I wanted to see the process of evolution with my own eyes.
It must be quite an interesting sight.
Would it evolve like Pokemon or like Digimon?
Realistically thinking, it would probably be closer to Pokemon than Digimon.
──────────────
Oh…!?
The status of the seedling chimera snake…!
Congratulations!
The seedling chimera snake has evolved into the Demon Hunter’s Vine Grass!
──────────────
It might feel something like that.
In conclusion, I didn’t see it directly.
When I opened my eyes, the chimera snake had already evolved.
“Saak!”
Dunkel, did you see it?
Dunkel looked impressed.
“It was amazing…!”
‘Did you see the evolution process?’
“Yes, I think it’s the first time I’ve seen it in my life. It was really incredible…”
Is this how it feels when you can’t attend your child’s kindergarten graduation?
“It was amazing, it was an incredible sight.”
Even Pelerian saw it.
As a pervert who loves chimeras and monsters, Pelerian was enjoying the afterglow with his eyes closed and clapping.
Damn, I’m jealous.
But it was clear that the chimera snake liked me the most.
‘It didn’t change as much as I expected?’
Due to the terrifying name of Demon Hunter’s Vine Grass, I was a bit worried it might change into something creepy, but it didn’t.
‘It’s just a plant as it was!’
Tick tick!
The chimera snake planted in the ground had definitely grown.
However, it still looked like a plant, like ivy not attached to a wall.
The shape of the leaves had changed a little. It now had five leaf fingers, looking like maple leaves.
But the surprising thing happened right after.
The chimera snake came out of the ground!
“It, it stood up!”
Dunkel!
If you’re going to say that, you should use a subject!
The chimera snake stood up from its place.
Could it possibly walk on two legs now!
It might soon say “I am chimera snake.”
Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
The chimera snake staggered and fell forward.
It moved in a quadrupedal form using four leaves.
It had a tail too, making it look a bit like a squirrel, but it was much slower, reminiscent of a turtle. Or maybe a chameleon.
The chimera snake crawled over and climbed onto my tail.
Oh, so that’s how you use those vine hands.
It stuck to my tail like ivy.
When I swayed my tail, it swayed back and forth on top of it.
Now it seems I don’t need to carry it around planted in a pot.
Let’s check its status window.
──────────────
[Demon Hunter’s Vine Grass Lv1]
[Traits]
[Baby], [World Tree], [Hellfire]
…
──────────────
Yes, yes, the chimera snake is still a baby.
The diverse traits have been simplified.
I’m glad the important World Tree trait is still there.
The noticeable one was Hellfire.
When I told Pelerian about it.
“Hellfire… It’s a trait that can’t occur naturally in nature.”
Wow! A unique trait.
“I thought I had heard that name somewhere…”
‘You mean ‘Demon Hunter’s Vine Grass’?’
Compared to XXX’s Chimera or Little Trent, it was certainly a more exotic individual name.
“I’ve read about it in an old book. It’s a plant-type monster that lives in the demon realm, harmless to other species but deadly poisonous to demons. There aren’t many detailed records left, but…”
No wonder it’s a special evolution.
Then it could be called an ancient species or something like that.
It might have gained new skills too.
I looked further into the chimera snake’s status window.
──────────────
[Skills]
[Sixth Sense Lv1], [Perception Expansion Lv2], [Absorption Growth Lv6], [Leaf Shaking Lv4], [Vine Hands Lv1], [Empathy Lv2], [Cultivation Lv10], [Fire Immunity Lv.max], [Hellfire Lv1]
──────────────
Huh, huh, huh, huh!
I was shocked.
Fire Immunity.
I didn’t know there was such a skill.
Maybe this is what Heat Resistance becomes when it evolves to its final form.
If so, it must be an incredibly amazing skill.
To think it would gain such an amazing skill with just one evolution.
And it wasn’t just Fire Immunity.
There was also a skill called Hellfire. This one also smells strongly of an upper-tier skill.
To gain two such amazing skills with its first evolution.
‘You’re amazing, chimera snake.’
I felt proud.
I should check what the Hellfire skill does later.
“Didn’t you say you were going to give it a name?”
‘Yes.’
Now that it’s neither a snake nor just a chimera, we can’t keep calling it chimera snake.
I was planning to give it a new name.
“You’re not going to name it Big Eyes or Big Head again, are you?”
‘No, I’m going to give it a cool name.’
That’s not to say that names like Big Eyes and Bowingie are bad. Of course not.
But for the chimera snake, hmm…
Dunkel also thought hard about it.
“How about something like Green?”
‘Not really.’
“Vinesy?”
‘Oh, that name is not bad?’
But Pelerian strongly objected to Vinesy.
It’s just cute though.
“Consider its characteristics more when naming it. How about Kabbaladeteridsephirotia?”
‘Ugh, that’s terrible.’
But it’s true that we should consider its characteristics.
It’s a plant… it moves, and it breathes fire.
Oh, this is completely…
“How about Ashwarithal?”
“Oh! That’s cool!”
No, let’s pass on that name as it might cause issues.
“How about shortening Yggdrasil, another name for the World Tree, to Isil?”
‘Oh!’
That’s good.
Dunkel, you’re quite good at this?
When I asked the chimera snake, it liked it too.
Your name is now Isil, Isil.
Even without wearing the Crown of Domination.
Even without using Taming.
The chimera snake accepted the name I gave it.
「You have named the Demon Hunter’s Vine Grass Lv1 ‘Isil’.」
No, did Dunkel name it? Anyway.
「The Demon Hunter’s Vine Grass Isil Lv1 likes its name.」
Then that’s good.
“Phew, that worked out well.”
Dunkel wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“You’ve finished your task now, so I just need to do well.”
‘Thank you for helping, even though you’re busy.’
Actually, Dunkel had a separate task.
Shortly after, Rozena would gather all the dwarves in the mine in one place.
There, she would announce that she would temporarily take on the role of mine lord, and introduce Dunkel as her successor.
“There will surely be many who dislike me, sigh…”
Although Dunkel said this, he didn’t run away.
He was a man with ambitions to change the mine and the dwarves, so he had always dreamed of becoming the mine lord.
“Should I wear a hat?”
Dunkel asked this seriously.
He had been ostracized for a long time just because he was born without a beard and hair.
‘That might work, but while your head can be covered, you can’t do anything about the beard.’
“…You’re colder than I expected.”
Of course, I’m a snake.
Dunkel seemed worried about his appearance.
Then, a surprising thing happened.
Isil was very smart.
It seemed to understand well that Dunkel had helped in its evolution.
Isil approached Dunkel and shook its leaves this way and that.
When Dunkel knelt on one knee and brought his face close, it slowly grabbed soil with its leaves and smeared it on Dunkel’s face.
“Oof, what’s this all of a sudden?”
Dunkel tried to pull his face away.
But the chimera snake shook its leaves as if to say it needed to continue.
Dunkel sighed and brought his face close again.
And then, an amazing thing happened.
“Saaaaak!”
“Huuuuh!”
Both I and Dunkel were shocked.
“Is, is this okay?”
“Sak, sasasak.”
“No, but still…”
“Saak!”
Dunkel was convinced by my persuasion.
“Okay, let’s go like this for now.”
A deep resolve could be felt in his voice.
