Xen cautiously sniffed the entrance to a crypt while prowling around it in his wolf form. The journey here had been fast and uneventful. He had avoided the legions of undead roaming the lands because he wanted to get away from the staircase leading to the upper dungeon floor as soon as possible and didn't want to leave a trail of bones in his wake to give his pursuers any clues.
But now he was somewhat regretting that decision.
"Humans," Xen growled softly as he squinted into the ...
2025-07-03 06:43:50 +0000 UTC
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Sarah's exploration deeper into the dungeon with Jill, the fire mage, and Devon, the warrior, was mostly uneventful, which was strange. This area was supposed to be suffering from the threat of a dungeon rush, meaning there should be more monsters than usual, not fewer.
"I found more blood," Devon commented as he pointed the end of his hammer at a patch of stained stone.
"Yet no corpses," Jill replied as she telekinetically controlled a fireball to illuminate the area aro...
2025-07-03 05:36:34 +0000 UTC
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[Evolution to Necrovore Slime (Rare Variant) is complete]
Xen was startled awake by a system message. "Ugh," he said. Not because he felt terrible—in fact, he felt better than he ever had—but because his mouth was full of sand. Pushing himself up with his black skeletal arms, he quickly glanced up at the giant stone staircase that led to the upper floor of the dungeon.
It was empty.
A heavy sigh left his mouth. He had survived his first evolution.
...
2025-07-03 05:30:14 +0000 UTC
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Compared to the hour-long meeting at the Guild Association, which resulted in nothing, a quick talk with her father had Sarah sitting in the back of an armored tank with a small team of C-grade Hunters and an analyst. They were making swift progress toward the dungeon entrance she had left out of.
While entrances to the World Dungeon littered the surface, it was always best to enter and exit through the same entrance if you wanted to retrace your steps. Though it was possible to walk fr...
2025-07-03 05:25:13 +0000 UTC
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[Evolution to Necrovore Slime Confirmed: Time until completion 59:58]
Xen felt a wave of drowsiness consume him. He tried to fight it.
"You never told me it would take... time... to evolve..." he slurred as he tried to stand up. All the strength had left his body, and he felt like he was melting.
He had to get away from here, as this location was too exposed to evolve—he was in plain sight of the staircase that led to the upper floor. If those humans chase...
2025-07-03 05:11:15 +0000 UTC
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"Wait, what?" Xen said as his mind was overwhelmed with information. "What titles?"
The system didn't answer him. Apart from displaying his levels and skills, it seemed to keep any other information in the background, such as titles and stats. He knew they existed... perhaps if he got his appraisal skill to a higher grade than C, he could see them one day?
His thoughts were interrupted by a rather aggressive system message.
Select your path forward. Warning: Evolutio...
2025-07-03 05:03:44 +0000 UTC
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Xen knew he was stronger than the average monster or person for his level due to the added magic and strength from his Mind Slime form and access to biomass. However, he was currently inhabiting the body of a level 3 undead with rather pathetic stats in every department except magic.
Facing down a group of three Hunters that had just emerged from a lower floor containing monsters higher level than his greatest form would be suicide—especially because the best way to kil...
2025-07-03 04:59:49 +0000 UTC
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[Devour Complete]
You absorbed 80% of the human's memories due to familiarity with the target.
You acquired the following skills:
[Buff of the Berserker (C)]
You and the target shared similar skills:
[Dark Bolt (C)] has fused with [Magic Missile (D)] to form [Corruption Missile (B)]
"He sure tasted better than those piles of bones," Xen mused as he stared d...
2025-07-03 04:58:03 +0000 UTC
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Gerald knew he was dying—in fact, he was staring death right in the face.
"Just give me a moment, Gerald," Death said in a chilling voice as his flickering eyes of purple flames danced in the darkness before glancing away.
How does the Skeleton Mage know my name? Gerald thought in horror. Xen was nowhere to be seen, having likely run away from the floor boss, who shouldn't even be here. I can hardly blame him. Skeleton Mages are usually found on the second floor, ye...
2025-07-03 04:57:25 +0000 UTC
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Xen went all out as he believed it would be a hard-fought battle with the addition of a magic skeleton. His legs burned as he barreled forward, smashing the Skeleton Warriors aside, and he targeted the only one that mattered: the mage.
"Reinforce Undead," the Skeleton Mage's grave voice echoed, and black mana swirled around the undead horde. To Xen's surprise, the buff made the skeletons feel like they were made of metal as they weighed far more and didn't shatter on im...
2025-07-03 04:55:07 +0000 UTC
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As it turned out, Gerald had been right. [Undead Resilience] really could be overcome with raw stats. Punching the undead in his human form had resulted in a few broken bones, but charging into them at full speed in his wolf form caused the undead to explode into bone shrapnel on impact.
