Greer123 - I wonder what consequences this'll have :)
Arclight001 - Thanks for the love you've been giving with the reviews! And thanks for the positivity for last chapter! Won't promise that last point though, they're my lifeblood.
Walpurgisnacht - Happy to see people noticed! Felt like I should tip it off considering its also been a major inspiration for me.
merendinoemiliano - You're here literally every chapter. Insane. Thanks for your kind words though, always happy to see you still here.
Scurra71900 - Thank you for reading!
Citanon - Happy to see that you been liking it! Also, promise that your point wont be happening (hopefully), these chapters are long enough to not worry about leaving a decision up till next chapter or something. Still, thank you!
On with the show!
(? POV)
In the Land of Darkness, Salem, the master of the Grimm and the immortal witch of the ages, stood wholly intrigued as she peered through the Nevermore's eyes.
In her many, many long years of being alive, she had mastered and crafted many differing species of Grimm, although they were originally created by the God of Darkness, she was still their master in the end. But with that original creation, he had crafted them without the potential or need for souls, not even she could change that.
This was the first time in a long while that she was truly bearing witness to something so interesting. Something that could shatter the landscape across Remnant with its one, distinct change.
It had a soul. This Beowolf had actually managed to create in itself a soul to carry along with it, and with that, she had seen first hand the wavering aura that attached itself to the creature.
With that revelation, she desperately wanted to know more about this one specific Grimm, already thinking of the possibilities of capturing the beast and experimenting with it over in her own territory, seeing just how far this one could go with her guidance on hand.
However, since it was so far away from her own territory, she couldn't attempt to control it without exerting a truly massive amount of effort, and even as she did so, she figured that with its addition of a true soul, that she'd likely never be able to control it anyway.
She watched as it exited through a cavern, slow and methodical in its approach outwards, like it was expecting something to jump out and attack it at any moment. She noted as she watched through the Nevermore's eyes just how much this Beowolf had acted like an intelligent being. One that had a companion with it as well.
A small, relatively harmless Beringel that attached itself to the back of her point of interest and as she continued to watch their combined plight, she only grew more intrigued with the whole process laying out in front of her.
They were both killing Grimm on a very regular basis. Most of it being the Beowolf as it had seemed to be using its addition of a soul to its advantage to fight off bigger, larger opponents in its path. This was... Unusual to say the least. Grimm don't fight each other at all. At least, their instincts should be warning them not to as it was a whole counterproductive process in regards to her, their master.
She watched them both become stronger and stronger at a much more rapid pace. Seeing the Beowolf grow bigger in size, almost to the size of a normal Alpha variant of the same species, and seeing the ongoing benefits that came with it. This was the same story for the mini-Beringel that followed as well, it looked as if they had some sort of joint connection with each other that allowed them to grow and adjust to fights extremely well. Abnormally well.
The whole thing was abnormal. A singular Beowolf with an actual, working soul that grows to an alpha in less then a month? One that starts to sprout these, mutant like, golden tipped quill spikes on the back of it? One that seems to actively control the Grimm around it? And even if it is only one Grimm at this point in time. It's barely been a month, how far would it go if I were to leave it on its own out in the wild?
Salem wanted to know more about this soul. What exactly was inside of it that was making it tick?
She watched as it took on a fully trained huntress head on. Granted, it didn't win and it looked to have suffered immense injury from the encounter. But it further proved its intelligence as it fought, even looking to change up its strategy when it was seeming bleak. She didn't know how this would affect the Beowolf, she had never seen it beaten to such an extent throughout the days she peered through the Nevermore's eyes. But if it was truly as intelligent as she hoped, it would become likely that it'd come back stronger next time. And next time, it'd come back against her with all it had.
And as the Beringel dived into the fray and dragged it and the Beowolf away under the cover of rain and darkness, she had then decided what it was she was likely to do.
She wanted to cage it. To experiment with it and see if her own magic could accelerate the growth behind this Beowolf. It seemed like it had no idea of her presence, nor of her existence in general. And why would it? It was so far away from where she was, it probably had never had the thought that something was watching it.
Her inner circle would soon be coming to discuss the plans for the future. She'd need to pull one of them away at the end of their discussion for them to follow through on what she wanted. Tyrian perhaps? Watts? Cinder would likely be busy in Vale for the time being...
