Monstrous Ascension: Endless Monster Evolution

[You died.]

"What?"

Before Kane could think or remember anything, he saw himself in a strange white place filled with nothing but the color white. He felt weird like never before. He felt heavy and at the same light. Kane felt tired but at the same time refreshed… he started to wonder if he had collapsed due to heatstroke. That summer had been pretty intense, after all.

In any case, before he could understand the meaning behind those words, he recalled the last moments before he woke up in that weird place. Kane saw himself bored out of his mind that summer. Most of his friends were enjoying themselves on the beach, but since he was dead broke after spending his meager salary as a part-timer in a restaurant buying games, he was forced to stay behind. Due to the heat of the summer, he couldn't concentrate and not even take a nap.

[The Solar system number 9653 was destroyed, and all its life perished when the sun exploded and became a supernova. The members of the local sentient species received a second chance from the (????). As a member of the human race, you can reincarnate and receive more chances to live… At least until you prove useful to maintain the stability and growth of another species.]

After hearing that genderless voice again, the pieces of Kane's memories started to fall into the right places. He was walking back home after buying some ice cream in the convenience store, wondering what he would eat for the rest of the week since he was dead broke. Suddenly, the air started to vibrate, and Kane felt the temperature increase… the last thing he saw was his arms burning…

"Did I die without even noticing? I didn't have time to feel anything. Well, I can't remember everything exactly. So, perhaps that is a good thing…"

[You received ten reincarnation points, you can use those points whenever you die, but you also can use them while you are alive. However, obtaining them is difficult, and you will be hunted every single moment. If you die, you can buy another life and reincarnate as another species as long as you can pay the reincarnation points necessary.]

"Say what? At least give me some time to confirm that I'm not dreaming or something…"

Kane tried to move his arms and pinch himself, but he didn't feel anything. He couldn't even move his head. That wasn't a dream; it was a nightmare… Before Kane could ponder about things in detail, a weird blueish screen appeared in front of him. It kind of made him recall game screens he had seen many times.

Reincarnation points: 10

Monsters

Skills (Locked)

Items (Locked)

Extra (Locked)

"Do I have to touch one of the options? Why can I see four, but why only one is unlocked?"

Kane couldn't move his arms because he didn't have them. Most likely, he was in his spiritual form or something. Regardless, the moment he thought about clicking on the monster's option, another window appeared.

Slime (10)

Bloody Ant (50)

Goblin (100)

….

Although Kane wanted to see more options, he couldn't see them for some reason. In any case, that was probably the time he had to choose his new species. However, Kane couldn't choose… he only had a single option, and it was to reincarnate as a slime. Kane read some fantasy stories where something like that happened. However, knowing what he knew… his new life wouldn't be easier, and he was pretty sure that he would be hunting day and night. There was no way he would have time to become a stupidly powerful slime.

"You have five seconds to pick your new race… 5,4,3,2…"

"I will be a slime!"

Kane didn't even know if he could shout in that form, but he wished with all his might to shout, and by the look of things, he had been heard. The countdown disappeared, and the blue screens also were nowhere to be seen. It looked like that computer voice belonged to someone who didn't want to waste much time with him. In any case, Kane would have to study that system while he fought for his life since that annoying voice didn't want to give him time to think.

"Thank you for using the Monsters System. You will be reincarnated in 10, 9, 8…"

"Thank you, my ass… don't try to act like a polite telemarketing attendant now. Shit... how could my life change so fast and so suddenly? Why is the fate of my spirit being controlled by unknown beings so easily? This has to be some kind of stupid joke."

Kane didn't know if it was a good idea to try to anger whoever the owner of that voice was. At that moment, the only thing he could think of was to wake up once the countdown ended. He didn't want to believe that he had died so suddenly and in the event of such proportions as the end of the solar system, and he didn't want to believe that he would become a slime… a weak-ass monster that doesn't even have arms and legs.

"I wonder if I will find Mom and Dad, my friends… reincarnating alone on an unknown planet would be scary, but reincarnating knowing that I might find them there doesn't make things easier. I don't want false hope, after all."

If Kane's brain were working properly, the new life of all human beings wouldn't be easy. The best thing they could do was to join their forces and try to survive together, but how would they do that? They would reincarnate in new bodies; most likely, it would be impossible to use human language. Even if they could, what were the chances of them finding people who could understand each other? The new life Kane never asked for was about to begin, and it would start in the worst way possible… full of doubts and fears.

"3, 2, 1…"

Suddenly the area started to glow, but in the next moment, Kane saw himself in the middle of a grove. It didn't look much different than the groves on Earth, but the trees were pretty tall and…

Splash!

Kane turned his body and saw the very moment a random slime had been killed by what seemed to be the equivalent of a human being in that new world. Kane immediately recognized his first and most dangerous enemy… a teenager armed with a wooden spear.

"Hey... for real? There are people waiting to kill me on the spawning point?"