NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter-175 Evolution Choice
Frost stirred an ice storm and Orange stormed a blaze with their breakthroughs to Step-1, and the already battered basement collapsed into ruins. After a year of growth and the major advancement, Frost reached Ewan’s waist and his two bumps on the forehead inched out, yet Orange halted at palm-size, just enough to sprawl on Ewan’s head.
The list of potential culprits responsible for his peculiarity only included a few, and after a round of brainstorming, the top of the ranks came out with the highest likelihood—the mutation that gave Orange his blue fire. Luckily, his combat style relied more on his ingenious usage of Fire-Anima, else his physical limitation would’ve shoved him at the bottom rung of the ladder.
[Astylind Name: Fire Monkey (Mutant)]
[Astylind Level: Level-10]
[Astylind Grade: Grade-B]
[Anima Affinity: Fire]
[Skills: Fire-Recipient | Wrath-Inferno (Dormant)]
[Gender: Male]
[Description: Natives of Airadia. They are blessed with decent fire-element affinity (Recipient) but lack the skill to make use of it.]
[Grade-Exalt Requirements: Noble Rite (Zik Aroig)—A toast to fire, feast on slumbering lava for one month.]
[Remark 1: Can be trained as a vanguard but require more attention with the elemental skills.]
[Remark 2: They look cool, so can make them your mascot.]
[Remark 3: I agree with the second remark, lol.]
…
[Astylind Name: Imp (Ice-Variant)]
[Astylind Level: Level-10]
[Astylind Grade: Grade-B]
[Anima Affinity: Ice]
[Skills: Ice-Favored | Snowdoll (Dormant)]
[Gender: Male]
[Description: Natives of Alvodor. Their talents and affinity vary based on their bloodline. But most are capable of decent spellcasting and melee combat.]
[Grade-Exalt Requirement: Noble Rite (Hynith Fauma)—Ice Burial, lay inside ‘Ceran Hynith’ for one cycle of seasons.]
[Remark 1: Low wisdom. Barely crossing the line. Possibility of taming and rearing is high.]
[Remark 2: Basic contract doesn’t work. Success rate might increase with a modified spell circuit.]
[Remark 3: Hah, I’m a master of a Demon now. But too much torture broke his mind. Tch!]
[Remark 4: Modified spell circuit succeeded; the contract was a success. No oppression needed. Changing their format in the database, the contracted ones will be noted ‘Astylind’ from now on.]
….
The enhanced explosiveness of Orange and the strengthened ice spells of Frost crushed every Astylind Ewan found in the nearby forest to test them. Even if he was at his weakest right now, lacking the means to contest others of the same level, the breakthrough of his Astylinds put his mind at ease. Either inside the runes to make him an Elementalist, or out in the world for a pure Severynth style, his Astylinds were his pillar. And it included Iris too, just her case differed from Orange and Frost—she already hit the ceiling of her potential and had to evolve if she were to walk further with him.
Her grades had accumulated enough firewood to burn her through the bridge of evolution, her success rate soared with Grade-S. When the potential turned kinetic, when her momentum took off, her path split into four, and the benefits of piling resources in her early stage showed up. Because she became a royalty, a vast world opened up for her.
‘Deep-Rooted Lotus’, a branch of the higher species that struck a balance between healing and combat—their prominent long roots were notorious for field control.
‘Twin-Buds Lotus’, a higher species that shed its ability to heal and adapted a combatant stance against the harsh condition it survived in—it excelled in blood-element spells and boasted a higher affinity than its counterparts.
‘Bloodthorn-Lotus’, an advanced species that inherited the convention of ‘blood’ in its name and chose the path of healing and recovery for its evolution—nature crowned them with the highest survival rate, they were the last to lose against extinction.
‘Lotus Tree’, the giant species that rejected the world and hid behind their hefty barks—they ditched combat and recovery and focused all their affinity with Blood-Anima towards defense.
