Chapter 40: Seems like I evolved again

The 22nd floor’s structure is like that of a lake. Plants with lotus-like leaves float on the surface of the water and there are fishes jumping in the distance. The water is murky and you simply cannot say that it’s beautiful. The road leading from the stairs to the lake continues to the horizon and I could only see a faint shadow like that of a building.

“Something seems to be coming out…”

“Yeah, there surely is something coming.”

“Father, something is moving in the water.”

Pero was looking inside the water.

Something like a big fish is moving in the light green water. Pero seems to be interested in the fish that he sees for the first time. But rather than that, the fact that there’s a fish here means that there must be something bigger that preys on it. Something that the orcs are afraid of.

“Shall we go ahead in the meantime?”

We then started to move forward. The width of the road is about 5m wide and it feels like it was built quite a long time ago. On the way, I saw something that looked like a pillar and many of them crumbled apart starting from the middle.

“Dragonflies are flying there.”

Many dragonflies were flying over the lake. Knowing that there are dragonflies in this world as well, I look at them while feeling nostalgia. Then a dragonfly approached me.

“Whoa!?”

The dragonfly spread its legs wide and tried to catch me. I immediately avoided it but its size is far beyond expectations. The size of its outstretched wings is about 4m and the length of its entire body is about 3m. Its head is even as big as a bowling ball and I was clearly targeted as prey.

“Shinichi, many are continuously gathering here!”

The dragonflies began to gather around us one after another. This situation is bad. Humans are like food for them.

“Gegooooo”

After I heard that sound, something pulled a dragonfly into the water. When the dragonflies detected the danger, they fly away simultaneously.

【Appraisal Result: Mohed dragonfly: A large dragonfly that only lives inside Mohed’s Great Dungeon. Its transparent wings are high-class materials and it is traded at a high price: Rarity B】

【Status】 Name:  Mohed Dragonfly Race:  Mohed Dragonfly Magic attribute:  Wind Magic:  Air ball Skills:  Eyesight Strengthening (Special), Enemy Detection (Intermediate), Flight (Intermediate)

“W-Wait!!”

I shouted at the dragonflies that are already flying away. They were just like a treasure trove. Both materials and skills, I want them so badly that I desire nothing but them. But such wish was shattered as the dragonflies flied far away and disappeared.

“Shinichi!”

I was startled by Erna’s shout when something jumped out of the water. This time I used my super sensation to grasp its true identity. The scenery before me slows down and the enemy’s appearance is reflected before my eyes.

The frog that came out of the water is now stretching its tongue toward us.

“Hmph!”

I cut its tongue with the sword. The tongue that was cut off bounces on the ground.

“Gegooo!?”

The water splashed as the gigantic frog jumped in the water. Apparently it’s trying to escape, but it has to take responsibility for letting the dragonflies escape. I respond quickly and draw out a thread from my left hand. It will stick on the frog’s body so all I have to do is pull the thread and kill it.

The frog that landed on the water finally noticed that it is being pulled up. It desperately swims and tries to escape but my pulling force is stronger. It took me a few minutes to drag it back on the road.

“Erna, use magic!”

“Yeah, Fire Arrow!”

A fire arrow was fired from the tip of the cane. The arrow pierced the frog’s head causing a small explosion.

“Can’t you finish it more gently? It’s troublesome because pieces of meat fly around.”

“Hmm, fire arrows don’t explode you see… my magic is strange these days.”

Erna puts a finger on her mouth and appears to be troubled. Now is not the time for that, rather, it’s about the frog in front of me. I used appraisal immediately.

【Appraisal Result: Mohed Frog: A gigantic frog that lives only in the Mohed’s Great Dungeon. Its staple food is Mohed dragonfly but it has a habit of swallowing orcs and other creatures whole. Its skin and the like are popular material and even its meat is also traded as a high-class material: Rarity B】

【Status】 Name:  Mohed Frog Race:  Mohed Frog Magic attribute:  Water Magic:  Aqua ball, Aqua cure Skills: Taste Enhancement (Special), Digestion Enhancement (Advanced), Leg Enhancement (Special), Underwater Adaptation (Intermediate)

I feel like I can’t stop smiling. I missed the dragonflies but I think this frog also has a considerable skill. I acquired everything by using Skill Picking.

【The conditions are met. Integrate skills to evolve. 】

【Integrated evolution: Arm Strengthening + Leg Strengthening + Body Strengthening = Limit Breaktrough 】

It seems that what was born in this integrated evolution is a strengthening skill called limit breakthrough. Perhaps my whole body up until now will be strengthened more.

