As the wretchling greedily devoured the scraps of dried meat, she reflected that perhaps things weren't as bad today as she had thought. Her pack had been wiped out this morning by outsiders, leaving the weak creature all alone. She didn't mourn for them: Even if she had the capacity for it, she was the runt of the group, last to eat and first to be abused when the others were angry. Being on her own might be dangerous, but compared to being the smallest in a group of other weak creatures who enjoyed tormenting their weakest member was an improvement.

Her encounter with The One Who Remains Untouched, however, that alone was a boon. The mysterious outsider who entered their domain, but harmed no one and was harmed by no one, was well known and spoken of in hushed whispers among those things on the first floor of the labyrinth, or at least those capable of speech. The presence of this mysterious one often spoke of empty hallways and no dangerous things from the lower depths.

Even better, this benevolent creature left food for them. Delicious, juicy red things that had a taste that could not be described. Scraps of meat that, if salty, were delicious and could be kept for days without spoiling. Soft, spongy stuff that was surprisingly filling. If wretchlings and other creatures of the labyrinth had the intellectual capacity for the term, they would have considered her a benevolent goddess of bounty and good fortune.

This gift from The One Who Remains Untouched was quite wonderful, and the wretchling ate it so quickly that she didn't notice the blue glow that radiated from one of the bits she devoured. After she gulped it down, a voice rang out in her head, with all the power and authority of a proclamation from the gods themselves.

*Follow her.*

The wretchling lacked the intelligence or the willpower to resist this command. She turned around, and quietly followed The One Who Remains Untouched, doing her best to remain quiet. When the one she followed stopped, the voice commanded that she do so as well. She watched in wonder as the benevolent entity opened up a hole into the wall and stepped in.

Then, after a few minutes, the voice gave the wretchling more instruction. She walked up to the wall, placed a small hand against it, and saw a small opening appear in front of her. Following the instructions of the voice, she crawled in without hesitation. The wall shut, and she felt herself moving downward.

She should have been afraid, but the voice left no room in her mind for fear. The voice commanded and the wretchling obeyed.

After several minutes, the wall slid open, and the wretchling crawled out into a small, dimly lit chamber. It was very spartan, containing only a chair too large for the creature, a cot similarly sized, and a small alcove with a glass panel beside it.

Following the instructions of the voice, the wretchling tapped on the glass panel several times, and then a blue glow filled the alcove. When the light dimmed, there was a platter covered in something whose scent made it clear was food, and immensely delicious food at that. The voice, kinder and gentler than before, instructed the wretchling to eat. She did so without hesitation.

After the wretchling finished her meal, the voice had more instructions. She performed the tasks with gusto, coming to realize that if she did well, she'd be well rewarded. It didn't matter what she was doing, or what these items were. All that mattered was that she did as she was told.

Items were deposited upon the bed after they were created, and while they were large and heavy, she did her best to get them moved as quickly as possible. After many minutes, the voice told her to rest. Huffing from exertion, the wretchling did so. Once she'd had sufficient time to recover, the voice had more instructions but advised the wretchling to take her time.

The wretchling created several items, a series of small bottles. Each one was filled with a liquid, many of which were of differing colors. After all of the bottles were created, she was instructed to lay them out in a specific pattern. After confirming it was done to the voice's satisfaction, she was instructed to drink one of them. She hesitated, only because the voice had to clarify what left and right meant.

The first bottle filled her head with a light fog and a pleasant feeling. After it had taken effect, she drank the next in a sequence. After it was downed, her body shook wildly as bones cracked and limbs lengthened, her body growing and changing. However, instead of being scared or in pain, the pleasant feeling of the last potion overwhelmed all, and all the wretchling felt was a euphoric sensation.

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As the changes ended and the euphoria wore off, she felt weak and hungry. She reached out and drank the next potion in the line, and suddenly felt invigorated, her belly full and her body full of energy. She took a moment to study her new body. She was bigger, almost as big as The One Who Remains Untouched, and if she was still stick-thin, she had a bit more muscle than before. Her skin had also turned a darker shade of green. The word 'Greater Goblin' came to her mind, although she didn't know what that word meant or where it came from.

