My body, true to its pudding nature, subtly shifted upwards as I had done previously to catch a glimpse of Olin’s gnome form. Stretg like viscous slime, I adjusted for the right aer notig that the corpse had also shifted ever so slightly. There, in her chest, ing wound right where her heart should have beeled inside was a glowing white blob—the actual color unknown to me, thanks to my Thermal vision, whily indicated it was something warm and alive ihe corpse. But what was it?

  “Mine! Mine! Aaaaah! MIIIINE!” a blood-curdling scream erupted from the blob ensced within the corpse’s chest cavity.

  What the hell?!

  I quickly recoiled, crawling away more from surprise than fear. Of all things, I hadn’t expected the entity within the dead woman’s body to be capable of speech. Cautiously, much like a feline sizing up potential prey, I began to edge back, trying to steal annside the cadaver’s gaping wound.

  “Num num num, yum yum,” I could hear whatever was ihe woman murmuring to itself. Suddenly, it noticed me again and screamed, “MINE! MINE!” It then lunged—or, rather, I initially thought it lunged. It seems I often misjudge these situations when my expectations don’t align with reality. No, this creature didn’t lu oozed out slowly, its murderous i unmistakable amidst its i, mad ramblings. “Mine! Kill! KILL! My yum num num! Me find first! MIIINE!”

  Seriously! What. The. Fuck? Screw you! That’s my num num—shit! I mean, ugh, whatever. I’ll kill you and see if I ’t extray skills from you or that corpse.

  Shit, Bke, what’s wrong with me? Wait—why do I keep referring to myself ihird person? Argh! I’m losing my mind… Maybe my old therapist was onto something with those diagnoses. As for what those were—well, that’s protected by HIPAA (if you know, you know).

  Great, I’m not only talking to myself and referring to myself ihird person, but I’m also breaking the fourth wall too? I could really use some weed right about now. Oh, shit—

  I was lost in my internal dialogue when, suddenly, the creeping ooze shed out to attack.

  V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE

  Acid Status Detected       [SD]

  Resist Status: Full Immunity   [Active]

  Applyiances…

  Resistance Successful

  Acid Effeullified

  V:\>

  There was a long pause as the ooze and I eyed each other, both clearly baffled by what had just transpired. Then, without warning, my oppo screamed in pain! As it did, I noticed light gray swirls appearing on its glowing white flesh—the flesh that had touched me—as it started to retreat with all the urgency of a tortoise with short legs; needless to say, it was not fast at all. Meanwhile, I stood there, frozen and fused, before flig on Mana Focus for a quick fsh of a moment.

  The chamber burst into vibrant and fusing hues, which I had already suspected was actually mana wafting across everything. If I had to guess, the chamber itch bck, but when you only see in Thermal and mana, who needs a light source? Still, before turning off Mana Focus, I noticed the creature looked off-yellow, almost sickly, probably due to the corrosiveness of its mana. A little se of its body that had touched me showed thin wisps of purple-like threads spreading over it.

  Then it hit me: this ooze, slime, or whatever it was, might have some kind of acid resistance, but I was also—Venomous! I nearly died from ughter as I started to creep after it. Two slowpokes—one fleeing with all its desire to live, and the other—me—eagerly on the hunt. To any onlooker, it would have appeared pathetic, like two slugs in a slow-motioo the death. Yet, to me, this ic csh, the stuff of legends!

  V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE

  BattleResult

  Enemy Defeated: [Dungeon Ochre Jelly]

  Current Level: 13

  Milesto Level: 15

  Initiate [Absorb] on [Dungeon Ochre Jelly]?

  > YES

  > NO

  V:\>

  My high-speed pursuit fizzled out as quickly as it had begun. The chase had been… exhirating? No, let’s not dwell on that anticlimactic awkwardness. The ooze—or was it an ochre jelly? Whatever that is—succumbed to my venom before I could catch up. It seemed that other slimy types didn’t share my degree of immuhis oppo, however, must have been rather weak since I didn’t gain a single level from poisoning it to death, which was quite a letdown. Still, it was worth cheg if it possessed any skills I didn’t already have. With my metaphorical fingers crossed, I pressed yes on [Absorb] and reveled in the oddly delightful sourness of its flesh.

