We headed to Cellestra’s bedroom. This time I definitely knew it would be the last time for me to see it. I wondered if I could make anything that was as comfortable as a soft bed with a pillow…

Cellestra wished me good night as usual and I replied with a wave as she laid herself down next to me and smiled before canceling her flame spell.

I simply stared at her covered body and let my emotions do as they pleased while I tried to figure out what they were. I wanted to hug her frame badly, but refrained from doing so, at least while she was awake.

I then went on to some time-killing as I waited for Cellestra to fall asleep. It seemed that this staying awake thing had become a habit of mine. It just pained me to see her in such a state. It pained me even more to know that I wouldn’t be able to help her anymore after tonight.

There wasn’t a whole lot to my skills and enhancements. I had already gone over everything before, and at this point, it would be stupid to spend evolution points. I was already ready to evolve and would be better off checking what new skills would show up first. I did make a mental note to look into the higher levels of spider thread soon. It might come in handy when making a silken shelter.

There were a few skills that I should take sooner or later. The thermal vision skill sounded like a useful addition for when I was going to check out where the humans made camp. If it did as the blessing had suggested, I would be able to see them more clearly through the vegetation.

There was also the fact that I would be able to combine some spells during my next evolution. I would have to make sure to check which ones I would be able to combine.

Elysa, can you tell me which of the spells I have right now I can combine?

Negative.

I wasn’t sure what I’d expected…

There were still plenty of skills I could upgrade. My ice lance would be great to have at a higher level as well. Its priority may be higher if I could combine it with another spell. Thinking of priority caused my gaze to shift to my jaws and teeth.

While the skill had been useful at the beginning, I wasn’t using it at all anymore. I doubted upgrading it would change anything about that. I had taken it because I used it as a weapon early on. Right now, I had other abilities that were simply more useful.

I couldn’t believe how much my fighting stance had changed. I had gone from a knight to a mage of some kind. I didn’t regret anything about it. This had been the safe way to grow stronger. While I could theoretically fight in melee now, since my size had grown immensely, I had no reason to do so unless I somehow depleted my mana and venom reserves. If that happened, whatever I was fighting was probably too much for me to take on, even in melee, so fleeing would then be the better option.

It was strange that I’d adjusted so easily, nonetheless.

I wished the blue square away and observed Cellestra’s frame. My eyes then trailed up to her long, brown hair. I wished I had hands to run through it. I bet it felt soft...

There it was again. These weird thoughts that I shouldn’t have. Was it okay for me to be even thinking about things like that? I couldn’t help it. The thought just came randomly…

Cellestra appeared to be sleeping peacefully. I waited for a while longer to see if she would experience any nightmares, but my exhaustion was starting to kick in. I’d traveled quite a bit today and needed sleep of my own. I realized I couldn’t just sit here and watch the elf sleep all night.

As much as I wanted to…

I placed my head on the pillow next to hers and my right set of legs around her frame as if to hug her. If she started thrashing about, I imagined it would wake me up.

I wished I could continue doing this, but I knew I couldn’t. I enjoyed it for as long as I could until sleep took me.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Morning, Kealyna,” I heard a voice call out as soon as I stirred.

I stood up on the bed and saw Cellestra sitting at the edge, already fully clothed. I willed the last bits of sleep away before I raised a leg to wave at her.

Cellestra smiled in reply which sent warmth throughout my body as she opened the door and turned around to speak once more. “I’m just going to assume you don’t want any breakfast, correct?”

I nodded with my limbs as I jumped out of bed and followed her. I didn’t have any time to waste. I still had an evolution to go through that I wanted to get done and over with as soon as possible. It was likely to knock me out for a couple of hours, shortening my day as it was.

Then there was the shelter I would have to take care of later today as well. I felt my anxiety rise as I thought about it. I didn’t mind experimenting to get it done, but I would rather spend time hunting to become stronger. I was working on a pretty tight schedule, after all. Not getting stronger could cost me if I did happen to get into a fight.

Two days had now passed since I’d run into the humans, which made me think.

They said something would happen in eight days. Did they mean eight days after that day, or eight days including that day? To be on the safe side, I would have to assume that they counted the day I met them as well. This meant I only had six more days to gather experience and evolve: today, and then five more. I would spend five days, and then try to stay in the area where I’d encountered them. With any luck, I could gather experience in the area, and if not, I would try to get as much information as I could.

I was nervous. I’d never been nervous about a fight before. Why?

Was it because I didn’t know how this body would hold up against bandits? I could take on bears right now, which meant I was pretty strong. I would be even stronger after my next evolution.

I shoved the thoughts aside as I pointed to the door that led outside when we passed it.

“Of course. You’ve still got to evolve. Let me help you,” Cellestra said.

She opened the door and lifted my abdomen so I could exit her house for the last time. I lay down on the grass in front of her door, where she would be able to observe me through both doorframes as she sat at the table.

“I’m kind of curious what you’ll look like. That rainbow is starting to come together quite well, isn’t it?”

Her words and smile would have drawn one of my own if I had the capacity. The kindness and genuine interest simply shoved aside the worries that were building up in my mind.

Cellestra smiled and I waved at her as she went back inside the house. I then confirmed that I wanted the yellow evolution.

Pain coursed through my abdomen as I felt it grow bigger. My exoskeleton felt like it would burst open. Fortunately, I was knocked out before the pain became too much to bear.

____________________________________________________________________________

Waking up from an evolution was, once again, quite the shock. As usual, there was grogginess, and a complete lack of orientation as it took a minute or so to get used to my new size. The building before me had shrunk once again, which could only mean one thing.

Seriously, how big would I get?

I stood up and walked to the open doorway. I saw the elf sitting at the table, reading a book, but she turned her head to the door and stood up almost immediately. I saw her shake her head with a smile as she stepped outside.

“Yeah. It was a good idea to do that outside. There’s no way you would fit through the door anymore,” she said.

The last of the drowsiness faded away, and I could take in the world around me properly, and with it, came the shock as I observed my current size.

My head reached to Cellestra’s thighs, but the shocking part was my rear. It was huge.

It was getting hard to measure myself as I couldn’t see my own spinnerets, which was the reference I used to measure my length. I planted my abdomen on the ground and placed my head against the wall of Cellestra’s home. I then created a small line of thread on the grass and turned around to see where it was.

Yep.

That was a distance that was about the size of Cellestra’s bed, which was seven and a half feet or so.

I was now officially bigger than the elf.