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Chapter 40 - “The Shimmering Rite of Evolution”

"The Shimmering Rite of Evolution"

"Great, now we can go hunting at night. Even though half an hour isn't much, we can use it when we're surrounded by too many enemies," Joe said with a strategic tone, while Dean nodded enthusiastically.

"Sig, pay her," Joe added quickly, looking at his niece.

"I'm not your wallet," Sig replied irritably, but she still walked toward Liora. She stopped halfway, since obviously the little girl wouldn't know how much to charge, and turned her gaze to Lua.

"Sia, how much do you think it's worth?" Lua asked without hesitation.

"I believe a mana stone would be a fair price," Sia answered calmly, her voice precise and steady. "Not only because in half an hour they could gather much more than a stone if they use it well, but because it took Liora almost ten minutes to make it. And even though it was her first attempt and she did well, remember she could fail several times. Also, the crystals have to be collected from the forest. You could offer her half price if you bring the crystals yourselves. That way the little one won't have to go out looking for them when she runs out. Although you'll probably end up taking her anyway, it's better if you handle part of the work on your own."

"One mana stone," Lua confirmed firmly, trusting Sia's judgment without reservation. "But if you gather the crystals, you can ask for a lamp in exchange for five fragments."

"Alright. That's fair," Sig agreed without haggling.

"Where do those crystals come from?" Joe immediately asked, as if he was already planning to go get them to have plenty more lamps.

Lua raised a finger and calmly pointed in a direction. "That way. But you'll have to cross three zones: first rabbits, then lizards, and finally you'll reach the crystal area, which is surrounded by electric bison. You don't have the strength to get that far yet."

"Hmph. With these gloves, I can do anything," Joe said confidently, proudly posing with his red gauntlets.

"Oh, right," Loli suddenly interjected. "We have the minerals from the first mining mission. We can turn them in and get the experience. Everyone will probably reach level 10 with that," she added.

"Mm. But Bert and I only need about 200 experience points to level up. Wouldn't the rest be wasted?" Sig asked seriously.

Lua listened to what Sia said in her mind and repeated aloud, "If you reach the limit, the party experience gets distributed among the others."

"Then the rest will also reach level 10 with the amount of experience from the mission," Bert commented thoughtfully.

Party status:

[Bert Lv.9 – Artisan]

[Sig Lv.9 – Puppeteer]

[Alfred Lv.9 – No Title]

[Loli Lv.11 – Goddess of Fortune]

[Edward Lv.10 – Unstable Form]

[Joe Lv.7 – No Title]

[Dean Lv.7 – No Title]

[Ganfall Lv.5 – Farmer]

Seeing all the levels and calculating the total reward for the mission Mission: Village Growth, which awarded 5,000 experience to the whole group, Bert, Sig, and Alfred would reach level 10 with 200 extra points each, leaving 4,400 experience to split among the rest.

"Leave me out, so all that experience goes to them. Then they'll pay me back by helping me level up. Right now, they're too weak," Loli said with a hint of mockery. After all, she needed more than a thousand points to gain a single level, while those of Race 0 only needed a few hundred.

"In that case, I'll pass too. We need more strength to attack the mine," Edward said, nodding decisively.

"I'm just a farmer. I'm not interested in hunting. You can leave me out," Ganfall commented calmly.

"Then all the experience will go to Joe and Dean. That way, they'll get close to level 10," Bert said quickly.

"Perfect. Let's do it. We can get the last level by hunting in the forest," Joe said calmly, not really understanding all the calculations everyone was working so hard to do.

Then Sig took the minerals she'd stored, as well as what they'd gotten from the ant, and handed them to Lua, who marked the mission as completed.

"Here," Lua said as she took out the blacksmith profession recipe.

"Finally, we'll be able to evolve," Sig exclaimed excitedly as she looked over the evolution options appearing in front of her.

"If you haven't picked one yet, little Liora can do it with us," Sig added with a wink.

