Evolution and Job Change (6)

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Your Race level has increased. You acquired 1 SP.

Your Job level has increased. You acquired 1 SP.

Your Race level has reached the required value. Evolution is available.

Your Job level has reached the required value. Job Change is available.

Your tamed monster's Race level has increased.

Your tamed monster's Job level has increased.

【Talisman Arts】 level has increased.

【Soul Arts】 level has increased.

You learned the new spells Silence Cure and Disease Cure.

【Archaeology】 level has increased.

【Alchemy】 level has increased.

【Assassination Arts】 level has increased.

【Death and Chaos Evil Eye】 level has increased.

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Lately, I had been doing little but gathering junk parts. That did not mean I had stopped fighting, however. I had kicked away the Harpies that came to interfere with me, and occasionally gone wild with Karu in the 'Black Death Ice Forest' to blow off steam.

The new spells were Silence Cure and Disease Cure, which could cure the Silence and Disease status ailments respectively. I had not yet encountered a monster that used either of them, but since I could use them myself, I could not afford to let my guard down. I should simply be happy that I could cure them at any time.

As a result, although I was considerably behind Jigoro, I had finally become able to evolve again. I was glad I had managed it before departing from Vetus Floating Island. Evolution felt like a milestone, and the fact that it coincided with our departure seemed almost fated... Though perhaps that was an exaggeration.

"Hmm... What should I modify next...?"

At present, I was racking my brain over a certain problem in the battleship's lounge. Namely, which part of my body I should modify for this evolution. To be blunt, my meager imagination could not think of anything else to add.

"Rather than trying to be novel, should I return to my roots and strengthen the bones themselves?"

"Strengthen what?"

"Whoa!?"

The lounge should have been empty except for me, yet someone suddenly spoke from behind me. Pathetically, I stiffened in surprise before turning around. Standing there was Almardelx-sama, wearing the innocent smile of a child who had just successfully pulled a prank.

"Could you please not startle me, Almardelx-sama?"

"No, no, it's your fault for leaving yourself open."

Was he saying I could not even relax at our base? I was not like Jigoro and Genzuro, who embodied the mindset of being constantly on a battlefield. Give me a break!

Ignoring my protesting stare, Almardelx-sama dropped heavily into the seat beside me. He draped an arm over the backrest, crossed his legs, and turned toward me.

"So, what has you stumped? Rather than brooding over it alone, you should consult a dependable elder."

Almardelx-sama put on a smug expression as he said this, but since he looked like a boy, he had none of the dignity of an elder. If anything, he merely looked like a child trying to act grown-up, which made him adorable.

However, judging by his own sense of time, he must have lived far longer than I had. Perhaps he could offer useful advice. With that in mind, I told him about the problem troubling me.

"Ahahaha! You evolved in such an interesting way! No wonder that twisted goddess took a liking to you!"

Apparently, he found the method I had used to evolve—namely, performing surgery on myself to modify my own body—extremely amusing, because Almardelx-sama began laughing so hard that he clutched his stomach.

"...Was it really that funny?"

"At least, I've never heard of it. Undead who retain sound reason and intelligence are rare enough as it is. I guess they never think of modifying themselves to become stronger. Though I'm not sure modifying yourself counts as sensible in the first place."

"So a wanderer like me is an exception?"

"Yep. It's not that there aren't any, and apparently those individuals are incomparably stronger than the others."

Oh, I see. So Undead who retained their reason really were strong. The Grave Keeper in Fars's underground area must have been one of them as well.

"You're like that too, but wanderers have reason and intelligence no matter what they look like, right? If so, you'd think there would be others who came up with the same idea."

"Yes, I think so too."

"We've gotten sidetracked. You were wondering what to modify, right...? Maria told me not to give you any more items for free... Oh, that's it!"

Almardelx-sama placed a hand on his chin and groaned. Then he snapped his fingers and stood up. Had he thought of some brilliant idea?

"I can't give you anything myself, but advice should be fine. Izam, have you been collecting that kid's fangs and claws?"

"By 'that kid,' you mean Karu, correct? Of course I have them stored."

I answered immediately, puffing out my chest. Karu occasionally shed his fangs, claws, and scales. Once they turned into items, I collected every one of them. I had heard that many parents preserved their children's shed baby teeth, and apparently I was that type of person. I had not even had Iris turn them into equipment; I had simply left them in storage.

"Use them. He became a Dragon after bathing in your magic power, right? They'll definitely mesh with you."

What Almardelx-sama said made perfect sense. Karu had originally been a Dragon born from an egg given to me by Ifa-sama. Since he had grown by absorbing my magic power, those materials should blend with my bones as well.

"Er... well, about that..."

"Huh? You don't want to?"

"It's not that I don't want to... It just feels wasteful..."

I understood the logic, but consuming items that let me feel Karu's growth seemed wasteful. I had made a necklace from his first scale, but once I had accumulated a sizeable number of them, I found myself unable to use them.

"Are you planning to leave the kid's materials sitting in a dusty storeroom forever? He'd be happier if you used them."

"Hmm... All right."

