Chapter 5

POV Narrator

"What the hell happened here?" asks a man in leather armor to another man in metal armor.

"Something exploded."

"… I mean, what exploded here?"

"Maybe someone left some explosive barrels here, and a Kestodon made them explode."

"If that's the case, I think we should be more worried about the fact that the Kestodons discovered fire than the explosion itself," the leather-armored hunter responds while rolling his eyes.

"Also, to cause an explosion that big, someone would have to make more than one trip to bring all those barrels, plus, why the hell would someone want to explode a herd of Kestodons?"

"If it wasn't a person, it could have been a monster that chased them."

"Most likely. The question is, which one? Neither an Anjanath nor a Rathalos can make explosions that big, and there's no record of a monster using nitro in the Primordial Forest."

"… What if it's a new monster?"

"… First, we need to rule out that it's a monster from another ecosystem that migrated here, but in any case, our mission was to see what caused the explosion, so let's go back to Astera and report to the commander."

"Sigh What's next? Just a month before the fifth fleet arrives, and now we have a mysterious monster that likes to blow things up."

…

POV Chryssia

[Abilities obtained: crest, alpha crest, reinforced skull, reinforced spine, strong neck and back muscles, pack synchronization

Accept: YES/NO]

I feel the familiar burning sensation that comes and goes just as quickly, and also the increased weight on my head.

My head now has three horns, two on the sides and one in the middle, all pointing backward. Well, those three horns turned into a huge crest that reminds me a bit of the Xenomorph queen, only smaller and white, though from what I can feel, it has the same shape as the Kestodons' crest.

I stand up, cracking my neck, which is now wider and sturdier.

"Well, first, if I want to make use of the gunpowder, I need two things: the ability to start a fire without needing the ground and a way to resist explosions. The first one is easy to solve; after all, there are three monsters here that fit the bill," I pause as I contemplate the second point.

"The problem is the second one… Monsters that can resist explosions like that are few, especially considering there are no such monsters in the Primordial Forest. At most, the Rathalos would provide fire resistance, but that's not what I need. The only monsters that come to mind with those characteristics live in the Elder's Bed."

I can only keep turning the issue over in my mind until suddenly it occurs to me.

"Synthesis! That's it. If I can't find an ability, it's as simple as making it."

[Name: Chryssia

Abilities:

Specials: Devour, Synthesis, World Travel

Body: Climbing Claws, Tail Detachment, Ant Strength, 360 Vision, Jaw Dislocation, Long Tongue, Jumping Legs, Olfactory Tongue, Ripping Mandibles, Bioluminescence, Crest, Alpha Crest, Reinforced Skull, Reinforced Spine, Strong Neck and Back Muscles (15/12)

Offensive: Bite Strength, Formic Acid Launcher, Venomous Bite, Quick Charge, Gunpowder Creation, Strength Increase (6/12)

Defensive: Chitin Shield, Paralysis Cloud, Elastic Skin, Iron Skin, Flash (5/6)

Social: Pheromone Detection, Intimidating Hood, Pack Synchronization (3/6)

Survival: Burrowing, Photosynthesis, Healing Properties, Antidote Properties (4/6)

Evolution: Greater Muscle Mass (Body), Cloud (Offensive)

Events: First Steps]

"I'll go back to my cave first, and then I'll evolve."

…

I leave my cocoon for the third time, check my status, and notice the ability: Dense Bones, which does exactly what its name suggests.

I also notice I'm now taller than before—probably more than two meters, but it's hard to say without something to measure it.

"Well… now comes the main event."

Crest + Alpha Crest + Quick Charge + Strength Increase = Ram

I feel a change in the crest on my head—it becomes harder and bigger. {You perverts}. I read the description of the ability, and in summary, it's a powerful charge, and I like it.

"It's a shame that I can only use Strength Increase once… Wait, who said I can only use it once?" I leave the cave, remembering that there's a Might Seed at the entrance, eat it, and…

[Ability obtained: Strength Increase

Accept: YES/NO]

"…" I stand up and leave the cave.

…

I return much later at night, with a smile on my face, if I can even smile, with a great haul that consists of several of the same plants I ate before, a couple of bees, several ants, two Jagras, a male and female Kestodon, three Vespoids, which are like giant mosquitoes, some iron ore, a gecko, a cobra, and two large spiders.

First, I eat my three new meals, that is, the bees, Vespoids, and spiders.

[Abilities obtained: Venomous Sting, Pheromone Veil, Pollination, Short Flight Wings, Hive Alarm, Paralytic Sting, Distracting Buzz, Proboscis, Silk Creation, Spider Legs

Accept: YES/NO]

I don't think about it too much and accept, and then I realize my mistake—the proboscis is the mouth of mosquitoes, and I have a more human mouth, so the ability completely changes my mouth!

"!SSAAAAaashhhhh!" I want to scream but can only make buzzing sounds with this mouth.

"Shit, shit, shit! I really messed this up this time."

…

It takes several minutes to calm down, and then I have an idea. I quickly open my status and use Synthesis.

Proboscis + Long Tongue = Suction Tongue

I quickly feel the burning sensation in my mouth, which, to my relief, returns to normal after a few seconds.

"Sigh That was close, I don't know what I would've done without the Long Tongue ability. Now I understand why abilities can be accepted or rejected."

After a few minutes to calm down, I decide it's time to use Synthesis again.

Chitin Shield + Iron Skin + Reinforced Bones = Reinforced Body

Gunpowder Creation + Jumping Legs + Quick Charge + Strength Increase = Meteor Fall

Alpha Crest + Intimidating Hood = Intimidating Crests

Ant Strength + Greater Muscle Mass + Strong Neck and Back Muscles = Giant Muscles

Crest + Reinforced Skull + Intimidating Crest + Strength Increase + Iron Skin = Great Iron Intimidating Crest

Venomous Bite + Venomous Sting + Paralytic Sting + Formic Acid Launcher = Paralytic Venom Acid Launchers

Spider Legs + Short Flight Wings + Climbing Claws + Intimidating Hood = Mantle of Limbs

Gunpowder Creation + Strength Increase = Powerful Gunpowder Creation

Climbing Claws + Spider Legs + Burrowing + Silk Creation = Natural Builder

Suction Tongue + Olfactory Tongue = Olfactory Suction Tongue

[Name: Chryssia

Abilities:

Specials: Devour, Synthesis, World Travel

Body: Tail Detachment, 360 Vision, Jaw Dislocation, Ripping Mandibles, Bioluminescence, Reinforced Spine, Strong Neck and Back Muscles, Reinforced Body, Giant Muscles, Great Iron Intimidating Crest, Mantle of Limbs, Olfactory Suction Tongue (25/24)

Offensive: Bite Strength, Strength Increase, Ram, Meteor Fall (8/12)

Defensive: Chitin Shield, Paralysis Cloud, Elastic Skin, Flash, Distracting Buzz, Paralytic Venom Acid Launchers, Powerful Gunpowder Creation (12/6)

Social: Pheromone Detection, Pack Synchronization, Pheromone Veil, Hive Alarm (4/6)

Survival: Burrowing, Photosynthesis, Healing Properties, Antidote Properties, Pollination, Natural Builder (9/6)

Evolution: Cloud (Offensive)

Events: First Steps]

{The more abilities I have, the more points it costs for evolution.}