[Devour in progress…]

  [Devour Complete]

  You absorbed 50% of the Clay Orc's memories.

  You have unlocked the [Clay Orc] form.

  The stream of system messages suddenly paused, which Xen found strange. Shaking his head to dispel the truly intense instincts and lust-filled desires held in the Orc's memories, he waited for the system to continue—his mouth still clamped on the Orc's head with his slime tendrils penetrated deep into its head.

  A while passed before a system message finally appeared.

  The [Clay Orc] form is considered a superior species to the already assimilated [Clay Goblin] form. Do you wish to merge the two?

  What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing so? Xen thought, not wanting to ask aloud since the humans were nearby, fighting off the Clay Goblin constructs raised by the Underworld Orc. Just because the humans now knew he was a monster didn't mean they needed to know everything about him.

  Overlapping skills will be automatically merged and upgraded, and the existing experience stored in the [Clay Goblin] form will be added to the [Clay Orc] form. The disadvantages are that you will be unable to take on the [Clay Goblin] form in the future, and you will not receive a new Free Skill Slot.

  Mhm, the new Free Skill Slot doesn't matter too much, as the system previously mentioned that I'm limited to ten, which I've already reached after getting the goblin form. Therefore, the only real disadvantage is being unable to take on the goblin form. Xen glanced to the side and saw a Clay Goblin getting pulverized in one hit by Valoria's mana-infused staff. Yeah, I don't think there will ever be a situation I'd want to take on such a weak form besides some trickery. Getting some stronger skills is more preferable. Okay, system, I agree to the merger.

  The [Clay Orc] and [Clay Goblin] forms have been successfully merged.

  You acquired the following skills:

  [Earthen Regeneration (B)]

  [Clay Smash (C)]

  You and the target shared similar skills:

  [Trap Savant (E)] has been upgraded to [Earthen Trapmaster (D)]

  [Multilingual (B)] now includes the Orcish language.

  Transferring experience from the [Clay Goblin] form:

  [Clay Orc] has leveled up: 1 -> 2.

  That was the first time Xen had managed to level up a form without having it actively equipped. Opening his status screen, he confirmed that the Clay Goblin form was missing and in its place was the Clay Orc.

  Clay Orc: Level: 2 (F)

  < [Earthen Regeneration (B)] - [Clay Smash (C)] - [Earthen Trapmaster (D)] >

  Having finished devouring the Orc's brain, he decided to chow down on the rest of the mana-rich flesh while he asked his system to tell him about his new skills.

  [Earthen Regeneration (B)]

  By drawing mana directly from surrounding soil, stone, or clay, you enter a state of rapid regeneration. While standing on natural terrain, your body repairs injuries at a significantly accelerated rate, rapidly closing wounds and restoring lost flesh using available life force. The regeneration rate doubles if you are underground or entirely surrounded by natural material and triples if you remain stationary.

  Yes! I got the brute's regeneration skill! Xen mentally cheered as he double-checked the description. Ah, so that's why he would randomly stand still? I thought it was because the Orc was waiting for orders, but it was for the triple regeneration speed. It also seems this skill only works if I'm standing in an area with a lot of earth mana, such as a cavern deep underground.

  [Clay Smash (C)]

  Empower your fists with earthen mana and deliver a crushing blow that can break through armor and stagger enemies.

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  A nice and simple skill, and very fitting for an Orc. This must have been the skill it used when it almost broke through my enhanced armor.

  [Earthen Trapmaster (D)]

  Upon activating this skill, you gain an intuitive understanding of both mechanical and terrain-based traps. You also gain the ability to mold earth and clay to create advanced traps, snares, or concealments. Your traps deal increased damage, are harder to detect, and gain durability bonuses when set in natural environments. Grants minor earth-affinity resistance to trap-triggered effects.

  This is the skill that was upgraded as a result of the merger. I suppose that makes sense, as the only skill I gained with the goblin form was a crappy E-grade skill called Trap Savant. Overall, this upgrade seems quite good, as it allows me to directly mold the earth to create traps on the fly.

  [You gained biomass]

  Xen looked down and realized the once massive Orc was gone. He rose, feeling rather full after consuming all the flesh from an Orc a few times his size. A large portion of his mana pool had been restored, and he was feeling good.

  System, bring up my free skills.

  Free Skill Slots (10):

  Slot 1: [Devour (S)]

  Slot 2: [Multilingual (B)]

  Slot 3: [Appraisal (C)]

  Slot 4: [Geomantic Perception (B)]

  Slot 5: [Shapeshift (E)]

  Slot 6: [Radiant Smite (E)]

  Slot 7: [Blood Scent (F)]

  Slot 8: [Necrotic Pulse (D)]

  Slot 9: [Quiet Steps (D)]

  Slot 10: EMPTY

  Put my new Earthen Regeneration skill into the 10th slot.

