Watching the students disappear into the distance, Blue blood let go of the blood-faced titan, who had shrunken down along with Deep Earth so his voice couldn't be heard.

The dark elf shook his head and sighed like a tired old man. "Tyranarm, please tell me you haven't done this on a whim."

"I don't do things on a whim, BB." The white caterpillar folk, Tyranarm, laughed while Blue Blood scoffed at the use of that obnoxiously childish nickname. "I am a bug of purpose. You fools just fail to see my brilliance."

"You got Bloovallen and Saulkai so drunk they shit on someone's food thinking it's a toilet." Deep Earth, the Scylla chaperone, deadpanned causing the blood-faced titan to glare at her over his shoulder. "What is your brilliant plan for that?"

"Nothing, that was simply payback for pissing out on a bet we had." The Caterpillar Folk shrugged, taking out a large jar of green-yellow honey acquired from the less battle inclined insects tamers. Extending his proboscis-like tongue he drank up a bit of the honey before closing the jar. "Tasty. Quite tasty, isn't it? Bloovallen?"

"It was just honey!" the blood-faced titan, Bloovallen, yelled while the thorn crown on his head grew sharper while blood fell onto his chest. "You made me embarras myself over some fucking honey?"

Tyranarm simply shrugged "A bets a bet right?"

"Cough, your plan? cough, cough." Deep Earth sighed, bringing attention back to the point at hand while the Pythian nodded with a threatening grumble directed at the bug.

"Alright, let me explain."

One day he and his tribe, along with many other caterpillar folk tribes, were attacked by other monsters. Though this was not new in the forests, the monsters' appearance and behavior was incredibly abnormal. Their appearance could be described as starving beasts without a single shred of reasoning. The attack on the other caterpillar folk tribes was devastating, leaving a trail of destruction and death in their wake. The monsters, with their burning eyes and insatiable hunger, devoured anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in their path.

The surviving tribes were left to pick up the pieces, mourning the loss of their loved ones and struggling to rebuild their lives in the wake of the devastation. Ten years after that, the same look was in Kali's pupilless, foggy eyes. He couldn't risk her eating anyone so he sent her away. Of course, a handful of his uniquely bred Shadow Stitching insects had stitched themselves to her shadow. He made sure some were also in the other students' shadows.

"As I'm speaking, I am watching all of the students and hearing their conversations." Tyranarm gloated proudly while everyone looked at him like he was crazy, rightfully so if you ask the caterpillar folk himself. Tyranarm gained the 'Parallel Thought' trait less than a week before this yet he was monitoring nearly two hundred students at once while using 'Shared Senses'? "And before you ask, this is very taxing but how else do you gain strength other than continuous straining and rest?"

"In short you put as much distance between the students and Kali?" Bloovallen sighed, seeing the plan that he had but still he voiced his worry. "And are you planning her assassination?"

"Only if she proves dangerous, she's only 'talented', she hasn't practiced much." The caterpillar folk shrugged while Bloovallen shook his head, unable to argue with his colleague's words.

Just like Tyranarm, Bloovallen, through his magic prowess as a 'Hell Titan Wild Magic Berserker', doused the students with small, trace amounts of his blood in the form of a mist. Through that mist that dried on their skin he heard the students' words and the voice that announced their traits.

All of them had acquired strengthening traits such as 'Strengthen Weapon' and 'Strengthen Armor' astonishingly quickly. There were a few who acquired items from the various treasure chests and processing monster corpses. The most eye-catching was a Pythian priestess who gained the 'Mana Pulse (Divine)' trait and a dark elf who unlocked 'Mystic Trap Techniques'.

Kali hadn't awakened any such skills other than 'Mutilate' but as an aged warrior the titan man knew that this didn't mean she was weak, just less skilled. He had no doubt that the chimera, like all born within Daji's barrier, were under her navigation and would become unrecognizable by the end of this session, whichever floor that may be.

