Chapter 24 Second Evolution
【Arthropleura LV17】
【Status】
「Hunger」
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【Arthropleura】
It is the largest millipede, growing up to 2.6m in length, 55cm in width, and weighing up to 50kg.
It possesses strong venom and prefers herbivory over carnivory.
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It was the same creature I saw when I first came to the Silver Dragon Cave.
“Gaaaah!”
How did I not notice that it was here?
Does it have some sort of stealth skill?
“Sssshhh!”
Give me back my kind centipede!
The millipede stared at me blankly.
Its twisted mouth.
Was it smiling?
The millipede opened its huge mouth wide.
Inside, there was a crushed centipede.
Your companion?
Is that what you’re saying?
Although it didn’t speak, I heard a sound.
“Gaaaaaah!”
Kisamaaaa!
I won’t forgive you.
That centipede friend was the only sane one I met in the cave.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Gulp.
The millipede swallowed the kind centipede whole.
“Ssshhhhaaa!”
Then, it let out a roar.
The air trembled.
In the past, I would have definitely run away.
But not now.
“Gaaaah!”
I puffed up my body to the fullest and confronted it.
The size difference between us was enormous.
I didn’t need to compare to know.
How could I possibly beat that 2-meter giant?
I didn’t have a means to pierce that armor.
Right.
That was the old me.
Tat.
I kicked off the ground and leaped as if flying.
“Sssshhh!”
The creature was evidently surprised, not expecting me to attack.
If I strike now, I can deal damage.
No, I must hold back once.
Paat!
My target was the wall behind the creature.
Its massive teeth grazed past me.
If I had charged straight at it, I would have been caught by that attack.
I kicked off the wall again and lunged at the creature.
This time, it was real.
I spread my hands wide.
These were not the hands of a lizard.
Dragon Claws.
My martial arts worthy of being called dragon’s claws.
Shwaaak!
I sliced through the giant millipede’s shell.
“Kieeek!”
The creature roared in anger at the unexpected strike.
I could reach it.
Now, my attacks could reach it.
But they weren’t deep yet.
Moreover, I was still in midair.
Even if just for a moment, I was defenseless.
The creature knew this as well.
Shwaa-shak!
The giant’s body rushed toward where I was.
Even a graze from those deadly armored plates would be fatal.
I had to dodge somehow.
‘Tail Cutting!’
As my tail was severed, incredible speed was granted to me.
But no matter how fast I was, this was midair.
Without something to step on, movement was impossible.
“Gaaah!”
The tail cutting did not just give me speed.
The already severed tail served as a perfect support.
Kicking off the support, I leaped once more.
Crash!
The creature smashed its head into the wall, almost shattering it.
If I hadn’t dodged, I would have been crushed.
I focused my mind.
My anticipated landing spot was right on its back.
The attack opportunity was mine.
I faced downward and quickly descended.
I clenched my claws and brought my hands together.
Sharp claws aimed at a single point.
Crack!
My claws collided with its armor.
Kakakak!
My claws tingled.
The creature must have felt the same.
The attack power of Dragon Claws. The speed gained through Tail Cutting. The kinetic energy from falling from a height.
All these combined made my attack impossible to ignore.
Crack.
A crack started to form on its hard armor.
It was working.
Penetrate!
Crack.
Thud!
Focusing too much on piercing the armor, I failed to dodge the tail attack.
The creature’s tail hit me, sending me flying several meters.
Shwaaak!
But before hitting the wall, I managed to stop by digging my claws into the ground.
“Ssshhhaaa!”
The creature emitted an enormous killing intent, enraged.
I hadn’t cut it in half.
But it was true that I inflicted significant damage.
“Gaaaah.”
I stood on my two feet on the ground.
I aimed my claws, waiting for the optimal timing.
“Kieeeek!”
The creature, frustrated by its near-death experience, flailed its massive body.
Bang!
Crash!
Though the cave didn’t collapse, the vibrations were quite threatening for a small lizard like me.
I had to finish it off before it struggled more.
The moment I charged toward it, a thick mist spread.
I instinctively knew.
That was poison mist.
It was an obvious fact.
Some millipedes carry venom.
I didn’t expect it to use it to this extent.
“Kaaak!”
My legs wobbled.
My tail hadn’t fully regrown, making it hard to keep balance.
The creature rushed toward me.
It planned to paralyze me with venom and crush me with its overwhelming mass.
A brilliant strategy.
But listen.
“Gaaaah!”
I have Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity.
I kicked off the ground and sprang up in an instant.
The creature, thinking I was poisoned, crashed its head into the ground, and I didn’t miss the opportunity.
