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“What the fuck does she mean you used to be Human?!?!”

Rain scratched his jaw and shrugged, looking at the sheep girl coolly. “...I died at the bottom of the dungeon, when I woke I looked like this, a smaller version anyway. It… wasn’t a kind death, I was killed by levelers… I used to be a Human and now I am a monster, through and through.” A sense of long brewing acceptance filled Rain that he hadn’t known he had been holding onto. He really was a monster now, it had been hard to truly accept that after a lifetime of being indoctrinated into fearing monsters.

“My gods, h-how?! Wait, wait, back then, when you somehow knew about family dynasties keeping the secrets of Classes, and- oh! You didn't react anything like Red or Opal when we first came above ground, you’ve been outside of the dungeon before! You were a leveler!”

“Yes.”

“But- but how is this possible!”

“I don’t know. Where I died may have something to do with it, I died on a grave left undisturbed for… a long time.”

Lyra stared at him and then blinked. This, this changed things. The monster in front of her wasn’t just a monster, he was a monster with the additional experience and knowledge of being a leveler. She didn't know whether that made Rain more comfortable to be near or ten times more terrifying.

“I don't understand this, this isn't supposed to happen, levelers can't become monsters. That just isn't done!”

Rain reached out and grabbed her hips and the sheep girl froze up in fear. He picked her up and pulled her into his lap with her back facing toward him.

“Wh-what are you doing!” wailed the sheep girl as her body began trembling out of control.

Rain remained silent and ran a paw pad down her arm to where her wrists were bound in rope. Opal had gone a little overboard with the amount of rope used and she was tied several times over. He carefully used his claws to tug and tear apart the rope until she was freed.

Lyra snatched her hands away from him and rubbed at her wrists. She froze up again as Rain’s arms wrapped around her and he began plucking at the ropes tying her legs up.

“Y-you don't have to do this I can take them off!” she whimpered as he made progress.

“It’s fine, it’s easier this way.”

Lyra made little helpless noises as his claws pulled at the knots, pulling and pushing her roughly in his lap. She couldn't help it, she reached out her hands to steady herself against his arms before she realised what she was doing.

Soon enough Rain was done and Lyra was able to move her legs properly once more. She sighed in relief, stretching out her legs as far as she could in front of her, her hooves pointed outward, her legs crossing and uncrossing. The feeling of being free was wonderful.

It suddenly occurred to her that she was completely stark naked and sitting in a male monster’s lap while stretching her legs, her rear pressed up against his crotch, her hands resting on his forearms.

This, this was really not good! She squealed and jumped to her feet, her large chest bouncing up and down as she desperately tried to cover her nipples and privates with her hand and arm. She gave Rain one pink cheeked scandalised look before she dashed away and dived into her tent.

Opal watched her go, her arms crossed.

“I bet she would have been delicious and made you grow really big. Some nice tasty mutton walking around on two legs. Hmph!”

Rain gave her the side eye. “You make my appetite look mild sometimes you know. I’m not going to eat her, the least of which reason is because I want to go into Lynthia, the town. You know I want revenge on a certain group of levelers, I don’t think all of them will have joined the Inquisitor in the dungeon, in fact, I’m certain some of them will have remained in town.” Rain lifted his paw up in front of him and curled it into a fist. “This might be the perfect opportunity to get them, Lyra’s power will be essential for that.”

“Stillashittypower,” muttered Opal, but it was clear she was reluctantly coming around.

Rain watched as the huge many coloured moon dipped below the horizon and the sun began to rise sending golden rays across the glade, lighting up the grass and creating a faint mist as the night dew evaporated. Rain had Opal pack away their tent. Eventually, Lyra emerged from hers, this time fully clothed, although a faint rosy blush remained on her cheeks.

Rain retrieved Red from where he was tied to the tree they had emerged from, curled up just inside the cave entrance. They put both the packs back onto the Kobold and before long they were leaving the glade and passing into the forest proper. The light became dappled as they passed beneath the canopy, leafy shadows casting a pleasing patina across everything.

Rain eased his pace so the others didn't have to rush to keep up with him and watched as Opal stared around in curiosity, occasionally darting aside to inspect a weird bug or tree or the way moss grew across a boulder, her natural instincts as a scout showing.

Red was more the sort to just wander around slack jawed, occasionally tilting his head to listen to bird song in the treetops.

A few hours into this and Opal, who was slightly ahead of the group, paused and furrowed her brow, staring into the distance through the gaps in the trees.