"Seriously these youngsters will surpass us at this rate." Bloovallen sighed as he made a set of stools and a small table out of his blood. Looking into the distance, he took a seat and took out a jar of liquor. Taking a sip, he rejoiced that a named warrior had already been chosen by their patron gods. "Gods, I never thought I would retire in my two hundred 'n' forties. I still got some fight left in me damnit."

Feeling the tense atmosphere lighten, Blue Blood sighed in relief "Well, that's a relief."

He sat at the table with everyone else, his face relaxing upon seeing that everyone seemed to be more relaxed. "On that we agree, Bloovallen, but on the bright side we can finally enjoy some quality time with our wives as couples."

"That is right, your wife has been teaching some of the ladies how to cook boar meat with that seasoning mixture." The blood-faced titan nodded, imagining his wife and him cooking together like they used to when they were young. "Hey Deep Earth, Youster, do you think you can handle it for us?"

"Training these new-commers gets tedious." Tyranarm added sipping some honey while taking out a pack of cards from his shadow. "Go fish or Poker?"

"Poker." The Pythian chaperone, Youster, said in a neutral tone. "And I can handle some dumb kids."

"Not everything can be solved with brainwashing, dumbass." Deep Earth sighed while Youster hung his head in sadness. "Yes, I can handle training these kids. I've done so before."

"'Artillery Technique' and 'Trident Technique' are different from 'Spear Technique', 'Sword Technique' or 'Archery Technique'." Tyranarm sighed as he dealt the card and set up the table.

A trait can be achieved in a variety of ways. They can be acquired from consuming another entity, they could be granted by a superior entity, or they could be unlocked if they were sealed. But the most common is when they are awarded.

The omniscient voice usually declares that one has been awarded a trait after continuously performing a task or tasks, though it is not uncommon for them to be awarded when traits are fused together. Among the most basic examples are the 'Spear Technique', 'Sword Technique', and 'Archery Technique' traits. Even the 'Tamed Beast Binding Technique', 'Cooking Technique', and 'Crafting Technique' traits are common non-combative examples.

As long as they are practiced, theoretically anyone can earn them though it would be a lie to say talent didn't play a part in this. Often the reward of certain 'Technique' traits is accompanied by the ability to use 'Martial Arts', which are considered to be the warrior's magic.

Though the acquisition of this kind of trait can be considered the 'easy' part, developing the trait beyond its 'Lesser' state was the 'hard' part.

Upgrading a 'Technique' trait requires a certain level of mastery over the chosen technique and a unique 'something' that sets oneself apart from others. The unique something could be anything, an eye-catching weapon, a Greater trait, a self-made martial art or even just fame, as long as it sets one apart. It is extremely rare for warriors to do this, with some never making their 'Technique' traits advanced.

"That's not even counting how many races have never before seen traits like your tentacles with dragon heads on the tips." Blue Blood added pointing at her dragon heads with a dagger made of his own baby-blue blood, a mutation born of being under 'False Navigation (Offering)'. "but that's for later. This is the first floor, it's likely that by the fifth or sixth you'll need to take action as a mentor."

"Yup, and by then other tribes will be here and the children can interact with each other and form parties." Tyranarm nodded before holding up five cards. "Now let's play."

XXXXX

In a part of the dark sandy desert some distance away from the chaperones, a loud scream reverberated through the air followed by deep quaking and strong winds followed by another distorted screech.

"EAT! EAT! EAT! EAT! EAT! EAT! EAT! EAT! EAT! EEEEEEAAAAAAAAAATTTTTT!!!!" Screamed Kali, the Black Chimera, as she ran around the sandy pitfall, narrowly avoiding fireballs conjured by ragged robed casters holding staves with three white glowing right fingers. She threw herself at the trio of casters, claws bared and muscles enlarged and reinforced with mana but she was quickly thrown back by an invisible force that only Kali could see.

