The world was a shimmering, muted blur of green and brown from Seraphina's new, low-to-the-ground perspective. As a translucent, amethyst-tinged puddle of slime, every subtle vibration in the earth, every shifting shadow, seemed amplified. She began to test her new form, flowing rather than walking, effortlessly gliding over roots and through muddy patches that would have hindered her human body. The sensation was oddly liberating, a silent, fluid dance through the dense undergrowth. Her Awareness Level 2 hummed, feeding her constant data, though the visual input was radically different now.
She flowed onward, guided by the faint, pulsing glow of the yellow exclamation mark on her internal map. The forest, still dark, felt less menacing now that she could melt into the shadows, a formless entity.
Suddenly, a series of quick, agile movements registered on her awareness, accompanied by the faint, distinctive scent of agitated fur and something musky. She halted her fluid advance, pooling herself low, barely a ripple on the damp earth.
From the deeper gloom, a creature emerged. It was a small, primate-like monster, perhaps the size of a large dog, with disproportionately long, powerful limbs and sleek, dark fur. Its eyes glowed with an eerie, predatory yellow in the low light, confirming its ability to see perfectly in the dark. It moved with startling agility, leaping from branch to branch with effortless grace, its muscles rippling with evident strength. It was clearly a formidable threat, a hunter in its own right, perhaps drawn by the lingering scent of her or the recent disturbance.
The primate-like monster paused, its head cocked, sniffing the air. Its yellow eyes scanned the area, momentarily sweeping over the very spot where Seraphina lay camouflaged as a shimmering puddle. It didn't seem to have noticed her yet.
The primate-like monster, oblivious to the intelligent, amethyst-tinged puddle of slime hidden just feet away, continued to scan the area. Seraphina's thoughts raced, sharp and cold. Her Awareness Level 2 fed her every detail: the creature's impressive Agility, its raw Strength, and most importantly, its glowing eyes that confirmed its night vision.
Eating this primate would be a massive boost, she mused, the Gluttony trait stirring within her. Not only would it provide precious stat points, but the prospect of acquiring night vision was incredibly appealing in this perpetually shadowed forest. It was a perfect match for her "Agile Apex Predator" build.
But a stark reality check quickly followed: she was still Level 1, still had no dedicated offensive skills beyond her monstrous bite and newfound absorption ability, and her Defense remained abysmal at 3. Engaging this creature directly, in her current vulnerable slime form, would be suicide. She had to be smart.
The primate-like monster remained wary, its yellow eyes sweeping the gloom. Seraphina, a conscious puddle of goo, needed a plan that leveraged her unique new state and avoided a direct, frontal confrontation.
The primate-like monster twitched its ears, its yellow eyes still scanning, its small, intelligent head cocked as it tried to pinpoint the elusive disturbance. Seraphina, a shimmering amethyst puddle on the forest floor, remained perfectly still. Her sharp intellect, her highest stat, was already formulating a plan.
She knew her slime form offered incredible defense. Her body was liquid, making it hard for her to take damage from blunt force or even piercing attacks—a blade would just pass through her, leaving a momentary ripple. This was a massive advantage. However, the System's warning about her Monster Core being more exposed in this state resonated with a chilling clarity. A critical hit to her core could spell instant death. Direct confrontation, even with her liquid form, was out.
Then, a thought clicked into place, brilliant and cold. Surely, this creature has to drink.
She wasn't the exact color of water in her slime form, the amethyst hue too distinct to perfectly mimic the clear stream. But the stream itself flowed into deeper, shadowed pools, areas where the light barely penetrated. She could sink, camouflage herself within the natural darkness of the depths, and wait. Wait for the primate's thirst to override its caution.
It was a classic ambush. She would remain hidden, conserving her limited energy, and let the environment work for her. When the unsuspecting beast came for a drink, she would strike, not with brute force, but with the suffocating, inescapable embrace of her liquid form, leveraging her newfound Water Resistance and the grim potential of her Gluttony trait. This wasn't a fair fight; it was a hunter's trap, and Seraphina, the nascent apex predator, was setting it.
Seraphina waited, a shimmering amethyst presence at the bottom of the shadowy pool. Minutes stretched into an eternity, each one demanding absolute stillness and focus. Her Awareness Level 2 strained, picking up every subtle tremor, every whisper of the night air. The primate, still lurking nearby, was proving more cautious than she'd hoped.