  V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE

  SkillUpdate

  [Absorb] [Dungeon Ochre Jelly] Successful

  New Selectable Skills Avaible:

  - [Dull Corrode]

  V:\>

  Dull Corrode?

  I didn’t have much more to add or say as I stared at the underwhelming skill seemed I was destio accumute all sorts of weak skills I her wanted nor hough, this one sounded particurly uninspiring. Still, driven more by curiosity than anything else, I decided to pull up the description. Who knows, maybe I’d be in for a surprise.

  V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE

  SkillDetails

  [Dull Corrode]

  Description: Your touch bees slightly acidic, capable of gently dissolving foods and nutrients—perfeinor corrosive needs without causing harm.

  Status: Inactive

  Type: Ability

  Activation: Passive

  V:\>

  Without causing harm—the fuck?

  Disgruntled by the seemingly useless skill, I crept my way back to the dead woman, hopeful of finding something more beneficial. Without hesitation, I engulfed her body like ravenous, sticky tar, i on pletely dev her. That said, I did notiething new about my Corrosive skill. Sihe woman was already dead, her body seemed to dissolve much faster than the succubus had during our fall—in fact, after the fall, the succubus’s remains had also dissolved rather quickly pared to when she was alive. Hmm… food for thought.

  Huh, she tastes a lot like hot cocoa and mint. Mmmm, delicious!

  V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE

  RequestA

  Do you wish to [Absorb] System User: [Sophia] Css: [Neancer Apprentice]?

  > YES

  > NO

  V:\>

  She was a system user... like me? Wait, could she have been one of the summoned didates that the vampires mentioned? Does that mean she was from Earth as well?

  Setting those puzzling thoughts aside, since I had no way to get any answers, I focused on what truly mattered at that moment—perf a little squiggly pudding dance! My joy was boundless upon realizing that I didn’t o be the oo make the kill to use Absorb on a corpse. My etion soared, and I mentally cheered, Yes!

  V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE

  SkillUpdate

  [Absorb] System User: [Sophia] Successful

  New Selectable Skill Avaible:

  > [Spirit Vessel]

  > [ic Fme]

  V:\>

  Huh, sweet, two new skills!

  I leasantly surprised to have gaiwo new skills this time, but I paused, fixated on one of them.

  Wait a minute—ic Fme?!

  V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE

  SkillDetails

  [ic Fme]

  Description: Wield the dark are to unleash a deadly inferno of fmes that wither and decay all life they scorch.

  Status: Inactive

  Type: Spell

  Activation: Cast

  V:\>

  Perfect—just… fug perfect.

  I had just filled up all four of my skill slots, and then what did I discover? An insanely powerful-sounding ranged spell. I had sworn not to have as, but damn it, I was kig myself now! Especially since I had inally wanted a ranged spell, and there it was, staring back at me from my system page, tauntih its potential.

  Seriously? I don’t want to fight up close with monsters. I want to be a sniper-like mage if I have to fight! This is so unfair.

  Needless to say, I indeed regretted filling up all my avaible skill slots, with no way of knowing how to undo it. Begrudgingly, I g the other skill description, my enthusiasm thhly dampened.

  V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE

  SkillDetails

  [Spirit Vessel]

  Description: Manipute spirits around you, mending and melding them with any accepting vessel.

  Status: Inactive

  Type: Spell

  Activation: Cast

  V:\>

  I didn’t give that skill much thought, instead gng around for any remains of the girl that Absorb might have left behind for me to savor as I pted my move. I was already growing weary of lingering too long in this dank chamber. It was time to experiment with Polymorph. It assive skill, so there shouldn’t be much to it, right?

  Closing my eyes, I imagihe woman I had just devoured—no, I thought about the succubus and her curves, but with a few modifications of my own. Minus the horns, wings, and tail—a perfect body that I never had in my past life.

  It’s Polymorphing time!

  I hoped to see my new, sexy form as I opened my senses—not that they had ever gone away. But to my dismay, I was still the same slimy, grotesque creature. I tried looking through the system for any instrus or a manual, but I was left to my own devices.

