silver line, similar to a scar underneath his left eye.

{Skills}
[Sense] Releases a pulse of mana into the surroundings, revealing the presence of everything within its radius.
-Rank: Adept [Advanced]
-Requires 2 Mp
-Releases a 7-feet radius pulse, revealing inanimate objects, foliage, and entities within 7 levels.
(Releases an 8-feet radius pulse, showing inanimate objects, foliage, and living entities within 9 levels.)

[Mana Conversion] Drawing upon the ambient mana found within the air and earth, and mixing the energies with one's mana supply, it is possible to convert the energy into an Exp and raise the power of the individual.
-Rank: Adept [Advanced]
-Requires 1 Mp
-Absorbs 10 Mp from the surroundings and converts them into 5 Exp.
(Absorbs 12 Mp from the surroundings and converts them into 6 Exp.)

[Imp Fire] Conjures a simple ball of fire, around the size of a moderate-sized rock.
-Rank: Adept [Advanced]
-Requires 5 Mp.
-Has a high chance of inflicting -Mild Burns-, and a slight chance of inflicting -Moderate Burns-.
(Has a high chance of inflicting -Mild Burns-, and a low chance of inflicting -Moderate Burns-.)

[Imp Fire Arrow] Conjures a small fire that when launched, forms a vague image of an arrow. It is comparably faster than -Imp Fire- and can have its trajectory slightly altered.
-Rank: Beginner [Novice]
-Requires 8 Mp
-Has a low chance of inflicting -Mild Burns-.
(Has a moderate chance of inflicting -Mild Burns-.)

[Flight] With the usage of wings, the ability of flight is now possible, and a dream now fulfillable. With mana, it is possible to fly at a faster pace.
-Rank: Beginner [Novice]
-Requires 5 Mp.
-Increases aerial speed by 2x for six seconds.
(Increases aerial speed by 2x for twelve seconds.)

[Visual Clarity] Given access to the lines of mana, the eyes are capable of temporarily improving the clarity of one's eyesight.
-Rank: Mastered (Specialized)
-Requires 10 Mp.
-Grants 100% clarity in the dark for 300 seconds.
(Grants 200% clarity in the dark for 600 seconds.)

[Imp Language] The verbal and written language of the Imps.
-Rank: Beginner (Rookie)
-10% Understanding of the Imp Language.
(20% Understanding of the Imp Language.)

[Inventory] A pocket dimension exclusively accessible to only the bearer of this skill. Enables access to a pocket dimension, allowing the bearer to store a near infinite amount of items. The only limitation to the skill is whether the item in question can fit inside the opening of the pocket dimension.
-Rank: Mastered (Specialized)
-Access to Shared Pocket Dimension.
(Can fit any sized object.)

{Inventory}
[Skill Upgrade +1] A small rectangular cube that when mana is imbued into it, will increase the rank of a single skill by one.
-Rank: Rare
-Type: Upgrade
-Increases Skill Rank by 1.

---

Glancing at my back, my eyes widened in wonder, at the mysterious limbs sprouted from my back, resembling elongated crude webbed hands. As though I had possessed these limbs all my life, I flapped my new wings, marveling at how I almost instantly flew a few inches above the ground. I didn't attempt to fly, however, as despite now possessing this new curiosity of what flying must feel like, I still had things to do, such as this new quests; two in fact.

{Protect The Leader} You have been assigned as one of the Leader's bodyguards, an elite at that. Thus, your life is now dedicated to protecting your leader. The death of your leader must not come to pass.
[Objective]
-Protect Leader
-Time: ∞

[Reward]
-?

[Failure]
-Death

{Grow The Hive Pt 1} It is time to expand our population. Unlike other species, Imps are created from mana itself, so if one desires to create more, one only needs to possess a sufficient amount of mana. Let's first begin by collecting some mana.
[Objective]
-Increase total MP to 200 (175/200 Mp)

[Reward]
-[Maturity Progression +1]
-[Skill Upgrade +1]

[Failure]
-None

It seems I now have a quest that will persist until our leader or our deaths. Also, due to now being an elite, as well as a bodyguard to the leader, I suppose it makes sense that I would get such a quest. Also, it seems that the second quest involves the expansion of our current population, which doesn't seem wise to do at the moment, seeing as with our recent evolutions, the only way to find space, was to scale the walls and the ceiling which possessed about two-thirds of the space found on the flooring.

