The Dreaded Place was there for a very long time. So long that no one could remember how or why it came to be. But one thing was clear, all animals almost on an instinctual level were avoiding the silent jungle, and the sapient races were no different. There were prophecies and omens telling people to stay away from the jungle. And that was for a very good reason!

Legs go back a bit in time.

A very ancient thing, a primordial once existed; an entity like no other. It had an appetite for mana but no matter how much it consumed it would never feel satiated. There was only hunger! So, it ate and ate engorging itself. And in doing so it grew bigger and bigger, and as its body grew, so did its appetite. Ironically, the more it ate the hungrier it got.

The thing is that without mana there is no life and without life there is no mana. It ate so much that there was nothing left to be eaten. And then it starved, but even then it wouldn’t die. At first, the entity grew grumpy, then angry, and later it was enraged. It blamed the world for its failings, for failing to provide the food, for having a flimsy and delicate mana cycle. It blamed the plants and creatures for dying and failing to convert the ambient mana for it to consume. In other words, it grew bitter and resentful, it grew Dark.

There was nothing to eat, so it made a simple choice – it would go and take a nap. And then it slept for aeons. Even when it slept, it didn’t stop craving for mana. Its body naturally consumed any stray mana which formed there or just flew from the outside. In a passive sense, the entity had enforced a Drain effect on the entire place.

However, Mother Nature was a clever mistress and nature always found a way. It took time, thousands of years, but some plants adapted, and they were able to live in the near-zero mana environment. Thus, a lush jungle grew retaking the drained place. But even then, the plants had near zero mana nutrition and the animals hadn’t yet caught up in evolutions. The jungle was left eerily quiet. There were plants and there was life, but in a sense, it was stagnant and almost lifeless. But it was enough. Even if the plants weren’t magical, they lived and hence breathed mana, even if only a sliver of it. And then, naturally, some plants became further resistant to the Drain effect. A peculiar kind of plant was born, and then a peculiar type of animal life.

Regardless of such things, the entity kept slumbering and waiting for better times. So long as there was little mana it would not awaken, it just didn’t have the strength. That was until…

…

The Bastion failed to activate, and it was too late to dodge the tentacle. The King steeled himself for impact. Oh boy, will it hurt!

The impact never came. “Huh!” He exclaimed in surprise.

Johny had blocked the tentacle with its body; the lovable slug had finally caught up. Even better, he was all coated in the Blue Dust and the tentacle shrunk just from touching it.

“Thanks for the save, man!”

The slug wriggled its own few tentacles threateningly at the Darkness and then replied. “No Problem.”

The shadowy tendrils quivered at the slug’s presence as if hesitant. They just couldn’t attack Johny because he was all coated in that dust.

“Hmm. It seems to be wary of you.” The King noticed.

“It Is Afraid! [Dust Spray].” Johny sprayed towards the mass of tentacles.

The tentacles shrunk shying away from the dust and the slug itself. It’s not that the shadow mass was defeated it was just warded away. But still, it was super effective! It was almost as if Johny was born to fight it; a late discovery, but not too late.

The King had another late realisation. Just like Johny, he could coat himself in the dust. He did so just before another tentacle took a swing at him. And just before it could hit him, it hesitated.

“No, you don’t.” He parried and counterattacked with his spear killing the tentacle for good.

“[Jelly Jet]!” Johny shot out from one of its many teats.

“Oh?!”

It was also surprisingly super effective. No, it was more. The Slug Jelly acted like a poison to the shadows, disrupting and dispelling their form.

“Yeah, keep at it. Keep it busy.” The King found it so much easier to thrust and jab at the shadows.

The two worked in tandem, and yes the King dealt good damage to the Darkness but the real MVP was clearly the magnificent slug. Johny had a massive body, rivalling that of the Great Worm of Oberon, so it could tank hits no problem and the shadow Drain didn’t work on him. He was like a tank here! And even better, it came with turrets. A lot of turrets! Each squirting out a barrage of Jelly Jet at the darkness.

During the ongoing battle, the minions of the darkness were finally contained. More and more of the spiders were joining in the assault to defeat the main body and the source of darkness. The Reborn spiders, the ones with bodies made out of Glem had finally also joined the fray. They coated their enchanted limbs in a Disrupting spell and cleaved at the Darkness from the sides.

