I Am A Monster Reborn [A Monster Evolution Litrpg]

Victor scarfed down on the rotten wolf meat. Hunger ruling his body again. The monster inside of him, crying out, trying to be sated, to be fed. Eternal hunger, unstopping hunger. He needed a better solution, he wondered what the average lifespan of ooze is. Was he even supposed to keep going so long, was he even supposed to move around the way he did.

Was it natural? No it wasn’t. A stupid question. Nothing in this world was natural

You have absorbed zombie wolf meat

exp gained 30 exp

Someone knocked on the door. It was unexpected, he hoped he would have been left alone to do his deed.

It was Magnar, the now de facto Captain of the village guard, and the person who had almost shot him. He could hear him by the way he groaned as he moved. He opened the wooden slide door. Victor considered, hiding under the bed, what he was doing was bound to frighten the man.

But what was the point?

He took a hard long look at the man. He was the embodiment of a wild ‘northerner.’ raggedy blond hair, tall but fat, hair braided. The viking look.

“Gods above!” he exclaimed.”What the fuck is that smell.”

He stared at Victor and Victor stared back at him. His mouth slightly agape at the scene in front of him, the zombified dog they had fought earlier. Sitting inside Victor’s stomach, dissolving slowly. Everything was slightly translucent. Magnar saw it all.

He shook his head. Barely able to to hide his disgust.

“Excuse my ‘Manners’...Faelion has instructed me to let you know, he will be going on a pilgrimage with his family for possibly a day or two.”

Victor stopped to think. He wanted to ask the man if he could help practice magic today. And now he is gone.

Oh well

“I thought he was going to help with reconstruction and…stuff.” The ooze complained.

“He still is, but he is a very busy man. He has places to be. Something you should get used to,” The crossbowman sniffed in the air, obnoxiously. “I’m gonna be honest with you. I don’t like you. I don’t trust you. I don’t even want you here. You don’t eat children do you?”

That was uncalled for. But now the truth was out of the bag.

Victor suspected as much, he didn’t blame the man, he was a monster after all. A monster inside their home grounds.

“Well, I suppose that simplifies our relationship. Let's agree to disagree.”

The man rolled his eyes.

“He also told me to tell you to check on Faro, the dog. Hopefully you don’t eat her.” he remarked. “Tell me though what does that taste like, rotten wolf mutt. Is it doubly dead now that it’s inside your ‘stomach’.”

“It’s quite nasty, I'll be honest. But I can shut my ‘tastebud’s off at will, it’s no issue. A growing boy needs to eat,” he monitored the man’s expression. “Why? Do you want some?”

He didn’t answer.

“Just touch the villagers, or you’ll be dealing with me.” he pointed his fat finger at himself. Arrogant and overconfident. The Unreasonable kind.

The man turned and rudely shut the door behind him. Leaving Victor to wonder what he did to offend him. Perhaps monsters had harmed him or loved ones in the past.

Who was he kidding, nobody liked monsters. Maybe it wasn’t that deep. He was just grotesque and disgusting.

The story of his life.

It was time to attend to the matter of his stats.

He opened his status screen.

If he took away his miner’s hat, then that left two stats in vacancy. He’d have to miss it. He was getting sick of it, he needed something better or decent looking. Like a wizard’s hat. Or a fez, that would certainly make him look more presentable.

Charisma was useless, as he was just as appealing as a wet gnome. Intelligence and wisdom weren't things he wanted to delve into until he found a proper use for it. If he somehow found a way to use magic, he would reconsider this decision.

That left the holy trinity of athleticism. He considered distributing it evenly. But killed the thought. He felt he hit pretty hard already. But if he had learned anything in the fight this early morning was that he didn't move fast enough. He wasn’t nimble enough, not agile enough.

Then there was the matter of his health points. He wasn’t durable , and he was afraid he might sizzle himself with his own now apparently flaming sword.

That left two choices it seemed.

He dumped 8 points into his dexterity, 7 into his constitution.

Constitution value changed 14> 21 (Moderately resilient)

New health parameters attained 42 health points> 54 health points.

Dexterity value changed 8> 16 (twitchy)

He felt amazing. He was twice as fast as he was before. He zipped around the room, Very fast, he was hardly sluggish anymore, he found it possible to make a proper jump and sprung onto the ceiling to test his power. Sticking to it and slithering around. Like he was a 2000's DVD logo.

He fell down, now experimenting with some new power. His <limb manipulation> had given him the ability to form three limbs. Shifting between three arms and then three tentacles. The things he would do with three tentacles.”

‘Absolutely devious, his opponents would stand no chance.’