Thankfully, at the very least, there wasn't a time limit to this quest, similar to the first. Getting to my feet, I idly noted that, besides the others who have evolved with me, I now towered over the others by a solid foot. In addition to my wings, I seemed to be imposing to the others now, seeing as they subconsciously flinched whenever I approached.

Looking around, I found several other -Arch Implings-, all of them, being somewhat different from the others. There were eight others who have also become -Elite Hunters-, with only myself being male. Just by noting this, I felt that female hunters may possess an inherent advantage over me and the other hunter. The others have become something called an -Elite Warrior-, and an -Elite Rogue-.

Numbering eighteen in total, the -Elite Warriors- possessed even more muscles than I did, their muscles even more defined as well. However, they lacked the wings, we hunters possessed, though their horns remained similar to our own, theirs being thicker. Their claws didn't gain an extra digit, but through demonstration, I learned that they are capable of temporarily doubling their strength, as well as encase their fists with fire.

The remaining five Arch Imps were -Elite Rogues-, lacking the muscular frames of the warriors and lacking the wings of us hunters. Instead, they now possessed a segmented armored tail, allowing them to use them as a whip, and can extend itself to twice its original length. In addition to this, they also possess a sort of sense, allowing them to detect incoming attacks, and detect traps, all within five feet of them, a sort of constantly active -Sense- that didn't require mana to use.

I had wondered why I had become a -Elite-, and upon inquiring about it, I got this;

[Elite] A status granted to individuals who have evolved twice within a single week. Causes skills to be one grade higher than they are. Upon mastering a skill, it gains a special rank known as Specialized.

It explains the extra benefits I got at the very least. Hopefully, everyone will evolve into -Arch Implings- before the end of the week. This effect is something that everyone should possess.

…

Looking around, I searched along the walls. I did so because we were running out of space, especially so when the other elites began to plot. Even though I say this, they were really just discussing how they would go about and gain more mana. One suggested we increase our -Mag- stat, seeing as we all possess the ability to do so, but was shut down, another stating that it would be an idea to fall back on. I didn't participate, excusing myself with the valid excuse of attempting to procure space for the eventual implings that are likely to spawn.

Feeling along the wall, I eventually heard a faint sound. Tapping on the wall, I heard the faint noise once more. Backing away, I called forth, a pair of -Imp Fire Arrows- and threw them at the wall, being rewarded with a faint, but louder sound. Calling forth another pair of -Imp Fire Arrows-, I threw them at the wall, being rewarded with another sound.

"What're you up to?" A -Elite Hunter- asked. I wordlessly glanced at the female impling, before gesturing at the wall, calling forth a -Imp Fire-. Throwing it against the wall, a soft sound was heard. Staring at the source of the sound, the impling was silent for a few moments, before calling forth her own -Imp Fire Arrow- and flinging it at the wall. I stood back, watching as my mana regenerated.

Hearing the noise we were making, the other hunters approached us, and upon hearing our explanation, joined us in attacking the wall.

It took an hour before our efforts were rewarded, as a crumbling of stone was heard. Once the dust cloud cleared up, we were welcomed with a gaping hole. Activating -Visual Clarity-, I marveled at the grey crystals adorning the ridged hall of stone before us. Approaching the hole, the Leader Impling made a few chirping noises, pointing at the hole.

Ah, yes, it seems that upon evolving into an -Arch Impling-, one gains the ability of speech, and thus, become capable of communicating with others. Since the others were incapable of conversing with us -Arch Implings-, they had resorted to chirping at us. Somehow, I understood what they said exactly.

(Let's explore the cave!) Leader chirped. Behind us, all of the other -Greater Implings- chirped their agreements. Then, the -Elite Warriors- walked up, giving us this confident grin. All of them.

"Just leave it to us! We'll make sure you stay safe." I stared at them, deadpan. Where were they when we were breaking down the wall?! Leader chirped, before turning and walking towards the hole, flanked on both sides, by the warriors. I grimaced, feeling a hand land on my shoulder. Turning, I found a -Elite Rogue- giving me a sympathized stare, the other four walking after the warriors. Staring at me a bit longer, the rogue then made her way after the others.