With that decided, I began the work at once. I carefully selected only the highest-quality pieces. Once I had decided to use them, I would not hold back!

I fused Karu's dagger-like claws onto my already pointed finger bones, and his shorter fangs onto the teeth of the skull attached to my tail. For the claws on my third and fourth arms, which I used only during battle, I deliberately chose longer ones. The result was a pair of vicious arms with unnaturally long fingers. By now, I was thoroughly accustomed to this kind of modification.

"The last thing I'll use is... this."

"Is that a shed from his tail?"

"Yes. Apparently, it's called a Tail-Cutting Shell."

The last thing I took out was a material from Karu, of which I had only one. Here is the result of 【Appraisal】.

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Lesser Destruction Dragon Shed Shell — Quality: Good; Rarity: S (Special Grade)

The shed shell of the Tail-Cutting Shell, a part found at the tip of the tail of Karunagtool, the Lesser Destruction Dragon.

The Tail-Cutting Shell is a cluster of extremely sharp scales, with a cutting edge comparable to that of a masterwork weapon.

Because it is a shed shell, its possible uses are likely limited.

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Some time after Karu became a Lesser Destruction Dragon, this shed shell popped off the tip of his tail. Dragons shed parts of their bodies, but this was the first time one had come off while retaining the shape of the tail's tip.

I had preserved it for the same reason as the others, but it was also the item for which I had been least able to imagine a use. However, since it had originally been on the surface of Karu's tail, it should blend well with mine too.

I placed the shed shell over the tip of my tail. However, as one would expect from Karu's tail, it was far too loose at the normal size of mine. I therefore used magic power to adjust its size, then fused it in place once it fit perfectly.

That completed the preparations. I wonder what my available evolution has become now?

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|Chaos Abyss Dragonbone Ancient Lich

A new species of Skeleton Ancient Lich that can use all Abyssal magic, has parts of a dragon in its body, and has had various additional body parts added through 【Alchemy】.

It is expected to possess strength incomparable to that of a normal Skeleton Ancient Lich, but since it is a new species, its exact combat power cannot be measured.

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The description was almost identical to the previous one. Apparently, Skeleton Elder Lich was followed by Skeleton Ancient Lich. This was the only evolution option, and it was exactly what I wanted anyway. Then let the evolution begin!

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|Chaos Abyss Dragonbone Ancient Lich has been selected.

|Evolution into Chaos Abyss Dragonbone Ancient Lich will now begin.

【Undead Wisdom】 level has increased through evolution.

【Abyss Dweller】 level has increased through evolution.

【Abyssal Aura】 level has increased through evolution.

【Floating Skull】 level has increased through evolution.

You acquired the Skill 【Intermediate Undead Domination】 through evolution.

The Hōrai Staff, Skull Mask, and Moon's Feather Robe have each evolved by one stage along with you.

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"Whoa...!?"

"Hey, not bad."

When the evolution ended, the usual sense of omnipotence washed over me. More than that, however, I was confused by the changes to my body. I had expected my fingers to become sharper, but for some reason, my third and fourth arms had grown longer—not just the fingers, but the arms themselves. Why? The reason was so unclear that it was baffling.

The changes to my tail were even more pronounced. Until now, it had been shaped like a sword-like Tarasque spike of venomous flame protruding from the mouth of a three-eyed skull, much like my own. Now, however, the tip of my tail had become shaped like Karu's skull.

Furthermore, if I concentrated, I could make the jaws of the Karu-like skull clack together. When I wondered where the spike had gone, I discovered that it could emerge from Karu's mouth like a concealed weapon.

The spike that emerged was almost identical in shape to the one on Karu's tail. Even with my low Strength, I should be able to use the 【Tail Strike】 martial technique to deliver reasonably powerful slashes and thrusts. It would likely prove useful if I let an enemy get close.

As for my Skills, the usual three had been strengthened, along with the equipment I had received as a reward for the trial. In addition, 【Floating Skull】, which I had learned last time, had also increased by one level. Since the number of skulls had not increased, its performance had presumably improved.

The new Skill was 【Intermediate Undead Domination】. It was an upgraded version of 【Lower Undead Domination】, which I had acquired upon reaching level 40, and had already overwritten it. It could subjugate Undead up to level 50, while players were still only rendered unable to move.

"...I've gotten stronger, so let's set aside the mysterious changes. Next is Job Change, I suppose."

There was no point in racking my brain over something I did not understand. After convincing myself of that in what was essentially an act of escapism, I moved on to the Job selection screen. As usual, it offered countless options, but I had already decided what to choose.

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'Abyssal Archsage' has been selected.

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Phew, that's all done. There had been some unexpected developments, but I felt that I had been thoroughly strengthened. I would have to thank Almardelx-sama for his advice.

"Thank you for your advice."

"Don't be so formal! You and I are practically family! If you're grateful, come visit every now and then. And don't forget the souvenirs, got it?"

"Of course."

As I bowed my head, Almardelx-sama laughed and patted me on the shoulder. Once I departed from the Floating Island, we would be parting for a while. However, the next time we met, I would bring a souvenir impressive enough to surprise Almardelx-sama. I vowed that to myself.