Darkness surrounded him the moment he opened his eyes. It was as if he’d been locked in a closed room with no windows or lights. Theodore began to look around, clearly confused as to where he was. “Hello?”
As if responding to his voice, something appeared in front of him: Two deep crimson orbs stared at his tiny figure from within the dark, the large eyes shone with a hint of authority and it caused him to shake with fear.
[Hello.] A man’s deep, rough tone sounded out.
“Who…Who are you?” Theodore tried to move his body but found that he was stuck in place, fear gripping every part of his elongated body.
[You chose me.] The voice continued. [So you should take a guess at my identity.]
That reminded him of what he was doing, it wasn’t hard to tell who was talking to him right now. “Ouroboros?”
[That is I.] The eyes blinked and slowly Theo could feel the muscles in his snake body relax.
“Ah, hello. Could you maybe…fill me in on what’s going on?”
[Of course, my favorite mortal, I shall explain whatever you want to know] Ouroboros’ voice went up a pitch higher, as if he was happy.
[This place isn’t something you mortal’s minds could comprehend, but to keep it simple, this is my ‘domain’. Since you chose me, it’s only natural that you would get to meet me.]
“Huh? How is that related to me evolving?"
[That's where you are wrong.] The menacing eyes blinked again. [My situation is quite complicated, but I shall do my best to explain to you.]
Suddenly, the scenery around them changed, the red glaring eyes of the Ouroboros melted into the background as the darkness shifted and changed.
Soon, a combination of Greek and Egyptian style buildings manifested from nothingness and created a stage as the Ouroboros began telling his story.
[I am Ouroboros, the symbol of eternity and all that is considered discord.] A pitch black serpent appeared from the ground, rising into the air before circling into itself, eventually finding its tail before biting it.
[I am a mere sign yet at the same time I am a real, living being. However, I cannot ever show my existence to the world since they don’t ‘think’ I’m real.]
The black snake opened its eyes and looked at Theo—No, it was looking at something behind him. He turned and saw that the buildings had parted before showing him a real bird's-eye-view of a busy city.
[True to my name, I represent one thing and also its counterpart. I became something yet nothing at the same time.]
[Because of this, I was exhilarated to know that you’ve picked me—By doing so, you’ve given me a chance to be 'truly' known.]
The scenery changed again and the Greek-Egyptian-style structures enclosed the view of the human world and they suddenly broke apart into small, fine dust particles.
They flew in front of Theodore and began to reconstruct itself into a small stage where the rest of the ashes became its actors; Little figurines of humanoid beings sat on top of clouds while some were shown resting on a throne.
[Gods and deities gain strength from the beliefs of mortals. I am no different, hence when I realized that a god had presented an opportunity for small divine beings like me to become stronger, I immediately took up the offer.]
"Wait." Theodore spoke, immediately focused on what Ouroboros had just said. "So the god that'd reincarnated me…Set all of this up?"
[It is beneficial for all sides, that's why I and the others had decided to go along with his ploys. But alas, I cannot say the name of this god or else the 'contract' will be nullified.]
"Okay." Theo nodded in understanding, so far, Ouroboros had been quite friendly towards him so he didn't see why he should doubt him for now. "Please continue, what does all of this have to do with my evolution?"
[To…'evolve', as you put it, you and I need to become one. But you'll still be you while I'll still be myself.]
"...I don't understand."
[Ah. Basically, you don't need to worry about it at all, in fact, I'll become nothing more but a distant voice inside your mind while you keep all of your bodily and mental functions.]
Theodore didn't say anything for a moment as he was slightly baffled by what Ouroboros had said. "That sounds unfair for you guys though."
[It is not. Compared to our conditions right now, becoming a 'Bloodline' is a much better option than staying as a weak deity barely existing in past stories.]
He wanted to ask more about what the deity had meant, but after a second thought he decided not to. "Alright, now I won't feel as guilty."
A whole-hearted laughter rang throughout the make-shift theater, the small figuries of dust moved and started dancing. [Oh, it'd been such a long time since I've been entertained. I'm glad that you'll be the one to inherit my life.]
Theodore lifted his head before nodding firmly. "Don't worry, you'll become a very powerful deity for sure."
[Haha, of course. I'll be watching your growth after all.]
Suddenly, the constructs around them began to crumble into smaller, finer particles before dissipating, causing darkness to cover the area once again. Ouroboros' red eyes appeared as he spoke. [It seems like it is time. Let's commence with the ritual then.]
Theodore watched as dark red mist began to swirl up from the floor beneath him, it circled around his frame before it fully engulfed his frame.
