The path was faintly illuminated by small torches affixed to the tunnel's supporting beams as I descended. Doubts arose within me as a hazy light gradually permeated the tunnel with each step downward. Is the end of this tunnel a portal, or is it simply an exit leading directly to the abyss? I pondered as the answer eluded me.

After continuing my journey for about four more hours, the lighting gradually normalized, revealing a clearer path that led to an exit plunging into the abyss. As I neared the exit, no solid ground captured my attention compelling me to shift into my crow form and soon I soared into the dark abyss, and gazing below, I spotted a makeshift wooden staircase extending to the floor.

The staircase was narrow allowing about four average humans to climb side by side. Defensive lines, like deep ditches with spikes at the bottom and easily disposable bridges, surrounded the ascent. Five military posts, resembling small buildings, were strategically placed between the ditches and the staircase.

Above me, there was no sun or moon, only a high foggy sky that obscured visibility. The ground beneath was cracked, some crevices were too deep and filled with lava casting an eerie glow. Various monsters roamed in the distance ranging from small to towering presenting a formidable display that kept other creatures at bay. The farther I ventured, the larger and more menacing the monsters became.

This region, labeled by humans as the initial floor of the abyss, bore the name Volcanus Lands. Most creatures inhabiting this terrain fell within the level range of five to fifty, though it didn't rule out the presence of higher-level monsters. Therefore, caution was needed.

It had been a while since I encountered monsters, prompting me to choose a smaller target first to confront and evaluate its level then determine my subsequent actions. Spotting what seemed to be the smallest among the surrounding monsters, I accelerated in its direction flipping my wings as I descended morphing into my cobra form. Upon impact, I crashed into my target slightly flattening it to the ground. The heat from its red burning shell compelled me to distance myself swiftly.

Transforming into my human form, I summoned the hefty sword from my domain materializing it in my right hand. I approached the recovering crab with measured steps as I assumed a fighting stance. Rather than facing it head-on, I circled it picking up speed gradually. Each powerful vertical slash targeted its legs one by one, forcing the creature to collapse. The resulting injuries released magmas that, upon contact with the ground solidified instantly adding to the hindrance in its movement.

My mind and body screamed in unison as I witnessed the crippled crab withering in pain. Violence flooded my thoughts like a river, and my body screamed at me to assume my phantom form. Greed and hunger howled in union as I imagined swallowing the crab entirely into my stomach. The sensation of massive clubs hammering my head brought me back to reality as clarity washed over me.

I grasped that something was wrong— the more I ate the greedier I became, making me increasingly violent regardless of my hunger. I had no justification to consume a monster that was not five levels ahead of mine. Now, I was transforming into a hungry mindless monster, a state I detested. It needed to stop. I required a solution to prevent my descent into complete madness.

I pushed aside those feelings, clearing my mind as I approached the crab. I raised my sword high and slashed down vertically with a forceful motion crushing its head and bringing an end to its life.

(You've killed a level 10 magma crab and gained 12 Exp)

I left the corpse and set out to hunt for larger monsters—ones that could give more [Exp] and potentially [Attribute Points]. A long time passed hunting monsters of similar size while struggling to keep my hunger at bay. At last, I stumbled upon something noticeably larger than my previous prey. With my hunger relentlessly urging me, it seemed fitting to consume something that would truly strengthen me.

Standing at a towering 8 feet, this particular monster had a humanoid form with a body made entirely of rock. Notably, its upper body was robust and thicker than its lower part. Lava spreads through its body like veins. Its head was directly connected to its body. The burning ember eyes and mouth gave it a mesmerizing look, although it was undeniably a monster.

I was not quite sure how to deal with this one, and it didn't look appetizing to me at all. I figured I'd go ahead and attack it first, then decide my course of action based on its level. After careful consideration, I decided to approach it directly. Reverting to my human form, I soared downhill landing gracefully in front of it. From the depths of my domain, I summoned my twin axes which were gleaming in anticipation. I approached it with deliberate slowness causing it to roar at me, a threat echoing in its display of aggression. I swiftly sidestepped evading the oncoming heat unleashed by the creature's menacing scream.

My mind swirled with conflicting thoughts, urging me to assume my phantom form. Gritting my teeth, I pushed these distractions aside, focusing on the creature in front of me. The reasons for my unease remained elusive; there seemed to be no cause unless the monster posed a formidable challenge. Otherwise, it would be an unnecessary drain on my [Dark Energy]. Gradually accelerating, I approached the monster, keenly observing its reactions. With axes at the ready, my goal was clear: inflict damage to ascertain its level.

