Reborn As An Evolving Monster

Chapter 261 A Demon King Candidate's Status, Quietly Oppressive

?

'I don't mind changing. Changing myself. But that's probably because I didn't get to do much in my past life.' The Monster thought to itself as it stared at the ceiling.

The ground wasn't as rough and uncomfortable as it was outside.

The shack allowed the area to remain at a pleasant temperature.

'My past life... I still don't remember the details, but maybe that's because they're unimportant. I spent most of my life in that hospital. Did I ever get out...? I'm not sure. Ha. It's funny when I think about it...'

The Monster closed its eyes.

'I used to be filled with anger whenever I thought aboit the fact that I couldn't remember. Now, it's the opposite. I have no idea why, but remembering my past...' The Monster winced and clenched its left fist. 'It fills me with wrath.'

Mark brought his hands to his face and massaged his forehead before trying to fall asleep.

It took a bit longer for Elisa than it did for Mark to fall asleep.

'Sleeping this close to a Monster... It's stressful. I'm not much closer than the usual, but the fact that we're under the same roof...' 

Elisa shook her head before tapping Krista's body.

"Can you...?" She whispered.

The white-furred cat turned into a Lioness, yawned, and went back to sleep.

'Natural barrier, Krista!'

....

The Monster opened its eyes.

It peeked at the outside through the shack's entry.

'Still dark outside...'

With no reason to wait for morning or urge to sleep in, Mark pushed himself on the ground.

He walked towards the outside while making as little sound as he could.

Yawn-

'Wonder if I can find something to Devour. Nothing entered the camp while we were asleep, so that's good. Would be nice for them to come now...'

The Monster took a couple of steps away from the shack before stopping.

'Mmm...'

Two hours later, Elisa opened her eyes.

"Dawn..." She whispered. "Wake up. Krista, wake up." The Lioness turned her body away from her. "Come on, time to go. Can't let him wait too long. He's already out." 

Despite struggling to keep her eyes open, Krista stood and followed Elisa outside.

'Huh. That's surprising...' The latter thought as her eyes found the white-scaled Monster.

It was seated on the ground with its legs crossed.

Above its left palm, a spinning sphere of flames around which a burning trail danced.

Above its left palm, a spinning cube of ice around which a frozen circle was rotating.

'That can't be easy to do. Manipulating two different... Or even opposite Elements at once...' Elisa thought.

'Oh. I'm getting the hang of it.'

"Morning." 

The cube and circle of ice cracked and the blazing sphere stopped spinning.

Mark's shoulders dropped slightly.

"Morning..." His tone wasn't as enthusiastic as hers.

"If you can't keep it up while talking, it'll be tough to use anything like that in a fight."

"Yeah." Mark answered as the Lioness slowly burrowed her head into him. 

"Training the ability to control two Elements at once is still a good idea. I'm guessing the fight against that Commander made you think about it."

"Mm." He nodded. "It was the first time I tried using different things at once. It was tough, but still not enough."

"It was enough to keep his mind occupied. It's the whole reason why I was able to hit him that hard."

Mark shrugged.

"You slept well?"

"What kind of question is that?" Elisa chuckled. "Yes, I slept well. Thank you very much for your concern."

"Well, I did have to sleep on the ground."

"As any gentleman would."

"I'm no gentleman." Mark muttered as he pushed himself off the ground.

"How about becoming one then?"

The white-scaled Monster walked away without answering.

"Status."

[

Name: Mark

Titles:

-Devourer: [Unique Title].

-Evolving Monster: [Unique Title].

-Potential Demon King Candidate: [Epic Title].

-Gaavah's Follower: [Uncommun Title]

-System Holder: [Common Title] 

Species: (Unknown)

Level: Lv7 (200/7000EXP)

Health Points: 1380/1380

Endurance Points: 1050/1050

Mana Points: 1320/1760

Stats:

-Strength: 105 (+7)

-Agility: 78 (+3)

-Sense: 96 (+41)

-Vigor: 138 (+23)

-Endurance: 105 (+15)

-Mana: 176 (+21)

]

'Titles, second only to Name... Devouring that Olga upped my Vigor, Endurance, and Mana. Devouring the Commander made my Sense Stat shoot up. Of course, it would, that Eye is incredibly useful. Still, I have the same problem as I did inside the Dungeon.' Mark thought as he studied his Status Window. 'My Sense Stat is all Vision... I need to find Monsters Skills related to the other senses...'