The ragged robed casters, Desert Zombie Casters, were being protected by two large tornadoes made of sand each surrounding an orange crystal covered skull, Topaz Skulls.

With ease, the patchwork-bound chimera dodged sandstone cubes thrown in her direction. As she dodged she crushed several clumps of dark fungus, skeletons and ghouls that rose from the ground without effort.

This cycle repeated continuously. Kali mindlessly attacked the Desert Zombie Casters only to get thrown back by the cover attacks of the Topaz Skulls before evading more attacks and crushing the interlopers under her feet.

"GOT YOUUUUUU!"

Kali once again lept at the zombie casters, easily cutting through the attack Topaz Skulls which ran out of mana just like the Desert Zombie Casters. A simple tap on their staffs was all it took to turn each caster into black dust while they attempted to lengthen their false lives.

Seeing no other monsters, Kali felt her body relax and her hunger intensified. She wasted no time, she gathered the monsters, whose bodies were intact save for a few holes and claw marks, then began eating the large pile of prey.

Wet sounds intercut with deep exhausted breaths and disgusting slurping echos throughout the air. Kali ravenously feasts on the remains of dead monsters basking in the feeling that coursed through her body. It was like warm water, washing away the fog clouding her mind and exhaustion seeping into her bones. Her body felt like it was air but it didn't protect her from the inky darkness that brought her high to an end, leaving a large void in her chest that drew in all other emotions.

"Why? Why do I feel this way?" she cried in sorrow. Clutching her head she felt a primitive sense of rejection and loneliness that was like a strong punch. After taking deep breaths periodically, Kali was overcome by a sense of shame, after which she resumed eating. Looking up at the sky she basked in both the feeling of fullness in her stomach and her clarity of mind.

It was quickly overcome by dark clouds of self-hatred. "Why? Why won't it go away? What's wrong with me?"

"You did it again! You nearly lost control!" she whispered under her breath without truly thinking. A stinging sensation of repeated harsh slaps resurfaced on her face while the sensation of being electrocuted echoed through her body. "That's not how a proper lady acts, Renna! You failed test subject, you should've died in your incubation capsule."

She spoke demeaning, hateful words screamed in her fragmented memories. She felt like this is what she deserved. No matter how much she ate, she couldn't rid her chest of this weight but saying these words did alleviate the pain greatly. She knew she had done something wrong again. Just like before she had made others scared, though before it was 'her' talent with a sword, now it was because she had lost control!

The other students looked at her with fear, as if she was going to hurt them, as if she was disgusting. Despite her desire to be angry at them, she couldn't be when she would've done the same thing. Having developed the trait 'Ravenous', she was driven to eat meat until she became sated, and then she was able to regain her mental balance.

Why, though? Why are they so fearful? Even if she felt like her muscles would run out of her skin taking her bones with it, they shouldn't have been afraid. The leaders and the head were way too strong for her individually, and as a group they completely squashed her. They were not as strong as the beast of hills, oh no they would be killed by that thing, but the gap between her and Deep Earth was still relatively large just based on mana.

That gap would only grow if she thought about the traits, martial arts and magic Deep Earth likely possessed. It made her tremble to think about what the other people, the chaperones, had in their tool belts.

Shaking her head she ate a clump of mold and was overcome by the strong lemon-like taste that made her stomach churn. She covered her mouth as her throat burned but the steering liquid returned to her stomach leaving her with a burning throat.

"Shit, no wonder that enti-Daji threw away that baguette, damnit fucker bitch!" Kali coughed, trying to spit the burning sensation from her mouth. "Note to self: don't eat moldy bread."

Lightly tapping on Kali's arm, the spirit of a young dark elf girl asked "What traits d'yo think you'll get?"

"Likely some sort of mold creation and spore creation ability." a titan spirit theorized before pointing at the numerous clumps of black mold that Kali had sliced into ribbons. "Living Mold Strands and Living Mold Clumps are trappers but they also release spores and spread across a large area by eating."

