[Author’s Note] Thank you! Chapter 10
3. Ruins 009 – Ruins #3
A giant snake kept charging at me.
With its massive body, it knocked me around, causing quite an uncomfortable situation.
My body banged into its tail and head, leaving me with a few scrapes and bruises.
But hey, I didn’t just sit there and take it! I clawed at its face and body with my front claws.
For such a big beast, it was surprisingly fast, but its attack pattern was about as exciting as watching paint dry—it just lunged straight at me.
After a few hits, I started to predict its predictable, linear assaults.
—Hisssss.
It flicked its tongue around. At the same time, a loud huffing sound came from its nose, like a dragon trying to catch its breath.
Maybe it needed a lot of oxygen to maintain that huge bulk.
That huffing noise was like a warning sign that something massive was about to happen.
—Craaack!
As I expected, it opened its enormous mouth and lunged at me. After dodging its downward attack sideways, I jumped onto its head and sank my claws in.
Desperate to shake me off, it slammed its head against the walls and floor.
Bam! Bam! The echoing sounds made the whole place feel like it might collapse right then and there.
When it seemed like it would smash into the left wall, I shifted to the right, and if it was about to hit the ground, I moved overhead to avoid getting squished.
—Hisssss…
Maybe it was because it kept banging its head against the wall, but the snake suddenly stopped moving and let its head droop.
Crack.
One of the horns above its eyebrow snapped off and fell to the ground.
Seizing the opportunity, I went right for its eyes, the most vulnerable part of its face.
Its body was covered in dark, scaly skin, but the scales on its eyelids felt like a thin, transparent film.
With reckless precision, I gouged its eye with my front claws, and it twisted and howled like a dewormed worm.
—Graaah! Graaah!
In agony, the bulging muscles of the beast jerked wildly in all directions.
Its movements were much more threatening and powerful compared to its previously monotonous attacks.
Even amidst the chaos, I firmly lodged my right front paw into its eye while my left claw continued to scratch and claw at the wounds beneath its peeling scales.
—d*e! Just d*e already!
—Graaah!
In its frenzy, the snake smashed its face against the wall. I found myself getting crushed against the cold stone floor with the impact.
With the wind knocked out of me, my whole body went limp, rolling away from its head.
All I could see was the snake, flailing like a burning animal. bl**d sprayed out of the eye where my paw had been.
—Just d*e already!
I coughed—a hot, metallic taste filled my mouth.
The painful memories of the fangs that had bitten me and the collisions with the wall all rushed back like a tide.
A sound came from my mouth that was somewhere between a whimper and a purr.
—Grrrr, grrrr.
As I let out those low sounds, I felt a slight relief from the pain.
It occurred to me that cats purr even when they’re in agony, like they found some comfort in it.
That unique, low-frequency sound is supposed to suppress pain and soothe discomfort.
I had thought my friend’s overly detailed explanations about animals were annoying, but now that bizarre info felt like a ray of hope in my predicament.
I kept purring, trying to push the pain down as much as I could.
As the frantic movements began to slow down, the long snake’s body hung limp, gasping for air.
Sparks of pain exchanged between us as we locked eyes. Its uninjured left eye, with a slit pupil, stared me down.
—Hisssss.
It made an unsettling noise with its tongue. Whether it was trying to communicate or just muttering to itself, I couldn’t tell.
It might’ve just been a beastly sound with no significant meaning behind it.
Feeling somewhat less pain from my purring, I struggled to lift myself.
I staggered toward the collapsed snake and, with both hands, hoisted a statue up from the ground.
It was heavy and felt good in my hands.
Shaking from its weight, I climbed onto the snake’s head and brought the stone crashing down onto its forehead.
—Hisssss.
The snake twitched slightly and shuddered. But it looked like it was too exhausted to fight back anymore.
I smashed down the stone on its head relentlessly until its breath finally ceased.
At last, it no longer exhaled nor twitched even a little.
Standing triumphantly atop its head, I gazed up at the ceiling.
Dizziness whirled the vast chamber around me. My exhausted and injured body felt like it was about to collapse any moment, yet an insatiable hunger stirred in my stomach.
I lowered my gaze to the snake beneath me. Its scales, resembling a rock shell, revealed pale pink flesh where the scales had come off.
I raised my front claws to scratch off every last scale from its body.
Screech,
I buried my teeth into its tender skin and tore off a chunk of meat.
Surprisingly, its flesh was fresh and clean, tasting wonderfully savory and mild.
They say grilled snake meat tastes like chicken, but I suppose eating it raw had its own unique flavor—nothing like chicken.
If anything, it reminded me of fish sashimi eaten without soy sauce or wasabi.
The only unpleasant part was the snake’s bl**d, which tickled my mouth with carbonated fizz. Oddly enough, it had a sweet taste, reminiscent of drinking soda.
I had jokingly wished for cola, and here I was, munching on a snake.
Tears and drool streamed down my face as I devoured its body with nostalgia and familiarity.
【You have gained experience points!】
【You have leveled up!】
A flurry of glowing letters floated before my eyes, enveloping my body in a soft glow as my wounds healed rapidly.
I trembled with that strange itch and delightful sensation of new skin forming, but I didn’t pause in my greedy feast.
【You have reached the maximum level and can no longer gain experience points.】
【You meet the conditions to evolve.】
‘Hmm?’
I stopped munching and turned my head to the floating text in the air.
I had become accustomed to the messages about gaining experience and leveling up, but the notion of evolution was brand new to me.
‘Evolution?’
As I furrowed my brow, faint letters appeared before me, presenting me with about three choices. Let’s start with the one on the far left.