A lot of magic simply just petered out doing no damage to the calamity. But even then, the King, the slug and the spiders had found a way. The shadow monsters were dealt with, the shadowy tentacles contained, and the approach of darkness was stopped. Little by little the shadowy mass was whittled down.

He couldn’t help but notice, “It is shrinking!”

By the time the body of Darkness was half of its original size, the shadows stopped beyond born, the sky brightened and the shadowy blob began retreating back to the jungle. The Allies began cheering a bit prematurely as if the battle was won.

“No! We must kill it!” The King chased after the blob of darkness. “If we don’t, it will just come back again.”

But the mages were running out of mana, archers out of ammo, there were only a few scrolls and other disposable items left, and Johny was running low on jelly. Even if the Darkness was shrinking and retreating the Allies had no resources left to kill the thing.

The King wracked his mind hard looking for the solutions. If somehow he could find a way to stop the blob from moving he could just chip at it with his spear.

“What if…” He accessed his inventory pulling some rope and a flask of slug jelly.

He coated the rope in a thin layer of that viscous goodness. The spiders soon caught up with what he was trying to do.

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“Jelly. More Jelly.” The spiders chirped trying to scavenge as much of it between themselves as possible.

Everyone contributed: Johny milked itself for the last drop, the spiders sacrificed their personal stores, and even the Lamia Queen had to give out her secret stash. The spiders lathered the rope in the precious jelly and started weaving. The Darkness must have sensed that something was up because it was running away twice as fast. The spiders were experts at making webs so the web to bind the darkness - the SlugJelly Web, was finished within minutes.

“Trap it now! Bind it so that it cannot escape!”

The spiders launched the web into the air entrapping the blob of darkness within. Normally the dark stuff would just escape through the gaps, but this time it was different. The Darkness shrugged away from the web’s embrace, shrinking upon itself, but even when it could not escape.

“Pull!”

Spiders pulled at their ropes tightening the binding Web. The calamity resisted, its tentacles kept trying to push it towards the jungle. More and more spiders joined in the tug of war, and eventually the blob was stopped in its tracks. If it tried to move in one direction the spiders would just pull to oppose it. Unbelievably so, the Darkness was finally contained.

“One.” The King jabbed his spear through the gap in the Web. “Two.” He jabbed again. “Three…”

With each thrust, the darkness shrunk more and more.

“…Nine hundred eleven.”

The hill of darkness was no more, it had shrunk so much that it was at the size of a normal human. The much-reduced blob was quivering and jiggling like a slime.

“…Nine hundred sixty.”

It quivered again as if in pain from the attack.

“No. No more!” The King’s voice sounded, but the King wasn’t the one who spoke.

“…”

“No. Stop!” The Darkness repeated in a stolen voice.

*Stab, “Nine hundred sixty one. Are you trying to negotiate after you have already lost?”

“Yes.”

The King shrugged. “… sixty two. I don’t feel like talking anymore. Too late!”

“Please. Don’t kill me. I want to. Live.”

“Understandable.” *Stab, *Stab.

The Darkness now was truly reduced to the size of a mere slime.

“I just wanted a small snack. Please, I beg you. Spare my life.” The shadowy slime trembled.

He pulled the spear back readying it for a final thrust. And then he struck the blob… or tried to. For some reason his body refused to move. He looked at the blob startled, he wanted to shout but he couldn’t even do that, he and everything around him were standing still as if frozen. The reason was simple, the time itself had stopped.

His consciousness faded for a second and he found himself in a dark and empty void.

A familiar nebulous entity boomed a single piece of advice. “Don’t kill it. Let it go and then…”

His consciousness faded once again, and he found himself floating in white space.

A less familiar echoing voice boomed a different advice. “Kill it. You must end it.”

In a single blink, he was back in the clearing staring at the trembling slime. The time was flowing again but his arm remained still.

“I hate this!” He felt like these nebulous entities were toying with him, invading his mind whenever they pleased. “What am I even supposed to do here?”

*Sob, “Please. Please. Please.” It begged blubbering. “I’ll be good I swear.”

Was it a really good idea to trust the Darkness?

*Sob, “I was just so hungry. All I wanted was a tiny little snack…”

He didn’t care about those excuses.

