After thirty more minutes of traveling, we came across some villages near a narrow stream of water. We stopped and asked a guard by the entrance for directions, though it took a while for him to lower his weapon.   

Surtr was a massive 8-foot-tall lion, after all. It didn’t take much longer to reach our destination. 

“A mausoleum? Why is that the entrance to a forest dungeon?” I asked, staring at a large and complex structure. It was white and made from what looked to be marble, and about six groups of adventurers were huddled around campfires and constructed tents.   

Surtr’s flames were like a beacon amid night. Once someone exclaimed in surprise, it spread like a festering disease until everyone leered at us.   

I heard their comments and concerns, but they didn’t get any response from me as Surtr walked to the entrance. The door was wide open, revealing a downward staircase.   

“You know how to make an entrance, my lord,” Tris quipped.  

“I do. Tris, go ahead and do a search for our target. I doubt he’s outside,” I replied, dismounting from Surtr.  

“You are correct. Shall we enter the dungeon, my lord?” I helped her get down.   

I nodded and placed a hand on my revolver. We descended the steps. Upon reaching the end and passing through an invisible reference point, everything became bright and clear. The open hallway we followed led into this dungeon’s lobby, and there was a miniature sun or something high in the sky. But we were underground.   

It didn’t make much sense.   

The few people in the lobby just stared at what must’ve been an unfamiliar sight.   

“What’s the deal with this place?” I asked a young man holding a shield with both hands. “Why is it bright when it’s dark outside?” Nervously, he explained that the dungeon operated on its own day and night cycle. In short, there was a 12-hour difference, but there wasn’t any chronomancy or time manipulation. The date inside would be the date outside. The only changes were localized to this dungeon and not anywhere else.   

But other dungeons could harbor their own cycle. An example given to me was one where it would be night for a year before becoming day for a handful of seconds.   

I thanked the man and entered past the lobby with Surtr taking point. True to its word, it was really a forest. One with no rhyme or reason to its layout.   

It was a maze, after all. And I was prepared for this since I could use unique abilities no one else had. We immediately headed off the initial path and randomly waded through the trees.   

“Okay, this is far enough. Tris, you know what to do,” I said, creating three bird clones.   

“Of course,” replied Tris. She instructed and guided them to index the first floor. The trees were tall, but my Clone!Birds flew above them. While they did that, I switched out the revolver for my rifle and began to hunt.   

A forest meant animals, of course. And that meant meat. Sekh would need to eat a lot to regain her strength. I watched as the darkened areas of this dungeon’s 3-D map slowly filled in, showing me a pretty exact replica of the tall trees and thick, grassy hiding spots.   

Except the model didn’t have color. It was monochrome, with varying shades of gray that did little to separate the colors.   

But that was fine.   

The map was populated with a four-legged herbivore called a tri-horn hog, a boar with tusks and three horns. It was Lv. 17 and only a short distance away.   

I thought Surtr would be too big, but the lion was stealthily silent as it stalked through the underbrush and quietly pushed past branches. The crunchy leaves it was about to step on weren’t stepped on because it used fire platforms to remain a couple inches above the ground.   

“There it is,” I whispered. My sight zoomed in when I readied my rifle. The animal was roughing the dirt with its snout, and without hesitation, I pulled the trigger, destroying its brain.   

A murder of crows fled into the sky, cawing like mad. The rushing beating of their wings caused the fourteen other animals within my indexed area to scatter like the wind.   

“Well, that’s one down. I’ll assimilate the next one to get some mana back.” I started to butcher the carcass, but Tris stopped me. She told me to look at my activity log and helpfully reminded me that [Auto-Loot] was upgraded to store humanoid equipment and monster materials when I killed them.  

“Ah, that’s right. That happened after Oswell and his group died, right?”  

“Correct, my lord. Shall I customize it?”  

I was running low on capacity, but the quickest way to expand it was to keep it near full. “Collected everything useful from the monsters I kill, but leave me 100 pounds. Oh, and remind me to ask Gretchen if I can leave those cannons I stored at the shipyard. They’re not doing much hanging around [Void Storage], and I’d rather use the space for something important.”  