I checked my status for the time being.

【Status】 Name:  Shinichi Tanaka Age:  17 years old (56 years old) Race:  Homeless (Variant) Occupation:  Adventurer Magic attribute:  No Attribute Magic:  None Skills: Appraisal (Special), Master of War(Beginner), Life or Death Technique(Beginner), Stealth (Special), Thread Generation (Special), Thread Manipulation (Advanced), Thread Bomb (Special), Division(Beginner), Danger Detection (Advanced), Digestion Enhancement (Advanced), Eyesight Enhancement(Advanced), Hearing Enhancement(Special), Taste Enhancement (Special) ↑, Smell Enhancement (Special), Limit Breakthrough(Beginner) new, Super Sensation (Advanced), Shock Absorption(Beginner), Underwater Adaptation (Intermediate) new, Hardening(Advanced), Self Recovery (Intermediate), Plant manipulation (Special), Leadership (Special), Indomitable Spirit (Intermediate) new, Skill Picking, King’s Vessel

Then if there is integrated evolution after this, it will be a skill that strengthens my five senses. I’ve always thought that it overlaps with the super sensation skill but now I can understand if it will lead to an integrated evolution. It doesn’t make sense if I can’t use all of my skills even if I levelled them up.

However, it seems that the orcs hated this frog. The 21st floor is a wetland so it can be expected that Mohed Frogs will come up the stairs. No matter how many orcs there are, with a gigantic frog as its opponent, they may end up being helpless about it.

After storing the killed frog in the bangle, we started to move forward again.

“I’m gradually getting exhausted.”

“Well, do you want to rest somewhere?”

Due to the battle I mentioned earlier, the dragonflies were completely out of reach and along with that, frogs also disappeared. It’s a good time to take a break but I’d like to find a safer place first.

“We can take a break there.”

There was a building at the end of the road where Pero pointed. It looks like a two-story tower. We decided to step inside the building first and ensure safety for the time being.

“Pero, can you smell something?”

“There is nothing here.”

“Erna”

“I can’t hear any sound either.”

Based from their senses, there seemed to be no reaction for an enemy. Of course, if I use my skills, it’s easy to find out if there’s an enemy but that wouldn’t help them grow.

So our respective role is decided. I assess the situation and switches between short-distance and long-distance attack. Erna relies on sound to search for enemies and is in charge of long-range attacks. Pero on the other hand relies on the smell to search for enemies and is in charge of short-range attacks. Even if one person does not notice the enemy coming, the other person can react. It’s a two-fold stance.

“Shall we have a meal here?”

I took out the orc fighter’s corpse from the bangle and I immediately start dismantling it and cut some meat. There is no need to worry about them rotting because time seems to stop inside the bangle. I start grilling the meat in the frying pan while I let Pero cut the vegetables with a knife.

Erna, the only woman here is just watching us cook.

“Someday I…”

“I understand so don’t disturb Pero. If you touch it, the food will be messed up.”

When I said that, Erna showed a pitiful expression. She tried cooking a few times but it was terrible. The meat was charred and the vegetables are thrown into a pan with its skin on! If a chef sees it, he will probably faint with foam in the mouth. Anyway, in other words it’s that awful.

Originally, she’s a young lady from an elf country but, I would like to tell her parents that she wasn’t well educated about food preparation.

After the food is ready, I put it on a plate and we start eating.

We are currently on the second floor of the building but it’s only a bland room with nothing on it. You can see this floor from the window and the light falling from the ceiling reflects the surface of the lake brilliantly.

“By the way, we missed hearing about the bottom layer of the dungeon in the Royal Capital.”

“Oh, that’s right. I completely forgot about it.”

“But the rumor that a treasure sleeps at the bottom of a dungeon seems to be true.”

I mutter out as I look at the bangle recovered at the ruins. This is definitely a treasure. If similar tools are sleeping here, it’s no wonder that adventurers and scholars are interested about them.

If I were to sell this bangle, it might be enough for me to play and live for the rest of my life. While thinking about such a thing, familiar characters were displayed in the field of view.

【Evolution will begin soon. Once the evolution is completed, you cannot revert back. Will you evolve?  YES/NO】

Evolution again? It’s a lie, right???

“Hey, Erna. Does evolution happen many times?”

“Huh? That should not be the case. It seems that magical beasts and demons evolve many times but for one’s race, it’s done once.”

“Then it’s a joke when it says that I will evolve huh?”

