I Can See Evolution Paths

The purple vein continued to pulse beneath the ground. Once. Twice. Then—

The earth went still.

Everyone remained tense. Vedas kept Dusk raised, while Athena scanned the surrounding trees.

"Did it stop?" Sun asked.

Arthur didn’t answer immediately. He was staring at the ground. Something was wrong. The Miasma was still everywhere, yet the Light Zone had suddenly become strangely calm.

Arthur’s hand began to glow. A golden symbol appeared across the back of his hand.

The King Mark.

Mithra noticed first. "Arthur?"

Arthur looked down. The mark was shining, not faintly, but brightly. Its light spread across his hand before a thin golden line extended outward, passing through the Light Zone and pointing toward the forest.

Everyone stared.

Sun blinked. "Uh..."

Mithra looked at Arthur. "Is that normal?"

Arthur watched the direction the mark was pointing. "No."

Vedas stepped closer. "Is it leading somewhere?"

Arthur nodded slowly. "I think so."

Athena’s eyes narrowed. "The King Mark?"

"It has done this before." Arthur took a step forward. The golden line shifted, pointing deeper into the corrupted region.

Luna looked between Arthur and the Mirror. "Do you think it’s reacting to something?"

"I don’t know." Arthur looked at the Light Mirror, then at the King Mark. "But it’s never pointed this strongly before."

Sun scratched his head. "So, we’re following it?"

Arthur started walking. "Unless someone has a better idea."

Sun looked around at the purple fog. "Nope."

Mithra smiled. "Then let’s follow Arthur."

The group moved, the Light Mirror remaining raised, its golden barrier traveling with them. Arthur walked at the front, following the direction of the King Mark. Every few steps, the golden line shifted slightly, sometimes pointing left, sometimes right. Whenever Arthur changed direction, the King Mark became brighter.

Luna followed closely behind. "The Mirror is still stable."

Arthur glanced back. "Good."

She looked at the glowing mark on his hand. "I’ve never seen it do that."

"Neither have I."

Vedas smiled. "Then perhaps it found something important."

Arthur looked ahead. "I hope so."

They traveled for several minutes. The terrain gradually changed, the trees becoming shorter, the ground becoming flatter. Then the golden light of the King Mark suddenly brightened.

Arthur stopped. Everyone nearly walked into him.

Sun caught himself. "Why’d we stop?"

Arthur raised his hand. The King Mark was shining intensely, but it wasn’t pointing forward anymore. It was pointing down.

Everyone looked at the ground. Mithra crouched. "Under us?"

Arthur nodded.

Luna moved closer. "The Light Mirror is reacting too." Its golden radiance had become stronger in this particular area.

Athy suddenly pointed. "Look."

There was a faint glow beneath the dirt. Kong immediately noticed it too, his eyes lighting up. He jumped from Sun’s head and landed on the ground.

Sun looked down. "Kong?"

The little monkey began digging, then digging faster.

"Wait," Sun said. "Don’t—"

Kong ignored him. He grabbed a section of loose earth and tore it upward. Then another and then another.

Melo tilted her head. "He found something."

Kong gave an excited squeak. Arthur crouched. "Keep going."

Kong enthusiastically dug deeper. Within seconds, the dirt gave way, and something brown appeared beneath it.

A book.

Kong pulled it free. Then another. Then another. Soon, several old journals were scattered across the exposed ground. Everyone froze.

Athena’s eyes immediately lit up. "Journals."

Athy dropped beside her. "Someone buried them."

Mithra looked at the covers. "They’re old."

Arthur picked one up carefully. The leather was damaged, but the pages were still intact. "These could belong to the explorers."

Athena’s expression sharpened. "Or someone who came here before them." She opened the first journal.

Athy immediately leaned over her shoulder. "Can you read it?"

Athena scanned the first page. "Yes."

Sun crouched beside them. "Anything useful?"

Athena’s eyes moved across the page, then stopped, her expression changing. "I know this name."

Arthur looked at her. "Who?"

Athena turned the journal so everyone could see the first page. At the top was a name.

Halburn.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. "Halburn?"

Athy nodded quickly. "The same Halburn from the records."

Mithra immediately moved closer. "So these are his journals?"

Athena turned the page. "Apparently."

Everyone gathered around, and Athena began reading.

"I entered the region believing the Miasma was simply a phenomenon carried by the air."

She paused. Sun frowned. "That sounds like us."

Athena continued.

"I was wrong."

The group became silent.

"The purple mist does not merely drift. It rises."

Athena’s eyes narrowed.

"At first, I believed the ground was releasing pockets of contaminated air. Then I witnessed the first eruption."

She turned the page.

"The earth split open, and purple mist exploded from beneath it."

Mithra looked at the ground. "That’s what we just saw."

Athena nodded, then continued reading.

"I cannot understand why. There is no obvious source. The Miasma appears in places where no corruption was previously present. It comes from beneath the land itself."

Sun looked uncomfortable. "So the ground is producing it?"

"That’s what he thought," Athena said.

Arthur frowned. "Keep reading."

Athena turned another page, her expression gradually becoming more serious.

"Today I witnessed something I had never imagined."

She paused.

"A river."

Everyone looked at her.

"A river?" Sun asked.

Athena nodded.

"Not water. Miasma."

Silence.

Athena continued.

"A river of purple flowed through the valley. It moved like liquid, covering everything in its path. Trees disappeared beneath it. Beasts fled from it. Some were not fast enough."

Mithra’s expression tightened.

