Wraiths in the Desert, Evolution in the Night
The battle with the Wraith wasn't as easy as I'd hoped.
Even after reinforcing my body with mana, I couldn't inflict as much damage as I'd expected.
It seemed there was a limit to simply strengthening the body with raw mana, without using something like aura or actual spells.
Still, my attacks weren't completely ineffective, so that was something.
If I kept hammering away, it would eventually fall, right?
The Wraith's attacks were infused with death energy.
That death energy gnawed away at anything living, like a slow-acting poison.
Throughout the fight, I could feel my life force steadily draining away, moment by moment.
There were no external wounds, but the sensation of being eaten from the inside out was unmistakable.
It felt a bit dangerous, but I had Gluttony on my side.
I immediately replenished my dwindling life force with the energy stored in Gluttony.
Since I'd fought Cha Ye-ji not long ago, my reserves were a little low, but in this rhythm, I could take it down before running dry.
I defeated the Wraith.
It was a new type I'd never faced before, so it was a bit tough, but in the end, I took no real damage.
The limp Wraith collapsed to the ground and soon vanished without even leaving a corpse behind.
My stats rose a little, but factoring in the energy spent and everything else, it felt like I'd come out slightly behind.
I'd hoped for a magic stone at least, but not even that dropped.
The day after the Wraith ambush, I began moving in earnest.
While scouting the geography of the 35th floor, I focused on hunting monsters like the Skeleton Mage, my original target.
Considering the search parties on the move, I wanted to push deeper if possible, but given the level of threats here, advancing to the next floor right away might be tough.
The hunters' skills were no joke either—not something to underestimate.
So for now, I'd map out the 35th floor and hunt mage-type monsters.
Skeleton Mages weren't common, but they weren't rare enough to be hard to find either.
Just today, wandering the vast desert, I'd encountered about four.
Once I got more familiar with the terrain, I could venture farther and find even more.
By day, I hunted Skeleton Mages; by night, I clashed occasionally with Wraiths and the like.
One from last night was particularly special—it could even cast spells.
The fight was fiercer than usual, but I still won.
And this time, I even picked up a magic stone from the Wraith.
Since it used magic, I had high hopes.
Unfortunately, no magic skill emerged as I'd hoped.
Not even a single skill—not a trace.
Apparently, getting a magic stone didn't instantly grant a skill.
Maybe it factored into evolution?
That's how I got my Magic Eye before—during an evolution.
That made sense enough.
So, did that mean I just had to wait patiently for evolution now?
No, I couldn't just wait around like that.
I'll wait my way.
Even after snagging a magic stone from a spell-casting Wraith, I didn't stop hunting mage-types.
There was always a chance, so I'd eat as many as possible, just in case.
Surprisingly, the skeleton ones were crisp and nutty—like snacking on crackers—which made me seek them out more.
My Heat Resistance and Cold Resistance both rose to C-rank.
Now, the heat and cold truly didn't faze me at all.
I wasn't sure about deeper in, but here on this floor, I was completely free from the harsh desert climate.
I'm thrilled.
* * *
A sandstorm hit.
Forget being free—I take it back.
I'm half-buried in the sand right now.
I didn't find shelter in time.
I hastily dug a burrow and poked just my head out; looks like I'll be stuck like this for a while.
The sandstorm showed no signs of letting up.
At this rate, it'd last at least a day, maybe more?
Thanks to my stored energy, skipping meals for days was no issue, but the sand piling up on my face soured my mood.
If this weren't a sand desert, I could've dug a deeper, cooler burrow…
What a shame—I couldn't fully unleash my tunneling skills honed since the Forest Zone.
As I waited endlessly, head barely out, for the storm to pass—
Something pushed through the sandstorm, sloshing closer: slosh, slosh.
The fierce winds made sensing with my tongue impractical, so I glanced sideways.
A Skeleton was shambling my way.
Like other undead, it wandered aimlessly, without purpose.
I stared blankly for a moment, and soon it was right near me.
Without thinking, I yawned my jaws wide.
Chomp—crunch!
The bones crunching in my mouth were nicely savory.
Looks like I'd found a new hunting method.
My heart raced briefly at the discovery, but contrary to hopes, no more prey came wandering by.
Not the most efficient technique, apparently.
Shame.
The sandstorm ended exactly as I'd predicted—after a full day.
