Intelligent Design: A Monster Evolution LitRPG

David stirred, consciousness creeping back slowly. The first thing he noticed was the stillness, a profound quiet broken only by the hissing growl of Claire’s faint snoring. The second thing he noticed was that he couldn't move.

What the...

His eyes snapped open, only to be met with darkness. Panic flared briefly before he remembered where he was, on Claire's back, under the makeshift lean-to. But something was wrong. He was pressed flat against... something. The tarp?

As his eyes suddenly focused on the narrow space, David realized the problem. Claire had shifted in her sleep, effectively sandwiching him between her massive bulk and the lean-to's wall. He was completely pinned.

Great. Just great. This is my life now.

He tried to wriggle free, but Claire's weight was immovable. His wings were trapped, leaving him helpless as a turtle on its back. The irony wasn't lost on him, even without the deeply unimpressed silence from Spooky when he attempted to plunder his subconscious for a solution.

Some fearsome predator I am. Defeated by a nap, This tarp smells like ass. Bug ass. Gideon's summon should come with a warning label.

He snorted softly, imagining Omega's reaction to his current predicament.

I hope Omega made some cosmic wager with another Overseer over this whole deal: ‘Watch this, I'll get the bat-thing to solo a Boss!’ And now they're looking down, seeing me smooshed like roadkill against the wall. Heh… wait, Xi. Don't you snitch on me again. Please? Ugh, maybe I can just–

David considered his options. He could try to wake Claire, but given her size, any sudden movement might bring the whole structure down on them. Not that it was dangerous, but Claire really liked ‘good’ shady spots, and he'd never hear the end of it. Shouting was out too, he didn't fancy waking everyone up just because he was stuck... or them learning how he had been pinned in the first place.

As he lay there, contemplating his predicament, David couldn't help but chuckle softly.

The Cuddlebugs, sensing an opportunity now that David was awake, began to chirp. A few of them wiggled their way into the small space around him, their tiny bodies warm against his fur. They burrowed into him tightly, obviously very pleased with the new sleeping arrangements.

To his amazement, he could feel a few of them chasing each other around over the tops of his wings, their bodies small enough to slither through the minuscule space. It was like having a miniature circus perform on his back, complete with acrobats, and what felt like a tiny tiger chewing on his talons.

Great, now I'm not just stuck, I'm a Cuddlebug playground. If Claire shifts again, we're going to have the world's fluffiest Cuddlebug sandwich.

He felt one particularly adventurous Cuddlebug make its way up to his ear, chirping with what sounded suspiciously like a tone of victory. David couldn't help but grin, despite his predicament.

"At least you guys are having fun," David whispered, rolling his eyes.

He tried to use Echolocation, hoping to get a better sense of his surroundings, but the sound waves just bounced off Claire's armor and the tarp, giving him a very detailed picture of his very limited space.

Okay, think. There's got to be a way out of this that doesn't involve waking everyone up or destroying Claire's new favorite thing.

As he lay there, feeling the slow rise and fall of Claire's breathing, David's mind wandered. Hours seemed to pass, though he knew it was probably only a few minutes. David felt sleep testing his defenses as he was forced to simply lay still, lulled by Claire's rhythmic breathing and the soft chirps of the Cuddlebugs.

Just as he was considering risking it all and trying to wake Claire, he felt her stir. A low rumble vibrated through her body before she snorted loudly, the noise making several of his summons jump. Then, mercifully, she shifted, rolling slightly to one side.

David seized his chance, quickly wriggling free of his plush prison. He stretched his wings, relishing the ability to move again as he oozed over Claire’s armored back and dropped onto her side, nimbly bouncing down her leg. A huge eye cracked open and focused on him blearily, and he waited patiently for her to boot up like a tempermental old computer.

Claire blinked sleepily at him. "David? What are you doing up?"

He grinned, shaking his head. "Oh, you know, just hanging around. Go back to sleep, I'm gonna go stretch my wings."