"Yeah but fire is their bane unless it is tamed by a Hag." Another spirit nodded. "I'd hate to be caught by those two as a team."

"Master, now that you have calmed down, what shall I do about the trait 'Swallow'?" The Great Wiseman asked now that Kali was calm enough to make a decision. "Ravenous is vastly superior in every aspect and the acquisition will serve no benefit."

Kali asked without much thought, "So you don't want it replicated? Go right ahead, I won't complain."

"Thank you, Master" Great Wiseman answered as it finished its analysis of the seven traits that make up Living Mold Clumps and Living Mold Strands, altering its master's body.

"Trait: 'Spore Production' has been acquired. Trait: 'Spawn Production' has been acquired. Trait: 'Acid Production' has been acquired. Trait: 'Root Creation' has been acquired. Trait: 'Cloning' has been acquired. Trait: 'Fission' has been acquired."

"Trait: 'Plague Mist' has been fused with Trait: 'Acid production' and Trait: 'Spore production'. Trait: 'Deadly Mist' has been awarded."

"Trait: 'Breeder' has been fused with Trait: 'Spawn Production' and Trait: 'Corrupting Bite (Zombie)'. Trait: 'Corrupted Breeder' has been awarded."

"Now then..." Kali grabbed one of the orange gem skulls that was decorated with a variety of crystals and absorbed it through her hand.

"Trait: 'Magic gem' has been acquired. Trait: 'Magic Crystal Skull' has been acquired. Trait: 'Treasure Orb' has been acquired. Trait: 'Particle Control' has been acquired."

"Trait: 'Magic Crystal Skull' has been transformed into Trait: 'Magic Crystal Skeleton'."

Her womb and bones burned lightly while white-red liquid flowed from her mouth. The dust around her changed, mixing with black spores and blue acidic mist. Her skin transformed. Clumps on her palms and feet swelled before turning into circular, blood colored crystals. Finally on her head was an orange diamond shaped gem in the middle of her forehead.

"My breeder ability has changed?" She thought focusing on the baseline knowledge of 'Corrupted Breeder' entered her mind. "And my body feels warmer, and my mana flow feels stronger."

'Breeder' allowed her to impregnate or get pregnant with chimera children. The ability was focused on the 'Production' of children but with minimal manipulation of the children themselves beyond the children per birth. The 'Corrupted Breeder' trait combines the power of 'Spawn Production', and 'Corrupting Bite (Zombie)' to improve the overall function.

An advanced trait, that itself is the fusion of the lesser traits 'Cloning' and 'Fission', which allows for the advanced production of and manipulation of spawns. A lesser trait that allows for converting and transforming other living beings. The addition of these traits resulted in a trait allowing for the creation and manipulation of chimera children with corrupting properties. This also came with the side effect of transforming any impregnated entity into a 'Broodmother Chimera'.

"I guess I'll have to wait for now." She sighed at the need to wait. While Kali was eager to test it out there were no entities to impregnate nor was her mana fully regenerated, in fact she was down to forty percent of her total mana instead of sixty. She couldn't spare any mana for birth, so she reluctantly pushed away her visions of tiny versions of herself running around. "Perhaps later I could bear a few children."

"Now though I have to find the merchant and see his products." Activating 'Cloning' and 'Fission' in unison, she spawned two identical copies of herself from her back.

"Congratulations on creating pseudo-offspring, Master," Great Wiseman announced, happy that Kali had created helpers. "Now they can work as your hands and feet."

"Are they under my control?" Kali asked, looking at the masculine looking beings that looked to be covered in greasy skin and rusted chains.

"Master, these are your duplicates but they are made by a lesser trait. They have no real traits that could harm you." Great Wiseman answered honestly."'Sense (Magic)' to sense mana, 'Lesser Dragonic Body' for strength and 'Self Modification' for transformation purposes. Without your direct command they were no better than rocks."

