Important note! If you don’t want to read my grumble, just read two last sentences.

I have survived yet another week In this hellhole!... but… it’s one piece of nightmare. I don’t have time FOR ANYTHING! The number of project that they requires on this bloody university, atop of that, they even made lecture classes OBLIGATORY! – yup, they simply send a lists on each of them, if you would miss but one lesson, you will get harder exam. Aaaand my journey with master degree thesis starts again. I have to look for a company that would take me in for practice labors so I could collect data for thesis…. Putting one plus one together – I am afraid, that sooner or later I will be forced to take a hiatus. Yeah, I don’t like this idea either, yet it looks like I don’t really have any other possible way out of this mess. But, for now, a chap:

We have been marching forward, in the same direction where monster vanished just a moment ago. Excitement start raising inside of me, somehow I start feeling bit strange? Agitated, far too agitated. Till now I considered fighting with undeads as pain in the ass, you know, no life force you can detect, they radiated mana in random order, depending on their kind… and they smelled like thrash can. The one behind supermarket. After day of sale on fishes.

And now, my heart was pounding, I could almost hear the blood rushing through my veins… and in same time my senses were calm and mind was focused… like never! Even more than while creating potions. Everything was so much clear. The dust that was gritting under my feet, blow of the air that came through the corridors bringing to my nostrils rotten smell of zombies. And I was… so, so AGITATED!

“Zari, are you ok? You look… creepy…” Dragoness named her fears.

Well, can’t blame her. I was grinning like a madman.

“Sorry, I think I am getting used to my blindness…” “It doesn’t make you any less creepy!” “But! But! There is so much more! Humans proceed 80% of their information from their surrounding with their eyes, but it doesn’t mean that with senses of hearing, smelling, feeling… you can view rest 20% in total… It’s more like… having eyes is limiting your mind! Have you ever got this feeling that words is so much more than you can just SEE?!” “No. And now you sounds like creepy… and crazy… madman.” “Fear not. I will not hurt you... for now…” And then I broke into my best mad scientist laughter. That made Gisele giggle.

Yet… isn’t the speed of my adaptation bit… terrifying?

~What are we?!

~Divine Chimera!

~What we do?!

~We adapt!

~When!?

~The faster the better!

~Did that help you to dispel your doubts, sunshine? You are a freak of the nature! You adapt on far more planes than just on physical. If you would be dragged into some weird culture, you would fit and blend into the crowd within hours. The more stimulation you experience, the faster changes will occurs.Even if you would be an unicorn in the herd of horse.

~Tiger in room of cats

~Shark among fishes

~Wolf in disguise among sheep…

… how very convenient.

“ari! Zari! What is wrong with you!?”

Crap.

“…Just voices in my head. Pain no attention, please.” “Ha-ha. Very funny. Stay focus.” “I am. Focused like never ever before.” “Doesn’t look like that.” “I simply can’t yet understand everything I feel… Like news smells, disgusting one, that comes from the room ahead.” “And what can you smell?” “The abominations that we have already encountered, smelled like rotten flesh, those creepers, like bone’s dust… don’t ask me how do I know the smell of bone’s dust, please… But there is something more, and I am not talking about humid dust… there is… something like… stomach gall… and… herbs? weathered, but it’s surly dandelion, wolfsbane and… something I don’t recognize… also, the vibrations… Everything is moving…” “Zari, your nose is bleeding.”

~Ha. My bad!

How is it your fault?

~… well, you said it by yourself, your smelling is stronger…

So?

~My sweet, sweet summer child…

“It should get better now. Come on! Slaughter awaits!” “You are far too happy, you know?” “You can’t say slaughter without laughter! Are you coming?” I checked my mana. Nicely full. “D’iabel. Glaive.” “As you command.”

Gisele pushed the door open and in next moment we entered inside. The monster were there, crowded near the walls. They stood there still, as if waiting for a command.

“Fiiishyyy. They aren’t that patient… but I can finally tell you, what you smelled…” “Which is…”

With eyes of my mind I saw her apologetic smile.

“Reversed. They are zombies… armored, faster and even more stubborn. They shouldn’t be encountered before 20 floor… Well, I didn’t want to get involved so soon… but… Zari I will engage first, try getting them off my back and then…”

She stopped her sentence in the middle.

“Then what?”

No response. I tried finding her life and spiritual forces… but there were none. Only small sparkles of mana hovering above the ground.

Warp trapStatus:DeactivatedTeleporation trap. After stepping on it intruder will be transported into different location within Dungeon.Time to next activation4h59s42s

… What?

“Ah, perfectly. Now, we can ssspeak without any disssturbancess”

Voice came from the middle of the room, but there was nothing. Nothing that my senses could notice.

“WHERE IS SHE?”

I charged at the place where voice came from. I jumped, spun the weapon over my head and hit my target. The blade of glaive met resistance, just to push through the flesh in very next moment.

You have slain [Reanimator's Vessel Level ???]You have obtained 1exp

“Intressssting…” The same voice came from different place “…how you intended to force dead into telling you, where the woman isss?” “WHERE?!” “Isss that a weakness?” Similar voice came from different direction “… Why does it alwaysss hasss to be a woman? Every cataclysssm, every war, ssslaughter and calamity. Itsss like the only purposssse of woman is to be a ssseed of disssagrement.” “Husssssh brother. We may have time, but that woman certainly not.” “What did you do to her?! What do you want from her?” I asked in more peaceful manner, yet my teeth were still clenched. “Her? Ssshe is as good as another bag of bonesss. We are far more concerned about… you.”

Why is it always about me?!