[Skeleton Warrior: Common Grade]
The Skeleton Warrior is the most basic type of humanoid undead found roaming the floors of some beginner dungeons. Though they have high r...
2025-07-03 04:54:26 +0000 UTC
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It didn't take long for Xen and Gerald to stumble upon a legion of skeletons mindlessly marching through the sprawling dungeon. The sound of their bare-bone feet scraping on stone as they moved was a dead giveaway before they had even turned the corner.
"Never seen such a big group before," Gerald mused as he poked his head around and squinted in the darkness. "Gotta be at least ten of them."
Skeletons were among the weakest mob types, at least at low levels—especially to magic....
2025-07-03 04:53:48 +0000 UTC
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Xen shoved his finger into the eye of the wolf that had tried to sneak up on him and fried its brain with the conjured Holy Smite. The pleasant burning smell tickled his nose, and he couldn't help but lick his lips—even though he never ate things with his mouth. This body was nothing but a skin suit, a vessel for his slime body to exert its terror on the world.
Terror. Xen snorted as he crouched down. Who would fear a harmless, weak slime like me? His fingers turned ...
2025-07-03 04:52:57 +0000 UTC
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Gerald's vision slowly sharpened as he blinked away the tears from the terrible stench. To his confusion, a pale-skinned man with black hair that matched his empty eyes loomed over him and offered a hand.
"Xen? Is that you?" Gerald asked apprehensively.
I mean, Xen did just dissolve into a pile of foul-smelling gloop and then a man rose from the sludge with the same soulless eyes. So I can't imagine it's anyone else... But his voice and mannerisms are totally different. Are th...
2025-07-03 04:52:09 +0000 UTC
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While Xen was lost in thought about all the possible skills he would gain, Gerald covered his mouth and suddenly coughed violently.
Bringing away his trembling hand, it was covered in scarlet blood that glistened under the dungeon's ever-present light.
"Ha... just my luck—internal bleeding." Gerald slowly looked up at Xen, "I know it's a lot to ask, but do you think you could take me to the surface? I don't think I have much time left. My vision is blurring, and I feel faint—"...
2025-07-03 04:51:27 +0000 UTC
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Xen felt relief seeing the human open their eyes. While in the heat of battle, he'd forgotten that in his wolf form, his Holy Smite skill originated from his mouth. Thankfully, since his magic was pathetically weak as a wolf and the skill was only F-grade, all it did was knock out the human and briefly blind the wolves that had surrounded him.
Seizing the opportunity, he had dashed past the stunned wolves and ran deeper into the dungeon. He smashed any monsters he came across out of the...
2025-07-03 04:50:45 +0000 UTC
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Gerald had been having a good day. Brandon, one of the more seasoned team leaders for the lower-grade Hunters in the Iron Legion Guild, put up a notice to clear a beginner are of the dungeon listed at risk of a dungeon rush.
Which was good news all around.
The government paid more credits for the more urgent sections of the World Dungeon that needed to be cleared, and there were bound to be far more monsters than usual to hunt and loot, meaning less time wasted wandering ...
2025-07-03 04:49:54 +0000 UTC
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"Owch," Xen muttered once the [Stunned] debuff finally wore off and he could move his jaw. The iron stench of blood filled his nostrils, and the bristly fur of the wolves he was buried in prickled his bare skin. Honestly, Xen struggled to see the purpose of the human form. Human magic was inferior to the elves. His sense of smell and hearing was far worse than a wolf’s, and trying to run around on two legs was stupid. Four legs were far better.
So hot... I feel li...
2025-07-03 04:49:10 +0000 UTC
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Brandon blinked away the blinding light as his broad back met the backs of his fellow Hunters. He raised his tower shield, still glowing with the grey light of the Legion's aura.
Without the boss's powerful aura skill that follows anyone he buffs for two hours, we wouldn't have been able to survive this monster rush. Brandon thought as he looked at the death all around him. His arms were on fire, and his breath was heavy as the Buff of a Berserker from his team's mage faded. A ...
2025-07-03 04:47:49 +0000 UTC
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Xen cautiously watched the two approaching wolves as he cast Devour on the wolf's cracked head, which he held in his mouth. Purple tendrils surged down his throat like a dozen tongues and dug into the fresh corpse, devouring everything with a hiss.
[Devour in progress…]
An eye-watering stench filled the air that almost made Xen reel back in disgust. The two newcomers also seemed apprehensive of getting closer, whether that be from the smell or the grotesque sigh...
