Reborn as a Demonic Hat

[IronLung]

Ethan Hawke was a man who got things done.

He was a worker – pure and simple. Put him in any situation, and he'd come out on top. Ethan's boss at the Tax Consultancy company he worked for knew this, and saw to it that his best worker was kept busy.

"Ethan! Make sure those reports are triple-checked before tomorrow morning"

"Ethan – new trainees just joined up. Gonna need someone to run 'em through the ropes and assess their skills. Make this your primary action objective for the day."

"Ethan! Regional Manager's on the way. Keep him confined to your stall. And get that manga bullshit off. Your. Desk!"

To all these requests, Ethan would oblige. He'd work day-in, day-out, never muttering a grumble of complaint, never casting a dark glance cast in his more lackadaisical coworkers' direction.

At night, he'd get home and absorb himself in anime and manga, playing the occasional MMO, and wait for the dawn that heralded another dull day of his life.

And one day, he looked in the mirror and saw a tired clown staring back at him.

"Look at you," he told his grizzled, unkempt face. "Even the Gibdos from Zelda scrub up better than you do."

There it was – the first joke of the day. The first of many mechanisms Ethan had invented to get through the drudgery of his 9-5 life. Taking this world seriously had ceased being an option for him a long time ago.

Oh, it wasn't that he begrudged those who worked long hours for a living like him. It wasn't that he hated his boss, his company, and the city he lived in. After all, he could just leave and move on, right? No – Ethan's ennui went far deeper than that. The specific circumstances of his life were endemic of a much greater problem that had followed him since his birth.

Ethan Hawke's problem was that he had no control over anything.

As a kid, there'd always been someone telling him how the world worked. There'd always been someone who believed they knew better than he did who he was, and what his place in the world was.

"Stick in at school," his father – a Stockbroker who brokered bottles more than stocks - had said. "Get a job. Work hard. Monitor your assets. Get married. Have kids. Tell them to do the same."

His mother – when she wasn't cleaning up his father's drunken messes - would tell him how he could find a good wife that could make him happy. She was telling him the love of a good woman was all he'd ever need.

And Ethan, at 25 years of age, was now beginning to doubt that very much.

Because the world had also started telling him different things these days – that a man had to be strong (but not too strong) masculine (but not so much as to be considered toxic) and caring (but not too emotional – crybabies were such a turnoff).

How the hell could he get married when the game seemed so rigged against him?

His mother, his father, his teachers, his backbreaking boss, his friends, and even the society he was living in itself – all of them seemed to Ethan to be nothing more than a council of 'wise' old Elders who told him what life he ought to live. The person he should be.

And today, as Ethan crossed the road towards his office building and his stuffy little worker's cubicle within, a heretical thought suddenly occurred to him:

What about what he wanted to be?

He stopped, ignoring the oncoming traffic that swerved to avoid him as this thought occurred. It was like a jittery little imp was knocking at the side of his brain. It was a thought that brought a hoarse chuckle to his lips. The anagnorisis of the tragic hero, occurring in the middle of a congested main road at 09:00 am. He'd simply…never thought about it before.

"What I want? Fuck," he whispered. "I just wanna see what happens when I'm the one in control, for once…"

A barrage of lights threw themselves across his body, casting his thin silhouette across the street.

He heard the driver of the truck beep his horn. He knew – without exception – that he'd be able to leap out of the way if he wanted to.

And yet…he didn't.

Without really knowing why, Ethan Hawke did the one thing that no one had ever told him to do: he stopped.

And he waited.

And the funniest thing was that when the truck finally did hit him, he barely felt any pain at all.

…

Ethan's life faded away with not even a whimper. And as his soul floated in a peaceful little void of nothingness – where no self-righteous voices existed – he suddenly felt a certain…sensation.

It was not unlike being sucked through a really tight vacuum cleaner hose, which, to be fair, was exactly what he imagined dying would feel like. The darkness eventually gave way to dust, and he awoke to a high ceilinged mine shaft filled with sparkling rocks and dripping water from above.

So, this is what death looks like, huh, Ethan thought as he prospected his new surroundings. You know what? This all checks out.

What didn't check out was the feeling of something under him. Something round, smooth, and…more dead than him, apparently.

He looked down to see that he was perched atop the head of a dusty skeleton, its cobweb-laden eyes staring into the far distance like it had left something out there in the dark tunnel beyond this shaft.

Poor dude probably starved to death. Helluva way to go. Then again, I ain't exactly one to talk…

Ethan ruffled his rim and rolled his single eye.

…

Wait a minute…

He looked down again, seeing the deep blue rim of a hat exactly where his feet should have been. Stitches, a little brown patch sewn into the side…yeah, it was a hat alright.

He was a hat…

---System Notification---

Rebirth: Complete!

You are a hat. Congratulations.

…I'm a hat?

Correct.

…Am I a pretty hat?

The little box that represented this 'System' screen then appeared to show him exactly what he looked like. Yup. He was a hat, alright. He was a pointy, dainty little wizard's hat – just like the classic ones worn by DnD wizards. The only thing that marked him out as rather distinct was the single, crimson eye that was currently staring back at him from the base of the hat's stem. His eye…

So, this really is some Isekai shit, Ethan thought. Like 'So I'm a Spider, so what?' right?

No. You are not a spider.

You are a hat.

You are a {Legendary} hat.

Riiiight. Well, since I'm going nowhere fast, tell me: what can a {Legendary} hat do?

A hat exists to be worn. Even {Legendary} ones.

This is a hat's only purpose.

You're gonna be one of those snarky little System guides, ain't ya? Ethan yawned – an action accomplished by slightly ruffling his front hem and rolling his single eye. This ain't my first rodeo, y'know. I've seen plenty of nonhuman MC shit. I wouldn't be reborn unless I had a few OP skills up my sleeve.

A hat does not have sleeves. A hat is only a ha-

A hat is gonna lose his fucking mind if you keep that shit up, Ethan raged, his crimson eye bulging with anger. Look, pull up my skill list and let's get the show on the road here, huh? I ain't gonna mope around in some backwater mine waiting for someone to pick me up. No point lying down on the job and regretting my previous life (such as it was). Just don't tell me that there's some self-righteous God I've gotta answer to…

---Skill check: Ethan Hawke---

Object: Hat {Legendary}

Skills: Possession (Rank F)

Skill Steal (Rank F)

Appraisal (Rank F)

Transmogrification (Rank F)

Spirit Cores: 1

HP: SPECIAL

MP: SPECIAL

WILL: SPECIAL

PER: SPECIAL

STR: SPECIAL

SPD: SPECIAL

CHA: SPECIAL

Now we're talking…Mrs Thornberry always did say I was a special student.

Something then began scurrying out of the corner of Ethan's peripheral vision. Something small, and chittery, which had just wormed its fuzzy form into the mine shaft.

A rat.

A rat with a pair of beady little eyes.

Eyes that found the only other eye in the otherwise eyeless expanse of the mine.

Eyes that shone with mischief.

Ah shit…ok, ok. Defenses, Mr system? What ya got for me here? I'm a wizard's hat, obviously. The guy that croaked it while he was wearing me had some magic skill, right? Bring up my epic spell list.

…

A hat has no spells.

A hat exists only to be worn.

You are a hat.

You're enjoying this shit, aren't you?

Before Ethan could spout a few choice obscenities for his awkward System screen to try and interpret, the rat had already scurried over to his position and began nibbling away at his hem.

Hey, hey, hey! he tried screaming through his mouthless form.

The rat didn't seem to understand the importance of exchanging pleasantries with polite company. Instead, it elected to chew clean through a section of his hem and scuttle underneath into his floppy, hatty bowels.

Wow! This…this is some bad territory to be straying into this early in my Isekai adventure, little guy! Just because I'm technically an object does not mean I don't have a say in – hey!

While the little creature was poking around inside the darkness of his threaded insides, the System screen made a prompt return:

[Potential Host: Identified]

Possession Success chance will be determined by your Spirit Core strength vs the Host's 'Willpower' attribute.

Attempt possession?

Ohkaaay, Ethan mumbled. Either I get chewed to death from my insides by a fleapitten rodent, or I become the fleabitten rodent…you know what? It ain't like I've got anything better to do. Call me Pazzuzu and let's get some head-spinning goodness going.

Possession: Activated

He felt it. He felt the rat jerk up in his bowels. He felt the creature's eyes begin to blur, its ruby pupils dilating as it realized its mistake in snooping around…

Then he felt something else – resistance.

Damn! Ethan screamed internally. This…this little guy's puttin' up a fight!

He closed his eye and concentrated. Now he could actually see the creature flailing about, spittle flying from its tiny, cracked teeth as it twisted unnaturally in the deep darkness of its prison.

Come ON! You're a freaking rat! Give it the fuck up already!

And then, almost as soon as the whole ordeal had started, it was over.

[Possession: Success!]

Rats Willpower: 0 vs Hat {Legendary} Spirit Core: 1

Rats are not strong willed. They have nothing but base, primal desires.

Congratulations! You have successfully possessed a {Rat, Lvl 1} .

Spirit Cores: +1

Ethan didn't feel too different at first – though he could definitely feel something…changing.

[Form Manipulation: Complete!]

An audible pop sounded in the depths of the cavernous mine, and Ethan now looked down upon a very different body beneath his hem.

He had shrunk. He had shrunk to fit the rat's head.

He was currently a pointy wizard's hat atop the head of a smelly, cave-dwelling rat.

And…he could move.

Hell yeah! he screeched, his command to cry out in delight being performed by his new host. The rat now seemed fully under his control. He could feel every limb, every muscle, every joint within its tiny form contort and even dance to the tune of his thoughts.

I should probably give my first host a name. Something distinguished. Something the history books in this world will talk about when I sit upon the head of a King or Emperor...How about…Theodore!

[Status Update]

Host: Theodore the Rat {Level 1}

Stats:

HP: 10/10

MP: 0

WILL: 0

STR: 5

PER: 5

SPD: 25

CHA: 2

[Skills known]

Hide (Grade F),

Skitter (Grade F)

Detect Life (Grade F)

Bite (Grade F)

Huh, rats have a Charisma score of 2. Who'd have thought. Maybe I got lucky and found myself an eloquent little critter.

Ethan began appraising the world with new eyes, now – those of his Host.

[Skill: Detect Life]

{PASSIVE}

[Grade F]

This skill allows you to sense nearby living creatures of flesh and blood, as well as the aromas given off by them.

He saw the mine shaft as a kaleidoscope of colors, some lambent oranges, yellows, and one trail of red mixed in there that led outside. Probably towards food.

And where there was food…there was the potential of a new host.

That's…all I have to do here, ain't it? He asked his System menu floating before him, giving him a good view of Theodore's glazed eyes and furry behind. Just find a powerful enough host, possess 'em, and live the good life. The life I should've had back home. A life where luck is what I make it, for once…

A hat exists only to be worn.

You are a hat.

And a {Legendary} one at that, Ethan chuckled. You know something, Mr System? Maybe you ain't so bad after all.

Ethan turned to bid adieu to the skeletal remains of what must have been this hat's last host before he ironically took over its form in this world. He scurried out, propelling Theodore forward with unhindered glee. Oh, it felt good to actually run again!

Ethan Hawke made a vow then and there, in the dark depths of this new world he'd just be reborn into:

From now on, I'm gonna be the one in control. I'm gonna live this life for me, and make damn sure that the world knows my name. Onward, Theodore! We've got a realm out there full of flesh-bags just waitin' to be possessed!

And Theodore, having no choice in the matter, ran headfirst into the dark.

 

[IronLung]

Ethan-the-hat drove Theodore-the-rat through the dark shafts of the mine he'd woken up in, following the scintillating scents that his new host's eyes showed him.

He quickly worked out the stats of the rat – classic RPG stuff, no problems there. The skills too – they were self-explanatory. When he activated [Skitter] he got a quick little boost of speed. When he activated [Bite], he felt his new baby-blade teeth bare themselves for an attack.

You ain't the strongest, Theo, Ethan thought, hoping that some semblance of his host's consciousness was there to hear his praise. But you make up for it in speed…I'd probably do a marathon of this place if it would do anything to increase your skills.

Ethan was quickly realizing that this world – wherever it was – certainly didn't run on Bethesda RPG rules. He drove Theo on and on through the dilapidated remains of the shaft, finding broken pieces of machinery and mining equipment, and his [Skitter] skill didn't increase one bit.

Mr System? Ethan asked his enigmatic menu. Care to give me the low-down on how I boost my furry little host's skills?

In order to improve skills, one must harness [Spirit Cores]

And let me guess: that means killing, right?

For you, yes. You are classless.

You are level-less

You are only a [Hat] who is now worn by a [Rat {Lvl 1}]

How else shall you occupy your time?

I'll have you know I had plenty of hobbies and interests back on good ol' earth. Come to think of it, I hope my Crunchyroll subscription wasn't set to auto renew…

Ethan's pressing concern was put to rest as he finally came upon the site where all scents converged. In a new shaft, skittering around an overturned mine-crate, was a cabal of five rats - each one of a similar shape and size to him.

We just found our first targets, Theodore. Ready for action?

Having literally no say in the matter, Theodore merely blinked his dead-eyes and scampered forward.

[Skill Activated: Hide]

Ethan kept to the shadows, embracing the deepest recesses of the shaft's darkness as though he was born to it. He crept round the edges of the rat assembly until he saw one of them sniff the air and come towards him, interested to meet the new arrival.

His mates seem distracted by whatever's in that mine cart. Should be easy pickings.

He felt Theodore's spirit wrestle against him ever so slightly as their unsuspecting victim stood on its tiny legs and sniffed the air again, its eyes unable to pick out the stalker hiding in the shadows before it.

Oh, Theo, Ethan mumbled. This is no time for nostalgia. Listen, you help me and I'll help you. We're gonna level you up till you're the strongest rat that's ever scurried around these parts!

Ethan moved his host back, kicking some stones outside the shaft in order to draw the unsuspecting rat further away from his friends. The rat took the bait, not noticing its stalking cousin slowly creeping towards its back, eyes trained on its furry neck.

Now!

[Bite: Activated]

Sneak Attack Bonus!

DMG: x2

Theodore's teeth shone in the dark and sank into his cousin rat's neck with pinpoint precision. Ethan forced him to bite down until the blood of his victim clotted every fang, and only when the creature went limp did Ethan withdraw back into the dusk, just in time to see another rat who'd heard all the commotion scurry towards his fallen brother.

Just call me – well, us – 'Ratman'. Greatest assassin of…this world. 'Cept instead of a bar-code on the back of your head, you've got me.

Ethan wasn't sure if Theo got the reference. But, as he flexed his little limbs, curled his tail, and made for his next victim, Ethan thought it probably didn't matter either way.

…

[Rat {LVL 1}]

Status: {Possessed} by [Hat] {Legendary}

[Spirit Cores: 6]

In the wake of his mass-rat murder, Ethan prospected his stats and skills with his newly acquired Spirit Cores.

I get the main idea, he mused as he picked pieces of blood-clotted fur from between his teeth. Levelling in this world works on a kind of 'point-buy' system. For every Spirit Core I have, I can spend it to increase stats and skills.

Congratulations!

You have understood the basics of this world's leveling process

Don't patronize me, Ethan mumbled to his sarcastic little menu screen. I'm on a roll, here.

He looked through his stats and skills, realizing quickly that the current costs to increase stat points was only one Spirit Core, while the cost to increase [Skills] was much higher.

And I'm gonna hazard a guess that the cost gets bigger with every upgrade I give myself or my host…otherwise I could just kill fifty rats in this place and make myself a walking, furry little HP tank right now.

Ethan decided to test out his theory, increasing the HP of his reliable (and hopefully not too mentally scarred) little host by a single pip.

Host: Theodore the Rat is now a {Rat: Level 2}

[HP: +1]

[HP: 11/11]

[Spirit Cores] to Increase: 2

Current [Spirit Cores: 3]

Gotcha, Ethan nodded, bloody specks of his enemy's dried blood flying from his flaring nostril. Looks like I've got a lot of work to do here before I'm ready for the outside world. Then again…I'm betting there's stronger monsters in here than you, Theo. No offence, but I'd rather not stay a rat for the duration of my stay here…which looks like it's gonna be pretty long.

You have no idea

Why am I here, anyway? Ethan asked, possessed by a sudden urge to know what he admitted should have been a question he asked a long time ago.

You are [INFORMATION REDACTED]

You are a [Hat]

That sounds…super cryptic. What about my old life? I had…y'know, stuff going on.

…

You would really wish to return to your home?

Don't take that tone with me, Ethan commanded – the single eye on his rim blinking in complete denial while his host merely stood, staring at the fallen rats and their gradually pooling blood. I'll have you know that the me back on earth was an upstanding, model citizen. Sure, maybe I was unemployed. Sure, maybe I only went to that birthday party to get me some grub. Sure, maybe no one invited me, and sure, maybe I choked to death on the first thing I ate. But…still…it was…something…

Shit. Can't even convince myself, never mind this snarky bastard…

Ethan instead turned his attention back to the reality of the mine shaft, observing his fallen kills with no small degree of satisfaction. Ordinarily, he'd have probably vomited at the sight before him – five once living rats torn apart by teeth that he owned – but he was strangely unperturbed by the whole thing. In fact, gulping down their blood felt as natural as filling himself with Mountain Dew during a midnight gaming session.

You know something? I think I might have found my true calling. Maybe I'm an assassin at heart.

You are probably just a sociopath.

I think that's unfair, Ethan mumbled back as he drove Theodore towards the overturned mine cart. Weren't you the one who told me that killing's the only way to power up in this world? Pot. Kettle, Mr System.

A sane human would have spent a long time adjusting to such bloody murder.

You, however, are a [Hat]

A [Hat] has no moral compass

Again – unfair. I'm still me, even if I am a dainty little hat. I wasn't some batshit crazy brute in my last life.

You are exactly what you need to be

Nothing more

Nothing less

Ethan ignored the System's increasing cryptic (and downright rude) messages, and instead investigated the mine cart that had the fallen rats so intrigued. Right now, he saw nothing but the fuzzy outline of an object – it was like a thin sheen of camera static covered it, denying him the ability to comprehend what the thing even was, never mind what it could do.

I mean, it looks like a sword, Ethan observed. But who the hell can be sure in a new world? System! Skill me up! Let's pull up my Appraisal.

[Skill Activated]: Appraisal (Rank F)

You can identify plain items with the (Common) identifier

Ethan watched as the fuzzy static slowly dissipated into the dank air to reveal the item that had the rats so interested:

[Item: Silver Dagger] {Common}

DMG (Base): 6-12 (Piercing)

SPECIAL: Especially effective against Undead

Now that's a shiny we could use, eh Theo? Too bad it's not exactly rat-shaped. Lack of opposable thumbs might just be our downfall, my furry friend.

As Theodore-the-rat-wearing-a-demonic-wizard-hat looked at his stubby claws with shame, the System decided to chime in with something useful for once.

As your System, I am compelled to offer you information that might aid you in your exploits.

