The Evolution Chronicles

A wave of ethereal blue force cut through the battlefield at an extremely fast pace, approaching the human Pillar that was wielding two greatswords at once.

The man glared at the wave of energy before crossing both of his swords before his chest. The golden-brown energy that surrounded his blades flared for a moment, before erupting into a dazzling, blinding wave of light that forced everyone to turn away their gazes, lest they go blind.

When the curtain of light finally dimmed, the form of the Pillar was revealed. The sight of him sent the hopes of the demi-humans currently fighting down into the pits of their bellies.

Not a single scratch marred his body, and his armor was still intact, but instead, a coating of golden-brown energy had formed around him, granting him a protective aura.

"No, dammit!" Daven couldn't help but curse under his breath when he saw that his attack had basically no effect on his enemy. The Pillar still stood tall and proud, not even showing any signs of discomfort.

While Daven was going through a dilemma, someone else on the battlefield was also going through some tough times...

"We need to get out of here! Can't you see what is happening all around us?!" Dion yelled at Mian as he pulled the smaller boy away from the area of the battle. Even he as a dominant would barely stand a chance against the forces that were tangled in battle there, not to mention Mian.

"I-" Mian struggled to speak as his eyes kept drifting towards the orange glow that cut through the darkness of the night, alongside the flames around them.

[Evolution Points: 99,999...]

Mian could barely think the moment Hana had shown him the amount of Evolution Points he could get just from absorbing the orange shell of Natural Energy flowing around the Pillar. Just a simple touch was enough to push him to a dominant ranking demi-human, and even have some more spare energy left.

"Snap out of it!" Dion suddenly jerked Mian and shook him, bringing him close to his face. Mian could see the little splatters of blood that had gotten matted into Dion's fur from how close he was.

"I don't know what has been going through your head this past week, but frankly, I'm not in a situation where I can afford to care, but get your act together or you are going to die!"

Dion's words seemed to snap Mian out of the daze he was in, but before he could respond, both of them immediately felt a sharp chill run down their spines, and the fur on their backs lift up. Dion quickly shoved Mian backward just as a wave of dark blue energy cut through the space between them, rupturing the earth and sending huge chunks of it everywhere.

"MIAN!" Dion reached out as the shockwave from that attack pushed them apart. He quickly lost his footing though, as the earth beneath him began to swell and break apart. An unbelievable amount of pure, unadulterated Natural Energy was running through the earth where they were standing, a result of the battle between the two powerful monsters that led the fights on both sides.

Mian lost sight of the large, black furred dominant that had been protecting him since they were captured by the humans, and was forced to think of how to make his escape without losing his life or any of his limbs. He needed to make it out of this whole.

BOOM!!!

An explosion occurred not too far away from him, and Mian barely managed to dig his claws into the ground just before the shockwave reached him.

Just then, a crippling wave of pain erupted in his abdomen.

'What?!'

[The backlash from your sub-optimal Evolution has begun to show its effects. To stop or delay this, the Host will need to absorb more Natural Energy and use it to supplement your body.]

Hana's clear voice cut through the pain and cleared up Mian's mind. A wave of cool energy flowed into Mian's body as Hana injected something to calm down his thoughts into his body.

'Thanks...' Mian thanked Hana mentally as he dug his claws into the earth further. Another explosion rang out, followed closely by another.

'W-where do I get more Natural Energy?! There is nothing here I can absorb!'

[I beg to differ, Host. In fact, I have already shown you a suitable source of Natural Energy. All you need to do is get in contact with it, and I will handle the rest. But please, do note that if you intend to proceed with absorbing such a huge store of energy, then there will be adverse consequences.]

Hana's words poured a bucket full of cold water over Mian's hopes.

'Is there really no other choice? I am already getting tired of all these consequences and backlashes!' Mian complained.

[Host... You see to misunderstand some simple concepts. Let me explain something to you. There is no opportunity that comes in this life that is without risk. Every opportunity, no matter how simple, or extravagant it looks, is not without a risk. The question is - Are you willing to take that risk? With greater risk, comes greater rewards. Or would you rather end your journey here?]

Mian took a moment to go over what Hana had told him. She was right. Every opportunity came with a risk of equivalent danger.

'I...' He stole a glance at the area where the explosions were originating from. Even just a single hit from one of those powerhouses would be enough to obliterate him.

"I will do it. I will grasp this opportunity with both hands, and make the most out of it!" Instead of responding in his mind, he instead chose to speak out his words, so his ears could hear them, and in turn, his body would respond to them.

[Good. Now, brace yourself. The next explosion is going to be different.]

Hana informed him, but Mian could have sworn that he had heard an undertone of satisfaction in her voice.