Michael enters the forest and quickly summons the log. His thoughts immediately command the log to give him the best answer it could come up with. While the log was creating an answer, Michael had to refocus. He couldn’t risk getting hit just because his mind wandered.
Log. Tell me what just happened. How did the Draco EVOLVE TO BREATHE FIRE?!
An ephemeral version of the log appears in front of Michael. Fortunately for him, the log could do this for him, unless it decided to be an annoying piece of shit. But right now, even the log considers the situation dire.
Michael hears a powerful roar from behind him. Dodging a thrown boulder, Michael quickly skims the log’s information about the Draco.
Draco
Classification: Animal (Superspecies)
Description: The Draco is a massive four-legged super reptile with immensely powerful evolutions. The scales which cover its body are almost impervious to most damage. Its claws are capable of ripping flesh apart with ease. Its evolved strength allows it to shatter stone and splinter wood. Its ancestor species, the super reptile, had a head similar to alligators and crocodiles but due to its evolution, its head has become leaner in shape, making it more similar to the dragons of myth and legend.
In the midst of despair, terror, and stress, the Draco’s soul was pushed to the brink due to immense emotional discord and physical weakness. Despite being massively more powerful than its enemies, it was defeated. Due to this, its body decided not to go through with another physical evolution. Instead of improving its body, the Draco’s evolution looked inward to create an innovative solution to its predator. And its evolution found the soul. The desire to destroy everything around it manifests as the singular ability of the Draco to transform its soul’s psionic energy into a fiery breath to incinerate its enemies. As a side effect to survive its own power, the Draco developed an extreme resistance to fire and heat.
Possible Effects: NA
Possible Evolution Number: 3rd iteration: Upon realizing that a physical evolution might not be enough to kill Michael, the Draco underwent the first soul evolution in Teremarae.
An evolution of the soul???
Michael felt confused.
Souls can evolve? Aren’t evolutions supposed to only apply to the body?? Sure, there are social changes but that’s a result of the environment. WHAT THE HELL IS A SOUL EVOLUTION?
While Michael was panicking, he hears the familiar sound of hellfire. He quickly dodges to the right and jumps upward. He notices a nearby trap supported by a suspended rope. Pulling out a stone knife, he throws it toward the suspended rope, cutting it. A large log swings from the top of the tree.
The Draco continues its chase and sees the log swinging toward it. Opening its maw, the Draco releases a cone of fire, burning the log but it continued its trajectory toward the Draco. Desperate not to take any more damage, the Draco swings its claw to throw it away. Fortunately for the Draco and unfortunately for Michael, the rope holding the log was already burning so it was easily torn when the Draco hit the log.
Exhilarated that it managed to subvert one of Michael’s traps, the Draco felt invigorated as it continued to chase Michael. Michael, on the other hand, was kneeling on the ground.
The Draco takes this as a sign of surrender.
Michael quickly stands up which startles the cautious Draco. It momentarily stops just to avoid anything that Michael can throw, like those stink bombs. Michael then throws a rock that accurately hits the Draco’s forehead.
Waiting for any extra effect, the Draco realizes that Michael just threw a normal rock. Michael knew that it wouldn’t deal any real damage. He just wanted to annoy the creature that’s giving him 1st to 2nd-degree burns.
Genuinely annoyed with the Draco, Michael flips it off before he runs deeper into the forest.
The Draco didn’t understand the gesture but felt that Michael had malevolent intentions.
It gave chase once more.
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Bob was slowly becoming exhausted. He continued to look for Evelyn and hadn’t returned to Michael.
After Michael asked him to find Evelyn, he immediately tried to track her. Once he was out of the cave, Bob went down the path and found footmarks. They obviously belonged to a human so Bob looked for Evelyn but the steps suddenly stopped.
Unknown to Bob, Evelyn was knocked away by the Draco’s tail. Due to this, Bob couldn’t find her. Spending so much time looking for Evelyn, Bob was starting to get worried that something might have happened to Michael. He wanted to immediately come back so that he could help Michael but he was also worried that Evelyn might be out there and needs help.
Having no choice, Bob continued to look for Evelyn around the general area of the Draco’s nest. After a while, Bob figured out that Evelyn was nowhere near the nest’s entrance.
Bob climbs up the largest nearby tree to get a better vantage point.
