But now wasn’t a suitable situation for hunting.
“Looks like we can’t even approach unless we take those ones down.”
“Hmm…”
Iris was troubled too.
“Let’s try hunting them. There are three of us…”
“What? Are you crazy? I’m out.”
Even the fairy naturally counted him as fighting force, making Pandan want to jump up and down in frustration.
However, he wasn’t forcibly drafted into wyvern hunting.
One head of the black wyvern.
And three heads of the white wyvern.
“Kuaaaa!”
“Guwooo.”
“Duuuu.”
“Kerererere!”
All four heads suddenly started singing together.
Such long, loud crying wasn’t just roaring to show strength.
They were calling.
Their kin, their subordinates.
“Uh…”
‘Wyvern Queen’ wasn’t just about being big.
When the queens wailed, wyverns respecting their authority came from far away.
Not just one or two.
“What a crowd…”
White and black wyverns gathered like a swarm of bees.
These queens never called other wyverns even when fighting each other.
There was a separate reason they called their kin together like this.
“Kuwak!”
“Guwoong!”
Orders fell and.
All those numerous wyverns began descending to the ground at once.
What was about to happen?
Even a long-lived fairy.
Even a mighty hero had no choice but to withdraw silently at this moment.
==
Wobbly wobbly.
Wobbly wobbly wobbly.
Long ago when young.
I saw something called the ‘Dead Sea’ in a science comic book.
The word combines ‘dead’ and ‘sea’, called that because no living things can survive there.
Because the water is too salty, they say.
Because of that, your body floats instead of sinking they say.
Since I couldn’t swim, I was very curious about that.
I wanted to visit someday but died without being able to.
But the sensation felt here now reminds me of that Dead Sea.
Cozy, damp, sticky.
It feels like my body is floating.
How small will I become as Little Prince Serpent?
Even dad who I thought was enormously huge was actually small.
Thinking of it that way, it’s not bad. I can use Gigantification anyway.
Father was definitely a ‘big and cool snake’.
I want to become a big and cool snake too.
Like that End monster.
Got to eat lots and lots, and get much much stronger.
Become the continent’s greatest snake.
Ah.
Seems my dream is set.
I want to become the planet’s greatest snake.
A snake as tremendously strong, as long as rivers and as huge as mountains.
Become the universe’s greatest snake!
Thud-
My mind was hazy.
I woke from the long sleep a moment later.
Kuung-
‘Huk!’
I can see ahead.
But it’s not clear, looking cloudy.
How to describe it, like wearing glasses that don’t fit?
Just as I tried to rub my eyes with my tail.
I realized my body wouldn’t move.
‘Uh oh, why won’t it move.’
My body won’t move at all.
I got scared thinking I might be completely paralyzed but.
“You’re awake.”
Pelerian popped out.
‘Why won’t my body move? Did the evolution not work properly?’
“Evolution you say?”
And an unexpected answer came back.
“It’s only been 7 days since evolution started.”
‘What?’
From my perspective it felt like blinking once.
But why did I wake up after 7 days instead of a month?
“You melted completely like soup in that crystal.”
‘What do you mean?’
“Exactly what I said, your body melted into goo then started growing again. It hasn’t even fully hardened yet.”
Kyaak.
To think I went through such a horrible process.
Come to think of it, I heard pupae’s insides also turn into something like thick protein drink in the initial state.
I’m a snake not a bug but it’s similar huh.
I focused and observed myself.
──────────────
[Little Prince Serpent lv.0 (Evolving)]
[Traits]
—
[Skills]
—
[Status]
[Evolution]
──────────────
Ooh.
My name changed.
But maybe because I’m still evolving, I couldn’t see detailed changes.
Can’t even see what I look like so it’s a bit frustrating.
Plus if it’s still only day 7, that means I have to stay like this for over 3 more weeks.
‘It’s going to be super boring.’
“Hmm… I don’t think so.”
‘…Why?’
Pelerian didn’t need to answer.
Kuung!
A rumbling sound came with vibrations.
Come to think of it, I think I heard such sounds in my dream too.
This is deep underground but.
Is someone doing construction outside?
Kwaang!
But that sound is unusually loud.
Suddenly realized.
My whole body seems covered in thick crystal, if it sounds this loud how thunderous must it be actually?
The answer came right away.
Kwaaaang!
As rocks fell from the ceiling, a wyvern’s head poked down.
From that impact I toppled over sideways.
Dazzling light came in.
Sunlight from ground level.
Then could it be, all the tower ruins were cleared?
I was startled enough to jump but couldn’t because my body was hardened.
It was Wyvern Mom’s head that appeared.
She looks very tired.
Covered in dirt dust, with scratches from rocks all over her snout and head.
“Ku, ku…”
Seeing me covered in crystal, she can’t continue speaking.
Joy, shock, fear, sorrow.
That whirlpool of complex emotions.
“Kugaaaak!”
Burst out as an anguished roar.
Does she think I’m dead, hardened stiff?
Looking at her tears, seems so.
Bang- Kwang!
And once more the ceiling broke and.
This time three heads appeared.
I nearly wet myself because they were Chugota’s three heads.
That monster also let out an anguished roar seeing me.
“Guuoo!”
“Kererere!”
“Dururu!”
The two Wyvern Queens thrash their heads while crying.
After a while.
After emotions settled somewhat.
Wyvern Mom Celeta carefully picked me up in her mouth.
“Kuoo.”
Chugota didn’t interfere.
Their relationship must have improved somewhat.
And finally when we came up to the ground.
‘Uwaaa!’
“Uh oh, uh oh!”
I let out a mental scream.
In the middle of what had become a plain in Delfram.
Hundreds of wyverns were gathered on the ground covered in black tower ruins.
All looked tired and covered in dirt dust, presumably from digging earth and clearing rocks.
All those wyverns were looking at me.
Wyvern Mom set me down on the ground.
“Hey hey! Why are they here!”
Though Pelerian told me to turn my head and look, I couldn’t because I was hardened.
“That’s Iris, the Golden Leaf Investigator, and the red-haired human who plucked your scales before!”
‘What!’
Only my eyeballs could roll around.
I can barely see them.
The humans were watching from far away.
Looking at the tent behind them, seems they’ve been camping out here waiting.
Did they come looking for Pelerian’s dungeon? They probably wouldn’t recognize me?
That’s when Wyvern Mom lifted her head to the sky and began making a different cry than usual.
“Kuuuu…”
A long, drawn-out cry in a low tone.
Then other wyverns also lifted their heads and began crying together.
“Uuuu…”
Chugota joined in and.
The three siblings below also joined.
Eventually hundreds of wyverns cried together.
“Uuuuuuuu-”
All of Delfram seemed to shake with crying.
Tears rolled down the three siblings’ eyes.
“This is…”
Both Pelerian and I.
Realized what situation was unfolding.
“It’s your funeral.”
‘Huk…’
The white runt born lacking wings and legs.
All the wyverns of Delfram worked together trying to save him but.
Here, found as a stiff corpse.
For the mothers who lost their child.
A moment of silence.
Whether by coincidence or necessity.
At that moment I awakened a new ability.
「Synchronizing with numerous wyverns simultaneously」
「Acquired Crown of Connection lv1」
