novelraw Chapter 242: Monster Evolution Adventures
Chapter 242: Monster Evolution Adventures
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Louis was in trouble.
After he finished off a Martial Mantis, a male emerged, intent on mating with her. Enraged at the sight of its potential mate slain and torn to shreds, the creature attacked furiously. It charged forward and unleashed two powerful Crimson Sword Qi slashes with its giant scythes. The devastating attack sliced through the ground and dozens of trees across the forest before striking him.
BOOOM!
"Nnngghaa?!"
Louis let out a pained growl from his jaws as he crashed into the forest, smashing through a tree before landing on a pile of wood.
"Haaa… Ungh…"
His body was covered in two sharp slicing wounds, bleeding profusely.
"Cough…"
He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyes widening as he realized he had been caught off guard.
Now, what could he do to survive?
Escape?
Turn back to normal and kill this thing?
That seemed like the best way to deal with it, but…
Something deep within his Dragon Heart raged against the idea.
Was it his Pride as a Dragon, finally awakening inside him?
Or…
"Fucking hell…"
He stood up, still bleeding.
He looked at the remains of the mantis far away, his eyes narrowing.
The male mantis crawled toward him, making the ground tremble as it hissed furiously.
"Heh… bring it on."
Instead of cowardly turning back to his original form and killing this thing with a single slap, he decided to be bolder, to be like a dragon.
For once in his goddamned life.
CRASH!
CRASH!
CRASH!
He ran, dodging and leaping away from the giant scythes as they pierced the ground and sent boulders and stones flying everywhere.
"I have to get to her!"
He raced toward the mantis corpse as quickly as he could.
The hissing mantis roared furiously and unleashed another cutting wave.
"Shit!"
Using Telekinesis, he propelled himself away from the attack and dropped into the corpse.
SPLASH!
He fell into the pond of green blood and disgusting guts.
"Haaa… Eat!"
He pressed [Yes] and absorbed the corpse.
FLASH!
The corpse instantly turned into particles of light that merged with him.
Eating monsters did not just help him increase his evolution threshold.
It also healed minor injuries, restored vitality, and gave him more stamina and draconic energy.
And it could even, sometimes, help him gain a new skill or strengthen old ones.
Thus…
[You have consumed the Martial Mantis Corpse.]
Evolution Threshold ([0%]): 40% -> 70%
[The Skill: [Dragon Claw: Level 1] has Leveled up to Level 2!]
[You learned the Skill: [Nightmarish Roar: Level 1]: A horrifying cry that forces foes to endure nightmares and become confused and enraged, unable to think straight. It can cause debuffs if used for prolonged periods of time.]
"This better work!"
Louis inhaled as the giant mantis charged at him, its burning red aura swelling larger while it rushed forward in fury once it realized he had eaten its beloved.
And then…
"ROOAAARRR!"
Louis let out a mighty draconic roar that shook the surroundings and everything else!
RUMBLE!
Darkness suddenly engulfed the mantis' head and mind. Its movement stopped abruptly, and the beast crashed into the ground headfirst, rolling over.
"It worked?!"
Louis had not held much hope for it, but it seemed to be exactly what he needed to halt the monster's crazed rampage.
He ran toward the mantis and saw it struggling on the floor, groaning and foaming from its jaws as it endured horrifying nightmares.
"I have to kill this thing quickly!"
He channeled his Draconic Energy into his body and charged without a second thought. His claws grew up to three times their size as his body bulked up and became as muscular as it could.
"Dragon Claw!"
SLAASH! SLAASH! SLAASH!
Three sharp slashes cut through the mantis' head, beheading it on the spot. But the scythes moved to parry the other blows, sending him crashing into a tree.
CRASH!
"Ugh! Damn it!"
The mantis stood up without a head… now unaffected by the nightmares.
"Maybe I should have considered that…"
However, the mantis was silent and unable to find him. Lacking a head and hearing senses entirely, it could only smell through the pores on its skin that absorbed humidity from the air.
Thus, it began to slowly crawl around, looking completely creepy.
Louis clenched his teeth and quickly decided to do something drastic…
He grabbed a piece of the mantis flesh that had been left behind and threw it in front of the monster.
"…!"
The monster ran toward the piece of flesh and then, instead of attacking it, began thrusting its abdomen.
It was still attempting to mate… which was pitiful.
"I'll end your suffering."
Louis' eyes grew sharper. Using Telekinesis, he cannonballed himself toward the mantis, his claws digging into its torso all the way down to its lower abdomen.
SLAAASH!
A single, sharp attack with everything he had!
"…!"
The mantis collapsed to the ground, dead on the spot.
At long last…
"It's done…"
Ding!
[Congratulations, you have slain a [Martial Mantis (Male) – Rank 2: Peak Stage Martial Beast]!]
