I logged in. I had logged out in the treasure room last time, but now I was alone. Ruby and Shio, among a few others, were logged in, but they seemed to be in different locations.
Yesterday was overwhelming with too much information, but I had managed to sort it all out in my mind. The first thing to do upon logging in, of course…
“Let’s proceed with the evolution.”
I had finally reached level 70 during yesterday’s boss fight, so I could evolve at any time. I had decided even before logging out yesterday that the first thing I would do today was definitely evolve.
This would allow me to finally catch up to Jigoro and Genjuro. Let’s see, what are the options for my evolution…
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- Chaos Abyss Dragonbone Undead Lord
A new breed of Undead Lord with elements of a dragon in its body, capable of using all abyssal magic, and various parts added through alchemy.
It is expected to boast incredible strength compared to the typical Undead Lord, but due to being a new race, an accurate measurement of its combat power is impossible.
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Yes, I knew it. As expected, a race with something like “King” in its name appeared. The Undead Lord meant that I perhaps usurped the position that once belonged to Catherine. I had simply come here out of a desire to explore, but how did it end up like this?
Let’s not dwell on the past. Now, there’s only one option to follow. Yes, I’ll proceed with the evolution.
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The “Chaos Abyss Dragonbone Undead Lord” has been selected.
The evolution to Chaos Abyss Dragonbone Undead Lord has begun.
As a result of the evolution, the level of [Undying Wisdom] skill has increased.
As a result of the evolution, the level of [Inhabitant of the Abyss] skill has increased.
As a result of the evolution, the level of [Abyssal Aura] skill has increased.
As a result of the evolution, the level of [Floating Skull] skill has increased.
As a result of the evolution, you have obtained the [King of Chaos] skill.
As a result of the evolution, you have obtained the [Abyss Guide] skill.
Through evolution, the Staff of Hourai, Skull Mask, and Moon’s Feather Robe have all grown by one level.
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After reading the string of characters, I checked the increase in my stats and the enhancement of my equipment. Yes, everything seems to be enhanced smoothly as usual. The problem is the added skills.
Becoming a king, I had expected new skills to be added, but [King of Chaos] and [Abyss Guide], huh? They sound quite ominous. Let’s check what these skills are capable of.
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- [King of Chaos]
This skill forcibly averages the stats of all enemies within a certain radius centered on oneself.
The range and duration of the effect are proportional to the player’s level.
Once activated, it cannot be triggered again for a full real-time day, which equates to ninety-six hours in-game time.
- [Abyss Guide]
This skill draws guild members, ally guild members, and friends closer to the abyss.
It eases the requirements for learning abyssal magic and the conditions needed to evolve into abyssal creatures.
However, it does not limit the choices available.
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Huh? Hmmm!? Wow, aren’t both of these skills incredibly powerful!?
[King of Chaos] apparently averages the stats of all enemies within a (player level x 0.1 meters) radius which means for me right now, within a 7-meter radius. The effect lasts for player level x 1 second, so currently, I can weaken enemies for 70 seconds.
Forced averaging can be seen as forcing them to have a status that is at best an all-rounder, but at worst it can be seen as making everyone equally poor in ability. Therefore, the effect is less significant on opponents who are already all-rounders in their character structure. It could be almost meaningless.
However, it’s a significant blow to players who specialize in any particular stats. Whether they are robust shield bearers, speedsters, or intelligent mages, all will find their strengths snatched away.
It has been verified that some martial techniques become unusable when their stats are reduced. These are skills that require a certain level of stats, and many of them could be considered finishing moves. Heavy weapons will likely become difficult to wield properly, and precise shooting or powerful magic will also become unusable.
The area of effect is somewhat limited, and the cooldown time is long. Even taking these into account, I can confidently say it’s a terrifyingly powerful skill. Moreover, with [Life Obsession] giving me a chance to revive once, I might even consider a suicide attack into enemy lines if necessary.
However, one should not be unconditionally reassured. The speed of heavy warriors will increase, assassins will gain strength, and mages will gain both health and defense and will become not so easily defeated. It’s important to remember that the skill does not reduce but merely averages the stats.
[Abyss Guide] might not directly benefit me, but it can strengthen my allies. When I want to make a big move, it seems possible to use this skill as bait to rally cooperation.
There’s a risk of being betrayed after allowing them to benefit, but if that happens, it’s only because I misjudged them. Since the others are players too, such things can occur. If it comes to hostility, then it’s only right to confront them with all my might.
“Next, let’s choose a job. I have a few options in mind, but…”
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- Abyssal Sage
A powerful mage well-versed in forbidden magic.
Great enhancement to magic power.
Massive enhancement for abyssal magic.
- Undead Lord
A king reigning supreme among undead creatures.
Great enhancement to all stats.
Enhancement to the stats of allied undead creatures.
Significant increase in favorability from undead creatures.
- Demon King
A king leading a diverse array of creatures.
Great enhancement to all stats.
Slight enhancement to the stats of allied creatures.
