Monster Evolution: Gathering Monsters in my New World.

In the blink of an eye, Keal realized he had indeed taken on a new form.

Unlike his rock-like form, he now looked more like an ethereal spirit. He had a small, rounded body, with large, black, glossy eyes that gave it an innocent, otherworldly charm.

Also, his form was fluid and ghostlike, tapering into a long, curling tail of blue flames and light that swirled into the air. Not to mention, he also hovered slightly above the ground, adding to his mythical vibe.

Then…

[Congratulations, you have undergone evolution.]

[You have evolved into the Advanced Karv.]

[A new Aspect skill has been obtained.]

[Imitator: You can structure your body into anything you observe, be it smaller than an ant or bigger than the gods themselves.]

'Ohhh, I like this one.'

[The attribute skill Mana Restore has evolved.]

[Inventory: This skill allows you to store anything you wish to keep.]

The Karv stared at the screen for a while; he had no expression, but it was quite easy to tell he was confused about something.

He glanced at the crystals, reading each one individually.

'System, how rare are these mana crystals?'

[According to the records, mana crystals are highly sought after and valuable, five times more potent than mana stones. While mana crystals are found in mines, mana crystals are often born from mana waves clashing amongst themselves, which happens very rarely.]

'Just as I thought. If a single mana crystal could make me evolve, then it might not be something I want to devour all at once, at least not right now.'

The Karv hovered closer. 'Thankfully, I have the skill that can help with just that.'

Now that he was closer to the rest of the mana crystals, he set himself ready to devour them.

Although this time, it was a bit different from how he did it when he was a beginner Karv.

Back then, he would need to send out a small string of flames that could only spread a certain distance, which also meant he could not devour anything bigger than the string of flame.

But with his evolution, that method changed, and size no longer held any kind of importance.

A single leap with his legs was all it took, and the Karv stood right on top of the crystals. Setting himself there, his body spread out like water, swallowing the entire crystal in a single go.

He remained there, a giant ball of glowing light, trying to digest all eight mana crystals he had just eaten.

It seemed as though he was struggling as well. He squirmed back and forth, making audible grunts, until eventually, he swallowed the whole thing.

[All eight mana crystals have been stored in your inventory.]

Hearing the system's voice placed a smile on the Karv's face, like a gamer who had just somehow defeated the final boss.

'Hmm, being a Karv isn't bad after all; it's all about perspective. Now then, should I leave now or wait for mother bird to come back?'

He remained still.

The only reason the Karv intended on leaving the nest in the first place was because he knew he was no match for a bird that big.

But he wasn't the same helpless Karv anymore; he had already undergone evolution. Yeah, he was probably no longer at the bottom of the food chain.

Why should he be afraid of a big bird?

Now that he thought of it, the bird attacked him first; he would be a coward if he didn't do the same to it.

'Stupid me, why didn't you think of this earlier? Geez, this is why no girls wanted you, always running away from your problems, like a bish…'

The Karv hovered toward the nest and then slipped inside using the arms he temporarily grew.

Once in, he knew he needed to catch the bird by surprise as payback, which then led him to his next move.

'Let's see here…'

He tried his hardest to remember what the baby birds looked like; he then attempted to mimic their forms using his aspect skill, Imitator.

His memory wasn't good, but at least he got the basics of things. He closed his eyes and then proceeded.

Like a truly petty person, he waited in the nest for hours, expecting the hunting bird to show its face at the entrance of the cave so he could launch his attack.

And for a while, it seemed as though it was not coming—so much so that the Karv was about to give up entirely.

To his astonishment, however, the hunting bird appeared.

Its head first poked into the cave, eyes filled with anger.

Then…

"Welcome back, Mama!!!"

The Karv yelled with the biggest smile he could muster.

Although, the reaction he got was not something he expected.

"AHHH!"

The hunting bird screamed in terror as it fell to the ground, its back slammed against the wall.

"Ahhh!"

The Karv screamed back, unsure of what to make of the situation—

Well, other than to run as far away as possible.

The moment he stepped out of the nest and was about to head out, he heard a voice.

"What the hell is an abomination like you doing in my nest?"

It was the hunting bird.

'It can talk?'

The Karv questioned as it turned its gaze toward the bird.

The expression on the bird's face was that of a man who was witnessing horror for the first time. No, it was the expression of a man ready to battle that horror.

[Upon imitation, translation of speech was gained. You can understand anything you imitate as.]

While the system notification appeared and was truly informative, that wasn't Keal's worry at the moment.

He was able to see his reflection on the bird's beak. Seeing his form, he gently took a step back, his flames flickering as if threatening to go out.

While he could take the form of anything he could think of, that was about it, his flames remained, including his color.

How did he miss this?

Did his ego get the better of him?

He looked nothing like the bird he devoured. Instead, due to his bad imitation, the best way to describe him was the devil.

The devil that even he was afraid of.