Fourth Evolution (1)

Unlike on the first floor of the Jinma Tower, I didn’t encounter A upon entering the second floor.

Maybe he was still on the ground floor.

Maybe he’s here but is hiding his presence.

What greeted me instead was a Poison Scorpion, bigger than a Giant Spider, faster and stronger than a Giant Wolf. What’s more, it had a terrifying venom.

“Kee-i-i-i!”

It was at that moment that I realized that I would not just be facing a troll, like on the first floor.

The scorpion was another intermediate monster, but it seemed to move on a different level from the troll.

Well… they are different creatures, on different floors.

.

The longer I stay in place, the more vulnerable I get.

The sound of the scorpion approaching gets louder every instant.

It’s a monster with a level that’s at least similar to the troll, or maybe stronger.

But, if its attack power is strong, it’s regeneration would be weak; if its defense power is strong, it’s speed would be slow.

I can defeat it.

“Kiaaaaaaaaaaah!”

I sensed the giant tail of the scorpion stretching out, possibly overflowing with vicious venom.

It is impossible to visually confirm it because of the darkness, but I can grasp the power coming at me.

I flew away from it. I did not have Surprise and Fairy Tale raised yet.

With the body of the Hob Goblin Assaulter, I am confident that I could beat it quickly.

I can match its power and speed.

If a single strike won’t work, I can keep attacking the same spot over and over.

No carapace would be too hard against consistent heavy damage.

But if I kill him now, I’ll turn into a Hob Goblin afterwards.

Once I become a Hob Goblin, the speed and distance I can create will be significantly limited, and it would become more difficult to analyze the movement and skill of this new monster.

It would be easier to kill him with my lower forms if I understand him better.

I won’t have to die thousands or tens of thousands of times in my Goblin body.

I’ve already experienced Jinma Tower.

Now, I had to draw everything that could be derived from that experience.

Even though time flows slowly here, I won’t waste time dying repeatedly.

“Kee-i-yi!”

“Yeah, come closer…”

I rushed at him. The scorpion greeted me with an attack I’ve already anticipated, a smack from its giant tail.

“Kiaaah!”

However, instinctively, I jumped in the air to avoid it.

Fear of degeneration. Fear of facing a high-level opponent. Fear of experiencing multiple deaths once more.

All the emotions I felt were mixed together, amplified by the Ebon Heart.

Gradually, they changed to joy and excitement.

I didn’t know if it began the moment I became a goblin, or if it was a desire hidden beneath my humanity.

However, I find killing a troublesome opponent and tearing their meat off pleasurable.

I will not go against it.

It was a good urge.

It was the urge that could lead me to survive and get stronger.

Following that impulse, I moved my body.

Somehow, the Poison Scorpion felt a little smaller, unlike when I first felt its presence, but I didn’t care.

There was no time to care.

Time passed.

It was two hours from the outside time. I heard the gears of the pocket watch click twice.

Inside the Jinma Tower, it felt like two weeks.

The Poison Scorpion in front of my Goblin form was helpless inside a deep and narrow trap I’ve created.

My power and my skill levels have been raised so far that my Goblin Fighter form can destroy an intermediate monster without a trap, but it was still too much for a Goblin form.

Of course, it was as I expected from the beginning.

“Key, key, key, key.”

“Hoo, hoo… … .”

No matter how much my skill level has risen, it was impossible to kill an intermediate monster in my lowest form with one or two strikes. There was an absolute difference in physical ability. The difference cannot be filled by any skill.

So, did my growth from Level 50 to Level 58 proved meaningless?

No.

The Trap Creation skill grew little by little, and as it did, the amount of time spent in making traps and the strength of the traps was worth the multiple deaths I suffered in the Poison Scorpion’s tail and claws.

Finally, the skill reached Lv9.

The Poison Scorpion is now helpless against my skill.

“Ki-yi, kai-yi.”

The Poison Scorpion was whimpering. When it was stronger than my Goblin form, I could never have imagined it making this sound, but now, its voice was tender, as if it was begging for its life.

When I first met him, it felt massive. Now, even in my Goblin form, I don’t even worry about the size of its claws.

Okay. It was really obvious now.

Intermediate monsters are only intermediate, after all.

There were more higher-level monsters above them.

