Ch-15: Embracing the Darkness

Alfred closed the manhole, cutting off the light and plunging Ethan back into the familiar dull monochrome of the sewers.

As a skeleton clad in slime-based clothes, with blue flames burning in his eye sockets, Ethan had grown accustomed to the darkness.

Yet, there was a peculiar comfort in the few moments of light that had pierced his subterranean world. It was the doorway to this brand new world that he had yet to explore.

Suddenly, a notification rang in his mind.

[New mission has been issued, check the mission description for details.]

'Now what's this?' Ethan mused. 'Is this what the guide mentioned about receiving missions based on my plans?'

He opened the description with a mental command.

{Optional Mission}: Acquire a house and a personal means of transportation.

{Rewards}: 50 coins

'That's pretty convenient,' Ethan thought. 'A 'personal means of transportation,' huh? The jewelry I gave Alfred should be enough to mortgage a house and buy a car. Then I'll get another spin of the gacha, hopefully, to acquire something useful.'

Then, Ethan's mind drifted back to the extra ingredients that could be used in his evolution, as the guide had suggested.

He leaned against the damp wall near the stairs of the sewer exit, his skeletal form casting eerie shadows in the faint light from his eyes.

Opening the [Evolve] panel he decided to investigate what extra ingredients could be added.

'I still have the corpses of an Orc and the Shaman. Maybe I can use them as ingredients? Let's see.'

He clicked on the empty box next to the ':' sign in the panel, causing his inventory screen to pop up. Selecting the orc corpse, the screen automatically closed, and the empty box filled with a pixelated image of the orc. A new set of information appeared on the panel underneath the boxes.

- Slight Increase in Strength

- Slight Increase in Endurance

- Slight Understanding of the Goblin Language 'Ghukliak'

Ethan looked at this new set of information in front of him. 'Wow! That's amazing. This will definitely help me choose better ingredients for my evolution,' he thought.

His gaze then shifted to the '+' sign near the orc-filled box. 'That plus sign must add an extra box. I wonder how many ingredients I can use as extra ingredients in a single evolution.'

Thinking so, Ethan clicked the '+' sign, causing another box to appear beside the first one.

□+□ : □+□+

He clicked on the newly appeared box, this time adding the corpse of the goblin shaman. The information updated immediately.

- Slight Increase in Strength

- Slight Increase in Endurance

- Slight Increase in Mana

- Slight Increase in Understanding of Elements

- Increase in Understanding of the Goblin Language 'Ghukliak'

'Ghukliak, that name feels familiar somehow…Still, if I get another chance to meet goblins, I will be able to understand them. But then, would I still be able to kill them without a second thought?...That's a thought for later, I guess.'

After leaving behind the moral dilemma, Ethan clicked the '+' sign again, and another box appeared. However, this time the '+' sign at the end was gone, indicating he had reached the limit for additional ingredients.

'So three item's the limit. I will have to choose the extra ingredients with some thought, as I can't just spam evolve. So, for the last one let's add the staff. Let's see what it gives.'

Ethan clicked on the last box and decided to add the staff he had acquired from the goblin shaman. The information updated once more:

- Slight Increase in Strength

- Slight Increase in Endurance

- Slight Increase in Mana

- Slight Increase in Understanding of Elements

- Slight Increase in Elemental Control

- Increase in Understanding of the Goblin Language 'Ghukliak'

Looking at the given information in front of him, Ethan thought, 'So using magic-related items and monsters gives me control and understanding of Elements along with increased mana. And monsters with high physical stats give me physical increases. That's good.'

With time on his hands, Ethan decided to experiment with different combinations of items from his inventory. Though limited, he tested the potential benefits of various objects. Jewels and gold offered nothing. Potions provided slight increases in mana and health, depending on their type. Weapons, to his disappointment, didn't add anything either.

"Seriously? Not even a boost in attack power? Great," Ethan muttered, rolling his non-existent eyes. 'Guess I'm not hacking my way through evolution as I did with San Andreas.'

In the end, Ethan settled on the prior combination: an orc, the goblin shaman, and the staff. 'Potions can be useful in the future. Maybe I can give some of them to Alfred to use. And since I have no other use for corpses and the staff, let's stick with the classics,' he thought, looking at the trio of items in the evolution panel. 'An orc, a shaman, and a magical stick. Sounds like the start of a bad joke.'

