I slowly blink awake, feeling my body's different. It’s subtle but noticeable like I’ve grown into something… more.

  Pushing aside the silk of my tent, I step out, stretching my many legs. The moment I do, a hush falls over the others. My siblings, already awake and stirring, all stop what they’re doing and turn to stare at me.

  Goldy’s mandibles twitch in surprise. "Whoa, Nur! You—"

  Victor, ever the verbose one, dramatically gestures at me. "Dearest sister, thou hast indeed undergone a most extraordinary transformation! Thy visage, now adorned with resplendence, emanates the essence of a valiant champion!"

  I glance down at myself. My body is indeed different—bigger, tougher-looking. Protruding spines now jut from my thorax, their tips sharp and menacing. The silk-like fuzz along my body appears denser. Even my legs feel sturdier.

  The edgy sibling squints at me before letting out a dry, unimpressed huff. "Show-off."

  I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

  Seriously what hell is his problem? Can't a girl show off sometimes without being judged? I am just a few days in and I already got myself a hater in this world. It's not like I evolved just to rub it on his face but nooo the moment I decide to be a better of version myself I got myself a hater—great can't even catch a break from getting a hater in this world too. I mean I don't exactly know how long has it been since I have been reincarnated to this world but still, I got a hater now. Honestly, at this point, I ought to give him a name. If he’s gonna keep making snide remarks, might as well make it official.

  I jumped out of the cocoon tent thingy I made and moved around, trying to see how much I'd grown. Well, I don't feel like I've grown bigger, I mean who does? You just grow and that's it. I try to move around and yeah definitely feel lighter, contributing to the fact that I didn't like a I'd grown bigger. However, whenever I was in the tent I made it does felt a little bit suffocating.

  Anyway, enough talking about size now, I have spines protruding on my thorax now, unlike before I had to concentrate to use it but now it's just there by default. Then I try to summon more spines and it's all over my body, like Goldy did during her fight with the Prince Ant and it worked, althought not as dense and long as Goldy's. Also, the default spines I have on the thorax grew longer when I concentrated, good job Enhanced Spines.

  Just as I was testing and admiring myself, Goldy practically bounced at me.

  "Nur, you got stronger!" Goldy chirped with an impressed tone.

  Victor, with his usual chime, "Verily, an exceedingly remarkable advancement thou hast achieved, Dearest Sister, and at a most startling pace, unlike any of us—such is the exquisite marvel of evolution."

  A few other siblings joined in, making their own comments—some in awe, some just happy to see me grow. And then, of course, there was him.

  The edgy brother.

  He muttered "Tch"

  I rolled my eyes internally. Yeah, yeah, we get it, dude, you're too cool to be impressed. I’m not even going to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. Just like in my past life—haters don’t exist if you ignore them hard enough.

  Actually, you know what? I’m definitely giving him a name now. Vex. It fits. He just oozes that vibe.

  Goldy, her usual cheerful demeanor now replaced with a rare seriousness, shot a sharp glance at Vex.

  "Hey! Don’t be rude to your siblings," she said, her voice firm but still carrying a sense of protectiveness. "Nur's just evolved, you should be congratulating her instead of sulking like that. It's impressive!"

  "Don’t mind him, Nur. You did great. We're all proud of you!"

  Vex let out an exaggerated sigh, clearly reluctant. He turned his gaze away from me, muttering under his breath.

  "Fine... Sorry, alright?" His tone was flat, and his eyes were still a little cold, not exactly sincere, but at least he wasn't being outright hostile anymore.

  Goldy raised an eyebrow at him, unimpressed by his lack of genuine apology. "That’s better, I suppose," she said, crossing her arms, at least what Imagine what she would do if she had a human body. "But just so you know, we’re all family here. You don't have to act like that, Vex."

  Vex didn’t respond. Instead, he just looked away, silently brooding. He was too proud to admit it, but I could tell he was annoyed by Goldy’s scolding. Still, he apologized—sort of. I guess that was something.

  Goldy, with her usual cheery demeanor, clapped her... well, her torso, since, you know, no hands. It was a bit awkward to watch, but it worked. Her bright voice echoed through the group, instantly lifting the tension in the air.