Crack!
Green Basilisk Dragon Claws Technique Form 4.
Hit the same spot again.
Crack!
Clank!
This time, I alternated my hands to drive in the Dragon Claws.
“Kieeeek!”
The giant millipede squirmed in pain.
No, it should now be called a toy.
“Gaaah!”
This is for the only sane centipede!
“Gah!”
This is for Tus and Pus!
“Gaaaah!”
And this is for Nephila Jurassica!
“Keeeeeeek!”
The millipede seemed to suffer and resent it, but I ignored it.
I could feel its strength waning.
The millipede hadn’t used venom from the start.
It used a seemingly inefficient hunting method of body slamming.
Why?
Because using venom was even more inefficient.
Using this level of poison mist burdened its body, so it underestimated me and used its body.
It was visibly exhausted.
It was time to finish.
I couldn’t just end it plainly.
Pierce the enemy’s head with five fingers.
I strengthened my right hand and thrust it.
Crash!
It smashed satisfyingly.
My fingers!
“Gaaaah!”
Damn, that’s tough.
Trying to show off something I hadn’t even learned got me punished.
Thinking this was a chance, the creature’s struggling intensified.
Moreover, its body was becoming increasingly transparent.
So it did have stealth after all.
It would have been a big problem if I had hunted it with more time.
“Gaaaah!”
I still had one hand left.
Crack!
I tore open the cracked spot with my other hand.
Crack!
The millipede was split in half.
Phew.
It wasn’t an easy opponent.
If I didn’t have Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity, I would have surely lost.
Its carelessness played a big role.
It should have anticipated an opponent immune to poison.
It should have used its body-transparency skill from the start.
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level has risen.]
It was tough, but the reward was sweet.
My level went up by 2 at once.
[You have reached the maximum level.]
【Green Basilisk LV10(+)】
HP: 100/100
MP: 40/40
【Title】
「Beloved by Spiders」
If it wasn’t the maximum level, my level would have risen a bit more.
But I shouldn’t regret it.
Reaching the maximum level means….
[A sacred aura envelops your body.]
[You can evolve.]
That I can evolve.
Finally, the next evolution.
[Would you like to evolve?]
As much as I wanted to accept right away, it wasn’t the time yet.
There were things I had to do first.
I approached the millipede’s mouth.
Hey, centipede. Can you hear me?
This is a requiem for you.
“Gaaaah.”
The centipede I met in the cave.
I didn’t know if it was male or female, and it wasn’t a long time, but it was the only light in this dark cave.
I’ll remember you.
After finishing my mourning, it was time to prepare for myself.
In the last evolution, if Nephila Jurassica hadn’t given me food, I would have starved to death.
…I’ve gained a lot.
I hope you’re doing well.
Nephila Jurassica is no longer by my side.
I have to prepare my own food.
And right in front of me was a massive piece of meat.
I dragged the creature’s carcass.
Its size made it quite difficult.
If I hadn’t split it in half, moving it would have been impossible.
I moved it between the stone slabs with the murals.
For some reason, the creatures in this cave rarely approached the green stone there.
Moreover, it was hidden by rocks, and with the millipede’s carcass exuding venom, most creatures wouldn’t come near.
Unless it was an immune individual, they would go for the well-prepared millipede rather than suspicious eggs.
Everything was ready.
“Gaaaah.”
It’s time to say goodbye to this cute cry.
[Would you like to evolve?]
Of course.
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【Green Basilisk】
can evolve into
1. 【Green Iguana】
2. 【Marine Iguana】
3. 【Large Armored Lizard】
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What’s this, such uninspired options.
In games, this would be criticized as palette swap to stretch content.
No.
These are just the standard evolutions for an ordinary Green Basilisk.
What I aimed for was a special evolution.
Moreover, in my current state, I had fulfilled many conditions.
1. Fragment of a high-level Core
2. Martial arts like Dragon Claws
3. Surviving in a dark cave
This was enough to be called conditions.
Come on, bring it!
[Special evolution conditions fulfilled.]
Yes.
Green Dragon, Green Hydra, Green Tyranno.
Show me something like that quickly.
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【Green Basilisk】
can evolve into
1. 【Green Iguana】
2. 【Marine Iguana】
3. 【Large Armored Lizard】
4. 【Thylacine】
5. 【Dimetrodon】
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…Huh?
Thylacine?
That’s even more illogical than a dragon.
And why is Dimetrodon here?
Even combined, the other four aren’t as big as Dimetrodon.
Even if it was in the evolution tree, shouldn’t it only appear in the next evolution?
I scrutinized the options.
Suspicious.
Very much so.