At first, he felt relatively fine, however it didn't take long for the 'ritual' to take effect. Without warning, a burning ache spread from his head down to the very tip of his tail, it felt as if the red mist were slowly boiling him from the inside out.
[Endure it.]
Ouroboros' voice got his thoughts back on track, he gritted his fangs and fought through the immense pain. After only a few minutes, he felt a splitting headache which caused him to fall to the ground while crying out in agony.
[You'll be receiving the power of chaos, so you should be prepared to experience this magnitude of pain some time later in the future.]
Theodore began to lose consciousness, his visions grew dim and his head started spinning. “You don’t say.” He muttered as he tried to endure the pain, it felt as if this feeling would drag on without end.
[It’s almost complete.] Ouroboros’ voice sounded like he was talking inside his mind—like he became his thoughts.
Abruptly, the red mist began to part from his body, they expanded outward and started to fade away, leaving him with only some lingering fiery pain as the aftermath.
[You did well.]
With those words, the world around him slowly broke apart into small glass-like fragments, as if he’d emerged from the shells of an egg, his sight began returning to normal and he could feel the unique atmosphere of the forest once again. Soon, the familiar voice of the System spoke.
[Main Quest #1 Completed! Would you like to view your rewards?]
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“Theo…” A distant sound spoke to Theodore as his consciousness returned to him, he found himself staring at a red-haired man; Merlin’s eyes were wide and his expression was filled with concern, but he would relax after a relieved sigh when he noticed that Theo seemed to be moving again. “Theo! Are you okay? Your body was glowing red hot for so long! I thought you were going to die again!”
Theodore would’ve blinked if he could, he began to look around and noticed that he’d grown a lot larger than before, if he perked his head up, he could just about reach Merlin’s shoulders. He also found some translucent sheets lying around next to him and he immediately recognized what they were. “…I shedded?”
“How are you even okay after that?” Merlin frowned. “I almost burned my hand when I touched you! Any snakes would’ve already been cooked!”
“But I’m not a normal snake though.”
“Still! I was worried, you know?”
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Theodore let out a hiss, akinning to him sighing. “Well. Thank you, I guess. Now let me look at my status.”
He turned his attention away from his friend before calling up the quest menu.
< -Evolve into a mythical creature. (Lvl.35) [Completed] Time Left: -30 minutes (The quest’s timer will stop once you’ve successfully reached Level 35. No penalty will be issued.) [Congratulations! You have completed the first Main Quest! You are now one more step closer to achieving your goal! As promised, you’ll be rewarded greatly for completing the quest!]>> [Would you like to view your rewards?] After a nod from him, the quest window blurred and new texts began to overwrite the old descriptions. < -Stats: You’ll gain an extra digit to all of your stats. Your HP and MP will be multiplied by 1.5x. In exchange, you cannot distribute your Skill Points into your stats until you reach Level 40. -Skills: Every skill you’ve accumulated up to this point will be upgraded by 1 Level, this includes Bloodline Skills and Personal Attributes. -Level and EXP: You can consume the 5x EXP buff and turn them in for a total of 5 Million Experience Points. -New Personal Attribute: [All-Speak], you can now communicate with any living being in the world! You can speak the languages of the species you’re trying to communicate with and understand them. Since humans have multiple languages, you can only speak the ones that are in your area. (Current Area: North America, Manhattan. Available languages: English [Already Fluent], Spanish, Chinese, Russian.) -New Personal Attribute: [Deitify], this attribute allows you to gain strength from the beliefs of mortals, it doesn’t matter if they worship you or fear you, as long as your name is known, you’ll become stronger. This is a new way you could increase your stats, ten worshippers equals to 1-10 points depending on their faith. A single person with strong faiths can give you the same amount of status points as well.>> He almost screamed when he saw the rewards at first, he thought it would just be some useful skills, but he didn’t expect to gain ‘this much’ growth just for completing this one quest. “System! Immediately turn the buff into experience points!” He said out loud, which startled Merlin and he flinched at the sudden noise. [It is done, would you like to view your status window?] “Yes!” < Species: The Ouroboros Serpent (15 Meters) [Evolutions have changed into Bloodline Skills. Reaching Level 5 will give you an option for new skills] Lvl: 9 (Your final evolution is akin to a rebirth. But only your level has been resetted.) [Currently, you can choose a new Bloodline Skill. Reward from the Main quest #1 will apply to this skill.] EXP: 660,000/770,000 Skill Points: 16 HP: 260,000/260,000 MP: 905/905 Rank: A Attack: 260 (C+) Speed: 400 (B+) Defense: 200 (C-) Charm: 50 (E+) Intelligence: 120 (D-) Magic: 310 (B-) Personal Attributes: Gaze of Wisdom (Lvl.4). Thermal Vision (Lvl.MAX). Venom (Lvl.5). Agility (Lvl. 2). Tongue Receptor (Lvl.4). Will to Live (Lvl.2). Deitify (Lvl.MAX). All-Speak (Lvl.MAX) Skills: Ice Magic (Lvl.4). Ambitious Snake: Devour (Lvl.2). Master of Poison (Lvl.2). Persistence (Lvl.2). Flames of Pride (Lvl.2) [NEW!] Bloodline Skills: Embodiment of Chaos (Lvl.2).