I descend in front of the Dragon God.
I stepped on some Abyss corpses, but I paid it no mind.
When I first encountered the Abyss, I’d freak out just by being close to it. It’s almost terrifying by how much I’ve gotten used to it.

Alo jumps off my back, landing on the ground.
Meanwhile, I look up and count the number of holes at the cliff wall.
The holes vary in size, but they’re all still only small enough that an Abyss can squeeze through.
Even an average-height human would have to bend a little just to get in.

There’s a slightly larger hole for the Heavy Abyss.
I think I can fit in there if I use〖Human Transformation〗.
Though, it’s too narrow to fight properly, and I didn’t think about lighting.

At least it doesn’t look like any Abyss is coming out yet.

“…………”

Alo is impatiently trying to get my attention.

Is Alo really in such a hurry to get back to the village?
But that’s kinda…… I think about it for a while.

【“Ya want to evolv her?”】

…… Aah, Partner, I leave this to you, as always.
Partner nods and faces Alo.

“Graa~a!”

Partner roars and black light surrounds Alo.
〖Fake Life〗once again.

From the black light, a sizzling sound is heard, as if something was burning.
It was a very unpleasant sound.
I unknowingly stepped back from the discomfort.
Then, the black light shone so bright, I closed my eyes.

When I opened them, the black light fades in the air and becomes dimmer.
Out of the light, a white glossy hand stretches out.
It’s not made of earth. Or, at least it doesn’t look like it is.
I don’t feel any body heat from it but it’s definitely the smooth arm of a little girl.

The black light finally disperses.
Red eyes filled with magic power stare at me.
Her hair structure, skin texture, eye color and facial expression were all strikingly different, but the outline of her face, her overall height, and the length of her hair are exactly the same as Alo.
There are literally no signs left of her previous undead features.
So, this is…… Alo’s third evolution.

Alo notices my surprised face, and looks down to see her arms.
She lightly touches her skin, as if expecting it would fall apart, but it didn’t, and instead, it was her who fell on her knees.
She hugged her own body, crying tears of joy.

We…… we finally reached this point.
Although her skin has no body heat and her red eyes might be bigger than normal person’s eyes, but this is definitely a step-up from the previous undead forms she had until now.
Let’s have a look at the details of her species.

【〖Revana Low Lich〗: Rank C+ monster】
【They can control earth and create an artificial body out of it.】
【They have a strong attachment to human life, but would also lure foolish humans to their doom.】
【By the time they realize it, the〖Revana Low Lich〗 would’ve already feasted on them.】

C+, huh. That’s quite a jump in rank.
So, her next evolution will be〖Revana Lich〗then?
…… I’m a bit worried though, but everything’s gonna be fine, right? Alo will still be Alo, right?

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
Name: Alo
Species: Revana Low Lich
Status: Cursed
Lv: 1/65
HP: 138/138
MP: 38/154
Attack: 88
Defense: 76
Magic: 151
Speed: 65
Rank: Ｃ+

Characteristic Skills:
〖Grisha Language: Lv4〗〖Undead: Lv—〗〖Dark Element: Lv—〗
〖Morphed Body: Lv5〗〖Privilege of the Dead: Lv—〗〖Master of Earth: Lv—〗
〖Demonic Eyes of Evil: Lv1〗

Resistances:
〖Unchangeable Status: Lv—〗〖Physical Resistance: Lv3〗〖Magic Resistance: Lv4〗

Normal Skills:
〖Gale: Lv6〗〖Poor Curse: Lv4〗〖Life Drain: Lv3〗
〖Clay: Lv6〗〖Self-Regeneration: Lv3〗〖Earth Doll: Lv5〗
〖Mana Drain: Lv5〗〖Ensnaring of the Rueful: Lv1〗〖Death Mist: Lv1〗

Titles:
〖Servant of the Evil Dragon: Lv—〗〖Hollow Mage: Lv6〗〖Decaying Body: Lv—〗
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Huh, so these are her stats in level 1……
Wait, so then is she strong or not? Is this all she got even after becoming C+?
Maybe if we raise her level high enough, she’ll have no trouble hunting the Abyss even without me.
Everything depends on how well she makes use of〖Mana Drain〗.

