Chapter 15 — Real Power
My body ached as Shyara and I made our way back to the cave. The suns had set long ago, the moons now hung high in the sky, and night had claimed the forest. Our steps were heavy with fatigue—and the weight of our bounty.
"I think these will do for a start," I said to Shyara, glancing over my shoulder at the monsters we'd captured. Four in total.
A two-tailed fox that tried to fight us off by manipulating the forest around it.
An orange bear cub with four arms—strong but slow. Shyara subdued it without much issue.
A furry black spider that zipped around spitting webs of all kinds. Swift, but no bite. An easy capture once it tired itself out.
And finally, a pink slime. We kinda just found it in the bushes and brought it along… because why not?
"Yeah. Not a bad haul," Shyara replied, petting the slime. She'd been carrying it the whole way, leaving me to drag the other three. Little brat was skipping out on the work.
"It'll be our first time testing your Monster Mage skill. You scared?"
"Nah. We can handle it. I don't think anything too bizarre will be born from breeding these guys. But…"
"Yeah, I get that," she said, catching the rest of my thought before I finished. "If the monsters inherit traits and not just looks, that could be dangerous. Like—"
"The bear getting the spider's speed."
She made a disgruntled face. "That's annoying," she pouted.
"Especially when you do it," I replied.
"I think you meant cute."
"I said what I said."
"But you thought cute."
"Must've been thinking about Nyla. Or Yuki. Or maybe the slime. It's kinda cute."
"You're not funny."
"I'm hilarious."
"Haha. Psyche!"
"Childish."
"Yo momma."
"At least I have a mom. Well… did."
"Low blow. My bad. If it makes you feel better, I feel your pain. Having your memories isn't all roses."
"Having you have them isn't a picnic either. Having a gremlin in my head is weird."
"Super rude. And inaccurate. I'm more like a devilish angel."
"Please search my memory for the definition of oxymoron. And while you're at it, look up moron. You can stop when you find an image of yourself."
"Hey! You actually changed your memory so I'd see myself when you think of a moron." She snorted. "Not bad." She laughed.
We carried on like that until we reached the cave's entrance. We ran into Nyla along the way. She was returning, too. Hunting maybe. I was a little concerned she left Yuki alone, but there was no point in reprimanding her. She'd hear me, but she wouldn't listen.
"Master. Welcome home." Nyla rushed up to me, rubbing her tails against my legs and burying her face in my chest.
My skin flushed, and my pulse quickened at her touch. Fuck. This chick was like crack to me. I pet her head and gently peeled her off me. She tilted her head quizzically, but I could see the heat in her eyes.
She wasn't fooling me with that… not twice.
"Nyla, we're a bit busy," I said, gesturing to the monsters who were beginning to stir.
"Yeah, pup, so why don't you run along while the grown-ups work?" Shyara added, waving her away.
Nyla's demeanor changed in an instant.
"Watch yourself, imp," she growled, voice low and menacing. "Master may see value in you, but I do not. I am more than enough. I'm all he truly requires. And if I see fit, I will rip your—"
"Nyla." I said her name calmly but firmly. "You've made your point. Reign in that murderous intent."
"Yes, Master! Sorry!" she blurted out, panic snapping her back to her usual self. Or what passed for it lately. Harder and harder to tell.
She terrified me in the worst—and best—of ways.
"Like I said, we're busy. And I want you resting more. Your body's going to need it."
"But Mas—"
I gave her a stern look. Like a dad catching his kid sneaking snacks before dinner.
"…Okay," she muttered, turning to walk away, her head and tails drooping. I watched her go. The system pinged—and her tails suddenly wagged like crazy.
I sighed. Fuck, I thought, watching her skip away like I'd just given her a gift.
"Just look at that ass," Shyara said with a smirk.
"Just pick up the slime."
"Aye aye, Captain!"
⸻
We settled into an empty chamber in the cave. For a goblin nest, the place was pretty expansive.
It was time to get to work.
Monster Mage had been tugging at my mind since we dragged the monsters in. Begging to be used. I was ready to oblige.
But first—status checks.
⸻
Name: Kai (Human)
Level: 20
HP: 1000 / 1500
MP: 750 / 1200
Strength: 75
Defense: 60
Agility: 80
Intellect: 200
Luck: 5500
Unique Skills:
• Chosen
• Monster Mage
• Perfect Lover
• Gene Splice (NEW): Allows user to splice the DNA of up to 3 tamed monsters into their own body. User acquires traits and capabilities from chosen monsters. DNA ratio adjustable. Using this skill resets user's level to 1. Usable three times total. May result in the creation of a new species. Evolution may become possible.