[You earned EXP. Your EXP has increased by 110%.]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Your [Dragon Hatchling – Level 21/30] has increased to Level 30/30!]
[An available corpse is in front of you.]
[Do you wish to devour the Martial Mantis Corpse?]
[Yes] [No]
Louis sighed in relief, leaning into the corpse and gasping for air. He was once more exhausted, having used all his energy reserves.
If something came to eat him now, it would be the end of him.
He quickly decided to devour the monster.
Like before, it turned into light and filled his belly.
And…
[You have consumed the Martial Mantis Corpse.]
Evolution Threshold ([0%]): 70% -> 100%
[The Skill: [Nightmarish Roar: Level 1] has Leveled up to Level 2!]
[You learned the Skill: [Cinderheart Pulse: Level 1]: By channeling Draconic Energy, periodically releases waves of flames and ashes that burn foes within range and heal self.]
[You can now Evolve! Do you wish to see available options?]
[Yes] [No]
"I can finally evolve," Louis sighed in relief. "With this, I could reach a new stage of my growth."
Louis pressed yes, and once again he was presented with more than three options this time—five.
[Evolution Options – Dragon Hatchling (Level 30/30)]
[Little Frostcale Dragon – Rank 2: Upper Stage]:
Evolution Paths: Medium.
Possible Skills: [Frostbite Aura] [Glacial Breath] [Crystal Scales] [Icicle Rain] [Freezing Touch]
Description: The evolution of the Frostcale Hatchling, what the Ice Dragon King once was as a child. Perfectly balanced between offense and speed, it evolves relatively fast and its abilities are useful all-around, with no apparent weakness. It has wings and can fly.
[Angel Dragon – Rank 3: Initial Stage]
Evolution Paths: Small.
Possible Skills: [Healing Light] [Holy Breath] [Mirror Scales] [Blessing] [Sanctification] [Exorcism]
Description: The evolution of the Little Holy Dragon, said to be a sacred beast in many countries. It possesses great healing abilities, a strong beam-like breath of light, and scales that can deflect magic. However, its evolution options are very limited due to maturing ahead of time. A form similar (although not the exact same) to what the Dragon King's eldest daughter, Benladra, took after being born. It has feathered wings and can fly relatively easily.
[White Dust Wyrm – Rank 2: Initial Stage]
Evolution Paths: Unlimited.
Possible Skills: [Dust of Purification] [White Breath] [Eye of the White Void] [Soul Wyrm Division]
Description: An evolution of the Ashen Ember Hatchling that has absorbed the radiance of light into its ashes, becoming pure white and constantly releasing dust as it flies. It has become a Wyrm, a serpentine dragon with four small wings. Rather agile but with weak defenses.
[Little Bone Dragon – Rank 2: Peak Stage]
Evolution Paths: Medium
Possible Skills: [Bone Armor] [Bone Absorption] [Wraith Summoning] [Skeleton Summoning] [Cursed Touch]
Description: An evolution of the Ashen Ember Hatchling that has embraced its bone-like appearance and gained the ability to absorb bones and channel more of the death aspect, being capable of calling for Wraiths to fight for it and become its familiars. A terrifying beast unable to fly.
[Phantasmal Scavenger – Rank 1: Peak Stage]
Evolution Paths: Unlimited
Possible Skills: [Phantasmal Aura] [Ghostly Touch] [Possession] [Spectral Roar] [Spectral Claw]
Description: An evolution of the Ashen Ember Hatchling that has embraced its connection with death and become a scavenger of the dead, capable of devouring both corpses and souls to grow even stronger. The weakest evolution, but also the one with the most potential, capable of evolving into completely malicious and demonic forms connected to Death.
"Hmm, there's more options now, so it's more complicated, huh?"
Louis thought about it for a while, considering his options. For a moment, he was very tempted to become an Angel Dragon and resemble his mother. It would be like a dream come true.
But at the same time, it would not really be him. It would not carry his identity after all; he would simply try to be like his mother.
So in the end, he discarded that idea and moved on to the other options. The Frostcale Dragon was the same, but like his grandfather, and Louis did not want to be like him either.
In the end, his focus went on the three unique evolutions that his current form could now achieve.
First of all, he immediately discarded the Little Bone Dragon. That would have been an evolution that would fit Zorba if he could ever turn dragon, but not him.
He quickly looked at the two other choices, which were more appealing, and found himself torn between them.
The White Dust Wyrm seemed the most mysterious, while the Phantasmal Scavenger looked rather direct in its approach and easy to guess what it could do.
Both had the best evolution options too…
"Death… is that really my element? It is one I use but… No, I suppose it is."
Louis smiled lightly as he recalled all the times he had died. Every time he did, those deaths became part of him, of who he was now, and what he had become.
However, the White Dust Wyrm also offered a completely new path, combining Ashes with Light… and from what he read in the skills, Void.
What could be his true path?
