TLBP 32

CHAPTER 32……………………………………………..

“Evolution…!”

My body shivered at the sweet resonance of the word. Who wouldn’t feel happy at the thought of becoming stronger?

As before, the names and descriptions of several beasts streamed before my eyes.

I figured I’d have to choose one among them to evolve this time as well.

“—Why are you standing there dazed? Is something wrong with your body? Don’t you feel like your fur might fall out or something?”

Yan-Meat peered at me with his large eyes, examining me closely.

“—I’m curious how beasts with fur change as they grow, unlike scaled ones that shed. Don’t you feel itchy or anything?”

He seemed genuinely intrigued, pressing me with his questions.

I ignored the letters that floated before me and forced myself to remain calm.

“—No, I don’t feel anything. How long until sunrise?”

“—It’ll be morning soon. It’s the time of weak beasts.”

At his words, I glanced outside the cave.

The dim dawn was casting light far in the distance.

“Last time during evolution, I practically lost my mind as if I’d taken some drug.”

Since I had little experience, I had no idea what strange changes might happen to my body during evolution.

Suddenly passing out or some unexpected event could happen again.

Showing such a thing to this dinosaur or the raccoon, Reef, didn’t seem like a good idea.

It could get me caught up in unnecessary trouble, or even put my life at risk.

A short while later, the morning sun began to rise.

Reef and I left the cave, accompanied by Yan-Meat’s farewell.

Though the encounter was brief, Yan-Meat seemed reluctant to part, as if he had taken a liking to me.

“—When you meet Eve, give her my regards. And since I received some help from you today, I won’t hunt you for about a week.”

“—Then what happens after a week?”

“—We’ll see when that time comes. Of course, the forest is vast, and I’m busy, so we might not meet easily. But if we meet again…”

Yan-Meat’s sharp teeth grinned at me, looking unusually menacing.

Seeing the sticky saliva dripping between his teeth sent shivers down my spine.

I had thought he might become a friend or ally, but he seemed fully intent on eating me.

I only hoped I wouldn’t have to see him again for at least a week.

“—L-Let’s go.”

Reef tugged my arm.

As soon as we left the cave, we ran at full speed, almost as if by unspoken agreement.

I could feel the lizards behind us giving off a threatening hissing sound as they chased us.

“—Hey, you said you wouldn’t hunt for a week!”

I shouted loudly, and Yan-Meat’s voice faintly replied from behind.

“—That’s about me. Their situation is different. Don’t get eaten. I quite liked you. See you later!”

It was a very bizarre farewell.

After running for dozens of minutes without rest, Reef and I only stopped once we could no longer sense the lizards behind us.

“—Huff… Ha. They don’t seem to be coming anymore, right?”

Reef panted, constantly checking behind.

The fine fur that had stood on end slowly settled.

“—To think we made it out alive from Yan-Meat’s cave. I think we might be the first of the beasts to do so.”

Reef laughed heartily, clearly overjoyed.

It was understandable; surviving an encounter with a predator king, rather than a mere lion, was no small feat.

“—So, what now? Come to think of it, you ate that cordyceps, but you don’t seem to have reacted. Usually rare items like that trigger something right away…”

Reef’s curiosity seemed sparked now that he felt reassured.

Mirroring Yan-Meat’s investigative movements, he circled me, examining for any changes.

“—Sniff sniff.”

He sniffed at me, making me shiver at his perverted behavior, and I pushed his face away with my paw.

“—Why are you smelling me? It’s gross.”

“—Ah, no. It’s just a nice smell. Smells like tasty grass. Is it the cordyceps? How did it taste? The texture?”

“—Just like mushrooms. Oh, the ant parts were surprisingly edible. Bitter but sweet, like dalgona, so not bad.”

“—Dalgona? What’s that?”

Raccoon Reef kept asking questions.

Ignoring him, I thought about what I should do next.

“First, I need to evolve.”

I couldn’t ignore the floating letters forever.

If there was a time limit, evolution might start on its own before I even chose my evolutionary path.

“Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like that’s happening yet. Still, it won’t hurt to hurry.”

I imagined a safe place to evolve freely.

Since my home had been destroyed by wolves, the places that came to mind were Reef’s treehouse or the witch’s hut.

“No, better not the witch’s hut.”

Witch Eve was beautiful, but there was something unsettling about her.

According to Yan-Meat, Eve liked experimenting on animals.

“I could end up as an experiment. I’m completely defenseless during evolution.”

By elimination, only Reef’s house remained.

I decided to take over the raccoon’s house.

This had been planned ever since he stole my blue crystal.

“—Let’s go to your place first, Reef.”

I tapped Reef’s back with my paw.

“—O-Open the door! What are you doing?!”

Raccoon Reef barked loudly from the ground under the tree.