Victor left the room, he wanted to read but didn’t want to risk damaging the collection with his slimy hands. Outside in front of the small mountain cabin, he stabbed his gladius into the ground and cast observed.

Weapon: Gladius Aquila Ignis

Does 20 base damage

Does an additional 50% fire damage based on user strength when awakened.

It was a good weapon to him, possibly legendary, it would scale good in time.

He had tried, repeating what he did yesterday. It had worked to an extent. Though the spirit didn’t return and didn’t answer him. He wondered if he was stuck with the spirit of the legionnaire, if it had been trapped inside.

He moved into another spot, placing it into the ground, in full view of the town, if the spirit resided inside perhaps it needed time away from Victor. Away from his mediocre and sad thoughts.

Weapon unequipped

Victor skipped away, heading into the town.

---

As he strolled into the village, as uncaring as he tried to be. The villagers all gave him uncomfortable stares. Some hiding away, out of sight. Pretending to be looking elsewhere or maybe the grass under him.

“Is that the wizard’s familiar. What’s he doing without his leash?” A stranger he passed, barked gossiping with the neighbor.

‘Oh boy. This was going to be annoyance for him.’’

“Do you think he gets bed bugs, with all that slime on his body?” so it had went.

A child stopped in front of him. Doing nothing but giving him the stare. The stare that said ‘What even are you.’ Perhaps the child was frightened or amused by the sudden strangeness appearing in front of him.

Victor had an idea, in hopes of cheering up the kid. He summoned his three arms, and picked up the nearest possible large rocks and started juggling and skipping like a jester.

“Behold!” he exclaimed to the child.

He let the rocks fall and ejected three legs and let them cycle around like something akin to how a conveyor belt moved in cycles.

The kid picked up a large rock and threw him with it.

You lost -1HP

The rock stuck inside his body, and he spit out of a hole he formed.

“That’s just fucking rude man.” He knew he would've liked playing with a slime monster as a kid.

Kids these days. No etiquette. No respect.

A woman frantically ran across the cobblestone path towards the child, picked him like a sack of potatoes and left. Dashing straight towards a building he assumed was her home and shut the door behind her.

He heard another mother in the distance, whispering loudly. “Do not look into his eyes my son, you will be cursed.” She also hid her kid inside the house.

That hurt, even as a cool monster, people didn’t like him. It was just like home then. All in a day’s work.

Victor skipped along, his destination in reach. He wondered why he didn’t go straight here, the stroll through the town may have been a mistake. He had hoped the people would treat him nicely, after he served in their defense.

In front of the wizard’s house. The dog pharaoh waited there patiently and obediently for his owners to return. He resembled a mix between a husky and a shiba. Between breed maybe, or native?. It seemed, the entire family has decided to leave the dog here, alone at home. Which made sense after the trauma-inducing attack they faced the previous night.

The dog barked at him.

“Woof.”

He wasn’t good with animals, he had never been. He approached it.

“Greeting Faro,” he said. The dog wagged its tail excessively. Left right, left right. Then it jumped at him, knocked him down and started licking him excessively, to the point of doing damage

You suffered -1HP

“Aaaargghhh, eww. Get off you mutt!” The dog barked, but immediately obeyed. Sitting back down on the spot he found him.

It was annoying, but it was heartwarming to find someone who liked him. The dog seemed, therefore he had no reason to stay. There were dried food, water in a large bowl. He would be fine.

“Okay, okay. I only came here to check on you, i’ll be leaving now.”

The dog barked. Slowly following him in his direction. As he turned around, the dog sat down again, following him when he wasn’t looking. It was an ordeal, as the dog deliberately disobeyed. Stay, don't follow.

It barked.

He walked off, stopping every now and then to tell it. Don’t follow. The dog listened after the 20th time.

His uninterrupted walk resuming.

Victors’ stomach had rumbled again. Turns out rotten zombie meat wasn’t good for you even if it was for the exp. If push came to shove he would have to procure his own food and that was pure biomass, he had to go out and hunt for it.

As he walked back towards his cabin to pick up the sword. He spotted a haggling merchant near a stall. Dressed in a dark robe with a pointy hat. Selling all manner of trinkets on one side and pieces of fried meat on a stick on the other side.

He couldn’t help but approach. The merchant was taken aback by his sudden appearance but kept the facade of being business friendly.

“Good afternoon, if a cursed soul may bother you.”

“Yes, the monster with the soul of a man, I have heard of you. You valiantly defended the village, i’d say you deserve a reward. The merchant smiled at him, and retrieved from a large jar, a big sugar cookie.

“For free!” The merchant nodded.