It was then a chilling realization, unseen by Seraphina herself, began to unfold. The primate, head still cocked, wasn't just sensing random forest noises; it was picking up on something far more primal. A faint, almost imperceptible scent of bloodlust was seeping into the air around the stream, an aura of raw, predatory intent. It was coming from her. Unbeknownst to Seraphina, her transformation, the agony, the consumption of the slime, and the awakening of her Monster Eater class and Gluttony trait had subtly altered her very presence. The shift had begun.
This nascent, unconscious emanation of her killer instinct almost ruined her carefully laid trap. The primate stiffened, a low growl rumbling in its throat, its glowing yellow eyes darting towards the water with renewed suspicion. For a terrifying moment, it seemed poised to flee. But the relentless thirst, amplified by the humid night, proved to be its undoing. The need to drink, an instinct as old as life itself, finally won out over its heightened caution.
With a series of quick, furtive movements, the primate descended to the stream's edge, its powerful limbs tensing, ready to spring away at the slightest sign of danger. It lowered its head, lapping cautiously at the surface, its yellow eyes still sweeping the dark expanse of the pool. It was close. Close enough for Seraphina to act.
Seraphina, a shimmering, amethyst pool at the bottom of the shadowy stream, watched with an intense, predatory focus. The primate, its muscular form tensed, lowered its head, lapping cautiously at the water's surface. Every fiber of Seraphina's being, every heightened sense, screamed at her to move, to strike, but she held herself perfectly still.
Her quarry was faster than her, even with her increased Agility. A direct ambush, if spotted, would be disastrous. She needed more than just proximity; she needed a moment of absolute vulnerability. Her plan hinged on a split second of dropped guard – the flicker of an eyelid, the brief indulgence in the cool water's taste. That was her window. A micro-second, a fraction of time when its superior speed would be nullified by its own momentary lapse.
She waited. The air hummed with the primate's cautious sips, the faint rustle of the forest, and the silent, burning intensity of Seraphina's concealed will. Her Monster Core pulsed with grim anticipation. The moment had to be perfect.
Seraphina watched, a coiled spring of amethyst slime, as the primate lowered its head for another drink. This was it. Not a blink, not a moment of blissful indulgence, but something else. A faint rustling sound echoed from deeper in the trees – perhaps a small animal, or just the wind – and for a split second, the primate's head snapped up, its glowing yellow eyes darting towards the source of the noise.
That was her opening.
With a sudden, violent burst of speed, Seraphina shot out of the water, a liquid projectile propelled by raw, predatory will. Her translucent, amethyst form arced through the air and enveloped the primate's head with chilling precision. The creature shrieked, a muffled, gurgling sound, as its entire head sank into Seraphina's fluid body.
Panic seized the primate. Its powerful, agile form thrashed wildly, trying desperately to tear itself free. Its thick, sharp claws raked at Seraphina's surface, but its efforts were futile. They passed through her, grasping only at water, unable to find purchase on her amorphous mass. Within Seraphina's body, the primate's muffled struggles grew more frantic as it fought for air, slowly drowning in her viscous form.
Seraphina, meanwhile, concentrated fiercely. This was where her knowledge mattered. She could feel the primate's frantic movements, the desperate attempts to dislodge her. Her own Monster Core became a rapidly shifting, elusive target within her liquid body, constantly moving, making it impossible for the primate's flailing claws to land a critical blow. She had trapped it, and now, the process of consumption truly began.
The primate's struggles ceased, its body going limp within Seraphina's engulfing form. With the grim precision of a seasoned predator, Seraphina began to retract the tendrils of slime that had invaded its orifices. As she pulled back, the dead creature's form was still intact, but not for long.
Driven by the insatiable hunger of Gluttony and the terrifying efficiency of her Absorption skill, Seraphina's entire liquid mass surged forward, engulfing the primate's lifeless body whole. The feeling was bizarre, intimate, and profoundly unsettling. She could feel the distinct textures as they dissolved within her: first, the coarse fur softening, then liquefying. The skin, surprisingly resilient at first, then melting away like wax. Its vibrant yellow eyes, the very organs that had given it sight in the dark, disintegrated. The blood, rich and warm, diffused into her own viscous form, followed by the soft, intricate organs. Finally, even the dense, rigid skeleton yielded, dissolving into nothingness.
There was no chewing, no tearing, just a complete, utter dissolution. Every ounce of the primate, every shred of its being, was absorbed into Seraphina's own, leaving behind no trace, no residue. She was now heavier, denser, a richer amethyst, infused with the essence of what she had just consumed.
