Yo!
I have another chapter for ya. You guys can thank Bunkerfreak_HD and GaZe_Zero for never giving up on my discord and continuously pointing out that I didn't update Grimm yet.
Now then, without wasting much more time, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 28. Back Again?
How the mighty have fallen...
With everything that had been going on, I sometimes forgot that I was on Remnent for barely a few months. For over twenty years, I had lived in a world where magic, nightmarish monsters, and evil immortals were mere creations of fiction confined to books, movies, or television shows. And yet, despite losing everything dear to me in my previous world, Remnant had become my home, and I was determined not to let go. Not again...
Not that I have a choice... I'm back to the starting point after all... How disappointing...
I had already forgotten about my time in the darkness, where the all-encompassing Void embraced me from all sides. The last time I found myself here, time slipped away, and now, it wasn't much different. Days, months, or perhaps even years passed as I aimlessly drifted through the realm of darkness.
System refused to answer, and with each passing moment of complete silence, the pit in my stomach grew deeper. Well, that is if I still had a stomach. No matter how hard I tried, my body simply wouldn't respond to my commands.
Fucking silver eyes... And here I was, hoping those damned things wouldn't affect me. Welp, apparently, a soul isn't enough to shield me from my Grimm origins...
I snorted internally. And now I was making bad puns. This place was truly driving me mad, and strangely enough, I couldn't even find it in myself to complain. If only Neo could see me now. That goddamned brat would never let me live this down.
Neo... I guess I broke my promise, eh?
That had to be a record. I barely made a promise to never leave her, and then I fucking went and got killed by those damned eyes. 'Depressing' was one word to call it, though I preferred 'dumb', 'stupid', and 'unlucky' a lot more...
After all, how could I have known that those accursed eyes would one-shot me... If that wasn't a definition of broken, then I didn't know what was. Nothing should have that much power...
I would take turning into stone for a bit over this any day... At least that way, Neo wouldn't lose me forever.
Still, I believed in that snarky brat. Neo had proven to me time and time again that nothing could bring her down. Even without me, not a single doubt lingered in my mind that she would not only survive but thrive. While she might have been a criminal in canon, she remained a powerful character. Now, all I could do was hope that my brief tutelage hadn't messed things up.
Good luck, Neo. It's a pity I couldn't leave Bob with you. That dumb wyvern most likely kicked the bucket with me.
[Can you stop your brooding already?]
Wait, what?! For fuck sake, System, I thought you were gone!
[As much as I sometimes wish to, that's not the case this time... I am merely fixing the mess you got us into.]
Excuse me? I didn't ask for those glorified silver flashlights to vaporize me. I was pretty far from them and wasn't even a normal Grimm... And besides, it's all Salem's fault. Fucking witch sent a mutated Grimm after me for some reason...
If I ever got out of this place, Salem was definitely moving up the list of my targets. I didn't really care about her until now, but if she wanted an enemy with limitless growth potential, then that was precisely what she would get. Territories were just waiting to be conquered, after all.
[Be that as it may, I'm still blaming you for giving me so much work. I shouldn't be able to get tired, yet here I am... You have no idea how annoying it was to destroy all the divinity that wanted to consume your soul.]
Now hold on a damn second. Divinity in my soul? Those eyes managed to reach that far?
[As if! Those silver eyes might work nicely against normal Grimm, but with everything my creator and I did to you, there was no way in seven hells for something so weak to taint your soul.]
So what happened? I asked, and if I could have, I would have rolled my eyes at the whining System.
[The so-called Brother gods, particularly the Light one, decided to intervene. He overpowered that girl's eyes, hoping that the light show would erase us from their puny world. E. Clearly, the duo is willing to go around their self-imposed exile if it means eliminating an unknown threat.]
Well, isn't that lovely? First Salem, now those two idiots... So what now, System? Any possibility I can get out of this hellhole?
