Chapter 14: [Arc 1] Chapter 8: Spoils of the Battle, Skill List and Evolution

Mwa-hahaha!

I can't stop laughing! If I had legs, I would dance out of pure joy! Heck, let's try!

Bleagh. Bad idea. I forgot how bad movement above the [Concentration]-limit was.

Damn, that calmed me down more than I wanted. But, the results are okay. In fact, fabulous!

After I did that Tarzan attack on the turtle snake, I sunk my [Poison Fang] into its neck and managed to end it. Boy, that was dangerous now that I think about it. If the turtle snake had smacked me to the ground with its neck, then it would be Game Over for me. Instead, it tried to shake me off without even trying to kill me. Why didn't it try to do that? 

Anyway, I managed to take down the turtle snake. The Adventurers tried to do something funny to me, but I didn't notice anything strange. A dud maybe? 

When we are on that subject, the [Language Adaption]  skill Skvalv gave me is working well. First, I wasn't able to understand what that fencer-Adventure said, but after a while, it was like I knew the language they used was since I was born. This one's definitely a cheat skill.

Talking about surprisingly effective skills, [Throw] was working wonders today. Despite my minimal STR stat, I managed to throw that belt filled with potions. It may not be that heavy for a regular human, but I'm a trash demon! It took my all just to lift it a little up. I first thought of dragging it with me to the Adventurers, but then I threw it with my skill without thinking too much about it. After that, I reached the top of the wall with just one throw. Choosing this skill was a good idea, despite it being some sort of replacement for the magic skills that would be too costly.

And that's not all. After I killed the turtle snake, I got it. You know it. The level up notification!

SYSTEM MESSAGE:

Karma Value has fallen.

Nameless individual, [Lesser Grey Demon], has reached LV5.

0.1 skill points acquired.

Nameless individual, [Lesser Grey Demon], has reached its maximum level.

1.0 skill points acquired.

Individual [Lesser Grey Demon] can now evolve.

Number of evolution options: 1

Acquired title: [Daredevil]

Oooh! I reached my species highest level! Not that it's that high. And I got an extra skill point. Not to mention the evolution-thingy. Just one option sounds a little depressing, but I'm the weakling of all weaklings. I'll take what I can. *Sigh*.

I kinda have a guess what kind of monster I can evolve to. Hope that this one is better than my current self.

And I am not accepting that drop in the Karma Value. Sure, I was a little brutal against that turtle snake, but I had no other choice there! That thing was min/maxing it in defensive stats and skills you know! Give me some slack already.

That title though: what's up with that? [Daredevil]? Was I that daring back then? W-well, the turtle snake was a boss-class monster in my eyes, and I did jump from a 5-meter high cliff? Wall? A really high place! You get it! And I didn't use any threads in the fight either.

Now that I think about it, wasn't I a little too daring back there?! Must be since I've been able to live safely even in a dungeon till now. My sense of crisis must be a little out of place now.

However! The prize was worth the risks! Huh, not the level up! I could do that anytime from my home more safely with my webs. The title? I didn't even know about that one before today! Why should I care for something I don't know about? Evolution? Same as with the level.

Then saving the Adventurers? That's... not completely wrong. You see, I had a reason for sparing those Adventurers. As you should know by now, my race is supposed to be [Lesser Grey Demon]. But, I'm white as a winter day. Then, why not take advantage of this whiteness?

By helping out Adventurers that explore the dungeon, I'll build a reputation as 'A monster that will help Adventurers', therefore giving them one less reason in subjugating me. However, I'm not doing it for free. Like this time, I'm gonna take a tribute for my services.

What tributes? I'm talking about this:

The box must have been knocked off together with the Potion Belt. The box itself isn't that important, but the contents! 

I mean, it's fruits you know, FRUITS! Those have to be sweet, right! All this time in this dungeon and I've only been able to eat yucky monsters. The only palatable food I've eaten was the frog, and that tasted like tasteless white chicken. IT TASTED TASTELESS! That's important, so I'm saying it twice! 

The best food I've had was tasteless food. Then you can imagine how all my other dinners have been. The spider is, well a spider. No more explanation is needed. Those three raptors were also terrible. Just muscles and skin, no real meat. And the little meat they had was though as the endurance of a marathon runner! As for dessert, we have the rat. Since I couldn't skin it, I had to eat it with the fur and everything. Gosh, that was nasty! The greasy fur made any taste the rat should have a billion times worse! I'm not kidding!

After that menu, can anyone blame me for some real food? Or at least, some sweets? No hands up? Good! 

Not that there is anyone here anyway. Who am I even talking to?! I need to get back home, like yesterday. This prolonged exploration trip is tearing on my sanity.

Hmm? Wait a sec. Wouldn't this make me a glutton that will do anything for food in the eyes of the Adventurers? 

