Intelligent Design: A Monster Evolution LitRPG

The crowd roared as David stepped onto the glowing platform of the Monstropolis Arena. The city, built from the ruins of what was once known as the Riverport Stadium, hummed with excitement. This was it—the final battle of the Summon League Championship.

Across the battlefield, a figured cloaked in shimmering, diaphanous wings emerged. Gideon, the reigning champion, flared his cape dramatically as he locked eyes with David.

"Our gazes have met again, David," Gideon's voice boomed across the arena. "We must now engage in glorious combat!"

David couldn't help but grin. "Wouldn't have it any other way, champ."

The announcer's voice boomed over the stadium as the huge frog croaked loudly enough to shake dust from the structure. "Ladies and gentlemen, monsters of all shapes and sizes! Welcome to the final match of the Monstropolis League Championship! In the challenger's corner, we have the bat with a thousand tricks, the shadow that strikes from above—David!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as David spread his wings, the purple swirls and full moon patterns gleaming under the stadium lights.

"And defending his title, the master of all things that crawl and buzz, the undefeated bug tamer—Gideon!"

Gideon's cape fluttered as if alive, casting dazzling reflections across the arena.

"Trainers, choose your first summon!"

David's eyes darted to the bandolier across his chest, where six crystals pulsed with energy. He smiled slightly, remembering that time so long ago when Gideon himself had helped craft it for him. Each contained one of his carefully trained summons. He leaned down, grasping the first crystal with his teeth, feeling its warmth against his tongue.

With a practiced motion, David reared back and launched the crystal onto the battlefield. "Fang, I choose you!" he called, his words slightly muffled around the crystal until it left his mouth.

In a flash of light, a diminutive, bat-like creature materialized. Fang, evolved from one of David's original Cuddlebugs, screeched a challenge to the heavens.

Gideon smirked, plucking a crystal from his own belt. "An impressive opener, David. But let's see how it fares against this! Go, Buzzsaw!"

The crystal erupted in a swarm of light, coalescing into a gigantic, armored beetle. Its horn, shaped like a circular saw, whirred menacingly. The crowd gasped in awe at the imposing creature.

David whistled, impressed despite himself. "That's one mean-looking bug you've got there, Gideon."

Gideon beamed with pride. "Thanks! Buzzsaw and I have been through a lot together. But don't think I'll go easy on you just because we're friends, David."

"Wouldn't dream of it," David shot back with a grin. "In fact, I'd be insulted if you did. Give me everything you've got!"

"That's the spirit!" Gideon laughed. "Win or lose, let's make this a battle to remember!"

The announcer's voice boomed across the stadium. "Trainers, are you ready?"

Both David and Gideon nodded, their eyes locked in friendly but fierce competition.

"Then let the battle... BEGIN!"

As the crowd roared its approval, David wasted no time in issuing his first command.

"Fang, use Sonic Shriek!"

The bat-creature inhaled deeply, then let loose a piercing cry that visibly distorted the air. Buzzsaw stumbled, its movements becoming erratic.

"Shake it off, Buzzsaw!" Gideon called. "Counter with Scissor Rush!"

The beetle's wings burst from beneath its carapace, propelling it forward at blinding speed. Its horn-saw spun furiously as it charged towards Fang.

"Dodge and use Shadow Strike!" David yelled.

Fang vanished into a pool of darkness just as Buzzsaw reached it. The beetle skidded to a halt, looking around in confusion. Suddenly, Fang erupted from Buzzsaw's own shadow, raking it with glowing claws. The hit sunk into the weak points between the beetles legs and it's carapace, and David pumped a wing at what was certainly a critical hit.

Buzzsaw chittered in pain, its armor cracking under the assault. It stumbled, then collapsed, its eyes glazing over.

"Buzzsaw is unable to battle!" the announcer declared. "This round goes to the challenger, David!"

The crowd went wild as Gideon recalled Buzzsaw to its crystal. He nodded appreciatively at David. "Well played, David. Fang has grown tremendously since last we battled. I'm sure Buzzsaw will want to congratulate him after…But this battle is far from over. Prepare yourself for my next summon!"

As Gideon reached for his second crystal, David felt a surge of adrenaline. He'd made it this far, facing down trainers and summons alike. But he knew Gideon was saving his ace for last—the monstrous termite known as Pinchy.

"Ready for round two?" Gideon called, a new crystal gleaming in his hand.

David grinned, the thrill of battle coursing through him. His tongue flicked out, ready to snag the next crystal from his bandolier if he had to. "Bring it on, champ. Let's give these people a show they'll never forget!"