Looking around, he eventually sees something suspicious. It was a tree that was snapped in half.
Bob goes down intending to go to the tree. Once he’s down, Bob realizes just how much of a hassle this situation was. He’s not as fast or as strong as Michael but fortunately, he now had a weapon to protect himself.
Pulling out his small steel knife which was a gift from his best friend, Bob feels strong. This gave him some comfort. It helped him stab those pesky bone spiders. After making sure that the area was clear, Bob stows away his steel knife in his small sheath.
He turns in the direction of the broken tree. He needed to look for Evelyn
Absolutely loyal to Evelyn and Michael, Bob makes the perilous trek downward. For someone like Bob, this was even more dangerous.
Avoiding any signs of super reptiles and bone spiders, Bob reaches the shattered tree. Looking around, he notices some skid marks on the ground. It looked like something or someone was being dragged away.
Bob immediately recognized the shape of the creature being dragged away. It looked like a human. Knowing only two humans, he knew that this creature was Evelyn.
The little monkey grits his teeth, angry at whatever is dragging Evelyn away.
Following the tracks, Bob sees the tracks of the creature that dragged Evelyn away. He immediately loses his anger.
They were super reptile claws.
That annoyed and scared Bob. On his own, he couldn’t kill super reptiles.
Looking in the direction of where Evelyn was dragged away, Bob realizes that the super reptile has a headstart.
Bob needed to move quickly to go back to Michael with her.
Ignoring his fear, Bob starts climbing a tree. He immediately runs and jumps off the edge of a branch and swings using a vine to move as fast as he can.
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While Michael was fighting for his life and Bob was following the tracks of a super reptile, Evelyn was unconscious. Eventually, she woke up, feeling something sharp piercing her legs.
Knives???
Fortunately for Evelyn, her divine gift is still active despite being unconscious or asleep. Michael theorized that their gifts were constants that would continue working as long as they were alive. He even mentioned that they would somehow work even if they died.
Unfortunately for the two of them, they had no real way to test this theory out unless one of them died.
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After being knocked out by the collision, Evelyn wasn’t able to get back into the fight. Despite the Draco’s immense strength, Evelyn was more resistant to blunt damage compared to piercing damage.
Opening her eyes, Evelyn felt groggy but awake enough to feel the pain piercing her leg. Before she could focus on the source of pain, a mind-shattering migraine assaults her head. She groans in pain which causes the pain in her leg to temporarily stop. It quickly resumes.
“Goddess… please… I’ll never drink again… Just stop this please…”
The piercing pain continued. Evelyn felt annoyed inside her when her prayers weren’t being noticed by an entity she knew actually existed.
Stupid religion… stupid… divine gift… why do I get tired when I use it… arghhhh!!!
Evelyn clutches her head in pain. She tries to enter a fetal position but when she tries to bend her leg, the piercing pain suddenly intensified. Unable to move her lower body, Evelyn is dragged through the dirt and mud.
She groans in pain as the headache becomes more painful.
I CAN BARELY OPEN MY GODDAMN EYES!!!
Evelyn slowly transformed the pain into anger which then transformed into rage. She forcefully opens her eyes, ignoring the stress her mind was suffering. Looking at the creature trying to devour her legs, Evelyn sees a super reptile. It glares at her and she notices that this super reptile’s body was different compared to the common super reptile.
It had signs of evolution.
Before Evelyn can move or react, the super reptile lets go of Evelyn and runs at a speed that surprised Evelyn. Once the evolved super reptile was able to create some space between them, it roars.
Wha- Never mind that…
Despite being in extreme pain, Evelyn suddenly remembers something important.
“MICHAEL!”
Evelyn pushes the ground so she could stand up but her body was still suffering from the use of her divine gift and she falls to the ground. She starts to cough to the point that she almost retches.
Still feeling dizzy, Evelyn pukes. Feeling shitty, Evelyn curses her divine gift.
Goddessdamit… this divine gift of mine better include anti-nausea the next time it evolves.
Despite reeling from the dizziness, Evelyn forces herself to stand.
“Gotta… get… to Michael…”
Evelyn wanted to check her supplies but quickly realizes that she was dragged far away from her initial impact point. Her gear was strewn all around but after picking them up, she notices that most of them were still in top condition. She silently thanks Michael for his hard work.
A shame about my top though.
