Chapter 338: Squirrel’s evolution.

Zyra crouched in front of her squirrel, holding the black pill that promised evolution. Convincing Squirrel to take the pill turned out to be harder than she expected.

Squirrel eyed it suspiciously. "It doesn’t smell like a nut to me so it shouldn’t taste like one too."

Zyra hesitated. "It’s not a nut...but it’s good for you."

"Why doesn’t it look like a nut? Squirrel pressed, nose twitching.

"Because it’s not a nut." Zyra muttered.

"What if we dip it in nut sauce." Squirrel suggested hopefully.

She sighed, answering every question with growing exasperation until patience snapped. Zyra grabbed Squirrel, shoved the pill into its mouth, clamped her hands over its cheeks and waited.

Squirrel swallowed, glaring--then squeaked in protest.

Zyra let go and stared at Squirrel, then drifted her attention back to the screen hovering in front of her face. Beauty’s system message was already lingering in glowing blue text.

[Ding! Evolution complete. Congratulations, you have a High ranking, Squirrel.]

Zyra almost chuckled, folding her arms. "So that’s it?"

She looked back down at the little creature. The squirrel had just consumed a precious evolution pill and yet, it had only evolved to a high-ranking level.

The system’s cold voice chimed in her mind. [Host you should know by now that not all beasts evolved to the highest level. Beasts are not created equal. Some reach godly levels while others do not evolve at all no matter how many evolution pills you feed them.]

Zyra nodded along, but deep down, her heart was bleeding. I cannot help but feel like i wasted an evolution pill, she thought, suppressing a sigh.

Sensing her unspoken disappointment, the system chimed loudly, its tone oddly defensive.

[Host, I advise that you do not underestimate it. The High rank Storm Tail Squirrel can create mountains of fire, incinerate entire battlefields, control all nearby flames, and produce a Tail fire that is exceptionally difficult to extinguish.]

Zyra blinked. Her eyebrows shot up. "You should have started with that." How could she be blamed when the squirrel looked almost no different than it had done moments ago. Spice had changed, so had Drake.

But she was impressed with the changes. It wasn’t nearly as bad as she had assumed. Hunter, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, squinted at the squirrel. "So, what can it actually do now?"

Zyra repeated the system’s declaration word for word.

Hunter slowly turned his head to look at the beast sitting on the ground chewing a nut. The only visible change on the squirrel was its fur, which had shifted from a dusty orange to a vibrant flame-red with bright yellow edges. It looked less like a battlefield-incinerating terror and more like a fiery plush toy.

"Well, it will torch the Somnivores if they attack. In my books, that’s a win." Hunter muttered, leaning down to stare at it.

The squirrel chirped and twitched its nose.

Zyra ignored him, a satisfied smirk spreading across her face. "Well, that makes three evolved beasts in my roster."

Before she could celebrate further, a sharp ding echoed in her skull.

[Host, would you like to initiate Beast Fusion?]

Zyra’s eyes lit up. She struck a heroic pose, pointing a finger at the ceiling. "Hell yeah!"

[Activating beast fusion with the Emperor Snake.]

Zyra braced herself. She closed her eyes, clamped her jaw, and prepared for the agonizing pain.

Three seconds passed. Nothing hurt.

Instead, a soothing cool sensation washed over her skin. Zyra opened her eyes and looked down at her hands. Overlapping, sleek green scales were rapidly rippling across her arms, fitting together seamlessly like custom-made tactical armor.

Hunter’s jaw practically hit the floor. "What the_"

He shuffled forward, reached out a hand, and tapped his knuckles sharply against her forearm. It sounded like knocking on solid steel.

"Holy shit!" Hunter gasped, taking a step back and shaking his knuckles. "This is_ this is just wow! You’re a walking fortress!"

Zyra turned around and caught her reflection in the mirrored wall of the room. She flexed her arm, admiring the glossy green finish of the scales. "I wonder if a bullet could even scratch this_"

[I will save you the trouble,] the system chimed instantly. [The Emperor Snake armor is practically indestructible. No mundane bullets, blades, or corrosive acid can harm it.]

Zyra threw her head back and laughed like a little kid who had just been handed the keys to a toy shop. "Sweet! Oh, this is so sweet!"

With a thought, the scales shimmered and vanished back beneath her skin as if they were never there. Eager for more, she clapped her hands together. "Alright, Beauty, fuse me with the squirrel next!"

She stood up straight, puffed out her chest, and waited.

Five seconds. Ten seconds. Nothing happened. No claws, no fur, no fiery tail popping out of her spine.

Hunter scratched his neck, looking her up and down in confusion. "Uh_ maybe your hair is supposed to catch on fire like the squirrel’s tail?"

Zyra patted her head. Normal. She looked at her arms. Still smooth skin.

[Host,] the system interjected, sounding almost exasperated by their lack of imagination. [The changes are passive and internal. Your body is now fire resistant and it can retain heat. Congratulations, you can train naked in the Frozen wild land again.]

Zyra looked down at her hands and relayed the message to Hunter. "It’s internal fireproofing. I can basically walk into a furnace and not singe an eyebrow."

"That’s_ actually terrifyingly useful," Hunter admitted.

A ridiculously loud, thunderous sound echoed through the room. Zyra froze, clapping both hands over her stomach. She looked up at Hunter, her face turning slightly pink.

Zyra patted her belly. "I am suddenly starving. Like, I could eat a whole roast pig right now." She was feeling more hunger than she had ever felt before.

[Ding!] The system chimed sheepishly. [A minor detail was omitted. Fusing with Spice and Squirrel drastically increased your metabolic rate.]

Hunter raised an eyebrow. "We better get you some food, your stomach is growling nonstop."

Zyra shrugged, her embarrassment vanishing instantly as a big grin replaced it. "It’s because of the new updates in my body, good thing I love to eat!"

Hunter chuckled and shook his head, motioning toward the door. "Lead the way to the kitchen then, Your Ladyship, before your stomach decides that the beasts look delicious enough to eat."

As Zyra bounded toward the hallway, Hunter’s eyes flicked down toward the floor. Spice, the Emperor Snake that had previously taken up half the room, had shrunk down to the size of a tiny, harmless snake and lazily wrapped itself around a tree branch.

Hunter shuddered. God have mercy on anyone who tries to pick a fight with Zyra, he thought. They’re going to look at her, think she’s just a regular girl with a tiny pet snake, and then get hit by an indestructible giant snake that can swallow them and their half-life beasts whole in one bite!