I Am A Monster Reborn [A Monster Evolution Litrpg]

Digesting the body of the goblin he killed had taken some time. Victor still felt it was an immoral act, and yet. Something was different inside him, twisted or turned by his transformation into a monster. Like he was obligated to fight, compelled to kill. He realized that confronting these goblins was an avoidable encounter. Not that they seemed to be good folk judging by their conversations, but because they were still sentient, and had a fully functional mind.

In a sense they were ‘human’ or ‘humanoid’

He wondered if they were part of this cycle of reincarnation or whether it was reserved for the few interlopers such as himself and Marcus. Was Marcus even a reincarnator like him, was the commander Arminius ? He would need to find out when he saw them again.

If he saw them again.

The absorption progress had been awkward. Like someone was staring at you while you were sitting on the toilet. The Giant spider had observed him while he was in the process of doing his ‘business's and well the other way around.

He had decided only to absorb one goblin, as it already made him feel sleepy and this was probably no place to sleep. Then their was the matter of how long it took

‘So what did you say your name was again.’ Victor Pretended to say these words aloud in his head. Knowing full well that the Arachnid would answer.

“You may call me Malak,” The spider said. “Are you prepared to lend me your ear, Victor? My tale is brief though it may come with a request.

There it was, he knew it wouldn’t be as easy as listening to him. There was always an angle. The spider wanted something from him. It made sense,after all he clearly had a special interest in Victor. He also seemed to be civilized, too civilized for a monster even by his paltry standards.

“I’m listening, if you are telling Sir Malak.”

“Sir…Siiiirr….Siiiiirrr... A title I haven't been called in many years.”

The spider crouched in front him, his giant legs resting on the floor of the open room, a small tremor echoing through the Cave. His Bloody red eyes fixated on the ooze.

“It was the dawn of the 17th century, the age of enlightenment when I used to walk through life as a professor two lives ago. I was at the highpoint of my life, my slippery friend. My work in psychological science was nothing short of prolific. Decades upon decades of scientific work, A loving wife with whom I intended to grow old, Children well on their way out into the world.”

The atmosphere seemed to darken heavily, and the mood tense. Malak started shaking his large spider head, two of his large legs gripped at the base. Victor’s anxiety rose, unsure the spider might lash out at him in a fit of frustration.

“And then it happened one day without warning,” he began. He paused his tale, slammed a rocky wall inside the cave with one of his legs, making the cave rumble from inside. “They took the streets-the people, driven by their own insanity and gullible minds, took to torches and pitchforks. Set everything ablaze. My home, my family, my life’s work…all consumed by the flames of peasants' anger. The church did not approve of what I was writing. ‘Godless!’ They branded me. ‘Devil worship!’ They slandered me in the courts, in the papers, in their streets.”

The Giant spider gradually calmed down. Started tapping on the wall with its large and hairy leg.

“I wasn’t present at the time,” He continued, his composure slowly regained. “I had been abroad in another country, seeking knowledge from fellow peers of my profession. When I returned, I wasn’t pleased with the ‘justice’ presented by the authorities. So I lured those people out, those responsible. Invited them to a Grand hall, I rented under the pretense of a theater. And there, with several kegs of gunpowder and every chemical I could find under the sun. I took their lives, mine included.”

He deeply sighed.

‘Suicide, something both of them seem to share.’ Victor thought.

“And then I found myself here. I had believed it was the end but it wasn’t. In this world, but not as the beast you see in front of you. At first, I was still a man. Reborn in daggaland, which lies to the west of here. I couldn’t tell if it really exists anymore. I don’t even remember how long I've been here.”

In an unpredictable manner, Malak began to cackle and his mandibles moved along like a tongue tapping to a song.

“A wizard found me. An orphan struggling to survive on the street. I had no memories of my past then, but he showed me how to regain them. I served that man for half my new life. Together, we did great work. Magic, can you believe it. Something not only metaphysical but tangible. Of all the wonders of this world presented, Magic was the thing I found fascinating above all. Magic! So I started experimenting. What if… there was a way to travel between time and space. What if I could go back.”

‘Space and time?’

Now victor was invested, as this could potentially be an aid to him too.