After being struck by the Draco’s claw, Evelyn’s upper clothing was ruined.
“Tsk.”
Clicking her tongue, Evelyn rips apart the remaining parts of her upper clothing. She then fashions a makeshift bandage from the remaining strips of clothing and tightly binds her chest.
Using the other strips, Evelyn ties her scattered tools to her lower clothing.
“Okay… let’s find Michael.”
Evelyn still felt weak but she needed to move. She was sure that the fatigue would fade away as long as she moved. Following her tracks, Evelyn makes her way back to the Draco’s domain.
Unfortunately for Evelyn, the Draco knocked her out so she didn’t know if it came into contact with Michael. The best-case scenario would have been that the damage she inflicted on the monster was enough to help Michael to finish it off.
Evelyn swallows the lump in her throat as she thought of the worst-case scenario. In the worst-case scenario, the Draco was still healthy enough to wear down Michael and finish him off.
Evelyn shakes her head.
That’s impossible… I managed to stab it 11 to 12 times when we were flying. Then we both crash-landed. It took most of the damage. It should have taken a lot of damage, right?
Evelyn continued to follow the drag marks the super reptile made, using her body. She stretched her body, trying to regain some semblance of her normal self but she still felt immensely fatigued.
Goddessdamit! At this point, I might as well be a meat shield for Michael.
Still feeling fatigued, Evelyn suddenly remembers one of the medicines that Michael gave her. Opening her secured bag, Evelyn looks for a glass vial.
What was it called again? Gora? Boros? Ah! Goros!! There it is!
Remembering the appearance of the goros vial, Evelyn pulls out a crude glass object from her pack.
Thank you, God!
Evelyn couldn’t help but thank God when she finds out that most of her items were intact.
Wait… Goddess exists and she said we have free will. That means this was Michael’s effort. Thank you, Michael!
Removing the wooden cork, Evelyn downs the goros mixture.
She immediately feels the effects of the mixture as her body starts to heat up. Her headache disappears as the mixture seems to pump an immense amount of adrenaline into her body. She flexed her muscles and felt more powerful.
Evelyn couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“Wow! Is this what Michael feels??? No… my guess is that he’s still stronger than me but only by a little. Goddess, drugs are amazing!”
Evelyn giggles in excitement, unaware that the goros drugs were making her susceptible to extreme happiness. Suddenly, she remembered Michael’s warning.
Once the drug’s effects wear off, she would experience immense side effects. She calms herself and fixes her gear and weapons. She needed to find Michael.
Flexing her legs, Evelyn starts to run toward the Draco’s nest. Not even a few minutes have passed and Evelyn hears a familiar screech.
Looking up, Evelyn sees Bob
“BOB!”
Bob gives Evelyn his widest smile then he quickly signs to her.
+Evelyn! Friend! Here, go?+
Evelyn signs back with an affirmation.
+Yeah! I’m here! Did you come to fetch me?+
Bob fervently nods. Seeing Bob nod, Evelyn asks him another question.
+How’s Michael??+
Evelyn couldn’t help but be worried. Bob quickly replies to help reduce her worries.
+Michael is fine. Told me to look for you.+
Evelyn heaves a sigh of relief.
“Okay. Good… that’s good. We need to go and help him.”
Bob nods and jumps toward her.
Evelyn catches Bob who quickly settles on her shoulder.
Bob shakes in excitement.
Evelyn nods and flexes her body, feeling each and every fiber of her body strain with strength.
Wait for me, Michael.
Then she sprints toward the Draco’s nest.
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Michael dashed forward and put a large amount of strength in his arms. He then strikes a nearby tree with immense force, activating its trap.
A barrage of poison darts flies through the air, aimed at the Draco’s direction. Cautious of Michael’s tricks, the Draco uses its wings to buffet the darts away.
Seeing the darts come his way, Michael immediately hides behind a tree to avoid them.
Tsk.
Michael’s senses were working overtime and he senses the Draco approach his hiding spot. Taking a moment to take stock of himself, Michael notices that most of his clothes were either burnt or shredded. Parts of his skin were bright red due to the Draco’s flames. Despite the damage he’s been taking, Michael made sure that his supplies remained relatively untouched. If he were to lose his gear, he would have no chance against the Draco.
Opening his pack, Michael noticed that he was running out of offensive tools.