One of Light, Ashes, and Void, representing Hope, Regret, and Enlightenment?
Or one of Death, Ghosts, and Resentment, paved from all his deaths and those he had lost?
Which one?
Which one could define who "Louis Drakeheart" truly was?!
"LOUIS! WHERE ARE YOU?"
"…?!"
As Louis was deep in thought, he heard Mirai's voice coming from above. He panicked and quickly hid as he saw her descending into the middle of the destroyed forest area.
♢♢♢♢
Since Mirai had begun to cultivate, she had felt her powers growing disproportionately.
Every time she grew one Realm, her Spiral and everything else revealed more power.
The innate power sealed within her soul was also being slowly unsealed, revealing to her the truth about what might have been her origins.
She kept having dreams about a giant Red Demon and a Dark Gray Fairy staring at her. Sometimes her Incarnation would be by her side, helping her fight against strange monsters.
These monsters would appear within her Soul and attempt to devour her, so she would have to eat them back.
As she did this, slowly, her power would begin to unlock more and more, as if she was reclaiming it from someone else, or something else that possessed it.
Perhaps…
This entire time…
She had been eating "herself".
Indeed, the devilish curse that killed her parents at birth, the embodiment of the darkness that created her.
A sentient "power" that she had been fighting nonstop, and over time, overcoming, to an extent.
However, since Louis went into secluded cultivation, she had been feeling pretty lonely and wanted to be with him.
So when she learned he had finally walked out of his room, she ran to see him, only to find out he had run away somewhere else.
Out of nowhere, he sent a message telling everyone he was going to train in the wilderness and told them not to come with him.
This left some confused, but they continued with their trainings with their own sects… Zorba himself did not seem to mind either even though Mirai thought at least he would agree with her about this being ridiculous. The Necromancer was deep in his necromantic studies about improving his Rakshasa and melding them with alien technology.
Thus, Mirai was the only one that was furious that Louis was being so evasive and lonely!
She wanted to be with him!
Especially because, aside from these nightmares she wanted to talk to him about, she had been developing strange and bizarre powers.
Apparently, as Louis grew, these bonds they shared were also shared with her, and her Spiral started to grow distorted. There was now a new path within the darkness of the Spiral of Entropy, a bridge leading to a Realm of Demons.
This Realm of Demons was not just a dream. It was something that was developing inside of her Fantasy Heart the stronger she grew, and it was melding with the chaos, creating an utterly bizarre form.
Her Spiral of Entropy had been divided, and although she gained a lot of new abilities once she hit Tier 5, surprising her due to such fast growth…
She also obtained a strange ability that revealed to Mirai her true origins, something so important that she wanted to talk with Louis about it.
Thus, she flew off and started looking for him, but the weird thing was… it felt like he had disappeared completely.
His presence was nowhere to be found, not even a little.
He had vanished completely.
Thus, Mirai started looking for him using her scent, but even then, he was nowhere to be found.
"Did he leave?"
She had thought that for a moment, but could still feel their bond, and he was not outside of this Realm.
Mirai kept looking for him for two days, until she finally found something. Far away in the Misty Forest, monsters were rampaging the place.
And she went to look for him.
"LOOOOUIS! WHERE ARE YOUUUUUUU?"
She kept screaming his name, hoping that wherever he was hiding, he would eventually come out to greet her and everything.
They had just confessed their love for one another not too long ago!
So it felt nonsensical that he suddenly ran away to hide…
She was a little angry about it, truth be told.
Rustle, rustle…
And when she landed on the destroyed ground, she looked around, realizing there was a recent fight between monsters.
"Louis?"
She noticed something rustling behind a bush, and once she walked there, she saw something white-gray running.
It was around the size of a crocodile, but slim like an iguana.
"Eh? What's that cute thing?"
She ran toward it, and she was naturally much faster and stronger, easily catching it.
"Gotcha!"
She caught the little creature by the tail. As the creature squirmed in her hand, she chuckled.
"Heheh, who are you? You're cute—Eh?"
"Mirai! It's me! Let go of me!"
"…Eeeeh?!"
And out of nowhere, she heard the creature speaking to her telepathically with Louis' voice!
"LOUIS?!"
She let him fall to the ground as she gasped, seeing the large lizard explode into dust, and Louis… reappearing out of nowhere.
"Haaa… sorry, it was me."
"W-What?! W-Why were you… a cute lizard?!"
"It's complicated… let's talk."
"Huh? O-Okay…"
Both sat down next to a river and, while hearing the river, they talked about what Louis had been doing the last couple of days.
Mirai was shocked.
"Y-You gained a Draconic Rebirth Ability?! A-Amazing! So you could finally turn dragon?! I am so happy for youuuu!"
Mirai hugged him tightly and celebrated.
"Yeah, all my efforts have paid off, but there was a catch. I need to evolve from zero. And in the dragon form, I am weakened. I also have to kill things myself to grow stronger."