“And we did it, we managed to open portals to worlds never before seen. None of them were our old, familiar earth… However, I didn't relent, progress is progress after all. And progress Is the hope of mankind. If there was a chance of me going back in time. Back to earth, before the mob could ruin everything I would give it my all. “

He started hitting stuff again. Victor took a few steps back just so he wasn’t caught in the crossfire.

“ But he betrayed me. The bloodless bastard. His master's put their filthy hands down. Seized my research. Dirty wizard lords, told him dark secrets in exchange for my life, locked me away. Said what I was doing was too dangerous that it would cause catastrophe across space and time. They put me on trial, cursed me into what you see before you, didn’t even kill me. Said killing me would be a problem. Send me downhere to the depths to repent for my sins.”

The spider stopped. A lot more at ease.

“Thank you for listening, my friend,” As promised, a boon.

Victor was shook by a sudden ray of electrienergycty that took hold of him. Though he had no brain, it felt like his mind was being twisted and rearranged, rewired or reprogrammed. And then his mind was clearer than before.

“What did you do!” Victor shouted out of his mind. He could physically hear his thoughts aloud.

“A gift, something that will help you survive, do you think sentient monsters get by just existing. No, you will be hunted down unless you can prove your humanity. You should use every tool at your disposal if you want to survive.”

“You could’ve asked for permission first!”

“You agreed, regardless of our deal being concluded.” Something felt terribly wrong Victor didn't believe that was the end of it. He didn’t doubt the story of the Malak. But it was awfully convenient. He was a little manipulative it seemed, was hiding a darker intent.

“I have a favor to ask, if you would be so kind, i realize it is a sudden situation i would be entrusting upon you.”

Victor was cautious, though he feared denying the spider’s wishes may invite retaliation from Malak. The spider definitely had screw loose in his opinion.

“The wizard, I want you to lure him here.”

“Are you Nuts you want me to lure a magic wielding sage here. Me a pile ooze.” He pointed his comically large hand hanging by tentacle at himself.

“I’ve met monster-men like you Victor, and not unlike myself. You have a special power, I can see it. I know that everyone who comes from another world here differs greatly in ability compared to those originally born in this one. The curse of reincarnation can be a blessing if handled well.

Only those who retain their memory as monsters and men are exceptional cases. It’s no small feat to master this life. Life or death, survival of the grittiest. I won’t inquire about your own special nature. But I know you will get stronger. I can see it.

That confirmed ‘some’ of Victor’s prior suspicions.

“How exactly am I supposed to it” Victor asked.

“I don't’ exactly expect you to do it now, when but when you are more able… I want you to seek him out in Daggaland, talk to him, bring him here. You’ll find a way”

“What is it you desire Victor. You want a way out. The riches of the world, you want an empire. I can get that for you.”

Victor had thought about it for a while. He had wondered whether it was worth it moving on. Back on earth. Would that even work out to say he went back as an ooze or a man ooze. He’d be locked up, put in a zoo or thrown in some military facility.

“I want to be human again, which is why I was told to seek the damned men.”

The spider snickered.

“I wouldn’t put any in trust them, snakes the lot of them are. Their price may very well be your soul.

“Can you make me human?”

“No, but i can give you more gifts make you stronger, levels the playing field in this unforgiving world

He pondered.

“What’s the wizard’s name”

“I can’t tell, as it written in my curse to never utter his name, Should you reach daggaland, you’ll find a way to him trust me. I can ‘See’ it.”

He did.

There was a lot of quests he didn’t keep track of. He would have to remind himself to keep track of it. But that could wai, t he wanted out of this damn cave now.

“Very well! Whether a year from now or tomorrow, I will bring the wizard here,” Victor sighed hoping the intentions of Malak will be more than bloodshed and murder but who was he kidding. It was precisely what Malak would do. “Do you know a way out of here? I’d like to find the damned men first.”

The spider was giddy excited.

“Splendid! and of course, follow me through my lair and i'll show you to the surface.”

---

The debuff had disappeared and he no longer felt tired. After a while.

They had been moving for at least a few hours. Sometimes, they waited and moved very fast to get out of the danger. Not that Malak feared it, but because it would delay them both. Victor felt fortunate that he found the spider when he did. Or else you have been stuck here for a week.