  My mind raced with possibilities, but still, nothing happehere was no transformation, no escape from this goo form. It was almost ughable, in a sid twisted sort of way. I stayed there for a long time, stretg and squeezing my body like some demented tortionist, but with no luck.

  It wasn’t until I finally gave up, scratg my head in frustration, that I noticed it. Yeah, you read that correctly—I was scratg my head! I didn’t look exactly human, nor did I have a body per se, but I had a limb, and I was using it to rub my somewhat oval body—whiight call a head. It seemed that when I wasn’t sciously trying to cast, my subsao get the skill to work—you might say, passively.

  I refuse to admit how many hours I’d been at this.

  Instead to shape my body, I simply tried to stand, no thought, just a. Suddenly, I began to stretch out, ripping, mending, and shifting like putty as I did. Tar-like strands, tendrils, aacles of abomination twisted into threads of interwoven muscle fibers as I started to take form. I rejoiced! For the first time since awakening, I reached out of the bck muck that had been me and toward the heavens with my newly formed hands open wide.

  A twisted smile tugged at the ers of my new face as I asded, my ughter eg in the darkness of my mind. It was a joyous madness, an intoxig rush of self-gratification. Here I was, reborn in another world, transformed into a creature of pure darkness and instinct. I’ve done unspeakable things that would make my former self shudder in horror. I’ve battled spiders, ghouls, and even a seductive succubus, all of whom I devoured with delight. But it wasn’t just them—I couldn’t resist sinking my corrosive flesh into a random corpse as well. And the taste... oh, the taste! It was like nothing I’d ever experienced before.

  I should feel disgusted, guilty, and perhaps even traumatized by my as. But I don’t. Instead, I stand tall on my own two legs, feeling an unpreted sense of pride and satisfa. It’s as if my new life as a monster has unlocked a hidden part of me, a part that revels in chaos aru.

  As I bask in my newfound freedom, a flicker of doubt crosses my mind.

  Is this who I really am now?

  Am I truly a monster?

  Those doubts quickly dissipated, repced by a surge of adrenali the prospect of new prey to hunt and e. Yes, I am a Bck Pudding, a creature of chaos, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Despite my pride in figuring out how to shapeshift in such a short time—maybe a day or two weeks lying in one sp, I wasn’t sure; it’s hard to keep track down here—I decided it was time to take a good look at myself. Though, I was already getting a good look, albeit a blurry one. Getting a three-hundred-degree view was already bad enough when you’re blob-shaped and your entire body is one massive eyeball, but when you’re stretg and trag, it gets worse. Now imagine appeo see out from—this turns an already sensory overload into somethihousand times worse.

  If only I could trate the skill I use to see into a focal point…

  I froze my thoughts as I realized I could do just that. I had been trying to trol the skill itself, but I had ried to trol from where I was using it—does that make sense? What I’m getting at is, instead to trol the skill, I should trol which part of my body uses the skill. Let’s say, like giving myself two orbs with Polymorph and then try fog the skill Thermal or Mana Focus into those orbs, just like real eyeballs!

  Oh, I’m a genius! Ha, to think, it only took me a week—I mean, no time at all to find a solution.

  An awkward chuckle echoed in my mind as I held out my hand like a vapid Instagram model, eager to admire my new form. I had the perfect idea as I subsciously tried to form an orb in my hand. Standing there for I don’t know how long, I eventually did it! I pushed Thermal into the eye within my palm and took a good look at myself without all the blurry and overwhelming sights going on all at once.

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for—the sight worked perfectly, albeit in bd white, but my form... Sure, I looked vaguely human… well, more like a bald, short version of Slenderman bined with a gooey skeleton than anything else. Talk about disappoi—I was a hideous monster!

  Where the hell are my curves and alluriures?

  My grumbling and bitg ended abruptly when a loud boom sounded above me! Flig my open hand upward, I moved it around to get a good look but saw nothing—wait! In the hole I fell down, I noticed a mix of grays and white growing in size. My single eye within my palm widened in horror as I attempted to escape from whatever was falling.

  After a single wobbly step, I fell ft on my face, spttering into a gooey mess. It turns out that learning to walk again is nothing like riding a bike. As I spttered, my eyeball liquefied, and Thermal snapped bato full panorama. Terrifyingly, I got an amazing view of the falling debris that did not wait for me tain as it came crashing down on top of me.