Well. There's not much point discussing exactly who was going to do the task. It would still be several days away before she would have the chance and even with that, several other plans were still needing her general oversight. Not much point trying to capture some unique Grimm whilst she still desperately needed the Maiden's powers for her own circle.
For now, the Beowolf laid asleep in a cavern, unbeknownst to the world outside, fluttering underneath the rainy sky whilst the Beringel stood hunched over, watching the outside with a keen eye for any intruders.
She'd make that Beowolf into a weapon. It was such a rarity that something would finally peak her interest after all the monotony of the years and decades behind her. To leave her in surprise so regularly.
This little soul would hopefully become integral to her plans in the future.
It just needed a push in the right direction.
(Nekros POV)
I woke up to the comforting sounds of rainfall and the howling noises of the wind pounding the walls of wherever I was.
It was beyond peaceful as I gradually woke up from my slumber.
Well... Almost.
Up until I remembered that I had my arms completely blown off my body and that I was nearing death at a pretty rapid pace, I shot up from the stone floor beneath me with a shaky balance. Eyes wide as I looked around to where I was.
Seems like the damage done wasn't just to my arms however, my legs were completely out of it and were already struggling to stand, shaking and quaking under the immense weight they were under.
And no, it's not due to my weight. I'm perfectly healthy!
I stumbled and fell back on my ass as my legs had finally had enough of being abused by the recent activities of the night. And in my action, I finally took in the surroundings of where I was and glanced around.
I was back in the mouth to the cavern I had previously discovered. The wispy, veiny lines of deep blue light that were encased within the walls of the cavern had all but disappeared, likely due to my previous exploits within this place to begin with. It was empty and barren, only the noise of persistent rainfall being able to dissuade my fears of something lurking deeper into the caverns system without my knowledge.
My arms were still in a state of total disrepair and even that's a hopefully optimistic statement for what they were. They were nothing but blackened stumps that were connected to the rest of my body, slight rivulets of static electricity were still running through them even this late on from the initial encounter. A kind of biological scaffolding was taking place however. Throughout the darkened smoke that they were releasing, weaves and stitching's of black and gold were running through in front of them in a display of bodily wonder, reforming and refitting my arms from their encounter into something a little more... Tangible.
And in front of me... Laid the one being I wanted to see the most. That singular, sized up Beringel that was abstaining from looking at me, instead deciding to keep peering outside the entrance with a keen eye, seemingly looking out for any or all threats that may come our way. I was so proud. Proud that he actually managed to save me in time before that human had their way with me, and proud that he's still on the lookout so soon after when he could have been chased himself.
I've been forgetting to check on his recent progress in terms of stats and Biomass as I was busy with... Other things. Well now, all those plans are now being chucked away. He needed to invest his stuff and right now I was more than willing to help him choose the right options. To influence and modify his body and to make him even more of a monster then he already was.
But as I stared at his back in my own thoughts, my tired eyes were picking up something out of place on his body. Something that was splitting itself in-between the vast amounts of plates and fur that casted themselves over its entire body. It looked like...
Wings.
A very small set of wings had begun sprouting out of his back, they were disproportionally small for how big his size was but they were there! They were currently nothing but muscles and bone, no semblance of feathers or anything of the like on them, and even if they did, was there any point? They were literally so small that they actually looked stupid, so out of place on something as big as him. Like a costume that was fitting a tad too small on the beast.
But... He had wings! He was actually managing to grow a set of wings! Was this due to his general growth? Or what was more likely... Was it due to his Biomass upgrades? The ones that I haven't yet checked in days. Did he actually manage to snatch a pair of wings with the Biomass he's accumulated?
...
...
My eyes flared up and smoke released itself from my jaw.
Why can't I get a pair of wings?!
Seriously?! I've been knocked out, passed out, electrocuted, hit and danced around like a fool and I don't get any rewards! Like what?! Not even any special Biomass upgrades. And Titan gets a pair of wings as a choice.
[Boss Fight Complete!]
[You have survived the encounter! Whilst you may not have defeated the foe, you have thus survived against an enemy that was miles out of your league. ]
[You will succeed next time.]
Rewards: 15 Stat Points. 15 Biomass. 15000XP!
