Do You Have a Vacant Room?

The Elixir of the Sky was gone — but I'd gained something far more precious.

I gazed at the egg where Brother Beak lay sleeping, a look of pure contentment on my face.

Wait.

Hold on. Does that mean if I'd eaten the elixir, I could've evolved into a phoenix tiger?!

Yeah, no~

As if. Even if I'd taken the elixir, I probably wouldn't have been able to control it properly.

Because while borrowing the power of Wrath, I'd gotten a vague sense of what the elixir really was.

Wrath.

The longer I used that thing's power, the hazier my mind became — like I was turning into a pure beast. That was probably the difference between the Chosen and the unchosen.

Ugh. Just thinking about it made my skin crawl.

A thinking, reasoning genius tiger beats becoming some mindless powerhouse any day of the week. Looking at Brother Beak when his eyes had rolled back and he was spewing flames, you could tell just how dangerous the elixir's power was for monsters. Power beyond your station always demanded a price to match.

I sank into thought.

A phoenix, huh. Had Brother Beak gone from named monster straight to boss mob?

Damn. Honestly, I was a little jealous.

Surely not having an elixir doesn't mean I can't become a boss mob, right?

Buying elixirs. Looking for a sturdy, well-behaved one.

The elixirs of this world seemed a bit different from the ones I knew. Especially for monsters — they seemed to work differently than they did for humans. Something to do with "evolution," you could say.

I checked my status window again.

What the hell was this unreadable skill?

Judging by the message, it seemed like a parting gift Wrath had left behind. Probably referring to whatever I'd unleashed while borrowing Wrath's power. That seemed most likely — I sure as hell hadn't known what I was doing when I used it.

But a new clue to evolution… I still couldn't quite wrap my head around it.

■■■ wasn't listed in my status window, so I couldn't use it again or even check its description. And yet a clue to evolution existed inside it?

I looked at the next message.

So the clue to evolution was apparently this Spirituality thing.

Hmm…

Spirituality, huh.

I checked my status window.

Spirituality had appeared among my traits. Honestly, that was a bit unexpected. When I heard "Spirituality," I figured it'd be a stat. It was a trait?

But unlike my other traits, I couldn't tell what had actually changed after getting Spirituality. No physical changes, so it clearly wasn't a standard ability.

In other words…!

…Do you know that saying?

There are two ways to drive someone crazy. One is starting a sentence and never finishing it, and the second is…

Just kidding.

I'm a cute tiger, so a little joke like that is fine, right?

Anyway, the truth was I had no idea what Spirituality actually was. The funny part? I knew nothing, but the status window had "confirmed" it. Confirmed it all by itself and slapped it onto my traits!

"Grrung!"

Was this system disrespecting tigers right now? If this were a game, it'd be a total scam. A system this unfriendly? Tsk, tsk, tsk!

"Grrung!!"

Whatever. Maybe it just meant I should be satisfied with confirming the existence of "Spirituality" itself. I'd think about it later. Today had been packed with too much, and I was exhausted. The sudden goblin invasion had netted me plenty of gains, so for now I'd rest a bit and sort through everything one piece at a time.

Alright, shall we go?

Hup!

Right now I was standing on two feet, cradling the egg in both paws.

Would you believe me if I said I was toddling along carrying an egg the size of my own body? Anyone who saw this would whip out a camera on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the spot. Then I'd become a genius tiger with ten million subscribers!

Oh right. No YouTube in this world.

"Grrung!"

Anyway, it was grueling work. After spending all my time running around on all fours, trying to walk upright again felt completely unnatural. Using my tail made standing on two feet manageable enough, but actually walking like that was a whole different story.

Thud.

Before long I set the egg down and let out a sigh.

"Grrung…!"

At this rate, when would I ever crawl home? Damn it, should I just roll it…?

It's a phoenix anyway — even if the egg cracked, it wouldn't die, right?

…

I briefly imagined the egg cracking open. Picturing the yolk inside as Brother Beak sent a full-body shiver of pure horror through me.

Sigh. What a life.

I picked the egg back up and carefully resumed my walk.

After some unknown stretch of this, messages appeared.

Holy crap!

Two skills at once. And with them, I could now use Leg Strength Enhancement even while carrying the egg.

"Grrung!"

I bounded like a rabbit with the egg in my arms and reached Brother Beak's cliff in an instant. Leg Strength Enhancement was divine — it was pure footwork technique! Hallelujah!

Taking the detour the goblins had used, I reached the top of the cliff and set the egg down with a joyful heart, looking toward the nest. Now I just had to place the egg on that five-star feather bed and…!

"Grrung?"

It was gone.

What the hell? The place was empty. There had clearly been dry wood and a nest up on this cliff, and now they were nowhere to be found.

With a blank expression, I swept my paw across the spot where Brother Beak's nest had been. What remained wasn't a plush feather bed — just charred twigs.

Th-this can't be…!

Was this how fire victims felt when they lost their homes?

M-my five-star feather bed…!

In utter despair, I reached out. The twigs, which had only been holding their shape, crumbled into ash with a soft puff.

So that was it. It had burned down.

Ha… ha ha!

All for nothing. I'd broken through the goblins' inescapable net and crushed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠their ringleader — only for my home to burn to the ground. Left with nowhere to go, all I had was a brother who'd turned into an egg. Was this the teaching of "empty-handed you come, empty-handed you go"? Or the law of equivalent exchange — that for every gain there is a loss?

But wait…

This fire — don't tell me Brother Beak started it?!

Sensing my gaze, Brother Beak's egg gave a guilty little shudder.

So that's what they mean by "a thief has a guilty conscience"!

