――――――――――
Race level increased. Gained 1 SP.
Job level increased. Gained 1 SP.
The race level of your familiar has increased.
The job level of your familiar has increased.
The race level of your familiar, Karnaghtul, has reached the maximum level. Evolution is possible.
Isam, the owner of the familiar, should proceed with the evolution process.
The job level of your familiar, Karnaghtul, has reached the maximum level. Evolution is possible.
Isam, the owner of the familiar, should proceed with the evolution process.
The level of [Tail Strike] skill has increased.
Newly learned the martial technique “Tail Whip” of [Tail Strike].
The level of [Staff Mastery] skill has increased.
The level of [Scythe Mastery] skill has increased.
Newly learned the martial technique “Decapitation” of [Scythe Mastery].
The level of [Intelligence Enhancement] skill has increased.
The level of [Spirit Enhancement] skill has increased.
The level of [Health Recovery Rate Increase] skill has increased.
The level of [Magic Power Recovery Rate Increase] skill has increased.
The level of [Advanced Magic Control] skill has increased.
The level of [Water and Ice Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Ice Rain” spell.
The level of [Storm Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Air Hammer” spell.
The level of [Forest Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Summon Evil Tree” spell.
The level of [Lava Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Lava Pillar” spell.
The level of [Sand Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Sand Blade” spell.
The level of [Mist Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Poison Mist” spell.
The level of [Talismanry] skill has increased.
The level of [Magic Circle] skill has increased.
――――――――――
About a week had passed since the battle in Bigdareio. We received our rewards from the fight and immediately departed, returning to the Vetus Floating Island. King Salman had told us that we would be welcomed if we ever visited the place again, and I was keen to bring along the other members who couldn’t join us this time.
When we returned to the Vetus Floating Island, we found that Seventh Armor and the other members had already arrived at Birdy Perch. After reuniting with them, we had been leveling up by hunting the Harpies of the “Ancient Ruined City” and the Evil Fish of the “Ancient Spring” practicing our coordination along the way.
Both the leveling and practice went incredibly well. More importantly, everyone’s overall combat skills had significantly improved. Why, you ask?
“Hahaha! That was a good guess, wasn’t it?”
“Damn! You dodged that too?”
“Hohoho. Still, your movements are a bit wasteful.”
“Guha!? So that doesn’t work either…!”
Yes, it was all thanks to the mock battles unfolding before me. The vanguard warriors in our guild were rigorously trained by Jigoro and Genjuro. What’s more, their training sessions had evolved into a larger endeavor. These sessions now included the warriors of Birdy Perch, transforming into training exercises and drills that were structured as quests. This initiative had even become one of their sources of income.
Everyone’s skills improved, and I was getting involved less and less, which was a win-win situation for me. Hmm? Everyone except Jigoro and Genjuro would be having a tough time this way? Weeell~, I really don’t know about thaat ~.
“Hey, isn’t that brother over there? What’s up? Weren’t you leveling up with the production pair?”
Jigoro noticed me and asked a question. At his feet lay Sei, who appeared completely exhausted. It seemed he had put up a decent fight in a one-on-one battle, but Jigoro wasn’t going to let him win easily.
The “production pair” Jigoro was referring to was Iris and Shiitake. Iris created various items, including equipment, but she didn’t have the [Alchemy] skill. On the other hand, Shiitake was an alchemist who specialized in using [Alchemy]. The two women, who played the game for the sake of creating, had hit it off well and were recently holed up in the workshop, experimenting with various things with the help of No. 18.
The two of them had been so engrossed in their production activities lately that they hadn’t stepped out of the workshop. Feeling the need for a change of scenery, they wanted to go outside and hunt just when I happened to log in and decided to accompany them.
“And then right after we set out, Karl had become able to evolve.”
That was the reason we had to return so suddenly. After leaving Bigdareio, both my race level and my skills level had greatly increased. Along with that, I also learned new martial techniques and magic spells. But more noteworthy than that was the fact that Karl finally met the conditions to evolve during our recent hunt.
Iris and Shitake were also curious about the next evolution of the dragon Karl, and it was also they who suggested we return to the more tranquil Birdy Perch rather than staying in the field. And I agreed to their proposal.
“Are you serious? Hey, old man and the others! Come over here!”
“Hm? Did someone call me?”
