The child suddenly swelled to an enormous size. It easily surpassed five meters in height. As it grew, jet-black eyebrows and long hair sprouted, tangled and dirty, as if scorched. From the black lids attached to its forehead, stomach, and back, jagged obsidian carapace burst forth, covering it like armor.0

Even the surrounding air rippled and turned dark, as if the very mass of the atmosphere had changed. It wasn’t just a feeling. A thick, tangible black haze slowly emanated from it, wrapping around it.0

I had to crane my neck just to keep track of the thing as it continued to grow. The moment I fully registered the creature’s new form, the world shuddered.0

[Assimilation Rate has decreased.]0

[70.9%...]0

[Identifying output code.]0

And it wasn’t just from the black haze… How strange. The creature’s presence was overwhelmingly more powerful than before, but I felt no fear or the sense that I’d lose this fight. The confidence that had been shattered when I was pinned beneath its child form was surging back.0

The creature writhed and...0