The silence that followed the kobold scouts' deaths was profound, broken only by the distant drip of water and the frantic beating of Ray's heart. He stood over the dissipating motes of light that had been the third kobold, his bear form feeling immense and powerful in the confined space near the fissure. The immediate threat was neutralized, his home was secure, but the discovery of this vast cavern and its inhabitants changed everything. He was no longer a lone survivor in a wilderness; he was a neighbor to a tribe, and the first introductions had been bloody.
He shifted back to his humanoid form, the familiar sensation of his limbs reconfiguring itself a comfort amidst the tension. The cave air felt cool on his skin again. His mind, sharpened by combat and the System's enhancements, was already analyzing, planning.
"Athena, my status," he commanded silently.
The blue screen materialized, a welcome chart of his progress.
Name: Ray "Thorzen" Silver
Level: 7
XP: 175,115 / 195,000
Skill Points: 462
Attribute Points: 246
The numbers were staggering. The rewards for building his first house and the subsequent level-ups had been immense. He had a small fortune in points to spend. His priority, as always, was Assimilation. The ability to absorb more mass was the key to everything—more materials, more forms, more power.
"Athena, level up Assimilation to the next level."
"Leveling Assimilation from Level 4 to Level 5 requires 80 Skill Points. Confirm?" her voice was calm and precise in his mind.
"Confirm." A wave of power, different from the raw stat increase of leveling up, washed through him. It was a deepening, an expansion of the void within him. He could feel the capacity widen, the potential grow. "Assimilation is now Level 5. Your maximum mass capacity is now 32,000 pounds, plus your innate 200-pound growth, for a total of 32,200 pounds."
A fierce grin spread across Ray's face. Over sixteen tons. He could assimilate a small truck. The possibilities were endless. He saved the rest of his skill points, a massive hoard of 382, for future Assimilation levels. They were his most valuable currency.
Next, he turned to his Attribute Points. The directive was clear: distribute evenly. He willed the points into his six core stats, watching them climb.
Strength: 100
Constitution: 100
Dexterity: 100
Intelligence: 100
Wisdom: 100
Charisma: 100
A surge of pure, balanced power flooded his being. His muscles felt like coiled steel, his mind sharp enough to calculate trajectories and material stresses he wouldn't have comprehended a week ago. He felt whole, complete, a perfect baseline of physical and mental prowess from which his transformations would stack. He was, for his level, a demigod in a teenager's body.
But stats were just numbers without application. He had a scout party to rendezvous with and a chieftain to deceive. He focused, and his body rippled, shrinking and shifting into the familiar, scaly form of a kobold. It was Zog's form, the one he'd just assimilated. He picked up the fallen kobold's dagger and sling, the weapons feeling crude and small in his grip, and headed back through the fissure.
He found the other four kobolds waiting nervously. Zog, the red-scaled leader, glared at him. "You are slow! What happened?"
Ray, in his kobold guise, shrugged, trying to mimic the guttural speech patterns. "The fissure was tight. I thought I heard something, but it was nothing. Just rocks." He gestured with the dagger. "The way is clear."
Zog grunted, seemingly satisfied, and motioned for the party to move out. Ray fell into step, his mind racing. He was behind enemy lines, wearing the face of one of their own. He had to be perfect.
The journey through the colossal cavern was an exercise in sensory overload. The towering stalactites and stalagmites formed a stone forest, and the glowing blue moss on the boulders cast an eerie, beautiful light. It was the strange, watching fungi that truly captivated him. As they passed one, he subtly flicked his wrist.
Analyze.
Violet Fungus
Level: 1
Abilities: Immunities (Blinded, Deafened, Frightened); Blindsight (30ft radius)
Skills: Rotting Touch
A walking landmine. Fantastic. He made a mental note to return and assimilate one when he had the chance. The Rotting Touch skill could be a devastating addition to his arsenal.
They reached the tunnel leading to the troglodyte territory, and Zog laid out the plan in hissed whispers. The synchronized kill on the two squabbling troglodytes had been swift and efficient. Ray's kobold form was weaker than his true self, but his 100 Dexterity made his movements a blur. While the others watched the troglodyte camp, he assimilated the longsword, feeling the blueprint of the crude but serviceable weapon join his library of partial transformations.
The intelligence they gathered was grim. Thirty-three troglodytes, armed and armored. A direct assault by the kobolds would be a slaughter. As they retreated, the System chimed its approval, rewarding him with a flood of XP and points. The quest was complete, but the real problem was just beginning.
On the return journey, as they passed the shabby hut, Ray heard the grunting again. He peeked inside and saw the orc, bruised and bloody, chained to a post. Rage, cold and sharp, flared within him. This was one of the creatures that had destroyed his goblin home, his previous life's family. The desire to end it, to add its strength to his own, was a palpable thirst. But Zog's yell pulled him away. The orc would keep. Vengeance was a dish best served with a well-leveled Assimilation skill.
Back in the long hut, as they ate the gristly, foul-tasting meat, Ray had a revelation. He focused not on eating, but on drawing the substance into his void.
Assimilate.
The progress was instantaneous. The horrible taste vanished from his mouth as the matter was purified and stored. "No wonder that meat tasted horrible," he thought, the concept clicking into place. "I didn't realize I could assimilate water as well." He took a sip of the murky water and did the same, cleansing it within his being. "I wonder if I can assimilate fire as well. I'll find out later."