Ethan smirked. He could almost feel the thing sigh at the restraints its programming placed on it. He wondered for a moment who the 'programmer' could be…and if he or she was watching him down here, right now…

[Skill: Transmogrification] (Grade F)

This skill allows you to morph an item to better suit your current [Host]

As Ethan read these simple words, desire formed in his heartless, threadbare chest. Desire that was strong enough to look passed the System menu screen and watch as the dagger slowly altered its shape before him, shrinking and filing itself into a thin silver tooth that slotted quite nicely into one of Theodore's front fangs.

Oh, System…Ethan chuckled. You shouldn't have.

No. I really shouldn't.

I've finally made it, Theodore, Ethan sniggered, checking his new sleek weapon out in a muddy puddle beside the cart. I'm fabulous. We're fabulous.

Ethan liked to think that somewhere in their shared mindscape, his little rat friend was also appreciating his new silver tooth. So many things in this little place the guy called home were eminently pierceable, after all. And he'd just gotten the upgrade of a lifetime.

The thought then resolved in Ethan's head as he moved away from the minecart, wondering who had left the silver blade there in the first place.

Theo, he told his obedient host. I've just settled on our first quests. One: find out what happened to the miners who left their equipment here. I'm betting their boss had some proper decent loot. And two: make us the most OP rat who ever lived.

 

[IronLung]

Congratulations! You have slain a [Rat {Level 1}]

Congratulations! You have slain a [Rat {Level 1}]

Congratulations! You have slain a [Rat {Level 1}]

Congratulations! You have slain…

If I could choose a backing track for this killing montage, Ethan mused as he chomped down on the innards of another mangled rat. I'd probably go with 'Ready to Die' (look it up, it's not as cringey as it sounds).

For once, his System didn't have an ambivalent-to-borderline-scornful objection to his thoughts. It seemed to have given up after he'd slain his twentieth rat today.

[Current Spirit Cores: 25]

He'd already upgraded Theodore's HP to 15 and Speed to 30 for some extra survivability and swiftness. His assassination technique was by this point perfected. The rats who dared to scurry about in his domain had learned to fear the Silver-Toothed Shadow that stalked the corners of their domain – the one that wore the single-eyed hat upon its brow.

If Theodore objected to any of this, Ethan certainly wasn't aware. Could rats get PTSD? He supposed he'd find out when he left his little host.

And he would have to leave him eventually – of that, he was certain. From his hours spent in this dank, decrepit mine, he could tell that the only reason he was succeeding was because he was maximizing his environmental advantages. Out in the open, he'd be food for the first vulture that came his way. Assuming this world even had vultures…

Argwyll has more than just Vultures. There are winged beasts the likes of which strike fear into even the most powerful beings that walk this earth.

Argwyll…Ethan thought. So that's the name of this place.

Ethan continued exploring each winding shaft, leaving the torn remains of rats to guide him and ensure he wasn't doubling back on himself. A tail here, an eyeball there – little markers that Blobbers had taught him were useful for traversing maze-like dungeons.

But he had to admit, if this was some kinda tutorial dungeon, he wasn't impressed. All he'd come across so far were rats and the occasional spider – and not even the poisonous kind.

More pressing was the fact that he kept discovering mining equipment and evidence of workers' exploits in most of the biggest vaults and shafts – ore veins of iron and silver that had been battered with picks before they had been forgotten about entirely. Crates full of coal and ore littered the bottom section of the mine, and Ethan's only lead for ages was the cart tracks that seemed to stretch on for untold miles. Following the tracks took him deeper and deeper, until Theo's [Detect Life] Skill stopped picking up the scents of rats and started picking up the scent of something bigger. Something that waited in the depths. Something that, probably, wasn't friendly.

Something that's gonna be mine…Ethan thought as he raced down the section of track he'd been following for the past hour. An area Boss, maybe. On that note, I'm not overly cautious, Theo, but I'd prefer it if we were properly prepared before we took it on. We've seen what happens when I boost our stats. Now, let's see what happens when I boost a Skill…

…

Hey, System? That's your cue.

Right away…

Without the bitching for once, maybe? Come on, even you've gotta admit that your Legendary Hat is living up to his status.

Oh, yes. You have shown just how brave you are by committing mass rat genocide as your first act in this world.

Isn't it weird how a [hat] supposedly doesn't have a moral compass but a System does? Ethan retorted as he rounded a corner and leaped over a precarious chasm where the cart-track continued. You'd rather I sat back and just looked pretty on that skeleton's head, huh? News flash, bud: if I'm gonna be a [Hat] in another world, I'm gonna make sure I'm the best damn hat that's ever…hatted.

And I am stuck with you. For better or worse.

Very well…

Hat {Legendary}

Skill List:

Possession {Grade F}

Skill Transfer {Grade F}

Transmogrification {Grade F}

Spirit Cores to increase any [Hat] skill from F-E: 250


Host: Theodore the Rat {Level 25}

Skill List:

Hide (Grade F),

Skitter (Grade F)

Detect Life (Grade F)

Bite (Grade F)

Spirit Cores to increase any [Rat] skill from F-E: 10


Well, well, well…looks like someone's got it lucky in this world. You could max out your stats in no time compared to me, ol' Theo. Though in fairness, your likelihood of surviving anything more than a dwarf's foot is less than zero…

Theodore the Rat continued running at the behest of the Hat he'd been unfortunate enough to irritate. Somewhere deep behind his suppressed consciousness, he was evaluating all of his life choices up until this moment.

I'm gonna level with you, Theo, Ethan told his Host as he scrabbled along the increasingly ruined and rotted mine cart tracks. Whatever's down here, I gotta possess it. We've all but depleted the rat population of this place. But don't you worry. I'm gonna give you a taste of real power just before we're done with our partnership.

Skill: Hide (Grade F)

Upgrade complete!

Skill: Hide (Grade E)

[Hide] can now be activated during combat.

Success is determined by your SPD stat vs enemy PER stat

Spirit Cores to increase to Grade D: 40

Now we're a real assassin, Ethan giddily mumbled to his hatbound host. And I've still got 10 spirit cores leftover to help with the possession of our big foe. Admittedly I'd have liked a couple more to be on the safe side. But, meh, I've had worse odds against me before.

Basic attacks and certain [Skills] can be used to lower the [WILL] of a creature

Sometimes persistence and patience will serve you you.

Huh. So, it's not just about cutting down a monster's HP for me – it's about fighting them to the point where they basically give up trying and submit themselves to my thready embrace.

As uncomfortable as that sounds, you are correct.

Ethan smiled (somehow).

That means upgrades should always be on the table…

His manic sprinting then finally came to an abrupt end. He had just come to the lip of a large chasm reaching into a seemingly endless depth. The thick red-scent trail cascaded down the chasm, and Ethan realized that, at this point, there was only one way to go.

Theo? He asked his host. Are you with me?

No reply was forthcoming.

System?

Unfortunately so.

That's the spirit! Ethan squeaked. Into the abyss!

The climb down the chasm was made easy by Theo's claws. Ethan kept him in [Hide] mode just to be on the safe side. A couple of spiders served as easy prey on their journey, even if each one offered up only a single Spirit Core as bounty. He'd have to remember to possess one in the future. If he was right about his [Skill Steal] ability, then he'd be able to transfer and upgrade any skills he attained from creatures he possessed. The possibilities were endless. Ethan knew that even the most basic skill used creatively could change the entire course of a battle. Therefore, it only made sense to possess one of every creature he could at some point in his adventures on Argwyll – but probably only if he could ensure his own survival. After all, he didn't have a [HP transfer] skill…which limited how useful a weaker form could be.

Eventually, he made it to the bottom of the depths and Ethan relinquished his grip on the solid earthen walls, dropping down into another blackened shaft with an audible snap!

But this was not, as Ethan feared, the snapping of his tiny rat-bones. As he surveyed the floor of the chasm, Ethan saw nothing but stretches of lithe skeletons and torn limbs, whole mounds of dead men of all shapes and sizes, surrounded by half-chewed pickaxes and crushed rocks.

Well, I guess we know what happened to the miners…the only question now is: what did them in?

His eyes then centered on something that had just sniffed the air before him. Something big. Something bulky. And something mad. It rose from a mound of bones that it must have been sleeping under and prospected the new visitor to its lair through four beady eyes, all matted hair and muscle shimmering with the dried blood of its slain victims. Its mouth opened in a snarl that revealed row upon row of serrated fangs throwing spittle across the whole boney arena. And when it reared up and roared – its voice was the echo of a creature on the verge of frenzy.

BOSS ENCOUNTER!

Creature: Troll (LVL 10)

HP: 80/80

WILL: 35/35

Theo! Ethan roared in his host's headspace. Get ready to [Hide] and [Skitter]! We're gonna have to think about how to wear this guy down…

…Theo?

His host's body would not move. No matter how much Ethan commanded its tiny limbs to skitter like hell.


Status Effect!

[Roar]

Paralyzed (5 secs)


The troll lunged forward with a ferocity that was beyond anything else in the mine shaft, intent on one thing only: ending the life of the hat-bearing, silver-toothed rat that now trembled before it.

And Ethan, having no other recourse, watched as it charged towards him.

 

[IronLung]

BOSS ENCOUNTER!

Creature: Troll (LVL 10)

HP: 80/80

WILL: 35/35

Hat {Legendary} currently under [Status Effect: Paralyzed]



Brace for impact, Theo!

Theo did so, but when the hulking arms of the troll came down to slam into the rat's fluffy little body, it was Ethan who felt the pain.

Shit!

Ethan went flying with Theo against the far end of the bone-covered arena at the very base of the mine, little bloody droplets smearing themselves across the dusty remains of the troll's eaten enemies – the miners.



[Rat {LVL 25}] HP: 8/15



We might be a higher level than him, Ethan thought as the grisly beast's four eyes found them in the darkness of its lair. But he's way chunkier than we'll ever be…but when has that ever stopped me from trying something crazy?

Ethan smiled internally as he shook off the pain from the troll's strike and watched it barrel towards them again.

Now, Theo!



Hide {Grade E} Activated



The troll smashed nothing but the already beaten bones beneath its feet, craning its muscly neck as it prospected the spot where it could swear a (very fashionable) rat had just been laying. A creature that should now be dead.

Then, the piercing pain radiating up his left ankle forced him to fall forward right slam into the chewed innards of the miners whose flesh now sat in his stomach.

Behind him, the silver-toothed rat skittered away back into the darkness.

Nice one, Theo! Ethan roared. Now, we just gotta keep him guessing.

As the troll roared again, throwing spittle and dried meat from its fangs, Ethan kept his distance. His gambit had paid off – looked like the troll's [Roar] ability not only required a charge-up time, but had an effective radius of effect. Evidently, keeping to the outskirts of his little boney arena was the best way for Ethan to deal with him.

Alright, Theo, he commanded as the troll threw a cloud of bones into the dark. Let's go in for another nibble!

Theo was driven towards the hulking troll once again, his silver tooth glinting in the dreary darkness of the depths. The tooth struck true – sinking deep into the troll's left ankle and successfully hobbling the beast. It fell, grunting and thrashing around, desperately trying to slash at its feet while Ethan once again slipped away into the dark.

Again and again, Ethan launched his string of sneak guerilla attacks at the troll of the dilapidated mine, taking more chunks out of his ankles and feet so that eventually his fangs began to leave a trail of black blood and bile in their wake. The troll, meanwhile, flopped around like a fish caught in a line, becoming more pissed off by the second.

Now we've got you, ya big hairy ape! Let's see just how you're looking now…



Creature: Troll (LVL 10)

HP: 47/80

WILL: 15/35



Almost there! Ethan declared. All we need now is another nibble and then it's time to catch us a fresh troll.

But as Ethan went in for his final strike, driving Theo with the tenacity of a Formula One superstar, the four beady, onyx eyes of his foe met his in the dark.



BOSS ENCOUNTER: PHASE 2!



…eh?

Instantly, the troll let out a piercing wail that forced the walls themselves to shudder and buckle. Ethan flew back, keeping close to the shadows, before realizing that this was no normal roar. No, this was a sound that signaled something far more sinister.

New mechanics…

He looked to the skies as he heard it: the distinct, thundering sounds of rocks falling from above as the chasm literally began to tear itself apart at the troll's command. Ethan reeled Theo back, activated [Skitter] and began zig-zagging between each falling rock towards his prey, intent on finishing this thing before any more insane moves were whipped out.

A multi-phase Boss fight. Really? You kept that one from me, Mr oh-so-snarky System!



Oh. Apologies.

This System can only provide information that its User has asked for.



Bull. Shit! Ethan spat in his mindscape. But I'll deal with you later!

Just then a boulder the size of a burlap bag rebounded off another and cascaded towards Ethan, knocking him against the side of the arena and drawing a pained squee! from his host.



[Rat {LVL 25} HP: 5/15]



The pain was sharp, but it was nowhere as terrifying as the sight Ethan then looked up to behold.

The troll was looking straight at him.

Skitter! Ethan's brain commanded. Skitterskitterskitterskitterskit-



[Skitter] duration: 10 seconds.

Cooldown: 20 seconds.



Fuck you, too!

In the next instant the hulking beast was upon him, literally smashing through the hailstorm of rocks as the chasm continued to tear itself apart. Ethan watched it coming, his brain consumed with nothing but the thought of impending death as the troll cleaved through rock and boulder both to stomp out his tiny life.

So, this is how it ends? he thought. I gotta admit, it's a better way than I went out originally…

The troll's eyes were getting closer with each passing second. Theo's limbs began to twitch on their own. Even through the control of a demonic hat, the creature feared the death that was so swiftly approaching it…

Hey, Theo, Ethan mumbled. We had a good run, right? Sure, we committed the odd mass murder or two, but who can blame us? We both got a raw deal in life, eh? You, being born as a rat. Me, being born as a living failure of a human, who was then reborn as a goofy fucking hat.

A goofy fucking hat that can do nothin' but take over the bodies of beasts who're just as down on their luck as he is…

Ethan didn't know what then prompted the sudden thought that roused itself in his mind. Perhaps it was his own penchant for wallowing in self-pity when things got rough. Perhaps it was his innate desire to shove two fingers in the face of his perpetual bad luck. Or, maybe it was nothing more than the mind of the creature he was currently piloting, begging him to come up with something so that it could persist in this dank, dark world for just a little bit longer.

The troll headbutted solid stone and opened its mouth in a roar that would hold its prey down, this time, while Ethan stared wide-eyed at its massive form.

…you ain't ready to go yet Theo, are ya?

Another rock smashed against the troll's head – and Ethan saw, as only his eye could, what he'd been waiting for:



Creature: Troll (LVL 10)

HP: 24/80

WILL: 9/35



…well, neither am I.

As the troll bared its teeth and readied its roar, Ethan gave what was to be his final command to his furry little flesh-puppet.

TOSS ME, THEO!

He came flying off the rat's head just as the troll activated its paralyzing shout. Its eyes bulged, meeting the single demonic slit of the rat's (again, very fashionable) hat that had suddenly and inexplicably snapped onto the top of his skull.

Alright, boy! Ethan screamed in his mind as he entrenched himself on his new prey. Time to heel!

The troll's scream howled through the dank air of the shaft, powerful enough to split apart the remaining stones that thundered down on the dusty graveyard that was its home. It spun out of control, eyes rolling back in its head, as it attempted to resist the urge to give in…to submit.

Down, boy! Down!



[Possession: in progress]

Troll WILL: 9 vs Hat {Legendary} Spirit Cores: 10



I said: down!

Before Theodore the now-freed rat's amazed eyes, the troll of the mine danced and flew through the air, its arms flying to scratch at the pointy blue thing that was affixed to its head, its eyeball bloodshot and veiny, pulsing as though it were injecting the troll with some evil substance.

The troll dropped to its knees, its strength expending itself, until its shifting eyes began to glaze over.

That's it…just…give it up!

The troll reached for the pointiest bone it could. From within its dying consciousness, Ethan could understand its intent.

Oh no you don't!

He pulled. The troll resisted. He pushed. The troll grit its fangs until they started to break.

And through it all, Theodore looked on with wonder and fear – his tiny rat soul unbound and able to witness the same horror that had been enacted upon it.

And when then the hulking troll's pupils faded away, and its great muscular form slumped to the ground, drooling profusely, the hat atop its head seemed to wheeze a sigh of relief.

…finally…



[Possession: Success!]

Trolls are strong and willful, but not clever. Truly, a perfect match for you.

Congratulations! You have successfully possessed a {Troll,Lvl 10} .

Spirit Cores: +30



[Status Update]

Host: Cave Troll {Level 10}



Stats:

HP: 24/80

MP: 0

WILL: 35/35

STR: 20

PER: 8

SPD: 10

CHA: 1



[Skills known]

Smash (Grade F)

Roar (Grade F)

Climb (Grade F)



As this menu then fizzled out, Ethan looked upon the boneyard of the mine with new eyes – eyes that showed him the form of a tiny, shuddering rat with a single silver tooth covered in copious amounts of black blood.

What? Are you telling me you don't recognize your old friend, Theo?

The rat double blinked up at his new form, probably still waiting for death.

Ah, come on. Even I'm not callous enough to take you out now, dude. You scratched my back, I scratch yours. Your life if now your own. Go on, frolic and hunt as the Silver rat of the mine. Find some supple lady rodents and build yourself a harem of legend. You've earned it, my little frie-



New Skill Conditions Met!

You may now employ [Skill Steal]

Using this ability, you may transfer one Skill from your previous host to a new one.



…actually Theo, maybe there's just one other tiny little thing you could help me with.

 

[IronLung]

[Skill Steal: Activated]

Congratulations! You have successfully transferred [Hide: Grade E] from Rat {LVL 25} to Troll {LVL 10}

…

What was that you said about not being callous?​

Hey, hey, hey, Theo doesn't mind, do you, little guy? Now, go on, young one. Go forth and spread the word of your might. Become a king among your people!

Theodore-the-now-autonomous rat shook slightly as its skill was taken from it, cocking its twitching nose at the newly hatted troll.

It sniffled slightly, its tiny eyes looking not at the four dead beads set into the great beast's face, but at the blinking demonic eyeball of the hat it was wearing.

Oh, look, don't go all Lassie on me. Go on, little guy, go! Live your life to the fullest!

The rat twitched its blood-soaked whiskers at him again.

Go! Just…just go! Before I change my mi-

CRUNCH

Ethan brought up his left claw to see the puncture mark Theodore had just gouged into it.

Um…ouch?

Theodore then spat out a tuft of bloody hair before scurrying back into the darkness from whence Ethan had met him.

Honestly, are you really so surprised that happened?​

Theo…did you hate me the whole time?

Probably. You did possess him against his will, after all.​

After he nibbled my hem, Ethan reminded the System. Non-consensually, might I add.

He looked at the tiny droplets of blood the rat had left in his wake, straightening his new, muscly back and sighing through his new, massive fangs.

Ah well. It was a fun starting adventure for a while. But now – now we've traded up for a deluxe model. This thing's a badass.

He looked at the mighty claws and his hair-covered chest clotted with the blood of the miners this beast had obviously disposed of.

Well, shall you be giving a name to this new Host of yours?​

Ethan thought about it, scratching his thick-set chin with satisfaction.

You know something? I don't think so, this time. It gets you too attached, y'know?

Believe me, I do.

