Reborn As An Evolving Monster

396 Fresh Wound

The white-scaled Monster slept for a long time.

It opened its eye, and thought it had been a while since last it had slept.

So it stretched its body, and closed its eye once more.

It, indeed, had been a while.

The last time Mark had slept.

Before finding the "Vestiges of the Undead Dark Triad" Dungeon.

Before being scorched alive after Devouring the Fire Giant Core.

Before entering the dark forest.

Before fighting the Commander.

Before...

Mark slept until his Endurance, Mana, and Health Points were back to full.

Then he slept some more.

The white-scaled Monster shivered.

It feels so cold in here!

Every time Mark opened his eye, he would remember something.

His Name was Lin-

What's my Name? No, that's not it. I am Yarnha-

A Gentleman would sleep on the floor-

Quick on your feet-

Your body is supposed to be something you're born with! Something you can't really change-

After being trapped in a Dungeon with my people, I should've taken the time to learn Water Magic-

Each time, random bits and pieces.

You saved me and... I want to express...My gratitude. My... Feelings, I guess? But don't get the wrong idea, it's mostly gratitude. It's just... Hard when-

When I look like this?-

If I looked differently, this would have been a lot easier, huh?-

You've mellowed out-

I guess I really did... I still love fighting and Devouring. Obviously. More than anything really. It's just... I wonder how other things would... You know?-

This is fine, right? I can do this. I can do this... Even though I am a Monster. I can allow myself to... Right?-

Right?-

Let's pray together so that you can live freely-

How are you feeling, Mark?-

Hurts... Doesn't it? But it's still nothing like her pain-

I'm not being called a Monster. I am a Monster-

You don't act like one-

Yes I do-

No you don't-

Yes, I do-

No, you don't-

Well maybe not with you but-

"Kh..." The white-scaled Monster gritted its teeth, shutting its eye as forcefully as it could.

I'll take them back-

You had a Request, right?-

Oh. Yes. Yes! That's right, haha. Completely forgot about that-

I... Uh... I... Well... It's not easy to ask like this but...There's... Somewhere I want to go. Somewhere I need to go. And I wanted to ask if you-

The white-scaled Monster shivered in its sleep.

If you... Would... If you could... If you would accept to... Help me get there?-

I can't... I can't do that-

...

And what does that mean? Not over it? As in you hold a grudge?-

Means I might do something like that again-

So you're sooo unstable that you need to warn me in advance. That's what you've just admitted, right?-

You don't need to worry about that.-

The moment you flip out, lose your shit, or go crazy, I'll grab that Moonlit Feline and disappear-

I'll steal her from you forever-

I can promise that I'll take care of her properly. And more than that, I can bet that she will looove being with me-

Then I'll be counting on you from now on-

The Monster's scales and claws were scraped against the floor as they moved

Each time, the white-scaled Monster curled its shivering body up further.

It felt so cold in there.

Colder than when out in the night, colder than when in a freezing tundra.

So unbearably cold.

The name is Elisa. How do you do?-

How long did Mark remain asleep? How many times did he wake up only to go back to sleep?

He did not know. He couldn't tell.

He didn't care. It didn't matter.

In this dark room below that dark forest, Mark thought he could sleep endlessly.

But he couldn't escape his thoughts or his mind.

Ever since it had happened, this was the first time he had stopped moving.

Mark's gaze moved across the room. The bed didn't look very comfortable. But it also looked too comfortable.

Stay inside, away from the outside.

Mark had already lived one life that way.

He pushed himself off the ground.

Had only hours passed? Had it been days?

It was time to start moving again.

Mark walked towards the closest bookcase in the room.

He let his hand decide on which book to pick.

"Beyond Magic Circles: Signs and Spells III"

Mark chuckled internally.

He thought this must have been written by the Undead Lich. It had a lot of time on its hands after all.

After reading three sentences, Mark noticed his hands pressing on the book, as if to rip it up.

His hands were shaking. He laid the book down.

It was time to start moving again.

There were multiple bookcases, but only about a dozen books.

Looks like the Undead Lich had plans to do more writing than that...

Mark walked around the room, storing everything inside his Inventory.

The Vials, the Urns, the Gems, everything that had been left.

Everything that had been left for him.

He turned towards the cabinet that still hadn't been touched.

Mark lay his palms on the handles and pulled.

Punch-

Bam-

Crack-

Mark's breathing grew unstable.

He had punched as soon as he had seen it.

A mirror, now cracked and broken, was within the cabinet.

It was just enough time for Mark to notice.

He had tried his best not to think about it, to forget about it.

But he couldn't do it.

Especially if the time to start moving again had come, then Mark couldn't afford not to think about it.

He had seen it anyways. It was impossible not to think about it now.

Mark crouched and grabbed a piece of the shattered mirror.

He brought a hand to the right side of his face.

Vertical.

It was still there.

Mark had tried using the Reconstruction and Restoration Magic Skills multiple times, but only it seemed to go unaffected.

It simply remained there.

It hadn't turned into a scar. It wasn't bleeding either.

As if frozen in time.

A fresh wound.

...

Start moving. Keep moving. Don't stop.

Sublime Body Restoration-

No matter how many times Mark used the Magic Skill, it didn't have an effect on his wounded right eye.

Mark took a deep breath in, stabilizing his breathing, before letting out a long sigh.

Below the cabinet where the mirror used to be,

'A drawer?'

Mark opened it without thinking about it much.

Resting on a small woolen and reddish pillow,

'A Bone...? No, that's a Fang. And if I had to guess-'

Just as Mark lay a hand on that Fang, the light emanating from the Skull by his side shone brighter.

Thinking that the two were Linked somehow, Mark reached towards the Skull. The two were Bone after all, so it didn't seem impossible.

Mark touched the Skull and,

'That was...' Only a few seconds had passed. 'The same Vision I had when I touched the painting...'

Mark stared at the Skull silently for a bit.

"Leaving me with a puzzle? How irritating. But I guess this is what he wanted me to find..."

He took hold of that Skull.

Sigh-

"Inventory."

It disappeared.

Mark turned back towards the cabinet.

'That Vision proves it. This must be a Dragon's Fang... Broken off though, so only part of a Fang. It's also really old... Still, it should help.'

The Fang was swallowed.

After Devouring both the Undead Lich's body, he had obtained bones that could handle pretty much anything.

He turned towards the room's exit, and started walking.

Mark couldn't escape those thoughts, and the feeling of guilt they bring with them.

Additionally, a strange feeling had arisen while Mark had been reading that book. A nostalgic feeling that shouted -This isn't where I should be. This isn't what I should be doing-.

Mark walked across the Dungeon and towards its exit.

A long time had passed.

It didn't feel like it.

He went up the stairs that led to the forest in which the Dungeon was located.

It was still dark.

Had it only been a couple of hours? Is that why the sun isn't up yet?

Had it been 24 hours? 48 hours? More? Did the sun rise and set multiple times in between?

Maybe there was just something strange about that forest.

The white-scaled Monster stared at the dark sky for a while.

It was time to choose a direction now.

The white-scaled Monster's ears twitched suddenly.

A shiver went down its spine.