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[Metal Slime's Condensed Liquid Silver] Material Successfully Absorbed; Health Points Restored] ​​

[Please choose equipment to discard or synthesize into]

Having absorbed the corpse of the Metal Slime, veronica decided to merge it into her first armor.

[The material [Metal Slime's Condensed Liquid Silver] and the [Obsidian Exoskeleton Crimson Dusk Living Armor] equipment have been synthesized into the [Obsidian Semi-Liquid Crimson Dusk Living Armor] equipment!]

[You gained +10 Agility!]

"Hm?! I got Agility…" muttered Veronica.

"Agility? By assimilating that?" asked Shade.

"Yes… It did not change its appearance at all though, but… there. I can do the same with the other armor, and mold it as semi-liquid… I wonder if I can now heal wounds done to me easily… but it should still cost as much Mana as doing it with Armory I suppose" said Veronica as she waved her hands (gloves) as if they were made out of the slime.

"Although the battle was rather difficult, encountering those Metal Slime might have been a lucky draw in a way," said Shade.

"A lucky draw? I suppose… from where you got that saying?" asked Veronica.

"A Light Spirit used to say that all the time, it heard it from an adventurer once, and it got stuck into it so much that he used it in almost every conversation," said Shade.

"I-I see… I wonder, your spirit just talks a lot because you're bored?" asked Veronica.

"Why yes… although we can die, we live for many years, we barely have any predators as well… We either sleep or talk while maintaining the attributes reigning in a certain place through our existences alone… However, if we come across someone like you, who can befriend us, you can take us to different places and make us experience your life," muttered Shade.

"I see…" said Veronica, recalling the spirits of her previous life, who always made her day livelier and more colorful.

'I wonder if they survived. Wherever they are…' she thought.

"Sigh… Anyways, time to evolve and change job, so we can get the hell out of here before more of these dangerous monsters spawn inside…" said Veronica.

"Although… wouldn't it be beneficial if we just stay inside so you and Aqua can kill the monsters that spawn until you reach more levels and evolutions?" asked Shade.

"That's… a very logical question. And I certainly would… if it wasn't because I am in kind of a hurry… I want to meet with my sou- brother as quick as I can… I can feel that his soul is still quite weak compared to mine, which had recovered… There is also the risk that it might have been born as a race that ages slowly such as a human, and I don't know what might happen to him if he's born in poverty… better be safe than sorry and hurry up to meet with him" said Veronica.

"I see… well, whatever happens, we'll face it together. Now evolve and change your job, I am bothering you too much with my curiosity. It might be because I've been living in isolation for many years" said Shade.

"Don't worry, I understand your concern" said Veronica, searching through her System interface and selecting the evolution or 'Rank Up' tab.

[Evolutions Available]

[Shadow Phantasm Living Armor Brawler], [Spectral Soul Living Armor Knight]

Veronica decided to see the explanations in detail of these two new available evolutions. It seems that she always gets only two. Although this may increase or decrease as she masters more techniques or abilities.

[Shadow Phantasm Living Armor Brawler]

A special evolution granted to a Spiritual Shadow Living Armor who had trained its ability to manipulate shadows diligently to the point that it is capable of controlling the shadows within its phantasmal body to attack with powerful Unarmed Fighting Techniques. It specializes in offense and agility.

This evolution is capable of strengthening the 'Shadow Manipulation' Skill, giving the user an even greater mastery of shadows. It can also give the user the 'Phantom Form' Skill if it does not possess it already.

This evolution specializes in Strength, Mana, and Speed.

[Spectral Soul Living Armor Knight]

A special evolution granted to a Spiritual Shadow Living Armor who has used its own soul as a specter to attack and kill a dozen creatures. The user is already capable of manipulating its soul as if they were something similar to limbs, and shape them easily. It specializes in offense and magic.

This evolution is capable of strengthening the user 'Soul Form' and 'Soul Materialization' Skills, giving the user even greater control over its very soul. It can also give the user the 'Aura of Fear' Skill, which can be used to intimidate monsters or as a way to strengthen one's soul with its own terrifying Aura.

This evolution specializes in Strength, Mana, and Magic.

Two tentative choices appeared ahead of Veronica's sight… both evolutions seemed good for her, and she saw that no matter what she chooses, she would receive a generous boost in strength.

"What could be better? The strengthening of my Shadow Manipulation and the acquisition of 'Phantom Form' or the further strengthening of my Soul? I didn't even know that I could get 'Phantom Form'… mostly because I already have 'Soul Form', which I thought was a replacement… does it mean that I could use both a Phantom and my own Soul to fight?"

Although Ghost, Living Armors, Liches, and other Astral-type beings had an 'exposed' soul, this was not certainly the entire truth. Any Undead with enough strength and Mana would be capable of having what was called a 'Phantom Form', a special coating that covered the true soul often called the 'false soul'. The Phantom was a mist-like substance that covered the soul, for being such as ghosts, it was also their entire body.

However, for whatever strange reason, although veronica had a Phantom, it seemed to be underdeveloped, as her soul was far stronger than her phantom… but what if she used both? What if Veronica used both her Soul and the coating, her Phantom?

Until now, Veronica has been using her soul as a weapon, but not her phantom. It was similar to someone who was using his strong bones to deal with powerful blows instead of his muscles. But what if she developed both the bone and the muscle?

Although leveling Soul Form and Soul Materialization seemed tempting, Veronica could still do it through other means such as the Job change or by using her soul repeatedly… and about Aura of Fear, it was a strong skill, but it did not offer as much potential as 'Phantom Form'.

"Alright, I've decided," said Veronica.

Flash!

[Congratulations! The user had successfully evolved into [Shadow Phantasm Living Armor Brawler; Rank 4]!]