Claire gave an impossibly huge yawn in response, and David had to take a moment to really appreciate the way her jaws filled nearly the entire opening of the shelter. She closed her mouth with a faint click and nodded groggily before muttering.

“S’fine. Don't do David stuff though. Too tired." She hummed as she settled back down and closed her eyes again. He noticed with a snort of amusement that she'd been using a very smooshed looking crate as a pillow.

As David took off into the night sky, a mischievous thought crossed his mind.

Maybe I could squeeze in one little Quest while I'm up. I am on a timer, after all. Plus, I only need what, one combo to level up?

The idea was tempting, and before he knew it, he was gliding towards the forest, Cuddlebugs in tow. David sighed contentedly as he drifted along on the wind, not really paying attention to where he was going, surfing the vigorous gusts coming down off the mountain. He reveled in the feeling of weightlessness that always seemed to soothe his anxieties, grinning toothily.

The cool night air rushed past him, invigorating as it surged through fur, which had become uncomfortably rumpled after being trapped for so long. The mountain slopes below were a patchwork of shadows and moonlit clearings, the forest a dark mass in the distance. David felt alive, free, and—

Suddenly, both the Cuddlebugs and Spooky went absolutely ballistic. The tiny creatures chirped in frantic alarm, while Spooky's presence in his mind became a maelstrom of primal fear and aggression.

What the hell?

He hesitated, trying to make sense of the sudden formless panic. A split second of indecision that cost him dearly.

There was a flash of movement, barely registered by his peripheral vision. Then pain. Blinding, all-encompassing pain as something massive slammed into him, snatching him out of the air.

David caught only a glimpse of his attacker; muted grey-brown feathers, a wickedly curved beak, and eyes that seemed to swallow light. It was an owl, or something owl-like, easily twice his size.

–You have taken 85 Damage–

–Health: 105/190–

–Stamina: 405/425–

–n/a–

The notification flashed in his mind, but David simply acknowledged it as fact and moved on. Reflex took over. He spat a glob of acid, managing a glancing hit on the creature's face. Simultaneously, he twisted his body, angling his wings to release a cloud of Gloom as gravity suddenly sank its greedy fingers into both of then.

To his dismay, the Gloom seemed to have no effect, rolling off the beast's feathers like water off a duck's back. Then they were falling, spiraling towards the treetops at a sickening speed.

Just before impact, the creature released him, shoving down hard as if using him to push off the ground. David grunted, but managed to spread his wings, slowing his descent enough to avoid crashing completely. He hit the canopy hard, bouncing off branches before coming to a stop on a sturdy limb.

–You have taken 5 Impact Damage–

Gasping for breath, David's ears twitched as he focused his concentration. With a barely audible click, he unleashed a burst of Echolocation, the high-frequency sound rippling through the air towards his target. His goal was simple, get a clearer picture of his attacker. The moment the sound left him, the owl-beast reacted. It plunged through the canopy with startling speed, leaves and small branches exploding outward in its wake. But despite its swift reaction, it couldn't outpace the speed of sound.

David's Echolocation caught the creature in full, enveloping it in a blanket of sound waves. As the waves returned, David's brain began to construct an image... but something was terribly wrong.

Where the owl-beast should have been, there was only a warped, blurry area. It was as if the sound waves themselves were being muted or distorted around the creature's form. The resulting image in David's mind had a hole in it, blurry and indistinct, but also twisted and wrong in ways he couldn't quite define.

And then, as the images faded, a chilling realization struck David. Throughout the entire encounter, the initial attack, the brief grapple, even its crash through the canopy…he hadn't heard a single sound from the creature itself.

No beating of wings. No rustle of feathers. Not even the expected screech of pain when his acid had struck home. It was as if the beast didn't just hunt in silence, but had weaponized it.