Loli stepped over to explain how it worked.

Bert looked seriously at the three options displayed before him:

Relic Engineer Gnome

"Relic Engineer Gnome"

[Rank 1 – Rare Rarity]

Type: Humanoid Artisan

Class: Mechanical Gnome

Defense: Medium

Damage: Low

Durability: High

Skills:

• Hands of Precision – Increases the final quality of any crafted item by 20% if the correct recipe is used.

• Methodical Reflexes – Increases speed by 30% when processing materials or repairing structures.

Description:

An evolution that enhances his natural talent and improves coordination, making him a meticulous creator. His body develops small electrical impulses that refine fine motor skills and reduce fatigue while working.

Primeval Goblin

"Primeval Goblin"

[Rank 1 – Rare Rarity]

Type: Humanoid Artisan

Class: Goblin

Defense: Medium

Damage: Moderate

Durability: High

Skills:

• Gathering Instinct – Increases the chance of finding rare materials by 30% while gathering.

• Material Affinity – Instantly identifies the quality and properties of any resource or object.

Description:

An evolution unlocked by gnomes dedicated to crafting and exploring materials. His body gains traits of the primitive goblins, such as long ears and greenish skin, capable of sensing the energy of everything they touch.

Essence Carver Gnome

"Essence Carver Gnome"

[Rank 1 – Rare Rarity]

Type: Humanoid Artisan

Class: Runic Gnome

Defense: Low

Damage: Low

Durability: Medium

Skills:

• Swift Writing – Allows inscribing runes 50% faster if the recipe is known.

• Sensitive Touch – When holding an object, reveals if it can be upgraded or enchanted.

Description:

An evolution that enhances his magical sensitivity and the ability to understand complex structures. His fingers develop a faint glow that reacts when touching artifacts and materials with hidden potential.

"Wow… all three are amazing and very useful, but I think the third one would be perfect for me," Bert said seriously.

Meanwhile, Sig smiled lightly as she reviewed the third option on her own list.

Voracious Fire Imp

"Voracious Fire Imp"

[Rank 1 – Rare Rarity]

Type: Lesser Demon

Class: Flame Imp

Defense: Low

Damage: High

Durability: Medium

Skills:

• Unending Flame – Its fire attacks ignore 20% of the target's elemental resistance.

• Fiery Explosion – Upon death, it releases a burst of fire that deals moderate damage within a 3-meter radius.

Description:

An evolution that intensifies its affinity with infernal fire, covering its body with living embers. Its burning eyes and cracked skin emit constant heat, capable of igniting fragile objects with a mere touch.

Shadow Imp

"Shadow Imp"

[Rank 1 – Rare Rarity]

Type: Lesser Demon

Class: Shadow Imp

Defense: Medium

Damage: Moderate

Durability: Low

Skills:

• Dark Fusion – Can dissolve into shadows for 5 seconds, becoming immune to physical damage.

• Umbral Claw – Its melee attacks inflict a mild Fear effect for 3 seconds.

Description:

An evolution granting partial control over shadows. Its body becomes slender and dark, with spectral markings running across it, allowing it to move in perfect silence when in dim light.

Lesser Succubus

"Lesser Succubus"

[Rank 1 – Rare Rarity]

Type: Lesser Demon

Class: Succubus

Defense: Low

Damage: Moderate

Durability: Medium

Skills:

• Subtle Charm – Hypnotic whispers that weaken the target's will, increasing the chance of failing hostile actions by 20% for 5 seconds.

• Thorned Rose – When taking damage, reflects 10% of it as magic damage to the attacker.

Description:

An evolution that blends allure and poison. Her wings grow longer and her skin takes on a reddish sheen. Her seductive eyes and soft voice can shatter the will of reckless enemies.

