TLBP 10

CHAPTER 10………………………………………

The huge snake kept attacking relentlessly.

Its massive body pushed against me, ramming me over and over, making it extremely difficult to deal with.

Its body slammed into my tail and head, leaving small scratches here and there.

Of course, I wasn’t just taking it lying down. I clawed at its face and body with my talons.

Despite its size, it was surprisingly fast, but its attack pattern was simple: it came straight at me with bites.

After being hit several times, I could roughly predict its obvious, linear attacks.

—Ssssss.

The snake flicked its tongue. At the same time, a deep huffing sound came from its nostrils.

Perhaps it needed a large amount of oxygen to sustain its massive body.

Its nostril huff was almost like a warning that a major movement was coming.

—Kaaak!

As I expected, it opened its huge mouth and lunged at me. I dodged its downward strike sideways and sank my claws into its head, climbing on top.

The snake slammed its head against the walls and floor to shake me off.

Bang, bang—the huge echoes reverberated through the chamber, and the cave seemed like it might collapse at any moment.

Whenever it seemed like it would hit the left wall, I shifted to the right cheek; whenever it threatened to smash its head into the floor, I moved my body over my forehead to evade.

—Sss…

Perhaps from the repeated impact of smashing its head against the walls, the snake eventually stopped moving, its head drooping.

Crack.

The horn above its eyebrow broke off from the impact and fell to the ground.

I seized the moment and attacked the most vulnerable part of its face: the eyelid.

Though its body was covered in reddish-gray scales, the scales over the eyelids were thin and almost translucent.

I dug mercilessly into its eyes with my front claws, and the snake writhed and screamed like a worm sprinkled with salt.

—Guaaah! Guaaah!

In agony from its mutilated body, the snake’s massive muscles thrashed wildly.

This movement was far more threatening and weighty than its previous, monotonous attacks.

Even as it collided around, I drove my right front paw firmly into its eye, while clawing at the exposed flesh beneath its removed scales with my left hand.

—Die! Die!

—Guaaaah!

The frenzied snake slammed its face against the wall. Pressed against the stone floor by the impact, I gasped for air.

I collapsed, my strength drained, rolling off its head to the floor.

Before me, the snake thrashed like a burning animal. Blood gushed from its eye where my paw had pierced.

—Die already.

I coughed violently. Hot, metallic-tasting blood surged into my mouth.

The pain from its fangs and the bruises from crashing into the walls hit me all at once.

A low, almost groaning purr escaped my throat.

—Grr… grrr…

The low sound seemed to dull the pain slightly.

I remembered that cats, even when in extreme pain, sometimes purr as if content. That frequency reportedly suppresses pain.

I had thought it was just trivia a friend shared about animals I liked—but now, that unnecessary information felt like a ray of light.

I continued to purr, numbing the pain as best I could.

The snake, exhausted from thrashing, lay limply, panting.

We both gasped for air, locking eyes. Its left eye, intact, stared at me with a vertical slit.

—Ssssss.

It flicked its tongue, making a displeasing sound. Perhaps it was trying to communicate, or maybe it was just muttering to itself.

It could have been meaningless, a sound made purely as an animal instinct.

I struggled to rise, purring to ease the lingering pain.

Staggering toward the fallen snake, I lifted a stone statue from the ground.

It was a heavy, solid stone. My limbs shook under the weight.

I climbed onto its head and slammed the stone down onto its forehead.

—Ssssss.

The snake twitched, making a small, muffled sound. But it no longer seemed to have the strength or will to resist.

I continued to strike its head with the statue until it stopped breathing and no longer twitched, even faintly.

I stood atop its head and looked up at the ceiling.

The vast chamber spun from dizziness. My exhausted body felt like it might collapse any moment, yet a gnawing hunger reminded me I couldn’t rest.

I looked down at the snake beneath my feet. Where its reddish-gray scales had peeled, pale pink flesh was exposed.

I scraped all the scales off its body with my claws.

Zik.

I bit into its soft skin, tearing the flesh.

Surprisingly, the meat was fresh, clean, and mildly savory.

I had heard that grilled snake tastes like chicken, but eating it raw, it didn’t resemble chicken at all.

If I had to compare, it was like raw fish sashimi without sauce.

Its blood, perhaps due to toxins, fizzled in my mouth like carbonation, oddly sweet, reminiscent of soda.

My wish to drink cola was being fulfilled by eating the snake.

I devoured it eagerly, tears and saliva streaming, savoring the familiar taste.

