Reborn As An Evolving Monster

[Whether you want to or not, I'm giving you information before you enter the Boss Room.]

Tsk-

Interrupted, the purple Aura around Mark started fading.

Accompanied by Light and Grey, he exited the Fifth Floor.

'Alright.'

[We won't be able to communicate once you enter that Room.]

Pause-

'Why not?'

[It's the final wall before the outside.]

[I don't have much Authority over that place.]

'So you won't be there once I leave the Dungeon either?'

[No.]

[However, Raven will be.]

'Wasn't he supposed to be the one telling me about the outside after I defeat the Guardian?'

[He is.]

'So?'

[It's complicated.]

'How so?'

This time, it was Nia that took some time before answering.

[He might miss a few details.]

'Huh. Why do you think that?'

[Everyone makes mistakes.]

[It would just be unfortunate were he to miss something important.]

'So you don't trust him to do it properly.'

[If you really want to know, then no.]

[I don't believe he will do it properly.]

'Does he know you're telling me this?'

[No, but that doesn't matter.]

'It matters to me.'

[Listen, I'm sure Raven will do his job just fine.]

[It's just that he, sometimes, takes decisions in a rather impulsive fashion.]

'Mm. Fine.'

Mark wasn't sure whether his "guide" being the impulsive type was a good or bad thing.

[Where to start?]

'From the beginning. Why was I brought here?'

[So the Continent is divided into two separate Realms.]

'You're going to ignore my question? Just like that?'

[At the Continent's center, is the Monster Realm.]

[It is surrounded by the Human Realm.]

'Why?'

[Long ago, a Great War between Monsters and Humans tore the Continent apart.]

[Even Historians do not agree on whether it is the Monsters that drew the Humans to the Outer Regions, or that it is the Humans that drew the Monsters to the Inner Regions.]

'Then? How did the war end?'

[It ended with the First Demon King's demise.]

[This took Great War took place centuries, if not a millennium ago.]

'Demon King... That's the being that rules over the Monster Realm, I assume.'

[Correct.]

[Although, the Throne is, nowadays, empty.]

Mark's eyes narrowed.

[It has remained empty, ever since the First Demon King's demise.]

'So no one wants the Throne? Or is it that they can't choose?'

[First of all, "Demon King" is a Title.]

[The Conditions for obtaining that Title remain unclear.]

'Huh. So the previous one took his secret to the grave.'

[You could say that.]

[Now, we turn to those under the being Titled "Demon King".]

[They're titled "Demon Lords".]

'Makes sense.'

[There are seven Demon Lords that rule over the Monster Realm.]

[Each rules a certain region.]

'So the Monster Realm is made up of seven regions.'

[Correct.]

[Every region has its own characteristics.]

[Peculiarities, you could say.]

[Each region is named after the Demon Lord that rules over it.]

'Peculiarities? Like the fact that this Dungeon is located in the middle of a tundra?'

[No.]

[No.]

[It's a bit more peculiar than that.]

'You're repeating the same message? Got me interested now.'

[To explain those peculiarities, we need to talk about the Demon Lords a bit more.]

[Each Demon Lord draws Power from something.]

Mark stayed silent.

He could tell that Nia was struggling to find the right words, as it took longer than usual for messages to appear.

[Sins.]

'Sins...? Like the Seven Deadly Sins?'

[Not like, that's exactly it.]

'How biblical.'

[How what?]

'Nevermind. It's something from... Anyways, continue.'

[Each Demon Lord holds the power of one of those Sins.]

'Wait. How would that work? Are the Sins physical things? Or perhaps like the Fire Spirit? Something with a Core that allows you to use its power?'

[No.]

[Not really.]

'Then...?'

[It's more like they're one with their Deadly Sin.]

'Huh.'

[We're getting sidetracked.]

[The Dungeon you are currently in resides on the Border between the Monster and Human Realm.]

[The Border is usually referred to as the Rift.]

[A large zone that circles around the Monster Realm.]

'That's what the tundra.'

[Correct.]

[But the Rift changes as it moves along the Monster Realm.]

[From a tundra to a land of volcanoes, a great lake of poison, an unescapable forest, and other areas ruled by other extreme conditions.]

'Mm. Makes it harder for the Monsters to leave their Realm.'

[Or the Humans to leave theirs.]

'Right.'

[The region closest to the Dungeon you are currently in is the Land of Sloth.]

[It's ruled by the Demon Lord of Sloth.]

'Doesn't sound too intimidating.'

[That's because you know nothing yet.]

Mark shrugged his shoulders.

[The land of volcanoes.]

'Yeah?'

[It's called the Land of the First Kindled Inferno.]

[That's where I was born.]

'So you were born in the... Rift?'

[That's right.]

Mark stayed silent for a bit.

'I think I might need a map...'

[I don't have the means to give you one, unfortunately.]

[Raven will, surely, have one for you.]

'Okay. Good...'

Mark scratched his head.

'So... Those Sins...?'

[Right.]

[Let's take an example close to home.]

[The Demon Lord of Pride.]

'That sounds pretty cool.'

[Doesn't it?]

[My Master is the Demon Lord of Pride.]

'HUH? Wasn't it... Gaavah? Or something?'

[Correct.]

[Gaavah is my Lord's name.]

'Huh... Wait... But if I was brought here to become the next Demon King or something... Wouldn't that make the Demon Lords... My rivals? Or something like that?'

Could he see or hear her, Mark would have felt embarrassed at how loudly and uncontrollably Nia was laughing.

[Quite frankly, I do not have any hopes of you becoming the next Demon King.]

[While I cannot speak for the Master, I doubt that to be his intention.]

'Oh. Well... Good. Everything other than that would be easier, right? That's a weight off my back... I guess.'

[But there still is a reason why he brought you back to life.]

[I'm not sure what the reason is though.]

'Then I'll have to ask him directly?'

Nia chuckled.

[Perhaps.]

[You seem awfully concerned by the reason you were brought to this world.]

'Yeah. I mean... Of course, I am. It's the whole reason why I'm here. The reason why I'm alive. I don't see how I could not be concerned.'

[I see your point.]

[You were brought back for a reason.]

[But perhaps that reason has nothing to do with you.]

Mark's eyes widened.

He brought a hand to his neck.

'Nothing to do with me...'

Scratch-Scratch-Scratch-

'I've heard something like that before... No. I've been told something like that.' Mark thought to himself.

'What do you mean?'

[I mean that you should stop focusing so much on why you were brought back.]

[It shouldn't matter to you why you were brought back.]

[My Master isn't the kind to force others to do his bidding.]

[So you have nothing to worry about.]

'Yeah, well...'

Mark raised his gaze to the ceiling.

'Easy for you to say.'