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Race level increased. Gained 1 SP.
Job level increased. Gained 1 SP.
The race level has reached its growth limit. Evolution is possible.
The job level has reached its growth limit. Job change is possible.
The race level of your familiar has increased.
The job level of your familiar has increased.
The level of [Talismanry] skill has increased.
The level of [Soul Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Silence Heal” and “Disease Heal” spells.
The level of [Archaeology] skill has increased.
The level of [Alchemy] skill has increased.
The level of [Assassination] skill has increased.
The level of [Eyes of Death and Chaos] skill has increased.
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Recently, I have been solely focused on collecting junk parts. However, it wasn’t as if I had neglected combat. I had dispersed the pesky Harpies that came to interfere, and for a change of pace, I wreaked havoc with Karl in the “Black Death Ice Forest”.
The new spells I learned were Silence Heal and Disease Heal, capable of curing the status ailments of silence and disease, respectively. Although I had yet to encounter a monster that used both, I couldn’t afford to be careless since I possessed the skill to cure them. I decided to simply take joy in the fact that I could heal them at any time.
Thanks to my efforts, although significantly later than Jigoro, I too was finally able to evolve. It was a relief to have achieved this before departing from the Vetus floating island. Evolution felt like a milestone, and its timing with our departure seemed almost fated… though that might be an exaggeration to say.
“Hmm… what should I modify next…”
Currently, I was in the battleship’s lounge, wrestling with a certain dilemma. With the recent evolution, I was pondering over which part of my body to modify next. Frankly, my limited imagination left me at a loss for what else I could enhance.
“Rather than seeking out the bizarre, perhaps I should return to the basics and strengthen the bones themselves.”
“What do you mean by ‘strengthen’?”
“Whoa?!”
I was certain I had been alone in the lounge, yet suddenly, someone spoke from behind me. I was startled and my body stiffened before I turned around to find Lord Armadelux standing there, sporting the innocent smile of a child who had just successfully pulled off a prank.
“Could you not startle me like that, Lord Armadelux?”
“Come now; it’s your own fault for leaving yourself open.”
Am I not allowed to let my guard down even at our base? Unlike Jigoro and Genjuro, those battle maniacs who embody the mindset of always being on the battlefield, I’m different. Please, give me a break!
Ignoring my reproachful look as if it were a gentle breeze, Lord Armadelux flopped down next to me with a thud. He then casually slung an arm over the backrest, crossed his legs, and turned to face me.
“So, what’s troubling you? Instead of brooding alone, it would be wise to seek advice from a reliable elder.”
As Lord Armadelux said this with a self-satisfied look, his young appearance made it hard to find any semblance of an elder’s dignity. Instead, he seemed more like a child trying to act lie grown-up which was nothing short of cute.
However, from his subjective point of view, he must have lived far more time than I have. Therefore, he might offer some useful advice. So, I shared with him the troubles I was carrying.
“Ahahah! You’ve evolved in quite an amusing way! No wonder that twisted goddess took a liking to you!”
The method I had used to evolve, namely my own “remodeling surgery”, must have been extremely amusing to Lord Armadelux, as he began to laugh loudly while clutching his stomach.
“…Was it really that funny?”
“At least, I’ve never heard anything like it. It’s rare enough to come across an undead who retains their senses and intellect. Few would think to modify themselves to become stronger. Whether such modifications are sensible is another question.”
“So you’re saying that wanderers like me are an exception?”
“Exactly. Not to say there aren’t any, and such individuals are reportedly far stronger than others.”
Indeed, it seemed that the undead who retained their reason were indeed powerful. The gravekeeper we had encountered in the catacombs beneath Firth city must have been one of them.
“Like you, wanderers possess both reason and intellect regardless of their form, right? If that’s the case, it’s likely others might come up with the same idea.”
“Yes, I believe so too.”
“We’ve gone off-topic. You were wondering which part to modify… Maria told me not to give away items for free anymore… That’s right!”
Lord Armadelux stroked his chin thoughtfully, then, with a snap of his fingers, stood up as if struck by a brilliant idea.
“I can’t give you anything myself, but advice is fair game. Isam, have you been collecting that lad’s teeth, claws, and the like?”
“That lad… You mean Karl, right? Of course, I’ve preserved them.”
I answered with pride. Cal occasionally shed his teeth, claws, and scales, and I had collected all of them as they turned into items. I’ve heard that many parents keep their children’s shed milk teeth, and it seems I fall into that category. The collected items remained merely stored, not yet turned into equipment by Iris.
“Use those. He became a dragon by absorbing your magic power, right? They’re bound to be compatible with you.”
Lord Armadelux’s suggestion was reasonable. Karl was originally a dragon hatched from an egg given to me by Lady Yifa. Having grown by absorbing my magic power, my bones would surely accept him.
“Uh… well, that is…”
“What? You don’t like the idea?”
“It’s not that I dislike it… it just feels like a waste…”
I understood the logic, but the items that marked Karl’s growth felt too precious to use. I had made a necklace from the first scale, but as the collection grew, I couldn’t use them anymore.
“Haah… Are you planning to leave the lad’s materials gathering dust in a storeroom? He’d be happier if you used them, you know?”
“Hmm… Alright, I understand.”
Once the decision was made, I promptly began the work. I chose particularly high-quality items for this purpose. Since I decided to use them, there was no holding back!