As the last atom of the primate dissolved, a torrent of notifications, brighter and more insistent than before, flashed across Seraphina's inner vision.
Notifications!
"Congratulations! Monster Consumed: Primate-like Monster (Agile Hunter)"
"Acquired: Stat Points: 5"
"Acquired: Skill: Night Vision Level 1"
Description: Grants the user enhanced vision in low-light conditions, allowing them to perceive details in darkness. Further levels improve clarity and range.
"Acquired: Trait: Enhanced Agility (Minor)"
Description: A passive trait granting a slight boost to the user's base agility.
"Acquired: Monster Core Level 1 --> Level 2!"
Description: The essence of all monsters. Your Monster Core has strengthened, increasing the resilience of your secondary heart.
"Acquired: Fragment of Primate Skill Tree!"
Description: A foundational fragment has been obtained. Requires further consumption of similar creatures or dedicated Monster Eater Class progression to fully unlock.
Seraphina's liquid form pulsed with new energy. The sense of power was intoxicating, a grim satisfaction settling deep within her amorphous being. She had consumed, she had gained, and she was growing. Her double heartbeat thrummed with a newfound vitality.
Seraphina's consciousness, still shimmering in her amethyst slime form, buzzed with the sheer weight of her newfound power. Twenty unassigned stat points. A massive influx. Her keen mind immediately went to her most glaring weaknesses.
Her Strength was still pitiful at 5, leaving her vulnerable in direct physical confrontations even with the terrifying new Rengo Claws. Her Defense was a terrifying 3, meaning any significant hit would likely incapacitate her, despite her increased HP. And then there was her Luck, a abysmal 1%. So far, it had held out, a thin thread against the impossible odds, but she couldn't rely on that forever. It was a ticking time bomb, waiting to plunge her into unforeseen calamities.
She needed to address these vulnerabilities, turning them into strengths, or at least mitigating their danger.
Seraphina, a shimmering pool of amethyst slime, pondered her choices. The twenty stat points pulsed with raw potential. Her mind, cold and calculating, weighed the options, discarding the idea of extreme specialization. In a world this unpredictable, balance was key. She needed to be less fragile, more capable of offense, and certainly, less susceptible to the cruel whims of fate.
Her decision was swift and decisive.
Stat Allocation Confirmed!
Strength: +7 points (Total: 12)
Defense: +7 points (Total: 10)
Luck: +6 points (Total: 7)
As the points were allocated, a subtle but profound transformation rippled through her liquid form. She felt a new density, a greater cohesion, as if her very essence had toughened. Her capacity for force, once negligible, now felt tangible, a latent power coiled within her. And the ever-present knot of dread about her luck, though not entirely gone, loosened considerably, replaced by a quiet, almost imperceptible sense of foresight, a faint whisper of better odds.
She was now Level 3, a Humanoid Slime and Monster Eater, with 20 Health, 25 Agility, 30 Charm, a respectable 12 Strength, a greatly improved 10 Defense, 30 MP, 50 Intelligence, and a less-terrible 7 Luck. She also possessed Night Vision, Enhanced Agility, Rengo Claws, Pheromone Adaptation, Water Resistance, Transformation: Slime, Partial Transformation, Shifting, Gluttony, and a Monster Core Level 2.
Seraphina, still in her amorphous state, began to slowly shift her form. The encounter with the primate, the agonizing absorption, the rush of new power—it had all happened so fast. But now, she was no longer just a desperate survivor. She was a predator, armed with dangerous new tools and a chilling resolve.
Her next priority remained clear: to find clothes and establish some semblance of cover. And perhaps, to experiment with those newly acquired Rengo Claws.
Seraphina, a shimmering pool of amethyst slime, continued her fluid journey through the dark, damp forest. Her newly allocated stats hummed with latent power, and the terrifying potential of her Rengo Claws felt like a secret weapon waiting to be unleashed. The unsettling transformation was still a fresh wound, but it was overshadowed by a grim, determined focus.
Guided by the pulsing yellow exclamation mark on her internal map, she flowed silently, effortlessly. The increased Agility made her movements feel almost frictionless, a ghost gliding over the uneven terrain. Her Awareness Level 2 remained hyper-alert, sifting through the cacophony of the swamp, distinguishing harmless rustles from potential threats. She was still exposed, still desperately in need of clothes, but with her enhanced Defense and the promise of her sharp new claws, the fear was now laced with a potent, predatory confidence.
