Clue to Special Evolution
Foolish golems. Covering their eyes makes them as docile as chickens with bags over their heads.
If these golems were in perfect condition, how strong would they have been?
Their status windows showed 'Half-Destroyed' and 'Malfunctioning'. One was missing a leg, another an arm. And most of their skills were deactivated. A single golem could probably take down several cockatrices or the like. Of course, now they were just shut down and toppled over.
Grrrumble—
My stomach was screaming for food. For days, I'd only eaten cave bugs and tiny lizards. And I hadn't been resting—I'd been wrestling these golems nonstop. My belly skin was practically glued to my backbone.
But even I couldn't digest a lump of stone like a golem. Still, there was a reason I couldn't leave.
That magic stone. Just looking at the one embedded in the golem's head made saliva drool from my mouth. I'd come to know the taste of magic stones.
The problem was how to eat it. Their magic stones were located between the crown and the nape. They seemed exposed, but they were covered in crystal-like material my teeth couldn't penetrate. I had no hammer, no hand to swing one.
So how to shatter that crystal and slurp up the magic stone?
I had a method. First, I carefully nudged the helmet perched on the earth golem's head. If the helmet came off carelessly, the golem might reactivate. I flipped the helmet upside down on its head, so lifting the faceguard would expose the nape. The juicy magic stone sparkled temptingly.
Beginner Elemental Magic: Fire lv1 activated.
⟨ FIRE BREATH ⟩
I opened my mouth and shot out flames. This felt amazing. Like I was a dragon, not a snake. I didn't have to breathe fire from my mouth, but the vibe matters, right?
My flames weren't as intense as the golem's. More like a faulty lighter sputtering to life. But don't underestimate it. My face heated up from the effort as I blasted away.
Of course, the protective crystal didn't melt. These golems had insane heat resistance.
So why go through all this trouble? Thank YouTube.
Lying in bed, I'd watched endless Shorts. Plenty were science experiments. I slept through science class, but these were fun enough to binge. Sure, they seemed aimed at elementary kids... but what can you do? Fun is fun.
And now, as a snake, I was putting that knowledge to use. I pulled a "water bottle" from my subspace storage. It was a crude dirt sphere made with earth magic. I'd collected dripping stalactite water in it.
I smashed the cold water onto the golem's superheated nape.
Sizzle! White steam billowed fiercely.
And then—the sound I'd been waiting for.
Crack—crunch.
It split! Just like dipping a hot cup into ice water. I'd thought if it doesn't work, oh well, but it did. Thanks, xPop Science Lab!
I swept away the crystal shards with my tail. The still-warm magic stone was exposed to the air. No way. I'd expected it tough, but it was soft like cream. The smell? Uh... moldy. Call it an acquired taste.
I shoved my head in and devoured every bit of the soft magic stone. Felt just like scraping the soy-marinated crab shell clean. Rich, gooey mana flavor overflowing. Needed rice to go with it.
Demonic essence infuses your body.
Your flesh grows tougher. Mana surges within.
Luckily, it counted as a magic stone. "Refined" one, apparently. A bonus harvest followed.
Pellelian's Guard B defeated.
Level increased x3!
Oh!! Golems weren't demonic beasts, so I figured no levels... but wrong. Three at once! Means they were that strong. Worth the hassle for the stone—time to tackle the fire golem's too.
I repeated the process. Smashed Guard A's nape and slurped its stone.
Pellelian's Guard A defeated.
Level increased x2!
Two levels this time. Hmm, maybe I've leveled enough? Time to check my status.
Traits:Unbreakable Will, Diligence, Borrowing Horn
Skills:
Borrowing Horn lv3: Beginner Elemental Magic: Fire lv1, Venom Fang lv4, Breath Holding lv4, Stealth lv4, Predation lv3, Bite lv5, Poison Resistance lv4, Bleeding Resistance lv3, Pain Resistance lv5, Petrification Resistance lv1, Heat Resistance lv8, Survival Instinct lv5, Leap lv5, Mana Detection lv2, Acceleration lv3, Beginner Elemental Magic: Earth lv2
Evolution Possible, Malnutrition
I'm a mage now. Ignoring the beefier skill list, I focused on the 'Status' below.