Nodding to the other hunters, we also made our way after them.

…

After determining that there weren't any hostiles in the area, we left a few -Greater Implings- to try and pull some of the crystals out. Continuing forward, we soon found our way into a new room, barren of anything. Realizing at how large it was, we immediately began searching the area of any available perches, crevices, etc. Using our wings, we hunters scoured the ceiling and its walls. Noticing an indent on a wall near the ceiling, I investigated it.

I ended up finding myself a small room, with enough room to settle into, and also possesses a perch as well. I was tempted to report its existence to the Leader but then realized a problem. The walls around it were too smooth to climb up, and was only accessible to those who could fly; us hunters.

Revealing its existence to the others, the hunter flew to explore the indent and began exploring it. Joining them a few seconds later, I found them all settling in. They had only just begun lying down when I reminded them; we had to protect the Leader. Grumbling, the flew out and back towards the others, giving me a dirty look, to which I could only look away, sheepish.

…

At the end of the day, when the day came to an end, we all returned to the mini-cave near the ceiling. As though in revenge for the loss of relaxation, I found myself under a pile of Implings. Though I attempted to move, the mounds of flesh, kept me from moving.

{Day 7}

Day came, and I learned that one of the -Greater Implings- have found a usage for the grey crystal we had found the day before. The crystal we found, was rather fragile, seeing as we were capable of snapping off multiple pieces off of the wall, but also possessed a regenerative factor when mana is applied. Said regenerative factor also applied to its severed part as well, as once applied, the factor, both reduced in speed and amount that is reformed.

After a bit of testing, we determined that the piece of crystal will only reform itself so that its internals are encased fully as we found that a sort of fluid also existed within the crystal. The fluid itself wasn't of any danger to us, nor was it really of a liquid. It was somewhat of a squishy solid, one that was flexible and could be manipulated to a degree.

Once a bit more testing was made, we then determined that the crystal itself was a casing for the fluid itself, and the amount present, determined how much was reformed. Upon extending the fluid into a straight line and down, when we applied the mana, we then ended up with a sort of spear made entirely of crystal.

Though we had no use for them at the moment, we created and set aside around two dozen crystal spears. What we would one day use with them, I wouldn't know, though right now I don't see a use for them, considering they're still fragile. Perhaps there will be something that ends up hardening the crystals, though what would do such a thing, I once more, didn't know.

…

With the new expanse of space, we finally began the first step of expanding our numbers. To begin with, I applied five of my one-hundred points to my -Mag- stat, bringing my total -Mp- to a solid two-hundred. When I did, I heard a ping.

{Alert! A quest has been updated.}
{Grow The Hive Pt 1} With the needed mana at our disposal, it is now time to begin the expansion of the hive. With time, such preparations for creating more implings will be considered as trivial, but for now, it is considered extremely important that one prepares.
[Objective]
-Increase total MP to 200 (200/200 Mp)

[Reward]
-[Maturity Progression +1]
-[Skill Upgrade +1]

[Failure]
-None

{Alert! A quest has been completed.}
[Maturity Progression +1]

[Skill Upgrade +1] A small rectangular cube that when mana is imbued into it, will increase the rank of a single skill by one.
-Rank: Rare
-Type: Upgrade
-Increases Skill Rank by 1.

I felt a brief surge of energy, before feeling as though I gained slightly more muscles. My wings also felt a bit stronger as well.

{Alert! A new quest has been issued.}
{Grow The Hive Pt 2} Now that the needed mana is available for usage, it is now time to create an impling. At our current form, it is only possible to create a single impling, but in time, such numbers will surely increase.
[Objective]
-Activate Mana Convergent (0/10) | Elite: (0/8)
-Create Lesser Impling (0/1)

[Reward]
-[Maturity Progression]
-Level +1

[Failure]
-None

I stared at the first objective, wondering what exactly -Mana Convergent- was, or at least, I did until I heard a ping.