“Very well.”   

I hunted another thirteen animals. Unless it was just this floor, the animals here didn’t have any skills. It was literally like just hunting, but the meat was a bonus. I desired the experience and assimilation from devouring the tri-horn hog, the tri-antler deer, and the tri-fang wolf. 

I acquired a few hunting titles, and since I could now use their effects, I equipped [Novice Hunter] to further increase my damage against animals.  

When this area was fully indexed, a search revealed our target wasn’t here. With no reason to stay, we descended stairs covered with vines and colorful flowers. It was like a corridor of nature. The material creating the mausoleum mixed and combined, which was weird. The functions of this world and its dungeon made no sense to someone like me. Upon reaching the end of this narrow path, it abruptly transitioned into more forest. But the entrance spot was rather pleasant. It was a soft, open plain with enough space for about fifteen people to comfortably stand around.  

Our experience in this area was more of the same. Immediately, we strayed from the beaten path and didn’t encounter anyone else, although Tris highlighted them with a waypoint once the Clone!Birds found them. Only 4 animals died from my bullets before the area was indexed. The target wasn’t here, so we quickly made for the staircase.   

The third floor was more intriguing. It finally took on a more maze-like pattern I was familiar with, but the ‘walls’ of the maze were just trees. And not thick ones. But thin, narrow ones that fell victim to Surtr’s hefty weight. The lion bulldozed them out of the way with a smack of its paw. We walked around and chatted while the clones did their work. It took about sixteen minutes before it was said and done. The target wasn’t here, though, which left one possibility. 

“Surtr, I know you’re bored. Go have some fun. It wouldn't do right to restrict the king of the jungle from hunting, so meet us at the stairs in ten minutes." 

The lion nodded and took off running to the left. I watched its icon on my map head directly towards a boar feasting on a juicy snack of bitter berries. Surtr spared no hesitation when it approached from above, latching its terribly sharp teeth into the boar’s neck. It ripped out a chunk of flesh, then used its sharp claws to finish the job before feasting on its juicy, crimson innards.   

The lion hunted some more while I made a detour to a treasure chest. To get there, you had to fall through a pitfall trap, avoid a bed of wooden spikes, and then crawl through a narrow gap behind a breakable stone wall. That brought you to a wall of vines, which had to be burned away. It would’ve been sinister if I hadn’t known about the peril.   

The lock to the grassy chest shattered after shooting it with my rifle. The reward waiting for me was a green dagger. 

• Treelike Memory (1/4) 

• Vine Assault 

It had enough spots for four enchantments, but one was already filled. [Vine Assault] caused vines to sprout from any wound inflicted with the weapon. It needed mana to activate, but this little thing was dastardly. And downright murderous in the hands of an experienced assassin.     

Surtr was waiting for me when I arrived at the stairs, and together, we descended. The bottom floor? Since the target wasn’t above us, he had to be here. And Tris found him just a handful of minutes later. He was located northwest, near the outer forest walls, behind the boss’s chambers. But we didn’t need to defeat the boss to get to him. Tris and I hopped on Surtr and took the shortest route via jumping above the trees. My lion could walk on air, which was extremely useful in times like this.    

If you had wings, you could avoid everything and head directly to the end goal. Suppose that was just a glimpse of freedom if I thought about it hard enough. But there were probably dungeons or places that couldn’t be flown in, either because there were dangerous wind gusts or an enchantment or rule preventing the use of wings.   

Well, there wasn’t anything like that in this dungeon. It was also a low-level one. 

I spotted a hunkering man with his arms around his knees from above. [Deduction] confirmed my suspicions. “Surtr, bring us down. That’s the target.”  

He was a mess. Even after I called his name, he sniffled and rubbed his nose, staring at me with a snot-filled expression. Randall’s eyes were nearly bloodshot, and his face was covered in dirty filth. “It wasn’t supposed to be like that... He wasn’t supposed...to be there... Are...you here to kill me?” His words were slurred. The missing teeth made it difficult to deduce what he was saying.   