I really, really do.​

Come on, Sys, Ethan replied jovially, having completely forgotten that he had only five minutes ago almost resigned himself to death. Check out these muscles. Check out these teeth! Y'know, for an ugly bastard monster living in a ruined mine shaft, this guy really had some great dental care…

As he did a few stretches, the System menu appeared before Ethan with a brighter sheen than it had ever before.

…Sys?​

Yup, Ethan replied, picking at a stray piece of skin lodged in his back teeth. I figure since we're in this together for the long haul, I might as well give you a sweet nickname. You don't mind, do ya?

This System is programmed not to care about how a User refers to it.

It still despises that you have chosen to demean it this way.​

Perfect, Ethan replied, blinking up at the dark chasm above his head.

Dare I ask what your next course of action is?​

Ethan smiled a gory, truly trollsome smile.

It's time to get outta this mine, he thought. I'm betting there's a big world out there for me to play around in. No more rats for me. This troll's going huntin'

[Skill Activated: Climb {Grade F}]

You latch onto solid, earthen surfaces with your claws, and ascend as long as you are not also being attacked.​

Ethan then began an ascent that would finally take him far from the great mine shaft that would serve as the beginning of his legend, leaving behind the bones of the dead, and the sole rat that remained in the entire makeshift dungeon.

I will agree with one thing you said: the world out there is not ready for you.

And to be honest, neither am I…​

…

Skill Activated: Slam {Grade F}

You pound an enemy or a spot of your choosing, delivering a sound blow that is capable of damaging armor

DMG: 20 + STR

Spirit Cores required to upgrade {Troll} Skills from Grade F – E: 25


Ethan had long grown bored of skulking through mine shafts and corridors, plucking cobwebs from his four-eyes and shuffling through broken mine carts. He almost missed Theo's small, agile form, but the brutish strength of this troll had its own uses.

He had been staring at a pile of boulders that had been the result of a cave-in far above the troll's lair – probably accomplished by the troll itself. It seemed to Ethan like the best way to trap the miners and force them into its humble abode for consumption.

Through the cracks in the stones, small beams of light shone and struck his bloodsoaked skin.

Hm…I have a hunch…Hey, Sys, can you-

Right away, right away.

[Skill: Slam {Grade F}]

Grade E Upgrade: Slam can now be used to remove physical obstacles

Success will be dependent on your STR Stat

Upgrade Skill [Slam]?​

You know it, baby, Ethan mumbled as he danced happily atop the head of his dead-eyed troll puppet.

Congratulations! You have upgraded [Slam] from Grade F – E

Spirit Cores remaining: 5

Spirit Cores to Upgrade {Cave Troll} Skills from Grade E – D: 60​

Ethan noted the notification, seeing that these upgrades certainly did come at quite the cost. But now, as fully grown and healed up cave troll, he had not only stealth on his side, but raw, naked strength to boot.

And with such strength behind him, he reeled back, grit his fangs, and let fly a [Slam] against the mine entrance blockade.

World, meet Ethan the {Legendary} hat! I'm only sorry it took me so long to meet ya.

Ethan's [Slam] struck true, pummeling through the fallen boulders like they were pebbles on a broken road. What came next was a sight for four sore eyes: the world of Argwyll burst into brilliant life before him.

Woah…

He had to shield himself from the rays of sunlight that blasted his retinas. Luckily, his meaty claws managed to block out the sun with ease. He moved forward slowly, acclimatizing to fresh, clean air, and generic sounds of peace: birds chirping merrily, a gentle wind rustling the leaves of the forest that stretched out before him. The ground was covered in a field of lush, fertile grass. Stepping out and feeling it between his twitching toes, Ethan would have been forgiven for thinking he'd just stepped out into an entirely new dimension from the one he'd been thrown into a day or so ago.

It's…actually pretty chill out here.

Indeed.

You have entered REGION: GRENBELM FOREST in GLOBAL: KINGDOM OF ELARYA

REGION: GRENBELM FOREST is known for its harmonious locales and the delicate balance of its ecosystem.

It is a shame that you will bring such ruin upon it.​

You always think the worst of me, Ethan mumbled back to Sys. He then stretched his legs, deciding to take in the sights before he made his next plan.

How do you know that I don't wanna just set myself up as a farmer? Hm? A muscly, hip, sassy troll farmer – a paragon for monsters everywhere?

It is not what you are.

It is not who you are.

You are only what you must be. As are we all.​

Ethan furrowed his hairy brows.

You said some cryptic shit like that before, he said. What's it mean? What exactly aren't you telling me, Sys?

That information is considered [CLASSIFIED]​

Figures. Well, while I'm here, it's time to get acquainted with the local region.

He could already smell the scents of prey nearby. To his left – a glade of deer totally unsuspecting. To his right, about five clicks from the mine's location, a den of wolves that he could make his own.

Ethan stretched his massive limbs, his smile showing his still bleeding fangs shining against the midday sun.

I've got a boss monster as my Host, a stealth skill that gets me double damage, a buttload of skills to improve, and an entire forest full of creatures to play with.

In the middle of the picturesque Grenbelm forest, Ethan the hat cracked his troll servant's knuckles, before lumbering towards the general direction of a nearby wolf den.

Time to get to work.

 

[IronLung]

Trolling the Grenbelm Forest: Day 5


Ethan yawned as he picked away at the open ribcage of a slain wolf that had wondered so willingly into his den.

In fairness, it was the den of the forest wolves first, but the creature's disregard for the ancient adage of 'Finders Keepers' meant Ethan was more than justified in standing his ground and pummeling the creature into the earth.

He chewed away at his fallen prey, his great claws covered in blood and viscera from his almost week-long grind/camping session.

You know, this place ain't so bad, really, he thought atop his chewing troll Host. Seems like this troll's stomach's so strong I don't even have to cook these wolves – and believe me, they hit they spot. Nice to know that I inherit the tastebuds and stomachs of my Hosts as well as their eyes and limbs.

Oh, yes. After your twenty-fifth I can see you have developed a taste for wolf.

How nice for you.

They do nothing for my waistline, let me tell you, Ethan told the dismissive Sys. But at least I can move on if my boy here gets a little too big.

Indeed, you are making phenomenal use of your powers, [Hat {Legendary}].

If only more of you would reincarnate in Argwyll. Truly, humanity is a species worth protecting.

Dunno if I'd go that far. But – well – my new shiny stats speak for themselves, don't they?


Host: Cave Troll {Level 30}

Stats:

HP: 90/90

MP: 0

WILL: 35/35

STR: 20

PER: 8

SPD: 30

CHA: 1



[Skills known]

Smash (Grade E)

Roar (Grade E)

Climb (Grade E)

Hide (Grade E)

Current Spirit Cores: 55

Ethan smiled to himself atop the troll's bloody head, eminently satisfied with his progress. It had been a busy few days of almost constant combat – fighting, resting, recuperating and restoring his health using the flesh of his foes. At times, he required sleep to restore more of his HP when he'd been accosted by groups of the Grenbelm wolves or the giant boars that made their homes here. Many creatures had come and gone – interlopers assaulting his new little cave lair – and each of them had been repulsed with a roar and a slam. It looked like the creatures of Grenbelm forest were all of way too low a level to deal with the monster he'd possessed – and slowly but surely he noted the dwindling numbers of animals who dared poke their heads through the long grass and bushes to spy on his happy slaughtering.

Death and destruction. I expected nothing less of you.

Hey, hey! Ethan balked as he wiped his Host's gooey lips. You know this isn't just to satiate my own desire for bloodshed, right? Ever heard of grinding? Camping? These are holy tried and true RPG mechanics, my dear Sys. I'm just saving up till I can upgrade Roar again and then I'll be well on my way.

To do what?

To find something even stronger, Ethan shrugged.



The simplicity of your desires is staggering.

Why [REDACTED] chose you is beyond me.



See, there you go again, foreshadowing shit that I've just gotta know. I wonder, Sys – are you keeping secrets from me because you want to, or because you have to?

When no reply was forthcoming, Ethan decided to drop the subject. He looked over the crimson-streaked walls of his den, seeing fly-ridden animal carcasses piled on top of eachother that were probably beginning to stink like hell. Fortunately, it the trolls of this world had a distinct lack of noses.

The sun was starting to set over the tops of the lush trees above, and Ethan found himself oddly at peace.

You know something? I think I'll take a load off for a while. Sys? If anyone comes by, give me a little shout, alright?

I exist only to serve your whims, oh great and brave devastator of innocent forest creatures

Ethan curled up to rest on a free space between his chewed corpses. Despite the ruinous environment he'd carved into the earth around him, he went to sleep almost instantly wearing a goofy smirk upon his furry face.

…I really hope I get some companions beside you soon, he whispered to Sys. Even a demon hat gets lonely, y'know…

…I do.


…


"I saw it, so I did! I saw it with me own two eyes!"

The village of Carmorgh was in an uproar. In the last forty-eight hours, a general alarm had thundered through the people, and a tense atmosphere had overcome the normally mundane goings-on of the sleepy hamlet. Mothers ran with their babes in the streets, crying out for heroes to save them from the beast that was coming to slay them all. Fathers busily plying their trade in the fields of barley wheat took up their hoes and promised that they'd be the one to slay the demon that had made its home in the forest beside their village. Presently they had gathered in the town tavern – The Tipsy Tart - and were arguing about who exactly would be the one to take the beast's head. Others shared their stories of seeing the beast as they went hunting in the forest, many barely making it back home before the monster tore them to shreds.

"It was as big as a camel, with twice the hitting-power of a Stone elemental!"

"I looked in its eyes and couldn't move!"

"It's a wizard, so it is! I saw it cast a fireball out its bare arsehole!"

"It's waitin' there, bidin' its time while we sit here like weak little Hopla! We gots ta take the fight to the beast! Put its head on a spike!"

"Well then, what are you waiting for?"

All heads turned towards the man who asked that question – the man wearing the grey hood in the far corner of the tavern. A man who downed cheap booze with his single arm. His other empty socket was draped with his grey cape and cowl, but all the same his mere presence caused a murmur of discontent to weave its way between the villagers, who had expected a far less hostile attitude from the man who was supposed to be a hero...

"Um…that is…well…we were hoping that you might…"

"Solve your problem for you?" the cloaked man sniggered as he pounded back another flagon of beer and called out for another. "Typical of you peasant types. Can't ever take out your own trash. You think you'll harm a fully grown cave troll with sticks and stones?"

The tavern patrons shuffled uncomfortably about, many of them sheepishly hiding their weapons. In truth, they had only plucked them out as a show of dedication. Most of them were looking to the hooded man for leadership – like they always did ever since he had come to live among them.

"Th-this one's different, Sir Artorious!" one of the farmers dared to shout. "You're the bleedin' Lightborn! Can't you just do your jo-"

The dark stare of the one-armed man silenced the drunken farmer instantly. But the warrior just lifted his drink and downed it in a single gulp.

"Last time I checked, I was still retired," he told the desperate villagers. "Call my Brothers and maybe one of them will come by in a fortnight. Till then, hang tight. Cave trolls don't tend to wander from their lairs."

"But – but this ain't no ordinary cave troll! It's a wizard, so it is!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"It's the truth!" another beleaguered farmer broke in. "Me and Dave seen it close up! Its eyes, its fiery claws…the little hat on its head…"

Silence descended on the room as the man lifted his face to the crowd.

"What did you just say?"

His piercing blue eyes shot up at them like sparks of lightning, and the response of the collective patrons was no more shocking.

"I – well – it – it wears a little hat!" the unfortunate villager who had revealed this strange detail stammered."An evil hat, so it is. Something about it…something…well, evil! Evil and –"

The screams of this villager were cut short by the cloaked man slamming some coins on the bar and nodding silently to the proprietor of the Tart. A storm had begun outside, and yet the one-armed man barely paid any heed to the rain lashing off his pearl-white hair and skin. He said nothing as he marched out of the village and began walking with steely determination towards the dirt road that led to Grenbelm forest, leaving the bemused villagers to whistle, clap their hands, and chitter about their problem that was about to be solved.

…



[Bounty Contract Issued!]

Target: Hat {Legendary}

Ethan opened his eyes to the groggy sight of a rainswept forest, remembering that he was sleeping on the dirt of his appropriated cave-lair. He shook his head, wiped a matted claw over his four eyes, and tried to focus on the strange blurry letters floating in a box before him.

…Sys? Sys what's…what's goin' on?

As though the System was screaming in his face, the words reformed and flashed obnoxiously, moving closer and closer to his face.

[Bounty Contract Issued!]

[Contract details: SLAY THE DARKSEED!]

…Darkseed? Ohhhhh, I get it. Some poor sod's got a price on his head. Where's he at, Sys? Who is it I gotta kill? I'm betting the reward's well worth the eff-



YOU, [Hat {Legendary}]

It is you

…wha?

As if on cue, a flash of thunder then signaled the appearance of someone moving through the bushes at the edge of the den.

Ethan jumped up, expecting another unwary animal to have wandered into his midst. Instead, what he saw a middle-aged gentleman who looked like death itself. He stood there, his sapphire eyes gleaming in the night, resplendent in a hooded cloak that looked grayer than the dark clouds that had gathered above the forest floor.

Ethan watched his single arm twitched towards his belt, fingers grasping for something at his side…

*I think this old guy's lost…*he mumbled sadly. Better just give him a beating and send him on his way. Much as I need me some juicy Spirit Cores, I don't like the thought of messing up cripples.

On the contrary, it seems this man is exactly where he wants to be

Ethan watched the old warrior unsheathe a thin, silver rapier from his side – a blade so fine that it sliced through the raindrops themselves as he withdrew it from his side with superhuman speed.

"To think…" he mumbled, voice hoarse and gravely. "To think that you would return here…of all places…"

Alright, now I'm getting some serious stalker vibes, Ethan mumbled, raising his arms and growling menacingly at this old upstart.

If your dearest 'Sys' could make a suggestion – run

Fat chance! Ethan shouted in his mindscape, his eyes lighting on the sickening smile spreading across the old geezer's face as he marched forwards, weapon drawn and angled down at his side.

And Ethan, for the first time in this new world, felt the pangs of fear wrestle in his troll stomach.

"My name is Sir Artorious Pendragon of the Greycloaks," the invalid swordsman said. "In the name of my Order, for the good of this world, and for my own honor, I shall destroy you."

 

[IronLung]

"My name is Sir Artorious Pendragon of the Greycloaks," the invalid swordsman said. "In the name of my Order, for the good of this world, and for my own honor, I shall destroy you."

Ethan's troll form blinked at the visage of the old swordsman cutting through a sheath of raindrops with his rapier.

…Pendragon? Really? If I could talk, I'd give you a roast you wouldn't soon forget, buddy.

His desire to laugh out loud at the warrior's ridiculous name was cut short by the speed with which the old geezer then struck – his blade a blur that shot through the air towards the heart of Ethan's Host.

Shit on a stickaroo!

[Hide: Activated]

The rapier of Sir Artorious impaled nothing but bloody rock at the far end of Ethan's den. The warrior's smile never left his old, grizzled face.

"A cave troll with the hide skill? I can see you've already picked up some tricks."

Lemme show you another one!

Ethan came flying at the old geezer from the shadows of his lair, both arms raised and ready to pound the living hell outta the guy.

[Slam]

Ethan could have sworn that he hit him. He could have sworn that the power behind his sneak attack had connected with the swordsman as he struggled to free his blade from the craggy rock it was stuck in. But all his claws caught was the rock itself – smashing it to pieces and leaving him wondering where the hell his opponent had just gone.

Then – blood. Blood and pain, pounding just beneath his chest. A blow that had missed the heart of his host by only a few inches.

Ethan looked down, seeing that the blackened blade of the swordsman had just torn clean through his gut.

And just before he doubled over in sheer, animal agony, he activated the only other trump card he had.

He threw back his host's head as the swordsman withdrew his blade and let out a roar that stopped the rapier before it pierced his heart. This time, his [Slam] caught the old man as he reached out and spun both his arms like a broken merry-go-round. His fists met resistance, and then he heard the grunting sounds of the warrior as he went flying out of the den and back into the rainswept forest.

Ethan stumbled forward, trying to maintain a sense of balance.

…Damn…that…that was…shit…

HP: 50/90

Forty goddamn damage from one hit!? He raged, feeling the blood of his Host pool and dribble from his fanged mouth. What the hell's this guy packing?

As though in answer, Artorious flew like a sparrow through the hailstorm again, the tip of his blade aimed straight at the cave troll's forehead.

Only through Ethan's speedy activation of [Hide] did he manage to just barely avoid the seeking blade of his foe, though he still came away with a deep gash torn in his hulking shoulder.

HP: 40/90

He fell. He dropped into a roll and felt his left arm go completely limp, gasping for air and finding that one of his Host's lung's must have been punctured by the first strike of his foe.

Sys…he wheezed as he tried to find the old guy amidst the thundering storm of rain and sleet that blasted the forest. What's this guy all about?

That information is considered [Classified]

"Do you feel afraid, creature?" a voice then emanated from a direction Ethan couldn't intuit. "Good. Die, alone and fearful."

A flash of silver shone in the night. Ethan turned and met the attack head-on, letting the blade of his foe pierce right through his wounded arm and watching as the snarling face of his opponent finally came into view.

He felt unbelievable agony radiate up his entire left side, but brought up his other arm in a Slam that managed to pulverize the chest of the warrior, finally disarming him and sending him flying back into the storm-wracked trees.

Have – that! Ethan yelped, tearing the blade from his hand with an extreme effort. It was taking everything he had not to relinquish the form of the clearly dying troll.

HP: 20/90

He tried appraising the weapon of his foe that now lay at his feet, thinking he could get a Transmogrification off that could turn the tide of battle. But once again, the blade was nothing but a series of blurry sparkles to his untrained eyes. Whatever the vile weapon was, it was clearly better than [Common] in nature…

Perhaps you would like to recall the advice this System gave you?

Ethan grimaced, eyes scanning the bushes and brambles for any signs of movement in the rain-wracked landscape.

Yeah, I could run…he thought. But then I'd be letting my end-game puppet here get away…

He watched the lithe form of his opponent slowly rise from the Northern edge of his den, a spear of lightning announcing his survival.

"Surely you know by now that this is a fight you cannot hope to win, beast," he said. "Lay down your life and I will make your end swift, and painless.

Fuck me, will this guy stop it with the hero platitudes already? Anyway, he ain't doing shit as long as I've got his little toothpick under me.

Ethan kept his muscle-bound troll feet on the handle of the swordsman's blade, never once dropping his eyes from the sight of the hooded, still smiling man.

Come on, Ethan. There's always a way, remember? You can always find a way…Let's try a basic Appraisal. There's only one thing I gotta see…

Species: Human

Class: LIGHTBORN
LVL: 50
HP: 280/350
WILL: 50/???

Ethan's snarl was clearly visible even against the storm sweeping through the night.

That's all I need to know, he thought. He's strong, but his Willpower's failing him. Probably comes with dueling a beast that's actually putting up a fight. I get the impression this dude ain't used to monsters putting up resistance against him. He's got the air of a veteran monster slayer about him. With a class like 'Lightborn', that checks out. He's good - even if his name does sound like an Arthurian dweeb's Reddit handle. I'm gonna need to wait for the right moment.

Artorious stalked towards him through the dark, his every step the silent glide of a reaper.

"You're a fool if you think I need that sword to kill you," he said.

And you're a fool if you think I need this body to survive.