It was a fundamental shift. He didn't need to eat or drink in the conventional sense anymore. He could fuel himself directly through Assimilation, a far more efficient process. He was becoming less and less dependent on the frailties of a biological body.
Finally, it was time to report. Ray followed Zog and the others as they approached the kobold chieftain, a larger specimen Ray now knew was named Gugu. The chieftain stood on a raised dais of stone, his dark scales seeming to absorb the faint light of the glowing moss.
"The Troglodytes number thirty-three," Zog reported, his voice steady. "They are well-armed. A direct attack would be foolish."
The crowd of kobolds, nearly thirty strong, began to mutter, a wave of fear and anger passing through them. Ray slipped among them, his eyes constantly moving, assessing threats, counting numbers. He analyzed Gugu.
Kobold Chief Gugu
Level: 10
HP: 40/40
Strength: 18
Constitution: 20
Dexterity: 27
"He's not very strong," Ray mused. "I could kill him easily." The thought was a simple calculation. In his true form, or even his bear form, he could end the chief in a single, brutal strike. But chaos wasn't the goal right now. Information was.
The chief scoffed at Zog's assessment. "Foolish? You call caution wisdom? They raid us! They take our food! We must send a message of strength!"
"Strength?" Zog retorted, a surprising boldness in his tone. He was a scout, a pragmatist. "You would waste our warriors on a fight we cannot win? You call that strength? I call it the pride of a fool leading his people to a grave!"
The air in the cavern went cold. The other kobolds fell silent, their chattering ceasing abruptly. Gugu's eyes narrowed to slits, his body trembling with barely suppressed rage. Ray could almost smell the violence brewing. This was a society on a knife's edge.
It was then that the System intervened, a new quest appearing before Ray's eyes.
Quest: Scout the Troglodytes' Base.
Rewards: 2000 XP, 10 Attribute Points, 20 Skill Points, 100 Gold.
A perfect cover. "Dang, not bad. I'll take this quest," Ray thought. When the chief called for volunteers, Ray was the first to speak up. "I'll go."
Four others joined him. Zog, still glaring at the chief, was appointed leader. "Good, that's five kobolds! Get some food and drink. You five will leave after that," Gugu snarled, his gaze promising retribution for Zog's insolance.
As they moved away, Ray's mind was a whirlwind. He had a new mission, a new source of power, and a front-row seat to the kobolds' internal strife. He had seen the chained orc, a future source of strength. He had seen the Violet Fungi, a future weapon. And he had seen Chief Gugu's volatile pride.
He didn't have a detailed plan yet, but the foundations of one were settling into place. He would use this scouting mission not just to fulfill the quest, but to find a weakness, a way to turn the troglodytes and the kobolds against each other. Let them bleed each other dry. Then, Thorzen would clean up what remained.
He followed Zog to the long hut, ate the assimilated meal without tasting it, and listened as Zog—a surprisingly capable and level-headed kobold—briefed them. "I'm Zog. I'll be leading this scouting party. Now we leave."
The five of them moved north, through the breathtaking yet treacherous cavern. Ray's eyes kept drifting to the Violet Fungi, their silent, blind vigilance a reminder that in Azeroc, even the plants could kill you.
Zog halted them at a narrow tunnel. "Through this is the troglodytes' home. We will sneak through and spy." The plan was simple, direct, and had already worked once. They crawled through the tight passage, the scent of troglodyte—a mix of wet reptile and offal—growing stronger.
At the tunnel's end, they found their opportunity. Two troglodytes were indeed fighting, their guttural shouts echoing, over a bone club this time. Zog pointed at Ray, then at the troglodyte on the right. Ray nodded.
They moved like shadows. Ray's kobold form, enhanced by his transcendent Dexterity, was utterly silent. He came up behind his target, the crude dagger feeling flimsy in his hand. He didn't rely on the weapon's quality; he relied on his own power and precision. As Zog moved on his target, Ray struck.
He drove the dagger upward, under the base of the troglodyte's skull, severing its spinal cord. It died without a sound. Zog was not as fortunate. His troglodyte let out a choked cry, struggling wildly. Before it could alert the entire camp, Ray was there, his own dagger flashing in a second, lethal strike to its temple.
The double kill was clean. Two notifications chimed softly in his mind. +50 XP. +50 XP.
Zog gave him a look that was part gratitude, part newfound respect. He then motioned for everyone to get down. While the other four kobolds lay prone, surveying the troglodyte base and counting numbers, Ray acted. He quickly grabbed the bone club and, shielding the action with his body, assimilated it. Another pattern acquired.
They gathered the intelligence—thirty-three troglodytes, confirmed—and began their retreat. As they slipped back into the tunnel, the System delivered its reward.
Quest Completed: Scout Troglodytes Base.
Rewards: 2000 XP, 10 Attribute Points, 20 Skill Points, 100 Gold.
Ray allowed himself a small, hidden smile. "Sweet."
Back in the tunnel, away from immediate danger, they reached the two troglodyte bodies they had stashed. The immediate task was to hide the evidence of their incursion. But as Ray looked at the corpses, and then at Zog—the competent kobold who had just seen his chief's foolish pride firsthand—the first threads of a real plan began to weave together in his mind.
He would need Zog. And to have Zog, he would likely have to deal with Chief Gugu. But not here. Not now. Now, they had to get back.
"Let's hide them best we can," Zog whispered, bringing Ray back to the present.
Ray nodded, his kobold face a mask of compliance. But behind the scales and the borrowed features, Ray "Thorzen" Silver was already calculating the fall of two tribes and the rise of a third. His own.