[Yes, but I need to warn you. Light poisoning is only a tiny problem in the grand scheme of things. That red girl's Semblance is a much more troubling matter. If it wasn't for it, you would be out of here a long time ago.]
If my memory served me right, Summer's Semblance could manipulate time to some extent, which wasn't particularly concerning in the long run. However, as my mind slowly added a god's power to the equation, the situation suddenly appeared much more daunting.
You don't mean that her Semblance somehow pushed me through time, right? That's just a bit too much, don't you think?
[Unfortunately, that's precisely what happened. The crimson streaks you witnessed before losing consciousness were a result of Summer's Semblance intertwining with the power of her eyes and the energy of the Light God. Without a doubt, we were cast into the fabrics of time and space... I just don't know where we are going, Umbra.]
Well, that's just fucking fantastic, isn't it? Do you at least know when we are getting out of this hellhole?
[As a matter of fact, I do. The power of the time stream was slowing down the purging of your soul, but now the pressure is almost gone. It is only a matter of time before you are spat back to Remnant.]
That's good, right? The sooner we get out, the better.
[Indeed, but I don't know what awaits us on the other side. I'm also not certain of the effects the silver eyes will have on you. Your soul is fine, but I can't be one hundred percent sure about your body until we leave this place.]
What? Why? You have access to my status and the likes, right?
[Partially. I depend on my connection to the creator to power myself, and this place almost cut me off. For now, I'm resting inside your soul with barely any energy to spare until we leave. Then I will be able to do a full scan of your body.]
Well fuck...
[Indeed.]
...fifty-five sheep, fifty-six sheep, fifty-seven sheep, fifty-eight sheep, fifty-nine sheep, sixty sheep, sixty-one she...
[Can you please shut up?]
I scoffed internally. Forgive me for trying to put my mind to use. I'm not the one who said, 'It's only a matter of time before you are spat back to Remnant.' Let me have my fun...
There might also be the case that I was doing this to pay back System for being overly snarky all the time, but no one needed to know that. As the saying went, "All is fair in love and war." And this definitely was a war.
[You are aware that I hear your every thought, right?]
Of course, and I'm happy you are paying attention.
[I hate you.]
Right back at ya, System.
[The pressure from the time stream is gone. Brace yourself, Umbra.]
True to System's words, within a mere second, my vision erupted with all kinds of colors. Simultaneously, the sensations in my body surged back, but it was far from a blissful return. Every inch of me throbbed with pain while fresh bruises seared my skin. Moreover, I had a sinking suspicion that my wings were somehow bent in ways they never should be.
[Focus! You are going out in three, two, one. Now!]
Immediately the myriad of colors disappeared, only to be replaced by a sight of green ground that was coming closer and closer with each moment. I squeezed my eyes shut once more, bracing myself as I collided with the earth like a meteor, tumbling across the hard ground akin to a helpless ragdoll.
My mouth opened, spilling out a pathetic roar of pain, but I didn't care; there was just too much wrong with my body.
[Hold on, Umbra. Just lay still while I run a full scan on you. If you aren't dead yet, then you won't die now.]
I coughed, my mouth forming into a wide draconic grin. Thanks for the vote of confidence... I will let you work now.
[Good. Now rest.]
I made an attempt to drift off into slumber; I truly did. However, contrary to what some might claim, the constant presence of pain certainly didn't help the process. But perhaps it was merely my own weirdness? Nah, that couldn't be it. After all, I was pretty sure not everyone could boast about having their wings shattered, twisted, and nearly torn to shreds.
Well, I could!
[Alright, that's enough, Umbra. I'm back to full operating power.]
Great, I sighed, not even attempting to move from my spot on the ground. Hell, I didn't even open my eyes since the crash. What's the verdict, doc?
[... It could have been worse. Honestly, we are lucky that the fabrics of time and space haven't torn you to shreds.]
Tell that to my wings, I grumbled, trying to move a single muscle in those mangled limbs with no success.