{Alert! Due to lacking the skill needed to progress the quest: Grow The Hive Pt 2, the required skill will be acquired and given to the individuals that require the skill.}
{Alert! You have acquired a new skill.}
[Mana Convergent] Draws ambient mana towards the caster. Once a sufficient amount of mana is gathered, the mana is then capable of becoming tangible and used for various purposes.
-Rank: Beginner (Rookie)
-Requires 20 Mp.
-Gathers 20 mana found in the surroundings and mixes with the mana used to gather them, causing them to condense together and become more potent.
(Gathers 25 mana found in the surroundings and mixes with the mana used to gather them, causing them to condense together and become more potent.)

Well… That was simple enough I suppose. Also, it seems that due to being an elite, the number of times required to use the skill was reduced by a fifth, since it apparently required the two-hundred mana needed to create an impling. Strange it was, that the needed mana to create an impling required so much, but the impling in question would only possess around a tenth of the needed mana, even at full maturity.

Looking around, it seems the others have already begun the process. Also, it seems the others were finally beginning to evolve, being encased in what seemed to be cocoons of sorts. Unfortunately, it seems that it will unlikely that anyone else attains the -Elite- title, which once more is unfortunate. Ah well, it isn't worth crying over spilled milk… Why did that phrase feel so familiar?

Shaking away the thought, I activated -Mana Convergent-, watching as the ambient mana began to gather, converging together, similar to that of an orb of sorts. Once the mana has stopped gathering, I activated the skill once more, repeating the process. When I activated the skill for the eighth time, I watched as the once transparent outline of an orb, fully solidify. The orb, now fully formed, hovered before me, a swirling outline of mana barely visible, and running along its body.

Wondering what to do next, I idly went to touch the orb, only to flinch away, surprised, when a message appeared.

{Which of the available options do you wish to initiate?}
[Impling] Creates a single impling. Due to possessing the -Elite- title, the impling will be created at adolescent maturity and will inherit the -? ?- status.

Huh, it seems the message itself is unfamiliar with itself. Whatever the case, I selected the sole option available for me. It's fortunate that having the -Elite- effect possessed an added benefit towards the creation.

{Impling Creation has been initiated.}
{Completion: 24:00:00} {Elite: 16:00:00}

Once more, the effects of being an elite have revealed itself. What would have once required a full day to create an impling, now, it only required two-thirds of the time needed in order to create one. Hm, hm, being an elite sure is great! Praise be to be an elite.

Now then, all I have to do now is wait… That and use -Mana Conversion- since I have nothing else to do now.

{Day 8}

Everyone has evolved into -Arch Implings-.

Since they evolved today, and not yesterday, they, unfortunately, were incapable of attaining the -Elite- title. That meant that out of our entire group or hive as the message refers to us as only thirty-two of us are elites.

I grinned as I stared at the evolved implings, several being warriors, some hunters, and a few rogues. I noticed the difference between us elites, and regular implings almost immediately. -Warriors- possessed slightly less muscle than their elite counterparts, and were incapable of encasing their fists in fire. Hunter wings weren't as large as us elites, nor were their eyesight as good as ours, theirs being around twenty-percent worse. Rogues it seems were the most similar to their elite counterparts, with only their unique sense being reduced to three feet, and their tails only being able to extend to a fourth of its original length.

There was also an abundant number of regular -Arch Implings-, who failed to become a variant. From what I have seen from the previous evolution, it is possible for them to acquire a variance evolution next time we evolve.

The leader was different, however. Unlike us, she possessed the physique of the warriors, the unique sense of the rogues, and the wings of us hunters. In addition to this, she also possessed the ability to assign us simple tasks, via selective telepathy. This meant, that she was capable of issuing simple tasks to multiple small groups of two-three at a time. What tasks she would assign us, I wouldn't know, as I couldn't read the mind, nor understand the thought process of our leader.

…

Similar to us elites, the other -Arch Implings- have gained the quest to create more implings. While I watched them slowly create their implings, I checked on the progress of mine.

{Completion: 00:02:14}

Oh, I was nearing completion. My, how grand.

As I waited for the completion of my impling, I noticed a few of the regular hunters gather around my orb, which by now, resembled a small cocoon. Behind the said hunters, was a cluster of almost touching orbs. I raised a non-existent eyebrow as more and more regular implings gathered around my orb.