Oh, shit. This isn't just some random predator. This thing... it's evolved to hunt things like I do, almost. Is it a person? Should I yell at them? If they're a person they might stop, but if they're not it'll just highlight where I am even more. Fuck, that hurts. Those claws stabbed right into me.

David winced, feeling warm blood matting his fur. He needed information, and he needed it fast.

Fuck it, Moonsong.

–Health: 100/190–

–Stamina: 355/425–

–Moonlit Regeneration–

David hissed melodically, the usually soothing and peaceful notes of the Moonsong escaping discordant and sinister, but somehow invigorating nonetheless. The pain dulled slightly, and he felt a surge of energy course through him.

He scanned the sky frantically, now looking for blind spots rather than moving targets, wings trembling from the strain and lingering pain. The Cuddlebugs huddled close, their usual chirps reduced to near-silent hisses of fury. Their tiny eyes glowed with an intensity David had never seen before, purple orbs scanning the darkness for threats.

Okay, think. Can't see it, can't hear it, and it shrugs off Gloom like it's nothing. What the hell do I do? I smelled the acid burning the feathers, so maybe I soften it up first? I'm still gonna try yelling but uh…it might pay to have a plan here.

He paused, realizing something.

No notifications that I got a Control effect on it. Damn, that's gotta be a person. No way some random animal is that well built. I'll bet my fuzzy ass those feathers are a Special of some kind.

David's eyes darted around, searching for any advantage in the moonlit forest. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, punctuated by the metallic tang of his own blood. A vague idea bubbled to the surface suddenly, and David tensed, loathe to consider it after the nature of Omega's threats. It was crude, but better than anything he'd managed in the last few moments, and moments might be all he had. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves before forcing it all out.

"Hey!" he shouted into the night, his voice echoing through the trees for a long instant. "You a person?!" As the words left his mouth, David readied himself to drop a mental leash.

Almost immediately the silhouette returned above the trees, hesitating for only the briefest of moments before it barreled towards him.

Alright, Spooky, it's your turn. Don't get used to it…and please don't fuck this up.

With that, David slipped below the surface of his own mind, just barely keeping his head above the figurative water as Spooky shrieked with glee.

Immediately, his body moved with a fluid grace he'd rarely experienced as he simply trusted his body to move, clearing his mind almost completely. He launched himself from the tree, wings spread wide, the Cuddlebugs clinging to him like living armor.

The world seemed to slow down as his prey drive took over. David's senses sharpened, every rustle of leaves and shift in the air becoming crystal clear. He felt, rather than saw, the owl-beast's approach.

Spooky didn't hesitate. As the massive creature dove, talons extended, David's body twisted impossibly quickly. His wings caught the air, propelling him sideways. He ricocheted off a nearby trunk, bark splintering under the impact as his talons dug in before he flung himself away.

The forest became a blur as David pinballed between trees, a furry projectile always just out of the beast's reach. The owl was surprisingly quick, and more than once David was forced to scuttle around the trunk of a tree like a squirrel fleeing a housecat to buy himself time.

Suddenly, David felt his throat constrict. A stream of acidic saliva erupted from his mouth, arcing through the darkness. It splattered across the owl-beast's right wing, sizzling as it ate into the feathers. The creature let out a bone-chilling screech of alarm, the first sound David had heard from it.

But he wasn't done. David's body became a blur of motion, darting from branch to branch, abusing every inch of reach his wings could claim as he lured the bird into denser growth. With each opportunity, another spray of acid found its mark, always targeting the wings with uncanny precision. The air steadily filled with the acrid smell of burning feathers, and David knew the plan was working. The denser stand of trees severely limited the larger creatures movement, and provided ample opportunity to line up shots as it was forced to slow.

The Cuddlebugs, sensing the strategy, launched themselves at the owl-beast's face. Their tiny claws aimed for its eyes, their usually cute chirps now chattering whispers that sent shivers down David's spine. The creature's flight became erratic, its silent grace replaced by clumsy desperation.

