'Let's meet up at the Floor's center, Levi. Where it connects with the Second Floor.' Mark telepathically ordered one of his Underlings.
Accompanied by his new Underling, he walked through the forest.
A couple of Tempest Saber-Toothed Tigers and Storm Bears were met along the way.
None of them posed a real threat to the Master-Underling duo.
Mark especially took pleasure in defeating the Strom Bears.
Maybe because they reminded him of the Monsters he had encountered outside the Dungeon.
'Since I'm feeding you, you'll get stronger. Guess you'll stay alive. Should think of a name for you...' Mark thought as he fed his Underlings the red orbs of energy made from the fallen enemies.
The Typhoon Wolf immediately grew in size.
The Master had already feasted on plenty of the First Floor's Monsters.
Yet, he hadn't obtained any new Skills.
It was strange, since devouring the first few Monsters encountered on new Floors usually led to gaining quite a few Skills.
'The same as the Body Modifications...? I can't buy Body Modifications, nor can I buy Skills. And now, I don't even get Skills after devouring so many... Which means that I have to use my Titles directly, right?'
No answer was given by the System.
Mark's thoughts wandered, as he made his way through the dense forest.
'My Body Modifications are obviously... Umm... Done? Or performed? By my Title. It's a perk of the Evolving Monster Title...'
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is smiling.]
'Right...'
Mark couldn't get used to conversing with his Titles.
Conversing with the System felt natural. After all, Mark thought of it as conversing with the person watching him.
But with Titles, it felt different.
'Still, the Body Modifications and Evolutions use up Evolution Points. Those come from devouring Monsters. Therefore, the Devourer Title allows me to get the... Let's call them... Crafting Materials? The two work so well they could be one-'
Mark immediately felt dizzy.
[Your Title "Devourer" is showing its fangs.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is sneering.]
'Tsk... Anyway, Skill Points probably come from that too. I've been getting them by defeating Guardians but, there must some other way. Probably. A way to obtain them directly through my Titles...'
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" wants to get to work!]
[Your Title "Devourer" is yawning.]
'The fact that I have to use the Titles without the System's help is tricky, but...'
Mark raised his gaze to the blue sky above.
'Coupled with the fact that the air is full of Mana, that Monsters reproduce on this Floor, and that I haven't been obtaining Skills even though I've devoured so many. It's more than obvious now...'
[Your Title "System Holder" is shaking.]
'Mmm. Yeah...' Mark nodded.
His Underling stared at him with wide red eyes.
'The First Floor isn't about getting stronger, but rather about getting used to how it'll be outside, right?'
[Correct.]
'So you can do the things you used to. You just won't.'
[Correct.]
Mark brought his hand to his shoulder, before cracking his neck.
'I'll have to get used to it then.'
Piercing fangs peeked through his curled lips.
'Not getting Skills despite devouring so many is definitely the biggest and worst change so far... Any other perks I should worry about losing?'
[Everything will be explained after leaving the Dungeon.]
Despite his "smiling", Mark could feel his nerves tensing up.
'Mm. These Titles and changes are occupying my mind a lot. So much so that I'm not even thinking about the outside world. You made me forget about it. The world outside this Dungeon. The whole world. Beyond that cold, windy, freezing fucking tundra...'
[Then, by all means, continue not thinking about it.]
Despite feeling slight irritation, the white-scaled Monster chuckled at the response.
'That's your answer to everything, isn't it?'
There was a limit to how much Mark could accept.
Being left in the dark for so long was obviously weighing on his mind.
But now, he was finally approaching the finish line.
Mark was close.
So close to escaping.
And yet,
'I do owe them this second life of mine... I guess. Tsk. Leaving this Dungeon seems like freedom, but...'
Mark's heart started beating faster.
'Freedom, huh?'
Images immediately sprung forth.
Images of the time after defeating the Second Floor's Guardian.
When his Titles had gone haywire.
When he held no control over them.
He remembered the dark, freezing, and oppressive Mana that had englobed his body.
Mana, that felt like it could make anything disappear with a touch.
Mark's hand slightly trembled, as he was reminded of the insane power that had made those Titles submit.
The power that made that Mana disappear.
The pressure he felt, as his body was pushed to the ground.
The pressure he foolishly tried fighting.
The feeling of being forsaken by this world's very laws.
As if gravity itself was fighting against him, trying to him down.
Trying to bury him under.
More than anything, Mark remembered the eye that looked down upon him.
An all-powerful eye.
An all-seeing eye.
'Tsk...'
pαпdα-ňᴏνêι·сóМ There was no denying that being stuck inside the Dungeon was akin to being stuck in a prison.
A prison he desperately wanted to escape.
But when thinking about those who hide behind the so-called "System".
When thinking about that all-powerful eye.
Mark couldn't help but feel like escaping this prison would only lead to entering a new one.