Level 10 was the cap! Hit 10, and evolution unlocked again. My heart raced. Malnutrition nagged a bit, though.
Still, I couldn't evolve here. Gotta fill the belly first—can't starve mid-evolution.
Another worry: What would I evolve into? First time, options sucked. Without special evolution, it'd be 'Little Green Snake' like my sibs. Special condition got me Borrowing Horn. Eating that mixed jaguar stone was the butterfly effect.
The answer is special evolution. I was sure. If possible, nail the special condition for something unique again.
But I didn't know the condition, or if special was always available. Head deeper first. That was my call. Nothing to do sitting here.
The corridor stretched inward. Outside looked like a big hill—this whole underground was the dungeon. A dark chamber appeared.
Suddenly, Pellelian popped up.
"This is my laboratory."
Phew, just an illusion. Assumed one fairy—eye level's way up. Uncle, I'm down here.
"Latest model, powered by magic stones. Borrowed the mage tower's tech. Elders weren't thrilled... Power's over there."
Machine-like devices everywhere. Not sci-fi sleek—crude, antique, mana-powered vibes.
I pulled the eagle-carved power lever.
Clank, whirr—
Crystals on the walls glowed. The room lit up. Centuries dust-covered, earthquake-battered machines revealed. Most shattered. No clue what they did.
"Impressed? Natural. Pinnacle of my magitech... Here, I researched evolution."
Pellelian preened, illusion or not.
"No worries, kin. Your task is simple. My magi-spirit handles the rest. Clap twice."
What a pain. Snake discrimination? No hands here. Fine. I thwacked the floor twice with my tail.
Clap clap—
A ceiling crystal flashed. A voice echoed.
> Awaiting orders.
Eek, startled me. Same voice as 'Demonic beast intrusion detected'. Goosebumps.
Pellelian smiled smugly.
"My chimera, Pafnacia, slumbers here. Its special evolution needs 300 years endured. That machine analyzed it."
My eyes widened. Could analyze special evolution conditions? And one required 300 years? What if mine did too?
"It's trapped in that tank ahead."
I looked where he pointed. Speechless.
"Wake it from hibernation, evolve it. Record and transmit the process."
'Hey, but...'
The direction his illusion pointed: tank-like thing, sure.
'...Nothing's there.'
Smashed to bits. Earthquake? Crystal panes shattered. Empty inside—no corpse even. Vacant.
"Fear not. Leave it to me. If a monster like that were inside, even I'd not wake it."
But Pellelian said weird stuff. Ordered the magi-spirit directly.
"Spirit, seal the corridor."
> Intercept golems activating.
Those intercept golems? I smashed 'em. Pellelian's face turned sinister.
"Sorry, kin. Evolution needs fairy blood too. Disengage hibernation."
> Hibernation disengaging.
This racist elf wouldn't...
"Your sacrifice advances all fairykind."
> Releasing Pafnacia.
> Transmitting experiment data.
"Farewell."
Pellelian's illusion vanished. The wrecked tank flickered.
> Hibernation disengage impossible.
Duh, tank's trashed. Pafnacia—or whatever—escaped. Back wall smashed.
I admired mage Pellelian. Elves in this world? Untrustworthy. That fairy supremacist geezer planned to sacrifice kin for research. Cunning scheme crumbled to time's monster. Without the quake, it might've worked.
But a way to learn evolution conditions? I slithered to the right machine, poked around. Broken too, but functional? Levers, buttons.
I yanked a red handle.
Click. A lid opened. Cross-shaped slot inside.
...Matches my ring's seal perfectly.
Carefully, I pressed my tail's signet ring into it.
Zzt.
> Lord Pellelian, awaiting orders.
Unfair being mistaken for that racist psycho old fairy. But... what to command?