As the beast's wings began to fail, it's feathers too melted and twisted to support its weight, Spooky guided David into position. His chest expanded, and a sound like nothing he'd ever produced before erupted from his throat. David’s teeth vibrated in his jaws as Spooky forced the pitch beyond the normal range of hearing, and then higher still. The sound crashed into the bird like a tidal wave, and David swore he saw puffs of down feathers blasted loose. Its beak opened silently in shock, its cry devoured by the Screech that knocked it fully out of the sky to smash heavily through the brush below.

David landed nearby, muscles burning as his chest heaved with every breath, while Spooky receded and he reasserted himself over his baser instincts. The owl-beast lay on the forest floor, its massive form heaving with labored breaths. Huge wings now hung limply, acid-eaten holes marring the feathers that still gamely resisted, while only warped and painful looking quills remained of the others.

–Health: 126/190–

–Stamina: 186/425–

–Moonlit Regeneration–

As David approached cautiously, the Cuddlebugs forming a protective wedge around him, the creature's head swiveled to face him. Its eyes, still unnervingly large and unblinking, fixed on David with an intensity that made him take a step back.

Then, to David's mild surprise, it spoke.

"The silent wings... the judging eyes..." The voice that emerged from the owl's beak was unmistakably human, yet twisted and hoarse, as if unused to forming words. "We are the night's vengeance! The moon's wrath made manifest!"

David froze, his mind reeling. The voice was coming from the owl as he expected it would, except it was the voice of a clearly deranged man.

"Easy there, buddy," David said, trying to keep his own voice steady. "The fight's over. How about we talk this out?"

The owl's head twitched violently, its beak clacking. "Talk? No... no talk. Only the hunt. The stars demand it. They sing in the darkness, in the spaces between heartbeats. Can't you hear them?"

The creature's words were at odds with its form, creating a surreal sense of anxiety as David bristled reflexively. The moonlight cast long shadows across its feathers, turning the almost familiar form into something alien and terrifying. Its massive body, easily twice David's size, seemed to slightly repulse the light around it, creating a smudge in the shape of a bird.

The owl's face, typically serene and wise in appearance, looked sinister to David at that moment. Its round eyes, unblinking and impossibly large, reflected the moonlight in a way that made them seem dead and expressionless. The effect was hypnotic and deeply unsettling, but something in the back of his mind warned him he shouldn't blink first, and he stared back gamely.

No Blood Memory trigger either? Jesus. They just don't give a fuck. That's…that's not normal, I don't think.

Even the Cuddlebugs, usually eager for a fight, kept their distance. They huddled close to David, their tiny bodies trembling, purple eyes wide with what could only be described as primal fear. Their reaction sent a chill down David's spine; if his fierce little fluffballs were afraid, then this owl was probably bad news.

As David watched, a sinking feeling grew in his gut. Despite the damage he'd inflicted, the owl didn't seem truly wounded. It was grounded, yes, and shaken, but there was a coiled energy about it, like a spring compressed to its limit. David got the distinct impression that this fight was far from over.

Suddenly, the owl's head snapped to the side, as if listening to an unseen speaker. Its beak began to move, the man's voice sounding once more, but this time in a heated argument with itself.

"We should kill it," the voice hissed, the owl's head jerking to the left. "Rip it apart, feast on it!"

The head snapped to the right. "No, no! Capture it. Break it's wings. Study it. Learn its secrets!"

Left again. "Why? It's a threat. Eliminate all threats!"

Right. "But we can make it look! Take it to the water, make it look!”

The argument continued, growing more heated and nonsensical by the second. David stood frozen, watching this display of madness play out before him. The owl seemed to have forgotten his presence entirely, lost in its internal conflict.

As the man's debate with himself grew more frenzied, David tensed, ready for anything. He had a feeling that when this creature came to a decision, things were going to get very dangerous, very quickly. One way or another.