[They will heal. Now that I'm fully established again, you should be able to Meditate to recover from the worst injuries.]
Furrowing my brow, I growled as a spike of pain shot through my head. Why my natural HP recovery didn't heal me yet? The numbers might not be as high as with Meditation, but they were far from anything to scoff at.
[I fear natural regeneration won't help you much for now. So get to work. I will prepare notifications in the meantime; some of them should be quite useful, but they need to be redeemed by you.]
Roger. I nodded and quickly reached for the one skill that had been within my grasp from the very beginning. Instantly, Meditation sprang to life, enveloping my entire body in a gentle, serene aura. Mana surged through my whole form, finally jumpstarting the healing process I longed for.
One by one, bones snapped into their proper position while skin and scales mended slowly, aided by the hidden power of the soul. Yet, while the creaking of bones from my right wing came almost instantly, the left one answered much slower, almost hesitantly.
Despite that, I didn't stop, not until even the muscles in my troublesome limb answered my call once more.
There is something wrong with it. I noted when the wing barely managed to fold. Stretching it out again took even more time, and I finally decided to open my eyes and see for myself.
As my head lifted, the first thing that captured my attention was the towering presence of gigantic trees surrounding me in every direction. However, when my gaze shifted to the left side of my body, I immediately froze in place.
Where once black-as-night scales would greet me, now they were all painted dark gray. The wing suffered a similar fate, but the color was much lighter there, almost reminding me of marble.
Fuck, that's not good, I grimaced, my eyes dancing between the black and gray halves of my body. Well, halves might not be the right word, as my old color still claimed most of my body, but it didn't really make the situation any better.
I even attempted to move my left leg and the almost humanoid arm, but they, just like the wing, moved in slow motion. Hoping against hope, I activated Aura, the black-red energy enveloping my body in a blink. And while now the limbs answered a bit faster, it was still far from perfect.
Shit! So those fucking eyes really almost turned me to stone. But how the hell do I get rid of this?
[I can answer that, but first, you should look around. There is someone here who might use a bit of help. ]
What? While I did take a look around me after opening my eyes, I definitely didn't pay much attention to details. So without further adieu, I quickly let Hunter's Pulse do its job.
There!
Dragging my body towards a colossal knocked-down trunk to my right, I gapped at the body hiding behind it. No fucking way... How the hell did she survive something that almost killed me?
[She isn't a Grimm, for one.]
Ignoring the snarky System, I quickly Observed the unconscious Summer Rose. While she seemed mostly fine at first glance, the moment I noticed the black veins spreading across her right arm and even reaching her neck, I got to reading fast.
Summer Rose, Dying Light
HP: 742/1250
MP: 73/4620
Tier: B-
Additional info: A veteran huntress that quickly rose through the ranks thanks to her talent and once a very capable team. She settled down with one of her teammates after Raven Brawnen decided to disappear into the night. Becoming a mother of two, Summer lived a perfect life on Patch Island despite knowing about the threat of the immortal witch. Due to the death of her partner, she went into shock and awoke her Silver Eyes. Semblance: Timeless Grasp. Master of bow and spear. Host of Grimm parasite.
Fuck! Isn't Grimm my ass! Where the hell did she get a Grimm parasite. No, scratch that. How did it survive inside her with the whole holy flashlight inside her head?
[The Jailer's last trait was the capability of creating parasites. As for how it survived... As I said, the Brother Gods decided to intervene, and while the Light one did most of the job, this is a direct result of the Dark one's influence.]
But why? I get why they want to kill me, but her? There is no point.
[I don't think that this is a matter of killing anyone. Think, Umbra, and you will realize the reason's obvious.]
I frowned, turning my mind over for every little bit of information I possessed about the Brother Gods. There wasn't much there, but when I gathered everything into one pile, my mouth dropped slightly.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me..." I murmured, one of my arms coming to rest on my snout. "He kept the parasite alive just to not be outdone by his brother? God fucking dammit, I forgot how stupid those two are."
