Intelligent Design: A Monster Evolution LitRPG

"Holy shit," David hissed, his heart still hammering in his chest as the aftershocks of Omega’s presence faded, "that was…bad."

The group slowly huddled closer, tension thick in the air as the stars overheard twinkled merrily in the sky above the barren mountaintop. David's wings twitched involuntarily as he fought against the lingering effects of Omega's influence, his mane bristling aggressively as he fought to smooth it down. His chest heaved as he sucked in huge gasps of air, muscles burning from the exertion of holding himself in place. The Cuddlebugs, sensing his unease nestled deeper into his fur, their purple eyes darting nervously.

"So, that was Omega," David began, his voice rough. "One of the Overseers. The one that communicated with me through a message…bug report, whatever."

Claire's massive form tensed, scales rustling against her armored plates as she shifted uneasily. "David," she rumbled, her voice a mix of concern and fear, "what the hell was that noise? It sounded like something being killed."

David blinked, confusion etching across his face as his ears laid flat. "Noise? What, when it was talking to me? Didn't you hear the words?"

Kozlov's fur stood on end, a low growl rumbling in his chest. "Words? All I heard was something moving around behind me, snarling!"

Wally whimpered, his tail tucked firmly between his legs. "I-I heard howling. Like a whole pack of wolves closing in for the kill…it was getting closer."

Gideon, who had been unnaturally still since the encounter, suddenly blinked rapidly, shaking his head as if coming out of a trance. "Oh my," he squeaked, his fur standing on end. "I heard...I heard wings. Huge wings."

David's ears drooped as realization dawned. "Oh fuck. You guys didn't hear words at all, did you? Just...fear."

Adam nodded grimly in the moonlight. "Something was making noise under the ground for me. It was…clicking…and you could feel it in your feet. Boy, what the hell was that?”

"Great," David muttered. "Because this situation wasn't fucked up enough already." He took a deep breath, steeling himself. "Okay, let me tell you what they were actually saying, then. Apparently, I'm one of its 'special projects.' Lucky me, right?"

He recounted Omega's words best as he could remember through the adrenaline, watching as his friends' expressions shifted from confusion to horror. When he reached the part about the quest, Kozlov's growl deepened. Claire recoiled in horror, jaws gaping open angrily as if she would bite at the idea itself.

"This is bullshit," the bear-man snarled. "Why would you even work with that thing in the first place!"

"Well it's not like I knew Omega was all fucked up did I?” David hissed back reflexively, his wings lashing the air for emphasis, “It basically sent me an email. You got one when you hatched too, remember? Anything in that scream ‘evil god' to you at the time?"

Kozlov growled louder, dropping to all fours heavily as his fur rippled in the moonlight. He loosed a frustrated swat at a piece of brass casing littering the ground nearby, paw smashing into the debris like a club. It vanished into the darkness with the scrape of gravel and a muted rattle, only to clang loudly in the distance when it finally touched down.

“That's…yeah. Fuck.” Kozlov chuffed after a moment. “What the hell is that thing?!"

Wally whimpered. "Can't we just... ignore it? Pretend we didn't hear anything?"

David shook his head, his ears drooping further. "You heard... well, felt Omega. I don't think failure is an option. If I don't do this..." He trailed off, unable to voice the threat of being reduced to a feral state.

How many days until the ‘Originator’ gets here? 25? Ish? I'll just say 22, I think that's less time than I actually have but that'll give me a little extra wiggle room if I need it. Okay, David, don’t panic. You can do this, one part should be easy at least, it's only the boss you have to worry about and–

Claire stomped her foot, leaving a deep furrow in the rust-colored soil, the faint crunch of broken glass not seeming to bother her at all. "There has to be another way. I can't just let you walk into this alone, David. There has to be a loophole, something we can exploit."

Gideon's paws twitched as if working through something. The small man's eyes were still a bit haunted as he focused, turning to David cautiously. "Perhaps... perhaps we could find a way to weaken a Boss before David engages it? Or find one that's already injured?"

David felt a surge of hope, quickly tempered by a sudden sinking realization. "Not gonna work. Even the notification says ‘Engage and defeat an Area Boss alone’...that pretty much covers it. I get the feeling that Omega isn't the type to give you any wiggle room or easy ways out like that."

Kozlov grunted, his earlier anger giving way to grim determination. "Could scout ahead, find the weakest Boss. Give you the best possible chance, at least."

As they continued to discuss, David felt the feral energy within him start to subside. Heartbeats slowly became less pressing on his senses, the smell of fear began to recede, and with it a hunger that he hadn't noticed lurking beneath the prey drive faded away.

His jaws clenched as the realization that the scent of fear had quite literally made him hungry hit like a falling brick. He cringed downward in shame, and the Cuddlebugs began to chirp softly, their melodic sounds a soothing anchor for him in the tense conversation.