As I entered the monster's range, it made a sudden move, smashing the ground and releasing a burst of lava. Caught off guard, I watched as the molten flow surged toward me.

Leaping to the side, searing pain emanated from the heat beneath my feet. My body's response was immediate, urging me to shift into my phantom form through the invocation of [Phantom Form]. As the transformation unfolded, a loss of control gripped me, gradually intensifying until its completion. In the ensuing moment, an almost detached experience unfolded—I observed myself discarding my axes, charging relentlessly at the ghoul. Stripped of control, my singular focus became crushing my adversary and consuming it; the option to revert eluded me as if my mind had become severed from my corporeal self.

Silently observing, my body closed the distance to the rocky adversary, exchanging a fist that met a retaliatory blow. The impact pushed it a few steps backward, creating an opening for my relentless assault. A forceful stab to its rocky chest triggered a flow of magma akin to blood, causing collateral damage in the process. The molten substance cascaded down its body, slowly solidifying as it made its way to the ground.

Despite the pain coursing through me, I found myself powerless to evade it, my body acting autonomously. The subsequent sight unfolded rapidly—the ghoul emitted a resounding scream, its body convulsing violently. In short order, a wave surged forth, with lava creeping across the floor and searing heat spreading in all directions, causing damage in the process. I deduced it to be a skill or ability, as such behavior went beyond the natural tendencies of monsters.

I desired to leap away, create distance, and evade the impending damage but instead, I found my body lunging forward, sinking its teeth into the ghoul's head. The creature's screams ceased as it was consumed, swallowed into my stomach. The searing pain persisted as the hot head descended my throat, inflicting further damage until it was completely digested.

(You've killed a level 26 lava ghoul and gained 76 Exp)

(You've leveled up!)

(You've earned 5 Attribute Points!)

I witnessed the complete solidification of the ghoul's lava veins while my body continued its feast until every trace of the rock vanished. Despite my anticipation, post-meal reversion eluded me, and control remained unattainable. As my unguided form surveyed its surroundings, an impulsive charge followed upon spotting the first monster—a spider-like creature with four legs, two on each side. However, it deviated from the typical spider anatomy; its abdomen lacked roundness and instead boasted a lengthy tail. Mercifully, this arachnid displayed no signs of lava features, at least for the time being. The impending conclusion of my transformed state loomed ever closer, evident in the dwindling [Dark Energy] inching towards depletion.

My body sprinted swiftly towards it, leaping into the air and slamming it down flat onto the floor. It drove its claws directly into the creature's brain, swiftly ending its life.

(You've killed a level 14 shadow spider and gained 28 Exp)

Then, it commenced devouring the creature, tearing into its flesh until the body was completely consumed. I watched with anticipation, eagerly awaiting the moment for my transformed state to revert so I could regain control of my body.

(Warning: Your Dark Energy is too low! Reverting to base form in 5 seconds)

My body began the gradual process of reverting, and with each passing moment, I regained control, though the pain from the ghoul fight lingered. To my surprise, instead of achieving mental clarity, an unexplained hunger gnawed at me, despite having consumed two monsters that should have filled my stomach. Seeking insight, I accessed my status to gauge my situation. [Health] dwindled to ninety, accompanied by a sense of fatigue. Strangely, my [Food] was 287/333, indicating no hunger, yet an inexplicable craving persisted, eluding my understanding.

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The [Dark Matter] was 833, an amount I deemed rather high. Acknowledging the escalating difficulty of each level, I recognized the need for more [Exp]. Allocating 20 points to [Strength], 4 to [Heal], and the remainder to [Darkness], I deliberated on my newfound capabilities. The thought crossed my mind that challenging opponents up to level 41 or below could be within my grasp, with the potential for substantial level leaps achievable by assuming my phantom form. Then I set out to find a suitable place to rest and recuperate.

I found it impossible to rest in this dreadful place, so I leaned wearily against a substantial rock, patiently awaiting my [Health] to regenerate. As I rested I started recalling my actions, from eating the animals till I ate a human warrior promoting my human thoughts to surface and take on my younger self appearance once again.

My human counterpart spoke as he took a spot and sat beside me. "I thought about what you said, but I can't bring myself to accept any of that. Also, I'm neither your thoughts nor any illusions as you might imagine."

"Really? Tell me then as I can't seem to understand what's happening to us, although our thoughts seem to be connected since I could hear your thoughts previously without you speaking at all" I responded intent on hearing him even though I knew what he had on his mind already, at least I had someone to speak to.

