Ch 2: The Nest

Crunch! Crunch!

The sound of bone splintering echoed through the small cave opening. Flesh tore, blood splattered, and thick crimson dripped onto the already stained floor.

Only a few short days had passed, yet the cave had become a scene of carnage—dried blood smeared across the walls, the scent of death hanging in the air.

There he stood, jaws clamped around the remains of a rodent, its once-glowing body now dull and lifeless. He bit down once more, crushing what was left before swallowing the final piece of meat. Then, with a slow movement, he turned and settled into the corner of his den.

His gaze drifted to the bloodied floor.

"In the end, I still couldn't resist."

For three days, he had done nothing but watch. The glowing rodents emerged to eat, to drink, to scurry about in their usual routine. And in those three days, he had remained still, studying them, hesitating.

Perhaps it was some lingering remnant of humanity that had held him back—an unwillingness to take a life, no matter how small. But hunger cared nothing for morality.

The moment had come swiftly. A gnawing emptiness took hold of his stomach, twisting into something unbearable. And then, just as if fate had sensed his breaking point, one unfortunate rodent wandered too close to his cave.

By the time he lunged, it was already too late.

His teeth sank in, crunching through bone, tearing through sinew. The creature shuddered in his grasp, its panicked squeals fading into silence as its body went limp. The others scattered in an instant, disappearing into the maze of tunnels. Since then, they had become his prey.

He adapted quickly. He learned their patterns, their wariness. He changed locations, never striking from the same place twice. The rodents grew cautious, avoiding the cave where their kin had fallen—but it didn't matter. He was patient. And when hunger called, he always answered.

He rested his head in deep thought, his mind wandering through the labyrinth of his existence. "Is this all that the life of a Monster King amounts to? To rest, eat, rinse, and repeat?" he mused inwardly. Almost immediately, the disembodied voice replied once again:

[» Negative «]

Startled, his head snapped up at the sound. He had long grown weary of merely existing within the confines of a mundane, repetitive life. Although he might have sought counsel from his inner voice, he found himself at a loss for questions—unsure of what to ask, even as his thoughts churned restlessly.

"So what else am I supposed to do?" he inquired plainly. Ever since his rebirth into the colossal form of an aquatic lizard, his emotions had gradually dimmed until they were but faint echoes of their former intensity.

Most times, when he focused intently on a task, his mind operated with a clarity and rationality that was almost mechanical. Yet he was not entirely surprised by this phenomenon—after all, he was no longer human.

His thoughts began to stabilize once more as the voice finally answered his query with unmistakable precision:

[» Directives–Select a nest and spawn the hatchery «]

[» Directives–Claim the world–Progress: 0% «]

"Nest? Hatchery? As if I were to raise an army?" he pondered, exhaling deeply as the implications of the orders settled in his mind. A brief pause followed before another message came through:

[» Positive «]

"What a hassle," he muttered under his breath. Yet, now that a clear directive had been bestowed upon him, a renewed sense of purpose surged within his being. With his resolve hardened, strength returned to his limbs, and he rose steadily to his feet.

Stepping out of the familiar confines of his cave, he entered a vast, open cavern—a space that had gradually become his home.

His eyes swept over the expansive area, noting the abundance it provided: plentiful food in the form of countless rodents, a continuous supply of water, and the natural comforts of an environment that was, in many ways, perfectly suited to his transformed nature.

In this realm, he had everything necessary for survival, a fact that filled him with a profound, almost bittersweet contentment. "That must be what they mean by a nest, right?" he mused aloud.

[» Partially «]

"Then how do I claim it as my own nest?" he wondered, coming to a deliberate stop at a high vantage point where he could gaze out over the crashing waves below. In that moment, a powerful sensation stirred within him—an almost imperceptible heat that began to build, threatening to burst forth with overwhelming intensity.

His feet pounded the ground as he steadied himself, his broad shoulders tensing as if prepared to meet an unseen challenge. The unfamiliar surge of energy coursing through his body was both foreign and exhilarating, compelling him to act on instinct alone.

