Chapter 22 Evolution

But anyway! This place surprisingly started to become full of life again. And me? I was full of life, too. I ate a lot. So now, I was done here. With strength, I lifted my body up, "Aaah! Full of energy!" I stretched my body. And only after I cleaned up all the dishes I left at my table, obviously because I ain't a dirty boy, I would move upstairs. Eunelle told me I'd have a room up there, so that's where I'd sleep. I sure went a long way, by the way. From that crappy dark street to a real room with a real bed and furniture. Passing by the counter of the tavern, I asked the tinier sister for directions to my room. In her hurry due to the upcoming customers, she gave me the number of a room which was the wrong number.

For my second time climbing stairs, I had to go up. Super-skillfully and brilliantly, I managed not to fall even once. So I arrived upstairs and searched for the right room. So that's where I'll sleep, huh, I thought. The same old creaking door sound welcomed me when I pushed open the door. "I allow myself in, then," I said, entering the dark dorm, and closing the door behind me.

Today had been a long day. My eyelids were heavy. I was super tired. And it was super dark in here. Walking in, I totally forgot about the invention called 'bed' made by humans, just walked up to some corner of my room—or rather, the room that wasn't mine, made myself into a ball like a sleeping cat, and instantly slumbered.

My tattered soul quickly sank down to the realm of sleepiness. Managing to doze off instantly like that? That wasn't just a surprising phenomenon. My sleep was heavy and dense. And it was all due to the System.

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At some time during my sleep: Ring! ❮ The Player has met the requirements to process an Evolution. Requirements have all been met. Evolution Procedure has been issued by the System. ❯

❮ Evolution Process: Pending… ❯

The system analyzed my status. The three conditions had been met, the System concluded. I was past level 40, I was having the Positive Effect 'State of Sleep', which I guess only meant I was sleeping, and my mana supplies were all right.

❮ Evolution Process: Authorized. ❯

After some time, still during my time of drowsiness, one last Ring rang out. I received the Positive Effect 'Evolving', and then… ❮ Evolution Process: 1% completed. ❯

❮ Evolution Process: 2% completed. ❯

❮ — 3% completed. ❯

Soon, the three percent became five. Five became fifteen. And going like this, the fifteen became a hundred.

❮ Evolution Process: 100% completed. ❯

Ring!

❮ The Player has successfully evolved from 'Unclassified' to 'Demonic Unclassified'. ❯

❮ The new Title 'Evolver' has been obtained. ❯

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All of what happened during that night happened in spite of myself. I never knew I was to be evolving. That's why I couldn't prepare for it and guard myself from the natural after effects I would suffer from, at least. Because yes, there were consequences to evolving. A monster, or races of demi-humans, after they reach a certain point in their growth, undergoes the process of evolution. The process of breaking the person's limits off, in order to be reborn in a stronger, more fitting body. The undergoing of evolution was pretty rare. Not just any monster, especially low-level monsters that usually can't evolve at all, can be allowed to undergo such a change. I'd learn about that later on in life, but it usually takes up to at least years of growing before an individual, be he monster, or demi-human, can evolve. A goblin evolved as a hobgoblin. It was this kind of thing. To put it simply, evolving was meant to adapt your body to your strength. Human races never evolve at all. They simply can't, as meeting the requirement for evolving means that you utterly broke your limits so you had to have to build up other 'limits' for yourself and for your growth to continue. Theoretically, a human can evolve, but as they're already pretty evolved creatures, it doesn't make sense for them to require new limits. And in the same way that a goblin which evolves is no longer a goblin, a human who evolves would therefore no longer be human too.

In only a day I qualified for Evolving. I'm sure I was different. I grew at a tremendously quick pace. And for that reason, the life I'd been able to obtain would just be consumed by fire.

Due to my successful evolution, my body adapted to my power. The problem was, that my Receptacle wouldn't take the change in powers like it was nothing. That boy's body was no longer able to contain me. And as the System made it obligatory on me to always go around having a Receptacle, for now, since I still hadn't created my Character (and who could play a Game without a Character?), I would be needing another Receptacle right away.

In the cold of the night, I started to be profusely sweating. My body ached all over. I wriggled in pain in my sleep, my face twisted in agony. A burning sensation overtook me. Huge beads of sweat didn't refrain from soaking me completely. Even if it was only in my sleep, for now, I could feel it.

I could swear I felt like burning in blazing flames. Surprise: I really was burning away.

❮ Huge overload of the Player's mana in the current Receptacle's mana core. The current Receptacle is deemed defective. ❯

No shit it was. The pain woke me conscious. Grunting, I didn't even bother wondering what the heck was with me at the moment. Too much happened. I just took it as a normal event… but the pain was too intense to ignore.

I hastily straightened my upper body from the lonely corner of the dark room, not knowing what else to do. Perhaps I just had to move for the pain to go away? No, I was still burning from within.

Again. The Player needed to find a new Receptacle in order to ensure survival… as well as proceed with the Game. It was the first time the System mentioned a 'Game'. I wasn't heeding the info, however. I was too busy doing some—❮ Dwelling Procedure: Activated. ❯

Right at this moment, I didn't feel pain anymore. I still could move: I jolted up, landed on my feet, and sped up to the presence I sensed, neatly tucked in the bed of my room. Remember I was directed to the wrong room, right? In a blink, I dashed there, disappearing and reappearing right next to 'her'. She was scared, and I was a monster. A burning one. That's her fragrance I picked up. Jumping up, I landed on the bed, right on top of the girl. From under me, she was staring at me with fearful, trembling eyes. Her eyes were wider than any, her complexion so pale she might have been dead, and she slowly, oh so slowly shook her head. Tears gathered in her eyes, and blinking, she sent the gleaming beads of water down. Did that girl happen to be the most divine maiden fairy the world ever bore?

"So...rry…!" In front of that sight, I couldn't help but ask for forgiveness. "I... can't… control it…!" Gritting my teeth until they creaked, I tried to mumble some more words of apology, but couldn't gather any. What was more, my instincts urged me to just 'seize it'. Seize my prey. Seize her. I needed it. I needed her.

Trembling under me, she was like one little lost lamb. Her slender arms and legs tried to get herself off my hold, but it was a vain effort. When she resigned herself, understanding I wouldn't let go, she closed her eyes solemnly. And I was totally captivated by her sight. She was just like the moon, and in fact, as I was now used to the dim light of the room, I noticed only her head shone brightly under the moon. Her long eyelashes batted down, and she prayed for a quick death.

By a miracle, I wasn't under the System's spell anymore. It only lasted for seconds, but I ceased looking like a monster and more resembled a boy. "I'm sorry," I said it clearly, this time. "I just have to do it." My voice was carried to her pointy ears, and they twitched. Surprisingly enough, by this point, her fearful looks completely vanished. It was just as if a veil of sadness had been lifted up from her tiny beautiful fairy's face. And so, most likely by a miracle, too, she shook her head again, a resigned, still somewhat self-effacing smile forming on her lips. "It's fine," she murmured, "it's fine…"

I realized she had the most beautiful face I had ever seen. She said it was fine as if it was really okay. That girl had the most beautiful face that I would also ever see. Not keen on the idea of torturing her any longer, I nodded at her, "It's fine... because you're weak…"

Smiling yet another strange smile that contained as much sorrow as happiness, she said it again—

My nose brushed hers. We looked deeply into each other's eyes.

"It's fine."