Intelligent Design: A Monster Evolution LitRPG

David soared high above, surveying the sprawling wetlands below with a sigh. Claire's towering form seemed diminutive from his altitude, an antlike speck trudging through the marsh. He had been purposefully ‘scouting’ ahead, avoiding her presence as uncertainty over broaching his idea filled him with anxiety. Even the liberating sensation of open flight did little to ease his worries.

She’s probably not gonna go for it…it’s honestly a little dumb. Either way, I still feel like it’d be a good idea. As far as I can tell there aren’t many people in the first Wave out this direction, and we wouldn’t have any help. Plus we have no idea where it is, but that’s half the reason I want to do it. To see if I can use these instincts for something constructive, like finding it.

Vibrant hues of green and blue painted the marshy expanse, shallow murky waters reflecting the gloomy sky. Tangled clusters of cattails and reeds covered the surface, disrupted in places by deeper pools where muddy banks gave way to slews and ponds. Strange lizardlike creatures paddled along lazily, occasionally darting below the surface with resounding splashes when disturbed by Claire's thunderous footfalls.

Fallen logs and gnarled trees protruded like skeletal fingers reaching up from the mire's grip. Long and angry-looking moss draped from the twisted branches of the scraggly trees, softening their silhouettes into wisps of green and gray. The entire wetland hummed with the chorus of insects droning, the rustle of wind, and the cries of unseen creatures hidden amid the lush vegetation, some of which were audible even from the heights David was currently flying at as they were carried by the wind.

Ugh…okay. I need to get this over with. Here goes nothing.

David wheeled back around toward Claire’s position, descending rapidly as he simply closed his wings and allowed himself to fall. Despite the mix of emotions he couldn’t help but grin as he plummeted through the air, totally secure in his knowledge that he could do as he pleased in the air, even if that included falling like a rock. As the ground crept up towards him with steadily increasing speed, he extended his wings slowly and leveraged the dive into a burst of speed as he careened towards her. She looked up at him quizically, tilting her head in confusion as he continued to barrel down on her at ludicrous speeds without deviating his course even slightly. Her eyes widened when she recognized the game of chicken for what it was and hurriedly ducked low into the vegetation with a hiss of displeasure as he rocketed overhead before braking hard and laughing even harder.

“David, you shit!” Claire barked at him reproachfully, “You know you’d have just crumpled like a ball of tinfoil if I didn’t duck, right?”

“Yeah, I do actually.” David laughed as he circled to land on a large log protruding from the swamp a bit ahead of her before continuing.

“So I want to try and find the Area Boss on the way to the Observatory. I think maybe if we use these instincts instead of just letting them do whatever we could find it.” David chittered out rapidly as he perked his ears forward, “I kinda have a plan, but I need your sniffer. It’s a lot better than mine, and I can help get us in the right direction, I think I saw a few suspicious spots already.”

Claire stared at him blankly as she stood knee-deep in the murky water, mud-splattered bits of vegetation clinging to her sides, “Did you forget what happened last time we fought one or something? There’s only two of us, you idiot.”

“I realize that.” David scratched idly behind an ear as he cringed under her withering look, “I still think we can do it though. We just need to play to our strengths.”

“Mmmmm.” Claire hummed in a decidedly unconvinced tone, “I dunno. That Crusher almost killed Dallas, and we had a lot more people to deal with that one.”

“That’s true, but I think we handled it badly by trying to include everyone. I could have led all those little ones away, hit them with Gloom, then circled back and helped you fight it. Kai helped a little, but I’ve been thinking about it.” David launched into a rehearsed speech, “You did most of the damage to it, and I hit it with all my status effects. We could have done it with just us if we’d been more sure of ourselves. Dallas only got hurt because he ran in when I hurt myself trying to be an action hero again…”

Claire shook her head, “Honestly I don’t like it. I say we just keep going to the observatory, then come back and find it if you still want to. For all we know there’s another Area Boss on the mountain.”

Ah, shit. I never even considered that. I guess when we get out of the swamp it’s technically another ‘area’ isn’t it? Damn, why do I always rush into things like that? I need to learn to slow down, seriously.

“I…uh…I hadn’t considered that.” David muttered as he picked at the dried log beneath him with his claws.

“I figured you’d be chomping at the bit for more Quests by now.” Claire mused as she softened her gaze, “You were all about getting stronger only a few days ago…”

“Quests weren’t giving a lot of xp compared to what the Boss did.” David griped as he folded his ears down and sniffed at the scratches he’d made in the log, taking in the scents, “We’re really close to another Evolution, and there’s probably people like Viktor out there who already hit level fifteen because they aren’t stupid and shortsighted, just cruel.”

