Outside, while Kain was meditating the others sat solemnly around him when approximately during the third hour, Kain's form suddenly emitted a slight violet glow.
Malzahir took an involuntary step back. "Is it supposed to do that?"
Serena's grip tightened on her dagger. "No."
Then, as quickly as it appeared, the light vanished. Fortunately, perhaps due to their awareness of Kain's 'uniqueness,' only Malzahir and Serena had been watching him rather than the surroundings. The others missed the brief light show.
Before Serena could contemplate the implications further, a deep, guttural tremor rolled through the cavern.
At first, it was a faint vibration beneath their feet, barely noticeable. Then, the walls began to shudder, dust falling down from the ceiling like fine rain, pebbles rattled across the floor, and an ominous rumbling echoed from the tunnel they had entered through. The sound grew louder with each passing second.
Zareth's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. "What the hell—?"
Before he could finish, the rumbling intensified. The sound of skittering, scraping, and heavy footsteps echoed through the tunnels—growing louder. Closer.
Serena's gaze darted to Kain, her lips pressing into a thin line. 'Of course,' she thought bitterly. 'It's him.'
Malzahir, too, seemed to reach the same conclusion. His dark eyes flicked between Kain and the cavern entrance, his fingers twitching toward the knife at his belt. But without a contract, he was useless in a fight. He backed away, pressing himself against a nearby pillar, his breath shallow.
Then, they came.
A tide of abominations poured into the cavern—twisted hybrids of metal and flesh, their forms grotesque, their movements unnervingly coordinated. Their glowing eyes locked onto Kain with singular focus, as if drawn by an invisible homing beacon.
"Protect Kain!" Zareth barked, already summoning his spiritual creatures.
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The others also reacted almost instantly, their own creatures moving to intercept the approaching tide.
The first abomination lunged.
Zareth's silver-metallic wolf intercepted it midair, giant jaws clamping around its torso. Unfortunately, the creature barely flinched. Its clawed hand lashed out, raking across the wolf's flank. Before it could continue its attacks, another one of Zareth's contracts, a giant millipede seemingly composed of dark steel, wrapped around its body to immobilize it.
"This one's core is a little higher up near its neck!" Lina shouted while her eyes were emitting a silver glow—likely due to some kind of gift.
Her serpent-like contract then struck with precision. Its fangs sank into the abomination's neck, piercing a pulsating violet node hidden beneath layers of twisted flesh. The creature convulsed, then collapsed, its body crumbling into a lifeless husk.
Jamie's contract, resembling a bright red bear, slammed another abomination into the wall, its massive paws crushing the core before the thing could recover and leaving no body behind as the energy-less abomination went up into flames.
But for every abomination that fell, another took its place, their singular fixation on Kain unrelenting.
"There's too many!" Jamie shouted, slicing through another as it paid him no attention, focused on Kain. "This isn't normal!"
Malzahir watched from his hiding spot, his knuckles white around his knife. He had never felt so powerless.
Serena's contracts also joined the battle. Serena remained next to Kain with both her and her Starweaver focused on sending arrows aimed at the abominations' cores as directed by Lina.
But even she couldn't hold them all off. One slipped past her guard, its claws outstretched toward Kain's defenceless form—
Aegis materialized in a burst of brown light, an earthen shield slamming into the abomination with enough force to send it flying. The golem's eyes burned with defiance as he planted himself firmly in front of Kain.
Barely visible threads of energy appeared next, ensnaring and attempting to control another abomination mid-leap. Although it was quite resistant, it provided enough of a pause for Serena to plunge an arrow into its core.
Still, the horde pressed forward, their sheer numbers threatening to overwhelm even the combined efforts of the group.
Then—
Kain's eyes snapped open.
Originally filled with joy, then confusion, then an intense hunger as he looked at the approaching abominations.
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'Just what I needed. Looks like a meal just delivered itself to my door.'
Kain had just been lamenting due to the notification from the System that the majority of the energy he'd managed to recover had been spent on strengthening the containment on Pangea so that it wouldn't interfere with his advancement.
Now the opportunity for a quick refill was right here!
The abominations—twisted, corrupted things—no longer filled him with dread. Instead, he saw them for what they were: fuel.
He immediately released his other contracts, including the Vespid guards which immediately eased their numerical disadvantage.
The guards, while physically unable to confront the abominations, moved around busily as a distraction and harassed them with well-aimed stingers from afar. They even managed to kill many of them, sending stingers into the cores once the locations were called out by Lina.
The group soon fell into a rhythm of the more physical hardy contracts like Aegis or Zareth's wolf, restraining the movements of the abominations as they still unswervingly advanced toward Kain; while others like Serena, her Starweaver, and the Vespid guards acted like an archery unit aiming at the locations Lina directed.
Occasionally, an abomination would still manage to reach Kain though—not that he minded.
Another abomination lunged, its grotesque arms stretching forward as it aimed for his throat.
He didn't dodge.
His hand shot forward, fingers clawing into the abomination's chest. The moment he touched it, something shifted. A sickening pull spread from his palm, and the creature's movements faltered. Its core flickered wildly, pulsating as if resisting an unseen force—only to collapse in on itself, its energy siphoned directly into Kain.
A shudder ran through him, but it wasn't from pain. It was intoxicating.
The abomination crumbled to the ground, its body hollowed out, its energy gone.
Kain inhaled sharply. His gaze flickered to the others still advancing toward him, their grotesque forms locked onto him like moths to a flame.
'Good. Come to me.'
He stepped forward, his gaze locking onto the next target. The others were too busy fighting to notice the subtle drain—especially since Kain remained behind them, out of their field of vision.
Serena, however, saw.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!Her arrow froze mid-draw, her blue eyes widening as she watched Kain consume the abomination's energy.
The way its energy drained into him—the way his eyes glowed faintly violet for just an instant. The hunger in his expression. All of it sent ice through her veins.
'He's doing it again.'
She had suspected something before—how could he give up the Earth's core fragments so easily?
The fragments that had nearly driven him mad with hunger, that had made him look at her like she was prey rather than partner. Yet he'd handed them over without protest, as if they meant nothing. That should have been her first warning.
But she'd pushed aside her doubts because he hadn't touched the creatures directly in the previous battles. Now, watching him familiarly absorb the energy of these creatures, the realization struck her that maybe he didn't need to…
'He gave up the core fragments… to do this instead. To continue absorbing energy right under my nose.'
Her grip tightened on her bow. Had she been too careless? Too willing to believe his words at face value?
"Kain!" she snapped, her voice cutting through the chaos. Her expression was far icier than normal.
He turned, meeting her gaze. For a fraction of a second, she saw it—the hunger, the need—before it vanished behind a mask of calm.
"Problem?" he asked, his tone deceptively light.
She wanted to call him out. To demand answers. But the others were still fighting, still unaware of what he was doing. If she spoke now, it risked the others hearing—
Another abomination lunged at her from the side, its weakened body already covered in bite marks.
Kain moved faster than she could blink. His hand lashed out, seizing the creature by the throat. It writhed in his grip, its core pulsing erratically—then dimmed as its energy was ripped away. The abomination crumbled to dust between his fingers.
Serena's breath hitched.
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"Later," Kain murmured, his voice low enough that only she could hear. "We'll talk later."
Before she could respond, the cavern shuddered again—this time, with enough force to send cracks racing up the walls.
From the darkness of the tunnel, something lurched forward.
It wasn't like the others.
This abomination was massive, its body a grotesque fusion of half-melted metal and pulsating flesh. Multiple cores glowed in a row along its spine, each one pulsing in time with one another.
Its face—if it could be called that—was mostly just a gaping mouth of jagged, rusted teeth, and its limbs ended in serrated blades that scraped against the stone floor.
Zareth's wolf snarled, but even it took a step back.
"Fall back!" Zareth ordered, his voice strained. "Regroup!"
The abomination paid no attention to the retreating humans and spiritual creatures, its foocus was singularly on Kain.
And then it spoke.
A garbled, metallic voice, like rusted gears grinding together:
"Ssssource…invaderrr…"
After that brief statement seemingly filled with hatred, it lunged at him with a speed that Kain and the others' eyes could barely follow.
The abomination lunged, its bladed limbs carving through the air. Aegis intercepted it, his shield raised—but the force of the impact sent him skidding back, cracks spiderwebbing across his surface.
While Kain dodged, he brushed his hand against its leg—hoping that the physical contact would trigger that new ability to absorb the Source energy in its cores without killing it.
Unfortunately, he came up empty.
The abomination shrieked, one of its cores flickering briefly before returning to normal, but it didn't stop. Its blade-like arm slashed downward, aiming to cleave Kain in two.
Serena's arrow struck its wrist, the force just enough to deflect the blow. The blade embedded itself in the stone beside Kain's head.
The near-miss sent a spray of stone shards flying, one cutting a thin line across Kain's cheek. He barely felt it—the adrenaline, the hunger, they drowned out everything else.