Now came the hard part: waiting for Alfred to complete his tasks and earn a gacha spin. The hours dragged on, but finally, a notification chimed in Ethan's mind.

[Mission Complete: Acquire a house and a personal means of transportation.]

[Rewards obtained: 50 coins.]

'Looks like he did it,' Ethan said to himself, a sense of satisfaction creeping in.

'Way to go, Alfred. You have pleased your master,' sometimes being a little chuunibyou did no harm.

Excitedly, Ethan accessed the gacha spin. Using his 50 coins, he spun the wheel of fortune. And moments later, the result appeared before him: [Vial of captured shadows].

'Captured shadows? Sounds... ominous,' Ethan thought. 'But ominous can be good.'

But before he could even click to check the item's description, a notification followed:

[This item can be used for evolution. Do you wish to use this item for evolution?]

He didn't have to think before he tapped 'Yes.' He had been waiting for this moment since the day he killed the shaman. It had been 6 days since then and his wish was finally granted.

'Seems like my Luck stat is coming in handy,' Ethan mused silently.

'Finally, I can evolve. Hell yeah, baby!' Ethan lifted his hands up in the air, his jaws parted in an expression of silent scream.

All the boxes in the evolution panel were now filled, and a glowing [Evolve] button had appeared near the bottom of the screen.

Ethan moved to click it but hesitated, looking down at his outfit. He decided to store it in his inventory before proceeding. The slime armor outfit was too valuable to risk being destroyed or absorbed during evolution.

'Can't lose my slime suit,' he thought, shaking his head. 'It's too... stylish.'

With that done, he tapped the button, his non-existent heart filling with excitement.

[Evolution starting in 3, 2, 1… Evolution in progress.]

As soon as the countdown ended, Ethan was struck by a soul-stinging pain. He didn't even have the time to react before the darkness surged toward him like a tidal wave, threatening to drown him.

It seemed like the surroundings themselves were compressing in from all sides, putting pressure on his body and soul.

'This isn't fun,' Ethan thought, trying to grit his teeth and hold on. But it didn't seem like any of his species' traits were helping during the evolution.

He couldn't budge a single bone as he fell down, the clatter of bones drowned out by the ever-increasing darkness.

The darkness enveloped him entirely, and then he lost consciousness.

In his unconscious state, Ethan began to dream. He felt as though he was floating in a vast, comfortable void. 'Okay, this is weird,' Ethan thought. 'Floating in darkness. Pretty on-brand, though…SHIT!'

However, the surroundings gradually darkened, and waves of darkness broke through, engulfing him even in his mind.

As the evolution progressed, Ethan's ivory skeletal body began to change. His bones darkened, turning from bone-white to obsidian black.

A swirling cloud of darkness started to congregate within his ribcage, pulsing with a sinister energy.

After what felt like hours to Ethan, the soul-stinging pain subsided, replaced by a profound sense of something new within him.

[Congratulations on completing your first Evolution! Your level cap has increased.]

[You have gained new skills.]

Ethan slowly regained consciousness, feeling a new, potent energy coursing through his form. His skeletal frame, now black as the void, exuded an aura of shadow that flickered and danced around him like living flames.

He looked down at his hands—or what was left of them—and saw that they were covered in dark swirling shadows. The shadows moved with an almost sentient quality, wrapping around his fingers and then dissipating into the air.

'Okay, this is definitely an upgrade,' Ethan thought, flexing his fingers and watching the tendrils of shadow that followed his movements. 'I feel like a walking shadow... Wow, Ethan, always the one to state the obvious.'

Taking a moment to assess his new form, Ethan noted the strength and control he now seemed to possess. The darkness inside him felt alive, responding to his every thought. 'This power... it's like the darkness itself is part of me now. Let's see what else I can do with it.'

As he continued to explore his new abilities, Ethan noticed something else: his vision seemed to have improved. Not just his actual sight, which did get better, allowing him to see even farther in the dark tunnel, but now he could also 'feel' his surroundings.

'The darkness around me acts like a domain,' Ethan mused. 'I can sense things moving through it within a certain range. It's like I have eyes all around me.'

He could feel the skittering rats, not hear or see them, but feel them, even with his non-existent eyes closed. It was hard to describe this sensation in words; Ethan had never experienced anything like it before.

'Alright, time to try something else,' he thought. 'Let's see if I can control the darkness.'