[You acquired the [Phantom Form; Level 1] Skill!]

[The Level of the [Shadow Manipulation; Level 2] Skill has increased!]

Veronica's felt as her main armor changed slightly, becoming sharper and thinner, but aside from that, there were not any more changes. Her other armor, the one originally made through the cricket and the metal slime core hadn't changed at all, and the extra stats gained through evolution remained even if she changed armors… it was almost as if the only thing separated both of them was the appearance and the slight mana storage capacity difference.

Veronica tried to release her Phantom, which was the semi-transparent mist that was covering her shadow-like soul. It slowly appeared and moved to her will. It was a slightly weaker force than her soul, but together they could become even stronger.

Especially because Veronica had heard and read about certain Ghosts and Liches capable of taking the appearances resembling of when they were alive by manipulating their Phantom Forms and then materializing them.

She once had a Lich teacher who was a master of this technique and was capable of turning back into the appearance when he was alive, resembling a handsome young man with scarlet eyes and dark brown hair. She had tried to learn 'Phantom Form' from him for many years, but never managed to… perhaps she needed to be an Undead herself to really manage to.

"Now to Change Jobs…" said Veronica.

[Jobs Available]

[Apprentice Warrior], [Armored Thrower], [Cursed Armor Brawler], [Apprentice No-Attribute Mage], [Apprentice Spirit Caster], [Slime User], [Spectral Soul Knight] (New!), [Phantasmal Armored Shield User] (New!)

"Two new Jobs… The Shield one seems straightforward… and the Spectral one seems that it might make my soul stronger. Though I am very curious about the Slime User… it might even increase the proficiency of the teamwork with Aqua" thought Veronica.

Her main offense up until this point had been her Unarmed Fighting Technique, her Soul, Spirit Magic courtesy of Shade, and Aqua. Veronica considered that each one needed to be strengthened equally.

She decided to check the jobs that interested her to satisfy her curiosity and indecisiveness.

[Slime User]

A Job unlocked by those capable of not only taming a Slime but using them as a weapon or support in one's fight, often 'equipping' it.

This Job strengthens the 'Tame' Skill and grants the acquisition of the 'Slime Binding Technique' Skill, which helps the user to better fight with its tamed Slime.

This Job specializes in Strength, Mana, and Speed.

[Spectral Soul Knight]

A Job unlocked by an individual that always wears heavy armor while being capable of manipulating its soul to the point of shaping it, resembling a specter.

This Job strengthens the 'Soul Form' and 'Phantom Form' Skill, and grants the acquisition of the 'Phantom Materialization' Skill, to further improve the user's fighting strength by using both its strange and grotesque soul and its newfound phantom powers.

This Job specializes in Strength, Mana, and Magic.

"Hm… Slime User seems remarkably interesting. But I will choose Spectral Soul Knight, as it brings the best benefits and a nice new Skill…" said Veronica, selecting the desired Job.

Ding!

[You have changed Jobs to [Spectral Soul Knight]!]

[You acquired the [Phantom Materialization; Level 1] Skill!]

[The Level of the [Soul Form; Level 3], and [Phantom Form; Level 1] Skills have increased!]

Veronica felt her strength slowly increase, as she felt her soul and phantom strengthening a bit.

"Alright… let us go… Hm? Is that a chest?!"

"A chest? Oh, it seems to have appeared out of nowhere when we defeated the monsters… it seems that the dungeon has rewarded you" said Shade.

"Guubo!" said Aqua.

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[Name: Nameless (Veronica)

[Race: Shadow Phantasm Living Armor Brawler.

[Age: 0

[Titles: Monster Tamer (New!)

[Type: Undead/Ethereal/Material

[Rank: 4

[Level: 001/100

[Job: Spectral Soul Knight.

[Job History: Armored Unarmed Fighter, Soul User, Shadow Soul Fighter.

[Level: 001/100

[Health Points: 315/315

[Mana Points: 385/385

[Strength: 266

[Defense: 320

[Magic: 262

[Resistance: 121

[Agility: 183

[Passive Skills]

[Memory Retention; Level 4]

[Special Five Senses; Level 6]

[Soul Form; Level 4]

[Phantom Form; level 2]

[Mana Enlargement; Level 5]

[Magic Enlargement; Level 5]

[Abnormal Status Immunity]

[Strengthened Physical Power; Level 3]

[Physical Damage Resistance; Level 2]

[Armor Rearrangement; Level 3]

[Absorption Healing (Mineral, Materials, Armor); Level 2]

[Shadow Manipulation; Level 3]

[Active Skills]

[Hardworking; Level 7]

[Appraisal; Level 6]

[Charge; Level 3]

[Coordination; Level 3]

[Unarmed Fighting Technique; Level 3]

[Throwing; Level 2]

[Shield Technique; Level 2]

[No-Attribute Magic; Level 1]

[Mana Control; Level 2]

[Spirit Magic; Level 2]

[Cursed Wounds; Level 2]

[Soul Materialization; Level 3]

[Phantom Materialization; Level 1]

[Armor Technique; Level 2]

[Tame; Level 1]

[Unique Skills]

[Armory; Level 2]

[Current Armory Slots: 2]

[Slot 1: [Obsidian Semi-Liquid Crimson Dusk Living Armor] [Armor]

[Slot 2: [Medium-Sized Iron-Silver Crab Soldier Exoskeleton Shield] [Shield]

[Slot 3: [Silver Metallic Slime Soldier Exoskeleton Living Armor] [Armor]

[Befriended Spirits]

[Shade, Spirit of Shadows and Darkness (Light-Attribute)]

[Tamed Monsters]

[Slot 1: [Rank 4: River Water Slime, Aqua]