Second Evolution
Waaaah!
This wasn't childish whining.
It was the sound effect of bravely biting into the Chimera's body.
I felt my venom glands tighten.
I had injected the neurotoxin stored in my venom glands to its limit.
Now they're completely empty.
"Quaack!"
The Chimera spewed blood everywhere.
Despite this, it still moves quickly.
It's really tough.
Well, just looking at its size, it seems bigger than an elephant.
If we measured its weight, it would easily exceed tons.
Moreover, I recently became certain of something.
Between a rabbit with Poison Resistance lv3 and Mother Medusa with Poison Resistance lv2, who would be more resistant to poison?
The answer is what intuitively comes to mind.
Of course, Mother Medusa would be stronger. She wouldn't even flinch at most deadly poisons.
Skills are certainly meaningful, but they're not 'everything'.
There's an effect of physical size.
It's natural that a Zealot's Slash lv1 is stronger than a mantis's Slash lv10.
And what should I call it, the constitution, or the rank of the magical beast is also important.
For example, even though I'm a lowly poisonous snake, I've been resistant to poison since I was young.
In that respect, that Chimera can't be underestimated either.
Didn't they say it has dragon lineage?
Pelerian wouldn't have mixed in dragon blood just for show.
There must be some kind of effect.
Pababak!
The creature's intact leg dances a deadly dance trying to stamp me to death.
A human body would be easily sliced like butcher's meat by that leg.
But I am small.
Still only as thick as a baby's arm.
No matter how it swings those huge legs, they won't reach me.
Ack!
My tail got slightly pinched.
I'm bleeding.
I was already concentrating, but now I focused even more.
Using acceleration, I dodge the legs and enter inside the creature's body.
Like this...
Kuung!
As expected.
Its legs got tangled and it fell.
It might have been different originally, but I've already cut off three of its legs.
Good, now that it's fallen, I just need to set it on fire.
Oh!
Things didn't go exactly as I thought.
It had evolved its Frenzy lv20 into Berserker lv1.
What is a Berserker?
It's someone who doesn't stop fighting even when hit by arrows, even while spilling their guts from a torn belly.
The creature did something crazy as it kept falling.
It stood up using its two sturdy front legs as legs.
In other words.
'It stood up...! This bastard stood up!'
I exclaimed in admiration, forgetting I was in the middle of a fight, at the sight that was too absurd.
Anyway, it wasn't that threatening.
That's because all it could do in a standing position was flail its remaining legs.
It reminds me of a flying squirrel character running towards you saying 'Hug me!'
"Gweeeek!"
It spewed out vomit mixed with blood.
Ugh, it looked kind of dangerous so I quickly dodged.
Sure enough, right after vomiting, it threw its body at me.
That wide-open mouth gaped to swallow me.
「Using Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv4.」
I used the magic I had used on the golem.
I made the ground it was standing on slippery.
In that posture, it would be even easier to fall.
Instead of pouncing on me, it fell face-first into its own vomit.
Splat!
Ew, gross.
"Queek, queek!"
Now it can't even walk properly.
It approached me, crawling.
Its fighting spirit is really amazing.
Alright, I'll finish you off now.
I can't stick my venomous fangs into it anymore.
If I keep my distance, this guy that I've cornered might escape again.
Then I have no choice but to end it here and now.
I was already next to the Elven Broadsword that had bounced away.
This light sword is actually more comfortable to bite with my mouth than to hold with my tail.
Until now, I held it with my tail to swing it so I could use my venomous fangs, but now it doesn't matter.
Chomp.
I bit and held it.
Ah, this cool and heavy sensation.
It's time to return to being a swordsman.
I displayed the Taoist sword technique of Hyeonmunjeongjonghyeon.
That means I ran hard while holding the sword in my mouth.
This isn't nonsense. I've seen a swordsman using a sword like this in a manga.
Hup!
I used all my magic power to unleash a slash.
It also swung its leg to kill me.
Swish!
That leg barely grazed my body as it passed by.