He focused, trying to manipulate the shadows around him. The tendrils of darkness responded instantly, wrapping around him completely. Ethan felt that he had become one with the night, as if his presence had diminished significantly.

'This is... incredible,' Ethan thought, flexing his fingers as shadows flickered around them. 'I can meld into the shadows like Dracula from the Castlevania games. If I had this skill when fighting the shaman, I could've taken him out in one go.'

For a moment, he allowed himself to revel in his new form. But soon, the practical part of his mind took over. He needed to test his abilities, figure out exactly what he was capable of now.

'I think I heard some notifications for new skills. Let's see how much I've improved,' Ethan thought as he let go of his control, and the darkness receded, releasing him from its embrace.

Ethan opened his status panel first looking at his stats.

[STATUS]

Name: ETHAN BLACKETT

Level: 5 (EXP: 5300/10000)

Health (/R per hour): 230/230 (23)

Mana (/R per hour): 190/190 (19)

STAMINA (/R per min): N/A (N/A)

STR: 19

AGI: 20

END: 23

INT: 19

WIS: 16

DEX: 20

CHA: 01

LUC: 10

…

'Looks like the increase from the extra ingredients gets added to stats. That's good, keeps things comprehensive.' Ethan mused, as he clicked on the [Skills] tab, intending to review the new skills he had gained:

Passive Skills]

{Dark Vision}: Darkness is like light to you granting you Increased range of sight.

{Aspect of Lynx}: Increases movement speed by 10%. Increases Critical strike chance by 15%. Increases accuracy by 10%.

{Swordsmanship/HEMA}: Level 1

You are an initiate in the uses of a sword.

[Active Skills]

{Bone Shield}: Level 1

Cost: 10 mana

Duration: 1 hour

Cooldown: 5 min

Summon a temporary shield made of bones to block attacks. It can absorb 50 points of damage before it disintegrates.

{Skeletal Repair}: Level 1

Cost: 10 mana

Duration: Instant

Cooldown: None

Use mana to repair minor damage to your bones. Exchanges 10 mana for 10 health.

{Sharpen}: Level 1

Cost: 10 mana

Duration: 1 minute

Cooldown: 5 minutes

Applies a layer of mana on the sword, making it sharper than normal. Decreases durability of non-mana recipient swords.

{Dash}: Level 1

Cost: Saps N/A stamina

Duration: 1 second

Cooldown: 1 minute

Saps a part of the user's stamina to boost speed up to 500 percent for a second.

{Fortify}: Level 1

Cost: 20 mana

Duration: 5 minutes

Cooldown: 1 minute

Applies a layer of mana on the body to act as a shield with 20 health points.

{Shadow Meld}:

Cost: 5 mana/second

Duration: Depends upon the total mana

Cooldown: None

Become one with the shadows, making yourself nearly invisible in dark environments.

{Shadow Sense}:

Cost: 1 mana/30 seconds

Duration: Depends upon the total mana

Cooldown: None

Sense movement and presence within a certain radius using the darkness around you.

[Species Traits]

Doesn't Breathe; Unlimited Stamina; Doesn't Eat or Drink; Doesn't Sleep; High Pain Threshold; Immunity to Disease; Immunity to Mind Control; Immunity to Poison; Indomitable.

[Perks]

1. Evolutionary: Special beings with the power to create custom evolutionary paths, not available for normal monsters.

2. Calm Mind: Able to make calm and calculative decisions in almost any circumstance.

…

'Nice,' Ethan thought, a grin forming on his skeletal face. 'These are awesome. And I must have used 'Shadow Meld' earlier, when I tried controlling the darkness. Alright, let's try 'Shadow Sense' then.'

He closed his eyes and focused, feeling the darkness around him. Instantly, the earlier feeling of sensing things expanded and the outlines of the sewer tunnel and the creatures within it came into sharp relief in his mind.

He could sense the rats, the water flowing through the tunnel, even the slight breeze from a distant entrance.

'This is amazing,' Ethan thought. 'It's like I've got echolocation, but with shadows. I can see everything without actually seeing.'

Content with his evolution, he cancelled the skill. 'This is... beyond anything I imagined. I feel like Skeleton Batman.'

____

A/N: After asking meta ai on how to improve my writing, I got the suggestion that I should add more monologues to make the character more relatable. I tried it, tell me if it's better than earlier.

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE

The bonus chapter will be slightly late cause I have exams tomorrow.