He stared for a bit more before,

"Rank?"

[You are currently a [C] Ranked Monster.]

'From [C-] to [C]... That's it? I'm guessing most of that comes from the Eye I obtained.' Mark thought as he brought a hand to his face. 'Still, the problem is that my Rank takes into account my Underlings, even if they're not with me...'

Mark's moved back to the Title List.

'Unique doesn't necessarily mean stronger. They're just Ranked based on Rarity. If that's the case then... Huh. Why are you always so silent?'

[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" refuses to wake up from its slumber.]

The white-scaled Monster stared at the floating words for a couple of seconds.

'Well that's a first. Answeting me this way... Is there a reason for it? Mm... Maybe because I got stronger. Demon King Candidate... But I'm only a Potential Candidate. Is it about strength, Status, or the way I act? Any of the three could be the reason why I'm obly a Potential Candidate. The way I act... A Demon King Candidate is expected to act... The same way a Demon King would act. And that would be...'

Destruction-

Destruction-

Murder-

Destruction-

Mark imagined.

'This is the third village or camp I've destroyed...' He thought as he looked around. 'To be Demon King would be having more Status than the Demon Lords. That much is for sure. Are the Demok Lords Demon King Candidated then? I'm sure some of them must have that ambition. Commander, General, Lord, King... Commander. The Status that makes you feel insignificant in front of the one higher Ranked. In a way, Status is the value that the world gives you, huh? Your worth. And that worth can be used on those under you. It's the same as what I felt in fronc of Rav-'

Mark's mind went blank.

He absent-mindedly brought a hand to his chin.

'Raven... A Demon King Candidate?'

His thoughts raced.

'The quiet pressure... The feeling that made me keep my head down in front of him. That made me... Let him take them without...' Mark clenched his teeth. 'The pressure felt closer than the one exerted by that Commander. It must be true then. A Demon King Candidate...'

The white-dcaled Monster turned around to find the Princess seated above a wooden shack with Krista on her legs.

"What do you hink he's thinking about?" She whispered. Something that the Monster couldn't hear.

'The one who destroyed where Elisa is from... Who brought her into the Dungeon and all the others... Who messed with their minds... Is that something Raven is capable of? No, that white-haired fuvker Elisa used to talk about. Still, Raven was there. So that's what is expected from a Demon King Candidate...? Destroying a village of elves and corrupting there...'

Mark sighed.

'Check, I guess. Now if she knows that he is a Demon King Candate, then I can't tell her about my Title. Being with a Monster this ominous as she says is already enough. Judging from her reaction upon finding out that the Demon Lord Of Sloth was looking for me... She came back, but still.'

"Thinking long and hard there. What about?" Elisa asked.

'Potential Demon King Candidate. That Lich... What did it see in me? Something I said? No, I couldn't talk back then. Then why would it... Give me such a Title?'

"Oh, he's not listenning."

'Becoming a Demon King Candidate would, in part, becoming more like Raven perhaps? Mm... Becoming a Demon King.'

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

"Sorry, I was thinking."

"Yeah, okay. Time to get going?" Elisa hopped off the shack with the Moonlit Feline between her arms.

She started walking once more.

Towards the border between Sloth and Lust.

"Sure." He followed.

Mark scratched his thigh with a claw.

'Becoming a Demon King...'

He raised his gaze at the dark sky that was slowly becoming clearer.

'Do I even care about that?' Mark asked himsekf as his gaze fell back onto the Princess.

Unfortunately, the Title of Potential Demon King Candidate can't be so easily abandoned.

Casting away the ambitions of becoming King in a new world is complicated, no matter how shallow the reasons for such ambitions are.

'Well, I obviously want to Devour and fight stronger Monsters but... Becoming King seems like it would involve politics. Or not... Since it would be a Demon King. Still, becoming a Demon King would mean having to fight the Demon King Candidates, and perhaps even the Demon Lords-'

"Thanks for sleeping on the floor, Mark." She said after turning around, a cheerful smile on her face.

Sigh-

'I want to fight those I want to fight, without being obligated to do anything I don't want. Mm. Let's go with that.'

"Aren't you going to say that I'm welcome or something?"

"You're sleeping on the floor next time."

"Deal!"