[Experience points gained.]

[Leveled up.]

Countless messages about experience and leveling appeared. My body glowed faintly as wounds healed rapidly.

I shivered from the ticklish, strange sensation of new flesh forming but didn’t stop eating.

[Maximum level reached. Experience can no longer be gained.]

[Conditions met. Evolution is possible.]

“Hm?”

I stopped chewing and turned to look at the floating text.

I was familiar with gaining experience and leveling up, but evolution was news to me.

“Evolution?”

Three faint options appeared in front of me like choices. I started reading from the left.

[Grid Ratel]

A close relative of the Bried Ratel. Unlike Bried Ratel, it has no horns and a smooth head. Like all ratels, it has thick fur resistant to attacks and strong resistance to various toxic chemicals.

Ratel species are notoriously aggressive, even attacking massive predators, earning them the nickname “Jungle Brute (Bakanishu)” among forest residents.

Their meat is tough and gamey, rarely eaten by predators. However, if prepared carefully—removing innards, cooking meat thoroughly, and applying the southern Velastraze sauce—it becomes a delicacy.

“Hm, Jungle Brute…”

I shifted my gaze to the next option.

[Demigras Raccoon]

A raccoon species known for high intelligence. Unlike ordinary beasts, it uses its front paws like hands and can use tools. It isn’t afraid of humans and boldly enters camps to steal food and supplies.

Its liver is disproportionately large and considered a delicacy, despite the rest of its meat being strongly gamey. Overhunting has made it critically endangered, found only in the eastern wetlands.

“Raccoon, huh…”

I turned to the last option.

[Salt Glider]

A rare gliding rodent. It climbs trees easily and can glide briefly using membranes across its limbs. It is relatively docile and feeds mainly on insects like spiders or grasshoppers. Its large, cute eyes make it popular as a pet, though it still retains wild instincts, causing occasional accidents.

Its meat is reportedly inedible regardless of cooking method, though some barbarian tribes in the eastern forests consume it. When walking one in the wild, it’s recommended to use a leash.

“Very strange indeed.”

I frowned. None of the three seemed like proper beasts, and the descriptions treating them as food or pets felt unsettling.

Did I really have to choose just one?

I pressed my forehead with my paw, trying to calm the throbbing in my head.

“The message said experience can’t rise anymore… I guess evolution is the only option.”

Like game characters hitting a level cap, I seemed unable to grow further without evolving. Evolution might be necessary to raise my level further.

“Then I need to pick the best one.”

I studied the floating text again, imagining Grid Ratel, Demigras Raccoon, and Salt Glider.

I considered Grid Ratel first. Despite the strange name, a ratel was originally known as a honey badger. It had a notoriously aggressive nature, attacking any creature at will.

“Thick fur and immunity to poison… not bad.”

I paused that choice and moved on to Demigras Raccoon. The text mentioned using its paws like hands and tools—if the mind was human-like, I could maximize its abilities.

But it was endangered, which worried me. If I evolved into a raccoon and humans discovered me, I’d probably be hunted.

“Finally, Salt Glider…”

A weird name. It sounded like someone swapped the sugar in sugar glider for salt.

Its tree-climbing ability was a plus, but I already climbed well with my claws. Was it worth choosing?

“Do skills reset on evolution? My existing skills won’t disappear, right?”

I flexed my claws.

Though awkward when I first became a beast, my claws were now essential tools and weapons.

“Hmm, forget the glider.”

Salt Glider was off my list. Its docility and weak combat power meant it would be eaten by other beasts before meeting a human master. Eating spiders and insects as a main diet was another negative—it disgusted me instinctively.

“Then only two remain.”

Grid Ratel, the jungle brute, or Demigras Raccoon, the intelligent one.

I held my head, pondering.

Even in games, I carefully choose careers considering popularity and prospects. In real life, this made me wander aimlessly without finding a fitting path.

“No point in overthinking. I’ll go with my gut.”

With a determined expression, I pressed my claw on the chosen beast’s name.

A clear, artificial chime rang. The dense text scattered like mist.

“Did I choose evolution correctly? Will something happen?”

I looked at my body. Nothing seemed different, and nothing appeared to happen…

“What… nothing?”

Suddenly, a solid stone wall appeared.

Actually, I had collapsed to the floor. My entire body went limp, and a wave of irresistible drowsiness overtook me.

The cool stone floor felt surprisingly good.

[Evolution completed.]