Oooo!
Well, guess there's at least some silver lining to this whole situation. I'll be needing to spend all those rewards in a few minutes. I still needed to recover from everything that had occurred.
But with that system pop-up being sent my way and out as fast as it came, another bright blue box came along with it not but a few seconds later:
[You have hit level 30!]
[With hitting level 30, you have now reached your Species Evolutionary Level cap. You will thus be awarded with one Evolutionary Core!]
Rewards: 1 Evolutionary Core!
As I stared at the notification and mentally swiped it away from my view. Something had *popped* into existence above me as I was sitting down. It was a black and red orb of some sort, and as it hit my head on the way down, I tried to pick up the weird object, only to realise my arms were still recovering. Instead I finally looked at it with a keen eye. Noting to myself that this was the same thing that I... absorbed back in the pools of the cavern I was in. It was kind of disappointing as I inspected it. A totally black orb with a criss-cross of deep red lines scoring the surface of it in a nonsensical pattern. One golden line circulated all the way around the orb from the centre, a weird colorful respite in the sea of red and black that it was surrounded by.
But as I was continuing, the orb decided to move and jump around, choosing to come closer and closer to me until it finally made contact with my torso, then becoming little more then liquid as it seemingly threw away its solid form as it finally made contact. The same thing occurred as last time, this blackened and dim coloured liquid was seeping its way into my body in a slow, methodical fashion, it was freezing as it barged past any biological boundaries in front of it. A sickening shiver making its way all across my body as the all the liquid had finally made its way inside me, only to be swept aside by the *ping* of another notification.
[Would you like to use the Evolution menu?]
Yes I would!
[Congratulations on reaching the maximum level for your current species. Evolution will allow you to change your form and increase your stats as a monster.]
[Your left over Biomass won't be saved once Evolution occurs. You should spend all of what you have before this process takes place.]
Your evolution options are as follows:
- Alpha Beowolf (Overlord (2/5))
-Mutated Beowolf (Overlord (2/5))
- Dust Grimm (Core)
- Nightmare Grimm (Core)
Evolving will allow you to gain new abilities in regards to "Overlord". More options may be unlocked as you progress further into evolution.
Look at this! Four different options? Lay it on me funny blue box. Just what am I going to be working with here?
[Alpha Beowolf Grimm (Overlord) - Advance from your fledgling form into a fully realised alpha of your kind. Show them what they're messing with. Base stats will increase (15 - 25%). Stats involving STR, VIT and INT will significantly increase (25 - 50%), new skills will be unlocked too.]
[Mutated Beowolf Grimm (Overlord) - Become more of a mutant then you already are. Advance your form into something more... Experimental. Base stats will randomly increase by a certain percentage (0 - 80%). Evolutions and Biomass upgrades from this point onwards will randomise and web out extensively. Feeling lucky?]
Thinking I'll do that with 16 LUK? No chance.
[Dust Grimm (Core) - Condense MP that's both been absorbed and stored within you into a Grimm Core. This Core allows you to utilise your aura in a more physical sense, will also allow you to utilise Dust crystals extensively and with more experimentation into your combat abilities. Will also allow custom evolution to be possible in the future]
[Nightmare Grimm (Core) - Condense MP that's been both absorbed and stored within you into a Grimm Core. This darkened Core allows you to utilise the emotions around you into your attacks, allowing you to increase your base stats, general damage, health and racial specific abilities with the rapid influx of negative emotion into your core. Generally works well within high populated areas and civilian outposts. Will allow custom evolution to be possible in the future.]
Oooo! These all look pretty neat! The option that appeals to me the most right now is the "Alpha Beowolf" evolution. It provides me the most consistent and best possible choice for base stats, whilst also increasing my Strength, Vitality and Intelligence, and all those are my best stats! The promise of new skills is also a boon too...
The mutated version is probably the least likely option for me to choose. The chances for my base stats to increase from that base percentage is huge, a potential of an 80% increase would make me huge! Imagine an increase like that into strength, or even vitality! I'd become un-killable! However, the idea of both evolution choices and Biomass upgrades being randomised and mixed from there on from choosing it is a weird proposition. What if I get something useless to upgrade? Will I have to spend all my Biomass on something abhorrent and stay with it until I next get my evolution? I didn't wanna risk that. Even if there was a lot of benefits involved. Maybe if my luck was higher...