“Yeah, I am. Accident or not, you killed a child. The correct option would’ve been to turn yourself in and face your punishment.” I raised my revolver and looked at him in the eyes.   

“I never wanted…to hurt anyone… I swear I didn’t… Will…it hurt? I’m afraid—" 

Bang! 

You won’t get any sympathy from me… But wasn’t supposed to be like that? It doesn’t matter.   

New Title: [Gunslinger] 

The new title increased my accuracy with firearms, so I put it on. Randall fell over limp, blood pouring like a fountain from the gunshot wound in his forehead. I tore his head off, stashed it in a corpse bag, and then assimilated the rest of his corpse with my slime. He had 67 SP and not much else since he was barely a hair above Lv. 11. There wasn’t any money or valuable items nearby, either.   

“Might as well kill the boss. Let’s head over to the chamber.” With Surtr’s speed and agility, we arrived in front of the towering, vine-covered doors within a minute. The green, leafy tendrils untangled themselves and allowed the entrance to sink into the ground, granting us access. Tris remained outside, and Surtr and I entered alone.   

The rectangular arena was flat when we walked through. When the doors shut behind us, the ground flashed green. Suddenly, we were standing in a field of tall grass that even towered above Surtr. I leapt to his back, and he jumped, using those solid platforms of fire beneath its paws to remain airborne.  

The center of the arena started to rumble as the boss broke through the surface, scattering giant chunks of mossy stone towards us. Surtr roared and emitted a vast amount of heat, which melted the projectile before it reached us.  

“So that’s the boss, eh? It’s just some giant snake. But [Acid Spit]? [Acid Spray]? Those could be useful.” I channeled [Ira Ignis] and equipped Kronto, using [Lightning Dive] to crash land in front of the serpent. It was about four feet taller than my lion and covered in green and black spots that clashed hard against its vibrant yellow scales. Surtr unleashed a breath of fire from above without worrying about friendly fire. The flames harmlessly doused me in trickle warmth after I wrapped myself in a clear layer of slime, but it did far more damage to my opponent, draining its HP by about ten percent. 

My crimson horns flashed orange as I walked to the burning snake. The smell of burnt flesh filled my nose. Perhaps it sensed my power because it tried its hardest to escape. When I released a portion of my mana, the slithering beast started to bash its head against the walls in a futile attempt to break free.   

Kronto was only used to make an entrance, so back to the rifle I went. Taking aim, I channeled [Chimeric Armatization] with [Fireball]. The gun became born of flames. Upon holding the trigger, a small flaming orb appeared at the end of the barrel.  [Ira Ignis] had the side-effect of increasing the power of my fire elemental spells and skills by a percentage equaling my current Wrath.    

When my finger depressed the trigger, a thin beam of fire launched incredibly quickly, piercing the snake through an eye from behind. It didn’t do much damage because this method of attack was meant for striking from a distance with precise aim and incredible precision.   

A person would’ve died from having their brain destroyed, but practice was practice. It was better to test my abilities on this weak snake before it was put to the paces.   

Sixteen shots later, the boss was a twitching mess of goo and scorched hide. It didn’t even try to harm me.  

But acid? The names didn’t make much sense unless the acid referred to the monster using its stomach acid to attack. Snakes had venom, right? 

Either way, it was time to eat.     

New Skill: [Acid Spit] 

New Skill: [Acid Breath] 

New Skill: [Acid Armor] 

The first two skills required me to transfigure the snake’s acid inside my stomach to use. And yes, it referred to its actual stomach acid. That was the unique quirk about this boss. It could harness it to attack. Presumably, its insides were coated and protected against the harmful effects.   

[Acid Breath] was a sustained skill that emitted a yellow haze from my mouth, and the range was quite impressive. In contrast, [Acid Spit] just turned my salvia into acid. I couldn’t spit that far, but it had its uses when used with [Chimeric Armatization]. [Acid Breath] caused a small gassy acid cloud to erupt from the impact. [Acid Spit] coated the round, which could be better. It just depended on the situation.   

But when channeling the skills, my revolver and rifle were given yellow scales. Green and black splotches covered the barrel. 