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Seeing his predicament, his allies tried their best to help him. Unfortunately, the attacks coming from the numerous more normal abominations did not stop with the arrival of this one—if anything it grew stronger.
The surrounding battles still raged despite Kain and his contracts dealing with the most difficult one. And all of the other creatures were still trying to make their way towards him from under the blocking of his allies—suddenly his pressure had increased at least 10 times over. Thankfully, he had allies to watch his blindspots.
Serena released her arrow, piercing another abomination's core just as a giant millipede smashed one into the cavern wall. Another of Zareth's metallic contracts lunged, tearing through another's throat, while Jamie's bear crushed a foe beneath its massive paws.
On Kain's side, his contracts, particularly the Vespids, had managed to penetrate all of the exposed cores along its back…but it was still very much alive and kicking.
Unlike the singular cores of the other…this one clearly had several externally and likely internally as well.
"Lina!" Kain barked. "Where's the next core?!"
Her silver eyes flickered. "There's 2. Left side near its arm and in the center of its head."
Capitalizing on that information, Aegis manipulated the stone floor to temporarily seal its movements…with minimal success. The gap in raw power between the two was quite large.
Thankfully, this second delay was enough for Serena, who had heard Lina's words, to launch another arrow into its left armpit.
Roar
An otherworldly scream of what Kain assumed to be pain (if it could even feel pain) rang throughout the cavern, shaking the walls, before it lunged even more aggressively at Kain.
But this time, a massive dragon's claw appeared from its blind spot and hit its head.
Vauleth was unable to penetrate the tough skull but concentrated follow-up attacks from the nearby contracts of his allies, finally put the massive thing down.
With the toughest one out of the way, before long the rest of the battle was over.
And Kain had gotten exactly what he wanted.
*System Update: Source energy reserves at 37%. Partial functions restored.*
He exhaled, rolling his shoulders.
Good enough.
For now.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!Across the cavern, Zareth wiped the sweat from his brow, his sharp gaze flicking toward Kain. The others were already tending to their wounded contracts, using whatever healing abilities they had to stabilize them. But there was something unspoken hanging in the air.
Zareth was the first to say it.
"They were drawn to you."
Kain tilted his head slightly, his expression neutral and feigning innocence. "What do you mean?"
Zareth gestured to the battlefield. "We aren't horribly injured because they pretty much ignored us as much as they could. Every single one of them was trying to reach you, no matter the cost. That's not normal."
Jamie, who was pouring some kind of unknown liquid on his bear's injurred leg, frowned. "He's right. It was like you were a beacon or something."
Lina also looked up from where one of her contracts was healing her leg. "It wasn't just their focus… It felt like they needed to reach you."
The relatively always silent Pete, the remaining member of Zareth's initial group of 4, even chimed in. His perpetually droopy eyes gazed at Kain in confusion. "Why?"
Kain met their gazes evenly. Then, with a carefully measured sigh, he ran a hand through his hair.
"I have a theory," he began, his voice calm and composed. "In my previous mission, both my contracts and I came into contact with Abyssal energy. It was during that mission that my contract, Aegis, developed the ability to expel abyssal energy—an ability that was likely the reason I was included in this important mission. However, even if Aegis expelled any energy in myself or other contracts, it's possible that some kind of residual presence remains. Maybe these things could sense it. Maybe to them, I'm like an intruder on their territory, something that doesn't belong."
'The best lies are mixed in with a bit of truth…' Aegis did awaken the ability to purify Abyssal energy in his last mission—a skill that all of his previous teammates saw and reported to the Order. However, Kain himself had never been contaminated with any Abyssal energy—atleast to the best of his knowledge.
Jamie's brow furrowed. "That's… not a bad explanation. Since these things were likely created to fight the Abyss, maybe they were reacting to that."
Kain shrugged. "It's just a possibility. But given how they acted, it's the only thing that makes sense to me."
Serena barely resisted the urge to scowl while rolling her eyes. He was lying.
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She had spent enough time around Kain to recognize when he was being deliberately misleading. The way his fingers twitched slightly, the way his gaze flickered to her for half a second before returning to Zareth—tiny tells, but ones she'd learned to recognize after all this time.
Not to mention, his tone was too steady, his delivery too practiced. He wasn't even trying to work through the logic of it—he had prepared this answer in advance. He had expected this question.
But the others didn't know him like she did. Jamie, Lina and Pete didn't seem to have any doubts. Or if they did they covered it up very well.
Kain continued, his voice measured. "Regardless, if that's the case, we'll need to account for it moving forward. If these things are naturally attracted to me, then we should assume future encounters will play out the same way."
Zareth didn't look entirely convinced, but after a moment, he exhaled and shook his head. "You're right. We need to be more careful, then. If these things are going to be drawn to you, we can't afford to get caught off guard."
Jamie grunted in agreement. "Next time, we should set up defensive barriers first. Several of our contracts can set up mobile ones as we move. It'll slow down our progress and be draining for them, but safety will improve "
Kain nodded looking very please…with what exactly , Serena couldn't quite tell. "That would be smart."
Serena didn't say anything.
She glanced at him one last time, watching as he helped Aegis repair the damage to his form. The others were settling down, tending to their wounds, their fatigue catching up with them.
For the first time since she had started watching him, she realized how little she actually understood Kain.
The others would brush this off, believe his explanation, and move on.
She wouldn't.
Not this time. Not when she knew the next one being drained might be herself rather than those creatures.
———————–
Later.
The cavern had quieted. The others slept, their breathing steady, their contracts curled protectively around them. Only the faint glow of dying embers lit the space.
Serena waited until she was certain no one would wake. Then she moved.
Kain sat against the far wall, his back to the stone, his eyes closed. But she knew he wasn't asleep.
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Using both the Starweaver and Balens to set up soundproof barriers as added insurance, Serena began their much needed conversation.
"You're lying to them," she said, her voice low and sharp.
His eyes opened. There was no surprise in them. Just a quiet resignation.
He didn't deny it.
Silence stretched between them. Then—
"I know you saw what happened when I lost control before," he said finally. "The hunger and the way I looked at you probably scared you." His fingers flexed, as if remembering the sensation. "I know that this ability freaks you out, but I can control it—"
"Bullshit!" Serena exclaimed. "You expect me to believe, all of a sudden, that you can just control it like that?" Serena snapped her fingers to accentuate her point.
After a deep breath, she continued, "If they find out—"
"They won't." His gaze locked onto hers. "Because you're not going to tell them."
She stiffened.
He wasn't threatening her. He wasn't even pleading. He was stating a fact.
And that was what infuriated her most.
"You don't know that," she hissed.
"I do." He leaned forward slightly, the firelight casting shadows across his face. "Because if you were going to, you would've done it already."
Her fingers clenched around her dagger, ready to stab him.
Kain didn't flinch. "I'm not your enemy, Serena."
"Then stop acting like one."
Another silence.
Then, abruptly, she turned away.
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Time passed, but due to the lack of a sun or moon underground to measure its passing, it was not measured in days but in battles.
'Abomination number 53…no, actually, this may be 54 now…'
Even Kain, who had been enthusiastically mowing through them, was feeling it wearing him down—much less the others who didn't receive any benefits while fighting.
However, regardless of their exhaustion they kept moving forward—not that their attackers would let them rest for too long anyways.
Not to mention, despite approaching what they assumed to be the center of the underground ruins, the conditions of the tunnels and caverns worsened.
The deeper they ventured into the underground ruins, the more the path twisted and narrowed, pushing them through cracked stone tunnels and over half-collapsed, trembling bridges that dropped into seemingly bottomless abysses.
But, having faith that the symbol at the center of the map was truly the location of the relic core, they didn't turn back—no matter how skeptical some of them were beginning to get.
But in this bleak atmosphere, there were some bright spots.
After the last update that some System functions were restored, Kain had enthusiastically called upon the System while the others were sleeping, only to be notified that the only function restored at the time was the Shop…
The Shop that only displayed a limited number of objects and rarely had something he felt was necessary. But at least it was something…
Secondly, no longer shackled by Kain's lower-level, Bea was ready to advance again. Unfortunately, while Kain no longer held her back, her current evolutionary form did:
———
Species: Apex Mindshard Amoeba
…
Quality: Platinum
Type: Microorganism (Amoeba)
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Attribute: Mental
Skills:
…
———
And without the Simulator provided by the System, Kain didn't dare risk having her evolve blindly. The best-case scenario would be a powerful form he achieved by sheer luck—which was extremely unlikely.
Another, more likely, possibility would be that the evolution failed—which honestly wouldn't be too bad except for some temporary sequelae and the wasted materials.
But the absolute worst-case scenario would be Bea evolving into a significantly weaker form. And given Kain's luck recently, this was entirely possible.
But today may actually change all of that. After killing 53 (or 54?) of the abominations, and admittedly absorbing energy from certain objects when he felt as though Serena wasn't looking, the System finally had enough energy to unlock a second function.