"Well, yes. That's true since I can do the same as well. But I don't think our souls were merged, more like stitched together. After all, we are not compatible to merge completely"

"What do you mean? Well, you may want to explain further as I can't understand your thoughts completely"

"Ah, you were a monster and now you want to live as a human-"

"What does that have anything to do anything with our situation?"

"It's simple, you want to be a human yet you've never lived as one. So you continue to do actions that counteract our human nature distancing our souls further."

"The further our souls are the harder it becomes for us to be human-"

"Ah, which makes our body act based on its monster instinct once we take on our phantom form, did I understand you correctly?"

"The more I think about it the more I realize how bad it is, our actions didn't resample any humans at all. humans don't cannibalize much less eat intelligent beings."

"If what you are saying is true then we have been torn apart since we ate the orc guard"

"That might be correct, maybe it wasn't noticeable enough."

"Maybe it started when you ate a couple more orcs, making me come into existence. But you were stubborn and refused anything I said."

"I...-" I was cut off before I could say anything.

"I completely understand you and I won't blame you since I was equally blinded by hatred"

"Although if we wanted to continue going as we are, there will be some rules to follow to avoid further trouble"

"First and foremost, we are human to any creatures that can think and speak."

"Second, we may not eat humans, orcs, kobolds, or any civilized species that can think for itself."

"Oh, so you want us to be a vegetarian monster?"

"No, if we want to live as a human among humans then we can't do any of that. As no human with accept equally living with among monsters."

"That's the least we could do so we can live accepted among them. we would be human among humans no matter who they are. and we would be a monster to other monsters."

"I understand a little, does that mean we can't hurt them?"

"No, I don't mind defending ourselves but we can't just harm innocents."

"So basically, eating them is a red line, but we could do whatever want for our goals"

"Yes, I don't so why not, at least for now. Maybe think of something other than fear to invoke on humans when it comes to your actions"

"Alright, I will acknowledge your wishes and act upon them." I finally let out a sigh as this conversation came to an end, I wouldn't want us to be torn further as I didn't know what would happen.

"Well, that's all. I assume we won't lose control of our body as our souls recover over time, but for now, I advise against using your phantom form." Finally, my counterpart disappeared leaving me alone once again to recover.

I remained vigilant of my surroundings, and after a couple of hours, I began to feel a noticeable improvement. The illusory hunger diminished slightly, though it was still bugging me. I was truly hungry now, as most of the [Food] had been consumed for my recovery. Some pain lingered, prompting me to rest a bit more, but I could manage. I pushed myself off the ground to continue my hunt; there was no time to waste.

My [Health] should be above two hundred by now, though I refrained from checking my status, as the warning message would alert me if it were near the bottom. As I let my sight wander, I spotted a monster far in the distance.

I marched steadily toward it, and once I was close enough, I could see that it resembled a lizard, albeit standing about 8 feet tall and measuring 10 feet in length. A scaly red pattern stretched from the top of its head to its tail, gradually thinning out and resembling a whip as it reached its end. The moment I approached it closely, it started hissing and slowly began turning around, waving its tail at me in a defensive stance. I noticed that this lizard lacked teeth, suggesting it might be a scavenger rather than a predator, or perhaps it consumed an entirely different diet.

'What an annoying situation, though it won't work for long,' I thought to myself as I circled slowly around it. However, it kept up with me, preventing me from finding any blind spots. 'Maybe I will have to slide under this thing to hurt it.' It seemed like the only solution, given that its entire body was protected. Anyway, I wouldn't know unless I tried. One of my axes materialized into my hand as I increased my pace until I was directly beside its head, causing it to hiss louder, recognizing me as a greater threat. Holding the axe with both hands, I prepared to strike.

The moment arrived, and I accelerated my speed, delivering a powerful blow. To my anticipation, there was no reaction from the lizard, and no damage notification appeared. This signaled that I had to devise another way to deal with it, as its armor negated all of my damage.

Maybe just flip it upside down and the rest will be easy naturally. I distanced myself quickly as a plan formed in my mind.

I contemplated flipping it upside down or sliding below it—both viable options, but the execution posed a challenge. Flipping seemed the better idea, so I retreated to a nearby safe place to recover more [Dark Energy]. Keeping my eyes on the monster, I hoped that my instincts wouldn't act up this time and ruin my plan.

