Chương 35: Benefits and Evolution

Text explodes across the screen as I try to keep up. Before I can read, pain blossoms in all of my limbs. I groan with slight panic as I spit the command out again.

"Kevin, don't feel pain." The empowerment effect of the control tame skill rushes in, but twice as powerful as usual. A gasp rips free from my throat as the effect of all stats increasing floods through my body. Muscles tighten, the world sharpens, and my lungs strain even as air flows more freely. I lie still for a few seconds, spasming in the ecstasy of all of my stats growing. After it finishes, I sit back up and read the text on the blue screen carefully.

[Tamer > Companionship Pact Leader] [Bond Level > Unity] [Unity] [Growing beyond the concept of trust, Unity gauges the similarity in the Tamer and tame's mindset. Desire, mood, thoughts, and goals will all contribute to Unity when in cooperation.] [All skills that scale with Bond Level now scale off of Unity, which provides more impactful results.] [Class skill acquired: One Mind/Two Bodies] [One Mind/Two Bodies] [Utilizing unity between companions, combine minds. While this skill is active, both companions' bodies can be controlled by the other freely. Thought acceleration, seamlessness of the connection, and awareness of the other's body scale with Unity.] [Empowered Control Tamed Being > Empower Suggest Companion] [Empower Suggest Companion] [Control your companion using the user's voice or hand gestures that the companion can see. Control can be resisted easily. Control diversity and depth scales with skill level and Unity.] [Heal Tame > Heal Companion] [Heal Companion] [Through Unity, transform the pact leader's mana into health to be received by the companion. Distance and speed scale with wisdom. Efficiency scales with intelligence. Efficiency, distance, and speed scale with skill level and Unity.] [Tamed Being slots set to 1] Finally, the wall of text ends. Holy shit, this is amazing. Quickly, I sift through my status and look for the taming tab. Sure enough, it's exactly what I expect it to be.

[Taming Menu: 1 / 1 slots filled] [Taming Menu] [Slot 1: Kevin Shoeman (Unity: 100%)]"Hahahaha!" A grin fills my face as I think of the implications. My bond level was one hundred percent, which makes sense considering it was based on trust. After all, there was no one I trusted more than myself. Similarly, Unity works with mindset. And my mindset will always be exactly the same as my companion's, who is me. It's raining free value. This isn't some random game that I'm getting powerful through. This is my life.

For the rest of my life, I will continue to benefit from every decision I make. Joy surges through my body, making me eager to jump up and fight again. The weakness immediately protests, causing me to fall back against the wall. Why were my rewards so great, anyway? It may possibly be the fact that I beat the troll who happened to be double my level. In fact, I can name a few other monsters who were double my level when I beat them.

Like the last armored Hobgoblin in the free roam section, or the assassin goblin that was hiding and almost killed me. I'm sure there were others I can't think of, but ninety percent of my enemies have been above me in level. Then again, I have no clue how the class selection works. They could be based on completely different variables. With a smile, I look up at the screen, another message appearing. The gravy train isn't over quite yet.

[Species evolution selection available] I even have a title that boosts this one. If I got an epic in the class selection, what's going to be in this one? Anticipation bounces in my heart as I press the button. [Minotaur] (rare) [Racial Bias] [++Strength | --Intelligence] [++Endurance | --Wisdom] [+Fortitude | -Perception] [+Vitality | -Agility] [Evolution Bonus: 30 (Endurance), 25 (Strength), 10 (Fortitude), -10 (Intelligence)] [Half human and half bull, this species boasts incredible Endurance and Strength. Despite having low intelligence, this species is capable of fighting without rest for several cycles.] The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. [Species Skill: Muscle Compression]"No way."

"There's no way I can become a Minotaur with the press of a single button." I can't tear my gaze from the blue screen. What the hell are these numbers!? Thirty endurance!? Twenty-five strength!? That's more than doubling both of them! And it's only the first choice. Choosing a class is just changing stats and skills. But a species… That's who I am. Human. Just one press, and I'll have horns. I'll have the head of a bull. I'll grow fur.

Thoughts circle in my mind as the weight of the decision grows heavier and heavier. My gaze drifts to my feet. Can I even imagine myself with hooves instead of toes? Growing a few feet and having muscles is incredible, but this isn't a game. I'm not powering up my avatar to tank better in a raid and get extra gold. This is my life. There's no getting off my computer and walking to the kitchen for snacks. I would have to sleep with horns. My hooves would crack the tile. I wouldn't be able to fit in a car.

Would I even be able to get a girlfriend?

"Heh" If I look in the right place, it might actually be easier. Thinking of other people, I wonder how they might react when they see me. My mood becomes somber as I imagine myself trying to placate a group of people who rush with weapons and try to kill me. Gulping, I look back at the screen for the next option.