The light ahead, though still dim and filtered through the dense canopy, seemed to grow subtly brighter. The air began to shift, losing some of its thick, stagnant quality, hinting at an opening in the oppressive wilderness. The destination was close.
As Seraphina flowed closer, the dense canopy finally began to break, revealing a ghostly silhouette against the muted sky. The air, surprisingly, carried faint, distinct scents of decaying wood and rusted metal, subtly different from the organic rot of the swamp.
She pushed through a final curtain of clinging vines, and the scene before her stole what little breath her slime form required. It was an abandoned village, swallowed almost entirely by the relentless embrace of nature. Buildings, once standing proud, now sagged, their wooden beams splintered, their stone walls crumbling, almost indistinguishable from the moss-covered boulders that had once formed their foundations. Trees, thick and ancient, had burst through cobblestone paths, their roots snaking into what would have been homes. Roofs had collapsed inward, forming dark, gaping maw, while vines draped like tattered curtains from every surviving window frame.
Faint outlines of what might have been a well, a communal fire pit, or even a small marketplace were discernible, but everything was distorted, reclaimed. The eerie silence was broken only by the drip of water, the rustle of unseen creatures, and the distant, ever-present hum of the swamp. There were no lights, no sounds of human habitation, only the slow, inexorable march of decay and reclamation. This wasn't a place for the living, not anymore. Yet, it was undeniably a place where people once resided, and where she might, just might, find what she desperately needed.
The yellow exclamation mark on her map pulsed directly in the center of this forgotten ruin. It was a place of potential, but also of hidden dangers, secrets long buried beneath the encroaching wilderness.
Seraphina flowed through the decaying remnants of the village, her fluid form navigating crumbled walls and twisted roots with ease. The faint glow of her internal map led her deeper into the forgotten settlement until a structure, unlike the others, rose before her.
It was a temple, remarkably intact compared to the surrounding ruins. Its ancient stone walls, though weathered, still stood strong, resisting the relentless embrace of the encroaching forest. What truly distinguished it was the colossal, ancient tree that grew directly over it. Its thick, gnarled roots, like monstrous veins, encased the temple, wrapping around its facade and snaking into crevices, holding the structure in a primal, unyielding grip. It looked as if the tree wasn't destroying it, but rather protecting it, shielding it from the decay that had claimed everything else.
The System's words echoed in her mind, blunt and direct: "Go in, it looks stable enough, and temples usually have treasure or gears or whatever."
The logic was sound. Temples, even abandoned ones, often held valuable artifacts, forgotten gear, or at the very least, offered sturdy shelter. And the tree's embrace, while eerie, suggested a strange stability. It was a clear point of interest, a potential source of the very items she desperately needed.
Seraphina, a shimmering pool of amethyst, paused before the ancient, tree-encased temple. The System, however, interjected with a warning that sent a cold wave through her liquid form.
"Oh yeah, you need to go in as a human, not your monster form," the System stated, its text appearing with an almost casual disregard for the gravity of its words. "Monsters don't like World Trees, though it's surprising you can come this close without feeling agitated. But if you go in as a monster, you'll more likely get a negative status effect. Each monster is different; some go mad, some get poisoned, or even insta-kill. I'm pretty sure that in your human form, you'll only feel uneasy or something like that."
Seraphina's fluid essence rippled with alarm. "How sure are you about that?" she thought, the question laced with a desperate edge.
For a beat, the System was silent. Then, its text reappeared, just as flippant as before. "Around twenty percent, but hey, look at it this way, that's better than nothing, and look how far your pitiful luck held out, and you were able to get your luck higher. If it were anyone else, I highly doubt they would've made it to the stream."
And then, it dropped another bomb, seemingly delighted by the prospect. "Oh, also, when you turn back into your human form, if you can figure that out, it'll be painful. Well, 'painful' will be an understatement. In this form, it pauses the process of your biological change from absorbing the Rengo; and you also get to regrow all those lovely bones, muscles, organs, everything." The System's words practically oozed with sadistic glee, and something told Seraphina that if it could smile, it would be a wide, terrifying grin.
"Wait what?!" Seraphina's thought was a panicked, internal shriek. The agonizing transformation from human to slime was still fresh in her memory. The reverse, the regrowth of an entire biological system, sounded like a torment she could barely fathom, especially with a mere 20% chance of only "unease" in human form against the rage of a World Tree.