2025-07-03 04:46:39 +0000 UTC
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The trail of blood that hung in the air like a lingering haze led Xen to a bend in the dungeon. Up ahead, he could hear the shouts of humans and the pained howls of fellow wolves. Slowing to a cautious trot, Xen sniffed the air.
It reeks of nothing but wolf blood. The humans must be overpowering them.
Having devoured both wolves and humans, along with the effect of his new skill, Blood Scent, Xen could easily discern the origin of the blood.
What should I do?
2025-07-03 04:45:35 +0000 UTC
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Xen mentally dismissed the system message. He would have to consume all of the biomass he had saved up to take on the [Wolf] form.
"Why would I do that when there are still two wolf corpses right here?" Xen said aloud as he awkwardly walked over to the next corpse. He still wasn't used to piloting this two-legged skin suit. However, walking was still easier than remembering to move his mouth when he spoke.
Glancing between the two corpses, he knelt before the smaller of the two. H...
2025-07-03 04:44:46 +0000 UTC
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Putting evolutions to the back of his mind, he moved on to the next part of his status screen.
[Current Form: Elf Male (Level 1)]
It simply detailed what his current form was, its level, and since he had taken over the body of Jonathan, he was indeed a level 1 Elven male. Concentrating on this section of his status screen highlighted a lower section:
Elf: Level: 1 (F)
< [Multilingual (B)] - [Holy Smite (F)] >
Instinctively,...
2025-07-03 04:43:57 +0000 UTC
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[Elven Brain: Uncommon Grade]
An organ found in the elven body responsible for critical thinking and memory storage. It also serves as the mana core used to fuel spells.
[Use Devour on Elven Brain?]
Xen had rolled his slime body over to Jonathan's corpse and threaded a tendril of his body to wrap around the brain. Without hesitation, he accepted the system's suggestion. He was never one to turn down a free meal.
2025-07-03 04:43:00 +0000 UTC
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His eyes were soulless? What did that even mean? Xen couldn't help but tilt Joe's head in confusion. "What do you mean my eyes are soulless?" he asked the terrified woman.
"They have no pupils or irises," Sarah replied, her voice shaking. "They're just total blackness, like an animal's."
Xen blinked in confusion. Why would his eyes look like that? He should have copied everything the original vessel had. Was it because Joe lost his eyes to an injury or something? Since he had no i...
2025-07-03 04:41:30 +0000 UTC
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Despite the dim lighting, the sudden sensory overload was overwhelming. Until now, Xen had observed the world in a myriad of colors through the flows of mana in the air, almost like seeing everything as a blur, but now he could see everything in excruciatingly fine detail.
Such as the complete shock on Jonathan's face as they looked into each other's eyes.
"Dead?" Sarah screamed out as she wildly raised her sword and struck at one of the wolves, making it snarl in pain as she took...
2025-07-03 04:40:24 +0000 UTC
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"What if I told you a slime could be as strong as a dragon?"
A stern-faced professor's mana-empowered voice rang through the lecture hall. Now that he had gotten everyone's attention, he pointed to the giant projector behind him as it shifted slides to show a typical dungeon slime. "You can never underestimate rare variants of monsters, especially ones of common types found in the World Dungeon's initial floors."
Randy, a response team analyst in training, rolled his eyes...
2025-07-03 04:36:38 +0000 UTC
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As I hinted at in the past, I've finally gotten around to rewriting Shapeshifter. When I first posted it, I did so without a sufficient backlog, a hastily assembled system, and I also fell ill during the RS run, resulting in a hiatus while at rank 1 RS. While I don't expect the repost to do much better than the original run, I'm far happier with the story now and want to write it to completion. As of writing this, I've written over ten new chapters since RoyalRoad left off, just to confirm th...
2025-07-03 04:34:30 +0000 UTC
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As Vanity’s fist connected with Prince August’s ghoulish face, a sonic boom ruptured Damien’s eardrums and filled his ears with a ringing sound. The force of the blow caused all the windows in the room to shatter, showering everyone with shards of glass. Damien watched as Prince August’s face caved under the impact of Vanity’s punch, sending him flying backward into the wall with a loud crash. While embedded into the wall, surrounded by pieces of brick, the prince’s head hung low,...
2025-06-28 07:07:23 +0000 UTC
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“So, are we all in agreement?” King Edward questioned the room of nobles gathered around an elongated wooden table. “With this indisputable evidence of my son’s wrongdoings, Prince August will be held on trial, and we will vote on his fate!” Edward looked up and down the table, watching everyone’s reactions with intense scrutiny. Sadly, the nobles were good at hiding their thoughts behind masks of indifference.
Except for Queen Elizabeth, who had run off a few minutes ago, t...
2025-06-28 06:46:51 +0000 UTC
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