～ The Choice of Evolution ～

  Chapter - 039

  In a sudden flurry of chimes, a series of screens blinked into existence before Nyx.

  Standing there, beady-eyed at the multiple screens hovered in front of him, he struggled to understand everything presented to him. A sequence of confusing information. Luckily, over the last month, and the last couple of weeks especially, Nyx had come a long way to grasp a greater comprehension of the world around him and himself.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Equipped with a great intellect and thirst of curiosity that someone only like Aria would appreciate, Nyx had been learning fast. Expanding his mind and reason to something... more than merely just a lesser monster.

  Scouring the information before him, he slowly pieced everything together. And as he combed through it all, the sapling of desire - the sprout of power deep within his heart - once again blossomed to a ravenous excitement.

  All of these screens each represented an evolution of his choosing. One for each of the five figures standing before him. Nyx couldn't help himself. Even to his own lonesome, he "ooh'd" and "ahh'd" with barely restrained glee as each evolution presented its own enticing benefits and why exactly, he should pick it.

  From the hardy dredger, to the shady fael, he did not only purview the detailing their characteristics but got in close to inspect their forms with his very own eyes. All of the evolutions had their own tantalizing ring to them, and they each looked more menacing than the other. To which Nyx found greatly satisfying.

  Yet their appearance was not everything, especially when he looked at their increased attribute gains. As merely just an impling, he gathered no more than two attributes per level. But these new evolutions gave three whole attributes. However, one was even more so special than the others.

  The Prideborn Imp, with a whopping four attributes per level.

  Nyx already had an obscene amount of attribute points for his level. But with him possessing a class on top of his evolutionary system, he had been gaining much more than any impling or creature at his level ought to have.

  The Prideborn Imp was, without much surprise, almost the sole recipient of Nyx's attention. The demonic creature, from its appearance alone, stood out from all the others. It was the tallest of them all, standing the height of a young human child.

  With its rigid stance, proportional limbs, a fine red tail, smooth red skin, wiry muscles, and keen claws tipping the ends of delicate but strong hands and feet - this creature looked about as deadly as it was regal.

  But what was truly captivating was the face of this peculiar imp. Unlike its unsightly brethren, the Prideborn had a cold, but pleasant face. Neither beautiful nor handsome. It was still an imp. But its features, alongside unwrinkled pointed ears and a set of horns, gave an unquestionable sense of pridefulness. Nyx was captivated.

  There was no hard contemplation for him to struggle with. The choice was obvious. It was calling for him. It was made for him.

  Floating in the seemingly endless chasm of his mind's unconsciousness, it was when a breach of light in the impenetrable darkness that the world around Nyx crumbled apart and was replaced with a new, much brighter world.

  A blue sky that seems as vast as he could imagine, flourishing colors that somehow seem alien yet familiar, the sense of life surrounding him from every direction - the caress of the sun's warmth, the slow glance of a soothing breeze, and sounds of the wild bursting at the seams with vitality.

  Was this truly the same world that he had been living in since escaping the brimstone wastelands? Or was this merely the perspective from a new set of eyes?

  "Are you sure imps look like that? Wouldn't they look a little more... uh, imp-ish?" A voice, deep but young, pierced Nyx's reverie.

  "No... they do not." A second voice was heard, this "I... I think he looks more like a... daemon?"

  Coming to, Nyx finally caught the gazes of both Aria and Eric who stood all too close for his liking, hovering over him. To his surprise, they seemed much smaller than usual?

  Compared to the lumbering, stupid giants he remembered the humans to be, these two weren't that large anymore.

  Had he really gotten that much bigger?

  Sitting upright, Nyx lifted his hands to inspect them with curiosity, finding not the frail limbs he was used to, but firm and wiry arms that ended in delicate hands with tipped black claws. But more important than everything else up until that point.

  His skin was more redder and magnificent than ever!

  "Nyx?" The smaller of the humans mused questioningly, if not a bit worriedly at Nyx's near maniacal expression.

  She came in close and touched his shoulder, making the enamored demon calm down, the touch making him aware of the rest of his body and a certain nagging feeling deep within him.

  Finding his words with a mouth most unfamiliar, he tried to speak. "N-Nyx is..." Nyx shook his head, almost as if confused. A long contemplative moment went past before he managed to say; "I... am hungry." a growl followed as if to show his stomach’s support to that declaration.

  They both just blinked uncomprehendingly at him.

  “Did he just…?”