I shook off the massive pile of sand atop my head and rose.
Sand was wedged deep between my scales.
Maybe hit an oasis?
While mapping the 35th floor, I'd noted their locations.
Luckily, one wasn't far from here.
There were visitors at the oasis.
Moving in Stealth as usual, the first thing I spotted was about thirty hunters.
Several C-ranks, and even a few B-ranks like Cha Ye-ji.
My instincts screamed danger; I whipped around to flee—
But something felt off about the scene.
The hunters were fighting something.
And even with all thirty battling together, they were getting overwhelmingly pushed back.
What the hell could they be fighting?
Curiosity got the better of me; I peeked closer.
A massive scorpion.
My instincts buzzed again.
I realized instantly.
The warning earlier hadn't been about the hunters.
Sure, over thirty hunters were a threat too, but something even worse loomed.
A monster radiating savage aura, mercilessly slaughtering the hunters.
The moment I laid eyes on it, I knew.
Floor Boss.
Unlike the floors so far with none, this one had a Floor Boss.
Over thirty hunters made it look laughable—the Floor Boss was strong.
It charged with steel-hard carapace, swinging its pincers ruthlessly.
Hunters scattered in panic from the venomous stinger at its tail's end.
Seemed B-rank at most, but as a Floor Boss, it dominated other B-ranks.
Maybe nearing A-rank.
"───!!!"
The scorpion suddenly roared.
Its bellow echoed across the desert; even from afar, my body shivered.
If this was from a distance, what about the hunters up close?
B- and C-rank hunters seemed mostly fine, but the rest were a mess.
They trembled like leaves, gripped by terror.
Some struggled desperately to move, but it wasn't easy.
Did it have a skill like my Intimidation?
I forced my shivering body to calm and watched quietly.
The merciless slaughter began.
"Kyaaak—!"
"S-save…!"
"Run—!!!"
The hunters' screams filled the desert.
Even from here, their agonized cries reached me.
I could clearly see them trampled and torn apart.
B- and C-rank hunters fought desperately to save comrades, but they were outmatched from the start.
Even blocking its path or landing attacks didn't faze the scorpion.
If anything, resistance only made it rampage harder.
Amid swirling dust, the scorpion's massive shadow loomed terrifyingly.
Eventually, the hunters lost the will to fight and began a hasty retreat.
The relatively unscathed ones led, grabbing wounded comrades.
Guess reaching this far meant no trash who ditched allies.
They couldn't save the already-doomed, but they hauled out those with a chance.
"We'll hold as long as we can—get your comrades out before then! Rendezvous at the spot we agreed on!"
One B-rank hunter shouted urgently.
They'd planned for this?
Hearing him, the hunters grabbed who they could and bolted.
The enraged scorpion lunged again, but B-rank hunters desperately blocked it.
Buying time for the others to escape, as discussed.
Monster and hunter standards differed, but as fellow B-ranks, they could probably stall it awhile.
And escape should be easy—the scorpion's destructive power was clear, but its mobility seemed mediocre.
The hunters who'd fought it firsthand would know best, hence sending allies first.
I watched the remaining hunters and scorpion briefly, then turned away.
I wanted to observe the Floor Boss longer, but urgent business called.
My gaze flicked toward where the hunters had fled.
I'd already memorized their scents.
I flicked my tongue lightly to gauge direction.
Better hustle.
No telling when the B-ranks might return, so no slacking—I went full throttle.
Excluding the B-ranks, plenty of hunters remained, but no problem.
More dead than alive, and survivors were mostly injured.
Several C-ranks, but over half couldn't fight properly.
No need to fear exhausted prey like this.
Shii───
Moving stealthily as always, I ambushed in a flash.
No chance for reaction—I pressed relentlessly.
Crushed necks, whipping tail.
Slammed bodies, spat venom.
Exhausted as they were, proper resistance was impossible.
The moment I saw the Floor Boss, I thought:
Make it my rival.
Like past floors, surpass it as my equal.
Devour it.
But I couldn't beat it yet.
So I moved.
So I ate.
This was how I grew stronger.
Fight foes, eat them.
Humanity mattered, but I didn't hesitate.
Even watching hunters flail in rage for survival, it didn't faze me—like always.
I just did what needed doing.
I'm a snake—a monster.
You have fulfilled the achievements required for evolution.
Beginning evolution to a higher entity.
That night, I evolved.