As if answering all of Kain's prayers, Kain finally had access to the Laboratory again, which he quickly went to enthusiastically.
Due to the System's fusion with Pangea, the locations of the System's functions were no longer so abstract…as the System brief alluded to, they would all likely appear now as physical spaces that exist on Pangea.
That night Kain closed his eyes and entered Pangea—or, more specifically, the representation of the System on the planet.
The transition was seamless, as if he were simply blinking between realities.
Kain's consciousness materialized at the base of a towering mountain that had erupted from Pangea's surface not long after the System's fusion.
Before him, the mountain rose impossibly high, its upper reaches shrouded in swirling white clouds that glowed faintly with an inner light.
The path upward was paved with smooth, iridescent stone that shimmered between jade green and sapphire blue depending on the angle of view—a fusion of Eastern celadon glaze and European stained-glass artistry.
Thud
"Oooowwaahh!" Kain looked to the side to see what appeared to be a baby tiger-like spiritual creature, that didn't even reach his knees, slam headfirst into an invisible barrier surrounding the mountain.
When this massive glowing mountain resembling a holy land suddenly appeared on Pangea, naturally it had been an object of intense curiosity.
Everything from the weakest rodent-like creature to Aurem had visited it and attempted to enter…unsuccessfully.
Nobody but Kain was able to enter without his permission.
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Eventually, all of the creatures got used to and ignored the mountain, but the odd young one would still try to approach and be knocked away…like now.
Smiling slightly, Kain walked past the disgruntled cub that couldn't see him to the beginning of the path, and began his march upward.
As Kain ascended, the steps subtly reshaped themselves underfoot, forming intricate reliefs of coiled dragons, mythical figures, shining constellations and more—blending images from various cultures.
At the mountain's first plateau stood the Shop. Before, when the System was still separate, its Shop had been a sterile, holographic interface. Functional. Cold. Efficient.
But now, it was no longer a flat computer-like interface but a physical structure that took Kain's breath away the first time he saw it.
The Shop pavilion had sweeping, upturned eaves—reminiscent of a Song dynasty building—were gilded with veins of a magical metal that pulsed like living amber. Yet the columns supporting the ceiling were more close to the Greco-Roman style, their surfaces etched with thousands of glowing constellations.
When Kain had first entered the building, there had been a single polished wooden table at the center of the intricate room. Upon it rested that week's offerings for sale. Each item was real now. Tangible. Not just a name and string of stats.
No longer merely flat 2D images. Now they were tangible artifacts that Kain could pick up and test out, but not leave the building with unless purchased.
The only thing to break the sense of immersion was the blue holographic text that hovered faintly in the air above each object, offering succinct descriptions and their prices.
But now, eager to see the new location and appearance of the System Laboratory, Kain did not enter it again, he continued on his journey upward.
Eventually, Kain reached the peak of the mountain, with no other buildings appearing along the way.
The Laboratory, as Kain's most used function of the System, was given the honor of resting at the peak of the mountain.
At the very center of the peak, where once there had been only mist, a new structure now dominated the skyline.
It loomed like a temple dedicated to a god, and had an almost overwhelming grandeur.
Its wide entrance was framed by pillars of white-gold stone etched with constellations that shimmered and shifted faintly. Massive, arched windows were scattered along the outer walls, shaped like lotus flowers and stained with vibrant colors that changed in the lighting.
The domed roof at the center gleamed and reflected the sky, covered in dark silver tiles that almost resembled dragon scales.
The buildings white walls ended in curved eaves as well, keeping to a similar architectural theme as the Shop.
Hanging gardens floated around the building on platforms of translucent crystal that floated in the sky, each one glowing faintly with a violet energy. A large, intricate bronze door stood closed at the main entrance, carved with patterns that seemed to shift by the second—one moment a calm nature scene, the next an epic battle.
The Laboratory had been remade into something that could rival the Empire's royal palace in grandeur and uniqueness.
The architecture was impossible to define—part eastern pagoda, part western cathedral, wholly alien.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!The massive bronze doors to the Laboratory opened without a sound, as if the building was welcoming its master home.
Inside, Kain stepped into a vast circular foyer—eerily silent, yet not empty. The air hummed with energy, each breath filled with the cool, sterile scent of filtered mana.
The ceiling arched impossibly high above, made of a metal of glass that wasn't glass—something translucent and semi-luminous that allowed the sky to be viewed from within.
The floor was smooth white stone, reminiscent of marble but warmer to the touch, and had seemingly natural thin silver lines in the 'marble' that upon closer inspection appeared to form figures resembling sigils and geometric arrays beneath his feet.
The foyer itself was minimalist compared to the grand exterior, but it was cohesive in the architectural style. Instead of feeling cold and clinical, it felt sacred, like the threshold to something ancient and divine.
Three hallways branched from the foyer, each equally ornate—arched frames, flickering mana lanterns hanging at intervals, and walls that seemed to pulse faintly with life.
Unfortunately, Kain had no idea where any of them led.
"…System?" he asked dryly, folding his arms. "Little help here?"
A beat passed, and when Kain almost thought the System was just ignoring him, a ding sounded.
Above each hallway, bright blue holographic letters blinked into view—utterly modern and completely out of place, like a giant LED sign inside a grand temple. Completely shattering the aesthetics of the space.
Kain stared.
The hallway to his left read:
[Storage Hall]
The hallway to the center read:
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[Laboratory]
And the final hallway, to the right read:
[The Cradle (Currently locked)]
Kain's eyes lingered on the third option. The Cradle? That was new.
The Storage Hall Kain could easily assume was where all of the objects he'd been storing in the Laboratory were kept.
The Laboratory was quite obviously…the Laboratory. And all of the experimental equipment, including the Simulator, would be there.
But 'the Cradle'…Kain had no idea what that was. Perhaps it was a new function that would have become available if the System upgrade had proceeded as normal?
Unfortunately, it was currently locked, otherwise, Kain would have been tempted to venture into it.
But not today.
Kain walked forward, stepping into the hallway labelled Laboratory, his mind already shifting into work mode.
He had a mission.
Bea needed a new evolutionary form.
The walls became sleeker the deeper he walked, panels of soft, pulsing white and gunmetal gray woven into the more traditional architecture of the building. Every step forward was like crossing from a palace into a starship—and yet, the transition never felt jarring.
Then, the hallway opened up.
Kain entered the Laboratory proper.
It was not quite like the sterile white cube of before.
The new lab was a seamless blend of the cold efficiency he remembered and the transcendent architecture of the rest of the building.
The domed ceiling soared overhead, its surface a mural of geometric figures that looked like a fusion between star maps and genetic sequences.
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Instead of sterile metal counters and machines, the tables were now a rich dark wood that gave off energy, while the machines maintained their original appearances but had slight adjustments to add an antique feeling. Crystal terminals hovered just above the tables or near the machines, ready to display data or launch simulations. Glowing glass tubes—both vertical and horizontal—lined the walls, containing various specimens, mostly microbes, he'd collected over time and kept in the System-provided incubator.
A low chime sounded as Kain walked across the lab, triggering an automated system.
[Welcome back, Master.]
[Laboratory functions are fully restored]
Kain looked to the right to see a familiar, yet unfamiliar, figure—VERA, his Versatile Experimental Research Assistant —floating toward him.
Her core silhouette was still reminiscent of the sleek, egg-shaped design from before—rounded body, smooth glossy surface, arms that hovered slightly apart from her form—but she had changed.
Where once VERA had been stark white and minimal, her new form shimmered with a pearlescent silver that shifted gently with the ambient light, like moonlight catching the surface of still water. Thin, circuit-like lines traced across her metal shell in intricate patterns, softly glowing with pale gold.
Her originally plain circle eyes, now glowed and shifted between various colours and were a lot more expressive, capable of squinting, smiling, rolling, and more.
"VERA," Kain greeted, tilting his head. "New look?"
[I have adapted to better align with the Laboratory's current aesthetic,] she replied in her usual calm, polished tone. Then, her tone shifted slightly—less robotic, more conversational. [I took the liberty of integrating local artistic motifs with my chassis design. User feedback suggested the prior version was described as 'sterile.']
"That was one time," Kain muttered. "I also said you looked like a cartoon I knew. Why do you only hear the negative? I didn't think you'd take it that personally."
[I do not possess the capacity for offense,] VERA responded primly. [But I do possess memory logs.]
Kain sighed and gestured to the room. "Looks like everything's up and running again."
[Affirmative. Evolutionary simulators, trait editors, and other equipment—all primary and secondary functions are online. I have also updated all experimental logs, including flagged anomalies you placed on standby during the System outage.]
VERA floated beside him, projecting a small screen in front of them. On it appeared Bea's current form: the Apex Mindshard Amoeba.
[It is sensed that Master's current spiritual contract, nicknamed 'Bea,' has reached its current genetic ceiling and is no longer able to progress," VERA stated. "Am I correct in assuming bypassing its genetic limitations is the current goal of this laboratory visit?]