Jigoro turned around and called for the others. He announced that Karl could evolve, and he also rounded up the other members who were logged in. We used the guild chat for those not present, so soon enough, everyone would be gathered together.
“Hoho, that’s indeed cause for celebration.”
Genjuro congratulated us with a hearty laugh. He had evolved almost at the same time as Jigoro and me. His new race had become a Samurai Insector Edge Beetle—a kind of Insector who specialized heavily in bladed weapons.
In addition to the basic rise in stats, it seemed that his ability to deal higher damage with sword-type weapons had been further enhanced. Conversely, he could no longer use weapons without a slashing attribute, but that was no issue as he never used them before. The mock battle he held with Jigoro to check the condition of his evolved body was a sight to behold. As for who won… I’ll leave that to your imagination.
“Karl-chan was a Lesser Dragon, wasn’t he? What will he become next?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure.”
This conversation was between Shishu and Wool, who seemed as close as ever. Shishu was perched comfortably atop Wool’s head.
Both had undergone significant changes in appearance. Shishu had evolved into a spider who specialized in close combat called the Bloody Sword Spider. While magic was not her forte, her physical strength, attack, defense, and agility had greatly increased. Her body size had also become smaller, making her more agile.
It might seem like a straightforward strength enhancement, but it was not. The most significant change was that, while she could still produce threads, she could no longer set traps. She had become a purely roaming spider. The skill [Trap] had disappeared from her skill list and could no longer be acquired again.
Shishu now had a sinister appearance, entirely black with dark red lines. Her limbs were sharp like blades, which gave her an aggressively threatening design. She was initially a bit dismayed by her menacing appearance, but since she could still ride comfortably on Wool’s back like before, she had come to like her new form.
Wool, on the other hand, had evolved into a race specialized even more in inducing sleep called Nightmare Sheep. The new skill [Nightmare] that he gained during the evolution was very powerful. Any opponent put to sleep by Wool would suffer damage while sleeping. He had truly become a sheep that lured others into nightmares.
He also had the job of a bard who could fully master singing, and through it he also acquired the bard-specific skill called [Curse Song]. Using their singing to strengthen allies and weaken enemies was an unusual combat style within our guild. This expanded our tactical options and increased the unique contributions only Wool could make.
“I was surprised when I saw Isam-san’s dragon.”
“I thought I was going to get eaten.”
The ones who said that were Seventh Armor and Moth-san. After I parted ways with them at the event, they managed to arrive here. Since both of them were sensible people, they would prove helpful to the guild in many ways. Look, we have some twisted guys in our group after all…
However, Karl seemed to have found them appetizing. When he saw them at the time, he immediately pounced on them and tried to eat the two. The others managed to stop him in time, but Seventh Armor and Moth-san still felt uneasy around Karl. Being attacked for food was different from a regular attack. I never experienced being preyed upon as food, so I couldn’t fully understand their feelings.
“… Are big brother Jigoro and Grandpa Genjuro really players like us?”
“They’re too strong, aren’t they? Those two are cheaters, I tell you.”
“Thank you”
Sei, who had just been beaten to a pulp by Jigoro, had evolved into a Martial Monkey, while Shiitake who gave him a healing potion, had evolved into a Venomous Stinging Mushroom. Sei’s familiars had also evolved: Phil evolved into a Sharp Horn Wolf, and Tess evolved into a Phantom Fairy.
Sei was disappointed but his skills were improving rapidly. Jigoro seemed to enjoy this and actively engaged in mock battles with him. Perhaps because of that, Sei had grown into one of the strongest in the guild, especially in ground combat, second only to those two.
Shiitake was also thriving. She had been conducting various experiments using materials gathered from past adventures and events and those from the Vetus floating island. Having chosen a job specializing in alchemy, her potions and attack items were of higher quality than mine. Perhaps it was time to leave the production to those two.
“Oh my, is he evolving~~? I wonder what he will become~~.” Shiitake said.
“He’ll surely get bigger, right? Be careful not to get eaten, Eiji. You’re made of pork, after all.” Usaji said.
“Usaji… you’re something else…”
“Hahaha. You guys have a good relationship, don’t you?”
The next to arrive were Hanna and Usaji, followed by Roja and Eiji. Both Hanna and Roja had reached level 50 and they evolved into a High Human and a swift thunder horse, respectively.