I sat on the plank blocking the treehouse entrance. I could feel him pounding at it with his strength, but the thick plank was strong enough to hold.

“—From now on, this is my house. You need to find another place.”

“—Hey, that’s not fair! Taking over the house? How could you do this to me?!”

“—What do you mean ‘our relationship’?”

“—We’re… friends. You’ve saved me multiple times. I even guided you.”

His voice from the tunnel carried a hint of embarrassment. I felt awkward at his hesitance.

“—Save the friend talk for later. Get lost before I eat you.”

I growled threateningly, a sound that even I thought was credible.

I could feel Reef flinch behind the plank.

“—I thought we were friends…”

His voice was almost whimpering. My heart almost softened, but he was a clever liar, so it was probably an act.

I heard him scampering in his tunnel, then silence.

‘Gone?’

I pressed my ear to the wooden wall.

‘No sound… looks like he’s really gone.’

I felt a twinge of guilt for doing something bad.

But in the wild, taking and being taken from is only natural.

I placed some stones from the treehouse decorations onto the plank.

Now even without me on it, Reef couldn’t enter.

“—Phew.”

I exhaled and faced the floating letters in front of me.

As before, three choices appeared.

I started reading from the left.

【Mustard Edge Hog】

A rare type of aggressive porcupine-pig. Unlike regular porcupines, its quills grow only along its back. Small in size but very quick, so caution is needed when capturing. Known as a forest madman due to its fierce temper.

To remove its quills, simply coat its back with mud, harden it over fire like pottery, then remove. The quills come off with the hardened clay, making them easy to prepare for eating.

Its meat is mild like forest pigs, but low in fat, so may taste bland without special sauce. Its quills were used by archers, so now it’s critically endangered.

“—Mustard… Edge Hog. A sharp pig, huh?”

As a relative of the porcupine, it reminded me of Belzer from before. Quills along the back made it an interesting choice.

‘Belzer’s quills were annoying.’

I nodded in satisfaction. Evolution options seemed to list increasingly useful and strong animals.

I turned to the middle choice.

【Chili Raccoon】

A type of canine. Looks like a Demi-Gras raccoon but unrelated. More closely related to the Tartar wolf. Behaviorally identical to raccoons: clever and smart.

Some rare Chili Raccoons reportedly make and use tools like humans, though unverified.

Hunting them is easy: they fall into deep pits if you place a shiny stone in it, foolishly trying to pick it up.

Their meat is tasteless regardless of spices or sauce, but their tough, shiny fur is popular among noblewomen. Currently critically endangered.

“—Chili Raccoon?”

I frowned. Chili Raccoon… that was Reef’s species. Seeing it here as an option for my second evolution showed how rare Reef’s kind was.

‘Skip this one.’

I controlled my mixed emotions and moved to the last option.

【Tabasco Narumi】

An insect predator, eating ants and other bugs. Uses long snout and sticky tongue. Docile but large with sharp claws, often causing accidents when approached.

Known to love Wildlings (liquid beasts). The rumor is that its predation led to the Wildling’s near extinction.

Its meat is flavorful and odorless. Its tough leather is used for armor. Overhunting has made it critically endangered.

“—Hmm.”

I examined all three carefully.

‘Narumi… an anteater?’

Excitement from the Mustard Edge Hog was now tempered by disappointment at the Tabasco Narumi.

‘There’s only one choice.’

Mustard Edge Hog seemed the best pick: fast, threatening quills, ideal for evolution.

‘Raccoons and anteaters are no good.’

Unlike the first evolution, there was little to debate this time. I touched the name 【Mustard Edge Hog】.

A clear, artificial sound rang out. The floating letters dissipated like fog.

Leaning against the wall, I closed my eyes.

Focusing slowly, a strange sensation swept through me as if my consciousness were being carried away like waves.

【Evolution Complete】

After a while, my eyes snapped open as if an alarm had gone off.

‘Am I evolved? What happened?’

I rose, shaking off the haze, and letters floated before me like mist:

Species: Beast lv.10
Strength: 33
Agility: 31
Stamina: 33
Skills: 《Omnivorous》 《Sturdy Claws》 《Low Frequency》 《Stealth Maneuver》 《Mating Dance》 《Crossbreeding》

All stats were above 30.

I remembered agility was 22 before; it had jumped by 9 at once.

‘Did leveling up increase it, or did evolution affect it?’

I looked at my arms and legs.

No apparent change—still white fur, same size.

I ran my forepaw over my neck and back.

Something hard touched my paw.

‘Oh.’

It was clearly a quill.

From crown to short tail, quills had sprouted like a crest.

‘I’ll have to check exactly how it changed by the river.’

I cleared the plank and stepped outside the treehouse, my face pale with shock.

“—You startled me, Reef!”