Another bolt of lightning signaled Artorious' inhuman charge. One blink and he had already bridged the gap between him and Ethan, his eyes staring not into the beady pupils of the troll, but into the demonic slit of Ethan-the-hat himself.

Ethan readied a roar just before the old man initiated a gut jab that could have probably punched clean through the troll's chest. Artorious managed to dodge backwards just out of range of the roar as it came, his form blinking into and out of existence as he waited for his chance to attack again.

He'll go for the kill – straight for the heart, Ethan thought. But even though he's moving faster than my eyes can keep up with him, he's still moving across the ground, isn't he?

Somewhere deep within his consciousness, Ethan felt a distinct sense of satisfaction emanating from someone or something. At first, he thought it might have been the remnants of the troll's subconsciousness. Then he realized that there was only one other person besides himself that truly cared whether he lived or died, here.

Sys? Is that some pride I'm feeling coming from you?

…You have a battle to win, [Hat]

Artorious wasn't wasting any time. Already he was renewing his assault, blinking forward a few paces at a time, darting into and out of the rainstorm, his every move cold, calculated, and precise.

But Ethan knew more than anyone that precision wasn't the only thing that won battles…sometimes, raw strength did the heavy lifting.

[Slam]

He balled his good fist and pummeled the ground, his Grade E Slam managing to cause the earth itself to fracture and quake, sending reverberations through the ground that caught Artorious mid-charge. Ethan found his stumbling form before he could blink away, and sent a ravenous punch at his face that sent him reeling back, rolling across the forest floor.

Hurts, doesn't it? I should know…

He watched the grey-clad swordsman wipe his bloodied nose and clutch his chest with his only arm.

"…Clever beast," he murmured.

Ethan wasted no time pressing his advantage. He bound towards the fallen warrior and, with a screech that tore through the crying heavens themselves, brought his claws down upon the broken human.

"…but not experienced enough."

Ethan's blow never came. In the second he was about to bring both his arms down he felt a resurgence of agony radiate up his spine, and his eyes shook as they rolled towards where the rapier had wedged itself: his lower back.

The thing had flown towards its Master's, and in the next second it detached itself from his back, spun like a ghostly top, and levitated right back into its Master's open hand.

That…is…so…bullshit.

HP: 5/90

He crumpled, feeling the life blood of his Host run dry as its arteries opened and spilled out on the ground. Rain battered his fading form, and as the heavens opened to send another blanket of hail upon the forest floor, the image of the triumphant Artorious emerged above him.

"I'll bet you felt so strong using the life of another to serve your vile whims," he said, placing a firm boot upon the troll's shuddering chest. "It feels good, doesn't it? Having others obey your every command without question. Taking power you haven't earned. Casting a shadow across this world for you and all of your vile hellspawn."

Oh, great, Ethan mused. A fucking monologue…

Artorious bent low, his smile fading for an instant as he looked into the singular eye of his true enemy – the hat he had come here to destroy.

"…every time," he said. "Every time you wake up, this world gets just a little more wretched. Why do you do it? Why do you keep coming back?"

The fuck if I know, dude. I just got here. Seems like you've got beef with someone else besides little ol' me. Now, while you're spouting LORE, would you kindly come just a little bit closer?

Artorious lifted his blade and angled it just above the throat of the dying troll.

"First your slave, then you," he said. "Perhaps this time this life will be your last. Pray to whatever God first spawned you in this realm that it is, Darkseed. For if you do rise again, you shall see my eyes staring back at you."

A swift, unbroken movement was all it took for the swordsman to end the life of the troll by plunging his blade into its neck. Ethan felt it – every pulsing welt of the creature's death throe thundered through his own incorporeal mind, sending shockwaves through his system that would have killed a regular human.

Lucky…for us…I'm not a regular human anymore.

With his final command he summoned all the troll's strength to commit to a single death-spasm – one that removed himself from the creature's head and wrapped his threadbare form firmly around the pasty scalp of Artorious.

"Wha – what trickery?!"

The swordsman staggered back from his fallen foe, eyes upturned, and face contorted in pain, as Ethan's single eye bulged and his pointed tip wiggled to avoid the frantic slashes of the old geezer's blade.

Time to take a rest, old man! he screamed in the consciousness of the flailing swordsman. Now, I do the talking for both of us!

 

[IronLung]

HOLD…STILL!

Ethan wrestled with the flailing swordsman Artorious of the Greycloaks, intent on nothing more or less than the absolute control of the latter's brain.

[Hat {Legendary} Spirit Cores: 55 vs Artorious Pendragon WILL: 50

Possession in progress…

I hate how they all put up a fight…

Artorious' every swipe and slash at Ethan's tip was only barely dodged by his flopping, hatty self. His fury was matched only by his frenzy, the spears of lightning tearing through the dark skies above adding furious percussion to his grunts and roars.

What's it take to bring this guy down?! Ethan screamed in his own mindscape, having not even Sys give him a sarcastic quip in response.

Possession in progress…25%

The warrior blinked around the water-beaten battlefield in an attempt to throw off the demonic parasite that was currently whittling down his mind. He threw himself to the ground and slammed his own head into the rocks that had once belonged to Ethan's troll Host. Ethan felt each impact through his steely focus, slowly beginning to fade away in the face of more pain that was compounded by the fact that he'd only just felt his host's heart stop mere moments ago…

Thankfully, this world's System didn't have a 'Trauma' meter. Otherwise…I'd have more baggage than I came here with.

The swordsman stopped abruptly, and Ethan was almost certain that, in that moment of clarity, the warrior had just heard his voice.

Possession in progress…80%

Go on, buddy, he goaded his foe. I've been through worse – in this world and another. Believe me, I can take everything you throw at me. So why don't you give it up, lie down, and just fucking give in!

Possession in progress…95%

COME ON! COME –

A sliver of laughter erupted from the swordsman's throat. He stood calmly, cooly, without a care in the world…

"So, that's how you do it."

Possession: FAILED

…what?

The next few seconds were a blur to the demon hat: Artorious reached up, grabbed him by his eyeball, tore him free from his scalp and tossed him across the grassy battlefield with as little effort as a dog tossing its chew-toy aside. Ethan felt himself bash against the firm bark of an oak tree shuddering against the raging storm, and then something small and sharp impale itself just above his eye – a thrown knife that had just pierced his flappy tip.

Ethan slumped, wiggling around in vain. The knife had attached him to the tree. And he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Sys! he practically roared in his mind. How the hell'd that happen?

The response was as jarring as the sight of the one-armed swordsman rising, wiping the blood from his pale features, and beginning a menacing march towards his trapped prey:

Humanoid: Artorious Pendragon

WILL: 950/1000

…he messed with me. He hid his true stats…

The ability is not a common one.

But if any would wield it, it would be the LIGHTBORN

Lightborn…that was this guy's class, right? What was it? The ultimate badass or something?

"I can tell by your unblinking eye that you are confused, Darkseed," the warrior said as he stalked towards Ethan. "That tells me you have not languished in this world for long. Argwyll can count itself lucky that you only committed a massacre of its most base creatures."

Sys, Ethan asked, trying as hard as he could to shut up another one of the old geezer's victory monologues. Just who the hell is this guy?

That information is designated [CLASSIFIED]

Ethan narrowed his eye to a hateful slit. Just who's side are you on, here?

"Frustrated?" Artorious asked him. "Angry that your life had such a short expectancy? Good. Let that fury be the knell that summons you to hell."

Fuck…just do me in now, dude. Spare me the fucking rhymes…

As the storm reached its apex above, and thunder announced the raising of Artorious' silver blade, the warrior spoke what he believed were the final words Ethan would ever hear:

"Know who it is that brings the End. I, Sir Artorious Pendragon, am the solution to you and all your vile species. Let the screams of the Darkseed echo through the night, and let the end of your life be the end of all your kind."

…my kind?

Another javelin of lightning signaled the final thrust of Sir Artorious as he plunged his rapier right into the eyeball of his trapped foe, and Ethan looked at the silvery tip of the blade that was to be his final sight…

…or at least, it would have been, if the blade had not instantly shattered into pieces as soon as it made contact with his pupil.

The silver rapier's fragments scattered harmlessly to the ground, and Sir Artorious Pendragon, Lightborn of the Greycloaks, stared into the eye of his foe with just as much surprise as Ethan had.

Gotta say, that really puts a dampener on your whole 'savior of the world' schtick you had going on there, huh?

Artorious' unblinking stare of stupidity was enough to bring Ethan back from his life having just flashed before his eyes.

Looks like thing's won't be so easy for you after all, eh old man?

The swordsman looked down at his busted blade with nothing but abject confusion smeared across his face.

"That is…new."

He trailed off, shaking away whatever thought had just entered his mind. Meanwhile, Ethan's eye caught something behind the smarting warrior that would have brought a smile to his face if he had a mouth to smile with. Or a face to wear that smile.

"It matters not how I kill you," Artorious growled through his dried, scarred lips. "If I have to beat you to death with my bare hands, so be it."

Only one small problem there, champ. And that's the weird looking girl that's currently aiming a staff at your back.

Before the swordsman had a chance to lay a pale finger on Ethan he felt the impact of something strong and cold against his back. He whirred, hands raised and ready to demolish his new opponent, before staring down at his feet and watching a creeping block of ice travel up them before he had a chance to blink away.

His eyes flew to the spot by the bushes where his assailant had just emerged, both her small hands clutching a wooden stave tightly before her.

"Er, um – y – you should cool…cool up?"

Another voice thundered from the bushes behind her.

"It's cool down, Fauna! Sheesh…finally you've got a chance ta say a badass one-liner to the Lightborn himself and you go and muck it up!"

"I…I – I'm sorry Tara! Really, I am! It..it's just that this is a very tense moment for me!"

"For you? What about the Darkseed!?"

Ethan listened to this interchange with an eye totally unblinking in disbelief. Then he watched as the two speakers came into the gradually growing light of the dawn: two young women, probably no older than eighteen by their sprightly steps. The staff-wielding girl wore a long, flowing dun robe with a hood – through which two long, floppy white ears were poking out. The other girl emerged with the grace of a practiced dancer, somersaulting from the bushes and landing on her long, lithe legs with supreme confidence. She stood beside her friend, resplendent in a tank top and ragged short shorts, her dark skin glistening against the rainswept environment. Then she shuddered, twitching the two cat-like ears that framed her face, her whiskers scrunching up as though she were about to sneeze the whole forest down.

"A Minxit and a Hopla," Artoroius growled from within his cage of ice. "Really?"

The cat-girl leveled a shortblade at the frozen warrior. "That's right, Mr I'm-the-savior-of-humanity-Lightborn! Take it all in. Get a good look at the hybrids that have come here ta end your legacy before it begins!"

Silence reigned in the forest then, broken only when the catgirl called out to someone over her shoulder.

"Klax? Um…he doesn't seem intimidated."

Another voice – one much more gruff and somber – answered her back.

"That's probably because he could kill us all with little more than a look. We can't all be as lucky as the Lightborn."

Before Ethan's eye a lumbering wolfman then appeared from his hiding place, a V-neck toga adorning his heavyset frame.

"I ain't afraid of him," the catgirl replied, spitting at the ground before her fluffy paws.

"You're not supposed to be, Tara" the wolfman – Klax – replied with a wry smile, shaking his wild mane free of rain. "This one likes to lull his prey into a false sense of security before he deals the final blow. Look how he managed to subdue the Darkseed."

What the hell is happening here? Ethan murmured.

I believe you are being rescued, as dismaying as that fact is.

The three hybrid humanoids watched as cracks began to appear in the ice-block that encased their foe – for he was their foe, that much was obvious even to an outsider like Ethan.

What was not so obvious was why they were here for him, or why they called him 'Darkseed'.

Come to think of it, that was what the bounty notice called me too, wasn't it? It means something. And whatever it is…it probably ain't anything that bodes well for a fledgling demon hat like me…

 

[IronLung]

The thundering rainfall lashed at the trees of Grenbelm forest as dawn began to break over their tips.

On the ground, three monster-human hybrids stood before a partially frozen human – a one-armed swordsman who seemed more inconvenienced than furious at his temporary imprisonment.

And behind them all, still shackled to a rotten Oak tree by the human swordsman's knife, was Ethan the Legendary hat.

Just…gotta…wiggle…free!



You are witnessing history unfolding before you, and you deign it fit to wiggle like a fish on a line.



History? Ethan asked, his eye lighting on the sneering faces of the hybrids as they readied their weapons. Looks to me like a common brawl, and I'd rather not get caught in the crossfire.



They're here for you, [Darkseed].

No hybrid with an instinct of self-preservation would face off against a Greycloak otherwise, let alone the [Lightborn] himself.



I really gotta shut off your 'foreshadowing' setting, y'know that?

Cracks began forming in the ice-block that encased Artorious' lower torso, but the man looked on at his three new opponents with blaze eyes.

"If you obstruct my mission, then you are my enemies," he told them calmly. "I would suggest that you lay down your arms."

"Shut it!" the catgirl – Tara – barked back. "Hate to tell ya, but this is the end for you! Fauna: blast him!"

"Um…ah – ok!"

The robe-clad rabbit girl clutched her staff tightly within her pale hands and leveled it at the Lightborn's head.

"T-taste vengeance!" she squeaked. This was probably as threatening a battle cry as her species could create.

She twitched her ears, wiggled her nose, and kept her eyes focused on the buildup of searing, killing light gathering at the tip of her wooden stave.

"NOW!"

The command had been the catgirl's, and at her shout the rabbit-mage loosed her spell – sending a spear of radiant light streaking towards the swordsman's forehead…

…and just before it hit the bridge of his nose, the spell stuttered and died, balled into a small white ball of fluff, which then dropped to the ground with an indignant CLUCK!

At the frozen feet of the warrior now clucked a chicken, much to the frustration of her companions.

"…nice, Fauna. Real nice."

"Sorry!"

Plan B," the wolfman said, and as Ethan's eye switched to his position at the very edge of the den, he found that there was no-one there at all.

He's using [Hide]! A wolfboi after my own heart.

Sir Artorious of the Greycloaks heaved a weary sigh as he looked down at the tumbling chick beneath him.

"You think to defeat me by hurling poultry at my feet," he said.

The catgirl double blinked, immediately sheathing her blades and taking some time to stretch her legs and lithe, fluffy tail.

"Nope," she said. "But we are gonna run away from ya."

Ethan was just as shocked as the Greycloak was when the wolfman then appeared beside him, snatched him from the tree with speed far beyond anything Ethan had seen in this world thus far, and made a break for the rainswept treeline.

The arm of Artorious was quicker, however, lashing out and clawing for the wolfman's matted coat, which he would have doubtless managed to grab if the catgirl had not thrown a silver throwing knife which pierced his palm.

"MOVE!" The wolfman shouted as he sped away. "We've got the Darkseed. The job's done!"

"This ain't over, Greyboy!" the catgirl hissed before she turned to follow her friends. "This is just the beginning!"

The hybrids then disappeared beyond the bushes and brambles, leaving the swordman to look after the filthy beast who had just drawn his blood.

…

Ethan blinked through sharp thorns and thickets that beat against his threadbare body.

Hey! Watch it, furball! Is this any way to treat your 'Darkseed,' or whatever?

He was answered by the wolfman barking to his companion as she ran beside him:

"Tara! Is the teleport stone ready?"

"Thirty minutes!" the catgirl replied, her dark body flitting through the bushes like a living shadow, tail flicking around like crazy.

"Sorry, guys!" the rabbit hybrid squeaked. "I tried, really! I tri-"

"Forget about it, Faun," the catgirl said. "You've saved our asses more than enough. Besides, it's the Darkseed who's gotta take down the Lightborn. We'd have just slowed him down."

The wolfman looked down at Ethan and winked.

"Sorry," he said. "I know you're probably confused right now. But give our ugly mugs the benefit of the doubt, yes? We're here to help you. Just like you're here to help us."

Ethan's eye gazed up at him with knowing trepidation, and more than a little excitement.

Is this gonna be some kinda fate-tied-to-prophecy type deal? Am I…the One?



What do you think?



I think you could be a little more helpful.

Just then the fleeing hybrids were stopped in their tracks by the sound of gunfire to the east, and Tara dove for Fauna as a bullet whizzed by her friend's floppy ears.

"Shit! Get down!"

The cry was Klax's, and the wolfman immediately rolled out into an open glade where a score of human soldiers were waiting. When the girls joined them, they froze, seeing the vicious muskets and spears in the hands of the men.

"Hunters…" Klax whispered. "Looks like the Grey wasn't alone, after all…"

"That's them!" one iron-plated soldier said. "And…and look there! The hat!"

"The contract was right – it's him! It's the Darkseed!"

Looking into the furious eyes of the human militia, Ethan saw that his reputation preceded him. They had clearly seen this contract that had been placed on his head, and were here to share in the glory…

"How'd you wanna handle it?" Tara whispered to Klax.

"…stall them. Kill for time."

"We've got twenty whole minutes!"

"….then our good friend Fauna will just have to ready up something…explosive for our welcoming committee, here."

Holding Ethan in his right paw, waving him like a flag of surrender, the wolfman then barked at the humans and their readied weapons.

"I don't suppose you'd like to settle this peacefully?"

The cawing of two black ravens overhead penetrated the short silence that followed. A silence which was broken by the general cry that spilled from every human being's throats:

"KILL THE DEMONS!"

They charged in unison while the musket bearers began reloading their guns.

"Welp. That's humans for ya," Tara sighed. "What did you expect? Faun?"

"I'm ready!"

Klax groaned with weary resignation as he stretched his paws. "You all know what to do. Darkseed? Hang on tight."

WITH WHAT?!

Ethan's cry went unheard. The catgirl let fall a series of smoke-bombs that enveloped the glade, giving the hybrids the edge over their charging opponents. Ethan saw the claws of Klax scrape against the exposed eyes and elbow-joints of the soldiers that came at him, swiping clean through their chainmail armor and drawing blood that glistened along his grey hide. Whatever the catgirl and the rabbitgirl were doing, Ethan could only guess at: but he could hear the screams of their foes as they fell before them one by one, and Klax began to hop over bodies felled by his companions as he raced to help cover their flanks with his flaring fists.

These guys are good, Ethan thought. Wonder how much I could learn on top of their heads…

Klax's fists assumed a mantle of flame as the battle wore on, the wolfman channeling his energy into battering his foes with inhuman speed, delivering a few precise jump-kicks and roundhouse strikes that sent whole swathes of the human soldiers back.

"What are you doing!?" cried someone from outside the smoke-haze of the battlefield. "FIRE!"

A hail of bullets pierced the veil of the smokescreen, and Ethan saw his holder fall, his arm riddled with bullets.

"Klax!"

The cry was Tara's, and she was at her companions' side almost instantly, trying to get him up and carry him out of the way of the still swiping humans as they came forward with spears raised, ready to strike down the evil beings who held the demon hat.

Ethan then heard the shriek of something large as it swept down and plucked at the eyeballs of one spear-wielding soldier. One of the ravens from above had come to their aid…somehow.

"G-go!" the rabbit girl called as the smokescreen began to vanish, revealing the human forces that just kept coming. "The ravens will cover us!"

"Fauna…" Klax murmured. "You know we don't leave our own…behind."

