Reborn As An Evolving Monster

Mark stared at the cloud of smoke in front of him.

It was thickest at the center of the Boss Room.

The space around him was barely visible.

Kekekek-

Is she still alive? Was she just...?

He had no idea what the answer was, and did his best not to think about it.

'Now that I think about it, Krista is the only one able to send messages from the Underling Necklace. I'm sure Levi would be fuming, could he do the same...'

[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]

[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]

'Yeah. Yeah. Just taking a break-'

Steps to his right.

Mark turned so fast the dizziness could've returned.

What he found walking alongside the Boss Room's wall was...

Shh-

With a finger covering her mouth, Elisa walked closer.

Despite the situation they were in, a cheeky smile was on her face.

Mark was reminded of Krista for some reason.

She turned around and gestured for her follower to come closer.

Grey walked along, an aloof expression on his face.

A word that hadn't come to Mark's mind for a very, very long time.

'A bunch of dum-dums. I'm surrounded by-'

He could've laughed, was constant snickering not there. A reminder that the Guardian was only a couple dozens meters away.

Elisa crouched down beside him.

Her faintly glowing index finger moved in the air.

What now?-

The words, somehow written with Wind, dissipated a handful of seconds after they were written.

Mark raised his left hand.

A small flame danced on the end of his index finger.

Should be about half-dead now-

I thought that the instant I saw her-

You're still referring to that thing as her?-

Elisa shook her head.

I need to recover some Mana-

Same-

The two turned towards the thick cloud of smoke.

Elisa's index finger moved in front of her.

Its ability to read the Wind should have diminished considerably-

That was Dark Magic, right?-

It was-

Is that what changed your mind?-

Elisa stared at the smoke for a bit.

I changed my mind the instant I entered this room-

We can't stay close-

Why not?-

Increases the chances of us getting wiped out-

True-

This is my spot, so you move-

Elisa wanted to chuckle. She didn't, but her smile made it obvious.

What happens if it shoots at random and hits you?-

Then I'll die, probably-

Can't have that-

Mark turned towards her.

She was looking straight ahead, into the smoke.

Kekekekek-

Mark opened his mouth.

KEKEKEKEK-

The Guardian's continual snickering grew louder.

Much louder, before turning into a horrendous scream.

"KEKEKEKEK... HAAAA... HAAAAAA!!"

Pressure-

Both Mark and Elisa felt a chill go down their spines.

The Guardian's scream had torn the smoke around it.

The sound of something being slashed.

The sound of blood being spilled.

It all made sense now that the smoke had dissipated.

Mark and Elisa could see what had happened.

And both would have preferred not knowing.

"Kekekekeke!" The Guardian snickered.

Its body was covered by burn marks and wounds.

It had lost its right arm.

The hair on its head had been burnt off.

Its feathers, too, had disappeared, burnt to ashes.

But that wouldn't have been enough to shock them in the least.

The preceding, they had expected.

"Kekekeke..."

The Guardian wandered, its left arm extended in front of it.

And in its left hand-

"BLEUGH-"

The Guardian turned in the direction the sound had come from.

It took steps closer.

The next second, two rays of dark energy were shot towards that location.

And in an instant, a crater was formed between the wall and floor.

A dozen meters away from that location, stood Mark, Grey, and Elisa.

The latter could barely keep herself from throwing up.

'So it uses sound now?' Mark asked himself.

He lowered his body and took hold of a small piece of rubble.

On the other side of the room,

Thud-

The Guardian immediately turned in that direction, and two rays of dark energy followed.

'If it's sound it uses, everything will depend on how sharp its hearing is...'

Mark stared at the Boss monster's scorched back as it got further and further away.

"Kekekeke.... Keeeeek... Keeee..."

Despite the sick feeling she got from the Guardian's appearance, Elisa stared too.

In its left hand, was the slashed-off head that used to protrude from its stomach.

"Keeee... Keeeee..."

The last head that remained attached to its body.

That's what truly made her sick.

The smile on that burned head.

As if it was glad to have been hit and injured.

As if that head adored the pain.

As if it was glad that its cheeks and lips weren't the only scorched parts anymore.

"Keeee... Kiiiii..."

Unsure what to do, they stared at the Guardian.

"Kiiii..."

Disgust quickly filled them both.

An unnatural Monster.

A Monster like no other.

A Monster made from the severed body parts of others.

"Kiiii..."

A being played with and experimented on.

A being brought here and made to suffer endlessly.

A beautiful Harpy that Corruption Magic had turned into an abomination.

A Monster on which body parts that weren't its own had been sewed.

"Kiiii..."

Artificially and unnaturally.

Disgust, disgust.

"Kiiill..."

Their eyes widened, and Mark reactivated his "Berserker[SS]" Skill.

Focus, focus.

"Kill...."

Did it just-

"KIIIIILLL!!!" The Guardian shouted.

Elisa couldn't help but bring a hand to her stomach.

To those dark spots she detested.

The two stared and listened, as if in a trance.

"Kill... Them all... KILLL... THEM ALL!!" The Guardian roared.

Kill them all-

Kill them all-

The Boss Room around them seemed to disappear for a moment.

For one, it was the Corruption.

For the other, it was...

Kill them all-

Both looked at the Guardian.

And both felt... Something.

The same as us-

Neither thought so, but the Guardian's present state did resemble something.

"Kill them... All..."

Or rather, something inside of them resembles the Guardian.

A part of them.

A part that escapes Mark's control whenever his Titles go haywire.

A part that constantly voices its discontentment and to Elisa.

"Kill... Them... All!" The Guardian shouted as it swung the head in its hand.

Its own head.

Watching the Harp, they became painfully aware...

[The Skill "Berserker[SSS] activates!]

Of how ugly that part of them really was.

And Mark couldn't bare to be shown that part of him so directly.

So bluntly.

His feet hit the ground.

[Your Title "Devourer" smiles.]