"Yeah," Kain said, eyes narrowing. "Start by pulling up all evolutionary base materials I currently have or have ever had access to and that, according to your calculations, would fit Bea."
[Initializing parameters. This may take several minutes,] VERA said, and the projection of Bea on the screen next to the Simulator expanded, forming a three-dimensional model of Bea in the air, slowly rotating. Tendrils of light spun outward from the artificial projection of Bea like a web, each line representing a possible path. Most ended in grey dead ends. Some pulsed green—viable. And many more glowed red—dangerous.
With each passing second the majority of these 'paths' were being analyzed and removed by Vera until a small number of green lines connected to Bea remained.
"Excellent. Let's see what Bea's next form will be…"
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!Naturally, VERA's calculations couldn't give Kain the final evolutionary forms of Bea—Kain would need to use the Simulator and spend what little Source Points he had to activate each run.
However, VERA was able to run her own mental calculations to come up with evolutionary formulas that would be the most likely to work—which is what she was showing Kain now.
Unfortunately, she could not accurately predict the final form, otherwise, Kain would have a way to get a downgraded simulation for free in a sense.
There were 55 evolutionary base materials VERA identified as resulting in a positive evolutionary result—one that would get Bea to diamond grade.
'No way… why are there so many? There is no way that I have come into contact with that many high-level evolutionary materials of the mental attribute.'
Kain expressed his confusion to VERA, who paused in thought, seeming to be processing his question.
[My calculations have determined that Master does have access to 2437 evolutionary base materials of attributes suitable for the 'Bea.' Only 55 of which will result in a positive outcome.]
"Where?! If I have such a ridiculous amount of resources, shouldn't I know?!"
[Processing request…Locations of objects will be displayed momentarily.] VERA said as its eyes began flashing frantically while completing the task.
[Locating complete. 3 of the 55 materials are in the Storage Hall, 1 is in the Master's space ring, and the remaining 51 are at these locations:]
Suddenly a 3D map of the planet of Pangea appeared with 51 lit points marking various objects. Some of the lit points appeared to be on land, some underground, others under water, and some were even moving.
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Kain instinctively leaned forward, eyes narrowing. There were places on the map he hadn't even explored yet, some tucked into corners of Pangea formed only recently.
It was only at this moment that Kain fully understood the full extent of the treasure trove he was sitting on.
Indeed, now that Pangea had improved greatly, the quality of the materials produced by the planet has bloomed exponentially—to the point now where even his own contracts could use them to evolve.
But looking at the numerous spots of light, while his heart was filled with elation, it was also filled with exhaustion at having to filter through 55 evolutionary forms—maybe even more if he combined materials.
"Is there any way you could cut down the number of materials to the absolute best?" Kain looked at VERA hopefully.
[Processing request…request completed]
The map in front of Kain briefly disappeared before reappearing again…the exact same!
"What's the difference?!"
[A single material was sensed to be damaged and removed. Now only 50 are being displayed.]
"…"
Finally, a flash of insight struck Kain. "Also, remove any that have redundant functions or would likely lead to the same evolutionary form! Just show the better or easier to find one."
VERA's eyes once again flashed frantically for several more minutes before a new simpler map appeared before Kain…with still 27 points of light.
"Sigh…It's still quite a lot but still an improvement I guess." With a thought, Kain focused on a point of light and willed his body there.
He appeared in a clearing not far from Aurem's territory where a giant rhinoceros was slumbering—likely one of Aurem's new underlings.
Kain's eyes instantly fixed on its glowing massive horn and sensed that this was likely one of the objects. However, he decided against killing it when he may not need its horn anyways and moved onto the next location.
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Kain blinked out of existence near the rhinoceros and reappeared atop a jagged cliffside where a pool of liquid moonlight shimmered between the rocks. The silver fluid strangely hummed with mental energy, its surface rippling with various unfamiliar phantom images—memories from those creatures unfortunate enough to fall into it.
"Interesting." Kain had never heard of anything similar on Earth, and even if Bea didn't use it, he was curious about its abilities. He scooped quite a bit of it into a crystal vial that materialized in his hand.
His next stop was a cavern deep beneath Pangea's eastern ocean, where bioluminescent fungi clung to the walls in pulsating constellations. At the center grew a single black orchid, its petals threaded with veins of gold.
The moment Kain touched it, a wave of drowsy contentment washed over him. He harvested it carefully, making sure its roots remained intact before storing it carefully.
The next destination took Kain to the base of a cliffside crater, where a pulsing violet crystal jutted out from between the fractured rocks.
It looked almost like a cluster of amethyst spears, except each shard seemed to hum softly with a tone that made Kain's temples ache slightly the longer he remained.
He reached out to touch it, but the stone was anchored deep within the cliff and couldn't be extracted without damage.
"Tch. Not getting this one either…" he muttered, stepping back. Still, he kept his eyes on it for several seconds longer, letting the sight burn into his memory. That was all he needed for now to run the simulations.
Unfortunately, despite VERA's ability to sense suitable objects on Pangea and the fusion between the System and Pangea, the limitation of needing to personally see the objects remained. So after travelling to every location and taking what he could, he returned to the Laboratory.
In total, he was able to bring back 16, plus the 4 he already had in possession.
He set the objects down on a rich dark-wood table near the Simulator in neat rows, and then walked toward the Simulator and placed his palm on the central crystal interface. It hummed to life. A warm pulse traveled up his arm and into his core, almost like it was resonating with any remnant Source energy inside of him. A feeling he'd never received when the System used GP.
[Available Source Points: 8]
[Each evolutionary simulation requires 1 SP. Confirm usage?]
"Ugh!"
Due to the success of his current career, it had been a long time since Kain had felt so poor.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!Kain stood in front of the Simulator, the crystal interface still glowing faintly beneath his palm. The warmth had faded, replaced by a cool steadiness—as if the machine itself were waiting for him to make a choice.
He didn't make it yet.
Instead, he turned away and looked back at the neatly arranged materials on the dark-wood table. Twenty objects lay there. Sixteen recovered from Pangea. Four more from his own collection. Yet, even with VERA's data and analysis, the options were overwhelming.
He only had enough points for eight simulations.
Thankfully, SP seemed to be far more potent than GP—just 1 SP could power a full evolutionary simulation, where 100 GP had once been required for a single run.
However, SP was also far, far harder to collect. Kain had killed dozens of abominations, and absorbed Source energy from several objects… but he still had only eight SP. Only eight!
Most of the Source Points were being siphoned away by the System to continue repairing itself. It was hard not to feel discouraged.
Given the small amount of SP, each combination of objects had to be meticulously analyzed before he committed.
Fortunately, he had access to a greater depth of information than VERA as the 'master' of Pangea.
One by one, he delved into the objects, and after going back and forth for what felt like hours, seven objects remained. Five of which he had in his possession:
The silver liquid resembling moonlight, occasionally showing unfamiliar images and memories.
A black orchid exuding soft mental static, soothing and dangerous in its potency.
A strange colorless moss, nearly transparent, that was able to absorb thoughts like water. When Kain wrung out the 'wet' moss like a rag, muffled voices he recognized as his own thoughts could even be heard!
A pink-orange coral retrieved from the ocean depths, humming with an energy that made it difficult to think.
A gnarled root that pulsed like a slow hypnotizing heartbeat, capable of taking control of ones body if they gazed too long at it.
Plus the two objects Kain hadn't yet been able to bring back:
The amethyst crystal lodged untouched in the cliff Kain had been unable to excavate.
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And finally… the rhinoceros horn, still very much attached to the head of its owner. At least for now, unless Kain decided he needed it.
———————–
Thousands of miles away…
"Huh?"
A deep grunt left the slumbering rhino as it shot awake, a chill racing down its thick spine. Its massive horn flickered faintly, glowing with a white pulse of warning.
The beast blinked its small eyes blearily, ears twitching as it scanned the surroundings. Nothing. No predators, no ominous weather. Just sun, wind, and grass.
But the feeling lingered.
Something… or someone… had stared at him. Hard. With the same sort of gaze herbivores feel right before a pack of wolves shows up. Except this felt even more dangerous.
The rhino snorted anxiously. Nope.
Not taking chances.
With a sudden urgency, he galloped across the plain and crashed his way toward the mountain where his "Boss" resided. That overgrown lizard scared the dung out of him most days—but his new Boss was the strongest creature he'd ever seen. And if someone was plotting against him, they'd have to go through his Boss first.
'Maybe if I show up looking extra eager today, I'll even get promoted!' he thought, puffing his chest out proudly.
'Boss Scary Scales respected ambition… probably'
————————-
Back in the Laboratory…
Unaware that his brief covetous thoughts had kickstarted the rhino's career development arc, Kain focused on the four objects not from Pangea.
They couldn't be analyzed through his bond with the planet, and even VERA's scans had limited insights. However, the three items kept in the Storage Hall had been at least loosely appraised in the past.
He picked them up one by one.
