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[Variants consumed: None]
[Titles: None]
[Sponsors: None]
[Options:
Greater Mind Slime]
Xen looked at the single option floating in his vision and realized he had messed up.
The system had informed him that he needed to hunt variants to get more evolution options, but this was... disappointing. He had been so caught up with the wolves, undead, and humans that he hadn't had time to return to the first few dungeon tunnels and hunt down his fellow Mind Slimes. What use was a Greater Mind Slime anyway? What made it so great? Would it level up his intelligence?
Xen focused on the menu, and a description appeared.
[Greater Mind Slime]
The standard evolution path of the rare variant of a slime, the Mind Slime. With this evolution, the Mind Slime enjoys a boost in its magic-focused stats and intellect.
That was it. Xen dismissed the system messages and stared at the fake night sky in defeat. Even after being told and understanding how important it was to hunt and consume variants, he had let himself get distracted, and now everything was ruined. The evolution path for his main body, which transcended his other forms and was always present, would follow a standard evolution path.
"I guess I'm not so special after all," Xen said, reaching up to look at the sea of stars through his skeletal fingers. "How can I conquer the human realm and gain every monster form if I have such a standard evolution?"
Xen lowered his hand and almost froze as he saw an eye of swirling darkness staring back at him. It was as if the sea of stars was nothing but a curtain and had been peeled back so a giant being could gaze down at him.
It blinked, and golden letters overlaid it.
[Anarkhos, the Demon of Chaos, has taken an interest in you]
Xen had never felt so small in all his life. Even when he was a tiny slime barely hours ago, that could fit inside the cracks in a wall. Despite the distance separating them, he could feel the judgment from the eye in the sky. It was overbearing as if he were an interesting insect to it. The sky shifted as enough limbs of shadows to pick up every spec of black sand descended on him.
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[Anarkhos offers to sponsor you]
[Contracting with a Demon offers great power at a price. The powers and price are variable and up to the Demon in question and are often based on their favourability for you. Demons prefer to contract with monsters, whereas Gods prefer to offer contracts to surface dwellers]
[Beware, power comes at a price. Do you accept the contract?]
Xen read over the message and tried to ask about the contents of the contract but only received an intense static noise in his mind instead.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
[Do you accept the contract?]
The system message continued to flash aggressively in his vision, and along with the static, he felt overwhelmed. It seemed defying the offering from such a powerful being was not an option he should consider. Besides, whatever price this Demon wanted, he didn't mind paying it. He needed any power he could get his hands on to survive and conquer. Accepting the contract, the static faded.
[Anarkhos looks upon you favorably]
[You are now contracted to the Demon of Chaos]
[Gained Title: Herald of Chaos]
As you expend mana, the empty space in your mana pool is replaced with chaos. As your mana pool is corrupted by chaos, your skills become unpredictable. For example, healing skills may deal damage, or an E-grade Fireball skill may output the firepower of the A-grade skill Hellfire. At the cost of unpredictability, your mana pool is now effectively infinite, as there's no limit to the amount of chaos you can take on]
Xen felt caressed by the shadow hands, and the eye seemed to smile at him in amusement. The eye then descended from the sky, supported by a thousand hands of shadow, and crawled down through the air toward him. The shifting eye of darkness was like a whirlpool. It sucked in all of his focus, and it wouldn't let go.
"What are you?" A chorus of voices echoed straight into Xen's mind. It was a chaotic mixture of men, women, children, and beasts. The Demon was talking to him, and it was going to drive him crazy.
"I'm Xen." He replied simply, hoping it would leave him alone.
"Well, Xen, it seems this is my lucky century," The withering mass of limbs followed the swirling eye that was robbing his attention as the Demon moved. Xen's head turned to follow Anarkhos. "You are an intelligent monster not bound to a dungeon."
"Of course, I'm intelligent! All Mind Slimes are." Xen felt oddly offended. Why was Anarkhos acting so surprised that he was intelligent despite knowing his species?
"A monster that has escaped the natural order and infiltrated the system those bastard Gods are so proud of," Anarkhos continued, ignoring him. "This is unheard of! Oh, and to think I found you before the others. What a find! We are going to have so much fun, you and I. Those outside the dungeon have no idea of the looming chaos on the horizon."
"Chaos?"
"Disorder, anarchy, corruption," Anarkhos leaned in closer and ran a shadowy finger along his skull. "I am the embodiment of chaos, and you are my way in. You are now my herald of chaos as per the contract—which, might I add, is rather favorable. I usually ask for a lifespan in return for my powers, as people act far more crazy when they know they are going to die. Just know I have never given out such a nice contract."
"Why did you give me such a favorable contact?"
"Demons and Gods can only give out one-sided contracts one at a time. If their herald turns out useless, there is nothing they can do except wait until they die." Anarkhos crawled back on his many limbs and ascended back into the sky. "I have been saving mine for a long time, and finally, I found you. I can tell that you will be chaos incarnate in the future, so I expect great things. Until next time..."
With those parting words, the sky returned to a sea of stars as if nothing had ever happened.
[Regenerating evolution options...]
[Variants consumed: None]
[Titles: Herald of Chaos]
[Sponsors: Anarkhos, the Demon of Chaos]
[Options:
Greater Mind Slime
Chaos Slime]
"I will become chaos incarnate?" Xen shook his head as he stared down at the ground. "I never realized I was so smart that even a Demon would take interest in me. Just how dumb are the other monsters not to free themselves of the dungeon's control?"
The system's golden words now overlaid the black sand he had decided to rest on. It was nothing too fancy, but there was now a second evolution option for his first-ever ascension to D grade.
[Chaos Slime]
A super rare variant of a slime able to wield the powers of chaos that alter the very fabric of reality.
"I select Chaos Slime." It was a no-brainer. Compared to Greater Mind Slime, this sounded far more interesting.
[Evolution confirmed. You will now sleep for an hour to complete the evolution]
Xen felt his consciousness fade, and for the first time ever, he dreamed.