“...fuck, that’s actually a good point.” Claire rumbled after a moment’s troubled thought, “Okay, I’ll hear you out at least.”

David perked up, “You know how the city smelled weird? I know you could pick it up if I could. We could still smell it until we got heading in this direction, and the water started to move a little bit again. At first, I thought it was just how swamps smell with our new noses, but from the air, it’s pretty obvious.”

“What’s obvious?” Claire asked as she snapped idly at a large dragonfly with a scorpion's tail, causing it to buzz angrily and fly away.

“The swamp is dying.” David shrugged, “There’s a big ring of dead plants and stuff. It’s super easy to see from the air, but it’d probably be hard to find from the ground. I’d bet my wings that’s where it’s at, I can go check it out from the air if you want. I promise I won't even land this time, only a flyover. If there’s a boss there, I’ll get the warning popup and come back.”

“With your luck, it’ll be some sort of sniper and blast you out of the air…” Claire grumbled.

“We need the levels, and I’m sure you wouldn’t say no to another Fusion Token.” David put on his best puppy-dog eyes, “Plus there’s the bonus loot, we don’t know how long that’s going to last. It won’t even take that long, I swe-”

“Okay, fine!” Claire hissed with exasperation, “You obviously want to do it, so we can at least take a look. I guess I owe you one for…listening to me about Viktor.”

David braced for the guilt to hit, but it didn't surge as fiercely as he expected. The memory of Randal and the others splashing around the courtyard like joyous fools was still so fresh, and the satisfaction it had brought easily smothered any emerging self-doubts. Even his newly awoken instincts seemed to snort in derision at him, and he felt a tickle of superiority bubble in the back of his mind as if to say ‘Of course what we did was correct’.

He shook his head and let out a sigh of relief, his misgivings already fading along with the memories of their celebration as he refocused.

“Just a quick look around. I’m too worn out for anything dumb, probably for a while.” David unfurled his wings, “I’m pretty fast at a straight-shot. I’ll book it there, book it back, and we can decide if we want to give it a shot based on the name of it. ‘Buried Secrets’ was the Crusher right? The System gives you little hints.”

Claire nodded and allowed herself to sink into the swamp, settling into a crouch as she sighed in satisfaction when the cool waters rushed over her. David couldn’t help but think she looked like some sort of armored nightmare crocosaurus every time she got into the water, and made a mental note to ask her if she’d ever been offered any aquatic Evolutions or abilities as he flapped into the air.

“I’ll be right back!” He called down to her as she surreptitiously blew some bubbles with her snout.

“Well hurry up! I want to see if anyone at the Observatory saw anything when this all started, you know if there’s anyone there...” Claire grumbled as she watched him recede into the sky.

David powered above the sparse treetops and continued upward, burning Stamina as he wheeled back toward Redfield and then angled himself slightly to the north as he gained more altitude. He gradually grew more comfortable with the increasing height, acclimating to the gusty winds buffeting and tugging at him while he surfed the rowdy air currents.

The blight on the wetlands that slowly came into view after a short flight wasn't exceptionally large, but it formed a glaring blemish amid the lush scenery as David fixed his gaze upon it from a few hundred feet up. A sickly gray taint marred a section of the swamp as if some noxious substance had seeped into the soil and vegetation. The once-vibrant greens and blues had been leeched away, replaced by muted grays and sallow browns. Withered reeds and cattails drooped listlessly, their desiccated husks brittle and crumbling. What should have been pools of murky yet teeming marsh water now appeared viscous and stagnant, an oily sheen glistening on the surfaces.

The borders of the blighted zone were stark, the deadened flora transitioning abruptly into verdant life just paces away. It spread like a malignant stain, slowly encroaching upon the healthy wetlands until it hit a clearly a defined perimeter. Any creatures unlucky enough to nest or lair within that tainted area had surely perished - or worse, become warped by whatever had poisoned the land. The blight radiated an aura of danger and ruin, and his instincts roiled and hissed at the mere sight of it now that he was close enough to make out some of the details.

Before he’d even passed fully above it, the alarm blared in his mind.

–WARNING–

–Entering Area Boss Territory–

–Quest Available: Dead Silence–

–Reward: Fusion Token–

–Bonus Objective: Claim Boss Trophy–

–Reward: Special Evolution Bloodline–

David smiled to himself, happy that things were going the way he’d expected.