[ Stealth: 2 → 3 ]
[ Enhanced Senses 1 → 2 ]
I allowed myself, for a moment, to feel my new body and power.
This time, I had managed to follow the evolution with better understanding and awareness.
First of all, the evolution focused extremely on the skin, but it certainly had side effects on other parts as well, especially resonating with previous evolutions.
The most evident were the bones.
Clearly, every time I grew stronger, my body grew more and more, and this time, because I had become stronger so quickly, my body had to expand just as fast to contain my power.
As a consequence, my bones were also slightly improved, and this evolution should continue along with the muscles and everything else.
The skin's resistance plus the bone resistance would allow me to display strength far above expectations.
I think that, in the end, I surpassed the limit of a simple animal.
Likewise, my network of veins and nerves had clearly expanded, nourishing my skin even more and improving tactile sensations.
But better than that, my dexterity had improved.
My body felt lighter and more flexible, as if I had become an athlete with years of training and incredible bodily awareness.
All these changes, their effects, and consequences felt clear to me.
However, there was something more.
Even though I knew something had changed, I didn't know what it was.
I only had a vague notion that I would understand it better once my evolution was finally complete.
"So, how do you feel?" Agnes asked beside me, noticing my endless silence.
[ Starving, but bursting with energy at the same time. ]
I soon looked at the pile of food around me, and without much conversation, began to replenish my strength.
After a few hours, I finally sighed in relief before asking Agnes for a bath.
The smell of blood coming from me was concerning, and soon I would be facing the wolves again.
Not long ago, I had been afraid of them, but now I wanted to know how strong I had become.
Agnes soon brought a large wooden basin — practically a bathtub considering my size — and I relaxed there for a while.
'Status'
Level: 13
Rank: Wild
Exp: 2500/8450
Aura: 0/100
Domain: —
Skills: Stealth (Lv.3), Bite (Lv.2), Strike (Lv.2), Tracking (Lv.1), Enhanced Senses (Lv.2), Pain Tolerance (Lv.3), Fainting Tolerance (Lv.3),Circulation Technique (Lv.1), Resistance to Mental Attacks (Lv.1)
Mutations: 2/5
Available Mutations: Muscles, Claws, Fangs
'Many of these skills are familiar to me, but I wonder what the hell Circulation Technique is?'
I pondered that name for a few moments.
That skill had been acquired as I used breathing techniques to calm myself, and on a mundane level had helped me resist mental attacks.
But why was it recorded as Circulation instead of Breathing?
Technically, mental attacks are magical and psychological attacks rather than something mundane like breathing.
As if to confirm, I executed the technique again. And it felt like the same simple, expected action.
There didn't seem to be anything mystical about it — and yet…
I was certain the name was a clue!
'Well, I won't get answers anytime soon, but unlike the other skills, I can practice this one frequently.'
With that, I added another goal: evolve my first skill to level ten.
With a sigh, I left my bath while already trying to control my breathing.
I would evolve this skill in record time.
"Already leaving?" Agnes asked beside me.
During all this time, she had been cultivating while trying to ignore the fear she felt toward me.
[ Yes, you know how it is. There's always someone else out there who needs dying, and that's my job. ]
She swallowed hard as she ran to open the door.
[ See you later! ]
I said goodbye as she slammed the door without looking back.
'What a rude girl.'
As soon as I left the room, a disgusting smell irritated my nose.
'Dog smell… They know I'm here.'
Without needing to think too hard about where to go, I walked to the end of the corridor, and as soon as I stepped around the corner
The first wolf lunged with everything it had, its speed several times greater than normal.
It reached me in an instant.
For the first time, I was certain I was seeing a beast evolve.
That was far beyond what it should have been capable of.
However… in a way, I was disappointed.
That fast, powerful movement felt like slow motion.
I could even count the number of teeth in its mouth before dodging.
Actually, why not do it?
I counted each tooth slowly.
Then I jumped toward the castle wall, charging energy for my attack.
As its teeth snapped shut, they found only air.
In one instant I was there — in the next, I wasn't.
It didn't even notice where I had gone.
Its movement took instants, but mine was the true meaning of speed.
From above, I counted six wolves in the corridor, ears high and eyes wide, desperately trying to locate me.
Before they realized it, I charged at the first one with my claws, the simple movement severing its head — and again I climbed the walls.
The first died, then the second, then the third.
All three tried to evolve — I could feel their tough skin and strong muscles.
I was sure they even had evolved organs or improved fangs and claws.
But that was just common evolution, nothing more than a trick to get a little stronger.
Mine was true evolution.
Four.
Five.
Six.
They died without reacting.
'What should I do now?' I wondered, looking at the bodies in front of me.
I had expected a grand challenge that would take time, sweat, and tears.
But suddenly, my schedule was free to bother Agnes and eat more cake.
Oh, what a pity.
Suddenly, a chill ran down my body, my hearing sharpened as something touched me without warning.
Someone was at my side, petting my fur.
"Long time no see!" the king greeted me with a smile — but for some reason, the smile only gave me chills, fear, and panic.
"I see you can handle wolves now, but just to be sure I released another thousand of them throughout the castle. Oh, don't worry — most of them are at the fifth stage, almost evolving to the next rank. I'm sure you'll love it!"
[...]
He disappeared as if he had never been there, while more and more howls took his place. Hundreds of paws crashed against the castle floor, rushing toward me.
As soon as they turned the corner, I saw an ocean of wolves thirsty for my death.
'Crazy bastard! I need to run.' I turned to the other side, where even more wolves appeared.
Then behind me, where more and more of them accumulated.
'I'm going to die!' Before I could finish the thought, they snapped their jaws at me.
I quickly leapt toward the walls using my agility — my hope was a three-dimensional fight.
But I hadn't expected some of them to follow.
'Damn it!'
The previous wolves had only common evolutions and were weak, but these had several powerful evolutions.
I gritted my teeth as I lunged at the first one midair.
Its body was cut in half as I struck the opposite wall where more and more were already leaping at me.
In the air, there were hundreds of enemies, and if even one of them knocked me to the floor below, my body would be completely torn apart.
I needed a plan!
First
WOOSH
My aura burst outward, trying to weaken my enemies — and it worked for only an instant.
Only until they released their own aura.
Thousands of weak auras clashed with my single powerful one.
My aura recoiled without resistance as my body became several times weaker, gravity pressing on me with growing strength.
'Shit!'
There was no way to win without becoming stronger — much, much stronger!
While I thought, my body slashed one of them before pushing off the wall to strike another.
I needed this to end quickly.
My bodily awareness reached its limit — I needed to improve my skills fast.
My breathing soon fell under control; I would improve that technique passively while fighting.
But more important than getting stronger was regaining my strength.
Those with powerful auras needed to die!
Once I killed them, my aura would become so strong that the rest would die instantly.
Immediately, I focused on those around me, searching for the strongest among them.
A wolf with sharp eyes and scars on its face, its aura not much weaker than mine.
Dodging a series of attacks, I moved toward it with clenched teeth.
CLING CLING CLING
Our claws collided like steel before we retreated, dozens of other wolves falling upon me.
Without thinking, I made my way through them, knocking down and slicing as many as I could.
My body grew weaker and weaker as this happened.
Meanwhile, the strongest one just watched from afar, while the weaker ones drained me repeatedly.
I needed to recover my maximum strength — only then could I win.
But how?