Instead, I passed between its legs.
Of course, I sliced its body while rotating.
Snake style, Chimera Cutting.
「Using Slash lv1.」
Slash-
It went in deep.
Something like red intestines burst out from the creature's split body.
I've been waiting for this moment.
I boldly used Leap.
I entered into its body through the gaping red wound.
I'm familiar with this trick, having done it once before.
The Horn Jaguar fell victim to it too.
Back then, I was a tiny thread snake, but it was still very effective.
Let's see if you can withstand this, Chimera.
I burrowed into the creature's body like a loach in water.
And I bit and tore at everything around me.
My size and biting power were incomparable to before.
The creature shrieked and thrashed about.
Of course, it wasn't safe for me either.
It's very difficult to breathe inside a body.
Fortunately, I have the Breath Holding skill, so that's lucky.
I just need to kill it before I suffocate.
Or find its lungs first.
For that, I vigorously churned through the creature's insides.
Ptooey, it's bitter. Is this the gallbladder?
My stomach has really gotten stronger.
Then suddenly, I felt myself sinking downwards.
The creature hadn't jumped off a cliff like the Horn Jaguar.
It was instinctively trying to escape into a burrow.
I need to finish this quickly.
And finally, I found it.
The creature's heart, pulsating hotly.
Crunch.
Even a Berserker can't fight with a burst heart.
Chimera, no matter how much of a monster you are, you can't do that.
The creature's movements stopped.
Kuung.
Soon after, I felt a large amount of 'experience points' being absorbed.
Or perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it demonic energy.
「Absorbing a large amount of demonic energy.」
「Level is at the limit」
「Unabsorbed demonic energy is stored.」
Ah, what a waste.
Normally, I would have leveled up explosively like when I killed the Horn Jaguar.
The Chimera was certainly a much stronger creature than the Horn Jaguar.
Of course, I can evolve skills with the accumulated demonic energy, but it's still a bit disappointing.
「The accumulated demonic energy is approaching a critical point.」
What's this about a critical point?
I checked my status window again.
──────────────
[White Horn Snake lv10+++]
──────────────
The + marks next to lv have become three.
Hmm.
Let's collect the magic stone first.
As always, the Chimera also had a magic stone inside its heart.
The Chimera's level was 20.
The Horn Jaguar's level was over 30, so just looking at the levels, the Horn Jaguar seemed stronger.
But it seems that wasn't the case.
The Chimera's magic stone was large and beautiful.
──────────────
[Fafnir's Magic Stone: 4th Grade]
──────────────
I'll eat well.
No!
I was shocked after eating Fafnir's magic stone.
That's because the taste is different!
The Cockatrice's magic stone had an excellent warm yet tart flavor.
But Fafnir's magic stone was much sweeter.
Maybe it's because of the dragon lineage mixed in, but I could taste a distinct sweetness like dalgona.
I mean it's delicious. Excellent.
「Demonic energy imbues the body.」
「Rank increases slightly.」
「The accumulated demonic energy is approaching a critical point.」
Once again, I heard that the demonic energy was approaching a critical point.
What is this critical point, and what happens when it's reached?
I'm curious, but there's no way to find out.
I didn't want to delay evolution any longer.
I can't wait anymore!
I crawled out of the Chimera's body and looked around.
This is inside a dark burrow.
There's a foul smell and Fafnir's corpse is nearby, but few places would be safer than here.
In other words, it was the optimal place for evolution.
Alright, shall we do it?
To evolve, I need to sleep.
I settled down next to the Chimera's corpse.
In my previous life, it took a long time to fall asleep.
Maybe it was because I got into the habit of using my smartphone while lying down.
When I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, various thoughts came to mind.
Anxious thoughts, feelings that it was a waste to sleep.
So I suffered from insomnia, but now it's different.
I could fall asleep quickly when I closed my eyes.
Maybe insomnia is also a matter of willpower.
I'm surprisingly satisfied with living as a snake now.
Drowsiness soon washed over me.
