34 Babirusa Awakens
"Roy! It's time to wake up!" at the call, Roy's eyes shot open and he sat up instantly. Looking around the familiar sights, he was back in his childhood room.
"What? What's going on... I... I was evolving..." Roy tried to piece his memories together, but it was all a fragmented mess in his head. "Evolving? Why would I be evolving? Was I dreaming that I was in a video game or something?" Roy mocked himself, thinking that he had been playing too many video games lately.
"Coming mom!" Roy yelled out to his mother as he ran down the steps and into the kitchen. Turning the corner, the smell of pancakes and eggs hit his nose and he took a deep whiff.
*Inhale*
"Haaaa... That smells amazing mom!" Roy complimented as he took his seat and impatiently watched the food finish cooking.
"Ha ha I know, right? I put some cinnamon in them and I made a blueberry syrup." Roy's mother proudly stated as she put on a big smile.
"How much longer? You just made me even hungrier!" Roy said, looking stir crazy. He felt as if he hadn't had a decent meal in weeks.
"Ha ha, not that long. But you know dear, if you don't wake up soon, your little sister will be in danger~" Roy's mom calmly said as she turned back to finish cooking; she hummed a light tune as she flipped the eggs.
"What? I don't have a sist-" Roy began to question his mom when he realized something. Tears began to well in his eyes and he looked at his mother's back. A horrible sadness was welling inside him wanting to escape.
"You know Roy, I love you so much.... but I'm dead already. Go save Solus, she is your family now." Roy's mother continued cooking and humming as if what she said was something casual.
Roy slowly walked over and hugged his mother's back, whispering to her as he did. "I love you mom, thank you for watching out for me."
Soon after, everything around him faded to black and Roy was lost in a dark expanse. He struggled and fought the urge to return to the dream; slowly he began waking up. Around him was the fluid inside of the cocoon. He used his returned consciousness to check if the evolution was complete.
Name(s): Roy Palmer
Species: Infant Babirusa Orc Lv. 1/20
EXP: (2/10)
...
Trait Skill(s):
[Keratin Growth Lv.10] [Keratin Control Lv. 1]
...
'Good.'
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Solus' battle with the giant boar was not going too well. The creature was an evolved boar that had a tier one Mana Heart.
Currently it was strengthening itself, running amok as Solus was attempting to use her high agility to dodge. One hit from the creature was enough to knock her out or straight up kill her.
*Pant*
'I... can't... last much longer...' Solus thought to herself, dodging a tail attack.
She was extremely exhausted, as this high intensity fight had continued on for almost ten minutes.
Just when she felt that her body would soon give out, she heard a loud crack from behind. The sound also distracted the boar, allowing Solus to gain some distance.
With all eyes on the cocoon that had just cracked, fissures began appearing. A warmth, like the feeling of a midsummer day leaked out from inside it. Soon after a fluid began to seep out from the fissures, before the whole cocoon burst. Standing in the location the cocoon used to be, was Roy!
He had grown far larger than his original size, now standing just a bit over a goblin and a half. His black extremities became even more lustrous, and the brown fur covering the rest of his body was now shining like a newly waxed car.
His snout, now even more sleek, had two short horns growing from it. The tusks were now beginning to grow out, as they looked like two spear tips.
"I'm awake." The only thing Roy said, as he smiled and walked over to Solus.
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Seeing the state Solus was in, Roy was furious. He hid his feeling, giving off a soft smile as he pat Solus on her head. As soon as he turned around though, a horrifying, anger filled facial expression appeared.
'Seems I have a guinea pig to test my new skill on...' Roy looked over his body shortly, and read the skill information provided by his tutorial skill.
{Info}
[Keratin Control]
Grants the user full control over their own keratin (even after it is detached).
Keratin can detach from body, be propelled, or be reabsorbed.
Keratin can be made even denser.
Can take control over a dead being's keratin.
(Absorbed keratin is broken down to base elements)
"Hmm..." Roy pointed his left hand fingers towards the eye of the giant boar, quickly taking a look at its stats first.
[Giant Forest Hog]
Lv. 12
Notes:
A boar that wants to be the biggest, it continues to grow the more it eats.
Tier 1
'Tier one level 12 evolved, I should be able to damage it if I aim for the right spots. Based off of Solus' condition the thing is fast for its size too.' Roy soon fired the first shot, using the propel feature of [Keratin Control] and the combined might of [Pierce].
All of his fingertip tri-knives detached and flew at a high speed, rotating thanks to the curved design.
Not expecting such an attack, the boar was unable to respond in time. It took a direct hit to the eye, as the [Pierce] skill took full effect. Allowing an easier time for the one successful tri-knife to drill deeper into its skull.
Pus flew out of the boars eyes, all the while it squealed in pain and anger. Its massive size causing the squeal to have an extremely high decibel level.
The kobolds were especially affected by the noise, as even covering their ears failed to stop the pain. Many of them even passed out as the pain, coupled with the exhaustion were just too much.
"Shut... UP!" Roy screamed back, as he charged forward.
He used [Keratin Growth] and [Keratin Control] simultaneously to turn one hand into an axe, while the other remade the tri-knives. Roy quickly launched an assault, while the boar was still distracted. He targeted the other eye first, in order to blind his opponent.
*SQUEAL*
After the successful attack, Roy backed off quickly. The boar was now running around attacking randomly as it could no longer see and was frenzied.
"Everyone still conscious, take the ones passed out and leave the area." Roy told all of the kobolds, before repeating himself to Solus in English.
"O-kay..." Solus said, looking at Roy's back. She was worried for him, and wanted to join the battle, but she was far too tired. Solus knew that she would only get in the way right now.
'Think Roy, think! What can I do to kill this beast? Its hide is too thick to lethally attack, but maybe its underbelly will be thinner. I can also go for the eye sockets...' As Roy planned his next attack, the boar that was randomly attacking, ended up right in front of him.
'Shit.' Roy jumped to the side and dodged the attack. He quickly ran under the boar, and attempted to slash at its underbelly.
'No luck, huh?' The underbelly was still too thick for Roy to deal good damage. Roy quickly got out from under it and jumped up onto its back.
He held on to the thrashing creature, as he crawled forward towards the head.
Sticking his left finger into the boar's eye socket, Roy once again activated the combo attack from earlier. At such close range, [Pierce] was far more devastating. The tri-knife ripped open the flesh and traveled right through the thin bone in the back of the eye socket.
Soon after, the sweet sound of the notification for killing popped in his head, followed by the boar collapsing on the ground.
Roy, completely exhausted, was about to pass out on top of it. Soon, Solus could be seen running up to him, Roy smiled happily.
'I managed to make it, mom.'