As Gideon's crystal erupted in a flash of light, David's eyes widened. A massive dragonfly-like creature materialized, its iridescent wings humming with barely contained energy. A wicked stinger, easily as long as David's arm, protruded from its tail.

"Meet Stinglash," Gideon announced proudly, "my speedster extraordinaire!"

David grimaced, memories of the 'bug incident' from his early days flooding back. The phantom sting of countless bites made his fur stand on end.

From the crowd, a familiar roar rang out. Claire's voice, a mix of encouragement and unmistakable anger, cut through the stadium noise. Even after all these years, her hatred for stingtail dragonflies hadn't diminished.

"You've got this, David!" Claire bellowed. "Squash that overgrown mosquito!"

David couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's enthusiasm. "Thanks, Claire! I'll do my best to—"

His words were cut short as Gideon issued his command.

"Stinglash, use your extreme speed!"

In a blur of motion that David's eyes could barely track, Stinglash vanished. One moment, it was hovering at Gideon's side of the field. The next, the high pitch whine of its wings rose to a ringing scream and it was gone, appearing behind Fang with its stinger already plunging deep into the summons hide.

Fang let out a pained screech before crumpling to the ground, unconscious.

"Fang is unable to battle!" the announcer declared, sounding as shocked as David felt. "This round goes to Champion Gideon!"

David recalled Fang, his mind reeling. He'd faced fast opponents before, even reached supersonic speeds himself during battles and hunts. But this? This was on another level entirely.

As he pondered his next move, an idea struck him. The crowd was already at fever pitch, and he knew what they really wanted to see.

"Hey, Gideon!" David called out, a mischievous glint in his eye. "What do you say we cut to the chase? How about we settle this with our Aces? Give the people what they came for!"

Gideon's face lit up, his cape fluttering dramatically as he struck a pose. "An excellent suggestion, David! As the first Summon League Champion of New Earth, I accept your challenge!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as Gideon recalled Stinglash. David could practically feel the anticipation crackling in the air.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Gideon announced, his voice carrying across the stadium, "prepare yourselves for a battle of truly epic proportions!"

David grinned, his tongue flicking out to grasp the crystal containing his most powerful summon. As he launched it onto the field, he saw Gideon do the same.

Two flashes of light illuminated the arena. On David's side, a colossal bat-like creature emerged, its fur a deep obsidian that seemed to absorb light. Six eyes, glowing with an otherworldly crimson hue, blinked open as it spread wings that could blot out the sun.

Opposite it, Gideon's crystal spawned a truly monstrous termite. Pinchy had grown since David last saw him, now easily the size of a small building. Its mandibles clicked ominously, each one large enough to snap a car in half.

"Introducing the Aces!" the announcer's voice boomed. "In the challenger's corner, the Lord of the Night Sky, Shadowwing! And defending the champion's title, the Colossus of the Colony, Pinchy!"

The two titanic creatures regarded each other, the air between them almost vibrating with tension. David and Gideon locked eyes across the battlefield, both grinning with the thrill of the moment.

"You ready for this, Gideon?" David called out.

Gideon's response was to throw his arms wide, his cape billowing behind him. "Oh, I was born ready, David! Let's show them a battle they'll never forget!"

As the crowd's cheers reached a deafening crescendo, David felt his heart racing with excitement. This was it. The moment of truth. Everything he'd worked for, all the trials and tribulations, had led to this epic showdown.

"Alright, Shadowwing," David muttered, his wings twitching in anticipation, "let's show them what we've got."

As Shadowwing and Pinchy squared off, the stadium trembled with anticipation. David and Gideon locked eyes one last time, a silent acknowledgment passing between them. This wasn't just a battle for the championship; it was a testament to how far they'd come since those early days in Riverport.

"Shadowwing, unleash your Midnight Maelstrom!" David commanded, his voice ringing out across the arena.

"Pinchy, counter with Hive Mind Assault!" Gideon shouted in response.

The two titanic creatures surged forward, their clash sending shockwaves through the stadium. Shadowwing's wings, dark as the void, unfurled to their full span, casting the arena in shadow. Pinchy's mandibles glowed with an eerie, bioluminescent light, clicking rapidly as if issuing orders to an unseen army.

As the battle raged, the crowd's roar became a deafening wall of sound. Claire's distinctive bellow could be heard even above the chaos, urging David on. The air crackled with energy, both mystical and electric, as two of New Earth's mightiest summons gave their all.

David's heart raced, his wings twitching with every move Shadowwing made. This was it. The culmination of years of training, of bonds forged in the crucible of a savage world. Win or lose, he knew this moment would be etched in the annals of Monstropolis history.

As Shadowwing and Pinchy clashed, their titanic forms silhouetted against the bioluminescent stadium lights, the scene faded to black.