【Grid Ratel】
A close relative of the Breed Ratel. Unlike the Breed Ratel, it has no horns on its head and is quite plain. Like all Ratel species, it possesses a thick hide that withstands attacks and a significant resistance to various toxic chemicals.
Ratel boasts such ferocity that it will aggressively charge at even the largest predators, earning it the nickname “Jungle Delinquent” (Bakanysh) among forest denizens.
However, the flesh of the Ratel is tough and smells foul, making it less likely to be preyed upon by natural enemies. But if expertly butchered and fried for an extended period, it can be transformed into a delicacy highly coveted by gourmets, especially when served with the sauce from Southern Bellastraze.
‘Hmm, Bakanysh, huh.’
I shifted my gaze to the other letters floating next to the Grid Ratel.
【Demigrass Raccoon】
A species of raccoon known for its high intelligence. Unlike ordinary beasts, it uses its front paws like hands and displays a remarkable ability to use tools. Fearless of humans, it boldly enters their camps to steal supplies and food.
In fact, the organ known as the liver is quite large compared to other beasts, and despite its foul-smelling meat, the liver is reported to be a popular delicacy among gourmets. Unfortunately, due to overhunting, its population is critically endangered, and it now only inhabits the Eastern wetlands.
‘A raccoon, you say?’
I turned my head to the right. Now there was only one choice left, and I decided to pin my hopes on it.
【Salt Glider】
A rare species of flying rodent that can easily climb trees and momentarily glide through the air on its skin flaps that stretch across its limbs. Its temperament is generally milder compared to other monsters, favoring meals of insects such as eight-colored spiders or glass hoppers. With its large, adorable eyes, it is often kept as a pet, though its wild instincts occasionally lead to accidents involving pet Salt Gliders.
Its flesh is notoriously terrible regardless of preparation. However, there are barbaric tribes in the Eastern great forest that favor this creature. So be sure to use a leash when strolling through the Eastern area with your pet Salt Glider.
‘How bizarre.’
I frowned deeply.
None of them seemed like proper beasts, and the way they ended up being treated like food or pets at the end of their descriptions felt very off-putting.
Did I really have to pick one of these?
I pressed my front paw to my forehead, trying to calm the throbbing headache beginning to form.
‘So the message about not gaining experience anymore popped up, huh.’
Just like game characters who had reached their limits and needed to change classes, it seemed I was stuck and needed to evolve. It felt like a necessary step if I wanted to advance any further.
‘Then I need to pick the best option from these.’
I carefully re-read the letters floating before me. I imagined what Grid Ratel, Demigrass Raccoon, and Salt Glider would look like.
First, I would consider the Grid Ratel.
While the term “Grid” was odd, Ratel was known as the honey badger in the real world.
I recalled it being a creature that had a knack for picking fights with any beast, living life on the edge.
‘Thick enough fur to withstand most attacks and immune to poison—those are definitely appealing benefits.’
I decided to put it on hold and moved on to the second option, Demigrass Raccoon. Instantly, the image of a raccoon popped into my head, looking quite similar to its real-life counterpart.
My interest was piqued by the mention of its front paws being able to use tools. If a human spirit were to reside in it, I could possibly maximize this creature’s potential.
However, being a critically endangered species due to overhunting weighed heavily on my mind.
If I were a raccoon and someone spotted me, it was almost guaranteed I’d end up as game for hunters.
‘Finally, there’s the Salt Glider…’
Salt Glider. What a peculiar name. It felt like a mix of the sugary sweetness of a sugar glider and something salty, leaving a weird taste on my tongue.
Its ability to climb trees well, being a rodent, could be a significant advantage. Still, I was already proficient at climbing with my claws—was there a point in choosing this one?
‘What if evolving resets my skills? I hope none of my current skills disappear.’
I wiggled my front claws.
When I first transformed from human to beast, they felt odd, but now my claws became an invaluable weapon and tool.
‘Hmm, I have no clue. The squirrel option is just not appealing.’
The Salt Glider quickly got scratched off my list of potential evolutions.
Becoming a pet to humans could be a sweet fate, but in this treacherous and endless jungle, I was far more likely to be eaten by another beast than find a human to care for me.
If it was sweet enough to be kept as a pet, it was guaranteed to possess low combat power. What really bothered me was that it dined on spiders and insects.
It might sound a bit spoiled, but I’ve found spiders massively disturbing since being thrown out into the wild. Call it an ingrained fear or something.
‘Well, that leaves me with two options.’
The wild delinquent, the Grid Ratel, or the highly intelligent Demigrass Raccoon—decisions, decisions.
I placed my paws on my head, trapped in contemplation.
I’ve always been the kind of person who picked careers carefully in games, considering all info like the most popular job paths.
In real life, I became too cautious while choosing a path, leaving me drifting from place to place without landing a solid job.
‘There’s not much info, and worrying won’t help. Let’s just wing it.’
With a determined expression, I pressed my claw against the name of the beast I wanted to evolve into.
A clear, artificial sound rang out. The text that had cluttered my vision scattered like mist lifting away.
‘Did I make the right choice picking evolution? Is something going to happen?’
With half hope and half anxiety, I looked down at my body.
Nothing seemed significantly different, nor did any incoming events feel imminent.
‘What? Nothing at all…’
Suddenly, a solid stone wall appeared before me.
Well, I was lying flat on the ground, having toppled over. The energy drained from my body as sudden drowsiness swept over me, leaving me unable to resist the urge to sleep.
The cool stone floor felt quite pleasant against my skin.
【Evolution complete.】