  "Alright, enough of that! Let’s hit the road, everyone!" she said, her tone enthusiastic as ever. "We’ve got places to go, and things to do, and if we stay here too long, we might end up getting comfortable and forget the bigger picture!"

  Despite not having hands, she managed to make herself as commanding as possible with the movement of her body, the way she straightened up, and the authority in her voice.

  The others nodded, even Vex, who had settled into a grumpy silence, likely unwilling to argue further. We all started gathering our things, ready to move on with the journey—leaving behind any petty squabbles. It was time to keep pushing forward.

  As we continued our journey, we came across a few monsters, but none of them gave us the chance to fight.

  Either they were too busy tearing into each other, or they bolted the moment they sensed us.

  Ugh, seriously?

  What’s a girl gotta do to get a proper fight around here? I just evolved and got some shiny new abilities, and I can’t even test them out.

  What’s the point of getting stronger if I don’t get to throw hands—uh, spines—with something?

  Goldy led the way, unfazed as usual, while Victor kept talking about the "beauty of patience" and how "all things come in due time." Meanwhile, I was getting increasingly antsy. I needed to move, to fight, to see what my new body could do! But noo, all the monsters around here were either cowards or too preoccupied with their own problems.

  I glanced over at Vex, who seemed just as irritable—though probably for a completely different reason. At least I wasn’t the only one itching for action.

  This was getting frustrating. Something better shows up soon, or I swear, I might just throw myself at the next thing I see out of sheer boredom.

  As I was mentally whining about my lack of combat opportunities, Victor suddenly broke the silence.

  "I perceive vibrations," he announced, his voice carrying a weight of caution. "Not from a singular entity, but rather from a multitude of sources converging upon our course."

  That immediately got my attention. Finally! Something interesting.

  Goldy perked up, her antennae twitching. "How many?"

  Victor paused for a moment, likely focusing on the vibrations. "A considerable number. Too scattered for a single swarm, yet too rhythmic for a mindless stampede."

  Oh, now this was intriguing. Multiple creatures heading toward us, and from the sound of it, they had some level of coordination. Could be a hunting party, could be territorial beasts—we wouldn’t know until we saw them. Either way, it was a chance to test myself.

  I grinned, my spines twitching in anticipation. "Well, guess I won't have to throw myself at a random monster after all."

  Goldy shot me a look. "Don't be reckless, Nur."

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  "Yeah, yeah," I waved her off—well, I would have if I had hands. "No promises."

  We all stopped in our tracks, turning toward the direction Victor was sensing. Whatever was coming, we’d be ready.

  Then they appear, a group of skeletal figures, with their hollow eye glowing. Some had faintly pulsating crystals embedded within their ribcages, while others had them set in their skulls, acting like a third eye.

  They wore remnants of adventurer garb, with rusted weapons and worn-out armor. There were nine of them in total: one in full armor with a sword and shield, clearly the strongest looking; four wielding swords; two gripping daggers; and another two standing at the back, bows drawn.

  Goldy’s voice was firm, but there was caution. "Beware. These are fallen human adventurers, cursed by the zone. They may not be alive, but they retain their combat skills."

  Hearing that made me pause for a second. Human adventurers? I had never seen a living human since I got here, and now my first encounter was with their undead remnants. But what really struck me was their size. I had assumed humans would be massive compared to me, but looking at these skeletons, I realized something—I'm actually pretty bigger than I expected. I wasn’t some tiny, pathetic bug. If anything, I was dog-sized compared to them then which means I was more or less cat-sized when I was a hatchling.

  Goldy continued, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Positions! Spine shooters, guard the rear as usual. Victor, stay at the back and watch our flanks. Nur, you and the others take on the swordsmen. You—" she turned toward Vex, "handle the dagger wielders. I'll take on the armored one."

  Finally, a real fight. And of course, Goldy takes the strongest-looking one. Classic. Not that I was complaining—if she wanted to hog the biggest challenge, fine by me. I had plenty of skeletons to tear apart myself.

  I dug my legs into the ground, my body tensing with excitement. This was my chance to test my evolution. My spines bristled as I eyed the sword-wielding skeletons ahead of me.

  "Alright, let's do this."