They had met a nasty large goblin party on the road. All manner of goblins. Small ones, tall ones. More human looking ones, fat ones that looked like obese trolls. Some older than others, grayed hair and carrying magical sticks. He’d hate to be caught by them.

But they had avoided any and all confrontation by sticking to the shadows and alternate cave routes, also delaying them.. The goblins were throwing a warparty from what he summarized in celebration for an underground raid. He wondered whether the four they had killed were a part of that crew.

Malak stated. That killing them would simply cause more goblins to come in looting and raging..

It could keep Malak awake for months.

After their long trek through the tunnels they had reached the spider’s lair.

Malak’s nest was something out of a horror movie. There rows upon rows of armor and clothes of his victims. Crude and clean, crafted and mass produced. Swords, bows, arrows and spears. An entire battlefield . Skeletons and broken skulls. Nasty webs on each side of the open room.

“So do you indulge in the sentient.”

“Only when I have to, I don't kill innocents…”

It wasn’t quite the answer Victor wanted but he couldn’t judge now

Victor was glad Malak had spared lest he end up like the people in the room. He stopped for a moment. ANd swear he saw the specter of a man waving to him. Ghastly eyes and as pale as chalk. Dim translucent clothing, and a misty aura every time it flew.

Victor stopped to stare.

Malak spit venom in the direction of the ghostly being, Victor could only shiver. It disappeared for a while.

“Don’t pay attention to them, They’ll suck out their soul if they want to. Monster body or not.”

“What was that?”

“A victim, a lost soul. Victims…Casualties of war, of unfortunate accidents, of unforeseen tragedies, some…. may be my Victims.”

The spider turned to the tunnel leading out of Malak’s lair, his jelly oozing and shivering out of fright. He wasn’t scared of the paranormal in general but it seemed if ghosts were more than a paranormal myth, then there were much more sinister things lurking about.

They once again passed through a few chambers, where the plant life had shifted to staggering transformation. The mushrooms and fungi that appeared earlier had changed to something more fluorescent. Though they looked like colour, glowing in the dark, each flower a different color almost like neon lights in a dark world..

Light was beaming through small gaps, in the rocky roof above. Victor could finally see proper sunlight, which seemed surreal after the tumbling in the dark.

“This is it.” the spider murmured on, stopping or rather was stopped. He could move no further, he was bound here. Like an invisible barrier had materialized out of nowhere blocking him.

“I have studied this world Victor, if you have questions do come by.

“I’ll think about it,” victor answered.

“Remember, you promised to bring the wizard here, while you are not quite a ‘man’ i’m sure you’ll keep your oath.

“Farewell.” The spider turned, retreating into his lair of torment.

A realization came to mind, he had forgotten to cast observe on Malik. He was curious about the strength and nature of the spider.. But it was too late. It was better not to seek out unnecessary trouble

Victor exited the cave and left for the outside world.

In front of him lay an outstretched plain full of ancient and tall trees and winding rivers. It felt like an old forest, creepy old bark and swinging branches. It felt as though something primordial lived here. The rivers flowed at a flooding speed, the water here seems dangerous, he wouldn’t go for a swim anytime soon. He took a look on his map he was given.

Looked up on the mountainside he currently stood and sure enough, stood a tower. Seraphine's tower and her goons.

Something had at least changed in Victor while he resided under that tower, he felt a lot more determined about life. He would make the best possible outcome of his situation for better or for worse.

He was getting stronger slowly but surely. He felt diversification was important,as opposed to dumping all the stats into one ability. He was never charismatic so he thought some variation was important He put 2 points into charisma, 1 into dex, con, and str respectively

For now he needed to focus on finding friendly civilization. If there was such a thing.

There was a village north of here and west of here. He hoped they were tolerant of telepathic monsters and set off in what may be the start of a strange adventure..

 

AN: This by far i feel was my weakest chapter, but i needed to get idea of a tutorial phase out of my head as soon as possible. The monster spawn, the cave, even the romans felt like some massive prologue I didn't know how to get by. From here on out, I'll try my best to write a coherent and fun story. I kind of wanted to make every chapter a self-contained story so to speak. Only time will tell how well i can manage it. If you read up to here, you have my sincere thanks.