Morning—or what passed for it in this weird reality—came slowly. The Riftgrove had stopped twitching, and the sky had finally settled into a pale gray that looked almost normal if you squinted.
Amoid hovered at the edge of a cracked rootline, staring out at the hills beyond. The forest behind him was quiet now, like it was tired too. He didn't blame it. After yesterday's trip into the vault and absorbing a piece of a failed ascension, even he felt like an overused sponge.
But he couldn't stop.
Every gain came with a pull—a gravity dragging him toward something more. He didn't know what he was becoming yet, but it felt big. Dangerous. Maybe useful. Maybe not. He hoped "not exploding" was part of the package.
[System Update: Evolution Path Fork Unlocked – Awaiting Additional Catalyst.]
"Another catalyst," he muttered. "Can't I just… grind slimes or something?"
[No slimes detected. Nearest viable essence source: Outland Creep Zone – 2.3 kilometers.]
Pip floated next to him, stretching in the air. "We leaving the rave forest?"
"Yeah," Amoid said. "Let's find something I can eat without losing my mind."
The Outland Creep Zone didn't look much different at first—rolling hills, strange plant life, a few wandering blobs that looked more like slugs dipped in glitter than monsters. But after the first few minutes, Amoid noticed the difference.
Things were… quieter.
Not peaceful. Just heavy.
Like the air had weight.
And there were no birds.
Nilo trotted beside him, ears twitching. "Something's off. Feels like a trap."
"Good," Amoid said. "If it's a trap, it means something's worth eating."
He floated up a slope and stopped.
Ahead lay a crater.
Dark. Wide. Breathing.
Not literally—but the ground around it pulsed, like it had a heartbeat. And in the middle was a crawling shape.
Too many legs. Not enough eyes.
[Object Identified: Creepling Alpha. Essence Grade: High. Caution advised.]
Perfect.
Amoid pulsed.
"Let's see what you're made of."
He dropped into the crater, a comet of glowing force.
The Creepling hissed and reared back, legs clacking. It spat something—a glob of acid or maybe a curse—Amoid dodged and slammed into its side.
[Shell Integrity: 88%]
It hurt, but he returned the favor with a burst of Phase Pulse, slipping halfway through the creature's plating and unloading a Mana Pop directly into its core.
It shrieked.
Then exploded.
Essence flew in every direction.
Amoid inhaled it all.
[Essence Absorbed – Processing...]
[New Trait: Bio-Creep Membrane – Optional Exterior Layer with Adaptive Resistance.]
[New Skill: Crawling Surge – Temporary limb generation for movement or combat.]
"Oh, gross," he whispered as slimy phantom limbs wriggled from his side. "I love it."
He dismissed them for now.
Pip and Nilo dropped into the crater beside him.
"You look gooey," Pip said.
"I feel gooey," Amoid replied. "Let's keep moving."
They found two more creep nests before the sun dipped. By then, Amoid had collected five more fragments, one rare trait, and two questionably useful abilities:
Sticky Burst: Slows enemy movement
Echo Twitch: Randomly dodges when hit (sometimes)
He wasn't sure if that last one would save him or just make him look like he was having a seizure.
Still, the grind was good. He felt full. Full of energy, traits, and something else.
That pull again.
That sense of almost.
He floated to a clearing, closed his glow, and called out.
"Seek. Is it time?"
[Core Stability: 98%. Essence Level: High. Evolution Available – Proceed?]
"Give me the choices."
[Analyzing...]
Available Evolution Paths:
1. Creepforged Warden – Gains defensive traits, high resistance, shell armor
2. Essence Trickster – Focus on misdirection, illusion, rapid movement
3. Echo Reclaimer – Builds on failed ascension, can absorb unstable memory traits
4. Anima Shell – High risk. Half-sapient form. Enables partial speech and construct building
"...I can talk?"
[Only if you don't explode.]
"Of course."
Amoid hesitated.
He wanted them all. They all felt like him. But he knew the rule. Only one.
"Wait."
He squinted at the options.
"Seek, what happens if I choose all?"
[...Combining all paths will initiate forced fusion. Estimated success chance: 50%. Failure may result in core destabilization or total reversion.]
He hovered.
"I've risked worse."
[Confirm?]
"Yeah."
Light exploded again.
But this time, it didn't hurt.
It burned.
His shell cracked. Reformed. Split again. Echoes of traits clashed, tangled, twisted, and settled. He saw limbs, illusions, constructs, memory fragments—all vying for control.
And he stood in the middle of it all.
Alone.
And becoming.
The light faded.
His glow was different now.
Deep blue. Hints of gold. A pulse that resonated like a song half-sung.
[Evolution Complete: Echoforged Coreling]
[New Form: Partial Shape Flex – May assume basic humanoid silhouette temporarily]
[New Trait: Inner Voice – Enables fragmented speech]
He breathed.
"...Woah."
Pip stared. "You look taller."
"I feel smarter," Amoid said, blinking as a new interface flickered open.
[Kingdom Seed Detected – Potential Domain Anchoring Site Located.]
"Uh oh," he muttered.
Pip and Nilo leaned in.
"What now?"
"I think I just unlocked kingdom-building mode," he said, dazed.
Nilo raised a paw. "You gonna build a castle?"
"I might build a shack. I just grew a mouth."
They all laughed.
The forest behind them didn't.
It watched. And waited.
Because something had taken notice of his glow.
And it was hungry too.