Then, the voice instructed her, and she reached for the next potion.

The series of events continued; euphoria, metamorphosis, and replenishment. At the end of each change, she became larger, taller, and stronger, with a new shade of skin and a new word entering her mind.

Hobgoblin. Greater Hobgoblin. Bugbear. Greater Bugbear. Orc. Greater Orc. Goblin Noble. Greater Goblin Noble.

Finally, as she replenished herself one more time, she admired her new form. She had skin that might have passed for that of one of the tan outsiders and her body was as tall as any outsider she had seen. While she lacked the bulging muscles of a male, her muscles were well-toned, and she could feel their power just flexing her arms. In a one-on-one fight, she could probably snap a larger, stronger human in half effortlessly.

Admittedly, the large deposits of fat on her chest, hips, buttocks, and thighs were distracting, but she believed she could work around them, her body more than lithe and powerful enough in all other places that such things were hardly a hindrance. She felt her face, taking in her long, delicately pointed ears, as well as her soft, delicate face, devoid of the long, oversized nose that marked most wretchlings, or goblins as they were once called, and she realized she could pass for a female elf to any outsider she saw, and an especially attractive one at that. She also admired her long, brown hair, enjoying the silky feeling of it.

As she concluded her self-inspection, the word 'Royal Goblin' came to mind, and with the enhanced comprehension granted by her new form, she understood what that meant.

Many of the creatures within the labyrinth were capable of changing if enough time passed and certain conditions were met. Mistakenly named 'Evolutions', this metamorphosis gave the creature greater capabilities. The contents of those potions had accelerated the process, taking the puny wretchling to the absolute pinnacle of her species. A process that would take centuries of effort to accomplish, shortened to just a few short minutes. She was no longer a wretched weakling, but a goddess made flesh compared to what she was before.

The voice began giving instructions to the newly minted Royal Goblin, which with her new mental capacities were easy to understand. The One Who Remains Untouched, it explained, wasn't an invincible god, but rather a young outsider named Lily, one who lacked strength and would soon be in terrible danger. The voice had elevated her to protect the young one. Obedience and exemplary performance would mean rewards even greater than the ones already bestowed.

The royal goblin did not need to be asked twice. She would defend the one that had shown kindness to her people, even had she not been asked to. As the voice instructed her on how to equip the clothing, armor, and weaponry previously manufactured, she hopped to it with gusto. Once fully equipped, the voice told her the following.

*Your name, if anyone asks for it, is Ivy of Elmsford. You are an elf and a forester from that region. Your presence in the city is due to the request of your lord. You were told to protect the young girl known as Lily Arvensdaughter. You were not told anything more, as you did not need to know anything beyond that. Anything else is no one's business but yours. Understand?*

The Royal Goblin, no, Ivy, nodded in understanding. She did not need to commit the words to memory, as everything that voice said was engraved into her mind the instant it was said. With her enhanced intellect, she understood why that was: This wasn't just some random voice, but the voice of the one who created the labyrinth. The great structure, and every living creature it produced, existed only because this all-powerful entity had willed this place into existence.

As such, his words held an absolute authority that none save perhaps an all-powerful god might override. Absolute obedience and loyalty to this being were engraved into every cell of her being, as it was every other being in the labyrinth. She could no more resist his commands than she could order her blood to stop flowing through her veins or will her heart to stop beating. Yes, those things were beyond her power. But to her master? A single word would be enough to stop her heart, should he will it so.

"I am your servant," Ivy's musical voice proclaimed. "Your wish is my command, master."

Kindly, the voice said, *I will grant you the privilege of calling me Rine, my good and loyal servant. I expect great things from you, and I trust you will not disappoint me.*

"Your will, Master Rine," came her immediate reply.

*Eh. Close enough,* Rine decided.