Increase in favorability from all creatures.
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Of course! There are options for a king, I knew it!… but let’s put off escaping into that reality for now. Given that there are choices, I must choose carefully.
If I wanted to enhance my magic, the “Abyssal Sage” was the only choice. It naturally strengthened both regular and abyssal magic, so it was the obvious option.
Then there was the “Undead Lord” and the “Demon King” but among these two, the “Demon King” was the only viable option. In my guild, only Hanna and I were undead. So it makes sense to choose a role that can strengthen everyone.
This is troubling! Since the next evolution and job change are a ways off, I could consider the other option then, but it will take time. Both are very tempting…but alright!
――――――――――
The “Abyssal Sage” has been chosen.
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After much deliberation, I chose the “Abyssal Sage” for two reasons. The first was to enhance my own combat abilities. While the appeal of a job that could strengthen my allies was significant, my main profession was that of a mage. Neglecting this only to find myself lacking in magic power would be a problem.
I had previously chosen the “Apostle of Death and Chaos” to secure a means of healing, so any further diversions could result in a significant gap in firepower compared to mages of a similar level. I wanted to avoid that.
And the second reason… it’s simply because I find it embarrassing to usurp the title of king. Yes, you might think it odd, considering how much I enjoy role-playing as a villain. But claiming to be a king is truly embarrassing. I hope to shed this embarrassment by the time the next job change comes around.
Also, there will be no body modifications this time. I didn’t even bother to create new parts since adding anything more seemed ineffective. Two side arms, a long tail, and a spare head should be sufficient, right?
When I emerged from the treasure room after completing my evolution and job change, Karl who had been resting got up and ran towards me. He rubbed his head against me, seeking affection. The big fellow is still so cute!
“Hmm, it seems like it would be difficult to go and meet up with the others now. Then, Karl, shall we go on our own for a change after a long time?”
“Guoon!”
And so I began my exploration with Karl, but the castle was now completely devoid of monsters. Perhaps it was because we had defeated the boss and taken control of the field itself? Or maybe Ruby and the others had annihilated them? Either way, it felt like we were touring a ruin.
“Grrrr…”
“Hmm? A Failed Homunculu?”
As Karl and I casually strolled through the castle grounds, Karl suddenly growled and looked behind us. Curious, I turned to look and saw the unmistakably twisted figure of the Failed Homunculus walking down the corridor.
I really wish he would stop making those squishy, horror-movie-like sounds with his bare feet. It’s fine now, but it would be quite shocking if he suddenly appeared!
“Guoooooo!”
“Yaaaaaa?!”
However, we were hardly in a position to struggle against just one Failed Homunculus. In fact, either Karl or I alone could easily kill it with a light kick.
As expected, Karl leaped forward with great force, pinned the enemy down, and proceeded to devour it. Every time he eats an enemy, I wonder if it’s okay for his stomach; he never seems to get sick though. Personally, I appreciate that Karl’s eating habits save on his food expenses. To all the stray monsters out there, keep getting eaten.
“Guon”
“Hmm, well done. Good boy, Karl… huh?”
When Karl approached me again, looking for praise, I stroked him and suddenly became curious. I wondered where this Failed Homunculus had come from.
After all, this creature had appeared in the corridor right after we had passed through. I was certain it hadn’t been there when we crossed that spot. Had it just sprung from somewhere in the meantime?
No, considering that the Failed Homunculus is an “artificial” being, it’s logical to think that someone or something must be manufacturing them. That means they could still be being made somewhere in this castle right now.
“It’s unsettling to think something might be underfoot at our base. We should find out what it is.”
I took Karl and thoroughly explored the area where the Failed Homunculus had appeared. However, as I did not have any special exploration skills, I was not able to find any hidden passages.
“Ah?”
“Grru?”
“Gigig?”
“Geeeh?”
Was there no choice but to ask Ruby and the others for help? As I pondered this and entered a random room, the walls suddenly rotated and two Failed Homunculus emerged from behind! Ah, so that’s where they were coming from!
Ignoring the Failed Homunculus that was now being trampled by Karl, I began to feel around the wall it had emerged from. The revolving door it used had immediately blended back into the wall, leaving no gap to slip through. Of course, there was no doorknob, so I looked for a button or something to open it from this side.
Yet, as expected, I couldn’t find even a hint. Despite having seen it with my own eyes, I began to doubt whether there was truly a hidden door there at all.
“This calls for the last resort. Break Object.”
I attempted to destroy the wall using [Void Magic]. If conventional methods failed, it might as well be forced open!
With a rattling sound, only the hidden door crumbled into debris. It seemed it was judged separately from the rest of the wall. I didn’t want to recklessly damage the castle, but I decided to consider it a necessary expense.
“It’s a tight fit, but Karl should be able to get through. Let’s go, Karl.”
“Guooooo!”
The hidden passage was quite high and wide. And even though it was a bit tight for Karl, he was able to get through. So without hesitation, we proceeded to explore what lay beyond this secret passage.
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