The Karv stood in front of the gigantic door.
It had a historical design that seemed to glisten with magic as if it were alive.
Despite its attractive presence, the Karv paid no mind to it; instead, his eyes were focused on the writing just at the top of the wall.
Exit.
This was written in bold letters, so it was quite easy to spot.
'So this is the door leading out of this hellhole, about damn time,' said the Karv to himself.
After his numerous hunts of monsters in the unknown cave, he had grown to be even more powerful—visibly as well.
His form had gotten a tad bit bigger, and his blue flames were darker, more condensed, and firmer.
In other words, it was hard to consider him prey. If monsters were on the other side of the door, then he was more than ready to battle his way through.
He pondered how he would manage to enter the other side as he stood in front of the enormous door.
Initially, he tried to push the door as hard as he could; still, it didn't budge a single bit.
'System, is there a way to get through? I don't think brute strength can work here.'
[This is the gate leading not only to the outside world but also to where the Queen of the Night rests. The door can only be opened once the sun is down.]
'The Queen of the Night, who is that?'
[The Queen of the Night is an unknown figure residing within this domain; no other information is stated regarding her.]
'T-that is not helpful one bit.'
The Karv sighed, 'I guess I have to wait until the sun is down, whenever that is.'
With that clarified, he took a couple of steps back and moved toward the wall.
Mana glowed around him, and the earth formed into a small camp house, where he wanted to rest his head.
A unique skill he got from devouring a creature capable of digging and living in the ground.
Safely cuddled inside the small camp he made, the Karv muttered,
'Maybe this isn't so bad. I have been meaning to check my stats anyway. I am pretty sure the system said I had one.'
He remembered how it was done from the video games he played in his former world. Saying the word "Stats" should summon the runes; then again, the Karv's system was intelligent.
The last time, the system offered it by itself.
'Yo dude, open my stats for me.'
[Request confirmed.]
[Keal's status window.]
Species: Advanced Karv
True name: The Hidden Master
Aspect Skills: [Ultimate Devourer], [Mana Sense], [Wolf Bond], [God of Healing], [Imitator]
Attribute Skills: [Heat Senses], [Mana Reserve], [Inventory], [Aero Strikes], [Water Arrow], [Mana Shield], [Earth Control]
Traits: [Monster Claw], [Wings of the Beast], [Serpent Fang]
Gah!
The Karv was dumbfounded by the information in front of him.
'No way, I have only gained three skills since then?!'
[Correct.]
[The probability of gaining skills after devouring is reduced as you evolve. The same applies to chances of evolving as well.]
'I didn't really pay attention to my skills acquisition; I was mainly focused on killing as many monsters as possible.'
Sigh.
'I am feeling tempted to consume the eight mana stones in my inventory; maybe then I'll evolve into something cooler. Nah, I should wait till I leave this place; it might come in handy.'
And so, he waited inside the stone camp, waiting for the door to finally open itself to him.
Moments passed, and the Karv finally witnessed it happen.
The symbols on the door disappeared from sight, and the door was slightly open, with enough space for any regular person to walk through.
Upon seeing this, a smile hitched on the Karv's face. 'It totally opened.'
He hovered closer to the door, slowly moving himself to the other side.
Hovering through the space, Keal found himself in an entirely different place.
Standing next to the door, the first thing he felt was the cold breeze brushing against his blue flames.
However, upon further investigation, the Karv realized he was still inside the cave; the only difference was the entrance to go outside had no gate or door.
The most he could see were the lower parts of the trees and the soft glow of the moonlight on the ground.
Alas, his attention was shifted to something else.
Right in the center of the narrow path leading outside the cave was a stone-made coffin.
It was huge, at least from his own point of view.
Around the coffin were three candles, each placed right on top of it, which Keal found weird, considering the flames should have gone out by now; the wind was anything but forgiving.
'Is this some kind of joke? Don't tell me someone actually thought it was a good idea to bury someone right here and then light a candle as well… is this—'
He paused. 'Wait, can I even complain? I don't know where this is.'
'System, where is this place?'
[According to my database, this cave is located in the Land of the Dead, a sovereign land at the borders of the Galone Empire. It is deprived of life, and only low-tier monsters made this place their habitat.]
'So humans don't live here then?'
[Correct.]
[It is very unlikely for low-tier monsters to bury their loved ones as well; they lack the intelligence to do that.]
'Yeah, it makes it weirder, so what the hell is this then? Someone ought to have lit these candles, right?'
[Analysis of the candles states they are made of magic, linking to the life of a certain creature; if it goes out, the creature will awaken.]
'Is that so?' the Karv uttered nervously. 'If that's the case, then I will mind my own business. LeT Us gEt out of HeRe!'
He pushed forward, his eyes sparkling with joy at the thought of finally making it out of the cave.
Although, the moment he walked past the coffin, something unexpected happened.
The flames on the candles suddenly linked up with the Karv's body, as though they were trying to merge with it.
Before Keal could react, the flames went out.