  I locked eyes—er, eye sockets?—with the skeleton swordsman in front of me. It wasn’t much taller than me, which was weird considering I was still just a caterpillar. Guess being reborn like this really messed with my sense of scale.

  Beside me, two of my lesser-evolved siblings each squared off against their own skeleton opponents, while the two hatchlings teamed up against a single swordsman. Five of us against four of them. Numbers were in our favor, but that didn’t mean this would be easy.

  The skeleton in front of me raised its rusted sword, the dim glow in its sockets flaring slightly. I bristled—literally. My enhanced spines stood on edge, ready for action.

  I darted forward, aiming for its leg—a small target, the perfect position for a caterpillar like me, right? Wrong. The skeleton’s sword whirled around, parrying my strike effortlessly. And just as I thought I had it, it kicked me, sending me skittering back.

  “Great, I’m practically a snack to this pile of bones,” I grumbled, rubbing my thorax where the kick landed.

  Not giving up, I launched a spine shot at the skeleton, aiming for the torso. But of course, the thing blocked that too. It wasn’t even struggling.

  “Oh sure, just block everything, why don’t you? Not like I was trying to actually do damage or anything,” I muttered under my breath, feeling more than a little irritated.

  Just as I was gearing up to strike again, Victor’s voice cut through the air like a warning bell.

  “Nur, beware! An arrow cometh!”

  I barely had time to react, but instinct kicked in, and I shot to the side, narrowly dodging the incoming projectile. My heart was pounding, but there was no time to catch my breath.

  I turned back to the skeleton in front of me, grinding my mandibles in frustration. This time, I wasn’t going to stop. I charged in, striking nonstop with my spines and mandibles, hoping to overwhelm it with brute force if nothing else.

  The skeleton’s sword clashed with my mandibles and spines over and over, and while it wasn’t breaking its defense, it was definitely starting to lose ground. I could feel it. The force of my strikes, the sheer persistence of it all—it was wearing down its resolve, if not its actual defense.

  It wasn’t much, but it was progress. And I wasn’t about to stop.

  I gritted my mandibles together, adrenaline rushing through me as I saw the opening. The skeleton had staggered, just enough for me to strike. With a burst of speed, I extended my spines, charging at it like a missile, aiming for the weak points between the ribs. My spines pierced the skeleton’s ribcage, sinking in with a satisfying click.

  But then, reality hit me hard.

  While I had managed to pierce it, it didn’t seem to do much. The spines just passed through, scraping along the bones and ribs but not quite delivering the killing blow. This thing was made of solid, cursed bones—not soft flesh. Damn it.

  And before I could back away, the skeleton took its opportunity. Its sword came down with a precise stab, striking me straight into my side. I hissed, my body jerking from the impact.

  Pain. My spines were still out, and I hadn’t been quick enough to dodge. The sword had cut into me, but not too deep. Still, it was enough to slow me down.

  I staggered back, my mind racing. Not good. Not good at all.

  The skeleton just stood there, its skull mocking me with that eerie, hollow gaze.

  "This isn't over," I muttered to myself, trying to regain my balance.

  I clamped my mandibles down on the skeleton's arm, feeling the brittle yet sturdy bones grind between my jaws. With all the strength I could muster, I yanked it off balance and slammed it into the ground.

  The thing didn’t shatter immediately—of course, because why would it? I wasn’t exactly some hulking beast with overwhelming strength. But I wasn’t done yet.

  I bit down again, this time gripping it around the torso, and with a mighty heave, I flung it through the air toward another swordsman locked in combat with one of my siblings.

  “Yeet!”

  The poor sibling froze in shock as a whole skeleton came flying at them.

  "What the—" my sibling barely had time to react before the airborne skeleton crashed into their opponent, sending both clattering to the ground in a tangled mess of bones and old adventurer gear.

  I grinned. "Hehe, two for one! You're welcome!"

  Victor, watching from not too far away, let out a small chuckle. "A most effective and commendable maneuver, Dearest Sister. Thy ingenuity in battle is a spectacle most delightful."

  "Heh, you know me, always full of surprises," I shot back at Victor, still feeling smug about my impromptu skeleton toss. "Anyway, what's the situation?"