The first was a chunk of Calcified Thoughtstone—said to amplify memory retention. He had bought it to help with studying the additional knowledge from the Pathfinders and his second-year college courses. Useful, but Bea didn't really need it.
The second, a silver feather from a being that once preyed on dream-beasts. It was potent in theory, but also volatile. Kain saw little benefit in giving Bea something that might cause unpredictable and unstable hallucinations.
The third was a sphere of hardened starlight stone. It absorbed any mental or spiritual power that tried to examine it. It possessed both star and mental attributes, but it would probably aid in Bea's concealment abilities rather than combat ones. He ruled it out too.
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That left one. The object he'd obtained from this relic—the one object he knew absolutely nothing about.
A fist-sized stone. Smooth, matte black. Irregular edges, as though it had broken off from something greater. Just beneath its surface, faint silver threads shimmered and wove like spider silk trapped in amber.
Kain stared at it.
There was no feedback from it. No spikes in energy. No hum of resonance.
But as his hand hovered above it, a strange sensation coiled in his gut.
It was a pull. Gentle. Almost like someone nudging him from behind.
He brushed his fingertips over it.
The moment he touched it, he felt a flicker—not in himself, but through the thread of connection to Bea. The amoeba-like contract stirred, ever so slightly, as if aware. Interested.
"…You feel that too, huh?" Kain murmured.
VERA's voice rang out beside him, crisp and clinical.
[Unknown relic remains unclassified. No known evolutionary branches or information about evolutionary effects can be determined.]
[Recommendation given the limited number of trials: Do not waste a simulation.]
He ignored it.
Kain placed the dark stone at the front of the chosen materials. It was rare, but spiritual creatures could sense evolutionary materials very beneficial to themselves. So although he didn't know its purpose, he was willing to take the gamble.
Eight trials.
Eight known candidates—many of which he may want to try in combination with one another.
He moved back to the Simulator and laid a palm on the crystal.
"Alright… let's start with the gamble."
[Simulation Request Detected. 1 SP will be consumed.]
Kain exhaled slowly.
"Confirm."
The Simulator lit up—soft at first, then blindingly.
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———————
Species: Apex Mindshard Amoeba
"An advanced form…
…"
Quality: Platinum
Type: Microorganism (Amoeba)
Attribute: Mental
SS-Mindshard Manipulation: The Apex Mindshard Amoeba can fragment a target's mind into separate cognitive shards, each containing different memories and aspects of their identity. It can then permanently manipulate, erase, or reassemble these shards to alter the victim's perception of its present and past reality or to temporarily completely control their actions. Erasure of all mind shards will lead to death. Erasures and manipulations of mind shards are only possible for targets up to one grade higher.
SS-Threaded Dominion: By utilizing mental-attribute threads, the Apex Mindshard Amoeba can send splits of itself that can exert up to 90% of the original bodies' strength to numerous targets over vast distances. Skills performed by splits can only affect those equal to or lower in level than the Mindshard Amoeba.
SS-Abyssal Subjugation (New): The Apex Mindshard Amoeba can bypass the mental defenses of Abyssals and corrupted creatures, dulling their connection to the "Great Mother" and redirecting their allegiance to itself. This skill is only effective on Abyssals of equal or lower level.
S-Mental Veil: This advanced protection mechanism allows the Apex Mindshard Weaver to hide its presence from entities with spiritual power up to two grades higher, while simultaneously maintaining control over its puppets, ensuring minimal interference.
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S-Contagion of Will (New): The Apex Mindshard Amoeba's splits can now divide and spread like a mental virus, infecting the minds of nearby targets after repeated contact with a creature already possessing one of the splits.
A-Mental Nexus: This ability establishes a powerful network of shared consciousness among all connected targets, allowing the Apex Mindshard Weaver to communicate and coordinate strategies instantaneously.
A-Memory Siphon: This ability allows the Apex Mindshard to siphon and store the most crucial memories from its victims, transforming them into a reservoir of knowledge and power. There is a very small chance of Bea developing new skills based off of these siphoned memories.
A-Mind Chorus: This skill bombards the target's mind with a chaotic symphony of phantom voices, disrupting their concentration and decision-making. The mental assault causes confusion and paranoia, rendering the target's thoughts fragmented and actions clumsy for a short duration. It is extremely effective on spiritual creatures up to one grade higher, and its effectiveness decreases the larger the level gap.
B-Psychic Assimilation: By consuming extracted memories, the Dominion of Oblivion Amoeba enhances its spiritual power and cognitive abilities.
—————–
Currently, the amoeba produces splits of herself that possess the ability to control the bodies of people they infect. These splits could not originally divide and continue the spread on their own, but after making a breakthrough during one of Kain's previous missions and realizing the skill 'Contagion of Will,' Bea's capabilities to spread now more closely resemble the horrifying diseases witnessed in his past life.
However, a shortcoming that Bea possessed that Kain hoped to improve upon in this evolution would be her limited methods of discretely infecting others.
Since Bea was unable to walk herself, Kain had initially given her mental attribute threads to deliver her splits to targets and improve her mobility. However, this method is still not perfect.
The threads, while less noticeable in chaotic environments or when targeting weaker individuals, are quite noticeable to creatures stronger than Bea.
Therefore, Kain had three goals for this next form:
Firstly, to continue strengthening her abilities to control the mind and read memories.
Secondly, to maintain and even strengthen this 'virus-like' ability for her splits to spread from one host to another with prolonged contact.
And lastly, to improve upon her current mode of delivery to new hosts.
Unfortunately, Kain was unsure if this first Simulation using the mysterious object from the relic would result in all of these benefits.
Gradually, the bright light meant to mimic the light of evolution faded, and Kain saw the new potential form that Bea may take on using only the unknown object.
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The new appearance still resembled a translucent amoeba but now had silver vein-like latticework branching in patterns like frost on glass and resembled the silver veins present in the black stone.
————-
Species: Pale Sovereign Amoeba
Quality: Diamond
Type: Microorganism (Amoeba)
Attribute: Mental, Abyssal
A unique mental-abyssal attribute organism born from the fusion of deep cognitive manipulation and invasive abyssal corruption. Its signature ability lies in the formation of a Pale Thought Field—an omnipresent mental field surrounding it in which its influence and infection can spread autonomously.
Though still retaining its core identity as a mental manipulator, its methods are more refined, more insidious. The Pale Sovereign does not dominate with force—it corrodes certainty, identity, and allegiance from within. Hosts often don't realize they've been compromised until it's far too late.
Skills:
X-Pale Thought Field: Pale Sovereign emits a passive mental-aberration field. All creatures within range are susceptible to silent infection by microscopic splits (or echoes), which anchor themselves in the host's subconscious. Each echo can also generate its own weaker field, allowing for host-to-host spread with prolonged exposure. Effective in creatures up to one grade higher.
SSS-Abyssal Inversion: This skill warps the spiritual signature of nearby Abyssal creatures, twisting their allegiance from the "Great Mother" toward Bea. Affected beings begin to perceive the Sovereign as a higher authority. The inversion grows stronger the longer the creature remains within her field. It is particularly effective on fractured or unstable minds. Effective in creatures equal to or lesser in strength.
SS – The Colourless Archive: Retains the original Mindshard abilities but now stores extracted cognitive shards in a long-term memory archive. These archives allow Bea to replicate personalities, mimic behaviors, or rerun experiences across hosts, creating perfect impostors for infiltration or espionage. There is a very small chance of developing new skills based off of the archived memories.
SS – Echo Bloom: Instead of producing standard splits, the Sovereign can create "Echoes"—reflections of herself that drift invisibly, only becoming active upon contact with a sentient mind. Each Echo acts as an autonomous beacon and sleeper agent.
SS – Pale Fog: Generates a psionic haze that dulls resistance and skepticism. Inside this field, ideas and commands from the Pale Sovereign are accepted more readily—even by those not fully under control. The effects scale with proximity and time exposed. Effective in creatures up to one grade higher.
S – Phantom Directive: The Sovereign can implant delayed-action mental commands into infected targets. These instructions trigger based on environmental cues or emotional states, allowing precise manipulation across vast distances and time that would be undetectable upon exploration by even violet-grade spiritual creatures. Psychological hints can only be placed in creatures equal to or weaker in strength.
System Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5-stars)
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What's with the 'System Rating'? You never used to provide that before. What exactly does it even mean? Is this form strong?" Kain asked VERA in confusion.
[This was a new system function provided after the update to better assist Master in choosing the ideal evolutionary form. However, it does not necessarily reflect the combat abilities of the form after evolution. As Master will later discover, future improvements in quality or strength will not be based on straightforward evolutions but a realization of a Domain. The System Rating is a reflection of the maximum potential the Domain this species may realize—whether it can live up to its full potential will be up to itself and Master.]
"Domain…" Kain thought in puzzlement, he'd heard briefly about this topic before. He also knew that realization of this 'domain' was the key to upgrading from a mid-level blue-grade spiritual creature to a high-level indigo-grade spiritual creature. He also knew that it was probably the greatest hurdle that stopped many geniuses.