The musketeers blasted the ravens as they soared towards them, under the command of Fauna as she fought off two roaring swordsmen with the help of the beleaguered comrades. Even as a hat, looking sidelong at the rampaging human soldiers who were intent on nothing more than the heads of his furry companions, Ethan could tell that this battle was not going their way.

Hey! Hey, wolfy! PUT ME ON SOMEONE'S HEAD!

Klax simply barked at Tara as she knifed an advancing soldier. "How much time left!?"

"T-ten!" the catgirl huffed, her face flecked with crimson.

Ethan could tell his bearer's eyes were beginning to glaze over in the face of the advancing army. They were being pushed back. There was no other way to say it.

And if you can't hear me, then I guess I've got no choice…I don't plan on dying here.



Don't tell me you're going to try and be a hero…



Hey, Sys, Ethan smirked within his mindscape. That's something you'll learn about me – I go with the flow. And right now, these guys are on my side. And I'm betting they'll have more to tell me about what's really going on here than you do…

Without waiting for another retort, Ethan managed to flap hard enough against Klax's claw that the great wolf let him go.

"Darkseed!" he shouted.

Ethan rolled along the grass, only gradually avoiding the feet and spears of the humans as they doubled back on themselves, trying to pin him down. They would have managed to get him if the hybrids didn't renew their assault, fighting the advancing horde to a standstill.

"Tara!" Klax called. "Find him!"

But Ethan didn't share the worries of his bloody comrades. He flopped towards one of the fallen ravens and met the bird's amber eye.

The group of musketeers aimed at them both with murderous intent.

Hey, birdy, Ethan thought. You'd look great in blue.

 

[IronLung]

Possession: Success!

Host: Dark Raven [LVL 15]

Stats:

HP: 50/70

MP: 0

WILL: 10/10

STR: 10

PER: 20

SPD: 45

CHA: 5



[Skills known]

Wing Buffet (Grade F)

Peck (Grade F)

Dive (Grade F)



[Transferred Skills]

Roar (Grade E)

Hide (Grade E)

Current Spirit Cores: 55



The giant raven did not resist. It didn't even budge as Ethan plopped down above its feathered brow and assumed his command over the beast's nervous system.

ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL. Heh, I've always wanted to say that.



You are an idiot.



Ethan clucked his new, sleek, birdly beak.

That's not what my little spectators think.

Indeed, the battle had stopped altogether in the second that Ethan had possessed the bird, and the human musketeers watched in awe as it rose, hat firmly attached to its feathered skull, and eyed them with vacant, dead eyes.

"By the Grey…" one musket bearer whispered. "It is the Darkseed's power!"

"Zombie bird! DEMON ZOMBIE BIRD!" cried another.

But the hybrids at the far end of the glade looked on with awe, smiles breaking across their fur-coated faces.

"What did I tell you?" Tara chuckled. "This Darkseed knows what he's doin."

They then began pushing back against their distracted opponents, while Ethan stretched his jet-black wings in front of the terrified soldiers.

Impressive wingspan! Now, let's just see what it can do.

The leader of the marksmen was clearly not as impressed as his men, barking an order at them that rebounded off their steel-plate helms:

"What are you sods waiting for?! SHOOT THE BASTARD BIRD!"

But such shots never came.



Wing Buffet (Grade F)

Your wings flap up a storm, {Repelling} any foes with STR lower than 15 away up to 20ft



Storm was right: as Ethan began a series of frantic flaps the musketeers were blown clean off their feet. Their eyes were their main strength, not their bulk, and so none of them were able to withstand the great buffet of the dark raven's assault. None of them except their red-faced master, that is.

"Bleedin' cowards! I'll deal with this one myself. FOR KING LYSANDUS! FOR THE GRE-"

The soldier's battlecry was interrupted by the piercing roar that sounded from Ethan's beak, his tongue lolling out and unleashing the paralyzing sound that he'd transferred from his last troll host.

"D-damn it…"

The soldier fell prone, face hugging the lush grass of the glade, ears picking up the sounds of his fleeing men all around him.

"G-GO TO THE KING! TELL HIM – TELL – TELL HIM WHAT IT IS! TELL HIM THAT IT'S-

The beak of the possessed raven came down on the back of his neck, and his final words were muffled as his lifeblood ran down his back.

Ethan retracted his beak from the fallen soldier, flexing his claws as he turned away and felt the Spirit Cores of his fallen foe run through his onyx breast.



Spirit Cores Increased: 80



Mmmhmm. Looks like humans are actually some of the best meals around. Who knew?

The soldiers were backing away from him while his companions continued cutting down the warriors who still tried to resist. Glancing over at them, Ethan saw that these guys clearly still didn't get the picture.

Well, Sys, I'll give you three guesses what happens now.



…

…Just get it over with.



Ethan did. With another wing buffet that sent the last of the marksmen flying into the depths of the forest, he rose and took to the skies – starless skies perfect for a skill he hadn't even realized he'd managed to transfer.



Hide (Grade E) Activated!



He felt himself blend into the skies, his new dark form feeling weightless and free as it disappeared from sight, bleeding away into the darkness itself.

Could almost just stay here, huh, Sys? Just stay flying up here till the end of time. If I was still the guy I was on earth, I'd probably have just done that.

…but that isn't who I am now, right?



This System is not here to facilitate your illusions of character development.



Ethan flashed a hawkish grin.

You know something? Maybe changing things up a little was just what I needed…

His sharp eyes then located the bulk of the human warriors below – those still engaged in bloody melee with his companions. Fauna was blasting them with spells (some of which were working), Tara was slicing and dicing every which way, and Klax was holding on as best he could, striking with his feet instead of his ruined arm. They were a picture of absolute focus.

But not even the most focused of creatures could keep their composure in the face of what happened next.



Dive (Grade F) Activated

You focus your speed into your attack, gaining a bonus to DMG based on your SPD stat and the distance you are from the enemy.

Current DMG bonus: +45



Before the incredulous eyes of the army, one soldier suddenly disappeared in a puff of blood and broken armor – his head practically caved in and his body reduced to a crumbling wreck.

"By the Grey! Who – where's the attacker? Where –"

The screaming man was the next to die – head being cleaved clean from his shoulders seemingly by nothing more than a sudden rush of wind.

And as Ethan soared right back up before he dived again into the wave of screaming soldiers below, he smiled to see his stats:



Sneak Attack: Success!

DMG: X2

DMG: 90

Spirit Core Increase: 100



You've gotta admit, Sys, now we're slaying with style.

Sys did not reply. Or, if it did, Ethan missed any retorts in the screams of the soldiers who were too busy ordering a general retreat.

"The Darkseed is risen!" Tara shouted at the fleeing bunch. "Go tell your rat-faced King! And your precious Greys!"

"Why don't you tell us yourself?"

A sudden rush of power slashed through the treeline – strong enough that Ethan took note as he was beginning his next dive-bomb assault on the fleeing humans.

He knew that voice. He'd never forget it, and his eyes begged his companions to run.

MOVE! He tried to shriek, turning midair and coming in hot as Artorious, eyes flashing with killing intent, hit the catgirl with a single jab to her stomach before grabbing her by the throat and slamming her into the ground.

"TARA!" Klax roared, joining Fauna as they both turned to take down the thawed swordsman. But Ethan was faster – bludgeoning into Artorious' scarred face with just as much force as he did those men he'd killed in a single strike.

And yet, miraculously, the one-armed man gripped his beak in his hand and stopped before Ethan could even touch his head.

"You think me as simple as a mere mortal?" he asked. "Your ignorance is as pitiful as your new friend's doomed struggle."

Ethan tried wriggling free, readying up a wing buffet to shake this guy off. But the strength of this…inhuman human…was unbearable.

With as much effort as throwing around a scrap of food, Artorious swung Ethan overhead and smashed him into the hybrids running to help their Darkseed out, watching as the rabbit-girl's staff was snapped in two and she fell to the ground.

The wolfman, meanwhile, was brought to his knees, breathing heavy and mouth bleeding onto the grass.

Ethan then felt his head go crazy as the Greycoak pounded him into the ground again, and again, and again…

"Pathetic," Artorious spat. "None of you can hold a candle to the true power of the righteous."

"Righteous…" Klax spat as he struggled to stand. "Not even you believe that…Lightborn."

Ethan's eyes then lighted on the shining stone that Tara was holding in her hand – the one she was waving at Klax scrumptiously as he kept the Greycloak distracted.

"It is fitting that you should die with your precious savior," he said, creeping forward with Ethan still in his grip. "Do you not understand it by now? Your kind was not chosen. You are a blip in history. A stain on this realm. And if you fight us, you will lose."

"I…told ya," Tara wheezed as she steadily rose to her feet. "Maybe we can't beat ya, but we can run away real good. Us hybrids…we've had to…get good at it…"

Ethan could hear the sorrow stuck in her throat that spoke of some unknown history here – some ancient hatred this 'Lightborn' and his Order must have for her kind…but he also saw the eyes of her teammates all meet his, desperately trying to get him to understand their plan.

Her fingers twitched on the Teleport Stone. And Ethan needed no further instruction.

He threw back his head with a roar that made the trees themselves shudder, and as Artorious turned to close his throat, Fauna managed to pull off a barrage of spectral missiles that sent the warrior into a defensive stance, letting go of Ethan just as the paralysis took hold.

"T-that's for my staff!" Fauna squeaked.

Ethan then made a beeline for the stone as the other hybrids touched it and instantly evaporated from sight, their bodies flying to whatever strange environ they must call home, far away from this place.

See ya , Arty! Ethan shrieked back at the dismayed face of the Greycloak. He liked to think that, even if the old bloke didn't speak bird, he could at least understand the sneering grin the dark bird was shooting his way.

"Run, fly, jump, or swim, Darkseed – I will find you."

He then heard something that gave him pause, just before his claws touched the tip of the sapphire stone and he rocketed away with his newfound allies.

"…you were a failure in your last life," Artorious' fading voice told him. "And you'll fail in this one, too."

 

[IronLung]

Discord

The light of a flickering bonfire roused Ethan from his rather comfy slumber. Beneath – cold rock caressed his bulk.

So…feathery…his thoughts meandered. Like a fluffed-up pillow…a pillow with wings…

…with…huh?

Ethan bolted awake, still firmly attached to his new birdy form. He blinked his sharp eyes and inspected his wings – still strong and supple despite the one-armed swordsman's grip.

Bastard almost killed me twice, he groaned in his own thready head.

He then faintly picked out the voices that were chittering around him, and felt the warmth of a fire caress his still-bloody feathers.

"He's up!"

He knew that voice. Bolting upright, Ethan gazed upon the three hybrids that had come to his aid. The spunky catgirl – Tara, the ditsy rabbitgirl – Fauna, and the gruff wolfman, Klax. The three of them were sitting around a bonfire atop a craggy mountain – a silent wind roaring gently through spires of rock that rose all around them.

They eyed Ethan like three pilgrims eyeing an object of religious significance to their cult.

Trust me, you don't know how right you are…

Ethan felt a pang of relief travel through his new dark form. It was a comfort to know that the sassy Sys was still there, just as disdainful as ever.

"C-Careful," the rabbitgirl squeaked. "We don't know what might…you know."

The girl had said this as Tara knelt down beside him, her eyes trailing all over his form and settling on the single crimson eyeball that stared back at her, unblinking.

A sly, toothy smile spread across her face.

"We hit the jackpot!" she cried. "You can possess monsters, can't ya? That's your Darkseed ability."

*Well, yeah…*Ethan stuttered, attempting to nod his bird-host's head in agreement as best he could. I think I demonstrated it quite clearly…

"That much…is already known," Klac said as he got up from beside their bonfire and straightened his back. Ethan could see that his wounds had been bandaged.

"What we need to do now, is to tell him exactly why he's here."

The eyes of the wolfman found Ethan's, his Lycan features framed by the bright flame of their fire.

"Because you don't know, do you?"

Ethan had his guesses. He'd at first assumed he'd simply been brought to his world as another Isekai'd shlub, here to increase his stats until he got as OP as possible (which he'd still be doing, thank you very much, Mr wolfman). Still, in their flight from the human militia that had been intent on flaying them all alive, it had suddenly occurred to Ethan that these hybrid creatures clearly saw him as some sort of hero figure…

What did that old bastard call me? Their 'savior'…

So, he nodded his new form's head, much to the dismay of the prodding Tara.

"Gods have a sense of humor, even Him," she said as she poked at Ethan's wings, intent perhaps on finding some secret to his powers. "Looks like you were right, Klax. We're gonna have to fill him in."

The wolfman then nodded to Fauna, who closed her eyes and bent down next to Ethan, rubbing her hands together and kicking up some pretty radiant sparks.

Then one hand reached to caress his eye.

H-hold on, miss rabbit! he pleaded in his mind, his form bobbing away from her touch. Not that I'm doubting your abilities, but it didn't look like you had the best control over your magic before…

"Don't worry, Darkseed," Tara grinned next to him, showing her pearl-white fangs. "Fauna might be a Wildglance, but even she can't fuck up this spell."

Ethan buckled, his wings stretching out in panic. But the rabbit girl seemed strangely serene in this moment. Her pale, buxom breasts pressed against his beak as her hand finally made contact with the stem of his hatty body. And as she closed her eyes, he felt power rush through him.

…at least, I think that's power…

SPECIAL Skill Transfer: Complete!

New (Passive Skill) learned: Universal Communication

The rabbitgirl then moved away and flashed him a blissful smile. He looked around him at the hybrids, watching their expectant faces.

"What are you all waiting for? A pat on the back for saving me? Afraid I'm kinda handless at the moment…"

Ethan stopped as he realized that the voice that had just emanated from the beak of his raven host didn't belong to a stranger. It was his voice.

"Holy shit!" he yelped. "I – I can talk! And…damn. So that's what I sound like."

It was his old, deep, bassy voice that had earned him more than a few strange looks in life. He cringed as he heard it, almost wanting to shove it away and let the rabbitgirl take back her gift.

But when he then looked up at the hybrids around him, he saw nothing but complete adulation.

"Ha, ha!" Tara screamed, rubbing her face in Fauna's breasts. "It's him! It's really him!"

"I-um-yes. But – please be careful Ta-"

The catgirl lifted her compatriot into the air and squeezed her with force totally unbecoming to her thin, lithe form. "The Darkseed's back, baby! Run and tell them all the way from the Ashpeaks to Grenbelm, from Azar's Isle to the goddamn spires of Caer Lucent! WE GOT HIM!"

"TARA!" Fauna screamed. "I'm gonna break!"

The catgirl dropped her friend abruptly before this became a very different kind of story.

"First things first," Klax then interjected. "Darkseed, welcome. I'm Klax – Lycrae monk. That bundle of bloody joy over there is Tara the Minxit rogue, who is currently squeezing Fauna the Hopla Wildglance to death. We are honored to be the first of our kind to meet you."

The 'Minxit' dropped her friend and followed the monk's lead in a bow, so low and with such grace that Ethan would be getting the vapors if he were still a mortal man…

"Eh, thanks?" he said. "But I'm still a little confused here. I'm guessing me being the Darkseed is a big deal to you furri – I mean – hybrids. But I'm guessing it's also a big deal to those humans back in that forest. Particularly that old, crippled charmer with the dead eyes and broken sword."

The hybrids shared a knowing look, and then Fauna began nodding incessantly, her fluffy feet practically hopping with excitement of their own accord.

"Should we tell him now, Klax? Hm? Can we?"

The venerable old dog hunched his shoulders.

"It's…a long story," he sighed. "If Gax was with us, he'd be the one to tell you it all from the beginning. But, yeah, you're important, alright. In fact, you might be our last hope at finding a place in this world."

The three hybrids grew solemn at those words. Ethan got the impression this mission had been something that they'd been following for their whole lives.

"Let's show it to him instead!" Tara shouted, her sudden tenacity sending the flames flickering into the night. "What are we waiting for?"

The other two shared an incredulous look before smirking down at Ethan.

"Hey," he chirped at them. "I don't mind what you guys do. Just so long as I've got time to buff myself up. Ethan Hawke ain't one to back down from a fight. And I think I've found my big boss in this world."

"Ethan…" Fauna whispered. "The name of the Darkseed..."

"Sounds…human," Tara murmured, eyeing her savior with some suspicion. He met the stare with a sigh.

Guess I gotta come clean, eh, Sys?

Oh? Here I was thinking you were a compulsive liar, too.

Congratulations! You have [surprised] your System!

"Alright," Ethan then said aloud. "I don't know what you're expecting from your Darkseed, but I have a little confession to make…"

He told them everything (minus how he died – no need to cloud these fine feline's impression of their hero). He let them know how he'd been occupying his time in their world, and how he'd learned about his abilities and exactly how they could be employed to kick ass.

When he finished, they sat back, amazed, and looked on him with even more shock than they'd already harbored in their fanged faces.

"The Darkseed…has a human's soul," Tara whispered. Then, with a little catty chuckle: "Well…seems like even Gods have a fair sense of irony."

"That – that is no coincidence!" Fauna yipped. "It must be why the Lightborn's blade broke as he attacked him!"

"…yes," the wolfman agreed. "This is…most unusual. But the only question that matters now, is how the Darkseed himself feels about his task."

Ethan glared at them all as the fire began to fizzle away. In the distant skies, a cry of vultures pierced the air. Likely they were seeing their strange black cousin chatting with the hybrid creatures below and wondering just what the hell was going on.

And they weren't the only ones.

"Question?" Ethan asked.

"If you come with us, you will have to kill," The wolfman said. "This is not outside your realm of expertise, of course, but you will have to kill many of your own kind. Many more than you have already slain will die by the hands of those you choose to inhabit, Darkseed Ethan. Our mission was to find you and bring you to our base of operations in these mountains, it is true. But we will not force a sentient being to turn against its own kind."

Tara double blinked at her leader. "Uh…we won't?"

"No," Fauna agreed. "It wouldn't be right. Not after what we've been through. Could you really turn against your own species? Darkseed Ethan was – well still technically is – a human, after all."

Klax turned to him again and leveled his gaze, making it clear that what he said was perfectly true.

"If you wish to follow us," he said. "Know that you shall have to fight against your own. You shall have to leave your humanity behind, if you would know your place in this new realm of Argwyl. I ask you now, Darkseed Ethan, can you forsake the being you were?"

All of them stared at the recently hatted bird, passing over its dead eyes to the single one that blinked back at them like they'd just asked him the answer to a basic arithmetic question.

When he answered, his Dark Raven host gave a little contorted chuckle that could send a shiver down even the most resilient paladin's spine.

"I know we just met, but all this madness recently got me thinking that I never was cut out for human life," Ethan replied. "You're asking me if I feel remorse for killing my own species? I say they never treated me with any more dignity than a shit they'd stepped in. Just point me at what needs killin', and you'll have yourself a good ol' heap of corpse."

Ah yes. The Hero's speech – his valiant statement of purpose before he undertakes his quest.

How lovely.

Though Sys seemed beside itself (as usual), the hybrids' bestial grins only grew as they consumed his response like it was a moist, succulent collection of breadcrumbs.

"Then it is settled," Klax said. "We make for the Sanctum."

***

Join my Discord server to chat about all things mad, hairy, and hatty. Linked above!