When I open my eyes again, I'll have evolved anew.
Goodbye, world.
I sank into a sleep like darkness...
Not.
Wait.
My eyes snapped open.
Because I remembered something.
Fafnir's status window.
I can't check it again now that it's dead, but I remember something.
──────────────
[Two Hearts lv1]
──────────────
There was such a skill.
I thought, "What, is it Park Ji-sung or something?", but what kind of skill was it?
Is it a skill that allows you to run tirelessly no matter how hard you run on the field?
Or maybe...
I used Magic Detection.
My field of vision changed.
It seems that magic power is imbued in the Chimera's blood.
Everywhere was slightly tinged with red, but there was a particularly bright cluster of light gathered in one part of its body.
Probably where the magic stone is.
I burrowed into its body.
And it really existed. Another heart.
The Two Hearts skill was literal.
But if it has two hearts, shouldn't it not die even if one bursts?
No, thinking about it, it probably doesn't work like in manga.
──────────────
[Fafnir's Magic Stone: 4th Grade]
──────────────
There was also a magic stone in this heart.
So there are two magic stones.
I swallowed this one too with a crunch.
Again, a sweet taste spread in my mouth, and a voice sweeter than that taste was heard.
「The accumulated demonic energy has reached a critical point.」
「The demonic energy imbued in the body promotes evolution.」
「Please evolve.」
Oh, I'm going to evolve.
I wonder if something has changed.
While defeating Fafnir, I also swallowed its blood until my stomach was full.
I'm curious if the evolution tree has changed.
I quickly tried to fall asleep.
My heart was pounding so much that it was somewhat difficult to fall asleep...
──────────────
[You have reached level 10 and can evolve.]
[Do you want to evolve?]
──────────────
Haha, I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the ground.
Suddenly, a status window appeared before my eyes.
And there was content that wasn't there before.
──────────────
[Evolution is promoted due to accumulation of demonic energy.]
──────────────
It says promotion.
And the evolution options that come to mind.
──────────────
From [White Horn Snake lv10] to
1.[Green Horn Snake](+)
2.[Poison White Snake](+)
3.[Swamp White Horn Snake](+)
4.[Trap Horn Snake](+)
5.[Double Horn Snake](+)
6.[White Horn Python](+)
──────────────
A '+' mark appeared on all evolution options.
That seems to be the promotion of evolution. I'm not sure exactly what will happen, but.
And the added 6th option.
I couldn't help but tremble.
That's because finally, an option that wasn't 'Snake' appeared.
It says Python.
If translated, it would be something like 'silk snake'.
It's a snake with a similar appearance to that boa constrictor in The Little Prince.
The biggest characteristics of a Python are its pattern and size.
As the name 'silk' suggests, it has beautiful patterns and depending on the species, it can grow large enough to even eat humans.
In some cases, it can grow almost to the level of an anaconda.
Just as Mother Medusa's designation was Serpent, this clearly seems to be the next stage after Snake.
As expected of dragon lineage!
──────────────
[White Horn Python]
A rare white individual of Python. It has beautiful patterns due to magic power.
The white color of its body is disadvantageous for survival, but due to that color, its patterns have acquired unique magical properties.
──────────────
Even the description is beautifully content.
Green, be gone! Has the era finally come for white to be recognized?
I pretended to contemplate for just a very short moment out of courtesy.
Yeah, is there anything else to choose?
「You have selected White Horn Python.」
「Starting evolution.」
Special evolution!
And here, the meaning of 'promotion' was finally revealed.
「Evolution is promoted by accumulated demonic energy.」
「Based on the conditions achieved by the subject, the process of evolution accelerates.」
Oh.
Is my effort finally being properly evaluated?
Is that so.
「You utilized horns the most.」
That's right, horns.
「Evolving into 'White Double Horn Python'.」
Ooh.
My head feels itchy and another horn grows.
My body grows larger, and beautiful apricot-colored patterns appear on my white, smooth scales.
And so, I evolved.