  Victor, ever the tactician, quickly assessed our battlefield. "Our Young Highess engages the armored foe with remarkable resilience. Though both land their strikes upon the other, she doth not appear hindered."

  I turned to look at Goldy. She and the strongest skeleton were locked in a stalemate—she had taken a few hits, but so had her opponent. She didn’t seem to struggle much, but neither was she making decisive progress.

  "As for the rest," Victor continued, "our kin contend admirably against their skeletal adversaries, save for the youngest among us, who find themselves at a disadvantage."

  I glanced at the two hatchlings struggling against a single swordsman. The fight wasn't going in their favor, and if it kept up, they'd probably get overpowered.

  "Our Venomous Kin," Victor went on, "finds himself most unfortunate, for these cursed remains possess immunity to his greatest weapon. His form of combat, regrettably, proves ineffective."

  I caught a glimpse of Vex—he wasn’t looking too great. His usual poison-based attacks were useless here, and he seemed to be struggling.

  What is he, stupid? Gonna keep stabbing reanimated bones with venom and hope they suddenly develop a bloodstream?

  "As for our spine shooters, they remain devoted to aiding our Glorious Kin, directing their fire upon her adversary," Victor finished.

  So, in short: Goldy was holding her own, our siblings were mostly managing, the hatchlings were struggling, Vex being stupid here, and the spine shooters were busy supporting Goldy. Alright. Time for me to make some calls.

  "Alright, I’m going after the bow guys," I said, turning my focus toward the skeleton archers still lurking in the back. "That flying skeleton stunt should’ve freed you up, so help the hatchlings out."

  The sibling I had assisted nodded and immediately rushed toward the struggling hatchlings.

  I turned to Victor. "What about you? Think you can join the fight?"

  Victor chuckled. "Indeed, it would prove most beneficial. The tides have shifted in our favor."

  "Good, then go assist the Venomous Brother," I said.

  Victor gave a knowing nod before moving to back up our oh-so-edgy sibling. With that settled, I refocused on my new targets—the bow-wielding skeletons.

  "Alright, let’s see how well you shoot when you’ve got a giant caterpillar coming straight at you," I muttered, already making my move.

  I crawled up to the ceiling, trying to be sneaky, but that didn’t last long. The bow-wielding skeletons noticed me almost immediately, their hollow eyes locking onto my movement.

  Well, so much for stealth.

  Before I could make another move, they loosed their arrows at me. I quickly leaped off the ceiling, pushing myself toward the wall, then to the floor, dodging in an erratic zigzag. The arrows struck where I had been just moments ago, clattering uselessly against the stone.

  "Hah! You guys have the aim of a stormtrooper!" I taunted, skidding to a stop on the ground. "Let’s see how you handle a moving target up close!"

  With that, I charged forward, closing the distance between me and the bow-wielding skeletons.

  Just as I grabbed the bow skeleton by its ribcage, ready to send it flying like the last one, a sudden sharp pain shot through my back.

  What the—?!

  I hissed in surprise and whirled around, spotting a dagger-wielding skeleton right behind me, its empty sockets staring into my soul.

  Since when did this guy get here?!

  Wasn’t Vex—ugh, I mean Venomous Brother—supposed to be handling these guys?! I didn’t have time to complain, though. The skeleton wrenched its dagger free, preparing for another stab, and I had to act fast.

  Before I could react, the dagger skeleton stabbed me again—same spot, just to make it worse.

  I gritted my mandibles. Oh, you little—!

  Without a second thought, I tightened my grip on the bow skeleton and slammed it into the dagger one, sending both clattering to the ground in a tangled mess of bones and old adventurer gear.

  "Take that!" I growled, backing up slightly to reassess. My back hurt, but at least I managed to get some breathing room.

  Still, that dagger guy was fast. And why was he even here?! Vex, what are you doing?!

  "Tch, don't call me that," Vex snapped back, his tone dripping with irritation. "And it’s not my fault! My poison doesn’t work on these things!"

  Of course it won't you idiot.

  Victor, now actively ganging up on the dagger skeleton with him, let out a sigh. "Then perhaps thou shouldst have compensated for thy ineffectiveness with a sharper wit and keener vigilance, rather than allowing thine adversary to slip away unnoticed."