Even the Order, practically an incubator for the greatest young talents in the Empire, typically would have its members stalled an average of 7 years at blue-grade before having a contract able to advance to indigo-grade.
Many may not ever have a spiritual creature make that leap.
However, such topics had always felt too far away from him, and were naturally not included in the College curriculum until the senior year, so he knew very little about the specifics.
"Is a rating of 4.5-stars good?"
[The maximum number of stars is 5. A rating of 4.5-stars is close to the highest provided by the System. This represents the possibility of Bea realizing a top Domain if she were to evolve into this form. However, the likelihood of realizing this Domain, while possible, is extremely slim. More often than not, creatures with high potential will still realize an average Domain]
"Top Domain…average Domain…" Kain vowed to do far more extensive research on domains once he went back, only vaguely understanding what was meant by what VERA said.
"Maybe I can ask Zareth, the only remaining 7-star member of our team, for more info later…but that's not the most important task now. Even if the rating is 4.5-stars, I may get something better or it may not necessarily be the most suitable form for Bea. Time to test the others…"
————
Kain quickly used up all of his remaining simulations.
After testing a couple of the other objects alone and receiving only 2-3 star ratings. Kain decided to use his remaining attempts in conjunction with the unknown object from the ruins that got him his highest rating so far at 4.5-stars.
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Unfortunately, the results seemed to be even worse once other objects were added:
Grey Bloom Amoeba (the relic stone and black orchid): ★★☆ (2.5-stars)
Neurospora Amoeba (the relic stone and transparent moss): ★★ (2-stars)
Mnemory Amoeba (the relic stone and strange silver liquid): ★★★☆ (3.5-stars)
…
Until finally, on his last try, he achieved a rating of ★★★★★ (5-stars).
Strangely enough, this evolutionary form was still called the Pale Sovereign Amoeba, with all of the same skills, but just the addition of one more skill that didn't even seem that significant to Kain increased the rating. A skill that definitely did not seem deserving of such an increase in rating at first glance. But he wasn't going to complain, maybe its true might will show later on:
"S – Empty Throne Effect: A passive skill that allows Bea to always leave a trace of herself in a place where one of her former hosts has died. It is merely a subtle "mark," like a scar in the mental fabric of the area. Weak individuals who come near may experience a feeling of déjà vu, unease, or misplaced grief. Eventually, if enough 'empty thrones' are formed in an area, she can faintly link them together into a web of presence."
Annoyingly, this form required the black stone from the ruins and one of the two evolutionary materials Kain hadn't yet brought back to the lab…
—————–
Thousands of miles away, in the territory of Aurem…
After brushing up his presence in front of his Boss for a few hours, the feeling of uneasiness began to abate slightly from the Mindrhino
It must be because whatever was targeting him was scared off by the presence of the Boss!
The rhino was pleased with its own quick-wittedness in immediately finding backup once it detected a threat.
And it seems like the Boss took notice of his enthusiasm! The Boss had tasked him with a very important duty this morning: guarding a pile of stones that smelled funny. Such an important duty must represent that he was valued and trusted!
He had done his rounds. Trotted proudly in a wide circle, trampled two spiders the size of his toe, and even gave a warning snort to a sharp-fanged cat that looked at the pile too long.
Yes. He was excellent at this.
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Then the resting Boss stirred.
The giant shadow—his Boss—lifted its monstrous head, long golden whiskers twitching in annoyance. The rhino froze mid-step and quickly turned, watching as Aurem tilted his face upward. That alone would've been enough to make the rhino nervous.
The Boss never looked up. Not unless something stupid—or suicidal—was daring to fly above him.
The rhino followed his Boss's gaze slowly.
And then he saw it.
A small, pink, hairless creature. Limbs too thin. No claws, no fangs. Its feet dangled beneath it as it floated—no wings, no flapping, no support. Just there. Above them.
It was making eye contact with the Boss.
And worse—
Then it looked at him.
The rhino's heart nearly stopped. The instant that gaze met his, a bone-deep terror gripped him.
He knew. He knew. This was the being that had been watching him before. The one whose attention had felt like many needles were repeatedly stabbing into him. The one that made his instincts scream danger, danger, DANGER.
His legs quivered. His bladder made a valiant effort not to release itself. He pressed himself behind the Boss's hindleg, trying to shrink his massive form into a pebble.
Why was it here? Why was it floating? How dare it hover above the Boss like it was superior?! Was it suicidal? Or was it…was it stronger?
His knees wobbled even more.
Then, the sounds began.
The floating ugly hairless ape and the Boss began exchanging strange noises—soft, clipped sounds that didn't sound like the proper growls or hisses or tail-thumps the spiritual creatures usually used to communicate. Therefore, the rhino, unfortunately couldn't understand any of it.
And then—
They both looked at him.
Trickle trickle…at the shared gazes, the rhino's bladder lost the fight.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you soThe air shimmered faintly like a heat wave.
One moment, he was behind the Boss's leg, still shivering and damp with shame. The next—he wasn't.
There was no flash of light, no rumbling of the ground, no sound at all. Just a sudden shift.
The pile of important, yet smelly, stones was gone. The towering presence of the Boss was gone.
The ground beneath him was flat now and rocky. Cold. And not like the familiar soft grass where he called home.
The rhino looked around frantically, he stood atop of a cliff…that he was now at the edge of.
The only living thing in this new, dead-quiet space was him.
And the small, hairless ape.
It stood—no, floated—a short distance away, utterly silent. Its thin limbs didn't look strong enough to lift a stone. Its eyes were dark, sunken. Its expression was calm. Too calm.
It stared at him. Just stared.
And the rhino began to panic.
He stomped backward—then forward—then spun in a small circle, snorting loudly. No scent trails to find his way back home. No other creatures to call for help. No Boss. Not even a certain sharp-fanged cat to bait in his place.
The ape raised a hand slightly.
The rhino froze, all four legs locked.
Was this it?
Was this strange, ugly little beast going to erase him? What kind of twisted predator abducted someone in broad daylight, brought them to a place with no smell, no sky, and no sound—and then just stared?
He let out a long, low wail. His horn dipped toward the floor. He tapped one hoof nervously. The ape said nothing. It still hadn't moved.
He tried speaking. A hopeful, confused grunt. Then a higher-pitched snort. Then, a whole sequence of warning bellows. But the ape didn't respond—not like creatures were supposed to.
No twitch of ears. No defensive posture. No retaliatory snarl.
Just… eyes. Watching him. Sizing up its prey?
Why, Boss? WHYYYY?!
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He had done nothing wrong! So why was he abandoned like this?!
He had been a good rhino. The best. He had guarded the rocks. He hadn't even eaten the moss around them, even though it looked extra juicy. He had helped the spiders die quickly and warned the sneaky cat fair and square.
So why?
What fate had he triggered? What divine rule had he broken?
He fell onto his knees—an awkward, heavy drop that cracked the strange flat ground beneath him—and tilted his head to the sky.
Tears the size of marbles rolled from his eyes.
He began to wail. Loud. The kind of cry that made small birds fly away and trees shiver. He cried like a calf. Big, echoing sobs that shook his whole body.
The rhino's voice cracked, but he didn't stop.
Why wasn't it over?
Why didn't the ape just end it already? Was it one of those weird creatures that liked to play with their prey before going in for the kill?
How horrible! This waiting was worse than being struck directly.
He hiccuped. Snorted pitifully. Then curled one leg beneath his chin and began rocking in place.
He sobbed again.
————————
'What the hell is wrong with this thing?' Kain thought in annoyance as the 'helper' Aurem had gotten for him turned into a useless blubbering mess.
'That damn lazy dragon…if he would have just helped me mine the crystals himself, I wouldn't need to put up with these irritating cries right now.'
Kain pinched the bridge of his nose as the rhino's sobbing somehow escalated. The creature had curled in on itself and was now doing a bizarre rocking motion that made it look like it was about to pass out.
He took a step forward. The wails spiked.
He sighed. Loudly. "Shut up."
The words came out sharper than intended—more bark than bite—but the effect was immediate. The rhino went stiff. One watery eye peeked up at him, quivering. Then, to Kain's surprise, the crying stopped. Instantly. Like someone had flipped a switch.
It blinked. Slowly. Sniffled once.
Kain narrowed his eyes. "…can you understand me?"
The rhino's ears twitched, but it didn't respond.
Figures.
Of course it couldn't understand him. None of the native beasts on Pangea could—not even the high-level ones. After all, how would they learn the languages of humans when they'd never met humans before. That had been precisely why Kain had gone to Aurem for help, since he was the only creature he could communicate with.
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He looked back at the edge of the cliff.
The small crater shimmered faintly, sunlight bouncing off jagged chunks of amethyst crystal. Mental-type, and pure ones at that. And extremely fragile. The angle of the cliff made excavation a nightmare—any normal method would risk shattering them.
Hence why he needed help.