"Using only your dragon form? Well, that's troublesome…"
"It is… that's why I ran away and decided to focus on growing it until I couldn't anymore… I might have become hyper focused on only that. I'm sorry."
"Oh… well… I guess that's fine. It was your dream to be a dragon… I'm happy for you, Louis."
Mirai held his hand and smiled warmly, making Louis feel relieved she was not mad at him.
"However… it was still very mean! Why did you leave me all alone?! And just after you confessed your love for me, we've barely had any lovey-dovey time together!" she said. "Also, are we even in a relationship?! W-We confessed our feelings but I see no attempt on your part to even solidify that!"
"…Sorry," Louis said. "I… well, I am not good with these things."
"Me neither but… but you have to try… you know…" Mirai said, fidgeting with her hair while growing red and embarrassed. "A-Anyway! If you're going to hunt around here, can't I accompany you? I can help you by weakening the monsters and then you take them down, right?"
"No, that's not the right path of the dragon. I cannot let someone make it easy for me," said Louis. "I must do it myself… that's why I wanted to go away on my own, so you or the rest won't interfere, nor stay looking at me, creating a sense of safety. I want to risk my life and die if I have to. This is the only way."
"…Louis, that's too extreme," she sighed.
"It's my path, Mirai… even if I love you, I cannot leave it aside. It is who I am," said Louis. He was not going to change his mind.
"Oh… well…" Mirai looked at her status, and at a certain Tier 5 Spiral Ability she had gained. "I actually… well, I kind of have something similar to you."
"…What?" Louis was shocked. "You do?"
"Yep, it's called… [Demon Rebirth]," she said. "Unlike yours, it turns me into… a demon egg!"
"…What?!" Louis was shocked. "Really? And it…"
"Yeah it weakens me. I only have like 1% of my real stats and all of that… like yours," Mirai said. "Isn't that amazing? It's like we're truly connected… it appeared when our bonds strengthened."
"I see… perhaps I must have influenced your Spiral…" said Louis. "Do you have a dual spiral now?"
"Yeah! It somehow grew into two…" she nodded.
"I see, so it's as I feared," Louis rubbed his chin. "Well, can't you try using it? If that's true, we're equal in power or maybe you'll be even weaker… if that's the case, I would be fine with teaming up. We would both be weak monsters trying to level up and evolve together."
"Oh! Like a date with extra steps?!" Mirai was excited.
"I… well, if you want to think about it like that, be my guest," Louis laughed. "So you're an egg? What can you do as one?"
"A-Ah, it's embarrassing…" she muttered nervously.
"It's fine, I went through the same," said Louis.
"And you managed to kill something as an egg?!" she gasped.
"Yeah, I used low level magic and my psychic abilities," Louis explained.
"Wow, that's cheating!" she laughed. "But I guess that works… Um, okay, wait here."
Mirai walked toward the grass and then activated the Ability.
In a minute, she turned into a burning flame, which then compressed into a one-meter-tall red egg covered in scale armor and spikes.
It looked a lot tougher than his egg form.
"Wow, you're way tougher than me, huh?" Louis wondered.
"E-Eh? Am I?" she wondered, her voice echoing inside the eggshell. "T-This is sooooo weird!"
"It is," Louis nodded. "Come on now, I'll teach you how to move."
Louis turned into his Dragon Form and taught Mirai how to roll around. With his help, both wandered deep into the forest.
Mirai was a professional yapper and would not stop talking about literally anything that came to mind, making this entire thing way less stealthy than it should have been.
Nonetheless, with his augmented smell senses, Louis found out a sizable prey for her to kill.
It was a "Yin Rat", a black rat with burning ghostly eyes, a Tier 1 Martial Beast, perfect for Mirai to take down.
"I will stop it from escaping. Mirai, you smash it with your eggshell."
"O-Ok!"
The plan went perfectly. Mirai rolled down the hill, and as the rat panicked, Louis appeared behind it and kicked it with his dragon claw skill channeled on his hind legs.
The rat flew right in front of Mirai. Unable to escape, it was crushed to death.
CRASH!
"Wohoo! We did it! This is amazing teamwork!"
"Hahaha, I suppose."
"I leveled up! Oh wow, I'm Level 10! I can evolve! Oh wow, there's evolution options?! What do I choose?"
"Hmm, so it's the same… I don't know, depends what you want to become, Mirai."
"What… I want to become? How did you go about it, Louis?"
"I decided the evolution option that most suited my own identity, instead of trying to chase after the identities of my mother or my grandfather."
"I see…" Mirai said. "Well, my options are Devilish Imp, Little Chaos Spirit, and… Infernal Entropy Spawn."
"Hmmm… the first two options are clear divisions of your powers, one represents your demonic powers, the other your chaos element," Louis said. "You should go for the third option. It sounds bizarre, but it says it has the best evolution options, right?"
