Who am I going to be?
Velasteros sorted through her minimal memories. To ensure she wouldn’t forget any information and to understand more about herself.
It was usually a big change for a monster. The moment they reached levels of intelligence that provided them clarity, which allowed them to self-reflect. For Velasteros, she had to feel this on a much stronger intensity. Even outside the points [Voice Of Guidance] provided, it also boosted Velasteros’s processing capabilities.
Normally, the change in intelligence was made gradually. Either by the normal rate of low-intelligence monsters gaining [Intelligence], or with higher-intelligence monsters having baby development similar to humans.
Velasteros had the lovely experience of going from nothing to her current level without any support. Many considered [Intelligence] the worst stat for justifiable reasons, but its impact would never be completely ignored.
Now having her newest memories sorted, she reflected on the remnants of the past. She didn’t exactly enjoy trying to remember what her former master or siblings were like, but the idea of forgetting more was worse.
The me who was the Obsidian Calamity. The [Apocalyptic Obsidian Scorpion]. Could you even feel pain?
The only shattered glimpses that remained were of battle. Almost a warning to her current self to never return to that path. These fragments had become clearer with her recent increases in intelligence and mind-strengthening due to the crystals.
The only memories or perhaps thoughts, of the past that were clear were the commands given to her. The stranglehold they had on her mind had long since gone, and she had nearly forgotten about them in the chaos of her new life, but this session of reminiscing brought them back from the void they were racing towards, and Velasteros almost felt regret in fishing them back.
By remembering them, she learned they didn’t hold the same weight. The commands were no longer absolute and were simply only a memory of what they were. Absolute servitude and forbidden to attack marked entities.
Velasteros spent an extremely long time resting. This was really the perfect place; the crystals’ pressure after a while of adaptation massaged the scorpion’s body, which created new branches of joy. Instead of the explosions of excitement, this was soft and covered her mind in a warm haze.
There was also the less important fact that the pressure helped increase her level and provided her energy, which meant she didn’t need to eat. She hypothesised that the energy produced by these crystals was the reason why her instincts and skills chose this destination for her to be reborn.
That led her to ponder what other naturally formed constructs and places were close and what possible valid options were.
How much time has passed?
Velasteros refocused her vision and took in her surroundings and changes. Any prior pressure that inhibited her senses was completely gone.
Levelling while resting. What could be a better combination?
Velasteros didn’t have as much joy in hunting as she had first expected. There was a certain thrill to executing her first prey, but such a spring of joy was lost on repeated kills. Hunting became purely a method to satiate hunger and provide levels for her growth.
{Response: One month and fourteen days.}
[Voice of Guidance] declaration didn’t feel all too surprising. Velasteros knew she had to have spent a long time continuously reviewing every memory and thought over and over again.
{Inform: This approach won’t be able to continue to assist in the user’s levelling.}
Explaining her level, Velasteros’s only thought was unfortunate timing.
Name: Velasteros
Species: [Black Scorpion] [19/20]
Stats: [7]
[Vitality] - 26
[Strength] - 30
[Endurance] - 16
[Intelligence] - 68 (+12)
[Wisdom] - 26
[Agility] - 9
Skills: 3/3
[Crush] Lv6
[Barrier] Lv1
[Force Pull] Lv9
Extra Skills:
[Voice Of Guidance]
Sixty-eight [Intelligence], how beautiful…
The temptation to place every state point gained during the sleep was strong, but Velasteros held herself back… only so those points could be used after she evolved. The impact of her evolution was unknown, and so, to at least adapt to what was to come, she kept the last seven alone. It was certainly made easier by the fact that she only had one level to go.
Before she left this area, Velasteros still had a few more experiments she wanted to perform. Her fresh sense of investigation was growing strong.
Why were the rocks her greyish blue? Why were these crystals purple? How were they made? How was a cave underground like this created? Questions that would not be answered with her knowledge but her wonder made her curious.
If only there were a way to find out these answers…
Wondering if wishing for another Extra Skill that would provide the knowledge she sought would be pushing her luck too much, Velasteros resumed her task of finding an escape.
She finally found something of extra interest. There was a gap between a crystal and the wall. The crystal itself was pretty large, and it glowed so strongly. This originally made it impossible to tell if anything was behind it.
Fascinating… The hole itself isn’t too big, but I could fit through if I could just move the crystal.
Velasteros clicked her claw in thought.
How am I going to do that? Last time I tried breaking one, I injured my own claw.
Velasteros wasn’t sure what the solution was but knew she needed to start somewhere.