Kain raised an arm and gestured toward the crater. Slowly. Deliberately.
The rhino's eyes followed the motion.
Then widened.
Its entire body tensed like it had been struck by lightning. With trembling limbs, it looked at Kain, then the cliff. Then back again.
And then it started crying again.
"What now?" Kain muttered, thoroughly exasperated.
The rhino let out a garbled moan that sounded like someone stepping on a tuba underwater. It shook its massive head violently, took a step back, and then collapsed onto its side, legs flailing in a clumsy attempt to scramble away from the crater.
"Are you seriously—" Kain cut himself off. "You think I'm trying to kill you?"
He could see it in the way the rhino kept glancing between him and the drop-off. The crater wasn't visible from where it lay, especially not with how deep the cut was into the rock. From the rhino's perspective, he must have looked like he was gesturing dramatically off the edge.
Kain exhaled, long and slow.
"You idiot," he said flatly.
The rhino sniffled.
Still frowning, Kain stomped once, then pointed again—this time more emphatically—at the crystals below. He even stepped aside slightly to give it a better angle.
The rhino hesitated, slowly uncurling. Its head tilted.
Then it crept forward. One hoof at a time, tail tucked in tight.
As it reached the edge, it peeked over the side… and finally saw.
The crystals glinted. Dozens of them. Maybe even hundreds.
The rhino stared.
Then back at Kain.
Then back at the crystals.
And then—without warning—it collapsed again. But not in fear this time. No, it crumpled to the ground in what could only be described as relief, legs splayed awkwardly, chest heaving from leftover panic.
"Sigh…this is going to be a long day."
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Thankfully, not long after realizing what Kain wanted—perhaps not wanting to irritate him even further—the rhino quickly got to work.
Its horn began to glow, faint at first, then steadily pulsing with a soft white light. Threads of shimmering energy wove around the violet amethyst-like crystal, forming delicate rings that hovered like halos just above the surface. The effect was oddly beautiful—mystical even—though the beauty of the scene was ruined by the way the rhino was still sniffling occasionally between careful movements.
It stepped down toward the crater with surprising delicacy for its large frame, the massive hooves carefully avoiding even the smallest crystal shards. Then, with the tip of its horn, it traced the air above the encircled crystal. A ripple passed through the amethyst and it began to vibrate and hum faintly before the stone detached from the cliff face without a single crack, floating gently into the air.
Kain only needed one crystal for Bea, but since he had this rhino here, and he felt these crystals were special, he had the rhino continue.
One by one, the rhino repeated the process. With every extraction, more of the mental-attribute crystals hovered next to its head, orbiting it in a loose ring like a crown of purple stars. The air around them thrummed with mental energy so potent it made Kain's skin crawl.
Kain raised an eyebrow. "…Huh. So the dragon wasn't lying."
Eventually, he gestured with a flick of his hand, and the largest crystal floated toward him. The rhino flinched—briefly thinking it was under attack again—but relaxed when Kain gave it a curt nod.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Kain was gone. As were all of the crystals, save for one of the largest ones Kain left to the rhino as a gift for its hard work.
Thankfully, as a non-living object, Kain was able to leave Pangea with the crystals, and his consciousness snapped back into place in the ancient ruins.
The familiar stone walls of the cavern they'd rested in for the night loomed around him. His team was spread across the chamber—Zareth was adjusting the straps on his spear holster, Pete and Jamie were kneeling beside a collapsed structure, brushing away sand and looking for anything salvageable, and Lina was preparing some stew-like rations for everyone's breakfast.
Kain blinked and rubbed at the side of his head. The faint mental buzz from Pangea still clung to his thoughts.
He checked the time. Several hours had passed and it looked like everyone was ready to continue moving.
So much for rest.
"Ahem," Kain cleared his throat, stepping forward. Everyone paused to look at him.
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Kain gave a short nod. "If possible, I'd like to take a short break. My contract's evolution is overdue." He held up the crystal, the black relic stone, a catalyst and high-quality spiritual orb. "I have all of the materials ready."
The others hesitated. A heavy silence fell over the group.
They remembered last time.
The frantic way the abominations had surged toward them—toward Kain—as they were seemingly drawn to Kain's breakthrough attempt.
Zareth, as their leader, didn't readily agree this time, frowning in hesitation.
Seeing their collective silence, Kain tried to convince them. "It's just an evolution, she won't be trying to break through her current level."
Thankfully, this wasn't a level breakthrough—which could take days or even weeks—but simply an evolution. Even factoring in delays, Bea should be done within a couple of hours. Not to mention she could attempt the level breakthrough in Kain's star space once she evolves, although not ideal, which would drastically increase his safety once she succeeds.
Zareth's jaw flexed, clearly unconvinced.
"Evolution doesn't always succeed," Pete said quietly, his gaze flicking to the materials Kain was holding. "Even with good materials. It may be better to wait until we've left the relic and you have access to specialized environments. I know both your College and the Order have mental-attribute rooms."
Kain nodded. "I'm aware."
Lina looked up from her pot, brows knit. "So why not wait?"
Kain exhaled through his nose. "Because every minute we waste puts us closer to another trap or another death. And she's ready. I'm not going to keep delaying her evolution because it might or might not cause noise. We need her stronger."
The silence stretched again, but this time, there was something heavier in it—reluctant understanding.
Finally, Zareth let out a grunt of agreement. "Fine. We'll set up defenses first."
Everyone moved at once.
Zareth unslung his spear and drove its butt into the ground, drawing a wide half-moon perimeter with its tip and then released a contract that looked like a house cat made of metal. "My contracts will form a barrier. It won't hide us, but it'll blunt our presence for anything not already extremely close."
Pete, Jamie, and Lina also released contracts capable of forming barriers and/or traps.
Even Serena, used her Starweaver to set up an additional barrier composed of starlight.
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He walked to the center of the room.
"Go ahead," Zareth said, standing at the perimeter.
Kain knelt and began placing the materials: the glossy black relic stone, the catalyst, the glimmering spiritual orb, and finally, the violet-hued mental crystal still humming faintly from its extraction.
He stared at the space just in front of him.
None of the others looked surprised when they couldn't see Bea.
They all thought his contract was invisible, not knowing she was just too tiny to see with the naked eye.
Still, even for those used to it, the sight—or lack thereof—was strange. Kain arranged everything meticulously on the ground before what appeared to be nothing. No flicker of energy. No outline. No distortion. Just air.
Jamie whispered, "It's not gonna appear at all?"
"Apparently not," Pete muttered.
Then—
Light.
A blinding white glow erupted without warning, swallowing the materials whole. The relic stone cracked first, releasing a swirl of black and silver energy into the air. The catalyst and spiritual orb shattered with a high-pitched ring like breaking crystal. And the mental crystal dissolved into motes of light, each one pulsing once before being drawn inward.
Thankfully, there were no mishaps or attacks, and Bea's evolution finished uneventfully.
The bright light at the center of the room faded away to reveal…nothing.
Sigh
The others looked away in disappointment at still not catching even a glimpse of Kain's incredibly 'shy' contract.
The second the barriers surrounding the cavern dropped, a loud far off roar echoed throughout the room.
'Looks like I'll get to see Bea's new form in action even sooner than I'd expected'
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A low, almost imperceptible rumble pulsed beneath their feet—barely noticeable at first.
But it grew stronger and stronger with time until it couldn't be ignored even if they wanted to—followed by a metallic screech like twisted gears grinding inside bone.
Zareth didn't hesitate. "We've got company."
The others snapped into formation, spreading out in practiced efficiency as they summoned their respective contracts and scouted the tunnel entrances trying to place from which one the approaching enemy was coming. Moments later, from the shadows of one of the tunnels, they emerged—abominations.
Worse still, these weren't the average kind—they carried that strange fusion of Source and Abyssal energies.
They approached at a terrifying speed, plated with steel and sinew, their movements smooth, fluid, disturbingly precise. Glowing black and violet veins pulsed beneath their semi-metallic hides and they were staring ravenously at Kain and the others—well, mostly at Kain.
There were over a dozen of them. Where even a single one would pose a massive threat to the group.
Various contracts growled in anxiety, while his teammates either unconsciously backed up or exhaled sharply in fear.
But Kain? He simply narrowed his eyes.
Perfect.
Without a word a wave passed through the cavern originating from the centre of the room where Bea was. At first, it seemed like nothing more than pressure—a strange tingling sensation brushing the edges of everyone's minds. Then, more distinctly, an unnatural stillness fell over the battlefield. The air thickened.
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The Pale Thought Field had begun to bloom.
Even though Bea was invisible, immobile, and microscopic, her presence now consumed the space like a gigantic entity.
At the edge of the field, one of the abominations twitched. Then another. Their sleek movements stuttered just for a moment, barely noticeable—unless you were looking for it. Kain was. He recognized it immediately.
Splits.