"Really? Okay." Pointing at the various weapons and armor pieces of the ghouls, skeletons, and zombie casters that littered the pit fall, she said "pick those up and bring them to me."

Nodding, the duplicates began collecting all the arms and armor with no problem. Watching them pile up the weapons, Kali spoke to the spirits "No a 'Coven' is more worrisome."

"Really, Kid? You know about Hag Covens?" the tree-shaped hell titan spirit asked. "Where did you learn about them?"

"huh? You know things?" a spirit asked, shocked that the person who charmed her could think and learn.

"Yeah! I'm not dumb!" Kali coughed, spitting out the last of her red-white bone liquid. "I get traits from monsters, I made sure to learn about the intelligent and dangerous ones."

Hags were among the monsters Kali read about in the monster encyclopedia while practicing mana control. In the text they were said to be the children of the 'Audic the Successor of the First Wind', a Pixie who, like Argos the Child of Light, achieved Godhood, were tainted by the first Vile Gods that emerged from the dungeons during the 'primordial age' ten thousand years ago.

Just like the Pixies, they are exceptional casters who blend in with human society. Living in a parasitic way while eating to the suffering and emotions of the population of that society. Kali had been told many stories about how hags caused great catastrophes at the command of their God, The Vile God of Kindness.

Despite the warnings and stories, Kali was eager to sink her teeth into one, especially the 'Blood Hag' who feed off of bloodlust. She wondered what they tasted like? Would it be meaty and tough like Rockboar Steak? Or soft and chewy like a Marshmallow Rice Cube? Kali wanted to find out but was also unsure about something.

"Hey, do you guys know about the Vile God of Kindness, Yozubra?" Kali asked the spirits after she finished the last mold clump with a disgusted expression on her face. She looked at the spirits' faces of utter horror and wondered what they knew about the Vile God. "The book said that she was a hag before achieving divinity as a Vile God and that's why hags worship her, is that right?"

"Yeah, that's about right." the scylla elder spirit nodded "many of the Vile gods and Gods have a similar story."

"If it's information about her priests you want you're better off not trying." A dark elf huntsman spirit said he and some of the other dark elves, Scylla, Arachne and Mantids had gone into human society in the kingdom of Sinerns before they died. He knew many things that most other spirits didn't know. "That God is different from the Vile God of Pillaging. She is a skilled manipulator and has carefully nurtured her followers to the point that them and 'the Kingdom of Sinerns' underworld' might as well be the same thing."

"Underworld?" Kali asked with a question mark above her head. She pictured a large cavern that connected the kingdom to the hellish spirit-world from which scary demons are conjured. "Do they have such intense magic? No wonder they're a large nation. To control the very forces of hell!"

"Not that kind of underworld but I wouldn't put it past those fiends." the tree-shaped hell titan corrected Kali who nodded, understanding they meant the 'criminal' underworld not the 'burning pits of eternal damnation' underworld. "Don't pick a fight with those bastards, okay? I like you but I'm not a ghost. I'll eventually return to the cycle of reincarnation."

"Okay." Kali nodded as her clones finished collecting items from the fallen monsters. The pile was sizable and more than what three people could carry so she created eight more clones and instructed them to "take those weapons and follow me."

And so the black chimera resumed her journey to find the merchant at the same time in another dungeon, a man left the merchant, sporting new pieces of equipment.

XXXXX

Name: Kali

Race: Chimera

Age:Five months, three weeks

Metamorphosis: 2

Evolution: 1

Traits:

Lesser

Lesser Elements: offers control and conjuration of water, fire, wind, darkness, and earth.(will evolve into 'elements' when light is acquired)

Lesser Lightning: Offers control and the conjuration of lightning.

Mana Control: represents basic control over one's mana. Passively controls the holder's mana and allows access to spells and enhances the effects of 'mana' based traits such as 'Greater sense (magic)' and 'Lesser Resistance (Magic)'.