I still have enhancers… but those won’t do much unless I use all of them at the same time… but once they wear off, I’ll be paralyzed.
Michael grits his teeth.
Was I wrong? Did we get ahead of ourselves? Should have I waited for Evelyn to reach the 2nd stage first?
Despite his thoughts, Michael’s senses were still laser-focused. He immediately drops down to the ground as the Draco swipes its claw across the tree, ripping it in half.
Not waiting for the Draco’s next move, Michael immediately stands up from his position and dashes forward. Once he manages to make some space between them, Michael pulls out a clay pot and throws it at the Draco’s face.
The clay pot shatters, releasing poisonous liquids that irritate the Draco’s senses and wounds.
The Draco hisses in pain as its wounds started to sting. It retches and almost pukes but it manages to keep its stomach contents where they belong. It closes its eyes in irritation as tears start to form.
It roars in pain and releases a plume of fire from its mouth in a desperate attempt to get rid of the pain.
Michael frowns.
He knew that the Draco was too strong to be brought down by poison but what bothered him was its ability to breathe fire. It was powerful but did it have a limit? So far, the Draco didn’t seem to have a limit. Even now, it recklessly spewed out fire from its gaping maw.
If Michael couldn’t bring it down with his tools and if it didn’t have a limit to its fire breathing, it meant that he was running out of options.
Opening his pack once again, he finds that he has three pots of finely ground flour, his enhancing drugs, and tools to light a fire.
He was holding onto his spear but it was worthless if he couldn’t get close. At the very least, he knew that the spear could pierce the Draco’s defenses. After all, he managed to damage the Draco using his wooden traps.
The knife shattering must have been a temporary effect or a fluke.
The Draco eventually opens its eyes. They were bloodshot but they were quick to find their target. The monstrous beast turns its head towards Michael.
It growls.
Michael breathes in and breathes out. He internally prepares himself for the next round.
Fortunately for him, there was a silver lining. While he was slowly running out of supplies and traps, the Draco was also on its last legs. He just needed to outlast it.
This was his last chance. If he doesn’t finish the weakened Draco off now, he won’t be able to kill it in the future. This was truly a do-or-die situation.
Then, the situation got worse.
Michael felt the world stop as he watches the wounds on the Draco’s body slowly close. The noxious fumes that embedded themselves into the Draco’s body were being pushed out by slowly regenerating flesh.
The arrowheads embedded by Evelyn were too deeply lodged to be pushed out but the Draco didn’t care. It could bear the pain as long as it killed Michael.
Michael watched in terror as he watched the Draco evolve.
Log, is this a new evolution? Or was it part of its evolution earlier?
The log loyally gives Michael an answer.
Draco (Chapter 33 2nd)
Classification: Animal (Superspecies)
Description: The Draco is a massive four-legged super reptile with immensely powerful evolutions. The scales which cover its body are almost impervious to most damage. Its claws are capable of ripping flesh apart with ease. Its evolved strength allows it to shatter stone and splinter wood. Its ancestor species, the super reptile, had a head similar to alligators and crocodiles but due to its evolution, its head has become leaner in shape, making it more similar to the dragons of myth and legend.
In the midst of despair, terror, and stress, the Draco’s soul was pushed to the brink due to immense emotional discord and physical weakness. Despite being massively stronger and more powerful than its enemies, it was defeated. Due to this, its body decided not to go through with another physical evolution. Instead of improving its body, the Draco’s evolution looked inward to create an innovative solution to its predator. And its evolution found the soul. The desire to destroy everything around it manifests as the singular ability of the Draco to transform its soul’s psionic energy into a fiery breath to incinerate its enemies. As a side effect to survive its own power, the Draco developed an extreme resistance to fire and heat.
Despite its immensely powerful evolution, the Draco was still unable to slay its target. Its body was getting weaker as its wounds got wider and its blood became colder. Its desire to enact revenge on the one that slayed its family fueled its drive to live. And following the rules of Teremarae, the creature’s body evolved once again, gaining a form of regeneration.
Possible Effects: NA
Possible Evolution Number: 4th iteration: Slow regeneration.
Once the Draco’s minor wounds have healed, it returns its gaze to Michael.
It gives Michael a cruel and sadistic smile.
Michael responded with a wry one.
Am I done for?
Then the Draco charges forward.