Athy quietly asked, "What happened to the Beasts?"

Athena looked down at the page.

"They changed."

Nobody spoke.

"I watched a herd of ordinary Beasts enter the edge of the purple current. Within minutes, their bodies began twisting. Their instincts became violent. They attacked one another before the Miasma consumed them entirely."

Vedas’s eyes narrowed. Arthur glanced at him. Vedas didn’t look away from the journal.

Athena continued.

"I nearly suffered the same fate."

Everyone became still.

"The purple mist reached me before I could retreat. I felt it entering my body. My limbs became heavy. My thoughts became clouded. I could feel something attempting to overwrite me."

Vedas’s expression hardened and he knew that feeling.

Athena continued reading. "I would have died if not for my Armaments."

Arthur immediately looked up. "His Armaments?"

Athena nodded, then kept reading. "Their power repelled the Miasma. I do not understand why. They possess two characteristics that seem especially effective against it."

She paused.

"Creation."

Then—

"Light."

The entire group went silent. Arthur’s eyes sharpened. Luna slowly lowered the Light Mirror. Sun stared at the journal. Mithra looked toward the golden barrier surrounding them.

Everyone seemed to reach the same conclusion at almost exactly the same time.

"The Light Mirror..." Luna whispered.

Arthur looked at her. "It uses Light."

Luna nodded. "That’s why the Miasma can’t cross it."

Sun suddenly looked thoughtful. "Wait."

Everyone turned toward him.

"Vedas has Light too."

Vedas looked at him. Sun pointed toward Arthur. "And Arthur."

Mithra nodded. "Arthur’s King Mark can produce Light."

"So why doesn’t their Light push the Miasma away?" Sun asked.

The question immediately killed the excitement. Arthur looked toward the purple fog. Vedas raised his hand, a faint golden aura appearing around it.

The Miasma didn’t move.

Arthur extended his King Mark. Golden light spread across his palm.

Again, nothing happened.

Mithra frowned. "He’s right."

Sun folded his arms. "Then maybe it isn’t the Light itself." Arthur looked at him. Sun pointed toward the journal. "Halburn said the Armaments had two characteristics." He looked at Luna’s Mirror. "Light..." Then at Arthur. "...and Creation."

Eden tilted her head. "What’s Creation?"

Everyone looked at her. She blinked innocently. "What?"

Arthur turned toward Athena. Athena’s lips twitched. "Don’t look at me. I have no idea."

Arthur chuckled. "Mithra?"

Mithra held her chin. "My father told me something once."

Arthur’s expression became interested. "What?"

"He said Creation isn’t simply making something from nothing." The others listened. "He told me the Medical Pharmaceutical Continent of Lumine had a few people who could utilize it."

Sun’s eyes widened. "Medical Pharmaceutical Continent?"

"Yes." Mithra nodded. "And their leader..." She paused. "The Lightbringer."

Athena’s eyes sharpened. "The Principal said that?"

Mithra nodded. "He told you about the Lightbringer?"

"Not much. Only that some people there could use Creation." She looked at the Light Mirror. "My father said their power could evolve and restore things."

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. "Restore?"

Mithra nodded. "That’s how he described it. The ability to return something to a better state. Repair damaged things. Restore what was lost."

Athena looked thoughtful. "So Creation isn’t simply creating."

"No." Mithra shook her head. "It’s transformation and restoration."

Luna looked at the Mirror. "Then that could explain why the Miasma reacts to it."

Arthur nodded slowly. "The Miasma corrupts." He looked at the golden barrier. "Creation restores."

The two powers were fundamentally opposed.

Sun’s eyes widened. "So the Light Mirror isn’t just using Light."

Arthur nodded. "It might be using both."

Everyone looked at Luna. She stared down at the Mirror. "I never knew."

Arthur smiled. "That’s why we’re here." He reached for the journal. "Let’s see what else Halburn discovered."

Athena nodded and turned the page, her eyes moving across the writing. Then stopped. Her eyes widened. Athy’s eyes widened at exactly the same moment.

Arthur immediately noticed. "What?"

Neither answered. Athena slowly looked up. Athy was staring at her. "You saw it too?"

Athena nodded.

Sun leaned closer. "What?"

Mithra looked between them. "What’s wrong?"

Athena turned the journal around. "He left his Armament here."

Everyone froze.

"What?" Vedas asked.

Athena pointed toward the page. "Halburn couldn’t take it with him."

Athy quickly added, "He said he had to abandon it when he left the region."

Arthur’s eyes lit up. "So if we find it..."

Luna immediately understood. "We might be able to use it."

Arthur nodded. "Exactly."

Sun blinked. "Hold on." He looked around. "How are we supposed to find one specific Armament in this giant, corrupted forest?"

Everyone went quiet.

Sun slowly pointed at Arthur. "Please don’t tell me we’re going to search the entire—"

Arthur’s King Mark suddenly blazed.

WHOOM!

Golden light exploded from his hand. Everyone turned as the light extended forward, a single golden path appearing through the purple forest.

Arthur stared, then smiled.

Sun’s lips twitched. "Of course."

Kong excitedly climbed back onto Sun’s head. Vedas raised Dusk. Mithra smiled. Athena closed Halburn’s journal.

Arthur stepped forward. The Light Mirror continued shining around them. The King Mark continued pointing ahead. And for the first time since entering this corrupted region, they weren’t wandering blindly anymore.

They had a destination.

Halburn’s lost Armament was somewhere ahead, and Arthur’s King Mark was leading them straight toward it.