Walking through the dark and dusty corridors covered in cracks and spiderwebs, a goblin with a peculiar mask made his way forward. In his hands, he carried the blood of his former companions and the club of one of them.
This goblin, named "Scar" by Chaos because of the large scar hidden beneath the mask, might have seemed nothing more than a strange goblin on the surface. Yet deep inside, without uttering a single word, he carried great ambition.
How did Chaos discover this, since Scar never once spoke of such a dream? Simple, through the window revealed by the System after the mask had bonded with the goblin.
[Contract between Host and Mask successfully established!]
[Host's Objective: Become the new boss of the dungeon "Forest Temple".]
Even though he was already aware of such a mechanic due to the knowledge gained upon receiving the Evolutionary Mask System, Chaos was caught off guard to see it activate even when bonded with a creature as limited as a goblin.
This certainly makes things a lot easier. In any case, from the very beginning we'd need to hunt plenty of creatures on our journey, so killing the dungeon boss is just one more target on my list… a rather interesting one, at that.
In the end, it's like killing two birds with one stone, I'll achieve my evolution and, on top of that, gain the rewards for completing the contract, securing complete control over Scar's life and death. The spirit looked at the goblin with sympathy before concluding… Well then, since his greatest dream will be fulfilled, I doubt he'll be sad to die for me, right?
Of course, things were far from as easy as Chaos made them sound, but either way, there was no point in grieving what had already happened. If he wanted the rewards, and to avoid punishment for breaking the contract, he would have to raise this weak goblin to the level of a boss.
With that in mind, while his host walked the long corridors searching for a way out, Chaos dove into the newly acquired memories, trying to organize as much information as he could about the surroundings of the dungeon.
The information he obtained wasn't complete, but it was enough to get by. They were currently inside a dungeon which, as the name implied, was a vast forest filled with monsters, with the ruins of an abandoned temple at its center.
The monsters varied somewhat, mainly goblins and beasts such as wolves, monkeys, and other wild creatures. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, most of them were weak, all hovering around similar levels.
But to his disappointment, Chaos soon noticed something troubling through Scar's memories, or rather, through their absence. No matter how much he searched, the conclusion was the same: there wasn't a single scrap of information about the boss.
Sigh… Honestly, I should've expected this. I had no reason to get my hopes up about his memories. Still, it's a pity Scar knows nothing about the dungeon boss he's so eager to defeat. This might make achieving his goal a little more complicated.
Well, if the dungeon's monsters were all of similar strength, then surely the boss wouldn't be that powerful, right? He tried to reassure himself with the thought.
Chaos was still learning about himself, but one thing he quickly realized was how frustrating it was not having complete control over situations, the more information and guarantees of success, the better.
Without the spirit even noticing, Scar finally reached the end of the passage, pushing aside a huge torn painting to reveal a new chamber that resembled an empty library, completely devoid of books.
Behind a painting? I didn't pay much attention to this part of his memories, but that explains why it took so long for someone to find me here.
Scar continued forward, already knowing what the mysterious spirit desired through the bond now linking them. He walked calmly past the fallen, dusty shelves until he reached the far end of the room, where a dark, old door awaited. Once opened, the dungeon was finally revealed.
"So this… is the dungeon…"
It was completely different to see it through someone else's memories and to see it standing right before him.
Though they weren't at the very top of the temple's outer staircase, it was still enough to witness the endless sea of trees stretching beyond the horizon.
Golden rays of sunlight broke through narrow gaps, a gentle breeze swept across the scene, and the strangely harmonious sounds of monsters created a natural symphony all around.
If I had a body… what would it feel like to experience all this?
That subtle but growing doubt lingered in his mind. Even though he shared an inexplicable and incomparable connection with Scar, it wasn't enough for him to feel what the goblin felt, or even to truly imagine it.
If I keep evolving… well, maybe someday? Hehe...
Scar, after standing still for a moment, sensing that Chaos wanted to take in the view, resumed walking. He stepped fully out of the chamber and began descending the ruined temple's staircase, when suddenly, he stopped.
Hm? What's this feeling?
A strong emotion began to bubble within Scar, and because of their bond, Chaos could sense it as well. Following the goblin's gaze as he looked back, the spirit immediately understood the reason behind his host's sudden stop and surge of emotion.
The entrance at the top of the staircase, the place where the boss is, or so I'd guess.
Scar's eyes sharpened, his right hand clenched tightly around the club's handle, and beneath the mask, his sharp teeth ground against each other.
"Relax, Scar. It's only a matter of time before you claim your rightful place. I promise I'll make it happen…"
Scar had no memories of the boss. No grudges, no traumas, not even hatred directed at it—he had never even seen the boss before. So why was such a powerful emotion bubbling within this small creature?
Chaos had only recently come into contact with a being other than himself, but in this short time, he had learned something important: goblins are simple creatures. They pursue power not for logical reasons, but simply for the thrill of standing above others.
In this case, as simple and primitive as such a mindset might be, Chaos couldn't help but respect Scar, for being honest with himself and not making excuses for his arrogant and selfish desire.
Are all beings like this? Chaos couldn't say for now. But if other goblins possessed even half the ambition Scar carried, then his conclusion could not be more accurate.
The emotion Scar revealed was nothing more than raw hunger for power, perhaps best described as envy and the desire to seize what belonged to another by force.
Which makes me wonder… why do I desire power?
He had never once stopped to think about it. The craving had been within him since the moment he awakened as a magical artifact, and the emergence of the System only strengthened it further.
Was it simply to feed his ego? For entertainment? Or was there no grand reason at all—merely an instinct all magical artifacts carried within them?
It's probably pointless to dwell on this now. But if I had to name something I'd like to do with such power, it would be to have a body, and feel what beings like Scar feel just by existing in this world.
After staring for a few more seconds at the temple's summit, Scar turned his head back and resumed descending the stairs, his ambition still bubbling through every fiber of his body.
.
.
.
The pair ventured deeper into the dense forest. It was filled with thick, dark trees that easily reached and surpassed ten meters in height, wide thorny bushes, tall green grass, and rivers and lakes that radiated danger even from a distance.
It didn't take long before they encountered their first prey, a beast resembling a boar, larger than the small goblin, with coarse black fur marked by a dark-blue stripe along its back, scars from old battles across its body, and most notably, two pairs of massive upward-curving tusks.
It seemed to be sleeping, likely having just finished a hunt and now resting after its meal. Watching it closely, Scar kept himself hidden behind one of the thick trees, club in hand.
The goblin breathed heavily, almost nervously—something goblins rarely did given their aggressive nature and hot tempers. Clearly, this wouldn't be easy prey.
A few nagging doubts stirred within Chaos's mind. Would Scar be able to bring it down? Was it worth risking his host's life so soon and potentially facing the unknown punishment of breaking their contract? But with a simple sigh, he cast such thoughts aside.
If I want to raise him to the rank of dungeon boss as quickly as possible, waiting around for a perfect prey would just be a waste of time. To achieve ambition, risks must be taken, even if I don't particularly like that fact right now.
"Scar, prepare yourself. This will be your first step toward reaching the very top of this dungeon!"