First, she pushed the tip of her right claw into the gap and tried to wedge it out. Releasing all the strength she could muster caused a vibration within her own arm.
Yep, that didn’t work.
All she had managed to do was tire her own arm out.
Great. What could I do next? I don’t think [Barrier] would work, and I’m not immediately interested in trying [Crush] again. So all that leaves is [Force Pull]; its effects are weak, but its job is to pull, and it hasn’t once failed at doing that.
Seeing no better second option.
Welp, time to try [Force Pull].
She tested a few different stops to find what was the most comfortable before she began. None perfectly met the conditions she wanted. The range limitation on her skill was going to be a big restriction on how this would work.
I got an idea! Velasteros excitedly scuttled away. Using her skills on some normal rocks, she crushed and gathered them and built her own platform to stand on.
On her platform next to the crystal, she started to use [Force Pull], and after her first try.
Nothing happened, but she expected that. This would require at least a few attempts. That was what she was telling herself anyway.
Velasteros hummed to herself and continued.
The second attempt showed no progress. Neither did the fifth attempt, but on the eighth, she felt something despite no visible change.
After repeating this process for a hundred attempts. Even using different points of her body as the anchor for [Force Pull], nothing visibly changed; she was reaching her mental limits but was nearly planning to give up.
A quiet creek groaned as the crystal inched forward before quickly moving back.
It took long enough!
{Inform: Skill Development: [Force Pull] Lv11→Lv12.}
Velasteros figured patience had its worth after all.
She laughed to herself. Ke ke ke, keh ke keh ke ke keh ke.
As she was relaxing, spending forever trying to move one shiny rock, watching the slow but noticeable progress being made. The rock tumbled a bit more forward when she wasn’t prepared. The large crystal hurled to the ground and nearly squashed the scorpion, and the platform she had built completely collapsed.
Velasteros had been sent flying and was a little shaken.
Ehh, dizzy. Is this what having a concussion feels like? I need to research that. It took her a moment to regain herself, but she got up and looked over her fabulous work.
Crystals lay across the ground, covered in stone and dust. Behind it was the hole, big enough to fit a creature four times her size and that surprised Velasteros. It definitely didn’t look that big earlier.
Still, now it was time to explore the new tunnel! Velasteros climbed over the large crystal and kept her cautious sense of the surroundings.
While she travelled through the slowly increasing in size cave tunnel. The small amount of hope within sparkled and tried to twirl to brighten up her other emotions. Doubt clouded the sky above the hope, but in the worst case, Velasteros knew she could turn around. After that, betting on evolution to break out of the cave didn’t seem awful.
There were a few smaller holes that appeared along the walls, but they seemed like the previous quick dead-end tunnels that she had searched before. Everything seemed alright; it was interesting for her that this cave kept going. However, there weren't any signs of monsters, which she felt lowered the possibility that this was connected to an exit.
However, only a moment later, her body, the scorpion’s instincts, sent a shock through her muscles, warning of oncoming dread. She was confused, wary and scared and didn’t know what danger surrounded her; only knowing it existed.
Suddenly, two disfigured, solid grey feet appeared besides her.
Where did they come from!? She felt no creature on the walls or ceiling upon entering, but something was currently standing above her. Its first action wasn’t an attempted killing blow, which meant either it didn’t have that capability or it wanted to play with its food first.
Nothing is stopping me now!
Velasteros turned and attacked the right ankle using [Crush] on my right pincer. Her claw grasped the small ankle and squeezed. The monster didn’t even give me a verbal reaction before the foot glowed an ominous red.
Then, before she knew what happened, it kicked, and Velasteros was sent flying into the stone wall but recovered quickly. Thankfully, nothing was broken yet, and she saw a clear view of her assailant in full. It was a large, skinny demonic monster; its limbs appeared stretched out. Small crystal spikes poking out from its arms. A solid oval face, with one third of it dedicated to its wide open mouth.
“Koh ko ho oh.” It laughed, with its happy grin. Looking down with its purple crystal eyes.
Why do I keep facing monsters multiple times my size?!
First the monkey and now this demon bastard. These were one of the worst types of enemies for Velasteros to face; if they just stayed careful enough, they could just toy with her.
The crystal demon walked forward, and Velasteros observed its cocky smile and laugh. Her pitiful agility meant that dodging was a no-go, but its ankle... It was damaged, sure, only a slight bruise. However, it gave her confidence, knowing she wasn’t being completely dwarfed in power. As long as it stayed overconfident and underestimated me.