Meanwhile, Alfred stared intently for a moment at the option he found most useful before selecting it:

Dark Bone Warrior

"Dark Bone Warrior"

[Rank 1 – Rare Rarity]

Type: Undead

Class: Heavy Skeleton

Defense: High

Damage: Moderate

Durability: High

Skills:

• Bone Fortification – Increases defense by 25% while health is above 50%.

• Mourning Curse – Its attacks reduce the enemy's speed by 15% for 5 seconds.

Description:

An evolution that reinforces its structure, making its bones as dense and black as iron. Its presence radiates a dull fear, as if a tomb's echo accompanied each step.

Shadow Skeleton

"Shadow Skeleton"

[Rank 1 – Rare Rarity]

Type: Undead

Class: Stealth Skeleton

Defense: Medium

Damage: Moderate

Durability: Medium

Skills:

• Silent Step – Its movements produce no sound, increasing ambush effectiveness by 50%.

• Blade of Darkness – The first attack after leaving stealth deals 50% additional damage.

Description:

An evolution that turns its bones into a matte black material that absorbs light. Its eye sockets glow with a crimson gleam, and its silhouette is hard to spot in the dark.

Nocturnal Aspirant

"Nocturnal Aspirant"

[Rank 1 – Rare Rarity]

Type: Undead

Class: Animated Corpse

Defense: Low

Damage: Moderate

Durability: Medium

Skills:

• Latent Thirst – When dealing damage, restores 5% of maximum health.

• Ancient Darkness – Reduces the defense of nearby enemies by 10% while remaining in shadowed areas.

Description:

An evolution midway between an animated corpse and a full vampire. Its black veins throb with a hunger it doesn't fully understand yet. Its gaze has begun to shine with the promise of a deeper power that could awaken in the future.

Meanwhile, Liora felt completely overwhelmed by all the options. Like Loli, she had dozens of different evolutions, and if she looked beyond her sacred branch, the number was even greater. The difference between them was clear: the quality of the initial race. Liora possessed a legendary race. She literally had the entire spirit evolutionary tree before her, and it was so overwhelming she felt like her head was going to explode. If she kept scrolling, she could see hundreds of different races—and all of them were only level 1.

Finally, only one option glowed gold. Without thinking too much, she selected it.

The three of them began to shine at the same time, though the light surrounding Liora was more golden and intense than the others.

When the radiance faded, everyone looked on with curiosity at their new appearances.

"Ahhh!" Loli screamed, staring at Sig with a mix of surprise and envy, over something very specific: Sig had regained her normal height—the one she had in real life—and also her original appearance. Although now she had two horns on her head and a demonic tail sprouting from her lower back, and her bat wings had transformed into larger, reddish ones, though these seemed to vanish when she wished. Luckily, she still had her wolfskin jacket, because the outfit that came with that race was rather embarrassing. Even so, she didn't seem particularly bothered, keeping a calm smile. However, when she looked at her reflection in the nearby water, her expression changed completely.

"What the hell…? I'm just me! I thought I'd be sexier and more voluptuous…" she protested with a disappointed sigh.

Meanwhile, Bert had gone from being a tiny gnome to a somewhat bigger gnome… well, not much bigger—he was still under a meter tall.

The most notable change was Alfred's. From a simple black skeleton, he regained a normal body and his original height, although he looked paler, with black markings running along his neck and arms, and an overall scrawny, malnourished appearance. His red eyes glowed with a strange light.

Finally, everyone's gaze turned to Liora. The girl, feeling everyone's attention, timidly hid behind Lua.

At first glance, she looked the same as before, though her small wings had grown larger, her blond hair shone even more brightly, and, above all, her eyes had changed: they were now golden, with two crosses in the center that gave her an almost divine aura. Above her head, a tiny halo seemed on the verge of materializing.

Joe looked at everyone, especially Alfred and Sig, who had regained their height, and decided to do the same, even if his body was still that of a little cow.

"Come on, Dean. We have to evolve too," Joe said determinedly, grabbing his companion's arm and running off into the dark forest.

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