"It does… okay!" she said. "I'll go for that, thanks for the suggestion. I hope I don't look weird…"
Mirai selected the evolution option and evolved. It did not even take a full minute before she broke out of her egg, flames and darkness oozing out.
And once she emerged, her form was…
She had no form.
"Hm?"
Louis saw what would have been the egg yolk slowly moving out of the egg. She had no form at all and was a large mass of black liquid with a red egg yolk, which was also like a giant eye.
It glared at Louis, and Mirai wiggled a pair of black tentacles.
"Eeeeh! Why am I so small? What happened—Gyaaaaahhh!"
She screamed once she realized she was a giant moving black slime with a big red eye.
"Don't look at me! I'm so ugly! Uuuuhh! Why! Buaaahh!"
Her big red eye started crying big tears, but Louis smiled and walked toward her.
"It's okay Mirai, it's just your first form. I am sure you will evolve into greater and stronger forms," Louis said, patting her viscous body.
"Really? Do you still love me even when I am a hideous creature?" she asked, her big eye giving him puppy-eyed looks.
"Yes, I do," Louis showed his honest love for her, which clearly went beyond just physical attraction.
"E-Even if I was a worm?" she asked.
"Yeah," he nodded.
"A-And even if I was a little sea urchin too?" she wondered.
"…Sure, why are you asking these questions?" Louis tilted his cute little head.
"Loooouissss!" Mirai cried with her big eye, hugging Louis by wrapping her body around him.
"Ugh…! Mirai you're crushing me—Agh, you're strong!" Louis cried.
"O-Oh! S-Sorry!" Mirai quickly unwrapped herself from him. "Um… I guess this is the spawn form…"
"Yeah," said Louis. "Actually, I already reached max level myself, so I was going to evolve again… I am torn between two evolutions… maybe you can help me decide, like I helped you. That way it would be fair."
"R-Really? You're leaving me such an important decision?" Mirai asked. "But I am a clumsy and dumb girl, unlike you, someone smart… is it fine?"
"Hahah, you may be clumsy sometimes, but you're not dumb. You're strong and smart, Mirai," Louis said with a warm and loving voice. "You're the one that dragged me out of despair and gave me the strength to continue forward… and now, here we are, together again."
"Louis… sniff, sniff…" she cried. "Okay…!"
Louis shared his two evolution options with her, and Mirai nodded, thinking about it for a moment.
"The power of Death seems the strongest," she said. "But at the same time it's a lower rank? Huh, I guess it has more potential overall? But that isn't always the best either… it also seems to deal a lot with the dead. I like the other, the White Dust Wyrm. I think it sounds cute! And… Um, well, light is a nice element. It contrasts with mine, as I am forced to wield chaos and demonic elements even if I don't want… you're lucky to even have an option, hehe."
"I see…" Louis smiled warmly. "Because it might be cute, huh?"
"A-Ah, I mean…"
"No, it's fine. I like that reason. I will follow your recommendation blindly, the same way you did for mine," said Louis. "Would this show you that I care for you?"
"Louis… I guess so, hehe…" she wiggled her tentacles and seemed embarrassed.
Louis was decided and chose that evolution option at the end.
[You have chosen the [White Dust Wyrm – Rank 2: Initial Stage] Evolution Option.]
[Are you sure? Once chosen, the choice is permanent and you cannot go back.]
[Yes] [No]
Louis pressed [Yes] without hesitation.
FLASH!
"Ugh?!"
His body suddenly started to evolve. He felt his bones breaking and then restructuring themselves, followed by him shedding his heavily armored scales.
His body and tail grew longer, and suddenly four new limbs sprouted from his body—wings, four of them at once.
"Ahh!"
Once the white light faded, Louis opened his golden eyes amidst a rain of white ashes, each ash made of light, not really dust.
He was larger, stronger, and rather majestic. He had grown as big as a car now, with a long and beautiful body, four wings, long arms with sharp claws, and jaws with sharp fangs.
He also had a pair of golden horns growing from his head.
"Wooow! So majestic!" said Mirai. "You're so beautiful, Louis!"
"Is that so?" Louis wondered. "Hmm, I do feel… stronger."
Ding!
[Congratulations, you have successfully evolved into the [White Dust Wyrm – Rank 2: Initial Stage]!]
[Your Draconic Essence has increased by +1000.]
[Your Vitality has increased by +800.]
[Your Strength has increased by +400.]
[Your Dexterity has increased by +400.]
[Your Magic has increased by +600.]
[The Skill: [Fragile Shell: Level 4] has Leveled up to Level 6!]
[The Skill: [Ice Dragon/Heaven Dragon Bloodline: Level 2] has Leveled up to Level 3!]
[The Skill: [Grandson of the Dragon King: Level 2] has Leveled up to Level 3!]