When it reached striking distances…
It raised its left arm, and Velasteros stepped back, trying to give off the impression that she was fearful. Watching its smile extend, it went for the attack. The grey fingers with crystal nails extended out to grab the scorpion.
Velasteros deflected it away with her pincers before attempting to sting it, but the demon just flicked her tail away.
She failed and, in response, went after the wrist of the demon’s arm. The pincer was still touching it.
Dammit [Crush]!
If she let go, it would lead only to the same predicament, so she needed to stay clamped on.
The demon initially just tried to peel her off. Then, after five seconds of [Crush]. Its expression slowly shifted to annoyance, but Velasteros wouldn't let go. After trying to force her off failed, its face finally shifted into pure rage.
It screamed, “Krehh!!!” before slamming her to the ground. It hurt, but she could still handle this; her body remembered pain far worse, instincts telling her this was nothing. Then it started to repeat the action while a red glow grew from its arm.
Again and again, her exoskeleton collided with hard rock. Cracking and bleeding. However, crimson blood began spewing from the bastard's wrist. The black pincers had reached their crystal bones, and their fingers had stopped twitching.
Once its hand became completely unusable, it used its other glowing arm to attack. The pain rattled throughout Velasteros’s system, and her consciousness faded.
It was able to throw her off and continued to beat me down. It punched, kicked, and repeated. One kick broke her underside completely, as she began to bleed blue everywhere. Dying the walls, roof, and floor with her fluids as she was tossed like a rag doll.
Falling from the ceiling, her damaged body started to fall apart. What was she supposed to do? Velasteros’s bleeding eyes could only watch as the demonic monster reeled back its non-damaged arm for another attack.
I don’t want to die. Fear erupted within her limbs, shaking-NO! No! Fear won’t get you anywhere! I have a brain, I have a soul. Use them! What do I have?!
Her stinger, while in pain with poison leaking, still worked. [Crush], [Barrier] and [Force Pull] were all available, and her right pincer was fully operational. Trying to aim for the eyes wouldn’t work; it would intercept her again. Trying to incept it with her pincer using [Crush] would probably end with it overpowering her.
While there are an uncountable number of thoughts speeding through her mind, she thought of one solution that might work. If my hypothesis were correct, at least it would have the highest chance of success. I wish I could have tested it sooner.
The demon’s right fist glowed even stronger than before, ready to intercept her fall. Gravity's pull inched her ever closer, rage plastered across its body. It finally made its attack.
Moments before impact, a [Barrier] formed. The sphere of protection grew around the injured scorpion, diffusing the energy outwards. She put everything into keeping the shield up.
Surprised, the demon pushed more energy to attack, but it was no use; Velasteros won their exchange. Its arm gave out, and she continued to fall.
While falling, she overextended herself, increasing the size of the barrier. Large enough to cover its entire body.
Now, please work!
Velasteros used [Crush] on her [Barrier].
A howling scream screeched loudly from the demonic monster as it embedded into the ground. Velasteros was forced to stop using [Barrier], and it quickly disappeared. Her energy was low, and she felt unable to use any more skills. Velasteros landed on the demon's upper chest and crawled up to its face while it was temporarily stunned.
Velasteros rapidly stung its face over and over and over again, screaming internally.
DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!
If even on the off chance it had something akin to a poison immunity, she was sure to puncture its face so many times it would become unrecognisable. Oh, how she wished she could puncture one of those gemstone eyes.
Blood started to fountain from the stinger holes. Velasteros smashed her pincer into its mouth, trying to tear apart anything she could.
The demon flinched. “Kreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehh!!!” Swinging its body upright. It tried to counterattack.
A red and black cloud of smoke erupted from the demon's body, and the blood from its wounds spilled at an accelerated rate.
Before Velasteros could block, the demon grabbed her tail and swung her so strongly towards the wall.
Velasteros’s tail tore off, and the wall indented with her form.
Everything went blurry for all her senses. Velasteros could barely focus. The approach of death felt so familiar. It was surprisingly warm; she thought it would be colder, but Velasteros did not care for its warmth.
The demon slowly stood up, heavily breathing for a moment before it started to run towards her corpse-like body.
Halfway through the journey, it stopped moving.
Poison straight to the brain was a very effective method to kill. Velasteros’s body froze as the demon collapsed, breathing muffled, and it began to shake. Its eyes turned black, and it completely fell face forward.
Name: Velasteros
Race: [Black Scorpion] [19->20/20]
Velasteros was so tired. Kekeh ke…. She barely formed a laugh as her vision faded.
{Emergency: The user–
Then everything else followed.