 

[IronLung]

New chapter coming soon. In the meantime, I added about 600 words to chapter 1 and edited a few elements. I would love some feedback on the changes. Specifically, I included Ethan's backstory before entering the world of Argwyll.

 

[IronLung]

Host: Dark Raven [LVL 15]

Stats:

HP: 90/90

MP: 0

WILL: 10/10

STR: 10

PER: 20

SPD: 55

CHA: 5

[Skills known]

Wing Buffet (Grade F),

Peck (Grade F)

Dive (Grade E)

[Skill Steal]

Roar (Grade E)

Hide (Grade D)

Current Spirit Cores: 50

With the wind at his back, Ethan soared through the skies above Argwyll's Ashfall mountain range, swooping down with a combination of [Hide] and [Dive] to slay most of the inhabitants of the mountain's crags and peaks with a single strike.

Most of these foes were simple mountain wolves and rugged boars – creature's he wouldn't bother possessing. What need did he have of those shlubs when he had a literal feathered dive-bomber at his beck and call?

You gotta admit this is fun, Sys. Come on.

The only thing I will admit is how this 'grinding' as you call it has proven surprisingly…effective for your progression.

Ethan took the compliment as he speared his beak into an unsuspecting mountain goat, ending its life before it even knew what hit its horned head. As he waited for his new companions to catch him up, he then decided to take a quick break to nip at some ticks in his wings and check his most recent upgrades:

Hide: Grade E -> D

Upgrade complete!

Hide now allows you to attempt to conceal yourself during the day, at disadvantage vs enemy PERS

Spirit Cores required to upgrade further: 80

Dive: Grade F -> E

Upgrade complete!

Dive DMG increased by 40

Spirit Cores Required to upgrade further: 120

He already knew that [Dive] was a skill he'd be transferring to his next host – whoever that may be. He'd managed to slaughter every creature he'd come across by exploiting the damage bonus from his successful sneak attacks. After all, he was coming at most of these poor mountain dwellers from the air itself – normally with a scream of 'Death from Above' on his beak as he swooped in to end each critter's life. This mountain range was practically a Spirit Core haven – even if each boar and wolf gave him little more than a paltry 30/40 Cores a piece.

He'd set to increasing his core stats next – raising his health and speed which seemed to complement the 'build' he was going for here. [Wing Buffet] provided some extra crowd control and, with the troll's [Roar] ability as a backup, he'd pretty much invented his own assassin class at this point.

I gotta give the class a name though, Sys, he said, starting to ponder. 'Darkseed' just sounds too edgy. Maybe: 'The Grimclaw' or 'Black-Talon'.

…You think those titles are less edgy?

Just spitballin. We'll workshop it.

He heard the rushed steps of his companions following his trail of destruction, each of them whistling to themselves as they saw just how powerful their Darkseed was.

"I…must admit," Klax sniggered. "Even I didn't think this one would be so bold and so…intent on his purpose."

"That's me in a nutshell," Ethan replied, puffing out his jet-black chest. "I'm a hat of purpose."

"And power," Fauna gasped as she inspected the fallen monsters of the mountain. "You – th – that is…you have taken to your powers remarkably well…Darkseed Ethan."

"Just Ethan is fine, Faun," he replied as they grouped up again and continued on their way.

"E-Ethan, then," the shy Hopla smiled – trying to conceal her blush at being given a nickname.

I think I'm going to be sick…wake me up when the circlejerking is over.

Ethan had already learned much of his companions as dawn broke over the Ashfalls and they continued their trek towards this 'Sanctum' – which was apparently a place of refuge for these hybrids and others like them.

"A place where we can be free of hunters," Klax explained.

"Or just any damn humans," Tara put in, twirling her short blades in her hands. "See, ever since the first Lightborn, humans ain't wanted us in this world."

"They burn our burrows," Fauna whispered, her face contorted in pain. "They kill the young, or enslave the strong among us. We…we are little more than…"

"Monsters," Tara finished, angrily slamming her blade into a scampering mountain salamander that then died instantly. "Humans don't know the difference between a hybrid and a real, ugly ass monster. The don't know – and don't wanna know."

Ethan bristled at this.

"Don't get me wrong – I know how dumb humans can be – but why? Can't they tell you guys are at least half human? Hell, you're the only ones in this whole world who haven't tried to off me as soon as I met you. That must count for something."

Klax gave a hearty chuckle. "In your world, would the humans not see us as mere beasts to be slain or enslaved on sight?"

"Depends on the human, I guess. But I know for a fact that there's entire communities online that would love you guys…maybe a little too much."

"Online?" Tara asked.

"Eh, it's an earth thing."

"To be loved for what I am sounds…that sounds wonderful."

The group stopped as Fauna said these words, her eyes closed over and body shivering as dawn broke over the mountain path.

"Faun?"

"I – I'm sorry," the Hopla said with a wiggle of her elongated ears. "It's just that it has been so long since there was any hope at all. Now that you're here, it…it all just seems unreal."

Ethan looked as the other two comforted their friend, each one's face a solemn display of grief mixed with cautious optimism.

This is more than just some lame prophecy, Ethan thought then. These guys don't just want me to help them out, they need me to even just exist in this world…I'm gonna be real, that sounds like a lot of hassle…

This thought occupied Ethan's mind as the group finally reached their destination – a series of ruins off the edge of the mountain pass, in the middle of a dark crater that looked more like a giant hoof torn into the earth than a natural formation.

"Woah…" Ethan whistled. "That's your home?"

"Not quite," Klax replied, ushering the others down as he scanned the surrounding area for any instance of human activity.

"Sanctum had ta be hidden good and proper," Tara said as she began skidding down the face of their overlook towards the crater's depths. "It was built on the site of the last Darkseed's lair!"

Lair…Ethan thought. Like a Raid Boss. I need me one of those…

The four of them descended to the ruins, a strange wind picking up as they got to the base of the crater. The place was deserted – little more than a series of moss-covered columns and patchwork walls. Here and there were a series of broken statues depicting various types of monsters, each one eviscerated beyond recognition. The vibe of the place was almost holy, and as Ethan watched the hybrids faces as they walked towards the ruins' central pillar, they all shared the same look of veneration for the place – even the plucky Minxit.

"So…you said this was the last Darkseed's lair?" Ethan asked, mainly to kill the weird silence that had set in.

"It was," Klax sighed as his eyes traced each individual statue, drawing his paw across a few of them with sorrow. "Before she was destroyed."

The silence then returned, this time, all too deep.

"Let me guess – this Lightborn guy killed her?"

"Mhm," Fauna replied. "It's been the law of this world ever since the beginning. A Darkseed rises alongside a Lightborn – and the Lightborn always triumphs…"

"But not this time," Tara said without looking back at her friend. "Not this one. This time, we're gonna win. We're gonna put an end to this fucking cycle once and for-"

Klax's eyes shot towards his companion.

"Not now," he said. "Let Ethan see Sanctum, and then let him hear what we desire from him."

The Minxit looked sheepishly at Ethan before obeying the Lycae's command. Ethan had already got the impression the big guy was the leader of the pack. It made sense, even if he was a little on the older side, with a mane that looked just a little bit mangy…

Though that didn't matter at all when the old warrior stopped before the pristine white pillar at the center of the ruin, collapsed his hands together as though in prayer, and spoke just a few short lines:

"In darkness, may we seek our light

In vengeance, may we find our goal

In death, may we gain our hope."

It sounded more like a grim mantra than a prayer, but Ethan knew just as any gamer would that these words weren't just spoken by a priest intoning a hymn for the good of his God – these words had power. And such power began to twist the pillar above them all and shrink it into the ground, revealing a spiral staircase leading into the depths of the earth.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Tara nudged Ethan's wing. "Most humans think this place is bad luck, considering what it used ta be. We get the odd tourist every now and then but, eh, they don't go running off to tell nobody about our little secret lair."

Tara indicated some piles of bones stacked in a little pyramid at the edge of the ruins, and as Ethan followed the Hybrids down the stairway to the abyss, he couldn't help but think that, yes, he'd found his people in this world.

For a while, he saw nothing at all – only inky, all-consuming blackness, even with the aid of his raven-host's sharp eyesight.

Then, all at once, the world of the underground exploded before him.

At the bottom of the stairs a stone door opened, revealing an underground city filled with hybrids. Ethan saw about every mix of creature-humanoid that his mind could conjure, mulling about a vast cavernous expanse of houses hewn into boulders and carved out of the walls of caverns themselves. Tunnels dotted the walls of the cavern, stretching on apparently to more and more residential areas. The high ceiling of the cavern twinkled with stalactites of silver, emerald, ruby, and sapphire – creating the impression of a multicolored, star-speckled sky looming over the inhabitants.

And as soon as Ethan and his companions entered through the great stone doors, all activity in the city seemed to grind to an abrupt halt.

Klax stepped forward in the face of Ethan's pure astonishment, flanked by his Hopla and Minxit posse.

"What you see before you is no lie!" he called out to the hybrid-filled cavern – in a voice powerful enough to echo through the whole place and every tunnel system, so that more and more hybrids started popping their heads into the central cavern, crowding round eachother to see what they'd been waiting for.

"Hybrids of Sanctum, I give you your Darkseed!"

Ethan was then immediately overwhelmed by the cheers and cries of joy that leaped from the lips of every lizardman, rabbitgirl, catfolk or Lycae – and the countless other variations he saw. Truthfully, what he was looking on was an entire world down here, gazing up at him with hope-filled eyes.

"They've been waiting for you, Ethan," Klax said beside him. "We've been waiting for the one to bring us out of the dirt. And its you – no matter where you came from before – it's you. Of that there is no doubt."

Ethan's dead-eyed bird form gazed over the baying crowd with no expression whatsoever, but he was giddy with excitement. He stretched out his wings and took flight – giving the people a show to remember.

Do you know what this means, Sys?

Oh, please do tell. I wouldn't want to deprive you of your heroic cliffhanger.

We've just found our Main Quest, Ethan giggled in his mindscape. And that means our adventures in Argwyll are only just beginning.

 

[IronLung]

Ethan was taken through the hallowed halls of Sanctum slowly but surely, his feathered form protecting him from the chill winds that blew through its many tunnels. The whole city was an interconnected mass of outposts for Hybrids who had sought shelter from human poaching and hatred. As he walked with his new companions, he saw that it wasn't just a simple refugee city however – food stores, blacksmithies, and even a few alchemist stores were carved out of the giant cavern that served as Sanctum's central hub. And everywhere he went, the blessings of the people went with him.

"This place is huge!" he said to Tara as they walked. "Here I was expecting you guys to just be a rag-tag bunch of misfits seeking shelter from the cold."

The Minxit chuckled proudly, hands on her hips, nodding to a few of her catgirl cousins who looked on her as though she were walking alongside a God.

"Sanctum's been here for at least a century, now," she said. "Safest place in all of Argwyll for us."

"Tara," Fauna whispered. "Everyone's staring at us…"

"Well, let 'em!" the catgirl replied, hopping atop a statue of a bulky-looking Lycae and waving to the crowd that had assembled all around their small group. "We're gonna be famous too y'know. Better get used to the celebrity life, Faun."

The shy Hopla blushed in the face of all the staring fans.

"Be calm, Fauna," Klax said from the front of the group, stopping at a few rocky intersections to shake the hands of shopkeepers or town guards – big, bulky rhino hybrids with rusted iron armor. They looked fierce, but Ethan was sure it probably wouldn't take much to bust that armor open.

"You will see that our little kingdom isn't much," Klax continued. "But it is home. It's the best we've got."

"Hey, no judgement here," Ethan replied. "I ain't even seen a human city in this place yet. All I've ever known are dusty mine shafts and bloody wolf dens."



The wolf den wasn't quite so bloody until you got there…



C'mon, Sys! Let's at least try and make a good first impression. I'm in my popular phase now, don'tcha know?

Klax nodded. "It is right that you did not experience the horrors of Lysandus's cities. They are…not places for our kind."

Tara and Fauna grimaced as he mentioned this name – and Ethan felt his curiosity just keep peaking.

"Lysandus?"

"King of Western Argwyll – what the humans call the Westerweald. That's where we are right now."

The Minxit said this with as much as spite as she savored whenever she talked about anything human. Out of all of them, her hatred seemed the most palpable. Ethan couldn't help but wonder just what kind of ghosts she had in her past.

Something that kept on catching his eye as they walked were the tattered banners that hung from every pillar on every street corner. A few were even draped high above the city, suspended from the great cave ceiling itself. The image was that of a single, crimson eye, staring out from a backdrop of brown earth, surrounded by fire. To Ethan, it looked the very picture of a fantasy villain, and only now did he realize that it was his eye…the single eye in the center of his hatty, thready self.

"Your banner, Ethan," Klax explained. "Yours, and that of all your brethern who have come before you. Soon it will be at the forefront of your armies as we take the surface for ourselves."

All this talk of conquest in his name was great and all, but the details of his 'brethern' was the one thing Ethan needed to know about all else. Every new wonder he saw round these parts – from the firebug-lit lantern lights that lined the streets to the mushroom towers that rose in the western sections of the city - they were becoming secondary to his burning need to understand exactly who he was in this world. What he was.



I am guessing you have given up the notion of perhaps returning home to your previous, humanly, slovenly life?



Ethan almost laughed out loud. Sys was such a kidder.

Sys, I've been Isekai'd into a world where I'm basically the Demon King. Why the hell would I go back to cable TV and Dorito fingers?



Then it seems I truly am damned.

Know that I did warn you.



Sys seemed rather more morose than sarcastic ever since they'd gotten down here. But Ethan put it down to nerves. Maybe the System of this world was of human make, or composed by a deity that favored humanity. Whatever the case, the concerns of good old Sys would have to wait, because his little team had just brought him to a very new sight.

At the very end of the city rose a castle – a real, honest to goodness castle in the darkness of the underground realm. A gatehouse flanked by impressive Martello towers loomed high above the city, with the banner of the demon-eye flying from every wall as they the structure itself was watching over the hybrids of Sanctum.

Inside, the halls were barren but still pretty big. Each chamber was composed of some kind of sandstone equivalent. Ethan had played enough Civ and Total War to know that these walls wouldn't stand up to pounding by a trebuchet or battering ram, but the keep was still solid and defensible – each wall was lined with flaming braziers perfect for archers, and the place even came with its own dedicated armory and dungeons – though they were sparsely populated.

They eventually came to great oaken doorway that gave them entrance to a throne room speckled with glittering gems – each window showing a stained glass representation of some kind of great beast standing tall above the world of Argwyll. There were five of them – each one imposing and terrifying in their own respects.

"These are your past lives, Darkseed," Klax explained as they passed each window. "For five centuries has the land of Argwyll existed, and for five centuries has a Darkseed risen."

"Karfangg the Unbound," Klax said, pointing to the first image of a horned chimera of a pretty classical style. "First of the Darkseed, breaker of the first men. Slain by Lightborn Krea."

Lightborn…

"Gelsadra the Everlasting," Fauna murmured as they came to the second window showing a vicious, bipedal hydra wielding a massive trident. "Ruler of the Shifting Sands. Bringer of Eternal Life. Slain by Lightborn Casimer."

"Mortavius the Shroud," Tara said at the next window. This time, the hooded image of a skeletal warlock holding a black grimoire stared down at Ethan with dark, hollow eyes. "Lord of Shadows, patron of thieves and assassins. Slain by Lightborn Androx."

I'm beginning to sense a pattern here…

"The demon-flower Gyko," Fauna said at the next image of a very buxom, very feminine, but very evil looking plant monster. "Mistress of toxins and corruption. Slain by…Lightborn Artorious."

Ethan whirred on her. "Artorious? You mean the one-armed Arthurian cosplayer who nearly killed us all?"

"Every century since the very beginning of recorded time," Klax explained. "There has one Law that governs this world above all others - A Darkseed rises, and a Lightborn does battle with them."

"One small detail overlooked there, Chief: it looks like the Lightborn always wins. Is that another little Law? The fact that I'm supposed to die to that old, crippled bastard out there?"

"Nah," Tara replied. "He's still the Lightborn, sure. But he's old. Retired, I heard. So tired and broken by his last big battle that he's nothing more than a homeless bum getting drunk on cheap booze, nowadays. He's not got the chops to deal with a fully-fledged Darkseed. And that'll be you, soon. When he's outta the picture, there'll be nothing stopping us."

"B-Besides," Fauna stammered. "He broke his sword the second he tried to kill you! Maybe it has something to do with you having a human soul. Maybe this time…"

"We've finally found the one who will break the cycle," Klax finished. "A human born in another world, coming to us in the form of a monster who wishes nothing more than to cultivate strength. A human seeking a better life, who will find one among the hybrids of this realm."

"Just like Gax said!" Fauna shrieked, hopping about excitedly until Tara's stern eyes stopped her.

"What matters is that you're here, and you're the one, Ethan," Tara shrugged. "You gotta be."

She pointed up at the last stained-glass window depicting – well – Ethan shouldn't have been surprised.

He was looking at an image of himself. A demonic hat with a whole army of fantasy beasts beneath him.

"Gyko was supposed to be the Last Darkseed," Fauna said. "But as she died, the Sanctum summoned up a new mural: The Demon Hat. Lord of all monsters. Last of the line."

"Ethan the Demon-Hat," Klax smiled. "It has the powerful ring of simplicity to it, does it not?"

While Ethan contemplated how he could make his name more badass like the rest of his 'brethren',Klax and the gang then led him towards what they really wanted to show him: the ancient, cobweb covered throne at the very end of the main hall. Followed by at least 100 other hybrids, Ethan and his group approached the chair with veneration, and Ethan realized after a few seconds that they had stopped walking a while ago.

"The throne of Sanctum is yours, Ethan," Klax said. "Should it accept you as the new Darkseed, we will be at your disposal."

"Should it accept me? That sounds…less certain than I'd like."

"Th-the magic is very old," Fauna whispered, her voice catching as she realized just how much it echoed in these halls. "The spirits of all the Darkseeds have been absorbed into the stone. All their expectations, all their crushed hopes…In some cases it imposes limitations…"

"Like it did with Gyko," Tara spat. "Couldn't move a muscle for the entire time she was Darkseed."

"This gig just keeps sounding better and better…" Ethan sighed.

But he looked up at the stone throne and couldn't help feeling excitement gnaw at his threadbare bones. He wiggled his bird host's tail, straightened up, and walked on bloody claws towards the kingly chair, feeling the eyes of all the hybrids upon him.

In his old life, he'd felt eyes on him like this, too, but it was always at the butt of some joke, or some prank that had gone too far. This time, he felt a wave of expectation washing over him. And rather than be afraid, he felt a tangible sense of pride.

These folk actually want me to succeed. They want me to lead them.

Hey, not like I'm gonna change who I am. I'm still in this for power – for more power than a dude like me ever had back in my shitty-ass world. But…if I help out a whole dying civilization as a byproduct…hey, won't that look good in the history books?



Are you truly vain enough to care about your reputation in the annals of history?



He smiled as Sys said this, gripping the cold armrests of the throne with his dark wings.

Sys…have you met me? In my old life I was the fucking bottom of the barrel. This time, I'm gonna go right to the top. You're with me, right?



I have literally no choice in the ma-



Perfect.