[The Skill: [Fragile Illusion: Level 2] has Leveled up to Level 3!]
[The Skill: [Dragon Claw: Level 2] has Leveled up to Level 3!]
[The Skill: [Nightmarish Roar: Level 2] has Leveled up to Level 3!]
[The Skill: [Cinderheart Pulse: Level 1] has Leveled up to Level 2!]
[You learned the Skill: [White Breath: Level 1]: Channel the purest whiteness within the bright void of light to strike foes with a powerful beam-like attack produced from your jaws. Incredibly fast and capable of piercing defenses the more Draconic Energy is used.]
"I got the White Breath Skill right away. I suppose this is good for now," Louis nodded, checking his new status.
[Young Dragon – Level 30/60]
[Current Form]: [White Dust Wyrm – Rank 2: Initial Stage]
[Skills]:
[Fragile Shell: Level 6]: Your Eggshell is very fragile and may easily shatter. Increases Movement Speed by 30% in exchange for Defense.
[Ice Dragon/Heaven Dragon Bloodline: Level 3]: You possess a double dragon bloodline, capable of having a wide array of learnable skills and evolution paths.
[Grandson of the Dragon King: Level 3]: You're the Dragon King's grandson. Finally awakening your dragon self, you receive his natural blessing. Increases EXP earned by 120% and Skill Level Proficiency earned by 220%.
[Fragile Illusion: Level 3]: When your health drops to zero, your body can shatter into ash and reform once per day, leaving behind a decoy illusion.
[Dragon Claw: Level 3]: The most basic attack skill that any dragon, small or big, learns at some point. Deals damage based on Strength stat and can allow the claws to grow longer and sharper when activated alongside Draconic Energy.
[Nightmarish Roar: Level 3]: A horrifying cry that forces foes to endure nightmares and become confused and enraged, unable to think straight. It can cause debuffs if used for prolonged periods of time.
[Cinderheart Pulse: Level 2]: By channeling Draconic Energy, periodically releases waves of flames and ashes that burn foes within range and heal self.
[White Breath: Level 1]: Channel the purest whiteness within the bright void of light to strike foes with a powerful beam-like attack produced from your jaws. Incredibly fast and capable of piercing defenses the more Draconic Energy is used.
Louis felt satisfied.
He was growing.
He was developing as a dragon!
And it felt amazing.
Each skill made him feel more "dragon-like" than any other fake ability, spell, or cultivation method he had ever used before.
And the more Draconic Energy he gained, the stronger he felt, and the more he felt like his power could rise.
It was far from catching up with his real self, but he was getting there… step after step.
And he could feel something within him. His three cores, which remained dormant in his dragon form, were now absorbing this draconic energy.
Growing.
Eventually, Louis was sure… he might be able to combine everything together.
But for now…
"It's getting late. We should probably rest for now," he said.
"Do we return to the palace?" Mirai asked.
"What? No, we're resting here, living in nature," Louis said. "Are you hungry?"
"Ah, no, I had a big meal before coming…" Mirai said.
"Then let's find somewhere to rest," Louis said.
Louis led Mirai toward a small burrow and both rested together.
Mirai was experiencing a lot of new things, especially her new body shape and everything, but she was happy as long as he was with her.
…
Slowly, she opened her eye to the music of birds singing in the trees. The mist had faded away in the morning, and she found herself alone in the burrow.
"L-Louis?"
She slowly moved out of the burrow, still not completely used to moving with her new and bizarre body. To her relief, she found Louis outside.
He was training.
Constantly using his Low-Level Spells to see how far he could push them, lifting objects with his telekinesis, and also learning how to fly with his four wings.
At the same time, there were three Yin Rat corpses in front of the burrow that he had likely hunted earlier.
"Good morning…" she said timidly.
"Ah, Mirai, good morning," Louis yawned, revealing his jaw full of sharp fangs. "I hunted those rats. I have already eaten one. Do you want the rest?"
"All for me? Really?" she asked. "Wait… ew, how am I eating this?"
"Just try," Louis said.
"…" Mirai slowly moved over one and then the rat dissolved in seconds. "Oh! I didn't know this was even a thing…"
Slowly, she ate a second and left the third to Louis. "Thank you. You can have this."
"Hm," Louis nodded, descending and then showing her how he absorbed them. The entire process surprised her.
After hunting four Yin Rats, Louis had leveled up by four levels, one level per rat, and by absorbing two, his Evolution Threshold had increased from 0 to 10%.
5% per rat was generous, though it might decrease over time, or perhaps not.
"Are you ready to depart? We're moving to the Yin Swamp. There's a lot of Yin Rats there."
"Yin Swamp? I had no idea you knew the whole place. We overlooked all of this before, but it's really a vast and beautiful world."
"It's a gigantic island surrounded by a calm sea, so yeah, it's huge. The five sects only occupy 5% of the entire territory. We have not even explored it all, so let's move."
