NOVEL NEXT Ch9 - Evolution Leveling
Chapter 9: Evolution Leveling
“Alright, shall we try taking down that spiny rat? It has the skills [Needle Body] and [Poison Stinger], but no gift. The poison from a rat like that won’t affect our familiar, the slime, and since there’s no poison in its bloodstream, Lily can safely use [Bloodsuck]. The rat is level 6, so it’s a bit stronger, but… if we can defeat this one, you’ll definitely level up. What do you think? Feel up to it?”
“I’m not without worries, but since the four of us will fight together, I think we can manage. I’ll do my best! Oh, and Luca-sensei, your magic eye is really incredible!”
“Thank you. But, Rena, your face is saying ‘The tutorial is so useful,’ you know?”
“What?! Quiet, face!”
“You’re a funny one.”
Rena and her group paused near the forest exit, deciding to defeat a monster before moving on. The target was found thanks to the teacher’s cheat-like magic eye. The plan was for Lily to land the finishing blow, allowing her to level up and possibly trigger a rare class change. Apparently, she would evolve with just one more level. Strengthening their combat power early was crucial.
『…Let’s do this!』
Lily seemed more than ready, filled with determination. Though she wasn’t strong herself, she had reliable allies she could count on.
With a serious expression, Rena laid out the strategy to her team.
“The opponent is a fast-moving, spiny rat… Alright. I’ll be the decoy again. Izumi, can you stretch out and hide about one meter in front of me on the ground? When the rat passes over you, harden yourself with [Super Hardening]. That should freeze its movements, and Kureha, you wrap it up! Keep part of your body open so Lily can insert her proboscis and [Bloodsuck] to finish it off. How does that sound?”
『Live blood… yum…』
『I’ll stop it with my legs!』 『And I’ll use Izumi!』 『Leave it to usssss!』
“Wow, you’re all so reliable. Let’s do our best!”
Rena skillfully ignored Lily’s rather dangerous-sounding comment. But, honestly, Rena, your plans are always quite brutal too, aren’t they?
The plan was approved smoothly by their familiars, and everything seemed set. Even their teacher nodded in approval, impressed with how well Rena utilized her team’s strengths. With his high stats, Luca was used to the “charge in head-on” approach, so this more strategic method felt refreshing to him.
Luca was on standby behind Rena’s group, ready to assist if needed.
After exchanging glances, Rena quietly began moving toward the direction of the rat. At one point, she almost tripped, but quickly recovered — a typical moment for her. The spiny rat was known for being sensitive to its surroundings, so they needed to be careful with sound. Keeping a safe distance, Rena managed to hide in the tall grass.
The rat was focused solely on the acorn in its paws, oblivious to the fact that it was being hunted. It seemed to be enjoying its meal. Its dark purple body blended seamlessly with the dim forest, making it confident it wouldn’t be found.
This spiny rat was also an abnormal species affected by murky natural magic. (Yes, the magic eye spotted it.) Its face was oddly vicious and terrifying… Rena briefly worried if [Bloodsuck] from such a creature would have any ill effects on Lily. (What if she turned into a rowdy delinquent?!) Though, honestly, that wasn’t really what she should have been worrying about, right?
“…This opponent seems tough, so let’s make sure to bolster our forces. [Inspire]! Let’s use 25 MP.”
『Ohhhhhh!!』 『Y-yeah! I’ll do my best…!』
With renewed determination, the familiars were ready for battle.
“The status boosts are working, and the morale effect is solid. The [Inspire] skill boosts all familiars at once with the same MP cost. That’s pretty efficient. …Alright, let’s go!”
『Yes!!』
Kureha and Lily were hidden on Rena’s shoulders, preparing for combat while trying to lure the rat into a false sense of security. Izumi, as planned, spread thinly over the ground, determined to trap the rat’s legs. The surface of Izumi’s body trembled slightly in excitement.
Rena narrowed her eyes, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. As the rat finished its first acorn and reached for the second… now! With a loud rustling sound, Rena leaped out of the grass!
“Spiny rat! Time to fight!!”
She cracked her whip lightly on the ground to her right. Of course, it was just a decoy move with no real power behind it.
The rat snorted mockingly as if to say, “Hah!” Its expression was one of smug confidence, as if a weak little girl had come to offer herself as food.
And indeed, on her own, Rena was weak enough to be eaten by even a level 1 slime. However, thanks to her reliable familiars, she showed no signs of fear, only seriousness in her expression.
Even so, the rat felt a slight sense of unease, twitching its whiskers nervously.
In this area, the rat was a relatively strong monster, hence its level 6 status. It had some intelligence as well, and it hesitated, pondering whether to attack this strange human.