Rain came up behind the peering Goblin. “What is it?”

“There’s something there that isn't very foresty. I think it’s a building.”

Rain became much more alert as he paid attention to her words. He focused on where she was pointing and yes, he could see a building with his sharp eyes.

“A building out here? Away from the protection of a town or city’s walls?” said Lyra coming to a stop beside them.

“It’s probably abandoned.”

“We should go look, there might be a leveler to eat in there!” said Opal, suddenly dashing forward.

“Er, you should probably stop her, just in case…”

Rain followed after the Goblin as they neared the building which turned out to be an old wooden cabin built from heavy planks and wooden shingles and covered in thick moss.

Opal stepped up onto the decking and peered through the window inside.

“It’s empty?”

“No,” said Opal, “I can see an old Human man inside. Might be a bit chewy, but still, breakfast time!”

“H-hey hold on, you can’t just eat a random old man in the woods!” said Lyra. “That’s wrong!”

Opal glared at the sheep girl. “Why? He’s old anyway, might as well use him for something useful before he keels over dead. Plus he’s a leveler, that means he is a terrible person.”

“Wha- how can you say that?”

“Duh, all levelers are terrible, you kill monsters for fun.”

Lyra stared at the Goblin. “That’s, that’s! No! we don’t! We- we-!”

“Rain forget her, let’s eat this old bastard, I bet you’re really really hungry, you barely ate anything yesterday, only a dozen boars.”

Rain’s stomach snarled in reply. She was correct of course, he was very hungry. This wouldn't be so bad, would it? No one would miss this old man living out in the middle of nowhere in the woods right?”

“No, don’t do it, don’t eat him! He’s just a nice old lonely man in the woods probably!”

“Yes, eat him! Devour him all and take everything to grow bigger and bigger and bigger!”

Rain had the strangest feeling an angel and a demon were sitting on his shoulders.

“I-” began Rain.

“Give me a damned moment you silly bastards, my old bones ain’t gonna jump up lickety split to answer the door like that,” came a voice from inside.

“Oh no,” said Lyra as the sound of steps neared the door. The click clack of a latch being thrown made the sheep girl jump forward in front of Rain and Opal. She grabbed the door handle as it began to open and held it, stopping it from going further. She stood in the gap hiding the monsters behind her as an old face appeared. Weary and bleary eyes behind a pair of spectacles looked up at her, the spectacles were perched on a large slightly reddened nose below a bald head.

The hunchback old man blinked. “Yes? What can I do for you lass?”

“Uhm! Uhm! I got lost in the woods! Please let me in for a moment!”

“Oh? Have you been wandering all night? My my, that’s not good, please come inside, I’ll make you some tea.”

“Y-yes! That! P-Please!”

She shuffled through the door awkwardly, trying to keep it as closed as possible so that the old man didn't see the three monsters standing on his porch. She got inside, snatching a glance of Opal with her arms crossed before the door shut behind her.

Inside the cabin wasn’t very impressive, the old man was either an extreme minimalist or very very poor.

He bent over a stove and began fiddling with a flint and steel until with a small flash a fire started. He put a kettle on top of the stove.

As he was doing that Opal appeared at the window and pressed her face against it, sticking her tongue out and licking the glass and squishing her nose flat. Lyra shook her head frantically at the Goblin. Opal flatly ignored her. Just before the old man turned around she stepped in front of the window, hiding the Goblin with her body.

“Wha-what causes you to live out here in the woods sir?”

“Oh the usual leveler backbiting and drama. It’s best I don’t bore you with it lass. Suffice to say I get by just about, although it’s been tough out here at times on my rickety old bones. But what about yourself? A young leveler like you, out here with no visible weapon? You must be a support Class if I’m not mistaken? How you came to be alone though I would like to know.”

“Uh. I got separated from the band of levelers I was with, a uhm... forest... bear surprised us.”

“Tsk tsk. The monsters around here have been getting worse. Fortunately not as bad as dungeon monsters but still, you can never be too careful eh?”

“Er, right, yes.”

“Mind some dungeon monsters make surface monsters look weak. Goblins, for instance, are like floppy little jellies compared to a forest bear, why I remember slaughtering the little buggers by the dozen-”

The front door was suddenly booted open, a furious Opal standing in the frame.

“FUCK YOU GOBBOS ARE AWESOME!”

The kettle began to whistle behind the old man as he stared bug eyed at the sudden appearance of an angry Goblin in his cabin.