First, I fused Karl’s dagger-like claws, which were sharp, onto the bones of my already sharp fingers, and short fangs onto the teeth of the skull on my tail. For the claws attached to the third and fourth arms, which I used only during combat, I deliberately chose longer ones. This resulted in the creation of arms with unusually long fingers, which appeared quite menacing. I was already quite adept at such modifications.
“The last item to be used is… this, right?”
“Is that a shed tail exoskeleton?”
“Yes. It seems to be called a ‘cutting tail exoskeleton’.”
The last item I brought out was a material from Karl, of which I only had one. And [Appraisal] revealed the following:
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Lesser Dragon’s Shed Tail Exoskeleton – Quality: Good Rarity: S (Special)
This is the shed exoskeleton of the cutting tail exoskeleton, located at the tip of the Lesser Dragon, Karnaghtul
The tail exoskeleton is a collection of extremely sharp scales with a sharpness that rivals that of mastercrafted weapons.
Since it is a shed exoskeleton, its uses might be limited.
――――――――――
Sometime after becoming the Lesser Dragon, the shed exoskeleton came off the tip of Karl’s tail quite easily. Dragons undergo a process where parts of their body are shed and replaced, but it was the first time that the tip of the tail maintained its shape when it came off.
I kept it for the same reason as the other items, but it was also the item I had the least idea of how to use. However, since it originally covered a tail, it should naturally fit mine as well.
I tried fitting the shed exoskeleton over the tip of my tail. But since it was Karl’s tail, it was far too big for the usual size of mine. Thus, I employed magic to adjust its size and ensure a perfect fit before fusing it.
With that, the preparations were complete. I wonder what the next stage of evolution will bring.
――――――――――
Chaos Abyss Dragonbone Ancient Lich
A new breed of Ancient Lich with elements of a dragon in its body, capable of using all abyssal magic, and various parts added through alchemy
It is expected to boast incredible strength compared to the typical Ancient Lich, but due to being a new race, an accurate measurement of its combat power is impossible.
――――――――――
The description was almost identical to the last time. After the Elder Lich came the Ancient Lich. This was the only path of evolution available, and it was perfectly fine. So, it was time to evolve!
――――――――――
The “Chimera Abyss Dragonbone Ancient Lich” has been selected.
The evolution to the Chimera Abyss Dragonbone Ancient Lich has begun.
As a result of the evolution, the level of [Undying Wisdom] skill has increased.
As a result of the evolution, the level of [Inhabitant of the Abyss] skill has increased.
As a result of the evolution, the level of [Abyssal Aura] skill has increased.
As a result of the evolution, the level of [Floating Skull] skill has increased.
As a result of the evolution, the skill of [Intermediate Undead Domination] has been acquired.
Through evolution, the Staff of Hourai, Skull Mask, and Moon’s Feather Robe have all grown by one level.
――――――――――
“Whoa…!?”
“Hey, not bad at all.”
Once the evolution was complete, I found myself enveloped in that usual sense of omnipotence. However, I was more bewildered by the changes that had taken place in my own body. As expected, my fingers grew sharper, but for some reason, both the third and fourth arms became longer, not just in my fingers but in the arms themselves. Why? The reason was so unclear that it remained a mystery.
As for my tail, the change in appearance was even more significant. Previously, it had sported a form with spikes resembling those of the Tarrasque monster, protruding from a mouth on a skull with three eyes that resembled my own. But now, the tip of my tail had transformed into a skull resembling that of Karl.
Moreover, if I focused my mind, I could make it click together. I wondered where the spines had gone, only to discover that they could now be extended from the skull’s mouth, much like a hidden weapon.
The spines that could be extended were almost identical in shape to Karl’s tail, and even with my low strength, it seemed I could deliver fairly powerful slashing and piercing attacks using the [Tail Attack] skill. Looks like this will come in handy when enemies get too close.
As for my skills, the usual set of three had been enhanced, along with the equipment I had received as a reward from the trial. Additionally, the [Floating Skull] skill I had acquired in my previous evolution had increased by one level. The number of skulls hadn’t increased, so it was likely that the floating skull’s performance had improved.
The new skill I acquired from the evolution was [Intermediate Undead Domination]. This was a higher version of the [Lesser Undead Domination] skill, which I had obtained when I reached level 40 and had now been overwritten. It had the effect of subjugating undead up to level 50, and just like before, it rendered undead players immobile.
“…I’ve become stronger, so let’s put aside these mysterious changes for now. Next should be a job change.”
Dwelling on the unknown wouldn’t help, so I convinced myself as if to escape from reality and moved on to the job selection screen. As usual, there were countless options available, but my choice had already been made.
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The “Abyss Great Sage” Job was selected.
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With that, it was all over. There were some unexpected developments, but I felt I had been greatly strengthened. I must express my gratitude for Lord Armadelux’s advice.
“Thank you for your guidance.”
“Don’t be so formal! Aren’t we more than that? Well, if you’re grateful, make sure to drop by from time to time. And don’t forget to bring a souvenir, huh?”
“Yes. Of course.”
As I bowed, Lord Armadelux laughed and patted me on the shoulder. Leaving the floating island would mean a temporary farewell. However, I vowed in my heart to bring back a souvenir that would surprise Lord Armadelux the next time we met.
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