A considerable amount of time passed, allowing my body to accumulate more [Dark Energy]. I then checked my status, finding its current value to be 84. Deeming it sufficient for my purpose—simply a strength boost to lift the lizard assuming it was heavy—I rose to my feet. Without delay, I activated my form, and my body began transforming. This time, I didn't lose complete control. Perhaps, it was because not much time had passed since I last used it, enabling me to maintain control over my body.

I located the lizard and charged at it, my stomps loud enough to attract its attention. Running alongside it, I positioned myself in its blind spot—the middle of its body where its tail was out of reach. With swift precision, I dug my claws into its unarmored flesh, exerting all my strength, now at 119. My muscles bulged as I lifted the massive creature partly off the ground, gritting my teeth in determination.

Taking a couple of steps, I shifted its weight to its other legs, causing it to stumble and fall upside down. I took a breath, reverted to my base form, and celebrated my success. Now, it was time to kill and eat before another threat emerged.

I propelled myself off the floor, climbing it to reach the top of its exposed stomach. The creature hissed and thrashed around, attempting to get up, but it was futile. After all this effort, I wouldn't let it rise again. I summoned the heavy sword from my domain, preparing to stab the lizard to death. Next, I walked to its neck and thrust the sword down, sinking it into its warm moist flesh. The sword descended smoothly until it encountered what seemed to be the lizard's armor, failing to pierce it and prompting me to pull it back.

Seeing that one strike didn't kill it encouraged me to continue stabbing it a few more times, but I still failed, forcing me to start my meal as I waited for it to bleed out. I took on my phantom form and began digging my claws into its chest, pulling out its ribcage bones and freeing some space for me to dive inside. Once I located its large lungs, I bit into the right one as it was the closest. Time passed slowly as I ate the insides of the lizard, and finally, it died, granting me 100 [Exp].

(You've killed a level 32 Armored Varanus and gained 100 Exp)

I ignored the notification and continued my meal until nothing of the lizard was left but its scales which I took some into my spital ring, these were hard enough to be forged as some good weapons or armor. The moment I finished it, my hunger flared back to life again, encouraging me to check my status; one of my stats was surely causing it.

[Name: Arteus]

[Health: 214/350]

[Food: 371/397]

[Class: Hybrid Predator]

[Level: 8 | Exp: 144/303]

[Dark Matter: 994 | Dark Energy: 48/258]

[Strength: 96 | Dexterity: 20 | Heal: 70 | Darkness: 43]

[Ability Points: 0 | Attribute Points: 16 | Skill Points: 1]

[Food] isn't the problem I thought to myself as I inspected my stats. [Food] was nearing the limit, indicating that my stomach was satisfied. Was it the [Regeneration] effect? I wouldn't know until my [Health] was fully recovered, so I went to rest to confirm it and I added 12 points to [Darkness] and 4 to [Strength]. On the way to find a safe place, I killed 4 lower-level monsters to farm some [Exp], bringing it to 228. It wasn't as effective as killing larger monsters. I stored 2 corpses—one at level 15 and the other at level 17. The other two gave me 20 [Exp] combined.

Eventually, I found an isolated place. I lay down on the ground for a few minutes until boredom set in. So, I took my crow form and flew on an adventure to discover new areas. More importantly, I aimed to find some larger monsters to hunt, as I was about a level and a half away from my goal. After a few hours of venturing away from the human camp, the crevices started to widen, and all the monsters I could see now were of the volcanic type. I halted my progress as the sizes resembled that of the earlier lizard. Selecting the least dangerous-looking one as my target, I descended, taking my human form to kill it—this time, I didn't want to get roasted.

This one resembled a monkey, except for the fact that it was a skeleton, with its eye sockets and ribs illuminated by the flames contained inside them. Its tail, legs, and arms comprised most of its structure, reaching about 7 feet tall. I didn't long to kill the skeleton which turned out to be level 26, once it was dead its flames went off encouraging me to eat it. Since eating a rock gave me [Attribute Points] I didn't see why bones wouldn't so I crunched on its tasteless bones eating them slowly until I consumed them entirely.

My [Dark Matter] increased by 140 and I gained 13 [Attribute Points] from it, the hunger illusion intensified again even though my [Health] was full. Nothing else in my stats changed but the [Dark Matter] so I was suspicious about it, either way I had to come up with a solution to this problem. Either way, I could damage myself badly intentionally to drop the [Dark Matter] value down or increase my [Health] and see the result.

I took the second approach as the [Dark Matter] was important but if it is gonna trouble me I may as well reduce it until I no longer feel hungry. I added all the [Attribute Points] into [Heal], now I just had to wait and see the result.