It's weird that they're crowding around mine, and not- Oh wait, nevermind, they're doing the same with the others. I stopped thinking about this, when I heard a sort of pop noise, as the cocoon before us began to deflate, its skin turning to energy as it shifted into a figure of pink. When it had finished, all that remained was some sort of pink creature, possessing a mouth, and four stubs for legs… Was this what we looked like, as an adolescent? I wondered this, disturbed at the sight.

Strangely enough, some of the female implings were cooing at the sight, while the others, like myself, stared, at the thing with a disturbed expression. Idly watching as the -Lesser Impling- opened its mouth and began absorbing the mana in the air, I blinked as a ping was heard.

{Alert! A quest has been updated.}
[Grow The Hive Pt 2] With the birth of a new impling, the hive as a whole, grows stronger. Raise the new impling with care, and soon, it and the others it grows alongside, will also grow to defend the hive.
[Objective]
-Activate Mana Convergent (8/10) | Elite: (8/8)
-Create Lesser Impling (1/1)

[Reward]
-[Maturity Progression]
-Level +1

[Failure]
-None

{Alert! A quest has been completed.}
[Maturity Progression +1]

{Alert! One of the conditions required for Evolution has been achieved.}
{Condition 1: Reach Full Maturity: Complete}
{Condition 2: Achieve Level 15: Incomplete}
{Condition 3: Raise 3 Skills to [Elite]: Incomplete}
{Condition 4: Reach 7 Days of Age: Complete}
{Hidden Condition 1: ?: Incomplete}
{Hidden Condition 2: ?: Complete}

Ara, it seems I have matured once more, the change this time, more apparent. In addition to my limbs gaining a bit more muscle, I grew an additional two inches, my tail become stronger, and I gained a pair of new skills.

[Imp Fire Spear] Creates a streak of fire that solidifies into a spear of fire. Upon contact, it will stick to the victim, periodically burning them until ten seconds have passed, in which, it will then dissipate. Exclusive to the Hunter variant.
-Rank: Beginner (Rookie)
-Requires 15 Mp
-Has a moderate chance of inflicting -Moderate Burns-, and a low chance of inflicting -High Burns-.
(Has a high chance of inflicting -Moderate Burns-, and a moderate chance of inflicting -High Burns-.)

[Hive Growth I] Reduces the time needed to create implings by a small percentage.
-Rank: Beginner (Rookie)
-Reduces the time needed to create implings by 5%
(Reduces the time needed to create implings by 10%)

And so, not only was I given another skill that I could add to my arsenal, as well as a skill that reduced the time needed to create another impling… So if I was correct, then, it should only take me twenty-one hours & thirty-six minutes, or if my elite effect went in, then fourteen hours & twenty-four minutes to create an impling.

Speaking of which, even though I had already completed the quest, I began the process of creating another impling. When the orb began the process of morphing into a cocoon, I checked the progress.

{Completion: 14:23:45}

Oh, I was right on the time needed. Nodding to myself, I opened up my -Character- to check my progress.

---

{Name} Nameless
[Sex] Male
[Race] Arch Impling - Elite Hunter [Bodyguard]
[Age] 6 Days

{Stats}
[Hp] 115 + 150 + 75 = 165
[Mp] 140 +75 = 215
[Str] 23 + 15 = 28
[End] 23 + 15 = 28
[Agi] 23 + 15 = 28
[Mag] 28 + 15 = 43
[Int] 23
[Luk] 23

{Level} 13
[Exp] 17/20
[Pt] 131

{Maturity} 3/3 | Adult
{Affiliate} ? ? ?

{Titles}
[Elite] Learned skills are all 1 Rank higher.
[Bodyguard] +100 Hp, +15 Str, End, Agi, & Mag.

{Appearance}
A humanoid with a height of four feet, and possesses grey skin, as well as red eyes. His horns are now six-point-two inches long, and also possesses a pair of leathery wings sprouting from his shoulder blades, each also connected to his spine. His hands now possess four-digit claws, three fingers, and a thumb. His body also possesses a bit of muscle, except, now a bit more defined. Finally, his tail now possesses a tooth, allowing the tail to act as an improvised weapon if needed.