I couldn't hold it in. I roared at the top of my lungs. GAAAAAAAH!

"Grrrrung!!"

Give me back my five-star feather bed, you devil!

And so I set out in search of a new home.

Which meant I'd suddenly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠become a tiger incubating an egg. Good grief — I hadn't even gotten married yet. The injustice of it all.

Anyway, the most urgent need right now was a safe place to set the egg down. My eyes naturally drifted toward the treetops.

Should I just steal someone else's nest?

I'd already confirmed the performance of a feather bed. Brother Beak would probably find that more comfortable than my belly fat, right?

As I scanned the area with that thought, my eyes locked dead-on with those crows who'd once been bold enough to challenge me.

"Caw!"

But their reaction was completely different from before. Back then they'd charged without fear — now the mere meeting of our eyes sent them bolting into the sky in terror.

Because of my level?

I'd taken down a level 25 named monster, after all. My level was now climbing toward 14 — even after spending karma through the elixir. Between the old goblin and the rest of the goblins I'd massacred in the area, my level had skyrocketed.

Hmm. Come to think of it, that goblin…

I recalled the old goblin with a slightly bitter expression.

That guy…

At first I couldn't even check his name. But in his final moments, I'd been able to see it.

Yeah. That was the name.

A genius — and a goblin, no less. His traits and skills had been dazzlingly flashy. The reason I'd been able to beat a guy like that was probably…

Inferiority.

The complex that came with it. Without that debuff, if he'd just had the "Genius" modifier alone, I probably would've had a much harder time. He'd even been saddled with a status ailment called "Paranoia."

Not that I felt any sympathy for the old goblin. That miserable little bastard had nearly gotten Brother Beak killed! In the spirit of retribution, I'd designated his final resting place as the inside of my stomach.

And thanks to that, I received—

I'd acquired Frenzy, and figured out that the magic Thrillzhak used was "Shamanism." Honestly, that was an unexpected windfall.

Blade Claws. Leg Strength Enhancement.

Both of those skills had followed a similar path — find a clue, then acquire the skill through predation. But things like "Flight" or "Mining" had been a no-go.

Getting the picture? If something didn't suit my body or the conditions for use weren't met, even with Potential, the odds of learning it were slim.

Which meant a clue for "Shamanism" appearing meant I could learn shamanism.

Good lord.

A tiger that used shamanism? I felt like I'd become Jeon Woo-chi. If I ran into another monster that used shamanism, it'd be a massive jackpot!

Where are you?! Goblin shamans!

"Krrung-krrung!"

I was exploring for a new home, lost in pleasant daydreams, when—

"GROOOOAAAR!"

A savage roar announced the arrival of a fierce beast. A creature that, before my growth, would've sent me bolting at the mere sound ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of its cry.

A bear-type monster, no less. Completely unfazed by my level 14 self. And that "Steel Leather" modifier was appealing — a creature worth turning into a skill.

But—

"GROOOAAR!"

"Grrung?"

I quickly set the egg down in the underbrush and observed the creature. What was this weird feeling?

As the Steel Leather Bear roared and went on guard, I could sense some kind of power settling into its hide. The wild nature of a bear bearing the "Steel Leather" moniker — energy that could be described as mana, or perhaps aura.

Why am I suddenly sensing this?

I shuddered at the wild nature I could suddenly feel from the creature. Come to think of it, it existed in my body too. The wild nature of a monster flowing through me was far more distinct than before.

Don't tell me…

Something flashed through my mind. The reason I could use shamanism despite being a tiger. At first I'd simply thought it was because of "Potential" — but that didn't seem to be it.

— Trait: [Spirituality]

I'd gained Spirituality, and with it, all those possibilities had opened up.

A chill ran down my spine.

Being able to sense wild nature. Being able to use shamanism. Having acquired Spirituality, I might be capable of even more than that.

Shall we test it, then?

"GROOOOAAAR!"

While I stood there blankly having my epiphany, the Steel Leather Bear finished sizing me up and charged with a ferocious roar.

SKREEECH!

A sound like metal being scraped — my claws, swung while dodging its attack, bounced off uselessly.

As expected of Steel Leather.

Why was I so happy my attack got blocked? Because this was exactly what I needed for a proper test!

"Grrung!"

I drew out every bit of the wild nature dwelling in my body.

So this is how small it is.

Regrettably, the wild nature in my body was smaller than that of the Steel Leather Bear over there. Probably because I hadn't been alive that long. But it didn't matter. Unlike that bear thrashing its wild nature around haphazardly, I could feel it with my entire body.

"KRAAANG!"

I scraped together my meager wild nature and clumsily layered it over my claws. Then I raked the Steel Leather Bear's hide the exact same way as my first attack.

SHHRRRAAAK!

"GROOARGH!"

Blood sprayed upward. Three long claw marks were carved deep into the bear's hide.

"Gwohk!"

The Steel Leather Bear staggered back in shock. Judging by its reaction, this was the first time anyone's claws had ever torn through its hide.

"Grrung!"

I layered wild nature over my claws again and asked:

Got a vacant room?

As you can see, I'm a single parent with an egg.

"GROOOOOAAAR!"

I'd asked so mercifully, but the bear apparently had no intention of listening. Well, nothing to be done about that.

Tonight's dinner was bear meat.

SPLAT!

.

.

.

That night, I tucked Brother Beak's egg safely inside a well-cleaned bear hide and finally sank into the sweetest sleep of my life.

Ugh, damn. When are you going to grow up…

Brother Beak. Isn't it about time you hatched?

It's only been one day, you say? That can't be right…