Reborn As An Evolving Monster

Chapter 186 Nodding Off

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Sometime later,

"The snowstorm isn't letting up. Thought we would have left it after walking into this area." Mark said.

Elisa nodded quietly.

The Moonlit Feline, in its Lioness Form, walked by her side.

Around the three, a forest of dead trees.

The ground was covered by snow, and the blizzard ruling over the whole area seemed as strong as ever.

Mark walked in front, and the two followed him.

"We should probably..." Elisa yawned, despite trying not to. "Probably stop soon."

"What for?" He asked without turning around.

"What for...? Aren't you sleepy?"

"I don't get sleepy." He answered honestly.

"Oh, is that so? Not even tired?"

"Not really. We've just been walking so."

"It's been more than twenty hours..." She yawned again. "You know?"

"Mmm..."

Mark only turned around a couple of seconds later.

Elisa was walking while resting against Krista.

The latter, in her Lioness Form, walked with closed eyes. She seemed to be nodding off.

Mark chuckled, which immediately forced the Moonlit Feline's sleepy eyes to open.

"I guess we can stop for a bit."

"No. If you're not..." Yawn. "If you're not sleepy, let's just..." Keeping her eyes open seemed a difficult task for Elisa too.

"Right..." Mark scratched his head. "Forgot you slept inside the Dungeon too."

"Didn't you?"

"Not really."

"Huh...? Seriously?"

"Yeah. I mean... Most Monsters don't need sleep."

"Oh, is that a fact?"

"Yes...? Levi, Light, none needed sleep either."

"What about this one?" Elisa asked she knocked on the Lioness' back, waking her right up.

"Mm. True..."

The group walked for a bit more.

"You really didn't sleep in there?"

"No. I did. A couple of times." 

"A couple of times? I only passed through a couple of Floors... How many were there again?"

"Ten. Ten Floors."

"Are the Lower Floors smaller than the rest?"

"Not really, I think."

"How come you only slept a couple of times?"

"Didn't need to."

"Why did you sleep a couple of times then?"

"I didn't sleep per se... Well, I guess I did."

"Huh?"

"I only slept when I passed out."

"Haha..." Elisa chuckled. Were she not so sleepy, she might have laughed much harder. "What's that about? I could never do that."

Mark shrugged his shoulders.

"Never felt tired? I know there's, somehow, no need to sleep inside that weird Dungeon, but...?" Elisa asked as she came to a stop.

Krista did the same. Though it wasn't clear whether it was a conscious decision or not. Her eyes were closer, so she might have stopped simply because Elisa, the one resting against her, had.

"I did. Plenty of times." Mark stopped too. He stood with his back against one of the numerous dead trees around. "Just sat and rested for a while, then... Got on with it."

"Got on with it, huh? Sounds kind of crazy, you know?" Elisa yawned, before pushing herself off Krista, waking her up once again.

"Why is that?" Mark asked as Elisa took a seat under a tree a couple of meters away from the one he was resting against.

"I don't know... Never needed... A break or something? Just constantly fighting... No, not even that. Just constantly being... Awake?"

Elisa lay her back against the tree. She seemed so comfortable it looked like she was about to drown in that tree trunk.

The Monster chuckled at her words.

"Not really."

Elisa rested the back of her head against the tree.

"Good for... You... Equip... My Clothes... Unequip... The Armor..." She whispered as she closed her eyes.

Krista lay on the snow, halfway between the two of them.

"Mmm..." Mark let his body slowly fall to the ground. "I guess there were times..." He rested his head against the tree behind him. "I wished I could sleep."

"You... Can..." Elisa whispered, nodding off. "Just close... Your eyes... And sleep."

"I don't think I can."

"I'm sure... You can... If you... Try..."

"Don't think so."

"Then don't... Mess it up... For the rest... Of us."

Mark chuckled, and so did Elisa. Seconds later though, she seemed sound asleep.

'That was fast. Mm...' Mark looked around. 'Guess I can... Keep watch or whatever.'

He looked around, but there really wasn't much.

Countless dead trees all around the area. Of course, it could only be assumed that there were countless trees. In truth, seeing further than a dozen meters through the blizzard was a challenge.

Mark continued looking around.

He had taken upon himself the task of keeping watch.