No. Let's move on.
The Core evolutions were certainly something; I wasn't entirely sure on where the core was even going to get placed within me? Or on me? I hope it wasn't as obvious as the evolutionary core, it'd make me become target practice if that was the case! But moving on from that... Look at these benefits! I get to finally use my Dust crystals which have been sitting around in my inventory for... However long I was out for! Especially those unrefined ice crystals I previously got from the cavern, felt like I was carrying dead weight all this time. But think of the possibilities if I had it: fire, electricity, ice and whatever else I can find on my conquests, all for me to utilise to my souls content.
Could I combine these crystals with my skills in the future? How would I get even more dust to use on the way? Too many questions to ask! I could even get "Custom Evolutions" from choosing the core! The possibilities...
The Nightmare Core also looked appealing to me. Allowing me to likely develop new Grimm based abilities and to utilize emotions against those against me! The Core bearing benefits to my base stats as well wasn't bad either. But it just... Didn't seem too useful to me at this current stage. It seems like it'd be extremely situational, only good in places like that human outpost, where there's an abundance of emotion to feed off of. I've been mostly hunting other Grimm on this side! This core wouldn't help out against the like of them...
Oh wait!
I need to spend all my Biomass first! It told me that any Biomass left wouldn't be saved once I undertook the evolution. Didn't it also say something about needing to upgrade it to a certain threshold?
No matter! Let's see what I've got going on:
Name: Nekros
Class: The Gamer
Race: Fledgling Overlord Grimm (Soul) (2/5)
Level: 30(Next Level: 2480/XXXX)
Title: Novice Grimm Slayer
Bounty: 0 Lien
HP: 463/983 (Slowed Due To Extensive Injury!)
MP: 458/458
STR: 65 [Base 50 + 15(30%)]
VIT: 52 [Base 40 + 12(30%)]
DEX: 39 [Base 30 + 9(30%)]
INT: 62 [Base 40 + 12(30%) + 10(25%)]
WIS: 46.5 [Base 30 + 9(30%) + 7.5(25%)]
LUK: 16
Elemental Affinity: None
Stat Points: 26
Biomass: 22
Biomass Upgrades: Bone Plating +3, Hide +3, Fangs +1, Overlord +1, Eyes +2
Lien: 6300
Status Affects: None
Would you look at that, the funny blue box gave me a section for my own upgrades! Thank you funny blue box!
[You're Welcome!]
[One Lien has been deposited into your inventory!]
What a nice box.
I need to sort out my Stat Points first. At least they don't itch as much as the Biomass upgrades do. Plus, they're the easiest to think about!
Least there wasn't fifty or so of them like last time. This'll be a breeze!
1 Hour Later.
As it would've turned out. Trying to invest the remaining Stat Points becomes much harder when you realise that something is about to invariably change you forever, and you don't know how to invest your stuff without seeming too one sided into one stat or splitting them up so much the upgrade becomes mostly worthless since they're so miniscule. But here they were:
Name: Nekros
Class: The Gamer
Race: Fledgling Overlord Grimm (Soul) (2/5)
Level: 30(Next Level: 2480/XXXX)
Title: Novice Grimm Slayer
Bounty: 0 Lien
HP: 512/983 (Slowed Due To Extensive Injury!)
MP: 551/551
STR: 78 [Base 60 + 18(30%)]
VIT: 52 [Base 40 + 12(30%)]
DEX: 52 [Base 40 + 12(30%)]
INT: 71.3 [Base 46 + 13.8(30%) + 11.5(25%)]
WIS: 46.5 [Base 30 + 9(30%) + 7.5(25%)]
LUK: 16
Elemental Affinity: None
Stat Points: 0
Biomass: 22
Biomass Upgrades: Bone Plating +3, Hide +3, Fangs +1, Overlord +1, Eyes +2
Lien: 6301
Status Affects: None
At least it was done. The increase in STR was always something I wanted to pursue, especially after fighting that human. Even with the strength I already had before, fighting something with that amount of aura completely nullified all the bonuses and stats I had accumulated. I felt like I was headbutting my maw against a stone wall!
I also finally got another skill from the system as my Dexterity finally breached fifty!
