Reborn As An Evolving Monster

94 Arani's Candidate

Arani entered her quarters.

The room was full of shelves and tables on which lay various vials and Items.

Three particular vials stood out, as their contents shone brightly.

A Kraken's Core shined a deep blue.

An Abyssal Kraken's Core shined neon green.

And the most prized Item of the collection, a Dark Kraken's Core, from which emanated a dark Aura.

Aside from those, all kinds were visible such as a Werewolf's paw, a Siren's tongue, and a Vampire's eye.

The latter had been received as a gift from Raven.

Arani took a seat on what seemed to be a cocoon hanging by a thread of silk.

A homemade hanging egg chair, one could say.

"Let's see what Neid is up to." She whispered, and a digital screen appeared in front of her.

The familiar scene made Arani chuckle.

She truly enjoyed watching her Candidate.

"Back to his hobby, I see."

...

In a Dungeon mostly like the one Mark was in,

'How do you like that? Huh? HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT, HUH? HAHAHA!'

A Monster had its right knee resting on a Gray Wolf's stomach.

The latter whined and cried, but that only seemed to make the Monster more eager to push its knee deeper.

'Do you have any idea how much you made me suffer? Do you have any idea?' The Monster thought as it brought its face closer to the Gray Wolf's.

The Monster opened its mouth.

'You have no idea. No idea. Absolutely no idea. Of course, you don't since it wasn't you.'

A cloud of fog forced the Gray Wolf to close its eyes.

Neid smiled as the Gray Wolf's trembling got more intense.

The Monster's skin was pale. Certain spots were even pinkish.

Hairless from top to bottom.

Clenched hands that couldn't be completely flattened.

Long ears similar to a bat's.

Sharp and thin teeth that weren't as numerous as one would think.

A Ghoul.

The scene, accompanied by the Gray Wolf's cries, truly made for a horrid and repulsive spectacle.

Neid's appearance contributed much to the atmosphere.

'It wasn't you, but it also was. Another Gray Wolf. But you're all the same, aren't you? Maybe you're exactly the same actually. Every time I come back here, I find you. As if you'd been waiting for me.'

He sank his claws into the Gray Wolf's pelt.

The cries got louder.

Steaming red blood dirtied the pelt.

Neid could feel the heat leaving the Gray Wolf's body.

And he loved that feeling.

'You've been waiting, haven't you?'

Neid's hatred for Gray Wolves had started as soon as he'd found himself inside the Dungeon.

Right away, he fell prey to one.

Neid was injured. Trapped. He was convinced that his second life would be cut short immediately after starting.

Despair. Powerlessness. Anguish.

But just before he could be slayed, a third party interfered.

An Orc.

Compared to both, Neid couldn't a thing.

Even the Gray Wolf couldn't do a thing against an Orc.

Which is why it opened its jaw and let go of Neid, before running away.

He was left injured and unable to move. At the Orc's mercy.

The latter stared for a bit.

But it was obvious.

There was much more meat to be ingested in a Gray Wolf's body.

And so, the Orc pursued the Gray Wolf.

'It was you, wasn't it? Don't think I forget.'

Neid positioned his claws between the Gray Wolf's skin and its leg muscle.

Pull-

The Gray Wolf cried and cried, while its skin was being pulled off.

'Hahaha! How do you like that, huh?'

The Gray Wolf was being skinned alive by a true Monster.

'Bet it doesn't feel good, HUH? BET IT DOESN'T!

A piece of pelt was torn off before being thrown away.

The Gray Wolf, desperately whined.

Hopelessly.

It closed its eyes, wishing for death.

The pain was too great.

The next second,

'Now, now. No need to be that sad about it...'

The Gray Wolf opened its eyes.

Its head was being gently caressed by the back of Neid's hand.

'No need to cry. It hurts, but pain is only temporary, right?'

Confusion overtook the Gray Wolf, but it didn't let it show.

'Pain... Is temporary.'

Neid slowly lowered his hand towards the Gray Wolf's neck.

'It's temporary...'

The Gray Wolf couldn't do a thing but stare into Neid's eyes.

The latter took hold of the former's neck.

'It's temporary. That's...'

The next second, he exuded so much force, that the Gray Wolf's neck broke cleanly.

'What you taught me...'

Neid held the Gray Wolf's unmoving body gently.

'Right?'

...

Inside the castle, Arani was laughing out loud.

Overjoyed and entertained.

"Twisted! Sooo twisted! You gotta love it! HAHAHA!"

She laughed and laughed while tapping her leg with her hand repeatedly.

"Oh my... How many times is it now?" Arani whispered to herself as she directed her gaze sideways.

On the wall, multiple scratches had been made.

Arani directed her elbow towards said wall.

Scratch-

"Aaaand that's the 42nd time he's gone down to the Tenth Floor to torment a Gray Wolf. Can't hate the dedication. The hatred might be justified too. Pffft-"

...

Even after the Gray Wolf had stopped breathing, Neid tore its limbs off, poked its eyes out, and-

[You should probably hurry up, Neid.]

[A Candidate has already made it to the Final Floor.]

The message immediately made Neid's body freeze.

'The... The Final Floor?'

[Yes.]

'So... He'll make it out... This soon?'

[Yes.]

Neid's mind came to a stop.

Seconds later, his hands started shaking.

'That's... Unfair. That's... So unfair.'

[Isn't it?]

'Why... Why is he already there? When I'm still on the third?'

[Unfair, isn't it?]

'You think so too...? So... So it's not my fault... Of course, not. I knew it. it is unfair...'

[Yes, my dear Neid, it is.]

'Can you stop him? Don't let him leave. Don't let anyone leave. Not until I make it. I have to be the first. I want to leave first. I want to leave quickly.'

[Sadly I can't, my dear Neid.]

'Why? Why can't you? Why won't you? How are you going to let someone get there before me?'

Neid's trembling got more intense.

'I can't... I can't let that happen. I have to make it out first.'

[If you clear the Dungeon early enough, you might catch him outside.]

Neid's trembling seized.

'What does he look like? Who is it?'

[A white-scaled Monster.]

'I'll definitely g-' The next words interrupted his thought.

[With a reptilian tail and black wings.]

They made Neid's eyes shine.

'Scales? A tail? Wings...? Are you serious? How is... That's...'