A different one.
A wider one.
A prison, nevertheless.
With such power, those beings could, probably, turn the whole world into a birdcage.
A birdcage in which Mark was stuck.
Winning against them seemed impossible.
Running from them felt futile and hopeless.
Mark clenched his fists.
'Let's do this. Overthinking it won't lead me anywhere.' He thought, before accelerating.
Power.
Strength.
More was needed.
Much more.
'Stronger. I need to get stronger...' Mark thought, as he ran.
And, as if answering, or reacting, to that thirst for power, floating words appeared in front of Mark.
A silver lining, some might say.
[Your Title "Devourer" wants you to feast on stronger enemies.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is excitedly waiting for an opportunity to act.]
'Yeah. Devouring... Evolving... Yeah. As long as I have you with me...'
Mark's beating heart upped its pace.
'As long as I have you...'
This time, the increase was not due to anxiety or fear.
[Your Title "Devourer" is chuckling.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is smirking.]
'Annoying. You're annoying... I guess there's still a lot I don't understand about this yet, but there's no denying that...'
[Your Title "Devourer" is smiling widely.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is smiling widely.]
Mark exited the forest, and his speed only kept increasing.
'With you, I have no limits.'
Mark's shivers had turned into chills.
"My Lord!"
From outside the forest, in the middle of the plain field, Levi shouted.
He ran to his Master.
The Underling immediately brought his knee to the ground once he arrived in front of Mark.
'You don't have to kneel. You did as I told you?' Mark asked telepathically, as he walked past Levi.
He asked, even though there was no doubt in his mind about the answer.
"Yes, my Lord."
In the middle of the grassy plain, right next to the hole that led to the Second Floor, a lump of bodies lay.
[Your Title "Devourer" is salivating.]
'Alright.'
Mark's hand touched one of the bodies from the great lump, and the lot turned into a green orb of energy.
[Using the Skill "Consume[A]" won't be possible outside the Dungeon.]
'That so?' Mark asked telepathically, as he swallowed the orb.
[You have developed the Magic Skill "Wind Blast[B]".]
'Finally-'
[Your Magic Skill "Consume[A]" is dissolving.]
'Seriously?'
[You have lost the Magic Skill "Consume[A]".]
[You must get used to how things will be in the future.]
'Tsk. Good thing I didn't waste Skill Points on it then. As long as I keep my "Devouring Architecture" Skill then... Wait... Isn't it-'
[That Skill is different.]
[It was born due to your Titles resonating with certain Skills.]
'Yeah. Mm... On the other hand, I got "Consume" by asking you, huh? I get it.'
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you with wide eyes.]
'Huh?'
[Your Title "Devourer" is staring at you.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you with sparkly eyes.]
'You got me the "Wind Blast" Skill? I guess? Mm... Good job?'
Mark felt just as confused as he felt amused.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" smiles widely.]
[Your Title "Devourer" is sneering at the boot licking.]
Chuckle-
The next second,
HISS-
Now that the lump of bodies had disappeared, the rest of Mark's Underlings were visible.
On top of Fiery was a hissing Moonlit Feline.
It had been named Krista, although it still hadn't accepted the name.
The Moonlit Feline, in its cat form, raised its back and lowered its head.
The hair on Krista's body stood, as she hissed menacingly.
The reason for that was...
Howl-
An aloof Typhoon Wolf stared at its Master's other Underling.
Krista's hissing got louder.
In response, the Typhoon Wolf Underling lowered its head and raised its behind.
The Underling seemed in high spirits, and its energetically waggling tail made it obvious.
'I didn't think he would-'
The Typhoon Wolf Underling suddenly leaped towards the hissing Krista.
The latter immediately jumped off Fiery's back and ran away.
Mark couldn't help but chuckle at the scene.
The Typhoon Wolf chased behind the Moonlit Feline.
One was barking joyfully, while the other was running for dear life.
Krista, slightly tired but mostly annoyed, shifted her course.
The Moonlit Feline ran towards Mark and climbed over his body.
'Huh. I didn't think you would start acting like pets-'
Suddenly, theTyphoon Wolf Underling's ears stood up.
It had heard somthing.
It had noticed something.
Something that seemed to be in hiding.
The Underling immediately jumped over Fiery and landed behind her.
There, was found...
'I'm definitely curious now...'
Two Underlings faced one another.
A Typhoon Wolf, which seemed different than the other members of its Species, and a Demonic Dark Wolf.
Both stared deeply at one another.
Their pelts were nothing alike, but their eyes appeared similar.
Each seemed to get lost inside the other's red pupils.
'Huh...'
A second later, the Typhoon Wolf Underling lowered the front side of its body.
Another attempt at initiating play it seemed, as the first attempt hadn't proved successful.
But unfortunately, this Underling was not much of a player either.
Light stared for a bit, before walking away.
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