With this, Hanna had met the conditions to become a Jiangshi. She wanted to check the condition of her evolved body, so I had yet to turn her into one. Although they weren’t mentioned in the skill level-up window since they didn’t advance by five levels, my [Necromancy] and [Talismanry] skills had significantly leveled up as well. Therefore, the procedure could be performed immediately if she wanted.
“Ah! We’re the last ones!”
“It’s totally my fault~~ssu! Sorry about that~~ssu!”
“We were in the middle of talking to a resident, so it couldn’t be helped.”
Arriving a bit late were Ruby and Shio. Apparently, Shio had been in the middle of a conversation with an NPC, which delayed their arrival. It wasn’t absolutely necessary for everyone to gather, so it wasn’t a problem.
Ruby, one of the first five members of our guild, had naturally reached level 50 as well. She had evolved from the High Assassin Jewel Slime to the Greater Assassin Jewel Slime. In terms of stealth and speed, she was unrivaled within the guild.
Her defensive power was second only to Eiji, and while her offensive power remained the same, she was extremely adept at charging into the heart of the enemy to cause disruption. If her best friend Shio, the sniper, took advantage of the confusion to target the leaders, they could decimate even numerically superior foes. A fearsome pair, indeed.
“Fumu. It’s about time we evolve Karl.”
“Grrruu!”
I operated the virtual display. The first thing to decide was about skills. Oh? This is a bit different from before. Last time it said, “Add a selectable skill” but now it says, “Add a selectable skill or select a skill to evolve it”.
After checking the bulletin board a bit, I learned that when familiars evolve, they can use up slots for adding a skill to evolve skills that have accumulated proficiency. It seems that this evolution is generally possible for familiars over level 40, but as expected of a dragon, even at this level, evolution is feasible. But given the high amount of experience points needed for Karl to level up, it’s understandable.
“Karl, do you want to add a skill or evolve one?”
“Grrr.”
“Evolve?”
“Grrr!”
It appeared Karl wanted to evolve. The skills Karl could evolve were “Sharp Claws” “Sharp Fangs” “Sharp Horns” and “Tail Strike” Which one should be chosen?
“Hmm… ‘Sharp Claws’ and ‘Tail Strike’ seem good?”
“Grr!”
Karl conspicuously brought his claws and the tip of his tail closer to me. With such an obvious hint, it was clear what he desired. So, I made the selection, and the evolution began!
――――――――――
Karnagthul’s [Sharp Claws] evolved into [Sharp Dragon Claws].
Karnagthul’s [Tail Strike] evolved into [Dragon Tail Strike].
Your familiar, Karnagthul, begins to evolve.
――――――――――
“Grrruu… Grrraaaaawwwrrrrr!”
Just like the previous time, Karl roared loudly while shedding his skin with crackling sounds. The old scales peeled away with a rattling noise, revealing a body that had grown even larger.
However, the power emanating from him was incomparable to before. Underneath the scales, thick muscles that could not be completely concealed lay dormant and his gaze became increasingly fierce. The evolved claws and tail possessed a chilling sharpness.
――――――――――
Your familiar, Karnaghtul, has evolved into the Lesser Destruction Dragon.
Your familiar, Karnaghtul, has acquired a new title.
――――――――――
A Lesser Destruction Dragon! Although he couldn’t shed the “Lesser” prefix, he undoubtedly became a stronger dragon. And he even gained a title… It was truly overwhelming!
――――――――――
Your familiar, Karnaghtul, underwent a job change and became a Lesser Destruction Dragon.
With the job change, Karnagthul acquired the skill [Intimidation].
――――――――――
As for the Job change, I could only choose one with the same name as his race. Along with the Hob change, he gained the skill [Intimidation]. This skill, also usable by Jigoro, had the effect of lowering the stats of weaker opponents when activated. I knew about this skill because Jigoro often used it to avoid the hassle of fighting what he called “weaklings”.
“Grrrrrrrruu…”
“Fufufu, even though you’ve grown bigger, you’re still as spoiled as ever.”
Karl who was now capable of crushing me in a single bite still rubbed his head against me as usual. He was as cute as ever. With that thought in mind, I spent some time affectionately stroking Karl.
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