SSS-Rank Evolving Monster: From Pest to Cosmic Devourer
Chapter 49: “I haven’t completely failed

Chapter 49: “I haven’t completely failed

Now that he was already knee-deep in nonsense, Ricky decided to dive in all the way.

He straightened his small mosquito body like a master storyteller preparing for a grand reveal. Then, despite communicating telepathically, he made a show of clearing his throat with a dry cough.

"Who said he is weak..."

Dark Shadow blinked in surprise. "What do you mean? Isn’t he clearly weak? If I wanted to, I could kill him just by snorting."

"Ohh, Dark Shadow... what do you know..."

Ricky’s voice turned grave, and his compound eyes gleamed with ancient mystery. He gave her a long look—full of false solemnity—as though she had just questioned an age-old truth.

Then, in a deep, reverent tone, he declared, "Actually, these two... they’re not ordinary creatures. They are the incarnations of powerful beings, reborn into this era through a mysterious accident. They’ve forgotten who they were... but soon, with the passage of time, they’ll awaken—and become unstoppable."

He lowered his voice dramatically.

"So you better watch out..."

He spun the story with effortless flair, letting the words settle into the silence of the courtyard like the echo of an old prophecy.

"Really...?" Dark Shadow asked, her mental voice laced with doubt, though her expression betrayed curiosity. Her eight glossy eyes shimmered with uncertainty. As a reclusive spider who had rarely interacted with others, she was strangely easy to fool.

Ricky nodded with exaggerated seriousness.

And to a small extent... he wasn’t entirely lying.

There was something off about Boar and Alexandria. Ricky had felt it since the beginning. They weren’t just two random beasts who stumbled into evolution. Even with his system and bloodline advantages, they weren’t far behind him.

He could feel it—a strange pull, a peculiar aura around them. It wasn’t something tangible, but it clung to their very existence, like the gaze of fate itself. As if the world was subtly nudging them forward, watching over them.

They didn’t seem like chosen ones—but something was clearly guiding their steps.

"Let’s keep this between us..." he added, lowering his mental voice into a conspiratorial whisper.

Dark Shadow’s eyes glowed faintly. For a moment, she stared at Ricky, emotions stirring in her usually cold heart.

He trusts me... He’s really treating me as a friend, she thought.

He’s sharing something so secret with me...

In that moment, her suspicion melted into something warmer.

But then—before she could respond—an intense fluctuation tore through the mana around them. The peaceful courtyard buzzed with wild spiritual force, and a loud voice pierced the still air.

"I’ve succeeded!!"

The shout came from Boar. His voice rang out with ecstatic joy, and he practically danced in place, kicking up leaves and dust.

"I managed to learn the meditation technique Big Sister Dark Shadow taught me!"

He was panting, his eyes wide with excitement, nostrils flaring as waves of raw spiritual energy rolled off his thick hide.

The effort of many days and nights had finally borne fruit.

"Impossible..." Dark Shadow whispered, her tone shaken. Her body tensed as her eight legs braced against the stone beneath her. All eight eyes widened, reflecting the flickering light of the spiritual grove.

With a sudden flash, she vanished from her perch.

The next instant, she reappeared beside Boar, her movement ghostlike, as if space itself bent to her will.

"Show me," she said, trying hard to keep her voice level.

She had taught him a technique designed specifically for spiders—Spider Descending the Mountain. It was not only ancient but structured around the unique physiology and spiritual nerves of arachnids. There was no way a dumb pig should be able to learn it.

And yet...

Following her, Ricky also flew over, his wings stirring the leaves as he descended beside the two.

The moment he got close to Boar, he felt it—an overwhelming surge of vitality. It hit him like the scent of fresh blood, pure and potent. His instincts screamed at him to feed, to devour, but he clenched his will and suppressed the hunger.

Boar was... different now.

His two tusks had grown visibly longer, their edges sharpened like daggers. His skin, already thick, had darkened into a dense, iron-grey tone, gleaming faintly in the light as if polished steel ran beneath it.

The spiritual force rolling off him was more refined, more stable.

"Go ahead," Dark Shadow said, her voice laced with disbelief.

Boar grinned, puffing out his chest. He nodded and settled into a stance. Then, drawing a deep breath, he began to follow the steps of the technique exactly as she had taught.

With a pulse of energy, his thick hide shimmered—and in the next moment, it transformed. A protective layer of armor formed across his body, forged from his own mana and flesh.

"Woah..." Dark Shadow gasped aloud, unable to hide her amazement.

Ricky’s earlier words echoed in her mind.

Incarnations of powerful monsters...

She turned to glance at Ricky for the briefest moment. Their eyes met—his compound gaze and her unblinking ones.

Then both looked away, neither speaking. The moment was heavy with unsaid thoughts.

Dark Shadow’s emotions swirled in confusion.

Why does he know so much...?

He was just a pest. He didn’t even possess bloodline memories. Yet he knew grafting techniques, spiritual fertilizers... and now, strange secrets about other beasts?

Just then, Boar broke the silence with an eager squeal.

"Now, as per our promise... Big Sister Dark Shadow, you’ll help us reach Stage 2, right?"

His snout twitched excitedly. The thought of finally stepping into the realm of the strong filled him with fire.

Dark Shadow gave a quiet nod.

She had promised. If either of them managed to learn the technique, she would help them progress.

To be honest, she never expected Boar to succeed. He always looked a little... simple and stupid.

Yet, somehow, he had done it.

At that moment, Alexandria slowly approached. Her steps were light, hesitant. Her small body radiated a somber air, and her head was bowed low. Her golden eyes glimmered with sadness, catching the edge of sunlight filtering through the trees.

She didn’t yet know what Boar had accomplished.

When Dark Shadow noticed her, she turned and asked, "Ahh, little Alexandria, have you managed to learn the technique as well?"

The words struck like a thunderbolt.

Alexandria’s body stiffened. Her small paws clenched tightly, her shoulders trembling slightly. She didn’t lift her head.

Inside, shame boiled.

How could I... fail?

She had always believed herself clever. Sharp. Quick to learn. Yet, while Boar celebrated success, she stood there with empty hands.

The technique had two parts: one to sense mana, the other to strike and kill.

She had failed the foundational half—failed to even feel the flow of Mana through her veins.

But it wasn’t a complete loss.

She had grasped something else. Something buried deep in the killing aspect of the technique—a single sharp thread of insight.

Still, the shame lingered.

The weight of the group’s eyes turned toward her. Even Ricky watched her quietly.

Taking a deep breath, Alexandria straightened her spine.

"I haven’t completely failed..." she said, her voice louder than necessary. It trembled slightly, but pride laced every word.

She wasn’t going to crumble—not in front of Boar. Not in front of Ricky.

Not in front of anyone.