4
Chapter 4
Evolution was a success.
From a Ragged Teddy Bear to a Teddy Bear.
And from a Teddy Bear to a Brown Teddy Bear.
[Brown Teddy Bear lv.1]
┗Pw.1 (+1)
┗Rnk.Normal
[Skill]
[Helper lv.1], [Evolution lv.1], [Action lv.2]
I did not gain any additional power this time.
I also failed to acquire any new skills.
Instead, my Action skill level increased by one tier.
With the higher skill level, the Mana consumed during actions decreased. I even felt a bit more agile.
Hmm. I have no idea if this is a loss or a gain.
Is it better to level up a skill rather than gain one point of power?
I am not entirely sure.
More importantly, what changed about my appearance?
I used my Helper skill to inspect myself again.
Previously, the changes were incredibly obvious.
I had gone from a worn and rotten Doll to a neat and fluffy one. It was a remarkable transformation, as if I had been washed at least five times.
There were still visual changes this time around.
The shade of my brown skin had become slightly darker.
Is it even right to call my body skin?
Regardless, it was a subtle difference that would go unnoticed without close observation.
That was enough for my appearance check.
Next up was checking if a Limit Breakthrough was possible.
When I underwent Evolution into a Teddy Bear, a Limit Breakthrough was still impossible. I decided to see if things had changed now that I was a Brown Teddy Bear.
┗Rnk.Normal (Limit Breakthrough Impossible)
Tsk. It is still exactly the same.
Is it just impossible for me to become an entity capable of a Limit Breakthrough?
No, it is too early to jump to conclusions.
I have only experienced Evolution twice so far.
I should at least try dozens of times before making a judgment.
Giving up was not in my dictionary.
I will Level Up again and give it another shot!
For reference, I could not use the Evolution skill at level one.
Oh, right.
There was one incredibly important change that I completely forgot to mention.
Up until just a moment ago, I only had one arm.
That evil jerk Urami had bitten my arm off last time.
However, I was no longer a one-armed doll.
A brand-new arm had sprouted during my Evolution.
It seemed that way.
You do not carry over previous injuries when you evolve into a new species.
Using that to my advantage, I could simply use the Evolution skill to recover if I ever suffered a major injury in the future.
The more I learn about it, the more this skill feels like a cheat.
***
There is something I need to prioritize.
That is, absorbing even more Mana.
To live like a proper living creature, I needed to consistently replenish my Mana. I never wanted to return to being an inanimate Teddy Bear again.
Then how should I go about absorbing Mana?
The method is simple.
All I have to do is consume a Mana Stone.
Then I could gain Mana and Level Up, hitting two birds with one stone.
Although I have no idea where or how to get one.
It seemed there were other ways aside from consuming a Mana Stone.
Chewing over what Mr. Tiger said, I wondered if I could gain Mana by devouring creatures that possess Mana. I was not entirely sure, though.
Let us try predation first.
I cannot go around searching for a Mana Stone when I don't even know where to find one.
Of course, I have no intention of hunting myself.
Even though I had undergone Evolution twice, I was still weak.
However, it was fine even if I didn't hunt.
Why would I need to fight directly?
I just need to sneakily snatch the prey that someone else caught.
It is not a shameful or cowardly act.
It is simply a strategic survival method for a weakling like me.
The plan was set.
Now, it is time to take action.
Plop!
I laid flat on the ground.
Then, I wriggled and crawled forward like an earthworm.
It was a low crawling posture chosen to avoid predators.
It was fine if I was slow.
I had no intention of going far anyway.
I plan to safely search only around this area.
Ah. This is the direction where I met Mr. Tiger.
I immediately wriggled and turned my body.
Then I headed in a different direction.
After moving for a while like that.
"Kii."
"Kiiii!"
"Kii, kiiii."
Oh. I spotted some bugs.
They were quite large.
They looked like ants, but they were about my size.
Just looking at their appearance, they were not ordinary insects.
They were monsters.
[Thunder Ant lv.15]
┗Pw.30
┗Rnk.Uncommon
[Thunder Ant lv.11]
┗Pw.22
┗Rnk.Uncommon
[Thunder Ant lv.12]
┗Pw.24
┗Rnk.Uncommon
Thunder Ant?
Do they perhaps shoot lightning or something?
They must be wizard ants.
Their rank was Uncommon.
How outrageous. To think that mere bugs have a higher rank than me.
I truly was worse than a bug.
More importantly, would they also have Mana in their bodies?
How do you even sense Mana in the first place?
I tilted my head.
Do you just feel it roughly by instinct?
Mr. Tiger definitely spoke as if anyone could feel Mana.
Hmm.
For now, I can feel the Mana flowing through my own body.
I think I just need to catch this exact same aura.
