∼ Day 19 ∼

"Mia!" - Me

Getting her attention, I point towards one of the tunnels, not needing any more prompting as she instantly understood my intention. She was guarding against the tunnel directly in front of her, whilst I took care of the other two.

Standing back to back, we both had adopted a fighting stance. By each passing second, the vile and wretched sounds the bled into our cave-walled surroundings from the creatures in those tunnels, became ever more ear-piercing.

They are here.

From one of the tunnels I was guarding, I could distinctly hear a horrid shriek that was a lot closer to us than the rest, accompanied by the ominous scuttling sounds of bare feet running across the rocky interior of the tunnels.

The very next second I saw the quarry of my unease.

From the dark gloom of the left-most tunnel came a creature of horrifying proportions. It could barely even be called humanoid. It was thin like it had wasted away, and the creature's limbs were abnormally long that ended in elongated fingers tipped with wicked claw-like nails. Its eyes had abyss black pupils contracted into needle-like pinpricks whilst surrounded by the crimson-red of its irises. On top its head were only scattered grey strips of hair, scarcely populating the sunken and aged skin of its head.

I don't know how I knew this, but looking at this creature I could tell that it once was a greenskin. A hobgoblin most likely. It hadn't slowed down even in the slightest, instead actually increasing uncanny gait as it rushed straight for me with an ear-piercing wail that sent shivers down my spine. I didn't have time to properly appraise the abomination before it had closed the distance.

Not hesitating I dodge the long reach of its thin arms and sharp claws that could reach all the way to the ground while standing up with its hunchback-like posture. Thrusting upwards I penetrate my claws directly in under its jaw and into it the deteriorated flesh and skin meeting no resistance. Not stopping the momentum I rip my hand free from its skull, cracking upon the side of its jaw, leaving its head mostly ripped apart.

[Crimson Ghoul has taken 72 damage, a critical hit!]

[LVL: 17 - Crimson Ghoul has been slain!]

[You have been rewarded with 98 points of EXP]

I couldn't help but grimace as the feeling of penetrating it flesh felt like plunging my hands into a decayed corpse, although I knew as a fact that this was no undead creature. Before it had even fallen to the ground another one appears from the other tunnel, but this time I manage to appraise it in good time

-Appraisal!-

Appraisal - Crimson Ghoul

Information Attributes

Traits. Titles. and Skills -Name- "???" STR 20 Skills ??? -Race- Hobgoblin (Corrupted) VIT 15 Traits ??? -Sex- Male AGI 30 Titles ??? -Rank- G DEX 15 Resistances

-Level- 15/20 INT 2 Health 68/75 CHR 2 Physical Resistance 3 Stamina 21/35 WILL ??? Magical Resistance 1 Mana 0/0 MAG 0.8 Mental Resistance ???

So they were hobgoblins, and they seem to be slightly deadlier than an average hobgoblin. But what the hell is this corruption?

Dodging a downwards slash from the attacking ghoul, I with a slash my own, claw cleanly through its spindly leg. Falling to the ground, the amalgamated hobgoblin screeched an ear-piercing wail that made my head hurt. But it was soon cut off as I penetrated its brain with my bloody claws.

But once again before I could take stock, the sounds of another one approaching quickly echoed into the cave. This one to my surprise didn't come for any of my two tunnels, instead, it was from the Mia was guarding. Looking over, my heart suddenly sinks in panic. She was currently looking in horror at the two I had just killed and wasn't even paying attention to the one that was rushing for her with a dash of mad intensity.

In a split-second decision, I cast a hasty rend on the ghoul.

[Crimson Ghoul has taken 29 damage, a critical hit!]

Stumbling due to the severe internal injury, the ghoul shrieked which also caused Mia to finally snap out of the stupor she was in. Quickly thrusting with her newly made blood daggers, she slew the vile creature by gouging into its eye and consequently, brain.

"Pay attention, Mia!" - Me

"S-sorry!" - Mia

Before I can reprimand her anymore, another ghoul comes rushing out of the right-most tunnel that I was guarding.

...

"From your right!" - Me

...

"Behind you!" - Mia

...

(Inhuman screech)

...

***

The night was wrought with slaughter. Blood and viscera were scattered across the cave walls, while dismembered and disfigured bodies riddled the ground.

Panting with deep and heaving breaths in the cylindrical cave was only figures still standing. Bathed in both blood and moonlight, stood Mia and me. We were soaked, wounded, and exhausted. We've fought endless amounts of these ghouls, and for how exactly long, we have no clue. We were both at the point of passing out.

The moonlight above was still shining down, and it was first now that the horde of ghouls had stopped endlessly flooding from the tunnels. Seeing that Mia was wearily wobbling on her feet, I quickly moved to catch her before she fell. We were both soaked in blood both our own and not, so it was no wonder that Mia couldn't hold her ground any longer, especially with the fleeting state of our adrenalin addled-minds.

It was at this moment that prompts flooded my vision as they had stayed dormant during the duration of the fight.

[You have slain 122 Crimson Ghouls!]

[You have been rewarded with 10534 points of EXP]

[Congratulations! You've reached level 12-16]

[You've been rewarded with 5 skill points for reaching levels 12-16]

[Weak Infusing Slash has reached LVL: 7]

[Blink has reached levels 3-4]

[Lesser Enhanced Exoskeleton has reached LVL: 5 and can now be advanced!]