But in the end, it decided that passing up a delicious-looking meal would be unthinkable. It kicked off the ground with powerful force and charged forward!
The rat moved at an incredible speed, zigzagging like most small animals, skillfully dodging stones and branches littering the ground.
Rena gasped. Izumi was positioned directly in the rat’s path, but with its zigzag movement, there was now a chance it might avoid the trap entirely. She hastily added new instructions.
“Lily! Be ready to use [Illusion]. If the rat doesn’t pass over Izumi, confuse it and slow it down!”
『Understood!』
“Kureha, stay at my feet. Spread out like Izumi. I’ll guide the rat’s path, so be ready to move as needed!”
『Aye, aye, captain!』
“Let’s do this!”
The rat had already approached within about 3 meters. Rena squinted her eyes to ensure she didn’t misread its trajectory.
The creature was running while activating the skill [Needle Body]. Its fur clumped together, transforming into sharp spines. The tips of those spines likely held poison… While the slimes could neutralize poison, if Rena or Lily were hit, it would be disastrous. Rena gripped her whip tightly, considering the possibility of having to block the attack depending on the rat’s movements. Beads of sweat formed from her nervousness.
(Please follow the route as planned…!)
Rena swallowed nervously, a small unconscious gesture. But the rat’s wild, keen eyes didn’t miss it.
“(Heh…)”
“—!?”
The rat’s instincts must have alerted it to danger. Right before reaching Izumi’s hiding spot, it gathered strength in its hind legs, kicked the ground hard, and leaped toward Rena!
Its poison-laden body curled up like an armadillo, hurtling toward the human prey. If this attack landed, it would be devastating…
Lily quickly stepped in front of her master.
“Not happening…!”
“!”
Rena gasped and braced herself, gripping her whip even tighter.
At that moment, another figure sprang into action with a boooing sound.
“There’s no way I, Kureha, will let that happen!!”
Kureha, who had been at Rena’s feet, jumped with an Ultra-Hyper Jump thanks to her [Inspire] skill that boosted her high spirits! It was electrifying! So cool!
“Kii-kii?!”
The rat was stuck to the slime, struggling to escape. Kureha followed up with more attacks.
“…Nice, Kureha! Harden up, please!”
“[Skill: Super Hardening]—!”
The spiny rat was now like a fly caught in sticky flypaper. It was impaled by Kureha’s slime body, which then hardened, leaving the rat stuck in an awkward, immobilized position.
“Go, Kureha! I’ll join in too!!”
The rat’s tragedy didn’t end there. Izumi, arriving on the scene, took over Kureha’s role and completely enveloped the rat in slime, once again activating [Super Hardening]. The rat couldn’t even breathe now. All that was left was to wait for its death.
The rat was already as good as dead, but the tragedy still wasn’t over! Slowly, a visible “Harbinger of Death” approached.
“Slurp…”
It was our very own Lily!
A small hole, about 1 cm in diameter, opened in her slime body. Hehe, she inserted her proboscis into the hole…
“Go ahead!”
“…Thanks. I’ll take it!”
Lily sucked away the rat’s remaining life force.
Imagine a coconut juice with a straw, except the contents were the blood of a spiny rat. Bit by bit, the rat’s body shriveled up, becoming completely dry. The light faded from its once gleaming eyes as its life was drained away.
“…Ugh…”
Rena stood frozen, still gripping her whip, staring off into the distance. You shouldn’t imagine Lily using her skills like this when drinking from you, Rena. Lily loves you too much to ever hurt you!
“…Oh!”
“Good job.”
Rena exhaled in relief. A moth monster had been silently creeping up behind her, but true to his word, her teacher cut it down with his sword. She sighed in relief, though the once-national treasure sword was now covered in scales, which was a bit sad. The former prince didn’t seem to care about its appearance, though. Poor magic sword.
“You handled the unexpected situation well, didn’t you? Honestly, I’m impressed, you know?”
“Teacher…!”
“But you almost tripped when you first approached the prey, so that’s a deduction.”
“Teacher…”
Though her teacher praised her, his assessment remained harsh. Still, Rena decided to aim for full marks next time. She debated whether to feel happy or disappointed, settling on a slightly strange expression. In the end, she smiled and turned back toward her familiars.
“!”
At that exact moment, Lily finished draining the rat’s blood, and the creature died. A bell of salvation seemed to ring in her mind.
<☆ You have met the conditions for a class change!>
Despite facing a tough opponent, Lily’s level only increased by two since she just delivered the final blow.
Both Kureha and Izumi gained one level each thanks to their full-bodied effort. Upon checking their stats, Rena noticed their stamina and agility had increased by 1 point each. Nothing else had changed.