Claire, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly spoke up. "David," she said, her voice low and intense, "I don't like this. It's too dangerous. There has to be a way out."

David met her gaze, seeing the fear and protectiveness in her reptilian eyes. He wished he could offer her some comfort, but the reality of their situation weighed heavily on him.

Man this sucks. Claire's my best friend since all this happened, of course she's worried. I need to tell her about what Omega said they'd do to me if I fail, but not in front of the others. At least not yet. Claire has a chance if I get switched off, I'm pretty sure she's actually built up a resistance to Gloom, but I'd go through the others like they weren't even there. It might be safer to get them away from me.

"I don't think there is a way out of this one, Claire," he said softly.

David's wings twitched nervously as he looked at his friends' worried faces. The weight of Omega's quest hung over him like a guillotine, ready to drop at any moment.

"Look, guys," he said, trying to keep his voice steady, "I appreciate the concern, but I don't think we have much choice here. Omega's not the kind of...thing you want to piss off. I mean…look what it just did."

Claire snorted, a puff of warm air ruffling David's fur as she drew close. "And what, becoming its errand boy is better somehow? David, this is insane. You can't seriously be considering this."

"I'm not just considering it," David replied, his voice firmer now. "I'm doing it. The alternative is...well, let's just say it's not pretty. I can't risk it."

Kozlov grunted, his shaggy form shifting uneasily. "You're not telling us everything, are you?" Even in the darkness David saw the man's keen eyes drilling into him accusingly.

David's ears flattened against his head.

Damn bear's too perceptive for his own good. Guess that's what actual professionalism looks like. Wish I could stay focused like that.

"No, I'm not," he admitted. "And trust me, I will tell you, I just need a bit to think. Just...just trust me on this, okay?"

The group fell into an uncomfortable silence, broken only by the soft chirping of the Cuddlebugs. David could practically hear the gears turning in everyone's heads as they tried to process the situation.

Finally, Gideon spoke up, his voice small but determined. "Well, if you're set on this, we might as well help you prepare. I could...I could maybe make you something. Protect your vital areas, at least."

"And I could teach you some things," Kozlov added gruffly. "Just the basics, mind you. Might come in handy against a Boss. Might not.” He chuffed heavily while turning a hateful gaze skyward for a moment. “Either way, you're our only point of contact with these things, and it's an advantage I'm not willing to throw away carelessly. No offense, kid, but if thats what we're ultimately up against..."

Wally's tail wagged hesitantly. "I... I could help you practice dodging? I'm pretty quick on my feet."

David felt a lump form in his throat.

"Guys, I... thanks. Really, I'll take all the help I can. But this is something I have to do alone, at least after a certain point. Omega was pretty clear about that."

Claire's tail lashed angrily, leaving a furrow in the ground. "To hell with what Omega wants! I'm not letting you face this alone, David." The angry noise that followed her words bordered on feral, and Spooky radiated a wave of grudging respect in response.

"Claire," David said, his voice softening, "I need to talk to you. Privately."

The others exchanged glances but nodded, moving away to give them some space. Claire’s eyes narrowed suspiciously as David gestured for her to follow him away from the Observatory, but she plodded carefully behind him without a word. As soon as they were out of earshot, David turned to Claire, his expression grim. With a quick flap of his wings he leapt onto Claire's head, settling in behind her frill and leaning down seriously. She held carefully still, her huge armored body tense beneath him as he cling to her armor.

"There's something else Omega said," he began, his voice barely above a whisper. "If I fail...if I don't complete this quest...I'll go feral. Permanently. They didn't say it outright but the threat was very clear."

Claire's eyes widened, a low hiss escaping her jaws. "David, no..."

"Yeah," he nodded. "And if that happens... Claire, I don't think I could stop myself from hurting the others. You might have a chance, but the rest of them? They'd be..."

He couldn't finish the sentence, but he didn't need to. The horror in Claire's eyes told him she understood. He straightened up a bit and allowed himself to sag against her head, wings drooping a bit down the sides of her face as he rested his snout on her stubby horns. David let out a long breath and closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of the wind ruffling his fur and the way Claire shifted uneasily as he perched on her.

"So," David continued, his voice cracking slightly, "I have to do this. And I’m gonna have to do it alone. I can't risk anyone else getting hurt because of me. I can stick around until we Evolve, but after that I'm going to have to start getting ready for…the second part."

"The first Message I got from Omega said the Originators were arriving in about a month. I think that leaves 25 days, but I'm going to aim for less in case I need more time,” he finished quietly. "I…I don't have to go anywhere right now. And I could really use your help leveling a bit."

Claire was quiet for a long moment, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon. When she finally spoke, her voice was thick with emotion.

"Fine. But I'm not happy about this, you stupid flying rat. And if you die, I'm going to kill you myself."

Despite everything, David felt a small smile tugging at his lips. "Wouldn't have it any other way, you fat lizard."