Without a moment's hesitation, he drew in a deep, shuddering breath, his lungs expanding rapidly as he gathered the strength of his newfound resolve.

Then, with a force that seemed to shake the very foundations of the cavern, he exhaled in a thunderous roar—a sound so powerful that it reverberated through the air and sent shockwaves across the space. The startled rodents, once hidden in the safety of their tunnels, scattered in panic, their tiny forms disappearing into the darkness as the echo of his roar filled the cavern with an aura of awakening majesty.

When he finally calmed down, a flicker of confusion settled over him. He had roared, but had it truly been by his own will? No—it had been mostly instinct, a primal urge buried deep within his monstrous nature.

It must be the work of this voice, he thought, shrugging off the notion. Instead, he focused on the strange sensation that now pulsed through him—something new yet oddly familiar. A connection. It was as if the cavern, the rocks, the very air had become an extension of himself.

Instinctual knowledge surged through his mind. He understood, without being told, that he could never lose his way here again. The layout of the cavern imprinted itself upon him, forming a mental map so precise it was as though he had always belonged to this place.

His focus shifted. Now, how do I spawn the hatchery? He thought aloud, not bothering to waste time with useless speculation. A trace of skepticism lingered in his mind, gnawing at him. Would he be the one to birth his army? The idea unsettled him.

"I am clearly a king, not a queen," he thought with a snort, shuddering at the grotesque thought of laying eggs.

The voice answered in its usual mechanical tone:

[» Select spawn point: Hatchery «]

Without hesitation, he strode toward one of the cavern's deeper chambers. It was the cleanest among them—not truly clean, but at least it lacked the overwhelming stench of decay and the thick layers of dried blood that marked the others.

He took his position at the center of the space, this time consciously channeling his will into the task. His focus locked onto the ground before him, anticipation simmering in the silence. Moments passed. Nothing happened. Doubt crept in, but before he could dismiss the thought, a sudden and eerie sensation enveloped him.

A pull. An extraction.

Something deep within him felt as though it were being siphoned away, a vital essence being extracted from his very core. He sensed an imaginary weight lifting from his shoulder—a surreal, almost ineffable feeling that surpassed any sensation he had ever experienced.

Before he could fully appreciate this strange liberation, a fine mist began to emanate from his body, streaming steadily toward a specific alcove of the cave he had chosen. At first, the movement was tentative and slow, but its intensity gradually escalated; the mist thickened and swirled as if imbued with a mind of its own. With deliberate, almost hypnotic motion, it coalesced into a perfect circular formation.

He stood transfixed, eyes wide with awe as he watched the phenomenon unfold. His gaze fixed intently on the emerging form as grotesque, flesh-like material began to materialize, slowly sinking into the earthen floor.

Then, as if guided by an unseen force, what appeared to be blood vessels emerged, intricately weaving along the edges of the nascent shape. These structures gradually defined a circular pit that seemed to open a gateway to a realm of unspeakable torment.

The initial sensation of loss began to ebb away gradually. From the pit, a viscous red liquid started to surge, almost overflowing its confines. This was quickly followed by the appearance of a demonic, blood-red glow that radiated from the substance, casting eerie shadows on the cavern walls.

Its presence was unmistakably infernal, yet despite its grotesque nature, he felt an inexplicable connection to it. As if responding to his unspoken call, the veins and blood vessels began to pulsate rhythmically, as though they harbored a hidden, throbbing heartbeat.

"So, this is the hatchery," he thought, as he cautiously circled the ominous entrance with mounting curiosity. "How does it work?" he questioned.

[» Use of Biomass «]

"And what is this Biomass?" he further inquired, seeking confirmation of his growing suspicion.

[» Stored Excess Bio material «]

"And what does it do?" he pressed on in wonder.

[» Can be used in accelerating personal modification and evolution or be used in creating soldiers in tandem with already existing DNA and adaptation «]