The most noteworthy event, however, was Lily’s class change. Her evolution would turn her into a ‘Dark Fairy.’ Hearing the word “Fairy” made Rena smile excitedly. Wouldn’t she be adorable?
“Everyone, thank you for your hard work! You were amazing!”
“Rena! Wasn’t Kureha’s jump awesome? You should praise me more!”
“Oh please, Izumi’s Super Hardening was perfectly timed, wasn’t it?”
“Burp… Thank you for the meal!”
“Yes, yes, you’re all incredible! You fought a tough Spiny Rat, and you’re all just as strong!”
Even Lily, who was usually reserved, seemed to be influenced by the cheerful slimes.
Rena petted them all in turn with a smile. Soft and squishy. Her fingers felt great as she stroked them. Lily, Kureha, and Izumi all wiggled joyfully, expressing their happiness with little shakes of their bodies.
After showering her familiars with affection, Rena turned back to her card. The class change notification was blinking urgently. She stared at Lily with a hint of concern.
“Hey, Lily. I want you to evolve into a Dark Fairy… but when you evolve, your body might heat up a little. Can you bear with it?”
“…If you, my master, want me, there’s nothing that would make me happier. …I can do my best, you know?”
Lily looked directly at Lena and said this in a calm tone.
“‘It’s love, right!? Kyaa!!’”
The others were causing a ruckus.
“Whoa, this is kind of embarrassing! Hehe, thank you. I look forward to working with you from now on too, Lily, Kureha, Izumi. I’m tapping the evolution option now, okay?”
“…Yes!”
With a blissful expression, Lena finally tapped the [Dark Fairy] option on her guild card. A description of the species appeared.
[Dark Fairy]
A fairy specialized in dark attributes. It is said that butterflies that live for 10 years evolve into fairies. Typically, they appear as small adult humanoids, around 15 cm tall, with butterfly wings. Only those with the potential to evolve into royalty are about three times larger than normal. Upon evolution, they acquire the special skill [Charm].
Gift will class change to [Fairy Eye] ☆4!
“Wow,” Lena and Luca gasped, exchanging surprised glances. This definitely meant Lily would become a rare large species! Achieving in just three days what normally takes 10 years—her master’s abilities are really something else!
“You’re pretty convenient, Lena,” Luca commented.
“Is that payback, teacher?”
How immature of him.
While a slime danced rhythmically with a “puyon” sound, cheering them on, Lily seemed to be enduring the heat that came with her evolution. Her wings trembled as if in pain, making it hard to watch. Her master was at a loss, unable to do anything but cheer her on.
▽ Lena did her best to encourage her familiar!
▽ She clapped along with the slime dance!
However, the clapping was a bit too loud, making Lily’s strained expression all the more uncomfortable. Please be more considerate, master…
As all this unfolded, Lily’s appearance began to change!
Her entire butterfly form softly glowed. Her blue wings expanded rapidly, and the short white fur covering her body lengthened like human hair. A beautiful dark-skinned arm extended from between the strands of her hair. Lily had fully transformed into a small humanoid figure. Of course, her body size was adjusted for a rare species, now standing about 50 cm tall.
The sharp sound of a bell echoed again.
Race: Night Butterfly → Dark Fairy
Gift: [Butterfly Eye] → [Fairy Eye]
Please check your guild card.
Skill [Charm] acquired.
Lena looked at Lily, amazed at how beautiful she had become.
“You did it, Lily! Wow, you’re so beautiful!”
Lily had evolved into a more elegant, rather than cute, form.
“…I’m so happy,” she said softly, blushing and smiling blissfully.
Lily now perfectly embodied the image of a fairy that most people in Japan would imagine. She had become a stunningly beautiful, though childlike, figure, with dark skin, shimmering white hair, blue eyes, and butterfly wings. Wearing a thin black mini-dress, she exuded an oddly mature, yet youthful, air.
Her stats had changed as follows:
Name: Lily
Species: Dark Fairy (Juvenile) ♀, LV.4
Aptitude: Black Magic, Yellow Magic
HP: 18 (+3)
Intelligence: 14 (+10)
Speed: 17 (+5)
Magic: 33 (+15)
Luck: 15 (+3)
Skills: [Illusion], [Vampirism], [Charm]
Gift: [Fairy Eye] ☆4
“She’s strong!” Lena exclaimed in a small voice, realizing that her familiars were growing stronger without her even noticing.
“Juvenile…?”
“She’s evolving so quickly, in just a few days, instead of the usual 10 years. That’s probably why she still looks young. Her health seems fine, though.”
“I see. She doesn’t look like an adult yet. I wonder if she’ll grow from here?”
