SSS-Rank Evolving Monster: From Pest to Cosmic Devourer-Chapter 45: Big Sister, don’t be like this ;⁠)

The little stone courtyard had been mostly unaffected by the chaos in the forest.

Under one spiritual tree, a cat and a spider chatted.

"Alexandria... What a beautiful name. I wish I also had such a cool-sounding name..."

Dark Shadow’s wistful voice floated down like a feather in the wind, her massive, chitinous body hanging upside-down from a thick spiritual tree branch. All eight of her jet-black legs dangled freely, swaying slightly in the breeze that passed through the dense canopy of the courtyard. Her shadowy silhouette merged seamlessly into the twisted trunk, as though she were a natural extension of the tree itself.

"No, Big Sister, don’t be like this. Your name is even cooler than mine. ’Dark Shadow’—just hearing it sends a chill running down my spine,"

Alexandria replied from below, her voice cheerful but careful, polished with honeyed sincerity. Her two amber eyes shimmered with a sharp glint, betraying the instinctive wariness hiding beneath her compliment. She was all smiles, but her inner nerves were tightly strung.

She had no choice but to maintain an extremely close, respectful relationship with this terrifying spider. The difference in strength between them was as vast as heaven and earth. Her instincts screamed at her not to cross this being.

She instinctively glanced toward a beautiful woman some distance away, standing gracefully by a row of potted plants. The woman held a carved watering pot made of jade, gently sprinkling water over the roots of exotic, glowing shrubs.

As if sensing Alexandria’s gaze, the woman looked up and smiled.

The smile was soft, almost motherly, but it sent a surge of panic shooting through Alexandria’s veins. She jerked her head to the side so fast it was like her tail had been stepped on.

"What a demonic woman..." she muttered under her breath, her voice barely a whisper, meant for no ears but her own.

Dark Shadow, from her perch above, had caught the brief exchange and Alexandria’s reaction, but chose to remain silent. Her eight crimson eyes glimmered with amusement, then slowly turned toward a figure in the distance.

The Boar.

Sitting calmly in the shade of another great spiritual tree, the Boar seemed to be in a deep meditative state. His hulking frame was utterly still, the rise and fall of his breath steady and measured—like the calm before a storm.

His thick hide and muscular bulk made him look like a creature of pure brute strength, but Dark Shadow knew better.

"Interesting..." she whispered, curiosity flashing through her eyes.

The Boar had no bloodline inheritance, no spiritual master guiding him. And yet, without being taught, he had managed to imitate meditation simply by observing her and Noctyss.

It was not just imitation either—he had already begun absorbing minute traces of mana. The fact that he had achieved even this much on instinct alone left her amazed.

"Without the bloodline memories... and still making this much progress..."

She could feel a strange anticipation blooming in her chest. She didn’t know what to call the feeling, but it was warm. Like hope.

Her gaze drifted upward toward the branches overhead, where clusters of glowing crimson fruits hung in full bloom. A sudden idea popped into her mind, one she didn’t hesitate to follow.

"Alright, let’s do this," she said to herself, then leapt. frёeweɓηovel_coɱ

Despite her enormous size, her landing beside Boar was eerily silent. The only sign of her arrival was the sudden disturbance in the surrounding mana.

Boar opened his eyes instantly. He blinked in mild surprise, seeing Dark Shadow standing right in front of him.

But only for a moment.

The next second, calm returned to his eyes. He dipped his massive head slightly in greeting.

"How can I help you, Big Sister?" he asked with utmost respect.

He wasn’t foolish. He knew she was a Stage 2 existence. More importantly, she seemed closely connected to the mosquito who had saved them. It would be foolish to offend her.

Dark Shadow was pleased by his humility. Her expression shifted into something almost resembling a smile.

"So... you’re stuck at the peak of Stage 1?" she asked in a deliberately mysterious tone.

Boar hesitated briefly, then nodded. There was no shame in admitting it. In this cruel world, strength was survival. He had long accepted that simple truth.

A thoughtful silence passed between them before Dark Shadow finally continued.

"I can help you reach Stage 2."

Instead of excitement, Boar remained still, his gaze steady. He simply waited. He didn’t question her motives, but neither did he rush to express gratitude.

This reaction impressed Dark Shadow even more.

Just as she opened her mouth to explain further, Alexandria walked over and sat down beside them, her ears perked up with interest.

Some distance away, Noctyss—still tending to her spiritual plants—paused in her watering and glanced over. Her eyes narrowed as if something had clicked in her mind.

"Interesting... ordinary animals reaching Stage 2..." she murmured.

Her voice was as soft as a petal drifting through the wind, but the implications were thunderous.

"If the spiritual world hears about this... how would they react?"

She chuckled darkly, lips curving with interest.

Just as the thought lingered in her mind, a ripple of devastation tore through the peaceful energy of the courtyard.

The air shuddered. A scorching, malevolent pressure passed through the land like a wave of burning oil.

Noctyss instinctively raised her head. Her skin tingled, a sizzling sensation crawling across her milky-white flesh.

Not far away, Dark Shadow froze.

She turned her head sharply toward the sky, her eight limbs tensing in instinctive fear.

"That energy..."

She could feel the breath of her dear little thief from that terrifying explosion.

"What are you doing... thief?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

A rare flicker of worry passed across her usually unshaken face.

Boar and Alexandria shared confused glances. They didn’t understand, but they could feel it. Something terrible was happening.

Something beyond their understanding.

---

Far away, Ricky’s thoughts raced like lightning bolts.

His compound eyes reflected the circle of enemies around him.

"Ten Stage 2 beings..." he thought grimly.

He hadn’t sensed them until it was too late. Now, he stood in the center of a trap laid with perfection.

The air itself had turned heavy. His body resisted movement. His spiritual seed trembled with the pressure bearing down on it.

Leading the ambush was none other than High Priest Ghostly Face.

Dressed in dark ceremonial robes laced with spiritual gold thread, the High Priest’s expression was difficult to read beneath the white porcelain mask he wore. Feminine grace, paired with bone-chilling silence, radiated off him in waves.

His gaze shifted between Ricky and another figure in the rubble—Amanda.

"Truth Seeker Amanda," he murmured, recognizing her.

Shock flickered in his eyes. He knew her strength.

If even she was downed by this pest... what kind of creature had they underestimated?

Still, none of the ten paid attention to the two injured girls scrambling to support each other.

Their focus remained on Ricky.

Yet Ricky was already building power. The mana around him twisted unnaturally. Shadows began to pool beneath his feet.

"I’ll strike before they can react," he resolved, venomous killing intent coiling through him.

Then, in a flash of dark energy—

He vanished.

Seraphina’s eyes widened in horror.

She opened her mouth and screamed,

"Watch out, Truth Seeker Amanda!"

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