He sat his feathered butt down on the throne and instantly felt a wash of energy surge through his body, filling him with untapped power that surged in the blood of his host and then pooled at the tip of his being. He closed his eyes as it reached fever pitch, and when he opened them again, he looked upon a sea of bowed hybrids, each one intoning his name like monks at prayer.



Spirit Core Increase: +100

Current Spirit Cores: 250



[New Quest List unlocked!]

{Darkseed Delves}

Delve dungeons identified nearby!



Delve 1: The Festering Den (Grade F)

Delve 2: The Twilight Sepulcher (Grade E)

Delve 3: The City of Illusions (Grade D)



He blinked all three of his eyes as these new words washed over him.

"Delves?" he said. "Like Raid dungeons?"

"Places of power, Lord Ethan," Klax said. "Places where monsters of high level dwell, which will soon be yours for the taking. These dungeons are dotted around our Sanctum, and will provide you with unlimited power if you utilize your possession abilities wisely. Give us the command, and we will follow you into them. We will be your swords and shields to guide you on your path of power. Soon, you will be the most powerful Darkseed of all."

"Hail Ethan! Hail the Demon-Hat!"

The chant was taken up by Tara, and soon all the people followed suit – Ethan's name reverberated off the walls of the entire castle, traveling out and singing in the ears of all who inhabited the dark realm of the underground.

And Ethan, still studying the Delve menu, felt a sly smile press itself onto his raven's beak.

Well Sys, he said. I guess it can't be helped. Looks like we're gonna have to put our buddy-cop bromance on hold. We've got a world to conquer.

 

[IronLung]

Been messing around with Demon Hat covers for when I get the story ready for daily uploads. What do you guys think of these cover designs?

 

[IronLung]

Ethan's quest for power as a Hat {Legendary} was about to begin in earnest.

He requested Klax and the others take him on a tour of Sanctum while he contemplated his arsenal of abilities, realizing that now he had enough Spirit Cores to upgrade his Demon Hat skills:

---Skill check: Ethan Hawke---

Object: Hat {Legendary}

Skills: Possession (Rank F)

Skill Siphon (Rank F)

Appraisal (Rank F)

Transmogrification (Rank F)

Spirit Cores req. to upgrade Hat {Legendary} skills: 250

Current Spirit Cores: 250

These skills are my trump cards, he thought. I'd better consider them carefully…

This is new, Hat {Legendary}. I am surprised to see you considering the tactical advantages of your skills.

C'mon, Sys, I'm a strategist at heart, don'tcha know? I'm both a Civ and a Total War man, with a dabbling of League on the side…

Possession (Rank E)

You are now able to view the memories of your possessed minions

Pretty cool, but in terms of combat capabilities…pretty meh. I'll use it when I'm looking to acquire some juicy lore. But I've probably got enough of that already.

Next. Skill!

Transmogrification (Rank E)

You can now modify and equip items with up to {Mithril} level.

Ohhhhh, better shiny stabby knives…I'm considering this one, even though right now I've got nothing but my own lil' black beak. Y'know what? When I find a good vein of Mithril, I'll come back to it.

And last up, we have…the bread and butter itself…

Skill Siphon (Rank E)

You can now Steal up to two skills from one possessed Host and transfer them to a new Host body.

Sys…let's be real here, is this the obvious choice or is this the obvious choice?

There's more to combat in this world than stealing skills, you kno-

Skill Siphon: Upgraded!

Congratulations! You have improved Skill Siphon (Rank F – E)

Spirit Cores Required to Upgrade: 600

Current Spirit Cores: 0

…

Fine. Go on out and eat away at every monster in the world. See if I care.

Ethan sorrowed his brow as he let Klax and the others lead him through the dusty streets of Sanctum, shaking the hands of every hybrid with his wings.

Sys…isn't that literally what I'm here for? Besides, that 600 Spirit Core requirement is meaty.

Klax introduced him to the main members of the community – such as the Blacksmith, Borlor the Dixit, a badger-hybrid with a penchant for sneezing up a storm and for wiggling his great furry snout in people's faces. Unlike the rest, he was far more animal than human.

"Darkseed Ethan!" he screamed as the form of a dapper Dark Raven entered his shop. "Welcome to my modest store! You'll want equipment for the start of your journey, yes-yes? Well, look no further my Lord – Borlor's House of Metal Wonders is here to serve you well!"

"The Darkseed is more than capable for defending himself, Borlor," Klax explained. "But all the same, it wouldn't hurt to show him what tools we have that can augment his abilities."

"O-of course, good Klax!" the Dixit sniveled, beginning to cough through the dust-caked store that was starting to bring tears to Tara's eyes behind them. "Let me show you what I have in the back!"

The badger-man fumbled and tripped over at least five different mannequins of various shapes and sized.- each one meant to represent the form of a different hybrid in the community.

And Ethan was suddenly seized by a very…heretical notion.

"So, something I've been wondering is…can't I possess you guys? Just for a little bit, you understand. You've got such fine skills and…well, I don't like to brag, but my Skill Siphon just got bigger."

The Hybrids stared at him with knowing eyes, as though each one thought the answer to be plainly obvious.

"Fate doesn't like to make things easy for us," Klax huffed. "Fauna, go ahead and cast a bind curse on the bird, and we'll show the Darkseed his answer."

"Um…are you sure I can –"

"If the spell goes tits up," Tara says, "I'm sure the Darkseed can tank a fireball to the face."

Say what no-

Ethan felt his raven form suddenly paralyzed, and then felt Klax's firm hands lift him off the bird and place him on his own furry scalp.

And Ethan's demon pupil dilated as he saw what they meant.

Potential Host….Not suitable.

Well…I'll be damned.

"It's the same with all of us", the Lycae monk explained and he firmly placed Ethan back on the head of his paralyzed old Host. "The Darkseed we will follow, but we cannot give you the keys to success. For that, you'll need the Delves of Westerweald and the treasures they have locked within."

"But don't you worry," Tara said with a mischievous wink. "We'll be there to help ya out."

The Dixit then finally returned with a handful of blades, mauls, and armor in his hands, practically tripping over himself with the need to please.

"I-I- yes, my Lord," he stammered. "We've got daggers, shortswords, broadswords, greataxes, handaxes, bardiche, Kunai, throwing knives…and a couple of chainmail breastplates freshly made. Now, I'm afraid all the materials are up to {Steel} level in quality – shortage of ore you understand. Should you find any higher quality ores on your travels, perhaps you could bring them to me if you get the chance? Anyway, I'm sure we can try a few different modifications so that what we have suits your particular…forms."

Ethan held up a single, jet-black wing. "That won't be necessary, my good man."

Skill Activated: Transmogrification

Before the eyes of the hybrids, the power of their Lord was realized: one of the sharpened longswords slowly morphed into a series of six steel nails that fit snugly over Ethan's raven claws.

Item acquired: Steel Claws

DMG (Base): 15 (+2 STR)

And I ain't stopping there.

His glowing beak poked at the iron chainmail hauberk and began to twist and contort the armor into a shape that affixed itself cleanly to his bird-breast, and after five seconds he was strutting around Borlor's shop with a chainmail breastplate that covered his feathered torso.

Item acquired: Birdplate (Steel)

Armor: 10

Enemy DMG must exceed this number to damage the wearer.

Looks like the little guys out there won't be bothering us anymore, Sys! Now, we're really evolving!

Whatever…

"By…by the Horns of Karfangg…" Borlor murmured. "The powers of the Darkseed are beyond even what we thought…"

"Indeed…" Klax said, sharing the Dixit's awe. "One must wonder what else good Ethan has up his…feathered sleeves."

"Hah! That's the way!" Tara shouted above them all. "Take everything and use it ta make yourself stronger. Leave nothin' for the enemy to use!"

Fauna the Hopla stared unblinkingly at the new creature strutting before her.

"What?" Ethan asked them all. "Never seen a bird so…fly before?"

…I want nothing more than death.

This System…is shutting down…

…

A few more stops around Sanctum and Ethan was dizzy with praise. Not that he was complaining, but so many people bowing or shaking his claws or complementing his plume was new…really new.

"So, Ethan," Tara asked him. "Have you decided on your first Delve yet?"

Ethan had been considering it, but if he was being honest each one of them seemed similar to the last.

Delve 1: The Festering Den

Delve 2: The Twilight Sepulcher

Delve 3: The City of Illusions

"Think carefully upon it," Klax said. "These Delves are made to challenge even the most stalwart of warriors. We only know their locations, not the evils at their hearts."

"You don't know what I'll be facing?" Ethan asked.

"The magic of the Delves are…special," Fauna explained. "The mind of the party members who enter often warp the environments inside in strange ways."

"So it's a kind of Silent Hill type deal?" Ethan said aloud, even though this provoked nothing but confusion from his companions. "In that case, maybe we'll get lucky and I'll actually get the skills I want if I just think about them hard enough."

He considered the Delves again as they stopped in the middle of the Sanctum square.

"The Festering Den," he said. "Sounds like the place where I can find some damage over time effects. Poison, maybe. That's one thing I could use for sure."

"Oh yeah," Tara said with an approving nod. "A nice slow death is the way to go, right?"

Ethan nodded. "Besides, with my speed I should be able to give enemies a little caustic nibble and then fly away, watching 'em get weaker and weaker until…BAM! Dive bomb strike."

Tara's smile with infectious.

I think you may have found someone just as sociopathic as you.

How nice.

"If we're going for poison," the Minxit said with a lick of her lips. "Then there's just one more person we gotta meet before we go."

"Oh, Tara…" Fauna groaned. "D-do we have to? He's such a…an odd person."

Tara's eyes flashed to Klax, who heaved a heavy shrug.

"We'll have to face much worse if we're going to be aiding the Darkseed on his quest for power," he explained. "Come, Fauna, let's swallow our pride."

"Besides," Ethan winked at the shy Hopla. "After this, I'll get you a shiny new staff. I cannot wait to see what kinda explosions you can make. And that chicken thing? Hella good way to take the piss outta that old man back in the forest."

Fauna's blushing face hid a slight smile as the team then followed Tara.

 

[IronLung]

Tara's 'friend' turned out to be a rather skeevy looking ratman manning a cornerstore at the most shadowed edge of the Sanctum.

The store stunk of mushrooms and incense and…probably other fluids. Everywhere Ethan looked there was some species of toxic looking plant or fungi – some of them suspended in cages, snapping away at flies that lined the floor of their prisons.

Ethan decided on a quick Arcane Lore check:



Verminous Fungi (LVL 5)

HP: 20/20



Hm, he couldn't help but think. I wonder…can I possess plants?

Amidst Fauna and Klax's general discomfort, Tara shook the fly-ridden paw of the bug-eyed ratman behind the shop counter with glee.

"Frax!" she shouted. "My main man! How the hell are ya?"

The ratman twitched as he responded. Ethan was immediately put in mind of a drug-addled hobo. But…all things considered, this wasn't the ugliest thing he'd seen in this world.

"Fraxx distill new venom last night, yes-yes. Fraxx receive vision of newblood arrival. Not knowing it would be Darkseed himself."

The ratman nodded his twitching nose at Ethan.

"Welcome-welcome, My Lord."

"Eh, thanks dude."

"You know why we're here, big guy," Tara winked. "We require your special services. See, we're gonna tackle the Festering Den Delve, and I'm thinking some of your concoctions could prove to help us stay in the business of living, dig?"

She's talking like some kinda pulp gangster doing a dodgy deal, Ethan thought. And with a cursory glance at Klax, the wolfman simply shrugged.

"Tara is more than acquainted with the more…unsavory elements of our fine home."

"So?" the Minxit broke in, picking her ear absent-mindedly as the ratman busied himself under his deak. "Yagotta use what ya can to get the upper hand. Don'tcha think, Ethan?"

"She has a point," Ethan admitted. "But I'd rather not fuck up my head in the process."

"No need to worry," Tara replied. "Fraxx's stuff is legit. Well…as legit as you can get down here. See, the shrooms that grow down here are leftover from the last Darkseed, Lady Gyko."

"The Lady was most kind-kind to all who wander in filth," Kraxx muttered as he bundled vials together for the party. "Her toxins and diseases she spread through the land were just as beautiful as she was…."

I'm getting some real Simp vibes from this one, Ethan thought. Then again, he seems happy enough. If a little crazy.

Fraxx jumped up and threw a selection of vials on the shop counter then – a kaleidoscope of viscous blues, purples, oranges and reds. Ethan's Arcane Lore did the job that Tara was about to.



Items Identified:



1.[Vial of Malphus]

{Grade E}

Effect: HP Restoration + 10 pts (Instant)

X5



2.[Philter of Moratavious]

{Grade E}

Effect: MANA Restoration + 10 pts (Instant)

X5



3.{All-purpose Antidote}

{Grade E}

Effect: Cures status effects {POIS}, {PAR}

X3



"Please to be take-taking them, good Tara and friends," Fraxx hissed. "Fraxx will do what he can to grow more to help the Darkseed. But should he come across better herbs and materials for Fraxx, he should come back and deliver them so that Fraxx might brew more powerful balms."

"Got it," Ethan said with a nod. Tara distributed the potions among them, making sure Fauna got the sapphire colored Mana potions – even though she looked on them with distaste.

Ethan found himself surprised. If anything, he'd expected the catgirl to be the one who had particular disdain for the rat…

"See ya, Fraxxy!" she whistled jovially as she hurried out with her spoils.

"Good luck, Tara and friends," the ratman replied. "May the Everdark conceal you, and keep you."

Stocked up, properly equipped, and rearing to go, Ethan then followed the rest of the party to the 'Portal Chambers' of Sanctum – where three sparkling gates of energy buzzed in a small oval room that looked as though it had stood for millennia.

"Let me guess," Ethan said aloud. "These were used by the last Darkseeds?"

"Yup," Tara replied. "Each one of these puppies trained the big bosses before you, and made them into what they were.

Ethan stared into the portals, recalling the great, imposing beasts that had gone before him.

Sys, he asked. Are…were you their System, too?



I suppose such information is no longer [Classified].

This System has served each Darkseed until the time of their expiry.

This current designation is to be its concluding duty.



Five hundred years, then, Ethan whistled. That…yeah, that makes sense.



Beg pardon?



If I'd had to put up with being grafted onto a Demon's brain for that long, I'd probably be a snarky son-of-a-bitch, too.



How lovely. Empathy from you.

Means nothing in the long term, of course.



Ethan's narrowed his eyes as he heard this, looking through the portal gate that Klax was ushering him towards.

"The way to your first Delve, Ethan."

The first step on the road to power…

He looked behind him then at the veritable fan-club that had been following him at a safe distance since first he'd arrived in this place and assumed the title of Darkseed by sitting his feathered ass snugly on the throne.

"Hey, can't a few of these groupies come with us? More of us together would mean more meat shie-I mean-more hands to tackle the dungeon with."

"Another rule of the Delves is bound by ancient magic," Fauna whispered, as though her old Gods themselves were listening in. "Only a party of four can enter at once."

"That must cause issues for adventures looking to group up. What, do you guys end up queuing outside?"

"Most adventurers don't last long in a real dungeon," Tara grimaced. "That's what happens when one group exists literally to clear the world of monsters – the people end up getting lazy, thinking the Greycloaks will clean up the world for them. Well, no more. Not after today."

The fire in those kitty-eyes was only slightly disconcerting. If Ethan was being honest, he could probably guess at why all that hatred existed in her. He might not have seen much of the human world, but those he had seen had done nothing but try to slay him. There was a literal bounty on his head.

But he saw that Klax was more morose. More somber. He walked, head bowed, towards the portal as if he was just following a duty that he had to do. And Fauna – well – she was an enigma. Her shyness was just as strange as the unwieldy powers she held in her hands…

"If you would rather select a different team, of course," Klax said with a genuine smile. "Then now is your chance. We won't force you to take us as your guardians."

"H-hey!" Tara spurted. "Speak for yourself, wolfy!"

"I – I would like to delve with Ethan," Fauna stuttered. "But…only if he wants to."

The single eye of the demon hat cast itself over them.

They're an odd bunch, sure. But so what? I was an odd guy in life. And I ain't getting any less weird in this world.

"I bet you all know what my answer to that question is, don'tcha?" he chuckled. "So why don't we quit the chatter and get to the fighting!"

The hybrids grinned with him. And then as one they entered the first portal, their forms dissolving into shards of pure energy as they traveled through a network so ancient that it had existed in the bowels of Argwyll since far before any of them had ever drawn breath in this land. Ethan watched the world of the Sanctum disappear, and slowly a new reality burst into life before his eyes. He stood on the surface world again, his claws sodden and sticky with the swamp water that surrounded him and his new companions.

Looking around, he smelled putrid air, and saw only viscous, bubbling tar and mud. No trees overhead – nothing but noxious clouds and thick air caked with decay and grime.

"This is the Delve?" he asked.

He was answered by a resounding Ding! from Sys, and an alert that was as obnoxious as it was chilling:



DELVE {Grade F} BEGUN!

THE FESTERING DEN

Enemies incoming!



"Welcoming committee's here already," Tara grinned, readying her shortblades and wiggling her tail. "Ready. Mr hat?"

"As I'll ever be," Ethan smiled back, watching as several bubbles appeared in the pools of swamp water around them.

"Here they come!"

The shout was Fauna's, who was already muttering an enchantment that made her fluffy paws grow lambent red – a wizard ready to send a fireball flying into her enemy's face, no matter how timid she looked.

"It'll be Grums," Klax told them as he cracked his neck and got into a fighting stance. "Watch eachothers' backs and remember: protect Ethan at all costs. Just because the dungeon's level 1 doesn't mean it'll be a cakewalk."

"Right!"

As an army of ugly, foul-smelling beasts then reared their emaciated heads from the water, Ethan couldn't help but feel more pride than fear.

A raid with a bunch of crazies, he thought as the little beasts surged forward as one. Just like old times…

 

[IronLung]

Enemy Appraised: Grumlets {LVL 10} x15

HP: 50/50

WILL: 50/50



I've seen butt-ugly before…but these guys take the cake.

The tiny, foul-smelling goblinoids rushed Ethan's party with their spears and shortswords held aloft, screaming a battlecry from their frog-like mouths. As they got closer, Ethan was surprised just how accurate the comparison really was: their bulging, bloated eyeballs were an exact picture of a horny toad's.

"Here they come!"

Tara reeled back, purring just like a kitten ready to play with her prey.

"This'll be fun…"

Without warning the Minxit charged forward and slashed through two of the swamp and slime covered Grumlets, taking their heads clean off in one blink of Ethan's raven eyes. For his part, Ethan grabbed one with his new steel claws and took to the blackened skies above, throwing the little guy down like a bowling ball into a mass of his friends who were charging Fauna.

"Death from above just like before, Fauna!" Tara shouted over her shoulder – her face glistening with the green blood of the dead beasts. "How's it feel having a guardian angel, Faun?"

The Hopla spared a look of resigned thanks up to Ethan and, blushing, cast a firebolt that ripped clean through a row of three Grumlets who had just risen to resume their charge towards her.

Not bad at all, Ethan had to admit. When she gets a spell right, she's one impressive rabbit…

He swooped down to deliver a [Dive] that tore into the flesh of another corrupted Grum, sending out a shockwave of swampwater that poured over its friends – who were then taken down one by one by a flurry of hasty punches and jabs delivered by Klax.



