CHAPTER 18 - GROWING AND CHANGING

I left Lilay and Krahs to eat the crabs and went to sleep since the headache was still bothering me. The next day, I woke up feeling strange. There was a different sensation running through my body—a mix of tingling and extra weight on my tail. I got up and shook Lilay to wake him. He groaned, clearly unwilling to leave his deep sleep, but when he saw me, he frowned.

— Did you eat something bad? Why are you waking me up so desperately?

— Look at me. Do you notice anything different?

I asked, restless.

Lilay blinked a few times, analyzing me from top to bottom. After a moment, he shrugged.

— Nope?

— But I feel something weird...

He tilted his head and observed me more closely. His gaze traveled over my body until it stopped at my tail. Then, he let out a little chuckle.

— Now that you mention it... it does look a little bigger. But it’s still far from being as impressive as mine!

He mocked me, and I got irritated.

— Oh, shut up! If you're not going to help, I'll wake up Krahs!

Krahs was snoring loudly when I poked him. He jumped up at my touch, startling me. His eyes gleamed in alertness for a second before calming down.

— What is it, kid? You’re not the type to wake me up.

— I feel weird...

Krahs seemed concerned and began examining me. His eyes carefully scanned my tail, as if looking for something specific. His expression turned serious for a moment until he seemed to understand. He pointed at my tail, indicating something.

— Nexha, you’re a mermaid with hard scales, unlike me and Lilay. Your scales are growing and strengthening. They’re more robust, which can cause discomfort. But don’t worry, it’ll stop bothering you soon,

he explained, almost proudly.

I blinked, surprised. So that was it? My body was changing... growing?

After that, Krahs and Lilay left to hunt, leaving me alone in the nest. I looked at my own tail and sighed.

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— Makes sense... If my race in my status is Crystal-Scaled Mermaid...

I ran my hand over my tail, feeling the rough and uneven texture of the new scales. The discomfort persisted, but a certain excitement filled me. It meant I was getting stronger.

The scales had a bluish tone, reflecting tiny crystalline glimmers as I moved.

— Crystal scales, huh? This might be useful... but it still hurts like hell.

I stretched and yawned. I grabbed my bowl and mixed some leftover crab powder into the milk from the previous day. The moment I took the first sip, I heard a familiar sound: the system notification.

[+5 Defense]

I quickly opened my status to check.

[Crystal-Scaled Mermaid]

Name: Nexha

Age: Baby

Status: Normal

Lv: 2 XP: 10/40

HP: 30/30 MP: 15/15

Attack: 3 Defense: 27 (+5)

Intelligence: 12 Luck: 7 Beauty: 30

Title: First of Many

Skills: Analyze, Access to System Store

The joy of becoming stronger made the discomfort in my tail seem less important.

— Maybe this defense increase is what's causing my scales to grow... If stats really help me evolve faster, this theory might be right. But I have no way to prove it yet.

I finished my milk, but I didn’t gain any more defense points. Still, the five I got were worth it. After that, I tried grinding the leftover crabs, but something was off. The powder I got was darker, like burned ash. I put a little in my mouth to test it and grimaced. It tasted like charcoal!

I sighed and tossed the powder to the nest’s cleaning fish, but even they didn’t want to eat it. When the water darkened, I stirred it with the tip of my tail until it dissolved. At least I avoided getting scolded by Krahs for dirtying the nest.

Not long after, the small luck crabs entered. Without wasting time, I caught a few, earning 10 XP. I decided to cook them, and while preparing the fire, I noticed there was still some crab powder in the bowl. An idea struck me.

I opened the system store and searched for a fire-resistant bowl. Among various options, I found a turtle shell that seemed perfect. It only cost 5 coins. Smiling in satisfaction, I bought the item, filled it with water and crabs, and placed it on the stone slab to cook.

— There's still fuel left from yesterday. I’ll make the most of it.

As I watched the crabs cook, I noticed something curious. Small, shiny fragments detached from the shells and accumulated at the bottom of the bowl. I analyzed them and was surprised.

[Gnawed Crystal-Scaled Mermaid Tail Fragments]

Rarity: Rare

Defense: +10

Ability: Increases defense when consumed.

"Scales gnawed by luck crabs, mixed with saliva and stuck to the shells. The saliva was dissolved by the hot saltwater, loosening the fragments. Though damaged, they still contain nutrients that can accelerate scale regeneration."

My eyes sparkled.

— So my theory was right! They were increasing my defense by gnawing on my scales...

I didn’t know whether to be happy or scared about this discovery. I pushed the thought aside and continued cooking.

The delicious smell soon attracted Krahs and Lilay. They brought fish, and I decided to cook everything together. Krahs helped remove the internal organs, though he seemed uncomfortable with the waste. Lilay, on the other hand, devoured the crabs as if there were no tomorrow.

It was a peaceful day, almost like a family dinner. But the peace didn’t last long.

That night, my tail started itching like crazy...