I Can See Evolution Paths

The golden path continued through the forest, and Arthur followed it without hesitation. The King Mark remained bright against his hand, projecting a narrow line of golden light through the trees.

It twisted around fallen trunks, crossed broken ground, and occasionally disappeared beneath the Light Mirror’s glow before reappearing farther ahead.

Luna kept the Light Mirror raised, the golden barrier moving with them. For the moment, it was holding.

"For something that’s supposed to be guiding us," Sun said, stepping over a massive root, "it certainly picked the most difficult road possible."

Mithra glanced at him. "You’d rather walk through the Miasma?"

Sun looked at the purple fog pressing against the Light Zone. "No."

"Then stop complaining."

"I’m not complaining. I’m observing."

Kong, sitting on Sun’s head, nodded enthusiastically. Sun looked upward. "You agree with me?"

Kong immediately shook his head.

Sun sighed. "Why does nobody support me?"

Arthur smiled as he continued forward. Then the King Mark suddenly brightened, and he stopped, everyone immediately becoming alert.

Vedas raised Dusk. "What is it?"

Arthur looked ahead. "I don’t know."

A low rumble came from the forest. Then another. The ground trembled beneath their feet.

Melo stopped, her five tails rising behind her. Luna tightened her grip on the Light Mirror. "That’s not one Beast."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "No."

The rumbling grew louder, trees shaking, leaves falling from the canopy. Then the first Beast appeared, a massive black-scaled wolf bursting through the trees, its body covered in purple veins. Behind it came another. Then five. Then twenty.

Sun’s expression changed. "Beast migration?"

Mithra shook her head. "No." She watched the creatures carefully. "They aren’t running away."

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. The Beasts weren’t fleeing. They were moving directly toward them.

A massive Gravehorn Mammoth emerged from the forest, its enormous tusks covered in purple growths. Behind it came a pack of Bloodfang Wolves. Then a group of Ironback Rhinos.

Above them, corrupted Stormwing Eagles tore through the canopy. The entire forest was moving.

Athena stared. "There are hundreds."

Arthur’s expression hardened. "And they’re all corrupted."

The Light Mirror suddenly expanded, golden light flooding outward, and the surrounding Miasma recoiled.

The migration entered the edge of the Light Zone. The first Beast immediately roared, and the others followed.

The peaceful formation shattered. They began attacking.

Each other.

The trees.

The golden barrier.

Everything.

Mithra’s expression became grim. "They’re going berserk."

Arthur tightened his grip around Dusk. "Everyone, stay inside the Light Zone."

Vedas stepped forward, a grin slowly appearing on his face. "Then let them come."

Arthur glanced at him. Vedas lowered Dusk. "I’ve been looking for a chance to test what I’ve learned."

Arthur nodded. "Go."

Vedas vanished.

[Command Authority — King’s Charge]

He crossed the battlefield in an instant, Dusk piercing through the skull of a Bloodfang Wolf. The Beast collapsed. Vedas immediately twisted his spear and struck another.

At the same time, Arthur moved. A corrupted Ironback Rhino charged straight toward him. Arthur didn’t dodge. His right arm changed, golden armor spreading across his skin, the shape of his arm becoming thicker, stronger, covered in the same characteristics as Vedas’s body. His muscles tightened.

The Silver Rank transformation.

Arthur’s fist collided with the Rhino’s head.

BOOM!

The enormous Beast was thrown sideways.

Sun stared. "Arthur just punched a Rhino."

Mithra smiled. "He can partially transform using Vedas’s characteristics now."

Sun looked down at his own arm. "Then I can do that too?"

"Of course."

Sun’s eyes lit up. Crimson veins immediately appeared across his arm, his forearm thickening, the characteristics of Kong’s body flowing into him.

Sun stared at his transformed arm. "...That’s amazing."

Kong bounced excitedly on his head.

Sun grinned. "Let’s see what you can do." A corrupted Beast lunged, and Sun punched it.

BOOM!

The Beast flew backward.

Sun’s eyes widened. "Okay." He looked at Kong. "You’re stronger than you look."

Kong puffed out his chest proudly.

Nearby, Mithra’s body changed as well, fox-like ears appearing in her hair, two enormous tails forming behind her. Her movements became faster.

Mithra smiled. "Melo."

Melo’s five tails swayed proudly. "I know."

Mithra dashed forward. A corrupted Stormwing Eagle dove toward her, and she twisted beneath its claws and struck upward.

The Beast spun through the air. Mithra followed, her tails moving behind her like silver blades. She struck it again. And again. Finally, she sent it crashing into the ground.

Athena wasn’t far behind. Athy’s characteristics covered her body, armor forming around Athena, a helmet appearing over her head. Her movements became heavier and more powerful. She raised her weapon as a corrupted Beast charged. "Come on."

She blocked the impact.

CLANG!

The Beast was forced backward. Athy’s influence strengthened her defenses, and Athena pushed forward.

Meanwhile, Arthur felt Star bounce against his leg. The slime suddenly stretched upward. Arthur understood. "Fine."

His left arm softened, his flesh transforming into a translucent slime-like substance, Star’s characteristics flowing through him.

Arthur’s arm stretched unnaturally around an incoming Beast, and he grabbed its neck. The corrupted Beast thrashed. Arthur slammed it into the ground.