As a sign of his status as an elite, as well as his allegiance, he possesses a silver line, similar to a scar underneath his left eye.

{Skills}
={Active}=
[Sense] Releases a pulse of mana into the surroundings, revealing the presence of everything within its radius.
-Rank: Elite [Unique]
-Requires 2 Mp
-Releases a 9-feet radius pulse, revealing inanimate objects, foliage, and living entities within 11 levels.
(Releases a 10-feet radius pulse, revealing inanimate objects, foliage, living entities, and attacks within 13 levels.)

[Mana Conversion] Drawing upon the ambient mana found within the air and earth, and mixing the energies with one's own mana supply, it is possible to convert the energy into an Exp and raise the power of the individual.
-Rank: Advanced [Elite]
-Requires 1 Mp
-Absorbs 12 Mp from the surroundings and converts them into 6 Exp.
(Absorbs 14 Mp from the surroundings and converts them into 7 Exp.)

[Mana Convergent] Draws ambient mana towards the caster. Once a sufficient amount of mana is gathered, the mana is then capable of becoming tangible and used for various purposes.
-Rank: Rookie (Novice)
-Requires 20 Mp.
-Gathers 25 mana found in the surroundings and mixes with the mana used to gather them, causing them to condense together and become more potent.
(Gathers 30 mana found in the surroundings and mixes with the mana used to gather them, causing them to condense together and become more potent.)

[Imp Fire] Conjures a simple ball of fire, around the size of a small boulder.
-Rank: Advanced [Elite]
-Requires 5 Mp.
-Has a guaranteed chance of inflicting -Mild Burns-, and a low chance of inflicting -Moderate Burns-.
(Has a guaranteed chance of inflicting -Mild Burns-, and a moderate chance of inflicting -Moderate Burns-.)

[Imp Fire Arrow] Conjures a small fire that when launched, forms a solid outline of an arrow. It is comparably faster than -Imp Fire- and can have its trajectory slightly altered.
-Rank: Adept [Advanced]
-Requires 8 Mp
-Has a high chance of inflicting -Mild Burns-, and a low chance of inflicting -Moderate Burns-.
(Has a guaranteed chance of inflicting -Mild Burns-, and a moderate chance of inflicting -Moderate Burns-.)

[Imp Fire Spear] Creates a streak of fire that solidifies into a spear of fire. Upon contact, it will stick to the victim, periodically burning them until ten seconds have passed, in which, it will then dissipate. Exclusive to the Hunter variant.
-Rank: Beginner (Rookie)
-Requires 15 Mp
-Has a moderate chance of inflicting -Moderate Burns-, and a low chance of inflicting -High Burns-.
(Has a high chance of inflicting -Moderate Burns-, and a moderate chance of inflicting -High Burns-.)

[Flight] With the usage of wings, the ability of flight is now possible, and a dream now fulfillable. With mana, it is possible to fly at a faster pace.
-Rank: Adept [Advanced]
-Requires 5 Mp.
-Increases aerial speed by 2x for twenty-four seconds.
(Increases aerial speed by 2x for thirty seconds.)

[Visual Clarity] Given access to the lines of mana, the eyes are capable of temporarily improving the clarity of one's eyesight.
-Rank: Mastered (Specialized)
-Requires 10 Mp.
-Grants 100% clarity in the dark for 300 seconds.
(Grants 200% clarity in the dark for 600 seconds.)

[Imp Language] The verbal and written language of the Imps.
-Rank: Novice [Adept]
-30% Understanding of Imp Language.
(40% Understanding of Imp Language.)

={Passive}=
[Hive Growth I] Reduces the time needed to create implings by a small percentage.
-Rank: Beginner (Rookie)
-Reduces the time needed to create implings by 5%
(Reduces the time needed to create implings by 10%)

[Inventory] A specialized pocket dimension exclusively accessible to only the bearer of this skill. Enables access to a pocket dimension, allowing the bearer to store a near infinite amount of items. The only limitation to the skill is whether the item in question can fit inside the opening of the pocket dimension.
-Rank: Mastered (Specialized)
-Access to Shared Pocket Dimension.
(Can fit any sized object.)

