Fourth evolution (3)
[Choose a race to evolve.]
[1. Hob Goblin Massacre]
[2. Hob Goblin Warlock]
[3. Troll]
[4. Werewolf]
[5. Bugbear]
The first two were out of the question. I felt like I’ve already reached the limit of the species, and I would not choose those even though they have great titles.
The next two were what I already knew. The first conquest on the first floor of Jinma Tower, and the lower specie in the Black Palace 2F.
They have strong defenses in common. The troll has strength; the werewolf has speed. I didn’t have enough time to appreciate the werewolf’s speed since I finished them off too quickly.
I was unfamiliar with the last option.
I summoned its description.
[Bugbear – a race of assassins that is more familiar with darkness than light.]
[These monsters are tall enough to resemble trolls, but their footsteps are hard to detect even for intermediate monsters.]
[They are strong enough to break a troll’s neck with one arm, fast enough to catch a running werewolf, possesses covert movements and magical powers. Among intermediate monsters, this monster is in the top predator position.]
[It is said that higher-level bugbears can also threaten advanced species.]
I knew it. As always, the last option was the best.
Bugbear. Some call it the ‘boogeyman.’ In a sense, he was an evil fairy.
I’ve reached an unbelievable level.
But this is the reality.
I can be an intermediate monster.
It was still far from being a human, but I didn’t worry about it anymore.
I was sure now that I could one day reach the point I wanted.
As long as I keep going, keep getting stronger – one day, surely!
I carefully reviewed the descriptions for the troll and the werewolf and pondered about the advanced regeneration skills that only they had.
However, after careful consideration, I chose Bugbear with confidence.
“Oh, ah ah ah ah!
The change was so sudden and intense.
The arms and legs, the head was crushed, and the bones of the whole body crumbled.
All muscles were crushed, blood evaporated, and skin tore.
Only the Ebon Heart remained, beating vigorously.
The pain was incomparable to the pain of the previous evolutions.
There is an incomparable difference between the lowest to the Lower level, and the Lower level to the Intermediate level.
[Intermediate Regeneration has become Lv2.]
[Intermediate Immunity has become Lv6.]
This was not evolution – it was more about the destruction and re-creation.
The useless body of a Lower monster is reduced to mana, and only the core, the Ebon Heart, remains and thumps in the air.
It used not just the mana that made up my body. The Ebon Heart also sucked the mana overflowing in the Jinma Tower.
I was abandoning the flesh of the Lower-level monster now and was being reborn in the world as an Intermediate-level monster.
Stronger blood vessels, nerves, muscles, blood, bones, flesh, skin, and mana built me around the heart.
[Intermediate Regeneration has become Lv3.]
The change is over.
I opened my eyes and realized that my point of view was quite different.
I felt huge black feet hit the floor. Each foot seemed to be over 50 centimeters in length.
My own feet.
I felt an overwhelming power staying inside my body.
It was an unparalleled force compared to when I was a Hob Goblin Assault.
Moreover, even if I had a huge body, it felt light.
It seemed to me that I could run wherever I wanted effortlessly.
“Bugbear…”
I heard A mutter.
“What?” I asked him.
He did not answer. I wasn’t disappointed because I didn’t expect an answer.
Rather, I was testing my own voice. It came out thicker and lower than I expected.
I ignored A, who was no longer speaking, and moved around to check my body.
I realized I made the right choice.
Strong, fast, huge, quiet.
Now, I have all the elements necessary for a creature to be considered strong.
I am at a new starting point.
No longer a weak creature who has to struggle to survive, but a strong monster who can hunt, predate, and get even stronger.
[You became a Bugbear.]
[Intermediate Martial Arts has become Lv10 and evolves into Advanced Martial Arts.]
[You can deal more power with less stamina. You can learn attack skills after seeing it several times.]
[It becomes easy to master all the skills related to combat. You will be able to bring your weapon’s power beyond its limits. However, at this time, the weapon’s durability will be affected.]
[Intermediate Surprise has become Lv10 and evolves into Advanced Surprise.]
[You will not be detected even if you’re running with mana. Attacking an enemy’s weak spot can provide critical damage.]
[Intermediate Power Attack… … …]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
It seemed that almost all the skills I had have grown.
I felt dizzy watching all the notification windows at once, and I waved my hands to remove them.
After a while, I checked my status.
