As he crawled along in his violet mass form, he couldn’t help but ask:

  “Hey… would you mind if I gave you a name?”

  “No. If it makes things easier for you, you may name me,” the voice replied calmly.

  “Great… how about ‘Zero’?”

  “I do not mind how you call me. But may I ask why you chose that name?” Zero asked.

  “Well… when I was a kid, I had a robot toy and I named it Zero. It was a robot that could talk and say random phrases. And… you remind me a bit of him,” he explained, with a hint of nostalgia.

  “I understand. If you wish, you may call me Zero from now on.”

  “Yeah… I’m counting on you, Zero.”

  They continued moving for a while until they reached the edge of a lake.

  “It’s strange… I don’t feel hungry or thirsty,” he said, puzzled.

  “That is because of your current phase, sir. You lack the need to eat or drink until you obtain a higher form,” Zero explained calmly.

  “A higher form?” he asked, curious.

  “The base form of shapeshifters is weak. For that reason, monsters consider them inferior creatures,” Zero clarified.

  “I see…” he murmured thoughtfully.

  There was a brief silence before Zero spoke again.

  “Sir… you gave me a name, but you yourself do not have one.”

  “I don’t have a name?” he repeated, surprised.

  “No. Or rather… you do not remember it,” Zero said.

  “That’s strange… I know I had one, but I can’t recall it…” he said, closing his “eyes”—or whatever passed for eyes in that form—trying to search his memory.

  “Why don’t you choose one, like you did with me?” Zero suggested.

  “Hmm… nothing comes to mind,” he replied, a bit uncomfortable.

  “Would you like me to search for commonly used names in this world?” Zero proposed.

  “You can do that?” he asked, surprised.

  “I can consult the Encyclopedia skill to obtain various types of data,” Zero explained.

  “I see… then yes, please. Find me some names from this world,” he said, straightening himself slightly as Zero began the search.

  After a short wait, Zero spoke again.

  “Search complete. Four names have been found that may suit you.”

  “Only four?” he asked, somewhat surprised.

  “Lynor, Velt, Aeron, and Rael,” Zero listed in a neutral tone.

  “Hmm… I think I like Velt… Yes, that one. Velt,” he decided.

  “Understood. From now on, I will address you as ‘Sir Velt,’” Zero replied.

  Velt continued crawling for a while longer until something caught his attention.

  “Damn… what is this feeling?” Velt said, sensing something like a chill.

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  “Warning: traces of nearby monsters detected,” Zero reported.

  “Monsters? But… you said they wouldn’t bother me if I’m a monster too, right?” Velt asked, uneasy.

  “Some monster species may devour you or capture you as a pet if they find you,” Zero replied calmly.

  “Shit… that’s not good,” Velt muttered.

  Before he could think further, he noticed something lying on the ground.

  “What is that?” he said, approaching cautiously.

  When he saw it clearly, he opened his “eyes” wide—or as wide as he could.

  “No way…” he whispered.

  In front of him lay a corpse.

  “Damn… normally I’d be throwing up right now…” Velt said, suppressing his disgust.

  “Warning,” Zero suddenly interrupted. “Fresh human DNA detected.”

  “Yeah, I can see that… it’s dead right in front of me…” Velt said, swallowing nervously despite having no throat.

  “But… I don’t know… it’s dead… This won’t harm me or anything, right?” he asked hesitantly.

  “According to my analysis, it has not been dead for long. Estimated time: approximately one day,” Zero replied precisely.

  “Damn… I’m going to feel awful… but if I consume this… could I obtain a human form?” Velt asked.

  “Confirmed,” Zero answered.

  “Well… here goes nothing…” Velt murmured.

  The violet mass spread out, covering the corpse. Within minutes, nothing remained but the clothes and a few belongings. Flesh, bones—everything had completely disappeared.

  Afterward, Velt muttered awkwardly:

  “Do I really have to do this every time I want to obtain DNA?”

  “Confirmed. Thanks to the Devourer skill, you may acquire DNA from any species by consuming flesh, blood, or any organic tissue,” Zero explained.

  “I see… so can I take human form now?” Velt asked nervously.

  “Confirmed. The user possesses human DNA. Analysis indicates it belonged to a young male, approximately seventeen years old,” Zero replied.

  “What was someone that young doing in a forest like this…?” Velt wondered aloud.

  “Processing… most likely an adventurer,” Zero answered.

  “An adventurer… I guess the monster traces you detected earlier were from him, right?”

  “Confirmed. Cause of death appears to be combat with kobold-type monsters,” Zero confirmed.

  “I see… well, I want to get out of here as soon as possible. Can you turn me human?” Velt asked.

  “Certainly. However, before that, do you wish to combine the obtained DNA with the welcome gift?” Zero asked.

  “Welcome gift? What’s that?”

  “A unique skill granted to you during preparation,” Zero explained.

  “I see… then yes. Combine it and then transform me into a human,” Velt ordered.

  “Understood. Combining obtained DNA with the unique skill ‘Master of Genetics’… Combination complete. Initiating transformation from base form to human form.”

  As Zero spoke, the violet mass twisted and mutated, gradually taking on a humanoid shape.

  “Transformation complete. Human form acquired and stored in the DNA registry,” Zero announced.

  Without wasting time, Velt approached the nearest water source and looked at his reflection.

  What he saw left him speechless: a white-haired boy with a youthful face, appearing around sixteen or seventeen years old.

  “Wow… this is amazing. I like it,” he said, touching his face. “Though… it’s younger than I expected…”

  Then he noticed something that made him jump.

  “Ah, shit… I don’t have any clothes!” he exclaimed, covering himself despite being alone.

  “I suggest using the clothing left by the corpse,” Zero said calmly.

  Velt turned and saw the clothes on the ground: a slightly loose shirt, trousers with a belt, and worn boots.

  “Well… it’s not like I have many options,” he said resignedly as he dressed.

  A few minutes later, he was fully clothed.

  “The shirt’s a bit big, the boots are uncomfortable… but at least the belt keeps the pants up,” he commented.

  Zero spoke again.

  “I suggest collecting the belongings and leaving immediately. Now that you have a human form, monsters may mistake you for an ordinary adventurer.”

  Velt nodded and checked the bundle left behind. Inside, he found a dagger, several coins, brightly colored stones, some hard bread, and a map.

  “Well… at least we have a guide,” he said, unfolding the map.

  He studied it for a while, then frowned.

  “Hmm… I don’t understand anything… Where exactly am I?” he murmured. He could read, but had never used a map before.

  Then Zero spoke with urgency.

  “Warning: monsters detected nearby. Immediate retreat recommended. More than fifty entities detected.”

  “More than fifty!?” Velt panicked.

  He gathered everything he could and muttered:

  “Well… I think that’s enough for today. Let’s get out of here.”

  And he ran, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the area before it was too late.