A day passed after the ogre fight. Damien had rested, devoured most of the ogre's remains (gross but effective), and gained more strength. Now at Level 7, he felt lighter, faster, and his core was slightly denser. The forest, once full of danger, seemed quieter now.
> "Notification: Trait [Minor Predator] acquired. Lesser monsters will now instinctively avoid you."<
"That'll make grinding harder, but… I guess I'm climbing the food chain."
He bounced through the forest, scanning for new prey, but something else caught his attention—a strange scent in the air. Not of blood or beasts, but… stone? Dust?
Following it led him to a cracked cliffside hidden behind thick vines. He pushed through and found a narrow passage, half-buried in rubble. It looked like an old structure—half-ruined, long forgotten by time.
> "Warning: Unknown structure detected. Analysis… Incomplete. Fragmented data suggests high magical concentration."<
"So basically, dangerous but probably useful," Damien muttered. "Let's go."
He slid inside.
It was dark, quiet, and oddly cold. Glowing moss lit the path, revealing carvings along the walls—images of beasts, monsters, and strange humanoid figures kneeling before a giant flame.
In the center of the chamber was an altar, and on it… a cracked crystal orb.
> "Analysis: Ancient Beast Contract Orb – Broken. Cannot bind creatures, but contains residual knowledge."<
"Wait, this is from that early side-quest arc!" Damien realized. "The main character visits this shrine years later and learns about spirit-taming here…"
> "Timeline deviation confirmed: Shrine visited 10 years too early."<
Damien slithered up the altar and touched the orb.
> "Download Initiated: Skill Fragment – [Beast Sense – Incomplete]"
"Trait Obtained: Beast Resonance I (Dormant)"<
A rush of information flooded him. How to feel animal instincts, how to understand emotional auras, and glimpses—brief glimpses—of what would later become beast-taming skills.
> "Warning: Learning beast-taming mechanics before timeline's intended point may have unknown consequences."<
Damien didn't care.
"If I'm stuck as a slime, I need every advantage I can get."
As he backed away from the altar, something else pulsed behind the chamber—an old sealed door, half-rotten.
"I'll check that later."
For now, Damien retreated from the shrine. But he knew something had changed. The forest… felt different. Like something had noticed him.
---
Meanwhile…
In the palace city of Harlon, a young noble sat in silence in a vast library. His eyes were closed, fingers twitching. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
"A ripple…"
An old butler nearby paused. "Young master?"
The boy smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"A piece of fate just moved… something awakened far too early."
---
Back to Damien…
Level 7. A new trait. An ancient skill fragment. And a looming question.
"If I just unlocked something ten years too early… what else can I change?"
---