The Black Stone lay in the dirt where the Hobgoblin had dropped it. It glowed with a faint purplish light barely visible in the cave's darkness.
Amon stood before it, claws curling and uncurling.
'What is this thing…?'
It was almost like his Beastly instincts were telling him to stay away from it.
'The closer we got to this cave, the more the Beasts were in an Enraged-State. It has the power to affect the things around it. Even those dozens and dozens of meters away.'
Gulp-
'My instincts want me to stay away from it. I can feel the hairs all over my body standing… But, at the same time…'
His right hand was trembling. Twitching. Itching.
'I want…'
Itching.
'To Devour it.'
Amon's jaw flexed.
'It caused other Beasts to become Enraged. It was like they'd lost control of their body. Like their rage and wrath were the only things left. It even seemed to me like they could barely feel any pain. Like they were in some kind of trance. Some kind of Berserker state.'
Tsk.
'The Beastly Goblin's Rank is only E. It's likely that this thing will have similar effects on me if I stay around it for too long, let alone if I Devour it. I'm sure its effects would only get stronger if it's ingested. In the first place, this thing is a stone, not a living being. Can I even Devour that? Maybe I would only be absorbing its Magic, or part of its Magic. Maybe if I focus, I can make it so that I only Devour the Magic? No. I already have trouble leaving certain body parts intact. Doing it with something that I can't see or feel would be impossible.'
To make matters worse, there was another problem.
'If I Devour this or the Magic it holds, I'll become a magnet for stronger creatures. For those that can sense Mana. This is fucked.' Amon turned in the direction where the Hobgoblin had been lying moments earlier. 'The Demons and the Hobgoblin Chief would have a much easier time tracking me if I consume this, that's for sure.'
There was still the option of taking the Black Stone and using it as a bargaining chip. Maybe Amon could get something by offering an exchange.
'Or maybe they'll kill me and take it from me.' Amon's gaze went back to the Black Stone. 'I don't have the strength to stand up properly in the world just yet… Not… Yet…'
The more he stared at it, the more he became entranced with the purplish glow emanating from it.
'I need… To decide… Quickly…'
***
The forest was far quieter now. Partly because it was so late at night, and partly because of what he was carrying in his pocket.
'This is nice.' Amon thought with a chuckle, trying to ignore the Black Stone. 'Maybe I'll have my chances with Syl now that I look more sophisticated.'
Sophisticated, in this instance, only meant that he was wearing more than a dirty piece of cloth that hid his privates.
When the Palm Of The Devourer assimilated the Hobgoblin, Amon was careful to make sure his clothes were left intact.
'Hmm…' Amon stretched his arms up.
The pain from the Evolution had faded into a warm, fuzzy, and pleasant feeling that resided in his limbs, making Amon's every movement smoother and more powerful.
'Status Window.'
[Name: Amon
Species: Beastly Goblin[E Rank]
Title: Evolving Monster
-Skills:
Palm Of The Devourer[SSS-Rank]
Disappearance[E+ Rank]
Beastly Senses[E+ Rank]
Disappearing Chameleon's Eyes[E- Rank]
Infectious Black Wolf's Fangs[E Rank]
-Stats:
Strength: 9
Agility: 13
Perception: 22
Endurance: 9
Vigor: 7
]
He couldn't help but grin.
'A lot stronger than what I used to be. Still, Hobgoblins have a Strength Stat of 13 and Black Wolves have an Agility Stat of 15. Not much can be done about that. I am still a Goblin after all,' Amon smirked. 'For now.'
He flexed his claws, impressed by their sharpness. He didn't just look different now. With his Perception Stat having increased and the "Beastly Senses" Skill having been developed, even the air around him felt different.
Wolves were Beasts. Goblins were Monsters.
And he was both.
***
Amon was halfway to the village when the scent reached him. Sweat, leather, and the faint metallic tang of iron weapons.
He could tell that heavy footsteps were moving at a steady pace up ahead. It wouldn't take long for them to appear.
Amon positioned himself behind a thick tree.
'I can't tell which one, but I'm pretty sure it's not Syl.' He thought.
Amon could tell from the smell that it was a Hobgoblin that was approaching.
'My Strength Stat is lower than a Hobgoblin's, and my Agility Stat lower than a Black Wolf's. Right now, my advantages against Hobgoblins are my high Agility and Perception.'
He slightly raised his gaze up.
'Fighting them in the darkness makes it incredibly easy to deal with them.'
A Hobgoblin came into view.
He was carrying a spear and had a jagged scar across his chin. He was muttering to himself.
"I have a bad feeling about this… They've taken too long…"
'Looks like I might not have been the only one eavesdropping.'
Amon almost wanted to laugh, seeing the expression on the Hobgoblin's face.
Such worry and anxiety couldn't be properly expressed by a Goblin. Hobgoblins had faces that resembled Humans much more.
The Hobgoblin stopped, scanning the trees.
"Where do I go…? Up ahead?"
Amon scratched his chin.
'I understand the anxiety. If they fail to bring this, they'll be the ones in trouble. In fact, maybe their Chief will think that they kept the Black Stone for themselves. After all, at least two Hobgoblins aren't coming back to camp.' He chuckled internally. 'Maybe the Demons will think that the Hobgoblin Chief is keeping it for himself as well. I probably shouldn't kill all of these guys. Yes, keeping them as scapegoats wouldn't be a bad idea.'
Along with his spear, the Hobgoblin carried a lit torch, which made distant growls echo in the forest's darkness. Growls that, presently, only Amon could hear.
'Still,' Amon extended his claws as he licked his lower lip. 'I can't stay a Goblin forever.'
Right there and then, Amon decided that, out of the eleven Hobgoblins left, he would leave three or four alive, depending on how many were needed.
'And Syl stays alive, of course.' The Beastly Goblin chuckled to itself after stealthily positioning itself right behind the Hobgoblin.
"ARGH!!" The Hobgoblin groaned as a hand suddenly pierced through his stomach.
'I might look like a Monster, but killing hot babes is out of the question… Well, this one at least.''
The Hobgoblin fell to the ground.
Moments later, its eyes were devoid of life and,
"Huh...?" Amon's gaze fell to his pocket, from which emanated a purplish light. "The Black Stone is…?"