So he did just that.

His gaze awkwardly stopped from time to time to look at the sleeping Krista or Elisa.

'First time I'm the one keeping watch...'

Indeed, it was usually Mark's Underlings that did the protecting, especially when he was passed out or was Evolving.

'Wonder if Levi and the others felt this bored when I passed out. Oh. Now that I think about it, Light has seen me the most in bad condition... Unconscious, I should say.'

Mark was seated with his back against the tree and his legs straightened out in front of him, slightly at an angle.

'How many times did that happen...? My first Evolution... That was a wild one.'

He felt the urge to chuckle, but repressed it.

'That Orc was a blessing in disguise now that I think about it. Feels like ages ago... The second time was my second Evolution, I guess. Abyssal... No. Infernal? Infernal Hound Skeleton. Yeah. Should do a better job at remembering the Names of various Monster Species, since my abilities are centered around Evolution.'

[Your Title "Devourer" nods.]

[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]

'Don't do that. You're agreeing with me a bit too often now.'

[Your Title "Devourer" scoffs.]

[Your Title "Evolving Monster" chuckles.]

'Though I guess there's no reason for you not to agree. Or... To be against me I should say.'

[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]

[Your Title "Devourer" shrugs.]

'I'll have to ask Elisa about Titles once she wakes up. Have been putting that off for too long... Anyways, where was I? Infernal Hound Skeleton. That's the Form that got me the ability to... A Necromancer's Ability, I guess. Mmm. Nia talked about Affinity with Soul and Corruption Magic if I remember right. Strange... Then it wouldn't be simply because I Evolved into that Form? Elisa says the Magic used says something about the user. Then... What does that say about me?'

[Your Title "Devourer" sneers.]

'Zephyr said something like that too, huh? Except with Titles. This is getting complicated... And tangled up.' The Monster's lips curled upwards. 'I like it.'

Mark thought about many things.

His Underlings, of course.

About what a joy it was to have them, to be able to use them, to fight alongside them. But also about the fact that having Underlings was something that had kept him from raising his strength for a long time.

He thought about the Dungeon's different Floors.

About Nia, Raven, And Zephyr.

About the world.

About the slumbering Krista right after she let out a groan.

And about-

With the back on her curled index finger, the sleeping Elisa scratched her nose, reddened by the cold.

He looked at her for a bit.

'I'll probably have to help get to... Wherever she's going. She's the only one... I can trust with-'

Elisa suddenly shuddered.

Mark noticed that she would do so sporadically.

Every once in a while, Elisa's body would shudder.

He couldn't tell whether it was because of the cold, or because of a nightmare disturbing her sleep.

Mark watched her with a peculiar look in his eyes.

Perhaps the same look the Fire Spirit had once talked about.

After a while, the Monster sighed and raised its gaze.

'She's too beautiful for me not to feel bad, huh? Tsk. I seriously hate that.'

[Your Title "Devourer" believes that beautiful things taste the best.]

[Your Title "Evolving Monster" criticizes your "Devourer" Title's attitude.]

[Your Title "Devourer" rolls its eyes.]

Mark let out a weak chuckle.

'Parts of me, huh? The three of us...'

He stared at the nothingness above that separated him from the sky.

After some time, his eyes widened.

Mark had no idea how much time had passed.

Had it been a gradual change or a sudden one? He couldn't tell.

He couldn't tell when it had changed.

But it had.

The mist around the area had changed color.

At some point, while he had been engrossed in his own thoughts, the mist had turned red.

A bloody red.

Mark's lips immediately parted.

He tried shouting, but no sounds exited his mouth.

He tried standing up, but his legs refused to obey.

He tried moving, but his arms denied the request.

His gaze moved towards the ground.

The snow had turned dark.

His eyes hurriedly moved.

In front of him, they remained.

Krista and Elisa.

They slept peacefully, on a bed of dark snow, surrounded by a red mist.

His heart started beating faster and faster.

'Paralyzed? Is it the mist? When... Nothing came close to... What is-'

Suddenly, something reached out to him from behind.

From behind the tree his back was resting on.

A pale hand lay on his right shoulder.

"Well, well. How nice of you to pay me a visit."

A vibrant green pupil and a golden one. Both stared at him.

"Oh, for fuck's sake."