  V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE

  Fire Status Detected     [SD]

  Resist Status: None     [Inactive]

  Applyiances…

  Resistansuccessful

  Fire Vulnerability in Full Effect

  V:\>

  I screamed—or I tried to scream, but all that escaped the gooey mess of a mapeared in the buried puddle was silence. Searing, burning pain washed over every surfay body as stone and debris tio crash down on top of me, with several pieces still alight with fire. I had no time to think or process what was happening above ground. I simply moved with frantic crawling as my burning body oozed its way through the rubble.

  My only soce was that after creeping and sliming my way through all the dirt and stone, I somehow mao extinguish the fire, though the damage had been done. As I emerged from the mess, a few pebbles and stone bricks tumbled onto the pile, filling the chamber beh the hole. Getting far enough away from that horror fest, I curled up into a tiny pudding ball and sobbed as the jittering phantom pains of what I had just experienced coursed through me. However, I knew I couldn’t stay here much longer—not after a supp pilr colpsed and the chamber shook as if a distahquake, or perhaps more likely, a battle raged above me.

  Despite my pain, I found myself oddly thinking of Aurelia and w if she was safe. I knew I wasn’t this Bowen guy she thought my soul was from. Heck, I wasn’t even a guy, yet I couldn’t get her off my mind. Insane as it was, she occupied my thoughts.

  Ugh, I’ve never been so head over heels with someone before. What’s wrong with me?!

  Though I really do mean it, I hope she’s safe.

  With a trembling body that still ached from fresh burns, I gave Polymorph ano, only to enter a signifit issue. After dev a few spiderlings, a ghoul, a succubus, an ochre jelly, and a random woman’s corpse, I’d say I was about child-size, though I wasn’t sure why I wasn’t bigger. Unless it’s not ting all the water mass, which is utter bullshit if you ask me! Still, the issue was that after getting seriously burned, I was roughly the size of a tarantu once again.

  As a sed pilr in the chamber crumbled, I decided now wasn’t the time to bitch about the unfairness of life. Quickly, I took shape into a tarantu—or, more accurately, a single eyeball—lightly smoking and seared—with legs. I really did not like full three-sixty vision, so eyeballs were a must no matter what form I took, now that I knew how to do it. As for the spider legs, well, they were more like gooey appehat shot out from and into my single eye, which was my entire body.

  I quickly scurried away down a long corridor, just as the chamber’s ceiling gave way, colpsing the entire space, and perhaps my only escape if I decided I didn’t want anything to do with this dungeon.

  The long, narrow corridor before me seemed to stret forever, but I strode forward fidently, my eye held high. Well, that may be an exaggeration. I holy looked like a wobbling ball of goo waddling down a dark hallway. Whatever!

  Despite the long walk—or rather, in spite of it—I started pying around with my eye. Thermal was still better in parison to Mana Focus, although I hadn’t tried it yet with an eyeball. After giving it a go, I had to admit, I was starting to prefer Mana Focus over military thermal vision. The colors and hues were all off, but if I could figure out what each color represented in terms of potential mana, I’d have a huge edge.

  A loud sound rippled overhead, and gng up, I noticed the ceiling was crag. This ended my experimentation with my eyesight as I quickly picked up my scurrying pace. Half an hour ter, I finally reached the end of the corridor, with only a couple of cave-ins behind me. And oh, what an exhirating reward awaited me.

  I emerged from the fining passage onto a cliffside and froze as I gazed upon the se before me. Lo and behold, a massive cavern stretched out before me. It reminded me of a dotary I oched about a cave in a that was se it had its own ecosystem. Gng up, sure enough, there were clouds. Still staring up, I noticed rge crystal structures emitting a ton of mana in a soft white glow. I guess they were emitting light, which would expin why there was so much vegetation down below.

  Speaking of below, I stared at a colossal ke with a casg waterfall. Yet, I marveled at something I hadn’t appreciated earlier—my newfound tolerance—I didn’t feel like throwing up!

  Hallelujah!