{Inventory}
2x [Skill Upgrade +1] A small rectangular cube that when mana is imbued into it, will increase the rank of a single skill by one.
-Rank: Rare
-Type: Upgrade
-Increases Skill Rank by 1.

---

Hm, I was making good progress. I suspect I will begin evolution by tomorrow morning, or by the end of tomorrow. Either way, it's likely that I will evolve sometime tomorrow.

…

We encountered our fist non-imp, and it was hostile. Unfortunately, it encountered our leader, who was being guarded by all of her bodyguards, which was comprised of both elites, and the hundred or so regulars. The creature itself was a giant pink thing, possessing no defining feature, besides possessing thin ridges along its body. Actually, I wasn't even sure if it was hostile. It had just emerged from the stone. Upon killing and extracting the thing, the stone it had burrowed, reformed itself.

We were confused at the nature of the creature, but was also a bit shocked, as one of the bodyguards almost lost his head, when he peeked into the reforming hole.

Bringing the corpse of whatever it is we killed back to the cave where the young resided, we began the process of cutting it into smaller chunks. When we finally cut it down to a probable hundred of handheld pieces, I took a bite out of it. The first thing I thought, was how chewy it was. It had a slightly sweet flavor, but was otherwise, tasteless. After relaying the taste to the others, the rest of the day was spent, snacking on the pink thing. Our leader called it a -Giant Worm-. I didn't question the name and continued eating the newly dubbed worm.

{Day 9}

Since -Mana Conversion-, and -Imp Fire- was nearing the elite rank, I decided to focus on those skills for the day.

We also encountered another -Giant Worm- and confirmed that they were indeed, non-hostile. We still killed it though. This time, we ended up roasting it with our fire, which also ended up somehow enhancing its sweet flavor, as well as making it a bit crispy. It was a strange combination, but I didn't complain.

I also learned, that even though Imps could eat, we didn't necessarily need to, instead, only really needing mana, as it was our primary diet. It was our leader who explained this to us, but when I asked where she got this information from, she was silent and refused to answer. Even when we began prodding at multiple angles, she still dodged our questions. Eventually, we gave up and just went on with our day.

When we stopped questioning our leader, she continued on with the explanation of Imp biology. Continuing from the diet, food also contained mana, hence why we fed on it, except the amount was minuscule, compared to the amount we could absorb from the surroundings themselves. So, unless mana is starved in some areas, I don't really see a reason for me to eat, unless of course, it's for the taste, then perhaps I would partake in it.

…

We encountered another hive of Imps. We were so surprised when a -Rogue- came rushing in, yelling about another hive, that we entered a little rush of panic. After being mentally calmed down, trio-by-trio by our leader, we made a plan to meet them.

In the end, it was the other Imp Hive that initiated contact. When we met, both of our hives bringing everyone, there were a few noticeable differences. The first was how outnumbered they were to us, as we probably outnumbered them ten-to-one, as for every Imp in there hive, we possessed ten more. Another difference I noticed was how young they were, possessing only a dozen -Arch Implings-, besides the Leader of their hive, only six of them were variants, five warriors, and one hunter. A third and final difference I noticed was tied with the first difference. They only possessed around a hundred implings, while we numbered in the tens of hundreds.

As our leaders conversed, I stared at their lone hunter, who was giving us wary stares in return, even more so to the elites, myself included. Noticing our stares, the lone hunter looked even warier and slightly frightened.

I was shaken out of my thoughts when the -Greater Implings- began chirping. Looking back to the leaders, I noticed that the two were grasping each other's arms. The other leader, another female I noted, turned to her hive and began speaking.

"Brothers and Sisters, our hive has entered an alliance with our sister hive of another cavern. It is our hope that we grow and prosper into a grand hive, alongside our new Brother and Sisters!" The Leader of another hive yelled, causing the other implings to chirp loudly, and their -Arch Implings- to cry out, in happiness and excitement I noticed.

In response, our Leader turned to us and began to speak as well.

"As our new allies have said, we have entered an alliance with one another. Treat them as you would for our kin. Treat them as though they are part of our own hive!" Our leader ordered, as all of us, -Arch Implings- roared our agreements. As our two hives made loud noises for our new alliance, I noted how the other implings seemed a bit subdued, likely due to how many -Arch Implings- were in our hive.