[Kang Si-ha (Fate)]
[Bugbear Lv 63]
[Strength – 500 Stamina – 417 Magic – 297 Luck – ???]
[Skill-Ebon Heart, Predation Lv4, Advanced Martial Arts Lv1, Intermediate Lunatic Trickster Lv2, Intermediate Armor Defense Lv3, Intermediate Regeneration Lv5, Intermediate Flame Magic Lv1, Intermediate Power Attack Lv 2, Intermediate Leap Lv9, Advanced Detection Lv2, Advanced Surprise Lv2, Intermediate Fairy Tale Lv2, Intermediate Beast Charge Lv5, Intermediate Leadership Lv6, Intermediate Immunity Lv7, Beginner Fantasy Magic Lv6…]
Ha!
I can’t help but laugh.
Killing the Trickster increased my level by 3; my strength and mana increased by 120, and my stamina also increased by 60.
I couldn’t help thinking about killing more intermediate monsters from now.
The skill changes were overwhelming. Almost all skills have grown one level of more.
Since the training has been hard, the fruit has been sweet.
There were three advanced skills that I didn’t have before entering the Jinma Tower.
With my goblin’s body, I have beaten a troll, a Giant Wolf, a Lightning Spider… but I am not confident I could beat my current form now.
Strong.
I am much stronger.
“There is no time to rest,” I said.
A responded. “Fate is still weak.”
“… I know.”
A threw cold water at my excitement.
But that helped me.
Instead of being trapped in my fantasy, he brought me back to reality.
It’s annoying, but his words are true.
I am still weak.
A, who is right in front of my eyes right now, is stronger.
But even A is not the strongest in this world.
There is no time to settle on my achievements.
I almost forgot where I was.
I almost forgot there was still much left to go.
It is not time to rest. Not yet.
“Thank you, A.”
“… … .”
He didn’t answer.
A reminder soon popped up in front of my eyes.
[Quest generated!]
[You have taken the first step as a predator. However, there are many monsters, humans, and others that are stronger than you. In order to be a true predator, you must get stronger faster.]
[More experiences will make you stronger.]
[Predation after hunting regular monsters in Black Palace 3F 0/100,000]
[Predation after hunting upper species of Black Palace 3F 0/20,000]
[Prey after hunting for the rare upper species of Black Palace 3F 0/500]
[Predation after hunting Power Reaper 0/1]
[Conquering the 2nd floor of Jinma Tower 0/1]
[Winning the First Game of the Fallen Garden 0/1]
When I entered the second floor of the Black palace, the quest notification window was generous in describing the spiders and the werewolves.
Now, it simply called them regular monsters, upper species, and rare species.
What does that mean?
Of course, this would mean that there were more types of monsters appearing on 3F than on 2F.
Their strengths were classified into three: regular, upper level, and rare level.
Lastly, the Power Reaper would be the one inside the 3F boss room.
There are two remaining questions.
The first floor of Jinma Tower needs to be completed ten times, so why does the second floor need only once?
And what is the Fallen Garden?
“A…”
“You need to get out.”
A didn’t want to hear my question.
“You’re not qualified yet to challenge the second floor.”
“Wait, why does the second floor only need to get completed once? And what is the Fallen Garden?”
“You do not qualify.”
“Shhh!”
With his words, he kicked me out of the Tower.
I found myself back at the 2F boss room.
The only thing in front of me was the dark passage.
“I don’t qualify…”
I grind my teeth with anger at A, who kicked me out without answering.
Then, I raised my head and looked beyond the dark passageway.
Unlike the Jinma Tower, that darkness was truly another level.
The passage will take me to 3F.
“Then, I should get in.”
If I get to the dedicated store right now, I may hear from Rain about the Fallen Garden.
He would surely give me more information. Rain is kind. Excessively so.
He makes me comfortable. He always takes care of me and gives me extras.
But A’s chilly attitude made me think about Rain.
What if Rain disappears someday?
Right now, I can use his dedicated store, but who can I depend on in case he disappeared?
If I depend too much on Rain, the blow I will take when he is gone will be beyond imagination.
To survive alone, don’t rely on someone else.
Only
It is pathetic to keep running to Rain whenever faced by something difficult.
I have to be able to solve things by myself.
After all, it is I who had to survive and get stronger.
With Predation.
And the Ebon Heart.
I moved my body to the sound of my beating heart.
To become stronger, to become a predator, to qualify.
I flew into the dark passage.
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