It won’t be monsters alone that I have to worry about.

Humans.

Humans who were born in advantaged families, who grew up without hardship, and were trained under powerful mentors.

I would have to face them.

They would see me as a monster and hunt me down.

Honestly, I don’t want to face them until I have evolved in the next form.

I don’t have time to waste. I have to grow.

Intermediate, advanced, superlative, and beyond.

Kill more. Eat more.

I approached the whimpering Poison Scorpion, helpless inside a trap made especially for him, to hold his legs and claws down.

He was pleading for mercy. It was pitiful. He went from being a predator to being prey.

Of course, I don’t care about my prey’s feelings.

“I will enjoy this food.”

I bit his hard claws and tasted poison.

Of course, I was expecting it.

[Lower Poison Creation skill has become Lv7.]

[Lower Regeneration has become Lv9.]

My Predation skill ignores my target’s toxicity, and my Immunity and Regeneration skills prevent me from being vulnerable to poison.The moment it reached Lv5, Regeneration started being able to recover from poison damage.

The Poison Creation skill also improves every time I ingest or use poison.

This combo allowed me to grow poison regeneration and poison generation skills at a tremendous rate while eating poison scorpions.

Immunity’s growth was a bit slower since it was already on the Intermediate level.

It was also possible that Predation is also growing.

Because I have consumed a lot since the last level up, it may be growing without me noticing.

“Key, key, key!”

“Go on, struggle as much as you can.”

I continued eating the still alive Poison Scorpion while notification windows popped up continuously until they finally announced that my Regeneration and Poison Creation reached Intermediate level.

Finally, the phrase [Conquering the first floor of Jinma Tower 2/10] appeared.

Soon, the familiar pain hit me—the process of a degenerated body returning to its original form.

Swelling muscles, stronger blood pumping, thickening skin. Bones hardening and thickening.

While observing the phenomenon, a strange thought came into me.

The strange thought passed by quickly. It was not the time to think about it.

I looked around. I am not sure where A is, so I spoke with a loud voice:

“Continue to challenge. Until I conquer all ten floors.”

Time passed by quickly, as opponents fell down one by one.

Skeleton Knights, Hornet Princes, Minotaurs, as well as seven other monsters.

“Kyu woo!”

“Damn you!”

The spider, whose web contained the power of electricity, was the most difficult among the intermediate monsters I have faced.

I was somehow able to defeat it in my Goblin Fighter form, but from the moment I became a Goblin, I kept dying even after only touching its web.

It was hard to build a trap.

What’s more, the spider crawled all over the walls, avoiding the traps I made on the ground.

My Trap Creation skill, despite reaching the Intermediate Lv5, has met its match.

I can only make a trap on the ground where I am stepping on.

Unless the enemy is a fool like a troll, they usually don’t stay in one place.

That is why I need to attack the enemies to lure them into the traps.

Until now, it wasn’t very difficult, but the spider was a smart opponent.

It’s a fairly good skill, but it had its disadvantages.

A lot of research will be needed so I can use this skill better in the future.

After the pocket watch clicked to signify four hours, a Goblin succeeded in inserting a sword into a Lightning Spider’s neck.

It had been difficult, but the reward was worth it.

“It’s delicious.”

As I chewed on the Lightning Spider, a reminder suddenly flashed in front of my eyes.

[Conquering the first floor of Jinma Tower 9/10]

[Lower Spider Web Creation has become Lv10 and evolves to Intermediate Spider Web Creation. It becomes possible to apply mana and skills onto the webs you produce.]

Only

[Congratulations! Satisfied the conditions for synthesizing an Advanced Level skill!]

[Possible to synthesize the Advanced skill “Lunatic Trickster”.]

[Requirements: One Intermediate Lv5 or higher special combat system skill (Trap Creation), two Intermediate level or higher special combat sub-skill (Poison Creation, Spider Web Creation), one Lower Lv5 or higher special attack skill (Power Attack, Power Arrow)]

[Possess two or more Lower level magic skills (Black Lightning, Flame Magic)]

[Possess two or more battle-assist skills (Intermediate Leap, Intermediate Beast Charge.]

That moment, the annoyance I had with the Lightning Spider disappeared.

I smiled.

It seems that the 10th opponent I need to defeat inside the Jinma Tower will be easier to catch.