Reborn As An Evolving Monster

In the middle of the dark forest,

'I swallowed it right away to keep it intact but... What the hell?'

From its mouth to its stomach, the white-scaled Monster could feel the Fire Giant Core make its descent.

It was hot, and felt Fire Ball going down his throat.

Mark's breathing grew heavier. His breaths were deeper, as if to cool his throat down. The burning sensation didn't decrease in intensity.

Suddenly, the white-scaled Monster stumbled.

Dizziness.

"Shit." It whispered with a chuckle. "Spicy food... Bad memories."

The heat increased.

And increased!

Mark lowered his gaze towards his stomach! It burned so much that he feared it had caught fire!

His shaking arms wrapped around his stomach.

[Your Passive Skill "Fire Resistance[B]" fights off the Fire Giant Core's Flames!]

[Your Passive Skill "Fire Hide[D-]" fights off the Fire Giant Core's Flames!]

Mark suddenly felt something rise up his throat!

He brought a hand to his mouth as he gagged.

Mark opened his mouth wide. The thought that he wasn't strong enough to consume it popped inside his head. His body was rejecting the Fire Giant Core.

He thought he was about to throw it up, alongside some blood, perhaps dark blood.

'Wha-'

Instead, all that felt his wide open mouth, was smoke.

Smoke. Smoke. Smoke.

Incessantly, until a cloud covered his whole body.

Mark hurriedly took hold of his throat. That was all he could do, as more smoke left his mouth.

The heat increased further!

It burned more than the Fire Balls that had been shot at him all this time.

More than the Great Fire Balls.

More than the Fire Spirit's flames.

The heat increased!

Worse than the "Spare Discharge" that the Ex-General had used.

Nothing burned as much!

Then, the burning sensation started moving.

The white-scaled Monster fell to its knees!

Throat, stomach, lungs, and heart.

It burned, burned, burned!

[Your Skill "Flame Of Chaos[B]" fights off the Fire Giant Core's Flames!]

[Your Skill "Fire Absorption[C]" attempts to Absorb the Fire Giant Core's Flames!]

[Your Skill "Flame Of Chaos[B]" attempts to tame the Fire Giant Core's Flames!]

The burning sensation moved more.

It expanded beyond the organs it had been incessantly attacking earlier, and moved towards the rest of the body.

It moved, without losing in intensity.

The Flames weren't being spread. On the contrary, more Flames were being brought out by the Fire Giant Core!

The smoke continually exiting his mouth made it impossible to breathe.

His vision was clouded by both the smoke and dizziness.

"Aarg... AARGHHH!" The white-scaled Monster screamed despite being muffled by the smoke.

It clenched its fists and contracted every muscle that made up its body.

It burned!

Everything was burning!

From the inside, Mark's body was being scorched!

[Your Title "Evolving Monster" stares at the "Fire Giant Core".]

[Your Title "Devourer" stares at the "Fire Giant Core".]

[Your Title "Devourer" gnaws at the "Fire Giant Core"!]

It hurt.

Throat, stomach, lungs, heart, everything!

[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" opens an eye in its slumber.]

The heat decreased ever so slightly.

The Title that had been silent all this time.

Mark thought that-

[Your Title "Devourer" stares at your "Potential Demon King Candidate" Title!]

[Your Title "Devourer" bares its Fangs at your "Potential Demon King Candidate" Title!]

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

Not again!

Visions of what had happened inside the Dungeon, inside the 2nd Floor's Boss Room flooded the white-scaled Monster's mind.

But at the same time...

It burned! It burned! Everything was burning! Everything hurts!

Mark could exactly tell what the Title was shouting.

Mine! Mine! Mine! 

More than anything,

Mine! I can handle it! Mine!

[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" falls back into a slumber.]

His heart was burning! His heart hurt like it had never before! His heart!

Months and months of running.

Months and months of training.

Until he passed out, until he spat blood, until he destroyed his own heart!

The heat increased! And it kept on increasing!

His heart was burning! His heart hurt like it had never before! His heart!

That time he had spent running. That time he had spent training. The pain it had brought. The meaningless pain that didn't lead to anything! The pain that didn't rid him of any weakness! Those months that cursed him for the rest of his life!

It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!

It burns! It burns! It burns!

The child going through all that pain! Through all of that meaningless pain!

'I'm not... Losing!'

[The Fire Giant Core stares at your Royal Minotaur Heart!]

Heart Versus Heart.

'You think this is anything? Bring it on! My heart has handled worse! Worse pain! Much worse! If this pain will make me stronger... If this pain really will... Then I'll..."

[The Fire Giant Core Flame's attempt to scorch your Heart!]

'GO AHEAD! TRY TO! MY HEART... WON'T LOSE ANYMORE!'

[Your Title "Devourer" is moved by your resolve!]

[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is moved by your resolve!]

'Bring it on, Fire Giant! Let's see whose heart...'

Burning daggers pierced his heart.

Breathing hadn't been possible for what felt like an eternity now.

This is nothing!

Bring it on!

I'll keep going!

I'm not scared of the pain! I've never been!

Welcome the pain!

Pain is weakness living the body!

Strength is always hiding behind a wall of pain!

More than anything...

More than anything...

For the child that had continued running, for the child that had destroyed its own heart, for the child that kept going through the pain...

For the young adult that cursed that child, that cursed that child's idiocy, that cursed that child's greediness...

Those months of pain, those months of fighting against it, those months of tearing down its own body...

Looking back, the young adult hated those months.

But every now and again, in his uneventful life, the young adult would think about those months.

 Painful months of foolishly fighting against the pain, of foolishly fighting against the world.

Those months...

'Let's see whose Heart...' 

Were the most fun he had ever had.

'Will Devour the other's!' The corner of the white-scaled Monster's lips curled upwards, as its body was set on fire.