[Acid Armor] covered my body in yellow scales that emitted acid when struck. They weren’t that strong, though. But useful nonetheless. Using it with my gun encased my bullets in that armor. It was like [Acid Bullet], but distinct enough to make it worth choosing when the opportunity presented itself. [Mana Armor] could be combined with [Acid Armor]. It drained my mana incredibly fast when I covered my whole body with both, but it was a powerful combination. Until I acquired more mana or increased [Mana Regeneration]’s level, I needed to be specific in how I wanted to protect myself using those defensive skills.    

The chest that appeared after the boss’s defeat had another copy of the dagger I found earlier. Surtr sauntered to me, and I scratched the lion under its chin. The doors opened, and Tris entered to congratulate us on our victory. The grass had vanished, though. This place was as flat as a pancake and covered in mossy stone. She asked if we would take the teleporter, but I decided on the long way back because it would give me time to master these new skills.   

With my clones helping me, it took about fifteen minutes to accomplish all I wanted before returning to Plymoise.    

---

Surtr was in excellent form, so we arrived at Plymoise in record time.   

“Good evening, Lord Springfield,” said a warrior standing guard on the city’s southern entrance. A blue eagle was sitting on the post to his left.   

“You know my name?”  

“That’s correct, ma’am. Captain Caulk debriefed us." 

“That was thoughtful of him,” I replied. “I take it he’s informed you of Surtr?” I petted my lion under its chin.    

The guard nodded and adjusted his helmet. “Yes, ma’am, he did. You and your spirit won't be scrutinized.”  

“Good. Well, take care.”  

“Likewise, ma’am.” The guard saw us off, and his eagle flapped its wings and almost nodded as we strolled into town. A few seconds later, I dismounted Surtr and walked beside it. It was night-- not too many people were walking, but those we encountered scattered and gave us ample room. 

Surtr was just intimidating. Who wouldn’t be fearful of an 8-foot-tall flaming lion with crimson orbs of flames as eyes? But it seemed Surtr enjoyed it when others were afraid. But by no means did the lion purposely antagonize anyone while we walked. The grand beast laid down outside the guild, crossing its paws. I entered and went to the empty counter with Tris by my side.   

There was a bell, so I tapped it a few times and waited. An elderly man with a goatee emerged from a backroom.    

“Have a tag for Randall. His head’s in the bag,” I explained, putting both on the table. The man confirmed my report with a Scan Stone, then gave me the money.   

It wasn’t much, but it was something. And it was my start on this path I decided to walk down. Killing someone deserving of death differed from forcing someone to my will and stealing their freedom.   

Sure, ending a life meant the same thing, but killing my prey and exclusively hunting targets that were wanted dead or alive helped me acquire power. I had the freedom to choose my targets. Randall killed a child. Therefore, he deserved death.   

I didn’t feel like I betrayed my values or precepts. I didn't feel conflicted or torn over my actions. 

“Thank you for your service, ma’am. We hope to see you again.” The man bowed when Tris and I turned to leave. She could use [Deduction] on the tags on the bounty board to get their details without actually being here.  

“Is it time to leave?” asked Surtr.   

“Yeah. Let’s head back to the inn. I told Irisa I would be there when she woke. I won't break that promise. Tris, how are you holding up?”  

“I’m doing well, my lord. Tonight has not been a problem, but I cannot feel lethargic. Tiredness, as others know it, cannot diminish my analytical abilities. That only happens from maxing my processing mode and operating above normal parameters for an extended time.”   

“That’s good.” I helped her on Surtr, and we leisurely strolled to our destination.  

The two guards standing near the gate let us through without a word of protest.   

There weren't many High Elves riding a giant flaming lion... 

We hopped off and entered the inn, waving and speaking to the two maids and butlers standing off to the wide. A third professionally dressed servant was behind a desk. They all welcomed me back at the same time.   

“Do you require anything, Lord Springfield? Are you hungry? Thirsty?”  

“No, thank you. We’re fine,” I replied. “We’re going to retire to our room.”  