“Maybe you will evolve from now on!? E-eh? It’s a lie right!?”

I think it’s a joke too. However, the evolution notice was announced just like before. Evolution at the timing of meals again means that someone is observing me somewhere. After I finished my meal, I decided to take the blanket out of the bangle and go to bed.

“I don’t know how long it will take, both of you should be careful while I’m asleep.”

“I know.”

“Father, I’m looking forward to your evolution.”

Pero is looking at me with anticipation.

◇◇◇

When I woke up, I was very thirsty. I immediately took out a barrel of water from the bangle to moisturize my throat.

“Buha”

After drinking about 3 liters, I regained my composure. Looking around, Erna and Pero are nowhere to be seen.

“Where did they go?”

As I tried to stand up, I noticed something strange. My field of view is strangely wide. I wondered when I used the skill, but even if I tried to turn it off, my vision did not return to normal.

“Ah right, I have evolved.”

For the time being, I check the limbs on my body to make sure. As far as I can see, my arms did not increase. The arabesque tattoo with a tribal pattern was still there. It might be cool for young people, but it’s a little bit rough for me.

After that I tried my strength, I have more energy than before.

“My power has become stronger, but nothing else has changed.”

I sit on the floor and cut my long hair with a knife like last time. When the silver hair fell to the floor, it turned into a reasonable length and it was refreshing.

When I looked closely, it seems that my muscles are firmer than before. The amount increased but my body shape did not change much. It may be that the density has increased.

I then noticed that there were words in my field of vision.

【Evolution has been changed by the skill King’s Vessel.】

Changed? So does that mean that I have evolved differently than planned?

I opened my status immediately.

【Status】 Name:  Shinichi Tanaka Age:  17 years old (56 years old) Race:  Homeless (King) Occupation:  Adventurer Magic attribute:  No Attribute Magic:  None Skills: Appraisal (Special), Master of War(Beginner), Life or Death Technique(Beginner), Stealth (Special), Thread Generation (Special), Thread Manipulation (Advanced), Thread Bomb (Special), Division(Beginner), Danger Detection (Advanced), Taste Enhancement (Special), Digestion Enhancement (Advanced), Eyesight Enhancement(Advanced), Hearing Enhancement(Special), Smell Enhancement (Special) , Limit Breakthrough(Beginner), Super Sensation (Advanced), Shock Absorption(Beginner), Underwater Adaptation (Intermediate), Hardening(Advanced), Self Recovery (Intermediate), Plant manipulation (Special), Leadership (Special), Indomitable Spirit (Intermediate), Skill Picking, King’s Vessel

Monarch? What the heck is that?

Wouldn’t that mean that the “king” part on Homeless is the same as the one from the Bull King?

“Ridiculous!”

I get up and I headed down to the first floor to find the other two. However, I can’t see them.

“Where did they go?”

As I tilted my head in confusion, I heard a happy voice outside.

“You did it Pero! It’s such a big game!”

“Yeah, I hope father will be happy.”

When I went outside, the two of them are bursting with energy. They smiled at the twitching fish. The fish is a big fish with a size of about 1m. Its body color is blue but it looks like a sea bream.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

When I called out, Pero runs towards me with the fish.

“Father, I caught a fish!”

“You caught it? Did you go fishing?”

“Yeah, Erna-oneechan made a fishing rod!”

When I glanced at Erna, she looked proud as she sticks her big breasts out. I might have made light of her a little.

“Then, why don’t we try fishing more?”

“Wait a minute! As I look closely, Shinichi’s face is weird!”

“Ah? Weird?”

Erna and Pero stared at my face seriously.

What’s wrong? Tell me quickly!

“You have another eye on your forehead.”

“Haah!?”

I touched my forehead with my left hand and I can see my fingers in my field of view. I could also feel an eye-like thing from my fingertips.

“Father’s eyes before were brown but now they’re crimson.”

“My eyes are crimson!?”

I hurriedly looked at the surface of the water and my face is reflected there. When I watched intently at it, there are three crimson eyes indeed.

“What the heck is thiisssss!!”

Looking closely, my face is as good as it used to be. It’s easy to see even when I’m hit with light but all the hair that should have been there has disappeared.

My arms and legs are now so smooth!

I hurriedly looked inside my pants, the man’s jungle that has completely cultivated now turned into a vacant lot!

“My hair… Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh!”

Fortunately, my hair and eyebrows are left behind. I have come to know that evolution sometimes pay a big sacrifice!

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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