Chapter 5: Spark

Chapter 5: Spark

[Evolutions for the different forms are available at the same level milestones. However, the evolution options will be basic but can be improved if Devour has been used on variants of that species]

As it turned out, the system had the answer for Xen. His other forms, such as Human and Elf, could indeed evolve at levels 10, 50, 100, 150, 200.

With his [Human] form beside his slime form being his highest level at level 2, there were still 8 levels for him to go before he would be able to evolve. The system's mention of devouring a variant was also important to keep in mind, as if he could get a rare variation in one of the earlier evolutions, it would help him further down the line when levels became harder and harder to acquire.

Putting that to the back of his mind, he moved on to the next part of his status screen.

[Current Form: Elf Male (Level 1)]

It simply detailed what his current form was, its level, and since he had taken over the body of Jonathan, he was indeed a level 1 Elven male. Concentrating on this section of his status screen highlighted a lower section:

Elf: Level: 1 (F)

+4 Strength, +2 Vitality, +5 Agility, +1 Resistance, +10 Magic per level

When Xen had first unlocked his status screen, he had made a note of the fact that he only got +1 in each stat per level, so even if he could level up, he would still be far weaker than anything else on this floor, apart from his fellow slimes. In fact, just to match a level one elf, he would probably have needed to reach level 10 and evolve as a Mind Slime, judging by the stats shown.

The ability to shapeshift and use the stats from other forms will definitely be my greatest edge over opponents, as the +1 I get in every stat because I'm a Mind Slime wearing a skinsuit will hardly make much of a difference past these very early levels, Xen mused to himself as his eyes drifted down to where his stats were laid out.

[Strength: 4 (+4)]

Sure enough, there was a +4 next to his strength in brackets, which showed the 4 stats he got for being level 4 as a slime were being combined with the 4 stats he got for taking on the Elf form for a total of 8.

“So why do I feel so much weaker than before?” Xen muttered as he flexed his arm. Squinting at his status screen, he soon discovered the answer with some quick arithmetic.

Human: Level 2 (F)

+5 Strength, +2 Vitality, +3 Agility, +2 Resistance, +6 Magic per level

[Humans and Elves may appear similar, but they are genetically different in almost every way, which results in the Elves having their mana core concentrated in their brains rather than their hearts like Humans. They also have far longer lifespans and more prominent facial features.]

Xen had to admit he didn’t really notice the difference between the two-legged species' facial features, as it all kind of looked the same to him, much like these dungeon walls. They all looked similar from a distance, but since he had been hugging the cracks of these walls for most of his life, he knew, without a doubt, they were all unique.

“Bah, whatever, that steep cost is putting me off the idea,” Xen waved away the system prompts and turned his attention to the wolves. The only other thing in his status screen that he hadn't gone over were the free skill slots, but considering two of them were still empty, he would deal with that once he had finished eating these guys and retreated deeper into the dungeon.

Approaching the largest of the three wolves, which had been the one that stood the longest against Sarah, he couldn't help but feel bad for the poor thing; it was cut into two pieces, with its organs spilling out onto the floor in a puddle of blood. The thing had been brutally sliced in half, though it had deserved it, and he could hardly blame Sarah; this was a dungeon, a place of life and death. There was no mercy here. Only the strong prevailed.

Finding an intact piece of its brain turned out to be too much of a task, so instead, his left arm split up into dozens of purple-tinted tendrils, and then Xen used Devour.

[Devour in progress...]

It took a good few minutes before everything had been consumed on the system kicked into action.

[Devour Complete]

You gained 84 biomass.

You absorbed 15% of the Black fur wolf’s memories.

You have unlocked the [Wolf] form.

You acquired the following skills:

[Savage Bite (F)]

[A new Free Skill Slot has been unlocked]

[Do you wish to take on the Wolf form?]