  "Ugh, shut up! That thing is elusive, alright?!" Vex protested, clearly grasping for an excuse.

  I twitched my antennae in frustration. "At least report a missing skelly, dammit!" I yelled, still feeling the sting from my wounds.

  "It's not like I just let it go! It just—urk— slipping pas me!!" Vex shot back as he dodged an incoming stab.

  I huffed, making a mental note—as soon as Victor stops keeping watch on everyone, I need to watch my own back. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand—the dagger wielder obviously had an assassin build, but come on, Vex should at least apologize!

  Enough distractions. I can chew Vex out later—right now, I had a job to finish.

  I locked eyes—well, metaphorically—with the last bow skelly and charged straight at it. The rattling bag of bones immediately let loose a barrage of arrows, its hands moving unnaturally fast as it fired shot after shot.

  I zigzagged, twisting my body to avoid as many as I could, but—tch—one managed to graze my side. Not deep, but still annoying. Before it could land more, a few of my spine-shooting siblings provided cover, forcing it to adjust its aim.

  Perfect.

  Using the opening, I lunged forward, mandibles wide, ready to end this.

  I leaped at the last bow skelly, mandibles snapping shut around its neck. Crunch. The brittle bones gave way with a satisfying crack, the skull now uselessly dangling as the body twitched.

  Not done yet.

  I grabbed it by the leg, bracing myself, and with all my strength, I swung it into the ground. Crash! Bones shattered, scattering in all directions. Just to be sure, I lifted what was left and slammed it down again.

  And that was the end of that.

  I turned my gaze toward Vex and Victor, and—oof. That poor dagger skelly.

  Victor had it pinned, his sheer bulk pressing it down, while Vex… well, he was just stabbing it repeatedly, despite the fact that poison clearly wasn’t doing a damn thing. The skeleton twitched, struggling to break free, but with Victor holding it down and Vex going full overkill, it was only a matter of time before—crack! The brittle bones finally gave in, crumbling under the relentless assault.

  "Yeah, that thing's definitely not getting back up," I muttered, shaking my head.

  I scuttled back toward Vex and Victor, shaking off the dust from my last takedown. “Alright, that’s another one down. How are we looking?” I asked, scanning the battlefield.

  Victor, ever the analyst, responded first. “The tide shifts in our favor. The swordsmen dwindle, the venomous kin and I have dispatched our foe, and the royal sister persists against her formidable opponent.”

  I turned my gaze toward Goldy, who was still going at it with the armored skelly. They were both covered in scratches and dents, trading blows without slowing down. She didn’t look like she was struggling exactly, but it was clear she hadn’t gotten a decisive upper hand yet.

  Meanwhile, my siblings were making solid progress against the remaining swordsmen, and the spine shooters were still keeping Goldy covered. The hatchlings, now with some extra help, had turned their fight around.

  “Alright, so basically, we’re cleaning up,” I mused. “Goldy’s still in a slugfest, but she’s fine. Vex—” I turned to glare at him, “—you’re gonna report if another one of these things vanishes next time, right?”

  He clicked his mandibles, annoyed. “Tch. It won’t happen again.”

  “Uh-huh, sure,” I muttered. “Alright, let’s finish this up. Who needs backup?”

  I scanned the battlefield once more, analyzing our position. The swordsmen were nearly done for—our siblings had things handled, but a little extra push would wrap it up faster. Meanwhile, Goldy was still locked in a battle with the armored skelly. She was holding her own, but this thing was clearly built different compared to the rest. If we wanted to end this fight soon, we had to take it down.

  I turned to Victor. “Alright, you help finish off the last swordsmen. Shouldn’t take too long with our siblings already wearing them down.”

  Victor nodded. “A most logical course of action. I shall ensure their swift demise.”

  Then, I turned to Vex. “You and me? We’re backing up Goldy.”

  Vex made a noise somewhere between an annoyed click and an acknowledgment. He didn’t argue, though, which was probably the best I was gonna get out of him.

  With that, I lunged forward, aiming straight for the armored skeleton. “Goldy! Incoming support!”

  End of Chapter 11