[Eye On The Prize! Lv10 (Active) EXP: 0%: You have a knack for discovering openings in your opponents! A red cross will distinctly appear over the chosen targets weak points. Painted on their armour or on the body itself. If you manage to hit the weak point directly, it'll deal twice as much damage!
Allows the user to strike "Weak Points" on an enemy. Dealing x2 damage to the enemy if cleanly hit!
Cost: 2 MP a second.]
Time for my Biomass upgrades as well:
Might as well get the top ones first.
Select: Bone Plating +4 and Hide +4.
[You are nearing the next set of upgrades for these two options, would you rather like to input +7 of Biomass to each selection to get to the +5 modifier quicker?]
That seems unusually... Nice?
I thought I would have had to spend most of my stuff to get the upgrades?
[+1 INT & WIS for deducing the system further!]
[This will be your first time experiencing such a thing. And with your species evolutionary cap being reached, any spare Biomass will be gone permanently from your status. You will not get reminded of this again.]
Your options for "Bone Plating" are as follows:
- Advanced Bone Plating
- Corrosive Bone Plating
Aw. Only two options? I can already guess what the "Advanced" Bone Plates were going to be and I think I've already made up my choice on what evolutionary path I'll follow. Corrosive did sound interesting though, if it was one of the two given to me, it must be half decent for it to be put in my face as a valid choice surely?
Hm.
...
...
I'll select... The Advanced version! Gotta stick with what you know sometimes. Besides, the amount of Biomass I'm about to pump into my body is about to put me in a coma. Never-mind the next upgrades I had to do!
What about Hide?
Your options for "Hide" are as follows:
- Shadow Hide.
- Gargantuan Hide.
So.
Gargantuan Hide is probably something to do with me getting bigger, or more likely just to look more imposing to the average being I come across. Seems like it'd be a good intimidation factor.
Shadow Hide seems to be something to do with night? System. Can you help me out here?
[No can do. I've already been streamlining the process too much anyway. If I start explaining more, someone's going to get really angry with a certain someone.]
[I will only explain things once they are of important relevance or if they are new to the player involved. Special factors like this, such as your first proper evolutionary leap, are also something to consider. Which is why I am here!]
...
...
Alright then.
But also, what do you mean by "Someone's going to get really angry." You're literally a floating blue box that tells me what to do, what my missions are and how I can spend my combat experience. Who exactly is going to get mad?
[Sorry. But this is something I need to deal with on my end. You don't have to worry about it. But please, hurry and pick your future upgrades! Time's ticking!]
Ah! Almost forgot!
Hmmmmmmmm.
Let's pick... Shadow Hide!
I brace myself at this point in time, awaiting my impending doom by name of the everlasting itch as it's always done before. Curling in on myself as I prepare to fend off my maker. Only to get seemingly nothing in turn. I took note of the flashing blue notification off the side of my head, and peered on it.
[You have chosen your Biomass upgrades! They have officially reached +5. Once the evolutionary process occurs, the upgrades will then kick in, so as to not delay the time in-between progress for the player! You may select and curate which of the other Biomass extensions will also be receiving Biomass before the evolutionary process may begin!]
How much Biomass do I have left?
Biomass: 8
Alright, I know what I'll do:
Select: Eyes +3, Overlord +2, Fangs +2, Claws +1
[Would you like to purchase Eyes +3, Overlord +2, Fangs +3 and Claws +1? ]
I really was going all out here wasn't I?
Literally all my Biomass going down the biological drain in the hopes that it would improve what I have. It hasn't failed me before though. I can't wait to see what changes occur!
I start to softly laugh to myself. Well, as much as a Beowolf can laugh anyway. Black smoke emanating from my maws as I do so, filling up the space in the cavern with a mist as black as obsidian. It was weirdly calming to do so...
"Yes, please." I state towards the system.
Another ping to the left, telling me the same stuff I already knew.
Ok!
Enough mucking around. It was high time I finally got this stuff done before I did anything drastic. It's about time we got to the real meat of the show.
My Evolution Core.
...I have already made my decision.
Select: Dust Grimm (Core).
[Would you like to spend this evolution to Condense your MP into a Dust Core?]
...Yes!
