Episode 13: Showdown of Kin ○
Two beetles perched on a giant tree. The silver one above was me, and the brown beetle below was leisurely sucking nectar.
Even though I had landed right above it, it only glanced at me before continuing to suck nectar. It had stolen my feeding spot, yet it acted so brazenly.
(It should have given up the spot immediately. I won’t forgive it even if it apologizes now!)
I lowered my horn and closed the distance with the brown one. First, our horns collided. A dull metallic sound, “thud,” echoed, momentarily halting my advance. But I forcefully pushed forward, trying to shove the brown one away.
It desperately tried to resist with its six legs, but my attack power was higher, and I was pushing from above. With the help of gravity, I gradually pushed it out of the feeding spot. Once my mouth reached the nectar, I stopped pushing and began to leisurely suck the nectar.
The color of its eyes changed noticeably. The force with which it pushed back seemed to have increased slightly, but I continued to suck the nectar without budging. Eventually, it gave up pushing and started moving its head, trying to slip its horn under mine.
(I see, so that’s how it is. The fighting style of beetles hasn’t changed in this world either.)
I was strangely impressed, but I wasn’t so naive as to be defeated like that. Ah, since I’m a bug now, does that make me a bug-lover? Anyway, I also moved my head violently, trying to slip my horn under its abdomen, just like it was doing.
Sometimes with brute force, sometimes with feints, we struggled against each other, aiming for each other’s underbelly. My horn slipped under its abdomen at the same time its horn slipped under mine.
(Hmph! Ugh, ugh, ugh!)
The two horns creaked and groaned. We braced ourselves with our six clawed legs, trying not to be flung away. This time, gravity was on its side. If I let my guard down even a little, I would be flung into the air. To the eye, it looked like neither of us was moving, but in reality, we were engaged in a desperate life-or-death struggle.
If we were humans, our faces would undoubtedly be red, and our veins would be bulging.
This power struggle continued for a while, but it seemed the time for a resolution had finally come. The bark of the tree it was bracing against was gradually peeling away.
(Wooooo!)
I shouted in my mind and lifted its body up in one go. The brown beetle was thrown off along with the bark that had peeled away with a crackling sound.
(It was a short time, but it was a good match. Farewell!)
I praised its valiant effort in my mind and fired three Water Bullets at its defenseless abdomen.
Thud, thud, thud.
The water bullets, each hitting their mark, created three holes in its abdomen. The beetle, letting out a death cry of “Gigiigi,” stopped moving. I collected it into my Item Box. Then, as if nothing had happened, I began to lick the tree sap flowing from the X mark.
(Even though I defeated it in the heat of the moment, now that I think about it, that was kin slaying. Looking back at my actions so far, was I always this belligerent?)
If this were between humans, I would be a murderer. And the reason I killed it was just because someone else was sitting in my usual seat at the restaurant.
However, strangely, I didn’t feel any regret or guilt. Was it because this world of the survival of the fittest made me think that way, or had something changed within me since coming to this world? I didn’t know the reason. But it was clear that it was more convenient for me to be this way to survive in this world.
I was a little bewildered by the change in my heart, but I decided that it was necessary to survive in this world and tried not to worry about it too much.
Well, that’s enough about the changes in my heart. After defeating a strong enemy, it’s time for the usual status check.
Race: Beetle (Mutant)
Name: None
Rank: E
Level: 40 Evolution Available
HP: 167/187
MP: 133/145
Attack Power: 219
Defense Power: 215
Magic Attack Power: 144
Magic Defense Power: 143
Agility: 215
Skills:
Special Evolution
Language Comprehension
Chant Annulment
Item Box Lv12
Appraisal Lv11
Thought Acceleration Lv12
Life Detection Lv13
Magic Detection Lv13
Hostile Detection Lv11
Danger Detection Lv5
Auto HP Recovery Lv10
Mana Auto-Recovery Lv11
Light Magic Lv12
Water Magic Lv14
Space-Time Magic Lv5
Gravity Magic Lv5
Deadly Poison Generation Lv12
Paralysis Poison Generation Lv8
Sleep Poison Generation Lv8
Confusion Poison Generation Lv8
Pain Resistance Lv8
Deadly Poison Resistance Lv12
Paralysis Resistance Lv8
Sleep Resistance Lv8
Confusion Resistance Lv8
Miasma Lv8
Flight Lv5
Hardening Lv6
Titles:
Reincarnator
Skill Collector
Evolver
Giant Killer
Assassin
Kin Slayer New!
Oh! The level cap this time was 40! Evolution is available. Ugh, and there’s an ominous new title. I don’t want to see it, but I have to check…
Kin Slayer… Has killed a member of their own kind. When fighting against kin, status is boosted.
I hope I don’t have to use that too often…
Well, let’s pull myself together and look at the evolution options.
□Please select an evolution path.
・Soldier Beetle
・Armor Beetle
・Magic Beetle
Hmm, hmm, there are three options this time. And just by looking at the names, I can tell their general direction. After checking the descriptions, it was as I thought: Soldier Beetle increases attack power and agility, Armor Beetle increases HP and defense, and Magic Beetle increases magic power and magic attack power.
(I became a beetle and my physical attack power became higher, but I still like using magic.)
For that reason, I decided to become a Magic Beetle next.
This time, I returned to my nest and, after confirming the safety of the surroundings, began the evolution.
Race: Magic Beetle (Mutant)
Name: None
Rank: D
Level: 1
HP: 100/100
MP: 158/158
Attack Power: 88
Defense Power: 87
Magic Attack Power: 164
Magic Defense Power: 136
Agility: 124
Skills:
Special Evolution
Language Comprehension
Chant Annulment
Item Box Lv13
Appraisal Lv12
Thought Acceleration Lv13
Life Detection Lv14
Magic Detection Lv14
Hostile Detection Lv12
Danger Detection Lv6
Auto HP Recovery Lv11
Mana Auto-Recovery Lv12
Light Magic Lv14
Water Magic Lv16
Wind Magic Lv5 New!
Earth Magic Lv5 New!
Space-Time Magic Lv7
Gravity Magic Lv7
Deadly Poison Generation Lv13
Paralysis Poison Generation Lv9
Sleep Poison Generation Lv9
Confusion Poison Generation Lv9
Pain Resistance Lv9
Deadly Poison Resistance Lv13
Paralysis Resistance Lv9
Sleep Resistance Lv9
Confusion Resistance Lv9
Miasma Lv9
Flight Lv6
Hardening Lv7
Titles:
Reincarnator
Skill Collector
Evolver
Giant Killer
Assassin
Kin Slayer
I grinned inwardly as I looked at my status. My HP, attack power, and defense power had dropped drastically, but I couldn’t stop smiling at the fact that I had become a magic specialist type for the first time. It was also a nice bonus that the skill level always increased by 1 as a perk of evolution. Moreover, perhaps because I was a magic specialist type this time, the magic levels had increased by 2 each.
Furthermore, it seemed I had even learned Wind Magic and Earth Magic. This was another pleasant surprise.
I was full from my meal, and it was still just past noon, so I flew off to see Mr. Green Worm again.