Victor gobbled it up stuffed it inside his body.

“Say what does this cost?” He pointed to chicken meat on a skewer.

“Oh these are about 5 silvers each.” the merchant said giggling

“5 Silver each?” Victor just realized he had no money. The lifeblood of the free market. Trade, he could not participate in it.

His inventory was empty despite his expanded size, he hasn't gathered anything. There was only a map. Which he supposed he didn’t need anymore.

“Hmmm there’s no way I could take a loan or something?”

“You’d need to give some proof of payment,how long have you been here mr monster?”

The map needed to go, he didn’t need this map at all. Not anymore.

He retrieved it from his inventory and handed it to the merchant. The seller observed, his grin wide.

“This is a very good map, but I've seen better charted ones. It’s about one and half gold give or take.”

Victor surrendered the map. He had no use for it, Faelion could guid him from here on out, or he’ll just get a better one. He needed to do this because he was hungry.

He salivated at the chicken skewers and small beef treats. He needed to eat now.

The merchant exchanged the gold in a pouch.

You have received 1 gold and 50 silvers.

“I’ll take a bunch, ten if it’s not too greedy.”

You lost 50 silvers

“Of course, first come first serve.” The merchant said handing the skewers over, which he instantly devoured most, walking away slowly with three still left, one in each hand.”

He had money to his name now, the gold pouch fitted one slot in his inventory perfectly. He strode off.

He forgot to thank the merchant. As he turned around him. The stall was gone, any trace of the merchant gone without a trace. A bad feeling lingered in him. Where could have gone so far away.

Now that he thought about it, the merchant was eager to take the map off him. Was it really worth the money received? He thought as he kept chewing onward. The food wasn’t all that great to be honest, tasty in moderation. He would have to ask Faelion when he saw him.

On his way to the outskirts of the town, Victor happened to run into Magnar again. Who was surveying the palisade repairs. Magnar smirked.

“What are you upto slimeball?”

“Nothing much…sightseeing.” he said nonchalantly. “Perhaps I will go hunt in the woods soon. These foods are pretty bland. “

Magnar looked at him in disbelief.

“You bought that from the trinket merchant. Long nose, has grubby smile about at all times, black robes.”

“Yep, I hoped you paid no more than silver for each of those. Where do you even get the money.”

“A silver! I paid 5 for each skewer. Are you saying he screwed me over?”

Victor was in disbelief. His nudge was correct. But his impulsiveness landed him in this situation.

“Yes, use that brain of yours if you even have one jellyfish. Get someone accustomed to the place next time to tell you the next time the do’s and don’ts.”

“He gave me 1 and half gold for the map, is that bad?”

“A map? A charted out map? For such a measly sum.” Magnar raised an eyebrow. “Where did you find this map?”

Horror and terror gripped Victor at his center. He had been bamboozled. Made a fool of. Played like a open hands of cards

“Where did you get this map?”

“The school of Malita, I believe, now known as seraphine tower I think.”

The crossbow man was face planted.Victor knew he had fucked up.

“Did you think it was just an ordinary map. Map’s aren’t easy to come by. We have to find that fucker, but first consult Faelion when he returns.” The warrior’s face tightening at his words he mentioned. He pointed at him “Perhaps I've been too harsh and not helpful.”

“It’s fine, I'm a certified fool…for now.” oh he would get his revenge.

A mischievous smile appeared on Magnar’s face

“You wanted to go hunt, here’s a challenge for you. An albino boar stalks these woods. He has long terrorized travelers and village folk alike. Find the pig, injure it and bring a piece of its body. I don’t expect you to kill it. A hair or something. Then you’ll earn my respect.”

He gave Victor’s crossbow. Victor was reluctant to accept. Did the man have an ulterior motive?

Quest opportunity: A beasts stalk these woods, injure it and bring back proof for a reward.

Do you accept

Y/N

“Challenge accepted.”

“Good luck!”

He took the bow’s from the man’s hands, equipped it and sent it to temporal space. Magnar pointed him in the direction of the last sighting. He set off. For the first in the longest time, in a while, he felt he had proper focus. This was so much better than being slumped in front of a desk.

He now had a few proper goals. Evolve himself. Reunite with marcus. Fulfill an oath. Perhaps avoid an omen, he thought of the nymph. Definitely find that merchant and give him a piece of his mind. Move on. Become human. It wasn’t all that bad in retrospect.

As he entered the woodland clearing. Where Civilization separated from the uncivilized wilds. He heard a rustling behind him.

“Woof!” A bark.

Faro had appeared from the bushes behind him, following.

‘Oh no.”