“Of course. I hope your rest is refreshing. Please, sleep well.” The maids and butlers slightly bowed, and the three of us walked up the stairs to our room. I peeked into Irisa’s room to find her snuggling against her lion, who shared her bed. Erin’s guardian beast was curled on her stomach, and Niva and Primrose held hands while asleep.  

“Shall we reside to the bedroom?” Tris asked.   

“Yeah. Let’s.” I closed and locked the door behind us. Surtr stretched, laid down, and licked its murderous paws. I just sat on the bed and stared at my revolver. “Hey, what’s the fastest way to level up my Soul Weapon Evolution Tree?”  

“There is none. Acquisition of the Soul Weapon depends on many factors, yet once it is acquired, experience is the only thing that matters.”  

“I must use it? Is that what you’re saying?”  

“I am,” replied Tris. She kneeled in front of me and folded her hands across her heart.  

“Hmm… Lord Springfield. Allow me to offer my thoughts.”  

“Go for it, Surtr.”  

“The Soul Weapon comes from the soul, given the name. You’re unique in the sense that many can share the same. Your clones, for example. Are they not a core part of you? Do they not share the same root as the one they sprout from?”  

“… Shit, you’re right.” I quickly made a clone of myself. “Hold this,” I commanded, giving the revolver over.   

Unlike when I passed the gun to my mom and dad, I didn't get a permission notice. And when I summoned the revolver back to me…  

There it was in my hands, but also in the hands of my clone.   

The two existed because one came from my clone’s soul. The other was from mine. But I summoned both firearms, right?  

Well, I did, but the weapon was ‘attached’ to the clone, and thus, it was registered to it, so I was free to summon my copy. But once I grabbed the clone’s revolver, the one I held vanished. 

“In the past, the Dark Lord of Tyranny fought against Soul Warriors with the ability to wield multiple copies of their weapon simultaneously. It is not an easy technique to learn, but a chimera can spread their soul to their mimicked replicas. That is your key, Lord Springfield. I recommend using your chimeric prowess the way only you can.”  

“And that’s just another reason why chimeras are feared, huh? I remember Tilde once saying Soul Warriors were immune to transforming into a chimera. Guess this is what she meant. I doubt even that entity in the void could turn me into one if I was a 1-Star.”  

“I believe that may be correct, Lord Springfield. But the life of a chimera… How should I put this… Their acquisition of power is akin to rolling a boulder up a steep cliff. It may seem downright impossible at first, yet the more you keep at it, the easier it becomes because of the strength gained during that arduous task. It may still take time, but I have no doubt that it will be much easier for you in the coming future.”  

“You have a good point. With your power, [Ira Ignis], Tris’s intel gathering, and my Soul Weapon, I’m in a much better position than I was a few months ago. I—" A dark orb of black energy manufactured itself about a foot away from me. Surtr quickly rushed to my side and bared its fangs, gathering flames on the tip of its tail. I drew my revolver and held the tip inches away.    

“Is this how you treat your old teacher on her jaw-dropping return, Lord Springfield?” A voice came from the sizzling, crackling orb.   

“Surtr, stand down.” A bright smile came to my face as I held out an empty hand towards the cascading ball of devilish mana in the queenliest manner I could. A beam of what I could only call Transcendent Mana erupted from my palm and slammed into the orb, causing it to explode in a magnificent spectrum of purple, black, crimson, and gold. The particles rained to the floor, forming an intricate magic circle that flashed. With each pulse, energy flaked. Gradually, from the head down, the fairy I had fallen in love with manifested. 

She was visually different from the one who had taught me everything about being a chimera and surviving in this dangerous, brutal world. Her hair was shorter and an iridescent purple, with matching-colored eyes that were pretty and vibrant. Her wings were smaller-- ornate and soft, completely black with purple, pulsing veins flowing through them that suited her beauty.   

The mana crafting her body stuck to her torso, arms, and crotch like clothing, cladding her bustier bosom and crotch. The mana formed a pair of cross earrings and a choker around her pretty neck.  

She was still being constructed from the knees down, but she greeted me with a beautiful smile.