Despite lagging behind in leveling due to always acting as the decoy, Lena’s master didn’t seem to mind at all. She was just happy that her familiars had become stronger.
As Lena praised her enthusiastically, saying “Great job, amazing!”, Lily started showing off, juggling the jewel slime as if she were practicing with her humanoid body.
Luca quietly watched Lily and muttered to himself.
“…Fairy Eye. A contract holder, huh.”
“Oh, I haven’t checked the gift’s details yet!” Lena hurriedly tapped the gift section on the guild card again, and Lily’s new ability was displayed.
Gift: [Fairy Eye] ☆4
A type of magical eye unique to fairies. In addition to night vision and mind’s eye effects, it allows the use of the special magic ‘Fairy Contract.’
“That sounds like a pretty impressive magical ability… ‘Fairy Contract’?” Lena muttered, tilting her head in confusion. She glanced at Lily, but it seemed like Lily didn’t quite understand her new power either, her expression equally puzzled.
This was when Luca, ever the helpful one, came to the rescue.
“Sorry to disappoint, but I can’t explain it in great detail. This is my first time meeting a fairy, so I only have book knowledge.
‘Fairy Contract’ is a powerful magic that can bind a contract directly to someone’s soul. It’s unbreakable and can bind two people together, not necessarily involving the fairy itself. This makes it a very useful spell, allowing even untrustworthy individuals to enter into secure agreements.”
“Is that so…?”
“Why don’t we establish a contract later, Lena? Something like ‘we won’t harm each other, and I’ll help you escape the country,’ perhaps.”
“Ugh!”
“Then we’ll be safe and sound.”
Luka spoke lightly, showing no concern, while Lena fumbled awkwardly for words. Though Luka had helped her in many ways, she still couldn’t fully trust him, and it pained her that he knew this. Right now, she could talk to him normally only because of Lily’s heart vision.
Lena felt a bit guilty for merely using him without recognizing him as a companion. They had mutual interests, so she didn’t need to think that much, but her innate goodness made it hard. Caught between her Japanese conscience and the common sense of the world of Ranash, she seemed to be feeling a tightness in her stomach. Her face, pressed against her belly, seemed to say, “I’m such a coward!”
Seeing her like this, Luka wore an expression of surprise.
“Well, a certain level of caution is only natural, so you don’t need to worry about it… In fact, I’m surprised you’re able to fit in with us so quickly; that’s what I find astonishing.”
“Ugh, it’s in my nature to worry… I’ve always struggled with doubting others.”
“…That’s something the people of this world should probably not know. They’d definitely try to deceive you.”
“Such a harsh reality…”
Both Lena and Luka had troubled expressions. While her personality was difficult to change, Lena’s honest nature made her too easily taken advantage of in this other world. She wanted to find a way to deal with it.
It was a strength, but it also led to trouble. The slimes that were drawn to her “Lena-ness” bounced joyfully onto their master’s (rather meager) chest! Then, Lily hugged her from behind.
“‘Kuu and!’” “‘Izu and!’” “‘Lily…!’”
“‘We just have to protect our master!!’”
“…! Ahhhhh, thank youuuuu…! My little familiars are just too good…”
Master is shedding tears like a waterfall. The tears of emotion are flowing so quickly. How many times has this happened? She didn’t even notice Luka’s warm gaze directed at her; her tears physically blocked her vision.
“‘I love the way you are, Lena!’” “‘So we will protect you so you can stay just like that!’” “‘…We’ll get stronger!’”
“Fuguhh…”
The barrage of affection from her familiars was overwhelming… It felt like things would get out of hand if she made any more noise. Lena quickly covered her mouth with both hands. That decision was probably the right one!
Lena managed to suppress her strange voice! (About 70%)
“Okay, okay, happiness, happiness—,” Luka clapped his hands lightly to bring order to the situation. The surroundings were already dimming.
Having fulfilled Lily’s class change goal, they couldn’t just stay here relaxing forever.
“Hey, master? I know you’re happy, but let’s save the tears for after we’ve escaped. Right now, we can’t guarantee that monsters won’t come near.”
“…U-Understood!”
“Good. Should we go deeper into the forest again for the night?”
“Yes, that seems best. We’re not too far from Danatzer, and resting in a town would be too risky… so let’s do that.”
“While you all rest, Lily and I will take turns keeping watch since we can see well in the dark. So you should be able to sleep somewhat safely. Once we find a place to sleep, let’s properly make the fairy contract. Having your cooperation while fleeing is beneficial for me too, so don’t feel burdened. —Shall we go?”
“Yes!”
Lena and her group decided to return to the forest and spend the night there. They would rest in the darkness and plan to increase their distance again tomorrow.
Lily has class changed! (Larval stage…?)