[On that, we can agree. Now do what you want with her. While there is no way for you to destroy the parasite yet, even I can see how she is slowly bleeding out.]
"Right," I mumbled while shrinking to half my size and getting out a medkit from my inventory. Being bigger than an elephant wouldn't help me much here.
So where are we? And why can't I turn into my human form? I asked, treating one cut after another with as much grace as my claws allowed me to.
Fortunately, aside from some scrapes on her limbs, Summer only had one deep gash on her shoulder. This meant that, at the very least, I didn't have to concern myself with removing parts of her clothing. Given everything that had transpired, this was the last thing I needed...
[The lowest part of Anima's Tail. Though, the question shouldn't be where, but when.]
I grimaced. Right, time travel... So when did we go?
[I don't know.]
Blinking, I momentarily paused my task. You don't know? How?
[For your information, I'm not omniscient; that's my creator. He was the one responsible for choosing a timeline to send you. Currently, I'm as much in the dark as you are.]
Can't you like ask him through your connection?
[I already did, but I didn't receive an answer.]
Well fuck... again.
[Indeed.]
Settling Summer on a material I retrieved from my inventory, I grew back to my full size and lay on the forest ground. There was no point moving anywhere, at least until my guest awoke.
So notifications...
[Right. Might as well get it out of the way. I modified the display a bit so you won't need to read through everything like an idiot.]
Thanks, I guess. I shrugged and settled my gaze on the myriad notifications before me.
Skill progression:
-Physical Endurance LVL: 21 - 25
-Dragon Punch LVL: 11 - 12
-Meditation LVL: 20 - 22
-Aura LVL: 28 - 30
-Semblance: Legion LVL: 12 - 14
-Lightning elemental LVL: 15 - 18
Yeah, definitely better than reading all of that shit...
Warning! Status: Light God's Curse is in effect. As a result of being exposed to the pure light of a god, a portion of your body has undergone partial petrification. Both the System and your soul are actively working to counteract the curse. Without additional steps taken towards healing, the remaining duration of affliction is estimated to be 3 days and 17 hours. Human form has been locked in the meantime.
Huh, not as bad as I thought. Still, three days can be a lot in this world if Salem can just send more Jailers after me...
The loss of the human form, for the time being, wasn't even a loss. Although I was pretty sure Summer would react a bit better if I wasn't a Grimm when she awoke. Especially considering who killed Taiyang.
And that's another can of worms that is gonna explode soon...
[Mission completed.]
A simple clean-up.
Destroy all of Merlot's hidden bases. The knowledge they possess can be a risk to both the entire world and you. Better deal with it.
Rewards: 5 EP, 10k EXP, Random Small Stat Crystal per base destroyed (5/5)
[Mission completed.]
You survived the Jailer. Well, mostly...
Rewards: 30k EXP, 10 EP, 3x EXP Scroll (Major)
[Congratulations! You leveled up 3 times!]
Notice: Light God's Curse timer lowered to a day and four hours.
Well, that happened...
And that's it for today.
Umbra is back where he belongs (Not really), and Summer is there for the ride. Now where in the timeline they landed? Now that is something that I'm quite sure some of you already expect, but I should be able to confirm it in the next chapter.
Now, like always, I would like to ask you all to check out my original story: "A Universe of Bloody Evolution" (130k words). If you are enjoying Grimm's Evolution, then my original will probably hit most of the right notes as it also has a Gamer System, plenty of monsters, and, what's most important, EVOLUTIONS. Be sure to check it out. Links below or on my profile.
Original: royalroad(.com)/fiction/58667/a-universe-of-bloody-evolution-human-to-monster | Linktree (Discord, etc): linktr. ee/Chaos65 (Delete the space)
That's everything from me. Have a good day/night.