…

If there was one thing the other hive had, that we didn't, was this sort of material called wood. The cavern they lived in, which was connected to the crystalized tunnel on the far end, had these things called trees growing along with it, as well as another material called leaves. Using the wood, they drew up what they called to be a map, which showed the location of their hive, before handing it to us to draw ours. When we did, another map was made, before one was handed to us, with them keeping the other.

We would visit one another's caves another day, instead, to prepare for the eventual trades we would end up making. We had voiced our confusion on this, but apparently, Imps are social monsters, and so, if an alliance is made between two hives, then there is a high possibility that if the hives had something that the other did not, will most likely trade for those items. In our case, we had multiple crystal items, such as spears, and shields, while they possessed wood and something called water.

…

We discovered something shocking. When we were initiating our first trade, we accidentally spilled a bit of water onto the crystal items we were trading. The moment the liquid made contact, the crystal hardened, losing its translucent appearance, and became solid, no longer fragile. And so, the encounter made both the water, and the crystal items a valuable item of trade since the said crystal was hard enough, where, five -Elite Warriors- were incapable of breaking them. The water was also extremely valuable to us, as it possessed a rich taste as well as rich mana.

Once the trade was completed, we quickly made our way back to our respective, as to be honest, even though we were allies, we had only just met, and thus, have no reason to completely trust them. Perhaps in several days, we may trust them more, but until then, I'll just watch my back.

()()()()()()
I'll just put this here.

Hopefully, you have enjoyed this little rewrite.

Will I continue with the rewrite? Probably.

There have been many changes to the story, one I'm sure you can agree. If not, well, the original story is still up.

I will say though, this story is going to be an original. The main cast of Re: Monster isn't going to show for a long while. The reason is that, due to unexplained reasons, Benthal and his group aren't and the fact that the crack in the ceiling in nonexistent. Benthal and Co. are above the ceiling, but without the crack, Benthal wouldn't know that the hatchery is active. As a matter of fact, none of the hatcheries possess a crack, the great invasion on the forest having blocked off the crevices for them.

As a result, none of the implings will be capable of gaining knowledge of the older Imps/Incubus/Succubi. Instead, the implings have found a tunnel, one that leads to another hive or hatchery.

For now, there will be peace, but where can progress be found, but in chaos. Alliances between the hatcheries will be made, but so will enemies. I can without a doubt, however, the MC's hive is and will be the largest. It may not be the strongest once Benthal and Co. find them, but they will remain the largest.

Since I'm essentially beginning the story off with the preparation of a hive war, what should the name of the hive be called? Note, the name itself will not be the actual name, but it will be used to differentiate between the hives.

{MC Hive} Def. Name: Crystalloids
[Strength] 32 Elite Arch Impling
[Might] 1000+ Arch Impling
[Equipment]
-[Crystal Spear] ?x
-[Crystal Shield] ?x

{Ally Hive}
[Strength] 12 Arch Impling
[Might] 100+ Greater Impling
[Equipment]
-[Wood] ?x
-[Crystal Items] ?x

{Other News}
[Rou] Similar to the original story, Rou's ability, Absorption will be changed. Instead of being capable of gaining the skills of whoever he eats, he will only gain a maximum of three skills per monster he devours. He is incapable of attaining classes as he does not have access to the class system, but he is capable of attaining three skills from each class. A fourth skill is also possible to be obtained from the previous mentioned but has an extreme rarity of happening. He also suffers a penalty for preying on fellow goblins and imps.

[Kichi] Since it is unlikely that the MC will meet Kichi, Rou, Mi, or E when they are goblins or even hobgoblins, they will begin as simple acquaintances.

[Sato & Sei] Will these two be part of the MC's harem? It is currently unknown, as the two were initially attracted to Rukku because of the complete lack of interest towards human women.

[Goblins] The goblins will play a role later in the story. When? Don't know.

{Other Notes}

If I write one more story, I will have literally written half of the fanfiction dedicated to this series, excluding the crossovers of course. I'm not complaining, but I will admit, I would enjoy reading another's interpretation of another's depiction of the series.

-To be added-.