N-no way. T-that would be too depressing. Ah! But what if someone tries to capture me? I'm a rare white Grey Demon, okay even I have to say that line was messy. Even so, aren't I a rare specimen of my race? Not just the color, but I'm not going berserk like other Grey Demons. And I have a shitload of skills as well, several times more than a regular Lesser Grey Demons 4 skills.

... Let's select the humans I want to be nice to carefully. Case-by-case, was it?

---

Finally home! My sweet home! It's just a crossroad made by tunnels crossing each other with some webs and a little cave, but it's still my home!

And what are you doing there in my web?! I should have taken those down before I left. Well, time for some venom.

*Chomp*

---

There we go, one repaired web, ready and done. Damn rat, come back when I'm able to gain more levels! Not that you can come back.

Okay, let's hope there are no other unwelcome guests here.

... A trio of raptors, named "Glavras Slipraus"... and a freaking "Pond Toad" frog. Wait, the frog was a toad? What was the difference again? Eh, I'm no biologist, so who cares?

Anyway, time for some more [Poison B-] wait. Shouldn't I double-appraise these guys skills first before I end them? After they're killed, the only thing I can appraise is their species. Let's try. First of, the frog or toad or whatever:

[Jump], are you kidding with me? Not that I can't talk back since I've got [Concentration] and all. 

That [Lesser Water Element] sounds more interesting. If there is a lesser variant, then is there a Water Element without the lesser part? Skvalv did say that skills could be upgraded if you gain enough proficiency in them.

Okay, thank you for sharing your secrets with us Mr. frog. It was a pleasure having you here tonight.

*Chomp*

Well then, what about the raptor brothers?

I'm gonna be kind and not mentioned the [Running] skill. The [Cooperation] skill sounds handy, if it was not for that I'm a bonafide loner from birth! I can count on my, well, not on my fingers, missing those, but anyway! I've never met a single friend or comrade-in-arms, or even a frenemy. There is only been predators or prey since I was born! You got a problem with that?!

Damn, that was humiliating. Damn these raptors!

*Chompity, chomp, chomp, chomp!* X3

Good, that was some stress relief. Wait, didn't I promised to not overkill so much? Eh, whatever.

The raptors did also have the [Lesser Water Element] skill like the frog. Must be since they are water-type monsters in a water dungeon. When we are on the subject of water, what's up with that [Pure Water Dependency] skill? It has more demerits than merits. And I'm no clean freak either so that one's not attractive at all.

The turtle snake that attacked the Adventurers also had this skill and [Lesser Water Element]. It also had [Withdraw], [Snap], [Camouflage] and [VIT Reinforcement (Small)].

[Withdraw] is a racial skill exclusive for beings with shells. It increases the user's defense when it stays inside its shell. [Snap] is increasing speed and power when using a biting attack. This must be the skill that troubled the Adventurers so much.

[Camouflage] allows the user to make themselves look like something else. A disguise-skill to say it simply. [VIT Reinforcement (Small)] is giving an extra skill point in the VIT department for each skill level. Now I want a [HP Reinforcement] skill. But that (Small) part, does that mean there exist stronger versions of the skill? Like, 10 times the skill level? That would be a pretty sweet deal.

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Then, back to [Pure Water Dependency]. This skill is deadly, for them I mean! 'Cause, what's my best attack? It's POISON, baby!

My [Poison Bite] has become pretty darn toxic by now, and these guys are more vulnerable to it the stronger they are. This is awesome!

I'm on God-Mode now, or maybe not. All of these monsters are several times stronger than me, so much that I will not get a chance to poison them if  I'm not catching them by surprise. 

All hail [Stealth]! I only chose this skill because I thought it was good to have in case I needed to run away from trouble. Who would have known that it would be the cornerstone in my fighting style?

I guess I should take one final appraisal on my self before I evolve. I get to check my skills as well now.

Evolution is available. Has the status page been this beautiful before? But my Karma Value has dropped significantly. Not that I care so much. I'm already a monster, heck, a demon. 

Then, for the long sought after skill list:

There it is! My skill list! Oh boy, how long have I waited for..., how long did I wait for this? I obviously can't see the sky from here, so I have no clue how many days have passed since I was born. 

Eh, whatever! Let's think about that when I need to know the date. For now, let's appraise these skills. And there is a mystery skill along with the ones I knew off. Let's start with that one.

Okay? Is this really a skill? And why is that light weakness removable? Is it in case I get a light resistance skill, then that part will disappear? Oh, that has to be it! I hope it is, at least...

[Light Weakness] sounds like something vampires or other undeads have, so I want to remove that as soon as possible. Good thing that I'm living in a dun- no wait! There's been almost nothing good about this place at all!

Whatever... Let's move on. What about the other skills?

So, a snake without poison would develop poison glands if it got this skill then. Do I have that? I'm not gonna dissect myself to find out.

