Chapter 36: Orange

Evolution!

<Would you like to open the Evolution menu?>

Please!

<Opening evolution Menu...>

<Congratulations!>

<You've managed to reach the Tier 3 evolution!>

<You are on the verge of becoming a noticeable creature in the world!>

<You have also managed to obtain additional evolutionary energy from maxing out one of your current mutations for your rank!>

<You have received the maximum amount of additional evolutionary energy for your rank!>

<Maximum evolutionary options and benefits will be unlocked!>

<Here are you evolution options for tier 3!>

Low is uncommon

Normal is rare

High is very rare

get at least 13 options

<Boulder Octopus (Uncommon)>

<Obscuring Vision Octopus (Rare)>

<Carapace Octopus (Rare)>

<Cobalt Nautilus (Rare)>

<Red Ringed Octopus (Uncommon)>

<Lesser Holy Sludge Snail (Rare)>

<Heavy Monstrous Octopus (Very Rare)>

<Carnivorous Hook Squid (Rare)>

<Thick Tentacle Octopus (Rare)>

<Pecking Octopus (Uncommon)>

<Creature Octopus (Rare)>

<Parasitic Cone Octopus (Very Rare)>

<Kelp Marsh Monster (Very Rare)>

...

'Well that's new...' I think to myself as I see the (Very Rare) next to some of the options.

...

Wait! System what was up with that remark?

I'm on the verge of being noticeable?

That's awfully brave coming from someone who BARELY TALKS AT ALL.

Noticeable?

NOTICEABLE?

Half the time I forget you're even here!

...

After giving myself a few seconds to cool off from my outrage, I take a few deep breaths and look back at my potions.

There are few more than last time aren't there?

Looking through the choices, most of them are still some form of octopus, but I do notice the previous assortment of squid and snail options.

There is also a nautilus option too! I know that that the family of cephalopods includes the octopus, squid, and now we've finally arrived at the nautilus!

They're basically like a shelled version of the squids and octopi and I do think they're a little smaller than the other two species, but their main point is that they actually have a shell.

It looks like that's also the main focus for my the [Cobalt Nautilus], as it would appear that its main feature would be not only me obtaining a shell but also getting a [Cobalt Shell] Mutation along with it immediately.

Other than that I also got a... [Kelp Marsh Monster] evolution?

What the hell is that?

<[Kelp Marsh Monster] (Very Rare): A creature born from the decaying tangled plants present in parts of the Decomposing Swamp. With the bloodline of the Epic ranked [Swamp Thing], this creature excels in the art of camouflage and frontal confrontation due to its large amount of vines and can have an even greater advantage when in the presence of other aquatic plants.>

'Isn't this super similar to one of the myths back on earth?'

I didn't exactly read a lot into myths back on my old world, but I do recall that there were a couple forms of media where there was a monster called the Swamp thing existed.

It was basically akin to some creature covered in a large patch of moss, vines, or I guess kelp in this case.

Does that mean that parts of this world are similar to my original one?

...

I guess it doesn't really matter too much.

I know that some parts are the same like how the year cycle works, but at the same time I kind of don't have a reference here in this world.

Like what if a second here is just plain longer than a second in my old world?

Or better yet, one of the question's I've wanted to know from the beginning...

How big am I really?

I've always thought myself akin to being roughly the size of a regular human's height at this point, but it's always been in the back of my mind that I really don't know.

I never really knew how big corals, nor those kelp vines really were, but If I compare them to myself at the moment, I would probably be as long as the diameter of one of the strands.

Either way, I also don't think that I'm going to go down this path in terms of what kind of creature I want to become in the future.

It does say that it's a (Very Rare) creature, so I do think that it's one of the stronger options I can have, assuming that very rare is above rare.

But at this point I really do just like my octopus body. That and I'm not sure I want to turn into something that looks like it came from a horror movie!

At least I'm familiar with what it feels like to be an octopus at this point! I really don't want to become a bunch of sentient vines even if it's not that different from what I currently am.

So with that off that list, I'm also removing all of the lower ranked evolution options off of it as well.

That only leaves me with 2 options left. The [Heavy Monstrous Octopus] and the [Parasitic Cone Octopus].

Let's take a look at them.

<[Heavy Monstrous Octopus] (Very Rare): An octopus part of no specific bloodline, nor one seen before. As a creature based on the unusual density attribute, this octopus puts emphasis on its weight, size, and muscles. This creature gravitates itself towards becoming a solo predator putting fear into their prey and becoming a a true monster.

<[Parasitic Cone Octopus] (Very Rare): Deriving from the Mind Eater octopus, this creatures is a low ranking manipulator of the body, capable of taking control of a lower ranked creature and forcing it to due its bidding. Unlocking the [Parasitic Infection Organ] in exchange for most of its physical stats and size, this creature isn't very good at frontal confrontation, but is phenomenal at sneak attack. At further evolutions, this creature can become capable of controlling multiple targets to the extent that they don't even know they are being manipulated.

...

Jesus, that's f*cking scary...

The first option, the [Heavy Monstrous Octopus] sounds pretty scary already, but compared to that second option... that thing almost makes it seem innocent.

Well at least I'm not as conflicted as what to chose for this evolution.

I've been running a one man army type of gig so far and I don't want to change that, especially if it makes me really weak physically and only capable of taking control of other creatures.

No offense guppys! But I don't think that you would be able to protect me very well!

<Are you sure with your evolutionary choice of [Heavy Monstrous Octopus]?>

<Yes/No>

Aye!

As my mind began to fade I briefly wondered if I should ink myself again to as hide myself from prying eyes, but I quickly discard it, as I'm sure if the practice of viewing an evolving creature is considered impolite, then Shelton wouldn't do it in the first place.

Soon however, my vision goes completely dark as my body is left floating atop a bed of kelp.