Today, another Kobold rose upward from the lowest level of the sparkling silver double helix that pierced the heavens.

Generally, evolution is triggered by an abrupt mutation, but…

Mutations are brought about by genetic errors, and, as previously theorized are not always beneficial for the species, and generally occur randomly.

However, since only the species most suitable for the environment among the variants ultimately survives, it could be surmised that “evolution works to the advantage of the environment” if one only looked at the facts.

“Wu, “wofuvorugu” guanguru uaoaauu” (So this “Ultimate Spiral Staircase” only goes up, eh)

As Blazer ascended the Ultimate Spiral Staircase, in the middle of the applause and blessings, he thought about this contradiction.

“… Gau, gurua aooouu orufaaoon?” (…I’m sure I was climbing up, but why does it seem like I’m going down?)

He stopped to contemplate, and, after a short while, came to a conclusion based on his intuition.

“Guou, “vorugan” guofuru uogauufuh…” (Perhaps this isn’t the proper way towards the “End of Evolution” …)

A voice coming out of nowhere like an auditory hallucination praised him for climbing the Ultimate Spiral Staircase, but Blazer thought it was too much.

All those thoughts remained on the surface as if he was in a transient dream, and he woke up. Upon opening his eyes, he saw that the Grey Bear had fallen and laid in a pool of its own blood. As he lifted his gaze, Lancer, who had a shocked expression, uttered.

“Wafuh, wafuaann!” (Eh, what just happened!?)

Right after Blazer thrust his sword into the Grey Bear’s head and jumped back, Ax followed suit and swung his Battle Axe sideways to finish it off, and their outer appearances changed.

Blazer’s coat of fur became short and stiff, with black flecks mixed in from his back to his tail. Additionally, his ears stood up and his body became tall and lean.

Apparently, it looked like the 5 led by the eccentric Kobold, Archer, would not all turn into the high-ranking Kobold Fighter variant.

Name: Blazer (Male)

Race: Kobold

Class: Kobold Jackal 

Skill: Erase Presence (Medium), Luck+ (Small)

Title: Sly Dog

Weapon: Long Sword

Armament: Shield

Auxiliary: Cloak

Meanwhile, Ax’s body became bigger but it was not the same as Buster. The long, blue fur which seemed pleasant to the touch, was so silky that sword blades would slip through, and his thick skin was elastic enough that it would mitigate the impact of physical attacks.

Name: Ax (male)

Race: Kobold

Class: Kobold Defender

Skill: Slash Resistance, Impact Resistance

Title: Woodcutter of the Forest

Weapon: Battle Axe

Armament: Shield

Auxiliary: None

“Auh!? Gururuan waoaauu, gusun” (Huh!? My fur’s color changed, sniff)

“N, guruu kuaruu?” (Hnn, I also slimmed down?)

The two Kobolds twisted their necks as they intently checked the changes to their bodies.

“Fuu, gaarua wofaaan…” (Fuu, so they’re still the same on the inside…)

Lancer was relieved as she watched the two and walked over to them.

“Garu, uoaruau garuguaann ♪” (Let’s bring the bear meat home and have a feast ♪)

Completely forgetting about the raccoon she caught earlier, Lancer drooled over the mouth-watering feast laid in front of them.

Speaking of the prepared raccoon that Lancer left…

“Au!? Wauaaan♪” (Ah!? Someone dropped their meat♪)

“Wafu? Kukyuu!” (Eh? Where!)

Well, the young Kobold pups from the settlement enjoyed it of course.

……………

………

…

On the other side… The red-headed mage, Muriel, looked troubled as she looked at the map and compass while they were inside the forest which was far from the settlement.

“Ugh, looks like we’re still far away from Grau village, huh…”

I was chased by the Rock Lizard earlier, so I might not have mapped my route perfectly, but this should still be quite accurate… If that’s the case, then the three Kobold’s settlement should be halfway between the North of Grau village and the South of the Elves’ dwelling place, beside Viel village?

If I’m not mistaken, there was a rumor circulating in the Guild that there were two parties of fledgling adventurers who were sent around this part of the forest on a collection quest but they were ambushed by macho Kobolds and stripped of their equipment.

I glanced at the three who were walking ahead of me.

Buster, whom I was introduced to earlier, carried a Great Sword on his back, while Dagger had two Short Swords for both hands, and Archer also carried a Bow and Arrow. Moreover, they were also wearing Leather Armor.

…Guards! The culprits are here!!!

…Is what I should be saying, but it would be a huge disservice to them since they saved my life.

“In the first place, they can’t be handed punishment using man’s laws, so…”

Thus, the rumors were regarded as unreliable and died down immediately.

First, several of them were suspected to be macho Kobolds that were bigger than a normal Kobold, and second, they were smartly stripped of their equipment without suffering any major injuries, so the suspicions of it being a lie only grew stronger.

None of the victims suffered any bite or claw marks but were merely bruised… Hence, it could not be ruled out as the work of a Kobold. But the silver Kobold in front of me, who is too smart for a normal monster, could have factored that into his calculations too.

Moreover, the fact that it was an “iron” adventurer who gave the account was also a factor.

The Adventurer’s Guild in the Town of Zelgra, which was 5 hours on foot from Viel village, conducted an investigation, but it was recently concluded that it could be the work of a thief running wild on the streets, or it was merely a fabrication.

I recalled the story as something the gossip-loving receptionist in the Adventurer’s Guild told me.

“…Reality sure is stranger than fiction.”

As a fellow novice adventurer, I muttered to myself, feeling sorry for those who were unfortunately stripped of their stuff by these dog people.