>> “Show me the Bloodline Skill option” A new screen appeared next to his attribute window, instead of the usual blue, it appears in a beautiful golden hue with some plant-like decoration running along the edges of the window. Neat, curly letters that spelled out ‘Bloodline Skills’ manifested on top of the screen. < The Ouroboros Line has given you more options due to its natural status of Chaos. You can choose between three paths: Creation. Destruction, or Balance. Creation Line: Life will become your domain, anything that’s considered to be alive can be manipulated by you. You can both take and give life to anything that you desire, even those whose fate has been sealed can be saved by your blessings. -Super Regeneration: This skill will activate the moment your body is injured. Any and all forms of wounds, including illnesses and poisons, can be dispelled by this ability. Destruction Line: A bloody path of carnage and discord, you’ll become the ruler of all that is Death, when this attribute grows, a single wave of your hand can wipe out even the mightiest of stars. -Corrupting Touch: All of your attacks will be enhanced by this attribute, the target will receive more damage if they’re marked with your sight and their wounds will be twice as difficult to regenerate, even with high level healing magic. The skill can be disabled at any time. Balance Line: The most difficult path for you to choose, although it is also the most beneficial. Wielding both the power of Creation and Destruction will allow you to become closer to the Ouroboros, which in turn will make you stronger due to the strong connection to the deity. But, your current strength will struggle against keeping two opposite powers in check, the Chaos within you can break your body apart. -You can choose both of the aforementioned skills. However, they’ll be put under a 50% effectiveness debuff until you reach Level 40.>> Theodore stared at the descriptions as he pondered about his decisions. It would be best if he picked both of the skills but the restrictions were quite severe, combined with the fact that the two powers can potentially harm him if he’s not careful, he thought of picking the Destruction Line because it would be useful in his revenge. [I recommend the Balance Line.] Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke instead his head just as he was about to pick his option. “But it’s too risky of a choice.” [Need not worry, my favorite human. I shall guide you.] The confidence in Ouroboros’ tone reassured Theodore, he looked at the Bloodline Skill window again before nodding. “Okay, I trust you. Don’t let me die.” [I am grateful that you believe in me.] He confirmed his choice of the ‘Balance Line’ and the skills appeared in his attribute window. < “Are you done yet?” Merlin whined and Theodore turned to face his friend, he was so absorbed in his growth that he’d almost forgotten that the redhead was still there. “Ah, yep. I’m just about done.” “Great! You’ll go get me that hydra fangs right?” Merlin spoke with expectation in his tone. “Of course.” Theodore lifted his head and flicked his tongue, suddenly new information began flooding into his mind. He could tell that his senses had become a lot sharper than before, not only that the outlines of the prey had become more prominent, he could also tell the distance between him and whichever creature he wanted to hunt. “No hydra in this area, we should move.” Merlin stood up before picking something off the ground before swinging it over his shoulders like a cape, after taking a closer look, Theo realized that it was a thick sheet of white fur. “…What is that?” “Direwolf fur, it’s for a commission.” He stared at his friend for a moment before shaking his head, even while worrying about him, Merlin still couldn’t let go of his usual habit of trying to do everything all at once. “Let’s go.” . . . < Lvl. 55 Rank: B+ Heads: Seven Yield: 220,000 EXP. Chance of Victory: 120% Strength: Multiple heads. Can breathe fire and has toxic blood. It can also regenerate at a great speed. This particular Hydra is extremely strong but lacks speed. Weakness: Cutting its head reduces its power. Extreme temperature can kill it. Description: [As per your request, the information is hidden to avoid clustering your vision.]