Self-Strengthening (Navigation): A passive trait that makes it easier to learn traits and grow stronger. Obtained after being navigated by the holder of a 'Navigation' type trait.

Self-Strengthening (False Navigation): A passive trait that makes it easier to learn traits and grow stronger. Obtained after experiencing the effects of a 'False Navigation' trait.

Self-Strengthening (Offering): A passive trait that makes it easier to learn traits and grow stronger as they walk down the path of an offering.

Magic gem: enhances mana recovery rate and stores mana for a final mana attack when the holder runs out of mana.

Magic crystal skeleton: Enhances one's qualities for magic and mana.

Particle control: Allows the control of small particles like sand, dust and dirt.

Fission: Allows the holder to split themselves into another being.

Cloning: Allows the holder to make inferior clones of themselves.

Normal

Pestilence Dragon Body: Gives Kali's body the power and strength of a dragon who is aligned with pestilence. (can evolve with age).

Deadly Mist: The user passively emits a green, black and blue mist mixture containing infectious diseases, deadly mold spores and acidic droplets.

Survivor: offers access to the 'Lesser Resistance' and 'Greater Regeneration' traits.

Mystic Blaze: Rainbow flames that burn mana, body and spirit.

Sorcery: The trait that represents Kali's innate magical ability.

Corrupted Breeder: Offers access to 'Offspring Maturation', 'Corruption Offspring', 'Impregnation Conversion'.

Ozimuth's Black Blood: A trait that represents Ozimuth's research into immortality through his bloodline. This blood offers immense sorcerous powers when awakened while allowing Ozimuth to possess the body. (currently unawakened)

Chaos: Allows the holder to change their own body in various ways.

Treasure Orb: allows access to 'Automatic Mana Recovery' and 'Expanded Mana Pool' traits.

Root Creation: allows one to create roots for various purposes, mostly held by plant monsters.

Greater

Self Sealing: A trait that keeps Kali from being taken over by her latent power due to her lack of mental development.(current level:7), (formly:9)

Greater Sense (Magic): Allows observation of mana flow. Its clarity is such that it can even show the weak points of a spell when focused, when not it can allow one to see an opponent's mana properties.

Spirit Charm: Allows for the charm of and interaction with spirits and spiritual monsters.

Ravenous: Allows the user to consume other beings. The holder can completely consume 1 entity no matter how much they resist in exchange for the holder being plagued with a constant need to consume other beings that grows more intent over time.

High

Great Wiseman: A trait that acts as a second brain with almost no will of its own. Capable of reading minds, simulating and calculating separate from Kali's main thought processes.

Magic

Words of Vashenga: fourth finger: forces the target to hear eldritch whispers that give the target a crippling headache.

Psychic Slash: third finger: unleashes multiple invisible psychic slashes

Darkness Wing Shield: fifth finger: summons multiple black wings that act as a shield.

Scorching Release: second finger: summons three balls of pure heat that can incinerate any living being upon contact.

XXXXX

Monster explanation<based on the records of the mages guild and the adventurers guild>

Topaz skulls: a variant of the common 'Crystal Skulls' that doesn't control mana but dust, sand or dirt. It's common to encounter these monsters in area full of earth. this monster and other crystal skull variants along with the crystal skulls are the originators of golems. With the coding magic among humans it can be reprogrammed into an ally after it runs out of mana as can other Crystal Skull variants.

Living Mold Strand: A common form of plant monster that inhabits areas full of negative energy it clones itself rapidly after eating other monsters, produces strong acids and spores that cause the inhaler to suffocate.

Living Mold Clump: A common form of plant monster that inhabits areas full of negative energy. It can create multiple Living Mold Strands and can root itself in the ground and sent roots as a form of attack covered in acid and spores that cause the inhaler to suffocate.

Desert Zombie Casters: A variant of zombie that occurs only in desert and can cast spells.It is best to use fire based attacks one this monster has run out of mana.