Then there is a skill that erases one's presence except when you are attacking? Still, this one sounds like a real cheat if it's at a high enough level. 'The invisible demon', just joking. 

I got this one after I chose [Stealth]. Thought they would mix well.

Okay, plain, but who knows? Maybe it's gonna be something in the future? Not holding my breath though.

This guy is just as plain as [Throw], but it's a real lifesaver. I wouldn't be able to move without this skill. But what the heck's "concentration abilities" supposed to mean?

No skill level on this, but with this effect, I wouldn't be surprised to call it a high-ranking skill. Ha-ha, sayonara, language barrier!

I kinda guessed that I had this one, but I needed proof to be sure. It's a good skill, reducing both damage and the 'Poison'-status. That one is always irritating to work around in games, so I don't want to deal with it in real life. 

Well, I didn't have any visual organs like eyes in the beginning, so this is a lifesaver. The next one is...

That's a lot of stuff. And [Appraisal], you are so much of a big shot? Accessing the World Systems database sounds impressive. I guess I won't find out if something else unlocks on the next levels with my current [Appraisal] level.

And FYI, Life values refer to HP, SP, and MP, while Mental values are INT and LUC, and the rest is Strength values. Moving on.

Yes, yes. Just as I expected. Well, not all of it. I thought that the skill also gave me knowledge in creating webs, but from the looks of this, I guess not.

Here it is! My strongest skill! This baby cost me 4 out of the 10 bonus points I was given when I was getting reincarnated, and oh boy they were worth it! Sure I haven't been able to use it yet, but this babe is a freaking Immunity skill! No damage at all! While I'm not sure if this attribute can damage someone directly at all.

I learned about the Heretic attribute when I was doing all that design work back at the Crossroads: it is the attribute that damage and warps someone's souls. Scary! This isn't on the level of brainwashing! Your soul could be destroyed for all eternity and your body would be left behind as a lifeless shell.

Whoever named that attribute has a good naming sense. That thing's definitely heretic against anything, and anyone. But with this skill, I'm safe for anything any heretic could throw at me. I took this skill since I was assuming I was gonna be reborn as a human and wanted this skill so that I would not be dragged into anything strange. So much for that idea.

Thinking about it, these skills were a real bargain, this one and [Stealth]. According to Skvalv, both of them are skills that are evolved several times, making them expensive in both skill points and development time. I got lucky there, being able to obtain skills without getting the lower versions first.

---

Okay, almost ready. One final check before we start:

All webs repaired and accounted for? Three in each passage, south, west, and east all accounted for. Check!

Food, as in monster corpses? Bound and gagged and dead. Check!

Berry Box filled with dried Ralal fruits for celebration after evolution? Deliciously checked. *Drool*

Evolution option unlocked? Definitely checked.

Happy thoughts? Check (did I even need that one?).

Good. Despite how important that last entry on the list is, I'm all green for evolution. I added an extra layer in each passage for safety reasons, since I don't know what's gonna happen to me during the evolution. 

Well then, how do I start it? The evolution I mean. Is shouldn't be possible that it's necessary to have the [Appraisal] skill at a high level to evolve, so I think you have to ask the system to evolve, in the same way as the skill shop.

If the evolution happens when you're asleep, then I'm in trouble. Ehm, 'evolution', please?

And there it came up! Why are just these things so easy, while the rest needs a Ph.D.?

My evolution option is as I suspected, the 'Lesser'-less version of Grey Demon. 

Let's appraise it just to be safe

A low-class demon evolved from the [Lesser Grey Demon]. A demon with close to no power on its own. 

A unique monster at the point that it would not exist if it's lesser variant would not be able to evolve.

The [Grey Demon] has no affinity for any attributes, but due to that, it is theorized that it has the chance to evolve into any demonic beings.

A [Grey Demon]'s skills are based on its parent back when it was a [Lesser Grey Demon], therefor making it unpredictable to handle with. While it is not as fragile as it's lesser form, a [Grey Demon] is still weak.

The biggest difference between this and the lesser variant is that a [Grey Demon] can use magic and other skills that require MP.

Eh? Still weak? That's a downer. And this one has the 'capacity' to use magic? Not 'abilities' or 'talent' or something like that? Does it mean that my MP will go up from 1?

-! That must be it! Then will my HP also increase? Please let it be that! Let's do it!

SYSTEM MESSAGE:

Individual [Lesser Grey Demon] has chosen to evolve to the [Grey Demon] race.

Accept evolution?

Y/N

YES, obviously! 

SYSTEM MESSAGE:

Individual [Lesser Grey Demon] will now evolve to the [Grey Demon] race.

Wait, that's it? No fanfare or something? It's an evolution for Pete's sake! Why save on... the... cele... wha... I'm... ain...

*Splat*

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