Rusty's steps echoed as he followed the thin trail of blood across the cavern floor. It seemed to have begun on the ceiling, droplets falling and then leading behind the last remaining rock formation. His earlier triumph turned into unease, and he began to call out.
"Gleam?"
He tried again as he approached, but no response came. The droplets grew heavier, and when he turned the corner, he froze. Pressed against the stone wall, Gleam writhed weakly. One of her glossy silver legs lay several meters away, snapped off cleanly where an arrow had pierced it. Another was pinned against the wall by a second arrow. She had not managed to dodge the full assault, and Rusty stood helpless, unsure of what to do.
"Gleam!"
"( >﹏
You have gained +3816 experience points.
Congratulations, you have gained a level.
The experience earned from this battle was far greater than anything Rusty had gained from the monsters he had faced before. He had leveled up, yet he felt no joy, as his friend was still gravely injured. His eyes moved to the system window showing Gleam's status. There he noticed something remarkable. She had reached a very high level and was now only one step away from level fifteen, the peak for E-rank monsters.
"Wait... don't monsters gain new bodies when they evolve? Could that fix Gleam?"
Rusty pushed aside thoughts of his recent transformation and focused entirely on her condition. He knew that monsters experienced large and drastic physical changes when they evolved. His own transformation had been unique, but if he was right, then perhaps Gleam's limbs could be restored after defeating a few more enemies.
"It probably could, Rust. It's a well documented phenomenon, all injuries will be healed after an evolution."
Answered Alexander who sounded distracted and weary. Aburdon stayed silent, still processing what had just happened and perhaps wondering about its meaning. Rusty, however, had already set it aside and hurried back to Gleam.
" ( •́ ᴖ •̀ ) "
Even though her level had risen and she had gained new skills, her body remained broken. None of the abilities she acquired offered regeneration, leaving them with only one path forward.
"Don't worry, Gleam. We'll fix you!"
"(•́ ᴖ •̀)"
Gleam had tried to wobble forward to climb onto his shoulder, but she needed his help to get up. It was too dangerous for her to stay there while he fought enemies, so he placed her inside his chest cavity.
"Let's go!"
Without thinking, he bolted into one of the corridors, but before he could leave, Aburdon called out.
"Are you just going to leave all that loot behind? Did you already forget what we came here for?"
The demon lord spoke with unusual interest, for he normally cared little about such things. Soon, his true intent became clear.
"Are you really going to let these lowly adventurers get away with what they did to poor little Gleam?"
"Do not listen to him, Rusty. He is only trying to enrage you," Alexander shouted as he realized what Aburdon was attempting.
"Huh?"
"Lady Gleam deserves retribution, leave their bodies unrecognisable!"
Rusty stopped in his tracks and looked back at the three human bodies that lay on the ground. Though he had defeated them, he had not mutilated them as he had the barbarian. Their bodies were mostly intact, and there was still room for his rage to find an outlet. For a moment, his anger stirred again, but the feeling vanished as soon as he felt a soft tapping inside his chest.
"(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)"
It was Gleam, telling him not to worry and that everything would be fine. Yet as he looked around the area, he noticed several items scattered near the adventurers. Some were enchanted, and they were far too valuable to leave behind. If he ignored them, it would make Gleam's sacrifice meaningless.
"What are you waiting for my dear Rusty? Let your rage seep through your metal!"
"Be silent for now Aburdon."
"..."
Rusty refused to get affected by Aburdon's taunts. It was an obvious attempt to push him over the edge again, to see what would happen if he completely surrendered to the shadow within. Instead, he walked toward the corpses while his glowing eyes scanned the battlefield. The adventurers had been prepared and well equipped. Perhaps something among their belongings could aid Gleam's recovery or at least help prevent such a disaster from happening again.
He crouched beside the archer's body first. Sable's satchel had spilled open, revealing arrows carved from enchanted bone. Rusty gathered them and stored them in his inventory, then untied a small pouch at her belt. The moment he opened it, a faint glow spilled forth.
"That is a lot of coins."
He quickly pocketed everything along with her bow and quiver. Next he moved to the rogue he had defeated first. Inside the man's pouch he found various strange items, some resembling bombs and others appearing poisonous. The rogue carried many vials, which suggested he had been responsible for healing the party. None of the potions, however, could regenerate limbs, so Rusty set them aside and continued his search.
The man he had pummeled into a paste carried nothing of value except the axe he wielded. Rusty placed it into his inventory and turned his attention to their armored leader. The man's armor was of high quality and forged from a metal unlike enchanted steel, one that Rusty could not identify. He had no desire to waste time examining it further. After packing it up and all his weapons, it was time to leave.
"Good, now let's go."
"(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)"
Gleam answered with enthusiasm, though Rusty was not sure if she was only pretending to be strong. He understood that fleshy creatures had a very different relationship with their bodies. He himself was a living armor monster, moving through magic, able to replace broken parts with little difficulty. Gleam's body, however, could not be repaired so easily. He could only speculate about the pain she was truly enduring.
"EUGH!"
A monster crashed to the ground, its large eyeball slipping out of its socket as it was struck down. There was no mercy, and the E rank monsters had no idea what was happening. The blows came without warning, and within moments several corpses littered the floor. None of them were searched or checked for items. He simply moved on to another location to repeat the process.
Although the monsters fell quickly, the experience gained was disappointing. Rusty refused to give up. He followed new paths and focused on going deeper into the dungeon. The battle from earlier was already forgotten, and he gave no thought to the three younger adventurers he had rescued. His mind was fixed on one goal, to raise his friend's level once more.
One hour passed and then another. He avoided other adventurer parties and restrained himself from attacking them for easy experience. Aburdon urged him to surrender to the thrill of battle, while Alexander, as always, argued against it. Rusty chose the safest route, and after half a day of effort he finally saw it. Gleam had reached level fifteen.
"We did it, Gleam!"
"( • ̀ω •́ ) "
With the job complete, Gleam was taken out of his chestplate and placed on the ground. While his little friend had previously evolved on her own, he now saw multiple choices for her next path, and the decision was his to make.
Magical Gleaming Ant
[ Insectoid ] [ E + ]
A direct evolution of the rare Lesser Magical Gleaming Ant. This monster prioritizes enhanced magical attacks, featuring an increased body size to accommodate its heightened mana pool.
Mana Myrm Ant Soldier
[ Insectoid ] [ D- ]
A magical variant of the Myrm Ant Soldier. Its body remains roughly the same size, but its magical capabilities grant it enhanced power and speed. It can cast spells capable of devastating multiple foes.
Small Silverwing Magical Gleaming Ant
[ Insectoid ] [ E + ]
A direct evolution of the rare Small Flying Silvery Magical Gleaming Ant. This monster focuses on magical attacks and aerial combat. Its silver wings are razor sharp and can cut through steel.
Horned Myrm Ant Queen
[ Insectoid ] [ D ]
A rarer horned variant of the Queen of the Myrm Ant species. Once fully grown, it becomes immobile to dedicate itself entirely to producing offspring.
As always, there were many options, including ones that granted direct access to the D rank. Rusty knew better. He understood that it was wiser to stick to smaller evolutions, as they allowed overpoints to be gained. There was only one path, and soon he made his decision. Once it was done, Gleam entered a state of suspended animation. All Rusty could do was stand guard and hope that when the process ended, her legs would be whole once more.