There were 27 snakes arrayed before me. Some awake and excited, others beardly eyed from exhaustion.

On both sides of me stood my two guards, waiting to relay my instructions. Together, they divided the nestlings into three groups of nine. For their training I wanted to focus mainly on building their strength, agility, and teamwork.

Most of the nestlings stats were skewed. Likely because they focused on their interests rather than considering their overall status. And, not even my guards were an exception to this – as my male guard Typhon, seemed to favour defence.

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Name: Typhon [LV7 Neonate Cerastes]

Specie: Ailith Vipera

HP: 87/87 Defence: 128

MP: 52/52 Intellect: 60

SP: 98/98 Magic: 34

Attack: 80 Agility: 75

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Ophelia, my female guard, seemed to have abandoned defence in general and was more inclined towards magic and agility.

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Name: Ophelia [LV7 Neonate Cerastes]

Specie: Ailith Vipera

HP: 74/74 Defence: 40

MP: 88/88 Intellect: 80

SP: 65/65 Magic: 76

Attack: 75 Agility: 106

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And lastly, Cygnus seemed the more balanced of the two but one-sidedly preferred speed.

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Name: Cygnus [LV6 Neonate Cerastes]

Specie: Ailith Vipera

HP: 68/68 Defence: 85

MP: 56/56 Intellect: 42

SP: 102/102 Magic: 45

Attack: 67 Agility: 136

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It didn't really harm them, but these inconsistencies likely came about from their inability to look at their own stats. But with [Status Inspection], hopefully that would change.

Yet, they weren't my immediate concern. Even with their shortcomings, their skills in comparison to the other nestlings were far more superior.

Cygnus was only one skill away from meeting the quest's requirements whereas Ophelia and Typhon had already met them a long time ago. So, I exempted from training and allowed them to figure out their own stats and the direction they intended to take with them.

The fastest way to get them to evolve was to improve at least three of their skills to LV10, preferably those of my choosing that I deemed more suitable for them. And they didn't have any objections so...

For Typhon, I chose.

[Rugged Scales: LV8] [Strength: LV5] and [Shockwave: LV3].

And for Ophelia.

[Descant: LV8] [Glacial Skin: LV7] and [Probability Correlation: LV3].

I instructed them to work on those skills in private. They would be geared towards the first batch of evolutions, and hopefully others would improve enough to join them. And I was equally excited to see Cygnus and Galahad's growth too.

For the other nestlings, the quest's requirements were an additional 5 skills at LV5. So it didn't really matter what level their default skills were, as long as the additional five were raised for all 30 snakes.

With the focus being on every nestling getting 9 skills as the standard, their individual levels don't matter so much right now.

Along with the default skills of [Bite] [Poison Fang] [Scent] [Heat Sense] they needed five more to make nine. They would easily reach Level 5 when they started hunting, as having better skills in place at the start would make everything easier.

I narrowed down the simplest five skills, and these were [Rapid Strike] [Stealth] [Rugged Scales] [Grip] and [Steel Skin]. Most of the nestlings already had these skills, only they weren't up to LV5.

I just had to put them to work by practicing their skills through the training regimen I designed.

For [Rapid Strike], I set up scattered columns of wall debris from the hive around the cave, much like an obstacle course. The nestlings would then have to race through to improve their agility and at the end, each would strike at their respective columns with their fastest speed, before repeating the course again.

For [Stealth], it was a simple game of hide and seek. The hider would have to stay concealed with [Stealth] while the seeker would try to find them with [Hear Sense] in the shortest time possible. It doubled as practice for both skills, and if any gained the use of [Heat sphere] it would be an added bonus.

[Grip] was simply passing the baton in climbing form. Each nestling would climb up a portion of the wall and would have to hang on there, until the next snake climbed up to meet them. Once there, the relieved snake could finally leap off the wall to the ground, levelling [Leap] and [Buoyancy] in turn if they landed safely.

