As a cultured snake.
Drinking something without even opening the lid and chewing the whole bottle is unimaginable.
But this is an emergency situation among emergency situations, isn’t it?
I didn’t know what the bag in my mouth was, but after chewing and swallowing it, a cool sensation spread down my throat.
Of course, I could also feel the sharp texture of pointed glass shards.
Let’s trust my digestive abilities for once.
「Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1.」
「Heavenly Thunder Spirit’s proficiency has increased.」
「Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1 has become Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv2.」
Finally, this skill’s level has increased too.
「Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv2.」
Crack!
Lightning with even greater power struck the fire lizard.
The villagers on the opposite side of that peak might think Calea Mountain was actually a volcano.
With fireballs shooting into the sky and lightning striking continuously.
‘Oh!’
Interestingly, the lightning had the effect of stripping away the fire lizard’s flames.
I learned this thanks to Pelerian’s advice.
“That, that’s it!”
Pelerian pointed at something.
I could see it too.
Inside the lizard’s body, where the flames had subsided.
There was a clearly visible purple lump.
“It’s a demon’s magic stone!”
Is it like a demon’s fruit?!
“That thing was created by a high-ranking demon’s temper tantrum anyway. After burning everything around it, it will burn itself away too. That magic stone must be its energy source.”
Pelerian argued that we should catch it before that happens.
“A demon’s magic stone is one of the best magic catalysts. It might be the key to your evolution!”
I think there was something about demons in the special evolution conditions.
Thinking about it, this was clearly an opportunity.
You’ve done well, old man Pel.
“Snake!”
“We’re here!”
And just then, the dwarves came rushing out.
Their bodies were soaked. They were also carrying things like buckets.
It was clearly the cooling water used to enter the depths.
“Leave it to me!”
Rozena and the dwarves grabbed the chain I had been holding until now.
This time, they wrapped it around a rock pillar once to secure it firmly so it wouldn’t be dragged away.
“I’ll kill anyone who lets go!”
Rozena shouted frighteningly.
Shouldn’t she be the new mine lord?
No matter how you look at it, that seems right.
While I was briefly distracted, the fire lizard counterattacked.
Chomp!
It bit my body hard.
It was incredibly hot and painful. Moreover, its face looked exactly like Blue Beard’s, which made me feel disgusted.
「Gigantification is deactivated.」
I escaped from that danger through flexible thinking.
For a moment, I worried about the glass shards in my stomach, but.
Fortunately, the glass shards remained intact and my stomach didn’t burst.
It bit the empty air.
Meanwhile, I fell with a thud.
I opened the subspace.
Dawn’s dagger Ashura.
I clenched it tightly in my mouth.
‘Oh no, Chimera!’
The chimera came out attached to the dagger.
It didn’t want to go back into the subspace.
Rather, it wrapped its vine-like hands around me and clung tightly.
I tried to unwind quickly, but it wouldn’t let go.
‘Why are you suddenly acting like this!’
“What are you worried about! It’s a chimera of the World Tree with even higher heat resistance than you!”
Pelerian was right.
Oh well!
Before its body, which had subsided, recovered again.
I leaped up.
「Using Heart-eating Leap lv4.」
The invisible hand is inevitably broken due to the intense heat.
Feeling my scales shriveling.
I approached its magic stone.
Snake-style.
「Using Ferang School Dagger Technique lv1.」
Demon Slicing.
Slash!
I could clearly feel the sensation of the magic stone splitting.
And at the same time, extreme heat burst out.
Ashura’s blade melted.
No.
This is beyond my heat resistance…
「Seedling Chimera has used Empathy lv1.」
「Sharing Heat Resistance lv20.」
At that moment, the burden of the heat suddenly eased.
Nevertheless, it was unavoidable that my body caught fire.
“Saaac!”
As I screamed and rolled on the ground, someone poured cooling water over me.
“A-are you okay?”
A bald head with a round face.
Gentle eyes.
It was Dunkel.
It hurts. I’m not okay.
“You look really hurt.”
Seeing that expression, I’m afraid to check my body.
Dunkel poured a health potion over my body.
Fortunately, the pain quickly subsided and my body started to heal.
That fire lizard bastard…
Ah, I got it.
「You have defeated Paimon’s Fire Lizard lv140.」
The lizard’s body completely collapsed.
The red flames that had been blazing shattered and flew into the air.
It was a sight beautiful enough to behold.
「Your level has increased」
「Your level has increased」
「Your level has increased」
「Your level has increased」
「Your level has increased」
…
My level increased consecutively.
As a result, my level became 31.
It was a faster level-up than expected, but evolution wasn’t possible yet.
I guess it really needs to be level 40 or 50.
That’s when it happened.
「Evolution is possible.」
When I heard such a message.
I thought it was meant for me, but it wasn’t.
──────────────
[Seedling Chimera lv10]
…
[Status]
[Evolution Possible]
──────────────
Oh finally!
The chimera has also reached the moment of evolution.
When the chimera evolves anew, I should give it a proper name.
We can’t keep calling it Seedling Chimera forever.
“Quickly, take the demon’s magic stone.”
Pelerian urged.
Where the fire lizard had disappeared, there was a purple magic stone.
──────────────
[Demon’s Magic Stone: Paimon]
──────────────
I don’t think I can analyze this as being a certain grade of magic stone.
The chimera wiggled its vine-like hands, showing interest.
It’s too early for you.
When I said that, it seemed to shrink its vine-like hands as if trying to yield.
That was quite admirable.
It felt like seeing a child giving up a chicken leg to their father.
Feeling my eyes getting moist, I tried to swallow the magic stone.
“Psaaac!”
And I quickly opened my mouth due to the tooth-burning pain.
“What are you doing?”
‘Ah, it’s too hot!’
There’s no way I can eat this.
At this temperature, it would burn my throat and body completely.
Is my heat resistance level 11 not enough?
‘Should we pour water on it?’
“You can’t do that! Even now, power is leaking out every moment.”
Purple magical power was steadily flowing out of the magic stone.
I guess it’s one of those things that taste better when eaten warm.
‘Hmm…’
I looked at the chimera.
It was still wiggling its vine-like hands.
The chimera has fire properties, and its heat resistance is higher than mine.
I closed my eyes tightly and carefully asked Pelerian.
‘How about giving this to the chimera?’
“What?”
I was just asking for an opinion.
‘It seems like it’s about to evolve too, wouldn’t there be special evolution conditions or something?’
“That’s a great idea.”
‘…Really?’
“It’s much better than you eating it!”
For some reason, I felt a little disappointed by Pelerian’s response.
I squeezed my eyes shut and gently tapped the chimera snake.
‘Here, you eat it.’
The chimera snake wiggled its sprout.
I had hoped it would refuse once out of courtesy.
But the chimera snake instantly extended its vine hands.
As expected, the purple light emitting from the magic stone flowed into the chimera snake’s vines.
My, how well it eats.
Seeing it eat so well actually makes me feel quite pleased.
And the result came immediately.
「Special evolution conditions have been met.」
Now it’s time for the chimera snake’s evolution.