"H-how bad will the pain be?" Seraphina's thought trembled, a nervous tremor rippling through her amethyst slime form. The System's casual disregard for her suffering was infuriating.
"I'd say it'll be high level," the System replied, its text appearing with an almost detached clinical assessment.
Seraphina's consciousness recoiled. A "high level" chance of what exactly? Of dying? Of experiencing a level of pain that would make her previous agony seem like a tickle? She had just endured what felt like being torn inside out. The thought of that being an understatement was terrifying.
"Is there a skill, trait, or something that eases or makes it so that I don't feel pain?" she urgently pressed.
"Another good question," the System conceded, a rare flicker of approval in its textual display. "Yes, there are multiple skills or traits like Pain Resistance, Pain Void, or Pain Nullify. Even a minor healing skill can slightly ease the pain. But if I were you, if you get the healing skill, I'd upgrade it to Self-Acting Healing, which the name is pretty explanatory, but this healing is one of the high-level healing skills."
It continued, dashing her fleeting hope with its next statement. "But to get these skills, you have to take on monsters that are in double or triple-digit levels."
The grim reality settled over Seraphina. She was Level 3. Double or triple-digit monsters were, for now, completely out of her league. She was facing an agonizing transformation back to human, with no immediate way to mitigate the suffering. The temple, and whatever treasures it held, seemed to demand a price beyond simple courage.
As if sensing Seraphina's mounting dread, the System's notifications continued, its tone shifting to something almost... regretful?
System Warning: Harsh Realities
"I'm sorry. This world and its people are cruel, as you will find out, and the laws of this universe are even crueler. There are good people, but rarely. This universe isn't like the others. Their laws are more forgiving, more in favor of the inhabitants of their universe, but this universe doesn't. If you survive what you've already survived, you can survive this. Though, I will warn you this will drop your health down, and as soon as you are able, find some medicine, health potion, or something to heal you, to get your health back up."
The words hung in Seraphina's mind, a stark, brutal assessment of her new reality. Cruel. Unforgiving. And a warning that this inevitable transformation back to human form would not just be painful, but would drastically drop her health. She would emerge from the torment not only naked and vulnerable but also severely injured. The urgency to find healing items after she made it through the ordeal became paramount.
The weight of the decision pressed down on her. Go into the temple, gain potential gear, but endure unimaginable agony and vulnerability. Stay as a slime, bypass the pain, but risk madness or instant death from the World Tree's aura. Her high Intelligence and the System's blunt honesty confirmed there was no easy way out. Survival in this universe truly meant suffering.
Seraphina fought, her will a desperate anchor against the overwhelming, agonizing process. Slowly, painstakingly, her amethyst slime form began to compress, to solidify, molding itself into a grotesque, pulsating outline of her human body.
The initial phase, the regeneration of her skeletal structure, was unnervingly painless. Bones stretched and snapped into place, reforming within the viscous mass with a chilling quietude. But that reprieve was a cruel trick.
The excruciating, indescribable pain truly began when her vital organs began to regenerate. Her brain, reforming nerve by agonizing nerve, exploded with a symphony of torment. Her other organs, each one a fresh wave of agony, followed suit. She felt the impossible pressure, the searing heat, as her two hearts reconstructed themselves. The Monster Core – no longer a pebble, but a small, jagged crystal shard – embedded itself within one of them with a final, searing spike of agony. Her heartbeats, once a staggered echo, now hammered a powerful, relentless rhythm, like war drums thrumming deep within her chest, both alien and terrifyingly vital.
A new, peculiar sensation threaded through the torment. Because she had absorbed the Rengo, her newly forming bones felt incredibly denser, as if imbued with an unbreakable resilience, yet paradoxically, they retained a surprising lightness, promising unhindered movement. Her muscles, rebuilding fiber by agonizing fiber, solidified into a more toned and defined form, a stark contrast to her prior human physique.
The pain intensified with every returning sense, every recreated sensory organ. But it was only when her tongue, her voice box, and all the intricate components of her speech apparatus finally reformed that the true horror found release. What escaped her lips was not a scream, but a horrifying, unholy shriek that tore through the quiet night, a sound so utterly primal and inhuman that no one could describe or recreate it. It was the sound of a body being violently, painfully unmade and remade, a symphony of torment that finally shattered her consciousness.
The world went black. Seraphina's newly reconstructed, naked human body lay crumpled in front of the temple, still and utterly vulnerable, unconscious from the overwhelming agony of her rebirth.