And if they couldn't stick the landing, they would level up [Rugged Scales] and [Steel Skin].

All in all, if they trained nonstop it was a very realistic thing to achieve in the time I had left. And good thing too because resistances weren't included. Thus, in their three groups I relayed the instructions and my guards set about ensuring each group completed every activity.

"This quest is already in the bag!" I couldn't resist a jab at Sensei.

«Gloat when you actually finish.» He said dryly.

My training may be a form of endless torment for the nestlings, but as their leader it was a labour of love.

I'd noticed most of the damage done to them came from my stingers. Those that had gotten hurt either weren't fast enough to avoid them, or their defence was too low. Although my focus was to complete the quest, all of these things were important for little snakes without much to rely on aside from poison.

Those that got to LV5 quickly could move on to the next set of skills, all in rotation until every skill was LV5. Once that happened the successful nestlings could then join my two guards and try to fill the requirements for their evolution.

But even with this, I was careful in maintaining the balance between reward and punishment. I made sure to keep food on standby as they trained to ensure they took breaks when necessary, and in less than two hours, the nestlings had eaten their way through a tenth of my wasp supply.

But this was only the beginning, and soon they would all go out hunting to refill the stores they depleted.

I was prepared for some of the nestlings not to listen, as there was only so much food could substitute for actual rest. There was one snake in particular who didn't seem too happy with my methods. A tiny slip of a snake with spade-like patterns who stood apart from the others in defiance.

Unfortunately, whenever she tried to deflect, she found herself caught in the crosshairs of Typhon, who would stare her down in silent threat until she shrank back in line – he was rather terrifying in that way.

I actually felt sorry for her. We were both comrades in a way, having both experienced his glare of doom.

But after that stare down, none of the snakes dared to contest me again. It was somewhat terrifying the level of influence these two guards had.

His effect on the nestlings was rather profound – quite the contrast to Ophelia who showed hers in subtler ways.

She didn't leave my side at all, always following me around happily like my shadow. She acted quite cheerful but underneath that exterior, there was an intimidating air around her and a steely glint to her eyes that was quite similar to my male guard.

In a way she was even more unapproachable. The only snakes she allowed to come close were those she introduced herself and since then, I'd been surrounded by herself or, three or five of her posse when she wasn't around. It was like I was being shielded from the others in an invisible barrier.

Not that I minded, for the first time I was able to sleep quite soundly in the cave without any snakes crawling over me – potentially risking getting impaled by my stingers if I happened to roll around.

Her barrier was especially effective against the clingy Galahad who ever since waking up, had tried every tactic to stick to me. He didn't seem all too concerned about his name either, rather he seemed to have adopted a permanent shit-eating grin whenever he was around the other snakes.

The moment he finished a round of training, he would rush towards me and always looked dejected whenever he was sent away. His water ball even came out to play a couple of times, even splashing some of Ophelia's followers.

And in that moment I was able to appraise it properly.

---------------------

LV14 Melior Nyn

Specie: Ailith Loiarn

HP: 136/136 Defence: 57

MP: 128/128 Intellect: 26

SP: 46/46 Magic: 105

Attack: 52 Agility: 65

Skills:

[Transform: LV4] [Hydrokinetics: LV5]

[Full Restore: LV10] [Buoyancy: LV10]

[Water Whip: LV4] [Levitation: LV4]

[Intangible: LV3] [Splash: LV10]

[Gravity Negation: LV3]

Magic Skills:

[Water Magic] [Light Magic]

Resistances:

[Wind Resistance: LV10]

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I initially thought it simple – but wasn't this an evolved creature?

Why did it need protection from a level 6 snake it was clearly much stronger than?

Wasn't this Loiarn rather shameless?

And suspicious.

Typhon had to come over personally and drag Galahad away before the water attacks ceased and since then, the creature hadn't appeared again.

I wonder what would happen if I ate it?

I guess I would have to find out when it appeared again.