Battle, and then evolution

So I was standing in front of the warehouse, scrolling through the menu, wondering what to make next, when I realized I could craft something new.

The materials were Bushino stone and Shreuvij’s claw—just those two.

Channeling magic, I drew a sigil.

Bushino stone was plentiful, so the arrow naturally pointed to the warehouse.

The other arrow pointed toward the direction of the day after tomorrow. When I looked that way, I saw the ground glowing.

Outside the town, that empty wasteland was glowing.

So it was right here all along? I headed toward it.

Then—

“This… that monkey’s claw?”

A sudden lunge, fierce expression—just like the time I knocked that monkey down and it turned back into a human.

It was glowing. So this was Shreuvij’s claw. That monkey’s name was Shreuvij?

The arrow pointed straight to the claw lying on the ground.

I stared at it.

After a while, I crushed the claw to dust.

The arrow bent ninety degrees, pointing in a different direction.

There… Shreuvij? — humans must be there!

☆

Following the arrow.

We’d walked far from town, nearly thirty minutes.

Just as I was getting tired, I finally encountered Shreuvij.

About twenty apes lounging atop a rocky hill.

Same fierce expressions, same glowing claws.

"Twenty people."

I muttered. That’s what the claw fragments meant. That’s why I’d shattered them, used the magic circle like a radar, come this far.

To defeat Shreuvij and turn them back into humans. To increase the town’s population.

That was the goal.

One by one, the apes began descending the hill, coming toward us.

Same hostile faces. Same aggression.

Probably same weakness, too.

I was about to fight back—

“W-Wuki…”

The apes froze. Scared.

They froze mid-step, all faces twisted in fear, spun around in unison, and bolted away in a panic.

What the hell?

Not scared of me, surely?

I turned.

They were all looking for whatever it was that made them flee.

From the left, a monster emerged.

A worm covered head to toe in white fuzz—Eluka.

It charged—then slammed on the brakes mid-motion.

A turn so sharp it felt like the ground itself twisted, ninety degrees, then it charged again.

Not an attack. A charge to escape.

Eluka used its natural momentum to flee.

More monsters appeared, each one glancing at something, then scrambling away in terror.

The direction they all looked—sharpened into focus.

There, one scorpion stood.

About thirty centimeters long—large for a scorpion, but not especially so after knowing Eluka.

You—aren’t they all scared of this thing?

It didn’t move. Just stared at me, frozen in place.

A cold, disdainful gaze.

The words floated into my mind.

Even though it was the first monster I’d ever seen, I still felt its weight.

Thud. Thud. The ground trembled.

She turned toward the sound. There was a dragon there.

Not a dragon. A dragon.

A massive dragon, like a dinosaur, is coming this way.

Head straight toward the direction the monsters had fled.

—Thought I’d get away, huh?

The scorpion lunged at the dragon.

She lunged forward, stabbing with her tail.

"Gooaaaah!"

The dragon roared—so loud the air itself trembled—and I instinctively slapped my hands over my ears.

She blinked. Doubt crept in.

The spot where the scorpion had stung swelled up, then melted into a gooey mess.

Flesh dissolved. Bone showed through. Even the bone began to melt.

The dragon, thrashing wildly, was stabbed in the leg next. The leg, too, melted into a sludge.

The giant creature collapsed onto the ground, shaking the earth—then stopped moving.

The scorpion crept toward it.

Looks were just like a giant beast and an ant—but strength was reversed.

"...is it really eating it?"

The scorpion began devouring the dragon. Dissolving it, then sucking it in with its mouth.

Just five minutes.

The dragon, as large as a house, was completely eaten by the scorpion.

No doubt about it now—monsters had been afraid of this thing.

This is bad. Gotta run.

"——!"

That thought flashed through my mind—then the scorpion lunged at me!

I instinctively drew Eternal Slave and blocked.

Goth! The scorpion’s tail and my sword clanged together—dull, heavy sound—then I was sent flying.

Like being hit by a cart. A floating sensation.

I tumbled through the air and slammed into the rocky outcrop where the apes were.

Shit! I tried to push myself up—but a jolt of pain shot through my leg.

My ankle was swollen, turning purple.

That last hit sent me flying the wrong way.

I fumbled a vial from my pocket and downed it on instinct.

My leg healed instantly. I could stand again.

The scorpion crept closer. Pressure building.

Can’t run. Have to take it down.

I gritted my teeth, raised the slave’s sword, and charged.

Small. Blinding speed. Power that didn’t even belong in the same world.

I’d have been dead already if not for Eternal Slave.

Block the attack, apply the universal remedy to the wound, counterattack.

“Gh!”

Stung in the tail! Snatched the remedy out immediately and poured it on the spot.

The swelling vanished in an instant.

Relieved. Breathed out. Focused back on the fight.

Defend, heal, counter.

Repeat.

Eventually, the scorpion’s movements slowed.

Every motion—moving, attacking—had grown sluggish.

Attacks weakened. The tail slipped past my guard and hit my arm, but it was just a hell of a pain, nothing more.

Just a moment ago, it would’ve definitely snapped.

No doubt—damage was stacking up!

That’s when I thought, I can do this—

“Gh… the universal remedy’s gone!”

Empty pocket. Used up every last drop I’d brought.

The word “retreat” flashed in my mind first.

I could get out now. The scorpion’s weak—just like before, but now I could run.

Then came the word: “Waste.”

Leaving a weakened foe behind after all this? That’d be too much of a waste.

I hesitated. What should I do? What should I do?

I decided to press on. Giving up now? That’d be a waste.

But I pressed on carefully.

I danced around, avoiding hits like never before.

No reckless charges. Only strike when sure. Pull back at the slightest hint of danger.

Ultra-safe tactics.

I moved as if my HP was one. One more hit and I’d be dead. That’s how careful I was.

Five minutes later.

After all that cautious poking, the scorpion collapsed.

Lying on the ground, twitching, utterly still.

……

I raised my Eternal Slave. No slack. Not even at the very end. Not for a second.

Creeping closer—carefully, carefully, swinging the blade down.

Shush. The tip pierced without resistance.

Scorpion split clean in two… already dead.

"Hah…"

Relief washed over me. I collapsed right there, boneless.

Exhausted. Every muscle ached.

If Eluka showed up now, I’d have no choice but to give up. That’s how weak I was.

“Uk!”

“Uk-ee!”

I turned toward the sound. The troop of apes had returned.

Snarling, claws glinting, they came back.

Lunging at me, weak as I was, they all jumped at once.

"..."

I countered with Eternal Slave.

One strike. One kill.

Weak, but these fools? Easy.

I felled every last ape—Shrejibu.

One by one, they crumpled, reverting back to human form.

"Mission... accomplished."

This time, utterly spent, I lay on my back, watching the apes revert one by one to human form.

And when the last one finally changed—

——Level up! Normal card evolves into a Fronds card.

A voice, the first ever, echoed in my mind.

At the same time, light wrapped around my body, and I felt lighter than air.

I could move—no, I was fully restored!

And then—

“Menu open.”

The number of things I could craft had more than doubled.