BOOM!

Star bounced excitedly.

Arthur smiled. "That works."

Eden flew overhead. Arthur glanced upward. For a moment, he considered it. Then his body changed again, a pair of wings emerging from his back, and he launched upward, Eden’s characteristics spreading through him.

Arthur flew above the battlefield. Below him, the Light Zone had become a battlefield, corrupted Beasts surrounding them from every direction.

Melo moved through the chaos. Sun fought beside Kong. Mithra and Athena held different sections of the barrier.

Vedas was in the center. And he was enjoying himself.

A corrupted Blackhide Bear charged him. Vedas blocked its claws, the impact forcing him several meters backward. He smiled. "Stronger."

The Bear roared. Vedas thrust Dusk forward.

[Guardian Strike]

A massive golden figure appeared behind him, mirroring Vedas’s movement. Vedas thrust his spear, and the golden Guardian thrust its enormous spear as well, the weapon far larger than Dusk, its entire length formed from brilliant golden light.

It flew forward.

BOOM!

The spear pierced through the Blackhide Bear. The Beast collapsed.

Sun looked over. "Okay, that’s new."

Mithra dodged a corrupted Beast. "Vedas learned that recently."

"That’s ridiculous."

Vedas heard him. "I heard that."

"I meant it positively!"

Vedas laughed. Another Beast charged, and he met it head-on.

Arthur descended from above, his wings folding as he landed beside Vedas. "How many?"

Vedas looked around. "Enough."

Arthur laughed. "That’s not a number."

"I wasn’t counting."

Arthur shook his head. "Of course you weren’t."

A massive Beast suddenly emerged from the fog, larger than the others, its body resembling a rhinoceros covered in black stone, purple veins running across its armor.

Arthur’s expression changed. "Chief Beast."

Vedas immediately turned, his eyes lighting up. "Mine."

Arthur stepped aside as Vedas charged. The Obsidian Warhorn lowered its head, and the two collided.

BOOM!

The ground cracked as Vedas slid backward and the Chief Beast roared.

Vedas wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "Again." He charged, Dusk striking the Beast’s armor. Once. Twice. Three times. The fourth strike broke through, and the spear pierced its chest.

The Chief Beast collapsed.

A familiar sensation passed through Vedas. His body glowed. Arthur noticed immediately.

[Level Up!]

[Goblin King]

[Level 36 → Level 37]

Vedas looked down at his hands, then smiled. "Thirty-seven."

Arthur nodded. "Keep going."

Vedas raised Dusk. "I intend to."

Another Chief Beast appeared. Then another. The migration wasn’t ending. Arthur looked around.

The Miasma continued pressing against the Light Zone. Every second they spent fighting was another second Luna had to maintain the barrier. Arthur couldn’t afford to stop.

A corrupted Thunderjaw Crocodile lunged from the purple fog, and Arthur intercepted it, his slime-covered arm wrapping around its jaw. He twisted, and the crocodile crashed into the ground.

Another Beast attacked from behind. Star suddenly expanded, its body swallowing the Beast’s claws.

Arthur turned. "Good."

Star bounced.

Then—

A massive purple-coated Moonback Stag charged.

Mithra intercepted it, her fox tails spreading behind her. "Not getting through."

She struck the Beast aside. Athena followed with a heavy blow. Sun and Kong attacked from the other side.

The migration became a blur of movement.

Claws.

Spears.

Golden light.

Silver tails.

Crimson veins.

Slime.

Wings.

Every member of the group fought. And slowly, the horde began thinning.

Then another notification appeared. Arthur glanced down.

[Level Up!]

[Starborn Slime]

[Level 27 → Level 28]

Arthur’s eyes widened. "Star."

The slime froze. Then it began bouncing wildly.

Arthur laughed. "Congratulations."

Star bounced even faster.

Sun glanced over. "Star leveled up?"

Arthur nodded. "Twenty-eight."

Mithra smiled. "That’s quite a jump from where it started."

Star proudly stretched itself into a large sphere before shrinking again.

Arthur shook his head. "Don’t get too excited." Star bounced. "You still have to fight."

Star immediately launched itself at a corrupted Beast.

Sun laughed. "That thing understood you perfectly."

Arthur looked across the battlefield. The Beast migration was finally beginning to break apart. Some corrupted creatures were dead. Others were fleeing into the Miasma.

A few continued attacking until they were forced down. But the Light Zone had held. Luna remained on Melo’s back, breathing heavily.

Arthur immediately noticed, flying down and landing beside her. "Luna."

"I’m okay."

He looked at the Mirror, and the golden light was weaker than before. "But you’re tired."

Luna nodded. "A little."

Mithra looked around. "Then we should keep moving."

Athena nodded. "Before another wave comes."

Arthur looked at the King Mark. It was still glowing, still pointing forward. He stared at the golden path. The Armament was still ahead.

Arthur turned toward the others. "Move."

Vedas stepped beside him, blood covering his armor. But he was smiling. "Another Chief."

Arthur nodded. "How many now?"

Vedas looked toward the corpse. "I stopped counting."

Sun sighed. "Of course you did."

Arthur laughed. Then the group continued forward, the Light Mirror moving with them, the Miasma following.

And somewhere ahead, the golden light of the King Mark continued pointing toward Halburn’s lost Armament.