The paths lay before Iris, none better than the other, as she waited for Ewan. They all had their own positives and negatives, and only preference could sway his choice. Iris was his healer, and he would keep her on that road, so the second and the fourth option went out the window. Between the first and the third, Ewan leaned towards the first, the field-control ability without giving up the healing spells attracted him. Yet, he chose the third, for his Pa ticked it as the thread leading to that special evolution.
His decision finalized her breakthrough, the road of Bloodthorn-Lotus led her to the other side, her flower wilted, and she shrunk back into a seed. Vibrant and pulsating, vigorous vitality oozed off her. When she germinated this time, she would regrow as a Bloodthorn-Lotus from Level-0. The evolution wouldn’t deny all her training though, and her gathered energy would be enough to push her back to Step-1 within a short period of time.
[Astylind Name: Bloodthorn-Lotus]
[Astylind Level: Level-0]
[Astylind Grade: Grade-D]
[Anima Affinity: Blood]
[Skills: Blood-Recipient | Mend]
[Gender: Female]
[Description: Extinct natives of Sepra. They banked towards healing and recovery and their choice kept them alive. They were the last ones standing. But in the end, they still lost the battle of natural selection.]
[Grade-Exalt Requirements: Astylind Core (Blood-Element), Dried Bane, Bloodstone, Nosferatu Vine, Bone Dust, Bloodhound’s Fur, Bloodweed, Wraith’s Ashes, Astylind Blood (Blood-Element)]
[Remark 1: The first section of the thread leading to Blood Nexus.]
….
The cave still stood quiet beyond the lifeless clearing, within his reach yet out of his hand. His purpose today was still what the cave hid, but the motivation wasn’t his anymore. The Governor led him in, the clonks of his cane accompanying his feeble steps, his bent back barely keeping him up.
“Have you recovered well?” the Governor asked.
“Yes, sir, resting helped.”
“What about your Astylinds?”
“They broke through successfully,” Ewan said.
“Good, you can have some sense of security now,” he said. “Have you practiced your mystic spells?”
“I did, sir, I’m ready whenever you say.”
“We can get to our deal later. I brought you here today for something else,” the Governor said. “His name was Perceval Radon, the last king of Ashocan, the monster I talked about. He spent his last days here.”
Jam-packed Mystic-Anima hovered before Ewan, his steps cutting through their sea, his affinity inviting the neighbors into his body, and the number almost suffocated him. Distraction let the mystic element play in his body as it wished; Ewan had to focus to keep them out.
“He ruled over not only the kingdom and his people, but their hearts and their minds and their souls…,” he said. “He was the child of the mystic element, no one could defy him.”
Glorified memories often exaggerated the reality, but the illusion Ewan faced during his first visit to the cave supported the Governor’s words. The Favored-level affinity couldn’t do that, as Ewan himself was powerless against that passive illusion—the man named Perceval must be at the Endued level. Since his birth, the mystic element obeyed him, and he reigned over anyone and anything that was capable of thoughts. The apparent monstrosity at a tender age could isolate the child, and he would grow up to be an actual monster in other’s eyes. The Governor’s description painted an image of a tyrant for Ewan.
They reached the end amidst their talks, where the Mystic-Anima flooded the hall, its waves crashing into the walls, where the portal existed in the ceiling and the fishing line remained still, and where Perceval Radon left the traces of his ending days.
“The saturation should be enough,” the Governor said. “Can you cast any spell that will stir the Anima?”
Ewan nodded and moved ahead with a deep breath. The Step-1 level of his <Phantasm> spell could do the job, but he had something else in mind. The cave’s truth only spread among a few; the number wasn’t enough to create rumors. So, the layer of actual past must be dustless, he could succeed….
Remembrance!
Can't wait to read ahead? There's a free chapter available on Patreon. And it has 40+ chapters ahead of the Royal Road release on it!
You can also join my Discord.
Note: Members are charged on the day they join, and then monthly on that same date. For example, if you join on the 10th, you'll be charged on that day, and then monthly on the 10th.