[Healing Faekin] (rare) [Racial Bias] [++Agility | --Vitality] [++Intelligence | --Strength] [+Wisdom | -Endurance] [Evolution Bonus: 30 (Agility), 30 (Intelligence), 15 (Wisdom), -15(Strength)] [Half human and half fae, this small species is highly capable with illusion magic. Along with a weakness to metal and a compulsion to tell the truth, this species is capable of innately travelling to nearby dimensions. A healing affinity makes this species adept at transferring health and healing spell formations.] [Species Skill: Light manipulation] Wow, this is far more interesting than the class selection. Travelling to other dimensions? The childish and curious part of myself screams to choose it now. Wouldn't this also give me wings? How small is small? For such a drastic evolution, I should not be considering it this much. The strength bonus is negative, though. I have eighteen strength right now. Does that mean I'll only have three after I evolve?

I visualize myself struggling to pick up a boot while being the size of a ruler. Seriously, how small is small? Even though it goes against my brawler-heavy build, I'm still extremely tempted to choose this one. [Swift Human] (uncommon) > [Accelerated Human] (epic) [Racial Bias] [+++++Agility | --Vitality] [-Fortitude | -Strength] [-Endurance] [Evolution Bonus: 70 (Agility)] [A variant of the common human, this variant comes with a physique uniquely adapted to increasing velocity and reducing drag.] [Species Skill: Accelerated Brain]"Seventy!?"

"Seventy agility!?" My jaw drops as I read the evolution bonus multiple times over. Why did I even get this one? Looking back at my agility, it only sits at twenty-one, being in the lower half of my stats. The only thing that would explain it is the way my body moves when under a command. No hesitation, hydraulic and jerky movements. Alright, I suppose it's not that strange. When it comes to the part about a unique physique, I imagine myself with pencil-thin limbs and a long, narrow head.

Nervousness overcomes me as I realize every single evolution so far has involved drastic changes. I can't… not evolve. It's a free pass to getting stronger. But being forced to do something like this in a single choice is absurd. With another nervous gulp, I look at the next option.

[Stalwart Human] (uncommon) > [Indomitable Human] (epic) [Racial Bias] [+++Fortitude | ---Agility] [++Vitality | -Intelligence] [-Perception] [Evolution Bonus: 65 (Fortitude), 20 (Vitality), -15(Agility)] [A variant of the common human, this species is built for incredible defense. This variant comes with a physique uniquely adapted to minimizing weak points and reinforcing defense.] [Species Skill: Rigid Flesh] Another absurd option appears. Honestly, this is the best choice so far.

Except for the fact that my agility will drop to a whopping six. Good parts are that I'll probably be the best frontliner in the world. Plus, this option is the closest thing to a regular human on the list. As for physique, I wouldn't mind having a stronger chin or denser muscles. Benefits pile up as I think of more reasons to choose this one. The line about minimizing weak points is a bit concerning, though.

The ideal scenario is that veins closest to my skin reinforce or move themselves, while my neck thickens and my eye grows stronger. But there's also a chance that my neck thickens massively while all of my limbs grow as big as tree trunks. Without any other hope, I move on to the last option. Even if it does something absurd, like turn me into a dragon man or something, I'll take it.

[High Human] (legendary) [Racial Bias: none] [Evolution Bonus: 12 (All Stats)] [An evolved version of the common human, this species is not devoted to any specific attribute. Genetic impurities and inefficient body parts are improved or removed. The desire of all humans across the cosmos, this species transforms the user into the most efficient and ideal version of themselves. Includes a significant increase in lifespan.] [Species Skill: Optimized Anatomy] My jaw drops farther, wiggling between awe and a grin.

The competition just evaporated. It's not even close. Twelve stats don't look like much, but added up, they equal ninety-six. Which is a lot. Like, A LOT, a lot. Right now, my stats add up to something like one fifty. I don't know how many stats I have earned since arriving in the dungeon, but it's probably pretty close to what this'll give me. With no downsides. Not a single trade-off in the entire description. At the end, the words really catch me off guard. Ideal version. Does that mean my face will change?

Forever? Right next to it stand the words 'significant' and 'lifespan'. I don't have the slightest idea what the system considers significant, but it's a benefit that can't be ignored. Is that what the 'high' part is about? In fantasy, it's common for high elves to be better than normal elves in basically every way. I've never heard of a high human before, but it should work the same way, right? My heart does jumping jacks in my chest as I make sure that I don't miss a single word.

Nervousness and fear combine as I imagine the feeling of so many stats hitting my body at once. Without another thought, my finger reaches out and taps on the blue screen. A millisecond passes before I collapse.