128 Compassion benefits no one but oneself.

Exploring the upper levels at leisure today.

Truly, no monsters have appeared lately.

In games, enemy spawns sometimes skip cycles, but they never truly run out.

Yet in reality, they cannot multiply without reproduction, and each defeated one reduces their number.

I’m hunting every monster I find—both for experience gain and food acquisition.

Besides, they’re fleeing and hiding from me anyway; it makes sense they’re hard to locate.

I’m just... almost there. Close enough to evolve.

Only two or three more weak enemies remain.

That’s all it would take.

This time, I can safely evolve near the mid-level entrance, at my home base. I have surplus rations stocked from the feast, so it should be fine.

Even if supplies run low, the corpse of the earth dragon remains. Once MP recovers, I can teleport over and consume it. No issue.

The environment for evolution is already prepared.

Only experience points remain.

Damn it.

Is there a good experience drop somewhere?

I could easily hahaha right now.

But there isn't one.

Hah.

Guess I’ll have to search the hard way.

Just as I thought that, I found it rather easily.

Experience points. Or rather, a monster.

A serpent.

In this upper level, serpents are always strong. Defeating one would grant level-up and enable evolution.

But there’s one issue.

A human is fighting the serpent.

Two humans are standing against it.

Two others are already stretched out.

One is treating them.

Total of five.

Scanning the situation with千里眼, the adventurers seem to have been attacked by the serpent.

Hmm.

If I could use千里眼 and鉴定 together, that’d be ideal. But from a quick glance, the serpent seems to have the upper hand.

Can’t even beat it with two people working together.

Ah, already two are down. So it started with five.

This is worse than expected. Humans really are fragile.

Ah, what to do.

I could intervene and take the serpent, but then I’d have to deal with those people.

Troublesome.

But leaving them like this… they’ll all be wiped out.

Still, isn’t that fine?

Just wait until they’re all dead, then take down the serpent.

Then I wouldn’t have to get involved at all.

…Still, that’s probably not acceptable.

It’d be hard to live with, knowing I abandoned them like that.

I suppose I could do it, but just because it’s inconvenient doesn’t mean I should abandon them. They’re pitiful, really.

So, no choice. I’ll help them.

Thank me for my boundless generosity.

Dash.

No elaborate theatrics of “I came specially to save you!”

Kill swiftly, retreat swiftly.

It’s better this way—no lingering aftertaste.

In that case, serpent, you shall depart.

Arrived at the location seen through clairvoyance in an instant.

Above the serpent's head, utilizing spatial activation.

The scythe descending.

Enhanced slashing, upgraded step-up, additional effect: venomous attack.

My scythe pierces the snake’s crown with unremarkable ease.

The snake's HP dropped to zero instantly.

A serpent collapsing.

I pull the sickle from the serpent's head and shake off the clinging blood.

Another trivial thing has been severed.

Experience points have reached the threshold. Entity, Zoa Eire, has advanced from Level 19 to Level 20.

[Various base ability values have increased.]

Skill Proficiency Level Up Bonus Acquired

[Skill proficiency has reached threshold. Skill 'Stun Resistance LV3' upgraded to 'Stun Resistance LV4'.]

[Skill Points acquired.]

[Condition met. Individual, Zoa Eire, eligible for evolution.]

[Multiple evolution candidates available. Please select from the following:

Edé Saine

Greator Taratect

Ort Kadinart]

Good.

Finally reached level-up.

Now evolution becomes possible.

Looking at the adventurer (temporary), frozen in place, motionless.

Understandable, really.

Well then, carry the serpent and teleport away.

Wait—those two unconscious individuals in the back look close to death.

Toxin effect evident.

The man tending them is using magic desperately, but low construction speed and weak potency.

Without intervention, death will precede treatment.

Hmm.

Well, we've come this far—might as well help.

If you're going to do it, do it thoroughly.

Move to the location of the two fallen individuals.

The man who was healing them startled, causing his magic construction to dissipate mid-process. No matter. His magic was negligible either way—irrelevant.

Healing magic activated.

Two instances each of status abnormality recovery and HP restoration.

Thanks to frequent use during fire resistance enhancement, healing magic skill level had increased significantly.

Poison and injuries of this magnitude would be fully recoverable.

The man who had been observing my magic opens his eyes wide.

Ah—getting involved further would be troublesome.

Leave the rest to yourselves from here on out.

Return to the serpent’s location. Attempt teleportation again.

Something catches my eye.

A fruit.

Something resembling dried persimmons.

Fwooooooo!?

Sweetness!?

This is sweet, isn’t it!?

Something dropped by these people during the fight!?

I’m taking this!?

I won’t let anyone say no!?

I’m taking it!

Thus, sweetness acquired!

Ooh!

In a way, more satisfying than leveling up!

Skipping happily toward the serpent.

Leaving the still dazed adventurer (temporary designation) behind, I embraced the serpent and finally initiated teleportation.