Congratulations! You have just slain a Grumlet {LVL 10}

Spirit Cores + 20

Congratulations! You have just slain a Grumlet! {LVL 10]}

Spirit Cores + 20

Congratulations! You have just slain a-



Can you can it with the notifications!? Ethan barked as he snapped and clawed at more of the froggy menaces around him. Just…give me a total when this shit's good and done!



System Combat Log Preferences: Updated.

Next time, a 'please' would be nice.



"Forward!" the Klax suddenly shouted. "There must be a way down to the next floor!"

"Floor?" Ethan asked aloud as he pecked the eyes out of a screaming Grumlet warrior. "You mean this is part of the dungeon itself?"

"Just take a look at the skies, Darkseed!" Tara shouted. "Can't your eyes see through an illusion?"

Ethan took flight again to try and understand what she meant. He found that he could only get about 80ft up in the air before he hit a wall. Literally. There was some kind of boundary wrapped round this whole dark, swampy environment.

*So, these Delves really are like raid instances…*Ethan thought.



Somehow, your earthling mind is able to comprehend these nuances of our world surprisingly well.



It's almost as if I was chosen or something. Huh?



That information is considered [REDACT-



I get it, he interrupted as he activated his [Hide] skill and came swooping in from the dark, infected clouds above the Grumlet horde. He sent a whole pack of them flying back like ugly little children.

Then he felt something stirring beneath his feet.

"Uh…guys?" Fauna murmured from behind him. "I think we got some company-ah!"

The Hopla had spotted the danger before the rest of them – her feet could detect gyrations in the earth far better than any of them. And before she could even tell them they had to run like hell right now, Ethan had already scooped her and the rest of the team up in his claws.

The swampland was disappearing into a whirlpool of dirt and grime before their eyes, the Grumlets who were still alive beginning to toss their javelins up at Ethan as he brought the hybrids out of the danger zone.

He felt the stings of their weapons as he tried to hold the weight of the three hybrids, realizing only now how much of a detriment the relatively low strength score of this Dark Raven host was.



STR: 10

Status: Fatigued!



Apparently, his comrades didn't quite feel him begin to lower as the seconds of the battle drew on.

"Haha!' Tara shouted from round his neck, her thighs slapping against his face while the stem of his hat-form settled…in another place.

"Feel the wind in your hair, guys! The SS Darkseed takes flight tonight!"

I'm feeling something in my hair right now…let me tell you…

"Tara! Can you see the exit portal?"

The voice was Klax's, who was doing what he could to block the projectiles of the ugly goblinoids who hadn't vanished into the whirlpool of filth that the swamp had become. Many of their comrades had rode the wave and fallen into the abyss at its center, while the rest swam happily around the periphery, chucking their javelins into the air with wild abandon.

"Take me in closer!" the Minxit shouted in Ethan's ear. "I can find us the way below."

"C…can you move away ever so slightly?" he replied. "Even for a sentient hat possessing a giant bird, this position is ever so slightly uncomfortable."

The Minxit girl sneered down at him. "Oh? Is the Darkseed nervous?"

"Stop playing around, Tara!" Fauna pouted up at her. "We – we're in the middle of a fight."

She then conjured up a spell that Ethan supposed was meant to be some kind of bubble shield, but ended up summoning a living, breathing liquid serpent that wriggled out of her hands and down into the swirling swamp below.

"Guys…your Darkseed is starting to lose momentum…"

Ethan felt more projectiles sting his hide and wished nothing more than to dive bomb the hell outta the little shits right now. But he kept his cool. In this new life, he wasn't just gonna charge into danger blindly. He wasn't gonna make the same mistakes he made back home…

"There!" Tara shouted suddenly, pointing towards a spire in the distance that had been revealed as the swamp continued to drain. "There's a doorway there that we can head through – the part covered in reeds!"

Ethan's eyes focused on the location and found the door – the place that was suddenly all so clear to him.

"How did you do that?"

"Cat's eyes, my good Ethan," Tara chuckled. "This girl's not just good for slitting throats and looking good doing it. My species happen to be the best illusion spotters and trap detectors in all of Argwyll."

Ethan smirked as he turned in the sky and headed straight for the crumbling spire.

Looks like I've picked the right allies for dungeon-delving…

He tried activating [Hide] and found that the skill just wouldn't work – probably something to do with him being fatigued. He could make it, though, but the Grumlets swimming beneath them seemed to know exactly where he was going.

"Look!" Fauna screeched. "They're trying to break the spire down!"

All of them saw it as soon as the Hopla pointed it out – the horde of uglies had descended on the foundations of the spire and were climbing up it before them. The whole thing looked ancient beyond imagining – it was already pretty much crumbling apart. Their webbed claws were starting to entirely break the thing down.

"Guess they don't want us going below…"

He could make it to the spire if he had a straight shot – Ethan knew it. But right now…that was one hot LZ.

"Keep flying, Ethan!" Klax shouted up.

"That was the idea! But we're gonna need some major firepower to clear those froggy bois!"

Klax smiled as he kicked away another javelin aimed squarely at Ethan's steel underbelly. Only a few had managed to penetrate and puncture the armor so far. But it was enough to interrupt his descent. Ethan couldn't tell exactly why the old wolf was smiling.

"Fauna," he then heard the Lycae say. "You know what to do."

The rabbitgirl clutched Ethan's steel claw even tighter as they approached the spire, watching the hateful eyes of the Grumlet horde take up firing positions on its ridges and ledges.

"I…you know it might not work."

"That's a chance we've gotta take."

"Just like usual!" Tara shouted down. "Go on, Sis! Take those little bastards down!"

The Hopla squirmed, hoping against all hopes that Ethan could finish off the brutish toad-creatures instead of her. She looked up at him with fading hope in her big eyes.

You don't believe in yourself at all, do you? Ethan's eyes asked her.

He'd seen eyes like hers before. Eyes that never failed to piss him off every time…

"Fauna!" he shouted down, narrowly avoiding a hail of javelins launched from the horde. "Don't you remember? I promised you I'd get you a new staff. A staff for a real mage! That's what you are, right?"

The Hopla grimaced. "N…not a mage. A Wildglance."

"Like I know what the fuck that is!" Ethan replied as he felt the pain of another flurry of projectiles. "What I do know is that you've got more power in those fluffy hands than I've ever seen in my whole damn life! I don't care what you do – just do something super special magic awesome!"

He couldn't tell whether it was his words or simply the necessity of destroying the enemies blocking their path that spurned the girl on. All he knew was that in the next second he felt the Hopla girl's body go limp, before she raised her arm and muttered an incantation that set the air itself ablaze.

"P-PYROS ARMUNUM!"

Searing, blistering heat rocketed up from the hand of the rabbitgirl, until the power contained within her spirit could no longer be contained. It gushed forth from her palm like a blooming red flower of death, instantly vaporizing the entire horde and the spire's midsection along with it.

Ethan watched in awe as the spell reduced the screaming Grumlets to piles of brown ash.

I have really gotta possess me a Wildglance…

"Now, Ethan!" Klax roared.

The demon hat didn't even need to hear this – already his Host was rocketing through the flames towards the purple portal that had just opened at the tip of the spire, and as soon as he touched its surface, the world twisted and folded in on itself, and the screaming party of hybrids was thrust into the unknown horrors of the Festering Den's second floor.

 

[IronLung]

---Caer Krea---

---Greycloak Headquarters---

---Argent Mountains---

Terrible storms lashed the venerable battlements of Caer Krea. It was said that the ancient base of the Greycloak order was built on the back of Karfaang the Despoiler – first of the Darkseeds. The scratched, rugged appearance of the fort and its sharp, angular towers put one in mind of a creature's fangs piercing the earth, ready to swallow the world whole. The entire looked as though it could crumble away at any second, and yet for centuries it had stood rigid. Firm. It had weathered storms far worse than this one.

It had been here that the first Greycloaks had assembled within the great Onyx Hall of the fort and, under the grey moon of Argwyll, made their pact to annihilate the monster menace that plagued their world.

And it was through the storm-wracked battlements that a single member of the Order walked tonight, his cloak held tightly around his neck, blood spattered across his thin frame.

The warriors of the fortress stopped their training and meditations in the main yard, the great braziers flanking the venerable gate of their home sparking and sputtering as the old warrior was admitted entrance. His eyes shone with blue light strong and clear even against the onslaught of the storm. Every warrior knew who he was. They knew what must have brought him back among them.

And instantly the mood of the fortress changed.

When the one-armed man opened the creaking door to the great hall, he was met by the bespectacled form of the old fortress architect, Mobius, sitting at his desk and pouring over hundreds of screeds of parchment – requests made for the Greycloaks to help the beleaguered citizens from all over Argwyll.

"State your name for the records, Grey One," he said without looking up. Evidently, he suspected that this was simply another Brother or Sister back from a monster hunt. He didn't need to look upon a Greycloak to know when one was standing in front of him. The stench normally gave them away.

This one, however, was unnaturally silent.

"If your tongue has been lost, just proceed to healer Justine," he said with a halfhearted wave. "Though she's fully booked tonight, she might just manage to squeeze you in a midnight slo-"

"Artorious."

Mobius, normally a man who balked at interruptions, paused almost instantly.

"Artorious Pendragon," the man before him said. "Class: Lightborn."

Now the small, ungainly head of Mobius jerked up to see the sight – a sight he didn't think he'd ever see again. There he was – the old Lightborn of legend. Slayer of the Demon-Flower Gyko, the last Darkseed to plague the world.

And he was covered head-to-toe in the purple-black viscera of monster blood.

Mobius found that he didn't quite know what to say. So, having lost his filter of professionalism, he simply said what came into his mind as he met those old eyes gleaming with sapphire:

"So, you have returned."

"Perceptive as ever, Mobius," the Lightborn replied.

"If you've come back…" the Architect murmured. "Then that means…"

"Where is the Knight-Commander?" Artorious interrupted. His words sounded more like a demand. Not a question.

"The Knight-Commander is not currently receiving visitors," Mobius replied coldly. "Especially not from exiles."

The eyes of the one-armed knight narrowed to piercing, snake-like slits. He edged closer to Mobius, so much so that the latter heard some of the warriors sequestered in the hall draw their blades.

"I think she'll make an exception for me," Artorious growled. "Don't you?"

He didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he swept by the staring bookkeeper and entered the second floor of the fort, feeling the piercing gazes of comrades both old and new on his grizzled features.

He didn't head to the washroom as any sane man might expect. Instead, he barged passed the training arena, sparing only a second to look up at the mosaic windows depicting the Lightborn of old (his window was still defaced and long since painted over) before storming into the high office of the Knight-Commander.

She was still exactly as he remembered her. Wild. Blonde. And utterly disdainful of his general presence. Immortality had not made her any more patient.

"Evening, Carliah."

She was writing something rather angrily with her quill – the weapon that she could use to cut through even the toughest Greycloak initiate. Hell hath no fury like Knight-Commander Carliah Argent's performance reviews.

"Artorious," she said without looking up.

He came forward, gesturing at the chair in front of her ornate desk. Upon the walls were a series of intricate, antique clocks ticking away with the times of all of Argwyll's hemispheres.

"Say what you're here to say," she barked. "And then be gone."

He sighed. "You still despise me, after all this time?"

She stopped writing. "Hatred is unprofessional," she said. "But then, so is cowardice. Perhaps we're all simply guilty of different crimes, Artorious."

"I wouldn't have come here simply to antagonize you."

"The fact you dared to come here at all tells me you simply do not give a jot for the sanctity of this Order. Honor means nothing to you."

A distinct thump then finally brought the blonde crown of Carliah up. She stared blankly at what the Lightborn had just thrown on her table.

"Take a good look," Artorious said. "And then tell me if you still care more about honor than doing what's right for this world."

Her face was a picture of contradiction. A woman trapped forever in her late 30s since the first day she'd joined the Order, she wasn't unused to concealing her emotions. For one who had risen so quickly in the ranks of the Greycloaks, the ability to outsmart one's opponents was paramount. It was said no one among the ranks of the Order could truly ascertain Carliah Argent's battle moves – she was too quick, too elusive, and too strong when she finally made her mark on the flesh of the unwary monsters of the land.

But right now, Artorious could see, as only his eyes could, that there was a sense of fear hidden there in her narrowed eyes.

That was an emotion he was all too familiar with…

She held the objects he'd thrown on her desk in her muscled hands: a piece of blue cloth, and the shards of his own, broken blade.

"So…it's here."

Artorious only gave a solemn nod.

"The Darkseed."

"The fucking hat," Carliah grimaced, standing and turning away from the Lightborn. "The one that wasn't even meant to appear if a certain someone had done his job right last time. Why now of all times?"

Again, Artoriois did not speak. He had shown her what she needed to see. Now, she had to do the rest for herself.

"Where?" she snapped at him suddenly.

"The Grenbelm forest," he replied.

"Core abilities?"

"Possession. And a penchant for draining the Willpower of its foe. Once the Will of its potential Host is low enough, it is able to assume direct control of their nervous system."

The Knight-Commander huffed at this. "So that's its little trick. Not quite as insidious as Gyko's mass telepathy, nor as irritating as Gelsadra's Eternal Life."

"It's in its larval form," Artorious explained. "But by now – it could be stronger. Much stronger. Monster populations are already going wild even in the mountains outside the fortress. King Lysandus won't listen. The capital city of Lucent will be in the most immediate danger. If it falls-"

The Knight-Commander held up a muscular fist. "You don't have to tell me how this all works. Lucent falls – then all of Westerweald falls – and then the rest of Argwyll falls. Just like what almost happened last time."

Artorious nodded. "So, you understand why I'm here."

"I understand that the disgraced Lightborn who's been nothing more than a drunk, crippled, and sad old man for the past decade has come running back to his family after they threw him out because he can't do his job."

She pointed at the shards of his shattered rapier.

"You can't kill it," she stated. "Can you?"

He was not to be dissuaded. "Not with conventional weaponry. If you can authorize the use of our Onixia supplies in the ancient storerooms, I –"

"No," she said, turning and fixing the Lightborn with her cold, dark stare. "You can't kill it, because you've already done so before. That is the sacred, unwritten Law of Argwyll: the Lightborn slays the Darkseed, and then they perish. A sacrifice as old and sacred as time itself must be made. That is the mark of the true Lightborn."

She leaned forward, meeting his deathly stare with derision.

"And when you sunk your blade into Gyko, one-hundred years ago, you failed to follow through on that sacrifice. You lived."

Artorious balled his single fist while vestigial fury welled up in his empty arm socket.

"Have I not already been tried for my supposed 'crime'?" he asked her. "I accepted my exile. I have done what I could to help this world even without your assistance. Now, I have a job to do again. I come before you to see it through."

"And this time?" the Knight-Commander asked. "Will you carry through the sacrifice of your ancestors?"

"I…"

"If you don't, you know what'll happen."

He did. He shut his mouth as he saw the cogs turning in her mind, and he knew that this was exactly what she wanted. The transferal of power from one Lightborn to another normally happened after the death of the previous Lightborn. In the wake of a Darkseed's defeat, the Lightborn had always perished. In the last seconds before the lord of all demons died, the spirit of the Lightborn traveled through its veins and clogged the beast's heart, nullifying the primordial darkness within and dying with it to seal the world from evil for another century.

But when he had finally plunged his sword into the belly of the last Darkseed, he had been very much alive. Of course, the Greycloaks had suspected foul play. Of course, they had tried him and shunned him. They had cast him out, rejecting what they saw as pride. His spirit had simply been too greedy for glory. Too hungry for prestige. He had wanted to live a good life in the wake of his victory, not sacrifice himself in the honorable way his predecessors had.

They had been right, and so very wrong about him at the same time…

"Where is it now?" Carliah sighed.

"I do not know. As it lay before me helpless, a group of hybrids came to spirit it away with a teleport stone."

"Hybrids?" the Master of the Grey scoffed. "Then at least we know what we're looking for out there. We've had reports of mass hybrid resistance in the Eastern reaches. I'll alert the Chapters there. Pull a few favors from the local villages around Gyko's old territory in the Ashfalls. It makes sense to start the search up that way. The rest of us will ride for Lucent and establish a defensive position in the city just in case things go tits up. We'll check the Delve Registries while we're at it – if his Hybrid guardians are smart, they'll be helping to power their new leader up through some special dungeon delves."

"King Lysandus will not be…receptive to the idea of giving up his city."

Carliah looked at him like he'd told her two plus two equals four. "'Course he won't. I'm invoking Krea's Commandment. He can blabber all he wants about being King – it means nothing when this world's about to go to shit."

He nodded as she quickly scribbled these plans down and then made for the door. He couldn't really be surprised. The Knight-Commander was strict, but she was also noted for her fairness. She knew better than he how to organize their forces and protect this territory. Hell, she'd had more than enough practice.

What weighed more on Artorious' mind now was the fact that he had begun walking a path that would only end one place – a place he'd been before. A place that, he knew, he would hesitate before he went again.

"And Artorious?" Carliah said as she stepped by him to begin preparations. "You'll be staying close by from now on. Should you fail to do your duty, this time I'll kill you myself."

+++Special Announcement from the Author+++

Next Wednesday, Reborn as a Demon Hat will be going LIVE on Royal Road with daily chapters, 7-days a week. You heard that right.

Royal Road is the biggest website for serial fiction - especially LitRPG - and so launching the story there gives it the best chance of finding success long-term. At this moment, I have almost finished writing the entirety of book 1 and am in the process of editing for the launch.

If any of you are readers on Royal Road, it would mean the world to me and the story if you could follow and/or rate Demon Hat over there when you get a chance. A successful launch means this story will be able to go the distance, and develop into a fully-fledged series. I've got big plans for this, but I need YOU to help me realize them.

The version going up on Royal Road is polished, edited for clarity, AND even has a few extra chapters developing the world of Argwyll which have never been seen before! I've also got bonus chapters ready for follower milestones.

I'll keep you all updated on launch day itself. The more of you showing your support for the story, the better it will do, and the more chapters you'll get in return! Let's make this happen.

Hope to see you there!

Your humble Wordsmith, IronLung

 

[IronLung]

Quick update everyone, last Wednesday Demon Hat went LIVE on Royal Road.

This is the place where you'll be finding its daily updates from now on. The book is #12 trending across the entire site and I couldn't have done it without all of you. You gave me hope and motivation - showing me Ethan's story was one worth telling.

The reason for the move to Royal Road is because LitRPG/Isekai is the main genre there. Royal Road is the place to be if you want to continue following Ethan the Hat's adventures in Argwyll! Book 1 is already finished. It's gonna be a wild ride and I'd love to see you there.

The novel is new and improved, with tons more content, extra chapters that flesh out the lore of Argwyll and Ethan's companions, more insight into Ethan's own backstory, and edited with help from my wonderful readers like you.

Any follows, ratings, and reviews you can bestow upon the novel on Royal Road does wonders for its visibility and extends the lifeblood of the story. I hope to see you there!

Link: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/94449/reborn-as-a-demon-hat-a-monster-evolution-litrpg

Alternatively, if you would like to read all available chapters right now, you can support the story through the Patreon and get access to +25 advanced chapters for $10 (or 7 for $5). Link here: https://www.patreon.com/IronLungwrites