…… She acquired a few disturbing-looking skills again.
〖Master of Earth〗I think is safe…… but,〖Privilege of the Dead〗,〖Demonic Eyes of Evil〗,〖Ensnaring of the Rueful〗,〖Death Mist〗, and〖Decaying Body〗……
Are these even…… safe?
I don’t even know what they do though……

While I was still inspecting out her stats, Alo stands up.
She stares into my eyes.
I wondered what she was up to, but her stare feels like she’s staring directly into my soul and checking out my true nature.

When I saw my reflection in her red eyes, Alo raises her arms at my jaw and gives me a light hug.
T-That tickles.
I lift my head up on reflex and Alo reaches out to me, with her cheeks inflated.

I touch my jaw that Alo hugged with my claw.
It’s the same soft touch from a human’s skin.
Of course, there was still no body heat, but it was definitely the touch of a human.
No one would think it was made of soil at all.

Alo turns away from me and faces the Dragon God’s skeleton.
The skeleton was covered with the yellow goo and the body fluids of many Abyss along with the splat remains of the infant Abyss.

…… Looking at it again, this gooey substance kinda resembles a foam nest.
A foam nest is a bubbly nest made by frogs or fishes to protect their eggs.
Since this infant Abyss was inside it before, that was probably what an Abyss egg looks like.
It could also be something that provides nutrients for the unborn child.
I really don’t want to dig too deep about this.

I turn my body towards the Dragon God’s skeleton and Alo walks towards it.
She stares at the skeleton for a while before turning around and looks up at me.
I thought she’d start suspecting me, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

“…… It’s so sad” 

Alo said with a frown.
Looking at the splatters of Abyss in the Dragon God’s skeleton, I nodded in confirmation.

I breathe in a large amount of air, build up magic in my throat, and aim〖Scorching Breath〗at the Dragon God’s corpse.
The intense flame burns all the yellow goo and the Abyss corpses away.
A crisping sound is heard and any lingering foreign corpses or dirt that isn’t part of the Dragon God has been turned to ash.
Only a slightly burnt, yet beautiful skeletal figure of a dragon remains.

Alo then approaches the slightly neat-looking skeletal corpse of the former Dragon God and gently pats its head.

“…… Thank you for everything, Ryujin-sama. Rest peacefully.”

Her voice didn’t stutter, she was able to speak fluently.
She’s fully aware that the skeleton is her former two-headed Dragon God.

I just watched the whole scene in the sidelines.
…… I-It’s not like I’m jealous or anything.

“…… Uhm, Ryujin-, sama?”

Alo calls me, in a questionable manner.
I approach her, expecting punishment for pretending to be their Dragon God.

Though, Alo’s eyes don’t show any suspicion or hostility.
In fact, I think the village already passes down to the next generation that their Dragon God changes from time to time but still remains as a two-headed dragon who they worship.
However, the shrine maiden, Hibi didn’t particularly ask me to do anything extreme of the sort.
I do have my doubts, but what did Hibi really see me as, that begs the question.

I shake my head to stop thinking about it, but that’s when it happened.
An ominous buzzing noise reverberated in the area.

“Gru~o……”

When I growled, an Abyss just came falling right down in front of me.
In the next instance that I turn around to check what’s going on, more Abyss are falling from one hole in the cliff, like they’re being pushed out by something.
Some of them fell on their backs and others fell on their head.

W-What…… what the hell is happening?

Pushing the Abyss aside, from inside the hole, a black unknown tentacle is wiggling out of it and it suddenly extended at Alo’s body, tying her up and taking her to the hole.
It happened in an instant.
That speed was insane.
I mean, I was still able to follow its movements but I was too late to react to it.
I immediately jump off the ground and chase after it, and then, just before it took Alo inside, I slam it with my tail, rescuing Alo in the process.
With my sudden burst, I won’t be able to stop right away and Alo is gonna get crushed in the cliffside when we crash, so with a simple tail maneuver, I turn away at the last second, like how a car drifts sideways.

“Guh~……”

Alo exclaimed.
Seems like we couldn’t avoid the sharp rocks in the cliffside on time and Alo’s clothes were ripped apart and her flesh got slashed.
She wasn’t bleeding, but that white skin getting shaved off and dangling on her arm is grotesque to look at.
Even though we didn’t even crash directly. I need to stop cutting it close.
More black tentacles extend from the cliffside’s hole.

It’s something much larger than the Abyss.
Just what is lurking inside……?

“Uvu~e~e~e~ee~e~eee!”

A very loud shrilling cry echoes outside the hole.
At the same time, the tentacles start coming out of the hole and a tremor vibrates throughout the whole cliff.