“You came here to get ssstronger, did you?” 3rd voice could be heard from the entrance to the corridor that we used to get here “… we would be overjoyed to help you with that… not… for… free, but that’s something that you already know…” “But firssst thingsss firssst… Dragoness is at 49th floor… ssshe hasss been sent straight to an ambush… It won’t be enough to kill her, nooo… but then there will be another…. And another… and another… how long will she lassst? Aren’t we are curiousss?” “Once again… what do you want me to do?” I was slowly losing my patience “Ssso young… so hot blooded… very well… We are… we were… someone you are calling ancientsss. We reached excellence in magic, yet we wanted more. We wanted to reach transcendence… to became one with sssspirit realm. To wander beyond time and ssspace. So we made a deal. With dungeonsss. With arcane sssspirits… with celestial beings… and many more… We asked for knowledge and power that would allow us to free ourselves from shackles of mortality… we were told, that if we were to serve under them, we would obtain those powers… this knowledge… we became bodyless… but… we also became ssslaves! We were tricked! Our sssouls were used in unholy rite of sealing. All around the world, there are placesss, just like thisss… where our brothersss and sssiters are chained…” “Now… you are far, far too weak… but one day… promise us, that you will free us.” “I am not really into traveling from place to place just to free tormented spirits…” “We never sssaid you have to do so… you are making deal with usss, thossse here, in Temple… when the time will come… dessstroy the altar… put end to our… misssery…” “And if I won’t?” “The girl will die.”

Fuck.

“What do you want me to do?!” “Go for her. Reach her. Ssssave her.” “Yet… we want to know… this weak form… why do you keep it?” “You can have sharp fang…” “Claws that would pierce through anything…” “Venomous sting…” “Poisonous blood…” “Yet here you are… in body of our children…” “Is this to convince everyone else, that you are just like them?” “Foolish.” “You are not.” “No matter, how many masks you would put on yourself…” “No matter how many lies you would tell…” “You won’t change, who you are…” “And you are…” “a…” “Monssster.” “I am not!” I yelled to all the voices that surrounded me

I was answered with laugh deprived of any joy.

“For them, you sssulry are. The, monssster isss not what actsss violently…” “Nor what is clothed in fur, fangs, stinger and clawsss….” “But what humans hate, beacussse it iss far to different.” “Difference breeds fear…” “Fear leads to hate…” “And hate leads to violence…” “They will hate you… because they are not like you…” “Adventurers are not like everyone! They took me in! Even as I am blind, they refused to give up on me! Gisele here volunteered to help me train, so I could find myself in my new reality!” “Then why are you lying to her?” “I… I never lied to her…” “Neither you spoke the truth. You are afraid of them. You are afraid, that they will be afraid of you. FEAR, has to meanings…” “Forget Everything And Run” “Face Everything And Raise” “The choice is yours…” “I am not running!” I yelled another time “You are. Running into lies. We are giving you a choice. Accept who you are, sssshow your true self and go for her, or turn back, go where you came from, and tell a truth… that you were ambushed and you couldn’t do anything… That would be another half-true, full-lie. One of many that you would said.” “But…” I was out of words. I am still too weak. To both protect myself and keep walking through the world. “The choice is easssy. You only have to decide… what you treasure more, your comfort… or her life…”

Fucker… those fuckers…. FUCK!

Shifting in process

Insectoid body structure pickedYour body has now [Six limbs]

“Hiding behind those liesss… isss over…”

Lower limbs are being merged together. Snake body structure is useYou know have [Snake's tail]

“Abandon your fears… It’s not important what THEY want from you… only what you want yourself to become…”

]Head structure morphing in process. Bat, Wolf, Snake body structure pickedYou know have Bat's Ears. [Lesser Echolocation] gained

Dual row of teeth obtained [Snake Venom] gained / [Lesser Vampirism] gained

Snake's heat receptors gained [Lesser Heat Detection] gained

“Forge their ignorance and fear into your armor…” “Use their hatred as your weapon…” “Because, in the end…”

Middle pair of limbs shifting in process. Picked body structure Human/WolfTorso shifting in process. Picked body structure Lizard/Mantis

“They will bow before strong. For they need a leader. And leader… is you.”

Shifting process has endedDo you want to name new body scheme?YesNo

… Yes…

Body model has been saved successfully.[Lurking Nightmare] has been created

Attribute bonusesSTR + 41

VIT + 28

END + 3

RFX + 7

DEX + 61

SPI + 33

INT + 0

WIS + 0

I stood there. Much taller, with whole body length over four, maybe even five meters. With middle pain of limbs still holding glaive and additional pair of insectoidal sickles growing from my shoulder blades, ready to pierce and slash, with snakes tail that will allow me to slide through the dungeon with impossible before speed, With my torso covered in exoskeleton AND partly in scales.

My head, grotesque creation that looked either like bit rounder wolfs head, or covered in fur, bit outstretched head of snakes. As I opened my mouth two rows of teeth leaking venom became visible. I moved my forked tongue out tasting air around me.

My bat-like ears where moving on the sides catching sounds that human wouldn’t ever suspected to exist.

In that new body I felt… liberated. From everything.

“Yessss… sssstil, not perfect… but as beginning… will do… Now… shall we test your combat ability?”

I raised my head pointing my hollow eye sockets at reanimator, and talked to him with voice that made me shiver.

“Be quick, senile. I had to keep moving… And we indeed have a deal.. But if Gisele would lost but one hair of her head… after braking your chains, I will do same with your souls..”

I didn’t see the sign that reanimators gave to the monsters, I didn’t even know, if such was given. But as soon as I finished my sentence, every single creature jumped at me.