The "Monster Core Integration" currently being at 09% tells me I've got a bit more time to hunt. If things were to go as they did with the Goblins I wouldn't be too worried, but most of my time is spent walking around trying to find things to hunt.

I'm not sure I really want things to go "as they did with the Goblins": the odds were not in my favor.

I… may need to give myself some credit. Every time I think about how I fight I feel like it's just cheap dirty tricks. But if I think about how most of the creatures I've fought so far have been, it's pretty much the same thing?

So either everything fights dirty, or I'm just overthinking it. Which, to be honest, is probably the latter.

'Well, for now, let's use those points. '

I decide. I've banked eleven points, giving me at least five functional increases plus one leveling health point.

I end up putting four into Strength (bringing it to 16), two into Dexterity (bringing it to 14), four in Constitution (bringing it to 16) and leave one point for later.

The con boost and level raises my health from 20 to 23.

Health: 23/23

Strength: 16 [16]

Dexterity: 14 [14]

Constitution:16 [16]

Wisdom: 14

Intelligence: 16

Charisma: 00 [00]

Available Points: 01

I'd like to dump it all in Constitution or Strength, but having more health without power would just mean I'd be weak in a fight longer, or low health and high power would mean I could hit hard, but couldn't take a hit. I'd rather not be a glass cannon, and considering my life is on the line there's no way I'm going to min/max my stats and risk it.

Although I still am leaving Charisma alone, so maybe a little min/maxing? Or does that make it my "dump stat?"

On to the next thing, which I'm kind of excited about!

Selecting the "Goblin King" I choose to Devour it, curious what kind of special abilities it has:

Consume and Devour

You have consumed a [Goblin]. Please select one of the following:

Skills:

* Command: You are adept at telling others what to do, either through Persuasion or Fear.

Racial Trait:

* Low Light Vision: You can see up to 60 feet in the dark as if it was dim light. Vision is limited to the form of objects.

Language:

* Goblin

Class:

* Monster [Unique]: you gain stats similar to normal monsters. This class is lost if a standard class is acquired.

Title:

* King

Wait, it's just a normal Goblin?

That's a let down.

' It's the first time seeing a title, so now I know those show up with their name but don't seem to add anything to their abilities- unless they get Skills with them? Could the command skill have been given due to the title?'

With that thought I decide to acquire the King title, getting a new window in response

Congratulations on receiving a Title!

Titles are given by other individuals and are usually a result of fame or infamy. Some titles require more or specific sources of recognition to be received!

Error: Titles cannot be forcefully acquired.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Well crap. At least the automated message for the title told me something, but it still feels like a waste. I want to complain about having the Hero title forcefully taken away, but I doubt that thing is playing by the same rules.

I select a "Goblin Warrior" to Devour next:

Consume and Devour

You have consumed a [Goblin]. Please select one of the following:

Skills:

* None

Racial Trait:

* Low Light Vision: You can see up to 60 feet in the dark as if it was dim light. Vision is limited to the form of objects.

Language:

* Goblin

Class:

* Monster [Unique]: you gain stats similar to normal monsters. This class is lost if a standard class is acquired.

Title:

* Warrior

'So, either Titles don't get Skills, or not all Titles get them.' With titles no longer an option the only thing left usable is the Language "Goblin"-- and I'm not sure I want to take it.

On one hand, it'd be nice to be able to talk to someone. But considering the only time that would happen is when fighting them, I'm not sure I want to understand them.

And knowing even rats can sort of "talk", I'm not sure I can really consider that a sign of intelligence. If I were to take it, should I think of it any different than hearing the rats talk?

The "Monster Class" raises another point: the fact that Goblins CAN get a class, and doing so seems to remove them from stat increases as monsters. Was the Kobold I found leveling as a monster before it got the Rogue class?

It seems every time I learn something new it just opens the door for more questions.

'Well, waste not want not.' I decide and take the Goblin language. At the least I'll learn what cuss words they're calling me in the future.

Next I opt to Absorb a goblin: while I don't intend to become one it'll be nice having a Humanoid form as a design option.

I decide to leave the other five in my Gut.

With the important things out of the way it's time to move on: the Goblins were camping at the edge of the woods and just a bit beyond is the waterfall I've been hearing, with a path leading up to the large cave it exits from!

—

As far as mythical creatures go, I've always liked Centaurs. Admittedly its partially because it's my Zodiac sign, but they're also a staple of mythology and fantasy. And now? Now I get to make one! Sort of.

After Absorbing the Common Deer I use it as a base and begin mixing in the Goblins form. The "human" torso is somewhat a lie: it won't contain any actual organs like the heart and lungs. They couldn't provide enough for the full body to be sustained and it'd be a waste trying to put them in.

Instead it's basically just the horses neck, or deer in this case, with a Humanoid rib cage on top of it.

Despite all fantasy images showing a human abdomen on a centaur the muscle structure wouldn't hold up well to the style of flexing needed for the area. I do thicken a few muscles to create the illusion of a human styled waist at the base of the neck though, which likely isn't as much needed on a deer body as it would be on a horse.

The Humanoid ribcage is left the same, mostly because it's intended to support the arms and doesn't need much changed.

I debate how "human" I want the head to be and end up using the Goblin skull smoothed over with the deers features.

With a few other embellishments it ends up looking beautifully exotic, almost like a runway model in a weird fashion show.

With plenty of time to think I've made a few others as well. I mixed Goblin into the Stonebark Treant to make a "Stonebark Goblin Treant". Unlike the deertaur, which forced the "Monster Class" onto the design once a certain percentage of Gobin was included, the mere act of adding the Stonebark Treant to the Goblin form removed the class instantly.

This gives me the benefit of having a near completely Humanoid form while maintaining a Monster Core ability. Though I have to keep the Earth Crystal on my body to use it, I was able to make a Skill that allows me to launch small wood stakes at my target as cantrips and large wood spears for the leveled versions.

While the cantrip creates the stakes, firing them is actually a mechanical process, working like a hand crossbow but entirely contained within my lower arm.

I admit to momentarily considering breaking my own arm off to use in other forms, but that would hurt way too much- not to mention be a foolish thing to do.

I'm not sure why mixing Goblin with Stonebark Treant worked as it refuses to let me do so with others. I discovered in most cases once I add a certain percentage of Gobin into the mix the Monster Class is automatically added and I can't include any Core based abilities. Likewise, if I add those in first I am prevented from adding too much Goblin form in the mix. I tried to mix Goblin with Armored Rat, but it refused to let me: I couldn't simply remove the Core Skill to make a new creature from the design.

I had no trouble mixing Goblin with the komodo to make a "Lizardman".

I was curious how far from the base forms I could push it and mixed Goblin with Rat and a bit of squirrel, creating a "Opossum Kin".

Which indirectly tells me this world must have possums. While that may not seem like a huge revelation, I find it interesting there's such a… well, goofy to be honest, creature here. They are jerks, at least the ones I've come across, but not really a threatening species.

'No, scratch that.' I decide. 'Deer are threatening here. Heck, even roaches are predators. Who knows, maybe here possums are dangerous too?'

After zoning out while designing I let out a mental sigh, finding the "Monster Core Integration" currently at 14%, telling me just how much time I've wasted walking.

The water left a tunnel shortly inside the cave with the foot path winding on past it. After a couple hours walking the cave turned into the stone "dungeon" style structure I was in before, initially finding nothing but bugs.

That changed when I felt something slash across the top of my head.