  Xen felt mana surge out of him as he populated the final Free Skill Slot. Until now, he hadn't needed to put much thought into what skills he put into the Free Skill Slots, but with the number now capped at ten, he would have to switch them out more regularly, as there were many more forms and abilities out there to acquire.

  But for this upcoming fight, this lineup was good enough. Not that Xen had much time to waste, as Randy, Valoria, and Vesper were putting up a valiant effort to defend him while he feasted, but they wouldn't hold up for much longer.

  Reaching down, he fished for his previously discarded helmet that was partway wedged in a fissure. While his new regeneration skill was a massive boon, he would still die if he got hit in the head hard enough. All it would really do was save him from wasting so much biomass all the time to repair damage to whatever body he was occupying, and perhaps most importantly of all, he could now regenerate in front of people without it being strange. It was just a normal skill now, albeit a high-ranking B-grade one that likely had no reason to be on a Spellblade.

  "Humans," he shouted, putting on his helmet, causing his following words to come out with a slight echo. "I'll take it from here. All of you rest for now."

  "Oh, thank god," Randy said, collapsing to the side. The mana arrow he had conjured in his bow dissipated as he breathed heavily, face deathly white. Vesper stayed standing, if barely, as he swayed side to side. Meanwhile, Valoria leaned on her staff and started sobbing softly.

  Xen quickly used Geomantic Perception to confirm that no Clay Goblins were flanking them by moving through the rock—at least for now. All Randy and the other humans had to worry about were the slowly reforming Clay Goblins, but luckily, they were easy to kill.

  With the humans somewhat safe for the moment, Xen's focus shifted to the cavern before them. The center of it was dominated by the giant lake that they had confirmed the Clay Goblins and likely the Orcs weren't too keen on swimming in. Thankfully, that reduced the number of places the enemies could attack from to the thin rocky shoreline running along the right side of the cavern, on which Xen and the Hunters stood currently, and the Underworld Orc hurling magic at them.

  Xen strode forward, sword crackling with red mana as he prepared to unleash a Crescent Rage strike on the incoming horde of Goblins led by a few Orcs. However, Xen noticed something interesting—the Floor Boss seemed somewhat intelligent. Perhaps seeing its tactic of slowly whittling the group down was failing somewhat, the Underworld Orc was keeping most of its forces around it for protection.

  Which made sense; it was a mage, and from the only skill used so far, the Underworld Orc seemed adept at necromancer-esque skills, which usually relied on an army of some kind to control. If all of them were marched to their deaths at Xen's blade, taking out the floor boss would be possible.

  The goblins are no problem. They practically die in one hit. Xen's eye narrowed at the handful of lumbering orcs approaching down the shoreline. It's those orcs that are a nightmare. One was hard enough to kill, and now I'll have to face multiple at once? Whatever, let's put on a show and try to get the floor boss to move from that throne.

  "Crescent Rage! Phantom Strike!" Xen roared as he swung his sword upwards, unleashing a vertical crescent of crackling red mana that slammed into the Goblin and Orc procession. It wiped out a fair few goblins that were taking up the vanguard but was stopped dead in its tracks by the first Orc it encountered. A large wound was left on the Clay Orc's crossed arms that it had used to shield its head, and it had almost lost its footing.

  Xen smirked behind his helmet.

  Phantom Strike activated, sending out a second wave of Crescent Rage without him so much as moving his sword. Not expecting this, the arrogant Orc lowered its arms only to eat the second attack in the face, and while roaring in pain and scratching at its face, it lost its footing and fell to the side... into the lake.

  Screaming and thrashing around in the water, the Clay Orc's body let out a cloud of steam as it seemed to melt into the water, and it soon sank with the grace of a dull rock.

  You have killed multiple opponents. Bonus experience awarded.

  Experience split between [Necrovore Slime] and [Human] form.

  [Necrovore Slime] is pending an evolution.

  [Human] has leveled up: 23 -> 25.

  [Human] has reached Level 25 (C Grade). Evolution is available.

  Do you wish to begin the evolution process?

  [Yes/No]

  "No," Xen said, continuing to walk forward. He wasn't done slaughtering just yet. However, the Orc dying in the lake made him realize the perfect place to safely evolve had been next to him all along—the bottom of the lake, where no Goblins or Orcs could possibly reach him.

  The issue was that if he wanted the humans to survive, he would have to reduce the enemy's numbers first, and in the most brutal manner possible, to send a message to the cowardly Underworld Orc—that this cavern was about to have a new boss.

  to read ahead!