[Lesser Enhanced Organs has reached LVL: 5 and can now be advanced!]

[Greater Puncture has reached LVL: 6]

[Greater Smell has reached LVL: 5]

[Blood Magic has reached LVL: 5]

[Healing Surge has reached LVL: 5 and can now be advanced!]

[Mana Control has reached LVL: 4]

[Paralyze has reached LVL: 7]

[Spell Formation has reached LVL: 4]

I simply disregard the prompts for now as Mia was the more pressing matter. Not wasting any time I appraise the petite girl in my arms that was covered in blood and panting in exhaustion.

-Appraisal!-

Appraisal - Hobgoblin

Information Attributes

Traits. Titles. and Skills -Name- "???" STR 13 Skills ??? -Race- Hobgoblin VIT 11 ⇒ 12 Traits ??? -Sex- Female AGI 30 ⇒ 32 Titles ??? -Rank- G+ DEX 25 Resistances

-Level- 20/20 INT 15 Health 42/79 CHR 15 Physical Resistance 6 Stamina 6/44 WILL ??? Magical Resistance 7 Mana 0/0 MAG 20 ⇒ 22 Mental Resistance ???

While she had lost quite a bit of health, that was only due to her many shallow wounds, so she shouldn't be in any danger. I was suddenly pulled from her status as I hear her faint and weak voice, while she simultaneously started to writhe in my arms.

"M--master... I-I think something is w-wrong. My body feels like its crawling with a-ants." - Mia

My heart sinking as I thought something might've gone horribly wrong, I intensely focused my attention on her to see if anything was killing her. What if she's been poisoned? Internal injury? Fatal disease by those vile creatures?!

The seconds ticked by as she began to writhe even more but I couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. As I was beginning to panic, I suddenly notice a soft white glow starting to emit from her body.

Seeing this, all tension and worry instantly fled from my stressed-out mind. I knew what was happening, as this was the exact same hue of white that faintly emitted from Bob's body when he had evolved back then. Placing a kiss on her forehead to relieve her panic, I speak in a calm and soothing voice.

"Don't worry. You're just about to evolve." - Me

"E-evolve? I-I don't know how to. I w-was born a hob." - Mia

Well, that would explain why she didn't realize that she was about to evolve.

"Just try to mentally command evolution." - Me

After hearing my words, her cute face scrunched up in obvious concentration. Suddenly her eyes glazed over as if she was reading something like a prompt, but to my surprise she wasn't the only one that got one.

[A monster with a special connection to you has reached the level threshold.]

[Due to the influence of your trait Limit Breaker, and the monster succinctly hitting well over the level threshold with an EXP influx, she has immediately initiated forced evolution.]

[Do you accept the use of Limit Breaker for its evolution?]

[Yes/No]

I was just about to accept but then a sudden thought invaded my mind. Quickly unfocusing from the prompt for now, I rouse Mia from her own.

"Mia, don't do it right now. I think we have enough time to try something first." - Me

My words obviously confused her, but she tentatively agreed.

"O-okay." - Mia

I could see the pain on her cute little face as she held this forced evolution at bay, so not wanting to put her through any more hardships, I quickly picked her up in a princess carry and began walking over to the center of the cave.

"Wow, twice in one day. I thought you didn't like being carried like this." - Me

Mia just thumped on my chest with a weak balled fist in irritation of my teasing. Reaching the center of the cave, I crouched down and placed her on softly onto the ground. After making sure she was holding in there, I focused my gaze on the five crimson cores embedded in the ground whilst emitting a radiant but soft glow.

Each one had long tendrils of crimson roots wrapped around them, and to my surprise, they all had increased to the size of my crimson core back when I had assimilated with it. The crimson roots scattered around the cave had seemingly managed to grow these cores with all the carnage we've caused by killing all the ghouls.

But something I noticed was that they were all still seemingly unpolished or unfinished in a sense, and the aura radiating of them was not nearly as potent and overwhelming as mine was. I wasn't sure as to why. Picking one of them up, I was met with a prompt.

[Mature - Minor Crimson Core]

[Compatability - Perfect]

[Do you want to consume the core into your assimilated core?]

[Yes/No]

I realized that these cores were simply of worse quality than the one I had fused with. If I weren't wrong, these cores are offshoots of my crimson core and have been feed by these crimson roots, almost like plants.

Ugh- Shaking the very unnecessary thoughts from my mind at this rather inappropriate time, I picked up each core and moved over to Mia.

"Mia, these are crimson cores, like the one you found here last and the one that currently resides within me. If you can fuse with one, you should be able to have better options for your evolutions. You might even be able to finally perform magic." - Me

Hearing my words, all pain vanishes from her eyes as they go wide with interest and hope.

"R-really?" - Mia

I just nodded and handed her the core that I believe to be the best of the five. I wasn't worried that the core would try and consume her body on contact since her physique and my physique was intrinsically the same in a sense. Attuned to their crimson nature.

I could feel on an instinctual level that the core bore no ill will towards either me or Mia. Tentatively taking the core with a weak hand, Mia's eyes glazed over. But before she could do anything, I spoke.

"Before you accept, tell me the compatibility between you and the core." - Me

I wasn't sure what would happen if the compatibility was too low and you tried to fuse with it, but I wouldn't take a risk.

"Hmm... it says, extremely high" - Mia

I release a sigh of relief, and then gave her a nod of approval.

"Go ahead and assimilate it." - Me