NunuNote: This is today’s bonus Chapter from your Power Stone votes! Enjoy!
-xXx-
Upon digesting the Wolf Level 02’s head, Lohan received a notification.
[New Matter Digested — Pack Instinct]
[Evolution available.]
"Finally, a new Evolution!" Lohan thought excitedly, quickly opening the evolution screen.
[Pack Instinct Lv 1] - 7 Bio
[The user’s consciousness projects beyond the main core, establishing a sensory and motor link with allied or subordinate units.
Reading the description of this Skill, if he had eyes, they would be shining like two headlights right now!
This might seem like a bad skill for someone solo like him, not working on anything other than allies or subordinates, he wasn’t even sure if it would work on Lisa, but that wasn’t the main point.
As soon as he initiated this Evolution, Lohan felt as if the bond and control over the Clone had improved!
Not only could he control the Clone more easily, but the control was also more precise and used less mental energy to function!
Sure, he still couldn’t treat the Clone as a second main body, but considering that raising the level of [Partial Division] increased his control over the Clone very little, [Pack Instinct] would be perfect for that!
As long as he raised the level of this evolution more often, in the future he could even consider forming a second clone at the same time!
Without him noticing, his body began to crackle and vibrate with happiness, receiving a strange look from Lisa, who found the scene of Halon devouring the wolf’s head and brain while trembling with happiness a little grotesque.
After Lohan recovered, Lisa went to get more wolves, this time bringing only one Level 01 wolf, then bringing more and more.
-xXx-
In 3 hours, killing more than 18 wolves, Lohan finally received the long-awaited notification.
[Experience: +11]
[Experience: 205/200]
[Level Up?]
Without hesitation, Lohan accepted.
Then another refreshing wave ran through his body, nourishing his jelly even more, making it denser, the membrane more resistant, and slightly accelerating the base digestion speed by +2 Bio/h.
Seeing his base digestion rise from 8.48 to 10.48 Bio/h, Lohan was surprised.
’Wait, does leveling up increase my base digestion speed by 1 Bio/h per level? Or does it double with each level? And if so, then it would be better for me to level up first before evolving my [Efficient Digestion]? Since if I evolve this after leveling up, the effect of leveling up will be even greater...’
Lohan realized that it was as if these two ways of evolving were different... almost as if they were incompatible, or rather, too compatible.
’Maybe the growth per level comes from my Race and the growth from Evolutions comes from my Class? Or the other way around? If so, it makes sense that my growth speed is so abnormal.’
From what he researched about the game during class, or heard other Players talking about it in college, a Player with a Common Class and Race had a very difficult time facing a monster of the same level, so Players would team up in groups to hunt monsters.
But he was not only dealing with monsters above his level, he could even handle monsters in groups!
And knowing how easy it was for Lisa to level up as well, apparently this really has to do with their Base level.
Lisa narrowed her eyes, picking up on the subtle change in the density of Lohan’s mass. The way the Slime now stabilized and the speed with which the biomass reorganized itself indicated that something had changed in Halon.
So she asked, staring at him curiously. "Have you finally reached Level 03?"
Lohan gave a thumbs up with his small hand at his side. "Yes, now we can go to a more advanced area and level up together. Do you have somewhere in mind for us?"
The fox maintained her elegant posture, but there was a slight glimmer of surprise in her gaze when she heard the "us" being said so naturally, even though it was something common.
Lisa nodded. "Yes, there’s a group of bears a few kilometers from here that are around Level 03, with some weaker ones at Level 02 and the strongest being Level 04. I think that could be a good challenge."
Lohan saw no problem with that. Even though bears were more difficult enemies to deal with, as they were more difficult for him to digest until causing a fatal injury, he still had other cards up his sleeve to get used to in battle.
Just as he had avoided using [Ice Spike] in the previous battle, in order to improve in other ways without becoming dependent on that magic, if things got ugly, he could simply burst the head of the wolf that tried to eat him with the ice spear.
"So, shall we go?" Lohan asked a little uncertainly, remembering how upset she had been with him a few hours ago.
Lisa narrowed her eyes at him for a few seconds, but in the end she bent down and let him climb on her back.
If they were to rely on his speed, even with the improvements he had made, it would take them five hours to get there, but with her running, it would only take 30 minutes.
This time, Lohan paid attention to her, so that if she said something, he wouldn’t ignore her again.
As the trees passed by like blurred shadows, the silence between them was no longer as piercing as before. Lisa felt the light weight of the Slime on her back, and as much as she tried to remain indifferent, as she did in real life, her curiosity and hidden identity in Elysium won out.
"You’re strangely quiet..." She commented in a soft, distant voice, but observing every detail. "The last time you were this quiet, you were almost chewed up by a wolf. Should I worry about another ’distraction’?"
Lohan sensed the slight teasing in her tone and vibrated his membrane as if holding back a laugh.
"I’m not distracted right now, I’m just thinking about how today’s grind will change me in the real world." He replied. "And thanks, by the way."
Lisa stopped running for a second, her feet sinking gently into the moss, before resuming her pace. The "thanks" caught her off guard.
"For what? For almost letting you become wolf food?" she asked, confused.
"For the ride. And for not leaving when I was an idiot and ignored you. I know that even though you’re valuable, you’re not obligated to be here carrying a Slime you met yesterday to level up."
This time, she didn’t respond right away.
The indirect compliment on her importance made the tips of her fox ears twitch slightly.
"Consider it an investment, Halon. I don’t waste my time on people who aren’t worth it..." she said, regaining her superior posture, but with a less cold gleam in her eyes. "Just try not to make me regret..."
She froze. Lisa’s body stiffened, the hairs on the back of her neck instantly bristling.
Without thinking twice, she became translucent, which highlighted the Slime "floating" on her back, but Lohan also thought quickly and camouflaged himself into the environment, still not knowing exactly what was going on.
To understand, he activated his recognition abilities, but before he could smell anything with [Chemosensory Aptitude Lv 2], he heard noises.
CLANG. CLANG.
The rhythmic sound of metal striking metal cut through the tranquility of the forest.
"Get down..." She hissed telepathically, her voice now laden with seriousness. "From the sound of blades, I think there are humans ahead..."
"Humans!" Lohan was surprised. "Have you encountered humans here before?"
"No, this is the first time I’ve encountered something like this... we need to know if they are Players or people from this world," she said.
’People from this world?’ Lohan was thoughtful about the way she used to describe the ’NPCs’.
///NunuNote///
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