My vision immediately pulls to black. The world around me is a blur of dull colors as I finally succumb back to darkness.
(Violet POV)
Violet sat at her desk, bored out of her mind with the situation surrounding her. As soon as she went out to deal with the mutated Beowolf that was seeking to rob her stashes of Dust, she had nothing to do!
She peeked outside to see what's going on with the greater world. Recruits below, standing in formation in the pouring rain for their individual captains and establishing their rotations. Mud caked up all across their newly given gear and staining every part of their body. She could already see a couple scowling faces among the synchronised crowd. It always made her smile to see them so invested.
As she looked out from the glass, she stood and thought back to the encounter with the alpha. She said it was a mutant to the other two who convened to her, but even she was skeptical of that basic explanation for what she found deep in the forest. Unless she's been out of the field for a little too long, she wasn't sure that pulling a lightning dust crystal out of nowhere was normal behaviour for mutants. Never-mind a normal Beowolf.
And on that note! Neither is jamming it straight into its arm being something that she should have expected either!
She already said as much to the other two. Saturn looked at her with eyes filled with curiosity and slight worry behind it all as she kept glancing to the bruise on her face. Probably wanting a more detailed explanation then the one she gave her, being that the alpha hit her. And it hit her hard.
The dust that was coursing through its arms also had a hand, immobilising her on the spot as she tried to dodge out of the way, only to get rooted in place and shot halfway across the forest a second later. She swore a couple of bones had broke with that strike, only her aura and her adrenaline were keeping her afloat in that moment. She knew it too.
Karl just kept a calm, measured look on her throughout the entire story, looking at her sometimes with a sense of disbelief, furrowing his eyebrows at certain points but, mostly keeping stoic throughout the entire thing. It was... Worrying. He was never so held back with his emotions when he worked under her, likely the same way that he never stopped talking when she was around. It juxtaposed with her on a very strange level.
She feels around the right side of her face, wincing slightly at the darkened bruise that was still plastered all across it. She needed to get it checked out soon, this was just getting ridiculous at this point. If only she wasn't so preoccupied with the fresh meat outside and the constant paperwork laid on her desk. She'd be out with them too!
But underneath all that vigor, laid a distinct taste at the back of her mouth. It was vile and sickly, only appearing as she looked down at the training grounds. But it was there, and it was making itself known to her as worry sunk into her tired bones.
That thing was still out there. She knew she didn't kill it and she told the two of them the same thing. Something fast and huge had swooped in at the last minute to grab the alpha and take it with it. She had no idea what had happened with it, but she didn't see it disappear into smoke in front of her, so she was still betting that it was still lurking around somewhere in the forest.
She breathed a sigh of exhaustion. The newbies would be making their first rounds into the forest soon enough, there'll be quite a lot of them, but it still made her worry to see them wander into it when that thing was still hiding, waiting to strike at the right moment.
Hopefully. Whatever that thing was that dragged it away at light speeds also deposed of it. She could only hope so, looking out as the rain kept battering the glass and all around. Darkened clouds making themselves known above with strikes of crashing thunder and howling winds.
The weather this week has been utterly terrible.
It makes Atlas look like a summer holiday in comparison!
But as she kept staring, deep in thought, she was snapped out of her stupor by a one familiar suited individual running out below her, umbrella in one hand and a scroll in the other. His hair in ruins as he made himself get out of sight of the militia's halls, deep into Istrus's narrow streets and alleyways. All under the cover of this horrid weather.
Hm.
Now where is he running up to...?
This chapter was meant to be out sometime last weekend? But I kept rewriting things and deleting stuff so it got pushed back till today. Still! It's finally here and it's a lot slower then the last two chapters were admittedly. This chapter is a mix of important things for our protagonist and to set up a couple extra things for the road ahead.
We also managed to breach 400+ followers since ch8. So thank you all! Love you all for reading my bullshit and I can only hope but to continue to impress.
And as always: Critiques and Reviews are always accepted.
I also want to know, whether you'd want a sort of "Status" recap for our MC on the bottom of each chapter? I tried to do it before but it was so early on that it wouldn't change much for a large amount of time, but seeing how a bunch of other gamer fic's have them at the bottom... I just want to know what you think! I wouldn't mind doing it anyway.
Thank you. Hopefully the next will be out soon.