"Yeah! But, uh, I am quite slow."
"Leap on my back. I will bring you along."
"Oh? Okay!"
Mirai was happy as she leaped onto Louis' back and he flew. His flight, to not waste energy, was not the best, only reaching around the tree branches.
However, it was good enough to help him avoid predators that might ambush him from the back.
Though, at the same time, it brought predators seeking from the sky.
"CRYAAAA!"
"Louis!"
"I know."
CRAAASH!
As a cry echoed from above, a giant creature descended at lightning speed, spreading its enormous, feathered wings.
Its sharp claws smashed the ground where Louis was hovering seconds before. Its sharp red eyes stared at him.
It was a Rank 2 Peak Stage Martial Beast!
"Warrior Eagle…"
It was a gigantic, car-sized eagle with red-gold feathers and sharp crimson eyes. Its talons were three times as big as they should have been for an eagle its size.
They were packed with muscles, sharp and tough scales, and even sharper and longer claws, capable of tearing the ground with a single strike.
"CRYAH!"
The bird leaped toward them and used its giant wings to propel itself toward Louis at incredible speeds, releasing an immense gust of winds that blew away plants and made trees tremble.
FLASH!
Its giant, sharp beak aimed at Louis' neck, but Louis greeted the beast with a White Breath, blasting its face into the ground.
BOOOM!
Louis quickly rushed after it, firing dozens of Icicle Spears and piercing the monster's wings with them, and then aiming for the chest.
However.
"CRYAAAAH!"
The giant eagle let out a furious cry, releasing sonic waves that pushed Louis away, making his entire body tremble in pain.
"Ugh, Mirai, are you alright?"
"I'm fine! Uh, do I help?"
"Sure, stay with me though. If it catches you at your level, you're done for."
"I know! I'll assist you!"
Mirai swiftly began conjuring Demonic Fireballs, bombarding the eagle as it tried to stand back up and burning its feathers.
"CRYYYAA!"
The eagle let out another cry of supersonic energies, clashing against Louis' Telekinetic barrier and shattering before sending him hurling and crashing down.
CRASH!
The Warrior Eagle slowly stood up, bleeding. It leaped toward Louis, kicking his chin and then giving him another kick in the neck, sending him pummeling into the ground.
BAAAAM!
A small crater formed beneath him as he hatefully glared at the eagle, who was smiling smugly as if it had already won.
However.
"Chaos Laser!"
Mirai concentrated her energy in her eye, activating her new skill, Chaos Laser, and firing a laser of concentrated chaos energy from her red eye.
BOOOM!
"Gyyaarrrck?!"
The eagle let out an agonizing cry. The beam was strong enough to pierce a hole through its chest, making it vomit blood and collapse onto the ground.
"Did that do it?!" Mirai was happy.
"No!"
However, Martial Beasts were formidable and enduring!
Even as they were pierced with holes, they would stand back up and…
"GROOAR!"
Letting out a beast-like roar, the eagle sharply raised its claws and aimed them at Louis. The eagle's aura surged with all its qi at once.
A last attempt at winning!
Louis, however, had no plans of losing.
"ROOAAARRR!"
He let out a monstrous cry, making the eagle stop moving as its eyes turned deep black. The creature convulsed on the ground and vomited blood.
However, it quickly began to regain its senses.
The Nightmare Roar seemed to be effective for only a couple of seconds!
Enough for Louis to strike it with his Dragon Claws, unleashing a dozen attacks!
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
The eagle, unable to defend, was quickly covered with sharp, deadly, and bleeding slashing wounds everywhere.
"GRYACK!"
With one last attempt at fighting, the Warrior Eagle swung its sharp beak and attempted to strike Louis' skull.
If it did, it would likely break his skull and shatter it!
However.
"Cinderheart Pulse!"
Activating another of his skills, he unleashed a powerful shockwave, a pulse of flames and ashes, blowing the monster away and burning it.
Ding!
[Congratulations, you have slain a [Warrior Eagle – Rank 2: Peak Stage Martial Beast]!]
[You earned EXP. Your EXP has increased by 120%.]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Your [Young Dragon – Level 35/60] has increased to Level 41/60!]
[An available corpse is in front of you.]
[Do you wish to devour the Warrior Eagle Corpse?]
[Yes] [No]
Louis managed to get six levels out of that, which was pretty good. It also felt nice for him to fight alongside Mirai like this, and she seemed happy as she had leveled up plentifully.
They divided the corpse, and both had one half each.
[You have consumed the Warrior Eagle Corpse.]
Evolution Threshold ([0%]): 10% -> 30%
[The Skill: [Nightmarish Roar: Level 3] has Leveled up to Level 4!]
