86 Victory Dance

Candidates for evolution are multiple. Please select from the following.

Poison Tarract

Zoa Ere

Ah, evolution, huh.

Evolution!?

Hurry up!?

Even when I was a monkey, I thought the same—this time, too, quickly!?

Evolution can wait until later.

For now, simply savor this sensation.

Won it!

Hyaapu!

Won it, won it!

Defeated the eel that was so strong!

Is it not incredible!?

I'm not strong at all!?

Uhe, uhehe.

Won't you admit it took almost no thread at all to win head-on?

I won't let you call me weak.

I am strong!

Hya-hooi!

The eel was a formidable opponent.

Indeed, a formidable opponent.

A fight to the death.

But I am the victor here!

I am Number One!

Heh heh heh.

Ah—crap.

I can't calm down yet.

Hehe.

It's a dragon, after all?

Not some fake dragon like the previous Tatsu no Oto shi or catfish—this is a proper, genuine dragon.

I defeated it head-on, face-to-face, in a fair fight.

Me!

Ah—my excitement's flaring up again.

Hee-ha-aa!

*Please wait a moment.*

Zee… haa…

Overexcited. Breathless.

Phew.

Now then, enough fooling around. Let’s consider what comes next.

First—my level rose sharply.

As expected, eel.

Dragons aren’t just for show.

Looking at stats alone, it was clearly superior. Pride’s effect applied. Level-up was justified.

Skills advanced significantly in this battle. Experience gain was substantial.

Still, to be honest, whether I’d win or not depended heavily on chance.

In truth, one misstep, one wrong move, and I would be ash by now.

The eel was that formidable a foe.

In terms of raw stats alone, it doesn't seem like there's much chance I could win.

Even when it was the time of the ape, wasn't I pushing myself too hard in the fight?

The most satisfying aspect of the skill is the automatic HP recovery and increased fire resistance.

The automatic healing previously counteracting terrain damage from heat should now slightly exceed the damage due to level-up progression.

The current state is fully restored due to the level-up effect, so verification is not possible.

With this, minor damage would now regenerate over time.

A strict condition had been imposed—damage must be minimized at all costs—but things seemed to be easing up from here.

Still, a direct hit would send them straight to the afterlife regardless.

Thus, reached level ten.

Reaching level ten meant evolution was possible.

But how about this?

Was it wise to evolve here?

Evolution carried inherent risks.

First, during evolution, I would lose consciousness entirely.

Without awareness, I would be completely vulnerable. An attack from another monster would be fatal.

Last time, the time before, I had built a nest and evolved within it—safety was assured. But that was not possible now.

The thread could not be used.

Attempting to construct a nest in a place like this, saturated with magma, would result in immediate combustion during construction.

Evolve in the midst of a fire?

Impossible.

That was not all.

Evolution consumed energy required for the process. MP and SP would both deplete completely.

MP was manageable. But depleting SP would likely result in starvation, rendering movement impossible.

In the worst case, death by starvation.

Previously, evolution had coincidentally coincided with an abundance of food, allowing me to overeat immediately after and survive. This time, however, there is no such reserve.

There is eel, but even its massive body likely won’t fully restore my SP.

No risk of starvation. But for the foreseeable future, I’ll need to actively hunt for prey.

Ah, but what about the Gluttony stock?

When I evolved before, the Gluttony stock was at zero.

It decreased somewhat during the fight with the eel, but a significant amount remains.

If I can use this stock as evolution energy, perhaps I won’t deplete completely.

Hmm.

Still, I shouldn’t rely on hopeful speculation.

Emotionally, I’d prefer to evolve. But considering safety, perhaps it’s better not to evolve at all.

But, just like last time, I'm unsure if my level will keep rising like this.

Small-type monsters max out at level ten.

If that's the case, the mid-tier conquest will continue indefinitely, and all the experience gained will be wasted.

That wouldn't work.

So, is evolution really the better option?

Hmm.

For now, it seems there are multiple evolution paths available. Let me check with鉴定 for a moment.

So, please,鉴定, assist me.

『Evolution possible: Poison Tarract or Zoa Ere』

Huh?

Poison Tarract is fine, but what is this Zoa Ere?

It's not even a Tarract.

『Zoa Ere: Evolution condition: Small spider-type monster with above-average stats, title: "Assassin." Description: Regarded as a symbol of ill omen, feared across regions. A small spider-type fiend with high combat capability and stealth proficiency.』

Oh, the Assessment!

An evolution condition has been added, hasn't it!

Truly, the Assessment!

Flawless in every regard!

Hmm.

So, my status has surpassed the threshold, making evolution possible.

That means I fell short of the requirement before.

Wait—was the title tied to evolution?

Could it be that I evolved into Poison because I held the title of Poison Specialist?

Possible, seems likely.