NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: Chapter 6: First Evolution
Rabbits are so cute. Should I start with the head or the legs?
As Fang Chang raced through the forest, this peculiar thought crossed his mind. Taking advantage of the chaos between the Spirit Hall team and Shrek Seven Devils, he had already managed to escape several hundred meters ahead, leaving his pursuers far behind.
Suddenly, the sharp sound of wind cutting through the air reached his ears.
"Whoosh—whoosh!"
Fang Chang instinctively veered to the right. Several crossbow bolts flew past him, embedding themselves in the trunk of a thick tree ahead, piercing straight through its half-meter diameter.
"Damn it!" Fang Chang cursed, increasing his speed as he darted through the dense foliage.
Why is Tang San chasing me so relentlessly?
Both the Spirit Hall members and the Shrek team were in pursuit, but Tang San was by far the most dogged. It was as though Fang Chang had stolen his lover or something. Worse, Tang San's arsenal of hidden weapons was deadly. Several near misses had terrified Fang Chang, not daring to relax for even a moment.
The high-speed chase continued for about ten minutes until Fang Chang abruptly stopped at a cliff's edge.
Before him lay a sheer drop into the unknown. The cliff was shrouded in mist, with only the tops of massive trees occasionally poking through the thick fog below.
The rumble of thunder echoed through the air, and torrential rain began to pour. The pitch-black night was intermittently lit by jagged flashes of lightning, casting an eerie glow over the scene.
Carefully turning around, Fang Chang accidentally knocked a fist-sized rock off the edge with one of his legs. He strained his ears but heard no sound of it hitting the ground below.
Tang San emerged from the forest, his footsteps steady despite the pouring rain. His gaze was fixed on Fang Chang, and his expression was resolute.
The gap between them was no more than ten meters. Fang Chang could feel his heart pounding. Behind Tang San, the blurred figures of the Spirit Hall and Shrek groups began to close in.
Rainwater washed away the dried blood on the unconscious Soft-Boned Rabbit in Fang Chang's jaws. The metallic taste seeped into his mouth, stirring the primal instincts of the beast within him.
This is my only option now.
Fang Chang had intended to find a safe place to devour the rabbit and consider his evolution path carefully. But now, with no time to spare, he opened his jaws wide and, under Tang San's horrified gaze, swallowed the rabbit whole.
"You dare!" Tang San's eyes widened in rage, his heart racing as a terrifying thought crossed his mind.
If spirit beasts view humans as food… could the Titan Giant Ape have… Xiao Wu… No, that's impossible!
Fueled by anger and fear, Tang San charged, Blue Silver Grass in one hand and the Clear Sky Hammer in the other.
As Tang San closed in, a glowing panel appeared in Fang Chang's mind:
Evolution conditions met. Choose your evolution type:
Dark Scythe Demon Spider
Cost: 1,000 evolution points
Rewards: Physical transformation, Significant boost to attack attributes, Minor boost to other attributes, Full recovery. New skill: Reaper's Scythe
Dark Armor Demon Spider
Cost: 1,000 evolution points
Rewards: Physical transformation, Significant boost to defense attributes, Minor boost to other attributes, Full recovery. New skill: Harden
Fang Chang didn't hesitate.
Most people would have chosen the attack-focused Dark Scythe Demon Spider without a second thought, but Fang Chang was different. Beneath his spider exterior lay the soul of a cautious, experienced man.
Spiders should be tough and resilient. Defense over offense.
As Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer slammed down, cracks spread across Fang Chang's carapace. But before Tang San could land another blow, purple-black light burst from the cracks, and the shell shattered with a resounding BOOM.
From the remnants of the old shell emerged a Dark Armor Demon Spider.
This new form was smaller, about one meter long, with legs extending over two meters. While it retained the core appearance of a Man-Faced Demon Spider, it now radiated an even more menacing aura.
The most noticeable changes were the deeper black hue of its carapace, which now gleamed with a metallic sheen, and the transformation of its front legs into flat, curved shields.
Even its weakest point—the human-face pattern on its abdomen—was now covered with thick armor, the face itself reduced to a faint embossed design.
New Status
Name: Fang Chang
Species: Dark Armor Demon Spider
Spirit Power: 2,173 years
Evolution Points: 730
HP: 550/550
Strength: 126
Attack: 134
Defense: 208
Speed: 171
Skills:
Poison Web
Venom Spear
Stealth
Innate Skills:
Devour
Poison Resistance
Harden (New)
Extra Skills:
Regeneration LV1
The most dramatic improvements were in his defense, which had more than doubled, and his HP, which was now fully restored.
The new skill, Harden, provided a temporary doubling of physical defense for three minutes, usable once per day. A life-saving skill, no doubt.
Reinvigorated, Fang Chang stood his ground.
Instead of retreating, he stepped toward Tang San, each movement radiating newfound confidence. Despite his smaller size, his presence felt even more oppressive.
Tang San hesitated momentarily, unfamiliar with this transformation, but his anger spurred him on. Raising the Clear Sky Hammer again, he struck Fang Chang with all his might.
The hammer landed squarely on Fang Chang's shield-like leg.
CLANG!
A sharp metallic ring echoed as sparks flew from the impact.
Fang Chang didn't budge, though his legs sank slightly into the rain-soaked ground. Tang San, however, was thrown back several steps, crashing into a tree. His hand trembled, the hammer vibrating from the force of the rebound.
Gritting his teeth, Tang San drew the Zhuge Crossbow and fired a volley of bolts.
Clink, clink, clink!
The bolts ricocheted harmlessly off Fang Chang's armor.
Tang San felt a pang of frustration. How did this spider become so impenetrable in just moments?
Fang Chang, having weathered all of Tang San's attacks, grew bolder.
Tang San? Prodigy? Today, I'll teach you what a real nightmare looks like!
He let out a chilling, cackling laugh before leaping at Tang San, his shield-like legs aiming for his opponent's head.