[You learned the Skill: [Dust of Purification: Level 1]: Channel Holy White Light and Ashes together to create a rain of purifying dust over a designated area. The dust has the ability to heal over time and cure the targets from most status effects, while also offering temporary protection against a wide range of elements such as Curse, Death, Phantom, Ghost, Darkness, and more. The more Draconic Energy is used, the greater the range and effects.]
"Did you get a new Skill?" Mirai wondered. "I didn't…"
"Yeah, I got a healing skill. This is useful right now. My jaws… that thing broke them," sighed Louis as he rested on the ground and healed himself slowly. "Haaa…"
"Hmm… it's refreshing!" Mirai stuck together with him. "Was I of help?"
"Yeah, with you the battle went a lot faster than I imagined. Thank you," Louis nodded.
After they rested for some time, they continued their journey ahead.
After hunting some small monsters such as Yin Rats and Horned Mountain Rabbits, earning a few more levels and evolution threshold, the duo finally reached their destination.
The treacherous Yin Swamp, bubbling with black, miasma-like water and filled with a dark, poisonous mist.
If they wanted to level up fast, they had to hunt the strong beasts that lived here.
And among these beasts were…
"ROOOAAARRR!"
SPLASH!
The swamp shook. The moment they got close to it, a giant crocodile leaped out, snapping its massive jaws at them.
Seeing how they managed to escape its jaws, the crocodile did not make any attempt to chase. It remained in its place, doing nothing but staring in silence.
"Is that a croco?" Mirai asked.
"Yeah, a strong one," Louis saw an axe-shaped horn on its head.
It was a Rank 2, Peak Stage Axe-Horned Crocodile.
In case it were to get attacked, it would use its horn dexterously to cut foes!
Many Cultivators feared this monster despite it being fairly weak because it could surprise them and take their lives when they lowered their guard.
"How are we dealing with it?"
"Spam magic."
"Ok!"
Seeing how the creature just stood there, Louis and Mirai bombarded it with magic.
Icicle Spears pierced its body and froze it.
Chaos Lasers left gaping, bleeding holes through it.
And Cinderheart Pulses burned it!
The monster roared angrily and gave chase afterward, but it had sustained so much damage it died trying to attack them.
"Wow, that was easy!" Mirai celebrated.
"Not every battle is going to be a struggle. It means we're getting strong as monsters," Louis said confidently.
Ding!
[Congratulations, you have slain a [Axe-Horned Crocodile – Rank 2: Peak Stage Martial Beast]!]
[You earned EXP. Your EXP has increased by 120%.]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Your [Young Dragon – Level 43/60] has increased to Level 47/60!]
[An available corpse is in front of you.]
[Do you wish to devour the Axe-Horned Crocodile Corpse?]
[Yes] [No]
Louis and Mirai shared the corpse between the two, filling their bellies and becoming full of energy afterward.
[You have consumed the Axe-Horned Crocodile Corpse.]
Evolution Threshold ([0%]): 45% -> 60%
Although Louis gained nothing else, Mirai's big eye gleamed brightly.
"Ooohh! I hit max level! And I learned another Skill. It's called Demonic Curse."
"Sounds strong. What are you going to evolve into?"
"Hmm…"
Mirai checked her evolution options, and from what she told Louis, they were Vile Imp, Chaos Spirit Larvae, Demonic Worm of Entropy, Shadow Devil, and Shoggoth.
"I kind of want to become humanoid. I don't like this form so much," she said.
"Yeah, I can tell you don't like it…" Louis nodded. "Hm, well this is a little complicated. I wonder what you want to aim for?"
"My own uniqueness!" she said with her gleaming eye. "Like you!"
"Then… the ones with the best evolution paths are the Shadow Devil and the Shoggoth, so choose," Louis said.
"Shoggoth sounds strong as it is only one name, but it's an ugly, tentacled thing… I don't like that. I think I will go for Shadow Devil," Mirai said.
FLAAASH!
The moment she chose that class, her entire body mutated as shadows encompassed her completely.
From within, the silhouette of a woman emerged…
Or rather, of a small woman?
Or… not?
"…"
Louis raised one scaled eyebrow as he saw Mirai emerging from the darkness.
She was made of shadows and deep within the shadows, perhaps the same flowing liquid she was made of before.
The shadows served as a skin covering her body, which took upon a small humanoid silhouette.
She had long hair made of shadows, two blank, white-colored eyes, and no other features.
She was almost completely black like the night, if it were not for a few white dots across her pitch-black body, resembling far-away stars.
"Oh, I did evolve…"
She also had a small black horn on her forehead.
"I became… a being made of shadows? Well, at least I am not ugly anymore…"
"Shadow Devils… huh? I guess that's what they look like. Any new ability?"
"I obtained something called Shadow Movement… it's not like the spell. It's like better, I think."
"Good. Let's advance through the swamp. You can move over the surface, right?"
"I can!"
Mirai tested it and she could.
Thus, without further ado, both walked into the swamp, braving the wild and dangerous land.
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