The Devil's Evolution Catalog

The next day after Andassis the Seventh was forcefully dragged over, nothing had really changed. Doris woke me up and helped me with my morning ritual. But when it was time for breakfast, Redleaf happily skipped in and joined me for a meal, after which we left for the underground lab.

From today onwards, Redleaf was a member of our little research group. Her job was to… monitor our work. Simply put, she was the new boss of this lab…

As always, the lab chugged along like a well-oiled machine. Yet the moment she stepped in, she started complaining about how the lab was stuffy. How the forging temperatures were too high. And how the prototypes looked like a pile of scrap metal. Essentially, nothing was right…

Upon learning that I had a room of my own, Redleaf promptly dragged me into it…

“Nana, let’s watch a movie!”

Looking into her golden pupils, I couldn’t help but find myself at a loss for words, though not in the way one would expect.

Lady, aren’t you here to be our supervisor?! Are you sure now’s the time for movies?

“But Redleaf, aren’t you here for work?”

“Work?” Redleaf was surprised for a moment, but she quickly remembered what I was referring to and said, “Oh, that? That brat, Amori, can handle it for me. Enough stalling, let’s watch some movies! A zombie one!”

Brat? He’s at least fifty years old… I get it now, Redleaf is basically the highest authority in this kingdom; even the king has to satisfy her whims. Well, in that case…

I had Lingling pull out a zombie flick that I had stored up for a long time, and one that I hadn’t watched either. Surprisingly, Redleaf wasn’t repulsed by those zombies. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying the movie.

“Humans really are masters at killing themselves.” She commented as she watched the male lead fight for scraps with the survivors, causing some of his own teammates to perish in the process. “But these human alchemists are quite accomplished in their arts. It's no small feat to turn a few hundred thousand people into zombies in just days. Even a devil invasion might not produce so many casualties.”

There was no disputing that fact.

Actually the elves weren’t a monolithic race either. As far as I knew, Dark Elves were an offshoot of the Nature Elves. Their differing religions led to a schism and worsening relations. But unlike the humans, neither branch engaged in large-scale warfare, though I’m sure it took considerable effort to achieve such a state.

“Knock. Knock. Knock.”

Just as I was pondering over Redleaf’s quips, I heard a set of knocks on the door, followed by the gruff voice of Belud the dwarven blacksmith. “Lady Mo Na, may I come in?”

“Hold on a second.”

I paused the movie and closed the holographic screen. Having done that, I turned to look at Doris, signalling for her to open the door. Redleaf was decidedly unhappy about this disruption, judging by the creases between her brows.

“What are you doing here, Stubby? Can’t you see this is a girls-only party?”

The dwarven meister glared at Redleaf for a second but said nothing more. Instead, he handed over an alloy sample to me and started reporting. “Lady Mo Na, this is the new alloy. Its durability has surpassed magicite, and its conductivity does not lag behind either. As of right now, this is the most perfect sample we’ve produced. I’m sure it can serve as the main material of the shield you requested. Have a look.”

I held the still-warm alloy in my hands and couldn’t discern anything useful, thus I handed it back to him. “I’m afraid I’m not very versed in this field. Meister Belud, if you’re okay with the results, then so am I.”

“All right, we will use this.” Belud handed over the alloy sample to his disciple, and in the most official-sounding tone ever, said, “Take it, I still have some matters to discuss with Lady Mo Na. You’ve already seen the process, so I’ll leave the rest to you. Do a good job, once I’m done here I’ll go check up on you.”

The dwarven meister’s disciple was a stout man in his thirties. Squarish face, with an oily short hairstyle. His body had the distinct odor of sweat, and his arms were thicker than a girl’s thighs.

He was stunned at first by his teacher’s trust, his eyes turning red soon after. “Teacher, you’re really leaving this to me?”

“Yes, yes. And do a good job of it. Amongst my pupils, you’re the most talented, so I’m expecting much from you.”

“Understood! I won’t let you down!”

Oh you sweet, innocent child… For some reason I felt the need to say that to him…

Now that his disciple was gone, Redleaf finally snapped at the dwarven meister. “So why are you still here, Stubby?”

“I have something to discuss with Lady Mo Na, that’s why.”

“Well, then start discussing and scram.”

“Meister Belud, what is it you wish to ask me?”

“Lady Mo Na…. so… what are we watching today?”

“Huh?”

Ten minutes later…

“The head! Hit the head! That’s the weak point!”

“For a mere zombie to have three stages of transformation, are all otherworldly zombies so powerful?”

“Those “guns” seem quite powerful as well, perhaps I can try replicating them…”

Even though this wasn’t his first movie, Meister Belud was still as boisterous as before. To the point where Redleaf’s own enjoyment had reached rock bottom.

“I say, that’s enough out of you. If you’re here to watch the movie, watch it! And stop being such a nuisance! Otherwise, scram!”

“Hah, all I did was talk. Not like a certain someone who wanted to throw a spell at the screen.”

“Huh? Would you care to repeat that, Stubby?”

“Once I invent a gun, you will be the first to taste it!”

“In what? A hundred years? Just go back to your digging, the esoteric arts of alchemy aren’t meant for the likes of you.”

“Just you watch, I will succeed!”

In the end, no one watched the movie…