POV Chryssia
*Pant...* *Pant...* I fall on my back to the ground after finding a cave far enough from where I fought the hunters.
—Damn… my whole body hurts.
I stare silently at the cave ceiling until a question forms in my mind.
—Where did it go wrong?
It didn't take long to realize the answer.
—*Sigh* Hunters… Ever since I found out I was in the world of Monster Hunter, I knew I would eventually clash with them… though it happened earlier than I would've liked.
Honestly, I admit I should've run away when the hunters got involved in my fight with the Anjanath… but I didn't.
"If you run, it's because that's the most useful thing you can do!"
I clench my teeth and fists in fury as I remember.
—Calm down Chryssia, she's not here, you're safe now —Little by little, I calm myself until I can think about something else.
—I guess my emotions got the better of me… I'd say I'll stop letting that happen, but I literally died, came back, and still do it, so I need more than just words.
I kept looking at the cave ceiling, contemplating not only my failures but also what I lost—the Anjanath. But when I looked to my side, a small smile formed on my face.
—Guess it wasn't a total loss —I said, looking at the charge blade lying next to me.
Although I still don't have much practice with [Powerful Gunpowder Creation], I had enough skill to push the powder cloud away from me before igniting it.
Sure, I still got hurt, but not as much as if the explosion had been point-blank. Speaking of injuries, I'm not sure what to do about my leg and tail.
With [Advanced Regeneration], I should be able to regenerate both my leg and tail, but it'll take time, and I don't doubt the hunters will come looking for me.
Then I remember a small detail—skill evolution.
—I've never evolved with wounds this serious, but it might work.
I grab the charge blade in my hands. Honestly, when I hold it, I look like a kid with a toy because of my size. Probably only the great sword, longsword, and hammer actually suit me, and only because of their exaggerated sizes.
Out of curiosity, I check the weapon's mechanism and see several triggers on it. I try them out, and aside from the weapon making some sounds, nothing happens.
I nod and say —Just as I thought, I have no idea how to use this —So I shrug and start eating the weapon.
The treated metal is harder to chew than the raw ore I ate before. The weapon is entirely made of metal, unlike the other hunters' weapons, which seemed to be made from monster parts.
[Abilities gained: Kinetic Charge, Accumulation, Discharge, Royal Guard, Alternate Form, Steel Skin][ACCEPT: YES/NO]
I don't hesitate and press yes. The familiar burning sensation comes and goes as quickly as always; I just ignore it now. I check what the new abilities do and can't help but smile.
[Kinetic Charge] is the ability that lets the charge blade build energy (in the game, those are the phials that turn white when full), and I can now do the same inside my body.
[Accumulation] and [Discharge] depend on the first. The former allows me to use the energy I absorbed to strengthen either my whole body, a single limb, or even an external attack like an acid ball.
[Discharge], on the other hand, lets me release all that stored kinetic energy in a powerful attack—just like the charge blade's final move. I can do it from my arms, legs, or tail.
The only downside is that I can only gather energy from physical hits, so the ability doesn't give me any defensive boost. Though... maybe it could fuse with something else to cover that flaw.
[Royal Guard] enhances my defenses when blocking. Its only drawback is that it doesn't work against surprise attacks.
[Alternate Form] is the one I'm most excited about after the first three. It gives me a second form—basically, it reduces my muscle mass and defenses but greatly increases my speed. I haven't faced anything that surpasses me in speed yet, but this will definitely help when I do.
And [Steel Skin] is basically a stronger version of [Iron Skin], a skill I already have that's now part of [Alpha Colossus]. So while it's nothing revolutionary, it's not bad either.
I quickly check my status and see I have enough skills to evolve in body, offensive, and defensive categories, so I don't think twice and evolve.
…
I wake up at night, so I guess a few hours passed. I'm still unsure how long evolution takes, but that's not what matters now.
I sit on the cave floor and look at my leg—smiling when I see it's fully healed. Same with my tail.
In a good mood, I open my status screen to see my new skills.
[Name: Chryssia, The Phageris]
Skills:
Special: Devour, Synthesis, World Travel
Body: Tail Detachment, Jaw Dislocation, Rending Jaw, Intimidating Iron Crest, Expandable Stomach, Gills, Agile Hands, Alpha Colossus, Fluidic Cloak, Predator Tongue, Strong Long Tail, Predator's Eye, Alternate Form (57/96)
Offensive: Bite Strength, Strength Boost, Ram, Meteor Fall, Padded Stomach, Poison Cloud, Poison Ball, Charged Blood, Hardened Venomous Spikes, Charged Attack, Potent Toxic Acid, Kinetic Charge, Accumulation, Discharge (33/48)
Defensive: Paralysis Cloud, Distracting Buzz, Powerful Gunpowder Creation, Crushing Body, Ink Cloud, Enhanced Bioluminescence, Natural Armor, Royal Guard, Steel Skin (27/48)
Social: Pheromone Detection, Pack Sync, Pheromone Veil, Hive Alarm (4/6)
Survival: Dig, Photosynthesis, Antidote Properties, Pollination, Natural Builder, Advanced Regeneration, 3D Movement (23/24)
Evolution: Cloud (Offensive), Enhanced Nervous System (Body), Improved Lung Capacity (Survival), Impact Absorption (Defensive), Thermal Regulation (Survival), Muscle Compacting (Body), Lightning (Offensive), Reinforcement (Defensive)
Events: The New Rex]
—The Phageris? What's that? —This is the first time something like that has shown up in my status that's not a skill.
I stare at the name—title, nickname, whatever—for several seconds before trying the same method I use to learn what my abilities do.
—I see… so Phageris is the name the Guild gave me—or rather, my species. Yeah, it would be weird if they didn't name a new species —Satisfied with the answer, I don't dwell on it. Besides, I like the name, so I have no complaints.
I check what the three new evolution skills do, and I'm pleased:
[Muscle Compacting (Body)] lets me compress my muscles more than what should be physically possible, giving me extra power in my strikes.
[Lightning (Offensive)] allows me to fire a bolt of lightning from my body—not too strong yet, but it has its uses.
[Reinforcement (Defensive)] strengthens the hardness of my body at the cost of stamina. I can apply it to my entire body or just one part—so it pairs well with [Accumulation].
I look toward the cave entrance, and after a few seconds of thought, I step outside.
—I have a hunt to finish.