Kain found it fascinating to see Bea spread her effects without using a clear medium like threads, mist, or a liquid. The "splits"—or rather, the "echoes" as they were more appropriately called now—formed spontaneously in the minds of nearby targets if they were around Bea for long enough, kind of like the contamination ability of Abyssal energy.
The battle erupted in a flash of heat and motion. Jamie's bear unleashed a torrent of fire down the corridor, forcing several of the abominations to scatter. Zareth's spear gleamed as he vaulted forward, carving into the flank of a four-limbed creature with grinding mechanical joints. Sparks and black-purple liquid flew as it lost balance and then the mandibles of his millipede-like contract pierced through its metallic outer shell to strike the core as indicated by Lina.
But while the others engaged head-on, Bea worked in silence.
One abomination faltered, eyes unfocused. Another's attack—previously aimed at Zareth who was blocking the path to Kain—diverted mid-swing, slamming into its ally instead. They didn't even seem to notice the betrayal. They were too focused on Kain and the others (mostly Kain).
Kain's lips curled upward.
Strangely, due to the Abyssal Invasion skill, these hybrids were actually easier for Bea to control than the standard abominations that ran on pure source energy and were quite resistant to control.
The allegiance of several began to shift. Whatever instinct had once compelled them to defend their home planet was fading—replaced by something else entirely. They had a new master. It didn't matter whether they understood what they now served—only that they serve 'Master Bea' well.
Jamie and his fire bear fought hard near the front, fending off a cluster of enemies while the rest of the group migrated towards a tunnel opposite of where the enemy streamed in from in case they needed to escape. Heat warped the air around them, but the creatures were adapting—too fast.
"I need help!" Jamie shouted.
A metal-plated abomination barreled forward, forcing Jamie back. Another of his contracts, an earth and fire dual attribute armadillo burst from the ground in a blaze of flame, intercepting it—but the cost was immediate. As it collided, black ichor sprayed across its armored back. Dark veins began to spiderweb from the point of contact.
"No!" Jamie called out, rushing forward.
The armadillo gave a low, pained whine, rolling awkwardly to the side before unfurling with difficulty. Smoke hissed from its body as the black marks continued to spread.
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"Damn it," Jamie muttered. "It's not—It's not fading."
Lina turned toward Kain. "Can your contract, the one we heard about from your last mission—"
"Aegis' absorption doesn't work so well in these ruins," Kain said immediately, already moving closer. "Not on this weird fusion type of energy."
His fingers twitched as he reached for the healing tool—the one he'd damaged Pangea to charge, specifically for Serena—the only thing that could potentially combat this fusion of abyssal and source contamination.
He hesitated. It only had one charge left and Kain couldn't risk recharging it in front of the others. Kain trusted Serena to tell her about Pangea. The others? Not so much. Was Jamie's contract really worth what may be their last usage of this tool?
Then Kain looked across the cavern. Serena had already turned toward him. Her face was unreadable, but her eyes flicked once—down to his space ring, likely already guessing what he was conflicted about—and then she gave a single, silent nod.
Support.
Kain exhaled in resignation and opened his mouth, about to offer up Kain and Serena's last insurance policy that they'd (a little selfishly, admittedly) kept from the others—
—but the ground trembled again.
Not the same tremor as before. This one was deeper.
The roar came next. Louder. Closer. A bassy, otherworldly echo that rattled the walls and made the abominations stop fighting, heads tilting slightly, twitching. Even the ones under Bea's influence flinched in confusion.
Dust spilled from the ceiling. A low groan of stone grinding against stone echoed in all directions.
Zareth's spear snapped outward as he turned toward the sound. "That first roar… doesn't seem like it was from any of these things."
Kain's pupils narrowed. "No. It wasn't."
Far behind the main group, somewhere beyond the tunnel the rest of these abominations streamed in from, something massive was forcing its way forward—something big enough to collapse the passage behind it due to its exceptionally large size.
The roar came again. Louder still.
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The ever-present trembling in the cavern, there even before the abominations arrived, rapidly intensified.
Zareth's ears twitched. "That sound…"
Before he could finish the thought, the tunnel in front of them—once their intended path forward—exploded inward with a sickening crunch. A monstrous limb, gnarled and grotesquely swollen, took down the entire tunnel entrance and much of the cavern ceiling, tearing apart ancient stone and metal supports like parchment.
It was so large, its full body couldn't even fit inside the cavern. Just its arrival caused the ceiling to collapse, sending a thunderous cascade of rubble crashing down behind it.
Dust and debris exploded outward and the ground shook beneath their feet like a magnitude 9.0 earthquake.
Everyone staggered.
The roaring from earlier returned, this time close enough to rattle their bones. It wasn't just a sound—it was a pressure.
Instinctively, all of them began to circulate their spiritual power to stand steady, but it was as if the creature's aura pressed down firmly on them, crushing that resistance flat.
'Nope…Looks like Bea's experimental time is over. There's no way we could fight that.'
"The path we were taking forward is gone. We move. Now." Zareth said as he whipped out the map and mentally traced an alternate route in seconds while hopping onto the back of his contract in a fluid motion. "Move! Left corridor. We'll take the long way around to the core of the relic."
No one hesitated.
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His metallic wolf surged ahead, paws clanking with rhythmic beats against the fractured floor. Pete's stone-plate lizard hissed and bounded after him, armor sparking against where its massive stone body rubbed against the walls. Lina clung to her fastest contract, a gigantic moth, which beat massive silk-lined wings to stay ahead of their pursuer. Jamie, crouched low atop his massive fire bear, clutched a limp armadillo in his arms, its breathing shallow, the black corrosion now covering nearly a third of its body.
Kain summoned his Vespid guards, which due to their wind attribute were by far still his fastest contracts.
Without a word, he directed one to grab Serena and another to grab Malzahir. Serena didn't resist, knowing it was slightly faster than any of her current contracts but the Elemental Guardian, she'd already summoned in its wind-attribute form, extended its ethereal wings from its back catching updrafts and boosting the Vespids' speed with pulses of air as it followed closely behind them.
They raced through the crumbling halls, past shattered archways and ancient glyphs flickering with unstable energy with barely a chance to catch a glimpse of their surroundings—just were just trusting Zareth to lead them in the right direction.
Behind them the tunnels were collapsing as something, so massive they couldn't even get a glimpse of its full figure, continued to pursue them.
And was gaining.
Massive stone beams fell in its wake. The tunnel twisted with each of its steps, support structures cracking. The ceiling groaned.
Every few seconds, they'd hear the wet crunch of flesh on stone—or worse, the dragging grind of metal appendages scraping across the floor and walls as it pushed forward through the tight corridor like a parasite, too large for its host, writhing and tearing through its dying shell.
"It's still coming," Lina hissed, eyes wide as she looked behind.
"Faster!" Pete snapped. "We can't fight that thing!"
Kain felt the air whip against his face as he pushed his contracts to speed up, the buzz of the Vespids turning frantic. He glanced back once.
And regretted it.
The tunnel had already collapsed behind them, but something massive was still visible, even through the dust. A maw, partially open. Rows of jagged teeth fused with lengths of exposed piping and wires—some still crackling with purple remnants of source energy. One bulbous glowing frenzied eye could be faintly seen through in the gloom, and when it locked onto him, Kain felt a momentary lapse in his own heartbeat.
No wonder the other abominations scattered when it came.
Ahead, Jamie's bear was slowing down.
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"Keep up!" Zareth barked.
Jamie didn't respond.
The armadillo in his arms twitched violently—and then stopped moving.
Black veins exploded across its shell. Jamie barely had time to react as the creature gave one last, weak cry before its entire form stiffened, and then collapsed into a blackened corpse that looked like it had already been decaying in the elements for weeks. The corrupted spots expanded like rot through fruit, leaving behind only its most prominent features to make it barely identifiable.
Then came the pain…Jamie's contract broke.
The sound he made was not what one could think would come from a human—it was like a physical manifestation of an animalistic agony. He spasmed once. Twice.
Then—he fell.
"Jamie!" Lina shouted.
Kain's gaze snapped back, about to summon another Vespid guard to retrieve him, but it was too late.
Jamie tumbled backward off the fire bear as it surged forward, startled. He hit the ground hard, blood flying from his lips as he tried to rise.
But the giant abomination was already there.
A limb—twisted and ending in metal blades—shot out from the dust and caught him before he could rise. It skewered his body straight through along with his contracted bear who had circled back for him like some kind of twisted kebab. It slammed them into the crumbling floor with so much force the stone began to cave in with an even greater pace—revealing a dark chasm below. Then again. And again. Until the harmonious chorus of Jamie's cries and his contract's whimpers faded.
There was a moment of stillness. The echoes of running feet, the wingbeats of the Vespids, even the rumbling of the tunnels faded to nothing but a ringing in their ears.
Lina, who had been the closest with Jamie and, Kain suspected, may have even been more than friends with him, cried out in grief and shock but her contract didn't stop running.
They couldn't stop. Not now.
Not for Jamie.
The creature roared behind them again. As it continued to chase while taking much of the ruins down with its every movement.
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