  I might not have perfect crity as I’m still getting used to it, but the eerie splendor of the ndscape y exposed before me. I took it all in with no nausea or disfort. It was amazing! Of course, I hadn’t truly appreciated this new fort when I first formed the eyeball, being a bit distracted by falling debris and being burnt to a tiny crisp and all, but now, out in safety, I was finally appreciating it.

  After taking it all in for a few moments, I started peeking around, notig a few paths down from the cliff, but none were obvious choices. Then, I heard something that froze me still. A squabbling qui disrupted the silence.

  Hmm, listen to that delightful racket.

  I straio dis the identities of those bellowing beings, but their true nature remained cloaked in mystery. Yet, their raucous cmor was musiy ears.

  I’m not alone! Yay—wait, I’m not alone?

  No yay. I’m too tiny for a fight.

  “Rob, I’m fug tell you, we’re not ready for the boss!”

  “Well, Jason. Maybe if you hadn’t killed Sophia aen her heart, we might’ve stood a ce against that big fucker.”

  “Hey! Hey! We did not have a ceasefire at the time. Besides, it’s not my fault that frog-faced freak stuck my soul ihis dark fae body. It’s fug hard to trol these impulses.”

  ’t argue with that. I’m still learning about my own dark impulses.

  “Jason, Rob, you’re bht. Rob, this isn’t a video game. There’s no do-over! We o grind some levels if we hope to beat that boss. Jason, we’re in a life ah struggle, and if those freaks who threw us down here were telling the truth, only one of us will be allowed to leave alive. And the door out only be found at the end of this shithole dungeon! So, no, I don’t bme you for Sophia. We had not yet made any agreements at the time. However, as soon as we’ve cleared this dungeon, all bets are off.”

  Only one of us leave alive? Yeah, that’s about what I had gathered from Aurelia’s father, Lord Something-or-Other.

  Well, let the Hunger Games begin!

  “Jeremy, w-what if we level up to the point the v-vampires have no choice but to let each of us live?”

  “You said it yourself, Heather. Your appraisal didn’t work on Demidicus or his terrifying daughter. I don’t see any of us getting a high enough level to make a differeo those fanged fucks, but if everyone here wants to try, I’ll py along. I’m all frinding levels. What do you say, Yuri?”

  “It’s Yua, and as long as you boys prove you won’t betray one another, I’m willing to sider it. But I don’t trust the three of you.”

  Hmm… It seems obvious those are five champion didates chatting it up down there. I also suppose that makes Sophia, the corpse I ate, the sixth. Sorry—not sorry.

  I had no idea how long they’d been down here or what level they were, and I retty sure they would kill me on the spot, even if I found a way to tell them I was a fellow didate. Besides, I didn’t think I could stop myself from attempting to murder ahem first.

  Ugh, I’ve bee worse than Jeffery Dahmer.

  “Heather, what was the boss’s level?”

  “It w-was three l-levels above me, at level fifteen.”

  “Four weeks of grinding, and I ’t believe you’re level thirteen already. That drow experience boost is so unfair! I wish that sick fuck who summoned me had put me into one. Instead, I got some screwed-up dark fae.”

  Wait, wouldn’t that only make her level twelve? The boss they’re talking about is three levels above her at fifteen... so yeah, twelve. Looks like one of them ’t do simple math.

  “S-sorry, Jason,” she replied, her voice tinged with timidity. From her tone, I doubted she had dohe math either—stra almost sounded like she was lying about her level. Whatever!

  Level tweleve in four weeks? What. The. Fuck? I already higher level after a few paltry hours in this realm—minus the time figuring out Polymorph, of course—those are days we won’t be talking about. Maybe Aurelia’s faith in me wasirely unfounded.

  Ugh, who wants to be some evil champion, though? On sed thought... it might not be the worst fate.

  Suppose the other didates are also at or near my level. In that case, I’ll o do some serious leveling before fag them. I’m outnumbered five to one, and I have two things I o fix before a fight: one, I o figure out a way to cheat. And two, I’m tiny! Like, where a girl get a meal around here?

  Eh, am I really plotting their murder?

  YES!

  Holy crap, I think I am a schizo—fuck, my stepdad turned out to be right!

  Suddenly, an ued, hushed voice emanated from behind me, “Pssst!”

  1

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