>> The Level 4 ‘Gaze of Wisdom’ had given him the option to see the strength and weaknesses of his opponents, which Theo wished it had when he was fighting the Chimera, then maybe he would’ve planned out that whole fight a lot better. Anyway, both he and Merlin are currently sitting in a bush, staring at a green-scaled hydra wandering around a narrow road. This one only has seven heads yet it was still five levels higher than the other hydra, this just shows how rare an eight-headed hydra is. Theodore didn’t waste much time just staying in the same stop, he immediately conjured up a magic circle while Merlin knocked a mana-infused arrow. “Get its attention for me, shoot right beside it.” “Why not hit it though?” “If it turns all of its heads, it would be a lot easier to kill it in one go.” After understanding Theodore’s intentions, Merlin released the arrow and it swiftly impaled itself onto the ground, accompanied by a soft whistle of the projectile moving through air. The noise had caused the hydra to turn most of its heads but after it noticed an arrow flying at it, all of its attention was focused on the bush where they were hiding. Theo’s Ice Magic had been upgraded, he could now cast different spells all at once. First, he released the [Ice Chains] skill before using [Freeze]. Shackles of cold ice wrapped themselves around the hydra like hungry snakes, and while it was distracted by them, a powerful blast of freezing wind struck its chest, causing frost and ice to grow on its scales down to its flesh. “Roar!” The Hydra screamed in agony as Merlin let another arrow impale into the areas where Theo’s magic had frozen, this makes it extremely easier for the projectile to pierce the armor. With their combination of attacks, the Hydra stood no chance and would soon fall onto the frozen ground, dead while half of its body was covered in ice and arrows. [You killed a Green Hydra. Gained 220,000 Exp.] [Level Up! You’re now Level 10] [Another option for a new Bloodline Skills is available. Would you like to view it?] “Woohoo! We did it!” Merlin threw his hands in the air with joy before jogging towards the hydra’s corpse. He slung his bow across his shoulder, careful to not let the direwolf fur slip off, then took out a knife from a sheath strapped to his belt. “I’ll be taking your teeth now~ Thank you very much!” While the redhead sadistically yanked out the monster’s fangs one by one, Theodore opened up the Bloodline Skills option menu. < Because you have chosen to walk the path of ‘Balance’, the following skills will come from both the attributes of Good and Evil while some can be a mixture of both. -Divine Blaze: A powerful type of fire magic, it originated from the archangel Uriel’s blessings. It can purge all that the heavens considers to be evil while ignoring the innocents. If you inherit this skill, you’ll gain a ‘Fire’ attribute on top of your preexisting ‘Ice’, your flames will burn through all of your enemies but won’t harm your allies, in fact, the fire can heal the non-life threatening injuries of your comrades. -Abyss’ Eyes: When one stares into the abyss, the abyss gazes back. The unknown of a bottomless pit of darkness can cause fear into anyone who dares to look into it. Once this skill is activated, you can stare into the souls of any target you glance at, inducing them with unimaginable fear and distress, while someone is under your influence, you can see, hear, and smell all of their hidden feelings and you’ll be able to tell the difference between what is truth and what is lie.>> Theodore liked the sound of both skills, while fear inducement doesn’t sound like much, now that he’d grown a lot stronger, he’ll be reentering human society, causing discord amongst people can be quite useful for getting information on Rhys, his target for revenge. [Hm, Divine Blaze would be more useful for you though.] Ouroboros spoke inside his mind once again. [If you’re strong, then they’ll naturally fear you, no? Besides, gaining a fire attribute will make your ‘Flames of Pride’ skill more powerful] He nodded after a moment of silence. “You’re right, I was thinking about picking Divine Blaze as well.” While having two voices that can speak to him all at once sounds very taxing on his mental health, he was glad that Ouroboros is such a nice deity, for once, he met someone that could truly be helpful. “I confirm my statement, I’ll be picking the Divine Blaze skill.” < [A new attribute detected! Skills associating with the ‘Fire’ attribute will gain a level!] Skills; Flames of Pride (Lvl.2) —> Flames of Pride (Lvl.3)>> By the time Theo was done picking his new skills, Merlin had already walked back to him with a bundle filled with hydra fangs while blood dripped from the bottom of the bag. “I got what I need! I should start heading back now.” “Wait,” Theodore’s words caused Merlin to stop in his tracks, the human turned and looked at him with a questioning look. “I’m coming with you.” “You can’t.” The red-haired man sighs, smiling softly with pity. “I’ll only be holding you back anyway. Besides, the people back at HQ would see you as a monster. They’ll definitely kill you.” “I can beat them” “Well yes, but then how are you going to get revenge on Rhys if there's a hundred people trying to turn you into snake soup?” “…Then why don’t you just say that you tamed me? I can’t just leave you in the enemy’s home alone, and we finally found each other again, you’re just going to leave like that?” Merlin sighed. “Okay, fine…I don’t want to lose my friend again either…” Theodore would’ve smiled if his snake physiology would allow him to. “You’re as easy to coax as always.” “Shut it snake soup.” “Call me that again and I’ll constrict you to death.” Accompanied by the sound of playful laughter, the two of them began walking to the exit of the forest.