Thump thump.
‘Ah!’
I opened my eyes.
I thought I was going to experience evolution in a conscious state this time, but that wasn’t the case.
The last message I received was that I would evolve into a Crystal Crown Python, or CCP for short, before I lost consciousness.
I felt like something had changed.
Without a mirror, I couldn’t see directly, but the two horns on my head had changed shape.
When I felt them with my tail, they seemed to have become crown-shaped.
I didn’t feel like my body had grown larger.
If anything, I might have become slightly smaller.
I’ve lost interest in getting bigger now.
After all, I’m planning to acquire the Gigantification skill.
For some reason, Pelerian couldn’t come out of the ring.
I’m not sure if it’s because of this cocoon or the mucus.
Let’s take a closer look at the results of the evolution.
I concentrated my mind.
──────────────
[Crystal Crown Python lv1]
[Title] Ouroboros, Heart-eating Snake
[Traits]
[Indomitable], [Perseverance], [Crown]
…
──────────────
It’s disappointing that I couldn’t become a Serpent.
But I was delighted that various traits were integrated into the ‘Crown’ trait.
It was definitely called a ‘unique series’, right?
In other words, I might be the first monster to have the Crown trait.
If I were to trace my roots, I would be a snake series, and a horn series monster.
Monsters with ‘horn’ in their name and horns attached are horn series monsters. They were commonly seen in this great forest.
Then I could be called the founder of the crown series monsters.
At least this thing on my head isn’t just for decoration.
I’m sure I heard a message about several skills being integrated.
Oh.
My skills have changed.
A lot!
──────────────
[Skills]
?Crown
[Steal lv4]: Gigantification lv0, [Overcome lv2], [Dominate lv1]
?Magic
[Basic Element]: Fire lv4, Earth lv5, Water lv2, Wind lv3
[Invisible Hand lv3]…
──────────────
The horns disappeared and changed into a crown.
It was in the form of three skills existing under the big skill called Crown.
Billy’s Horn… seems to have changed to Steal. Then should I call it the Crown of Stealing?
I don’t know why it’s called such a brutal name when it’s not stealing but borrowing.
It’s unfair.
Then the Leaping Horn became the Crown of Overcoming… why did Dominate appear?
Ah, did Taming change into the Dominate skill?
Recently, I had so many skills that it was burdensome to read the status window, but it definitely became easier to see.
I also liked how the magic skills were organized.
Looking further, I found that other skills were neatly organized as well.
──────────────
?Techniques
[Beam lv1], [Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1], [Heart-eating Leap lv2], [Deadly Poison: Neurotoxin lv5], [Poison Scales lv1], [Clumsy Swordsmanship lv1], [Tail Whip lv1], [Slash lv3], [Acceleration lv6], [Devouring lv7], [Magic Detection lv3]
?Survival
[Resistance]: Poison lv7, Bleeding lv3, Pain lv8, Heat lv10, Cold lv1, Petrification lv1, Electric lv1
[Survival Instinct lv6], [Black Scales lv2], [Swimming lv1], [Breath Holding lv5], [Stealth lv8]…
──────────────
Now it’s readable.
I wonder why the status window changed.
Is this also thanks to the evolution?
Well, this evolution was aided by the World Tree, after all.
It’s possible if you think of it not as just evolution, but as something like mega-evolution.
Or maybe my subconscious organized the cluttered status window.
It seemed that only I could ‘clearly’ see through my own or others’ status like this.
I should ask Pelerian again later.
That’s when it happened.
「The faith of the goblins has spread.」
「The rank of the title ‘Ouroboros’ rises slightly.」
Did Nanaluk achieve something!
I immediately checked.
──────────────
[Ouroboros]
…
Currently worshipped by the goblins of the great forest.
As this faith spreads widely, the owner of the title will gain an appropriate rank.
──────────────
I used my extraordinary memory to figure out what had changed.
Originally, it said that ‘an extremely small number of goblins’ worshipped.
That changed to the expression ‘goblins of the great forest’.
Nanaluk has finally unified the great forest.
‘Aren’t you too fast, Nanaluk?’
It was a speed that made me stick out my tongue.
While I was barely discussing the division of the realm into three parts in the Shadow Forest region, she had already taken control of most of the goblins in the great forest.
How did she do it? It’s physically difficult.
Of course, I cheered her on, but I even doubted if it was really possible.
Is this… am I getting jealous!
I took a moment for self-reflection.
Yeah, even if Chief Nanaluk had been here instead of me, it wouldn’t have been easy to do as well as I did.
I have my cherished subordinates and Centipede Mom too.
I should have confidence.
Thump thump thump-
And then something knocked on the cocoon from the outside.
Was it because of this sound that I woke up?
Cap…tain.
What I heard from outside the cocoon sounded like a gorilla’s voice.
You have to… come out!
It wasn’t clear due to the muffled sound, but it was definitely an urgent tone.
What happened?
There shouldn’t be any monsters around that could target us.
I became anxious.
Now that the evolution is complete, it’s time to emerge from the cocoon.
「Using Slash lv3.」
When I swung my tail this way and that, a scratch appeared on the cocoon.
It seems the durability of the cocoon has weakened as the evolution finished.
A little mucus is leaking out through that spot.
「Using Slash lv3.」
It would have been easier if I had the Elven Broadsword.
Should I try using Gigantification in this state?
That’s when it happened.
I heard someone’s voice.
Fulfill your role…
Gorilla?
What are you suddenly saying?
No, it doesn’t seem to be the gorilla.
Her voice is much hoarser and warmer.
While I was confused, the gorilla’s iron prosthetic hand dug into the gap of the cocoon.
She tore open the cocoon as if ripping it.
Crack!
You’re in such a hurry.
I climbed up to her shoulder, familiar with her prosthetic hand.
“Cough, hack!”
The mucus in my stomach spurted out of my nostrils and mouth.
I spat out all that mucus with violent coughing.
Now I feel like I can live.
Only then could I look around at the surrounding situation.
And the judgment I made was…
‘Is this a dream?’