After watching the beetle scurry, Arthur decided to stay in the forest for a few more minutes.
'I will stay here for now, just in case I summon another beast that needs to evolve.' Arthur thought, as he activated his summoning talent.
A dark, circular portal appeared once again in front of him.
Arthur's eyes widened slightly as the portal hummed with energy.
The shadows twisted, swirling in chaotic patterns before solidifying into a figure.
Arthur tensed, expecting another insignificant summon like the beetle.
A familiar shape emerged.
His expression darkened.
"Again?" he muttered, disbelief laced in his voice.
Stepping out of the portal was yet another beetle.
This one was slightly larger than the first, its shell a deeper shade of obsidian. It clicked its mandibles, antennae twitching as if scanning its new environment.
Arthur exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples.
He had summoned only twice today, and both times, he had gotten beetles. Not wolves, not panthers, not even a bird—just beetles.
His fingers twitched, tempted to dismiss it immediately. But then he stopped.
His eyes flickered as he activated Evolution Pathway once again.
Focus: Before specialising in a certain field, the beetle must first reach epic grade. The requirements below, are to evolve the beetle to become Elite Grade
- Kill 50 beetles (0/50)
- Refine the essence of armour (0/50)
Arthur let out a slow breath.
"Same evolution path, but it has five times the requirements of kills and refining," he muttered, glancing at the translucent screen in front of his eyes.
Now he had two of them.
Arthur crossed his arms, staring at the new beetle for a few moments before making a decision.
"Fine," he muttered. "You too—go hunt."
Through their telepathic link, he relayed the same command he had given the first beetle.
The second beetle twitched in acknowledgment before scurrying off.
Arthur exhaled, watching it vanish into the foliage.
He hadn't expected this outcome, but perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing after all.
"Well, at least this one was the same rank as Hank," Arthur muttered, before deciding to head back to the city.
He didn't want to stay in the village for too long, he had many stuff he needed to do in the city.
Without hesitation, he pulled the City Teleportation Scroll from his inventory.
The moment he activated it, the world around him blurred—
—And he reappeared in Caldera's forest outskirts, notifications still flashing across his vision.
His summons had been busy.
[You have killed Level 14 Serpent.][You have killed Level 13 Serpent.][You have killed Level 7 Beetle.][...][...]
Arthur barely had time to process the flood of notifications before the final one caught his attention.
[Ding! Beetle is ready for evolution, would you like it to evolve?]
Upon seeing the notification, Arthur smiled before pressing yes.
'Why would I say no to my summons getting stronger?'He thought, 'But I got to say, that beetle is really efficient. It has already killed ten weaker beetles and refined them.'
[Ding! Evolution is in progress (Countdown: 30 Seconds)]
Thirty seconds passed in the blink of an eye and the second prompt arrived.
[Ding! Beetle has evolved to Pseudo-Elite. Talent: Strengthened Carapace (C-rank)]
Arthur's smirk deepened.
The evolution had occurred for the first time.
'To think that I expected Sylvaris to be the first one to finish his evolution, but it turns out that it was a beetle that would first evolve.'
The beetle was still hunting in the forest, and the requirements had changed once again and it became fifty, just like the second beetle he had summoned.
Arthur then decided to check on Sylvaris's progress, he had left him to hunt in the forest.
'He should be close to reaching the requirements...'
Focus: Offensive combat specialization. Gains increased size and venom potency, capable of devouring entire foes.
Arthur raised his eyebrow as he read the status of evolution
"Sylvaris has been working hard, and it's gonna pay off soon."
"He only needs to kill and devour one more serpent and he will be able to evolve."
Then—[You have killed Level 13 Serpent.]
Arthur's eyes gleamed as he read the notification.
[Ding! 'Sylvaris' is ready for evolution, would you like it to evolve?]
His heart pounded in anticipation.
Sylvaris had worked hard for this.
Arthur didn't hesitate.
Before pressing YES, he summoned the serpent. He wasn't about to let it evolve without witnessing the transformation firsthand.
A dark rift split the air as Sylvaris slithered through the portal. The moment its shimmering silver body emerged, it let out a soft hiss, its tongue flicking toward Arthur in what could almost be described as a pleased expression.
Arthur smirked. "Well done, Sylvaris."
The serpent lifted its head proudly, eyes glinting like polished obsidian.
[Ding! Evolution is in progress (Countdown: Three hours)]
His brow furrowed slightly. Three hours?
That was longer than usual. But then again—
Sylvaris was evolving beyond Epic rank. The sheer magnitude of that change warranted time.
Arthur stepped back as a warm, white light engulfed Sylvaris.
The serpent trembled for a moment before going completely still, its body coiling inward as if in a protective stance. The light wrapped around it like a cocoon, pulsing faintly with energy, growing denser with each passing second.
Arthur could feel the power building within Sylvaris.
Arthur's stomach growled softly.
He frowned. "I haven't eaten in so long…"
With a sigh, he unsummoned Sylvaris for his safety as he evolved, then turned on his heel and strode toward the inn.
Three hours—he had time to kill.
The streets of Caldera bustled with life, even at this hour. Merchants barked prices, adventurers swapped stories over tankards, and the occasional drunkard stumbled between alleyways.
Arthur ignored it all, his mind half-occupied with thoughts of Sylvaris's imminent evolution.
Arriving at the inn, he wasted no time.
He sat at the farthest table, ordered something simple—a plate of roasted meat and fresh bread—then ate in silence.
Three hours passed in the blink of an eye.