*Sob, “I’ll give it all back. I promise!”

He doubted that was even possible…

*Sob, “Let me make it up to you.”

There was no proof those words were genuine, after all, it had never bothered to speak before; It just came and ravaged the innocent TomGrape. It had cast a Shadow Plague upon the farm, and to fight it the spiders had made a lot of sacrifices. In other words, this trembling slime was a lying criminal. And he couldn’t care less about the mysterious ‘advice’ the ‘gods’ had given him. Worse, there was a clear conflict between the two!

[The Darkness wishes to become your Familiar], the message informed him all of a sudden.

Huh? Maybe some of its words were genuine. After all, the contract was binding, but obviously the slime must know a way to break it; like by getting him killed. He wasn’t having it; he pulled his arm back readying the final strike.

“No?” *Sob. ”I’m so sorry. I can do better. Please, let's be friends.”

[The Darkness wishes to become your Slave]

Once again, the indecision struck at his resolve. He was tempted. If this shadowy slime wasn’t powerful the mysterious entities wouldn’t have invaded his mind. And the bond offered was even more binding than that of a familiar. Maybe he should not contemplate it, and just execute this criminal and be done with it, but a part of him wanted its power. Master of Darkness had a certain appeal to him; it called at the dark side of his heart. Master of Darkness, King of Spiders, Ruler of the…

“Better?” *Sob. “Now, I’ll do whatever you want. My body is yours. Please be gentle.”

All he had to do was to accept the contract. A mental tug and it would be done.

Well, he didn’t have to ponder these things alone. The real battle had been won at the time the Web was cast and the Darkness trapped. Allies, friends, spiders and other figures of importance were standing beside him and watching the scene unfold.

“What do you think.” He asked a certain spider; it always had the best advice.

“In the end, it is your decision, King.” The Trusty Advisor chirped simply.

Then he looked at his sulking wife. “Whatever.” It was clear that she was still upset about being forced to part with her secret jelly stash.

He looked at the High Chief. “I don’t mind. With such a contract you’ll be able to keep the monster in check. After all, you are the…”

“…Monster King.” He finished for the High Chief.

“Meow! I don’t trust it.” The wyrmling scowled at the shadowy slime.

Well, there was definitely a risk there.

“Johny, what do you think?” He asked the MVP and the only reason why this battle was won at all.

The magnificent slug looked at the shaking and sobbing blob. “I Want To Eat It.”

“No! I am not tasty!” It trembled and sobbed even more.

“Ha, that would be an appropriate end for the Darkness.” He had to admit. “But… Sorry, I will be selfish this time.”

He accepted the contract.

[Congratulations! You are now the Master of the Darkness]

All of a sudden he began to feel increasingly woozy. His mind was assaulted with a barrage of messages.

[Congratulations! You have defeated the Darkness]

[‘Primordial_Designation:Darkness!’ has lost all of its titles]

[‘Primordial_Designation:Darkness!’ is downgraded to ‘Monster_Designation:Darkness!’]

[The Dreaded Place is no more], [Monster Realm was created], [You are the ruler of the Monster Realm]

[The magic has returned to its normal state], [You have gained access to the System]

[Chaos Blessed – activated], [You have lost access to the System], [You have gained access to the Monster System]

[‘Monster_Designation:Spider!’ has gained access to the Monster System]

[‘Monster_Designation:Johny!’ has gained access to the Monster System]

[‘Monster_Designation:Apex_Squirrels!’ has gained access to the Monster System]

[‘Monster_Designation:Darkness!’ has gained access to the Monster System]

…

[Lamia has gained access to the Monster System]

[Drow has gained access to the Monster System]

[Centauri have gained access to the Monster System]

[Human has gained access to the Monster System], [Error], [Divine Intervention]

[Human has lost access to the Monster System]

…

It just kept flowing into his mind.

The King wasn’t the only one to receive similar messages.

“The magic has-sss returned to its normal sss-state?”

“The Monster System? What is that?”

“So now. This is a Monster Realm. Interesting.”

“Meow! I already have the Monster System. Give me something else, meow!”

“It Says I Can Evolve.”

*Sob, “I’m hungry.”

A tiny spider wielding nothing but a stick approached the Darkness and bonked the top of its shadowy slime.

“Behave!” The spider scolded.