The moment I had that thought.
A familiar aura wafted from the bodies of the ants.
I could tell. This was the aura of Mana.
Ah. So it was this easy to sense once you reach enlightenment.
Good.
I have decided that you will be my first meal.
Consider it your misfortune to possess Mana!
...If I were strong, I would have shouted that while charging at them.
Unfortunately, I am a weakling.
I cannot defeat even one, let alone three.
It happened while I was sullenly watching them.
Huh? There is something among the ants?
I peeked my head out further while hiding in the bushes.
It looked like the corpse of some creature.
And I could feel Mana from that corpse as well.
I did not know if it was because my Helper skill level was low or if it was just how it worked, but no information about the corpse popped up.
"Kii."
"Kiiiii."
"Kii, kiiiii."
The ants seemed to communicate, and then immediately started tearing into the corpse.
It was the prey they had hunted down.
Will you share some with me?
My desperate wish did not reach them.
They continued their delicious meal among themselves.
Remaining completely motionless, I hid in the bushes and waited for an opportunity.
Waiting for the moment to steal that corpse and run away.
A fair amount of time passed like this.
The three ant brothers were still eating.
These punks sure take their time eating.
They are not going to eat it all, right?
Just as I was getting anxious that they wouldn't leave a share for me.
"Kiiiii?"
"Kii!"
Two of the ants stopped eating.
Then they suddenly crawled off somewhere in a hurry.
Did they have some urgent business? A bathroom emergency?
I did not know the reason, but it was a great opportunity.
Only one remained.
I could steal the corpse if I just caught that one off guard.
The problem was how to catch it off guard......
"Kii."
What is this? Is God helping me?
It seems I won't need to catch the ant off guard.
The remaining ant also stopped eating, settled down a short distance from the corpse, crouched, and buried its head into its body.
It looked like it was about to take a nap.
What a stroke of luck.
It probably wanted to eat together when its friends returned. To kick away the chance to monopolize the food, it must be quite a loyal ant.
I did not move right away.
It would take some time for it to drift into dreamland.
I waited and waited with patience.
Until I could hear the sound of snoring.
For reference, the Thunder Ant had a large hooked nose on its face. There were also long nose hairs extending from inside the nostrils, which were probably the antennae for the Thunder Ant species.
I will not insult its appearance.
Because I also had a time when I was an ugly Ragged Teddy Bear. Even though I am a fluffy Teddy Bear now.
But when is that guy going to snore?
Could it be the type that doesn't snore?
That would be slightly problematic.
I wouldn't be able to confirm if it was properly asleep.
Please, let me hear it!
Breath of Sleep!
"Kiiiiiing......."
Ooh! I heard the sound!
It is definitely a snoring sound!
Is it time?
Wriggle, wriggle!
I approached the corpse as quickly as possible while keeping a low crawl.
Wriggle, wriggle, wriggle, wriggle!
I arrived sooner than expected.
To my left was the unidentified corpse.
To my right was the fast asleep Thunder Ant.
I stood up carefully and bowed my head to the right out of courtesy.
Nice to meet you. I am a thief.
I immediately looked away.
Then I walked straight up to the corpse.
The corpse had been cut into two pieces.
A large chunk that the ants had not yet touched, and a smaller chunk they had left behind.
Should I be a little greedy?
I spread my arms wide and hugged the large corpse.
Hngh! Hnnngh!
.......
Hnnnnnngh!
.......
Gasp... I cannot lift this.
Even if I was weak, I was way too weak.
I might be able to drag it... but then the risk of getting caught stealing was too high.
It cannot be helped.
With a disappointed heart, I picked up the small corpse.
I could easily lift something of this size.
Well, now...
Runaaaaaway!
Pitter-patter-!
Moving my short legs busily, I sprinted away from the spot.
***
The spot where a single Boxwood stood tall.
I safely returned to my secure shelter without any issues.
Safely bringing along the unidentified corpse as well.
Safe return complete!
Gasp, gasp! Blegh!!!
Since I was a Doll, I did not lose my breath, but I tried pretending to be exhausted to express that I had run for my life.
Anyway, that was truly amazing.
I was incredibly proud and impressed with myself for bravely stealing without getting scared. It was an achievement worthy of endless praise.
Do I not get an achievement for this?
......Never mind then.
Putting my disappointment aside, I looked down at the corpse I had painstakingly stolen.
This corpse must also be a monster.
Since I can feel Mana from it.
Now I could finally check.
Whether I could absorb Mana by eating a creature that contained it.
Then should I take a bite?
Aah- nom.
Munch, munch.
.
.
.
.
.
.
[Absorbing Mana.]
[You have achieved the Sleeping Appetite Awakened by Free Will achievement.]
[You have acquired [Feeding lv.1].]