Exposed to Flames for Dozens of Hours

-Pellelian, please issue a command.

(Hmm, yeah yeah, I'm Pellelian.)

I tossed a few questions at the magitech spirit that Pellelian had supposedly created.

"Shh-shh." (What's my evolution condition?)

"Shh, shh-shh. Shh." (Why won't it answer?)

But no matter how hard I tried to speak, the damn spirit wouldn't even respond. Was this spirit a racist too?

"Saaaak!"

I bellowed once, but it still ignored me. What a waste of effort. My temper flared, and I smacked the back of its head. Well, technically, I hit the machine in front of me.

Clank.

Whoa! Something shot out from the machine—a tiny metal needle.

Eh, really? With that suspicious needle? I hesitated. Wasn't there a risk of tetanus? It didn't look rusty, though. Screw it, I'm not gonna die from this.

I cautiously brought my tail closer. Poke. The needle's tip was insanely sharp, piercing my scales effortlessly. Then I felt my blood being sucked out with a long sluuuurp.

Cold-blooded spirit, no tears or mercy. I couldn't exactly die, so I climbed onto the crystal plate and sprawled out flat.

Thud- The lights blazed on. I felt mana flowing across the crystal plate.

Ah, that nailed the feeling. Just like lying under an X-ray machine. I'd been there before. Back in middle school, the kids always made me goalkeeper. I had zero interest in soccer, but for some reason, I always ended up there. Goalkeeper's an important position, right? Why me? I had no athletic skills, so I'd just zone out during PE. Then I took a super-powered shot from some beefy kid in the next class straight to the chest. The sky sang, and I couldn't breathe. When I came to, I was staring at the sky, lying down. Even the usually nasty PE teacher freaked out and rushed me to the hospital. Honestly, I was fine by the time we got there, but I faked pain. That's when they did the chest X-ray and all that fuss. Good times.

I hopped down from the crystal plate, utterly impressed by this magitech. Built 300 years ago, yet the machinery looked straight out of modern tech. It was printing paper like a printer right now.

Eh? Transmit where? Oh yeah, Pellelian mentioned sending results after experimenting on his chimera. Hell no. Who're you sending my info to? No way!

Nooo! A blue light started glowing from the rod on top of the machine. Can't speak—that's the problem. I leaped and chomped the rod. Crunch, it snapped.

Whew, good. My precious personal info almost got leaked. By then, the results sheet had fully printed. I read the fluttering paper scraps. And there they were—my evolution conditions.

What the hell. Not just one?

What? What is this? If something has sleek scales and beautiful fangs like me, and it's not a snake, then what is it? And honestly, turtle-type and centipede-type are way off base. No clue why the results came out like this.

…Maybe because of my potential. Potential 20 gave me the Diligence trait—no limits on growth potential. That might explain it. The text below added credibility to my theory.

Incredibly diverse. Special evolutions weren't just one path. Fulfilling those might lead to unknown evolutions, but changing habitats seemed key. Got the gist—live in the ocean, become a sea snake; desert, desert snake. But that felt kinda boring. There were tons more below. Some eye-catchers too.

They want me dead? Yeah, volcano habitat makes volcano snake, lots of venom ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠makes super-venom viper. Hell, even flying's an option. Flying Snake's legit evolution! But achieving these would probably kill me. Further down, conditions got more meaningful. Felt like the weirder mutations were at the bottom. Y'know, like Eevee—lots of evos, but some rare ones are harder and stronger.

Whoa. Heart pounding. Dragon-Snake, Demon-Snake, God-Snake? Several involved drinking epic bloodlines. Wait, that chimera Pellelian made—what blood did it mix? If it's still alive, I gotta see it. Probably in this basin. Sounds huge—don't wanna tangle. Anyway, business in this dungeon's done. Just in case, I nom-nom ate my results sheet. Personal info's precious.

Alright, magitech spirit. Self-destruct now.

Of course, no reply. It'll wait for power-off, awaiting commands. Pitiful. Scanning the room, I found the exit. Not a proper one—looked dug out like a mole, dirt and rocks everywhere. Chimera's escape route, clearly. Doesn't seem long ago. Something told me that. When was that earthquake that wrecked the dungeon? At three weeks old, no idea. Still a baby snake.

The tunnel was wide enough for two or three people abreast. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Meaning the chimera was that size. Midway, I found traces. Nearly jumped outta my skin—thought it'd ambushed me. What I mistook for the chimera was its shed skin. Whoa, cool. Chimera sheds, so it has a hard exoskeleton. House-sized exaggeration, but height around 3m, width with legs 6m. Crab-spider hybrid. Mixed with Great Forest's tarantulas, huh? Legs not spindly like spiders—thick front claws perfect for digging. Familiar...

…Ah!

Flash of realization. I'd met the chimera before. The one that burst from underground and swallowed the mixed jaguar whole. I only saw the legs then—delayed recognition. So it lived, roaming free. Half of the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fairy mage's dream realized. We'd crossed paths already. Next time, revenge for my stolen meat.

Resolved, I exited the tunnel. Totally different spot from where Cockatrice kidnapped me. Dense bushes made it look natural. Farewell, dungeon.

I couldn't leave coolly. Not nostalgia for days spent here. I saw it—above the hill, right over that tank room, something protruded like an antenna. Blue light shooting skyward. Pitch-black night, no moon. The blue streak cut clear. Visible for dozens of kilometers. Transmitting? My analysis? Nah.

Pellelian mentioned undoing the chimera's hibernation.

Probably so some living Pellelian could receive it. I pondered, then decided.

'…Not my problem?'

Yeah, not my circus. That pillar at midnight would spook monsters. Maybe locals too. Oh, investigation team? Gotta be careful then. Guard Captain—my nemesis—might come. Basin's huge; hide fine. Could be opportunity. Haven't forgotten that grudge. Next time, no mercy, Guard Captain. Evolve, train new skills till then.

Grrrumble.

Starving. Mosquito Rat'd be welcome now. Eat quick, get strong. Pumped, I slithered into the forest.

I way underestimated that light pillar's ripple. Even those I couldn't imagine sensed it. Deep in the Great Forest. The long-lived race, living in seclusion...

Fairies don't age. They live in forests with nature as kin. Porcelain-smooth skin, elegant long ears. Even elders near a millennium have wrinkle-free faces. They leap on long legs like deer. Judging age by looks is impossible.

This fairy dashing deep in the Great Forest was no different. Slender long legs vaulted gnarled roots effortlessly. Silver bob haircut fluttered in the wind. Exquisite features, but a face-capturing scar: long slash over left eye. One-eyed beautiful elf warrior. Summoned by an elder. Pellelian's trace detected.

Pellelian. That cursed magitech master's name. Just thinking it made her grit her teeth.