Warning: Spliced DNA may affect user's emotional and mental state.
⸻
"Whoa. Another broken skill," I muttered. But this one had obvious drawbacks—losing my humanity being one of them.
I wasn't there yet.
But…
I closed my status and opened Shyara's, pushing the thought aside. She gave me a worried look but said nothing. She didn't need to. The system pinged again.
The mental link had grown stronger. Again.
I smiled awkwardly and sent her a quiet thank you before reviewing her status.
⸻
Name: Shyara
Race: Goblin Princess (Saint)
Level: 10
HP: 700 / 1000
MP: 600 / 800
Strength: 50
Defense: 35
Agility: 90
Intellect: 160
Luck: 50
Status: Content, Amused, Curious, Excited
Unique Skill: Mental Link (Kai)
⸻
I whistled. "Not bad for a brat."
"Haha. I'm pretty great, huh?" she said, all smug and sparkly.
Yup. Brat.
I opened her evolution tab. Her smile got even bigger.
The screen flashed.
Attention: Monster Shyara is ready for evolution.
"Huh?"
"Yeah! That's right. I can evolve. Picked a good one, too. Check it out!" Shyara bounced on her feet.
"What are you, seven?" I asked.
She shrugged and danced anyway. Kid had some moves. Must've picked them up from my memories.
Focus.
Goblina Saintess: A monster raised under the influence of the Chosen skill. No additional data available. Species unknown to the world.
Welcome the birth of a new bloodline. Congratulations, little breeder.
Ah. So it's a mystery box. Could be a dud. But she was happy.
Little breeder? Me? Was this the system's idea of a joke?
"Stick to your day job," I muttered, approving the evolution. I had even less control over her changes than the others. That might be a problem if future monster offspring evolved the same way.
The system chimed in protest.
Or maybe it was just offended.
Was this thing… sentient?
More levels, more problems.
"Yay! I'm gonna go evolve now!" Shyara shouted, bolting toward the back of the room. "No peeking!"
"At what?" I called.
"Keep that same energy!"
"Yeah, yeah…" I muttered, closing her status.
⸻
The four monsters we brought in were surprisingly docile. Nothing like the other three tames I had.
"You guys wouldn't harass me like they do, would you?" I asked.
The slime jiggled a little. The others just sat quietly. Awaiting orders.
Monster Mage tugged at my mind again.
No time like the present.
I scanned the bear and fox.
Turns out, the bear was female. The fox—male.
We really should've vetted these guys better. What if they'd all been dudes?
Fuck it. It worked out.
They weren't very compatible—but Monster Mage could override that.
Warning: You are attempting to breed two monsters with low compatibility.
Increased chance of mutation. Increased chance of mental instability.
Quadpaw + Bramblekin
Success Rate: 65%
Compatibility: 12%
Monster Mage and Chosen skill increase success rate to 100%.
It's a gamble—but you miss every shot you don't take. Pull the trigger!
"…That flavor text hits different," I said. "System's picking up my vibe, too? Great. I can't handle another Shyara."
There were risks. But this was what the skill was made for.
I activated Monster Mage.
Quadpaw and Bramblekin glowed with an eerie light. The spider zipped up the wall and cocooned itself. Couldn't blame it. Shit was about to get weird.
The slime oozed behind me for cover.
Was that instinct? Or intelligence?
My thoughts were interrupted by a yelp.
The fox had toppled over trying to mount the bear. She stood there, unimpressed.
He tried again.
Failed again.
Okay, that was kind of hilarious—but time was ticking.
"Alright, let me help you out, champ." I instructed the bear to lie down. Made things easier. Still awkward, but manageable.
Once the fox found the right angle, he gave it everything he had.
The bear just looked… bored.
I gave her an apologetic look. She grunted.
Guess they have this problem in any world.
A couple minutes later, the fox flopped over, looking satisfied.
Success! Conception achieved.
Monster Mage activated.
Pregnancy accelerated. Time until birth: 24 hours.
Species: Unknown. Multiple fetuses detected.
Mutation chance: 75%.
"Twenty-four hours? And 75% mutation? Is this good… or really bad?" I blinked. "What is her womb, a microwave?"
It was going to take Nyla a month to cook a baby. This was on fast-forward. And what the hell did multiple mean?
I looked at the bear. She huffed.
The fox lay snoring, satisfied. Until the bear stomped the floor and startled him awake.
Lover's quarrel?
I sat down on a nearby rock, staring at the scene.
This was it. The first step into the madness of Monster Mage and Chosen.
What waited on the other side?
I should've been scared. And I was. But more than that?
I was excited.
For the first time since coming to this world… it hit me.
I had power.
Real power.