Beast Evolution Forge

Vell circled the monster, his movements precise and controlled. The creature snarled through its chest-mouth, its many eyes tracking him with growing desperation. The legs he damaged leaked a strange fluid, hampering its once incredible speed.

"Not so fast now, are you?" He taunted, his voice eerily calm. The smile on his face wasn't one of joy but something darker—the expression of someone who had found purpose in battle.

Luna noticed the change in him and gestured for the others to stay back. "Let him handle this," she whispered as Ruby made a move to join. "Look at his face. He needs this."

The monster lunged at him, its secondary insect-like arms extending unnaturally to swipe at him from multiple angles. He responded with fluid precision, using his gauntlets to fold space around the attacks. Where the monster's claws should have connected, they passed through empty air.

"You're predictable," he said, slipping inside the monster's guard. His sword flashed, corrupted mana leaving a trail of darkness as he carved another deep wound into the creature's side.

It howled and tried to retreat, but Vell wouldn't allow it. He used the gauntlets to appear directly in its path, then struck again, this time severing one of its secondary arms completely.

"Master is enjoying himself," Wren observed from where she sat recovering, her armor still flickering as it stabilized.

He felt alive.

Each movement was instinctual, each attack calculated yet spontaneous. He pushed the monster back step by step, his swords finding gaps in its bizarre anatomy with unerring accuracy.

The creature, sensing its imminent defeat, backed against a massive tree, its chest-mouth working frantically as if trying to speak.

"Nothing to say?" He advanced, raising his sword for what looked like a killing blow.

But the monster wasn't finished. Instead of words, a terrible sound emerged from its mouth—a high-pitched keen that caused everyone to cover their ears in pain. Vell faltered for just a moment, and that was all the creature needed.

Its body began to convulse violently. The golden-brown fur rippled and then split open, revealing raw muscle beneath that pulsed and reshaped itself. The lean form bulked outward, limbs thickening with new muscle. The speed-oriented legs contracted and reformed into pillars of dense tissue and bone.

"It's changing again!" Ada said.

Where the Speed Form had been built for agility, this new shape was clearly designed for raw power. Its body was still changing, until it settled on a humanoid form.

Where once stood a chaotic mess of animal parts now stood a humanoid figure nearly seven feet tall. Its entire body was covered in a midnight-black exoskeleton that gleamed like polished obsidian. Glowing red lines ran across its form like veins of molten lava beneath the surface, pulsing with each breath it took.

Its face was a nightmare made real - a smooth, featureless mask except for five glowing eyes arranged in a V-pattern. No mouth was visible until suddenly, a crack appeared beneath the eyes, splitting open to reveal rows of needle-like teeth and a tongue that seemed made of living shadow.

The creature rolled its shoulders, bony spikes jutting out from its back and joints. With a sickening sound of tearing flesh, it reached toward its own thigh and pulled. The bone beneath its exoskeleton extended outward, hardening and reshaping as it emerged from the creature's body. Within seconds, it held a massive sword made entirely of bone - curved like a scimitar but serrated along its edge, looking sharp enough to cut through steel.

"Finally," the monster spoke, its voice deep and clear, no longer the jumble of sounds from before. "A worthy opponent."

Vell kept his stance steady, watching the creature test its new sword with a few practice swings. Each movement sent small shockwaves through the air.

"You can talk now. Congratulations," he said coldly. "Any last words before I end this?"

The monster's eyes flashed brighter. "End this? You misunderstand, human. This is only beginning." It pointed its bone sword at him. "Please, do not disappoint me."

He didn't waste time with words. He launched forward, his swords trailing mana as they cut through the air. The monster met his attack with its bone blade, the clash sending sparks of energy in all directions.

"Good, very good," the monster purred, pushing back against his strength.

He disengaged and spun, his blades dancing in perfect harmony as he attacked from multiple angles. Each strike was precise—targeting joints, the spaces between armor plates, any potential weakness.

The monster parried with surprising skill, its sword moving with unnatural speed. "You've faced many opponents before," it observed, deflecting another strike.

"And you'll be just another one I've defeated," he replied, his voice cold as he stepped inside the creature's guard.

His right sword slashed upward, forcing the monster to block high, while his left blade swept low, cutting into the it's leg. Black ichor sprayed from the wound, but the monster didn't flinch.

Instead, it laughed—a chilling sound that echoed through the forest. "Pain means nothing to me."

It counter-attacked, its movements no longer relying on speed but raw power. The bone sword crashed down with such force that when he blocked, his knees buckled slightly.

From the sidelines, his team watched in tense silence.

"Should we help him?" Ruby asked, her claws extended and ready.

Luna shook her head. "No we would just get in the way."

Vell's eyes had taken on that familiar intensity—focused, calculating, alive with battle knowledge accumulated through countless fights. Each exchange taught him more about his enemy's style and weaknesses.

He noticed the monster favored its right side, how its attacks followed predictable patterns despite their strength. He began to time his counters perfectly, letting the monster's own momentum work against it.

"You're strong," he acknowledged, ducking under a wide swing, "but strength isn't everything."

He activated his gauntlets, folding space to appear behind the monster. Before it could turn, he delivered three quick slashes across its back. The exoskeleton cracked under his mana-enhanced blades.

it roared in pain and spun wildly, its sword whistling through the air. he stepped back, letting the attack miss by inches.

"Master's toying with it now," Wren said, her lightning armor now fully stabilized as she watched with admiration.

"Not toying," Luna corrected. "He's studying it."

The monster grew frustrated. Its attacks became wilder, more desperate. The glowing red lines across its body pulsed faster, and the ground trembled beneath its feet.

"ENOUGH!" it bellowed, raising its free hand. Dark energy gathered in its palm, coalescing into a sphere of swirling chaos.

Vell sensed the danger and called out, "Everyone, shields up!"

Just as the monster hurled the energy sphere, he crossed his swords, channeling his mana into a barrier. The dark energy exploded against it, the force pushing him back several feet, but the shield held.

When the smoke cleared, the monster was rushing toward him, sword raised high.

"Now you die!" it screamed.

Time seemed to slow for Vell. He saw the attack coming—saw the openings in the monster's stance, the way it overcommitted to this final desperate strike.

His body moved with the fluid grace of someone who had mastered the blade. He sidestepped at the last moment, letting the sword crash into the ground beside him. In the same motion, he pivoted, both swords tracing perfectly synchronized arcs.

The first sword severed the monster's sword arm at the wrist. The second slashed across its throat, cutting through the exoskeleton like it was paper.

Black ichor sprayed forth as the monster staggered backward, its remaining hand clutching at its throat. The five glowing eyes dimmed slightly, flickering like dying embers.

But it wasn't finished. Even as its life fluid drained away, the monster reached for its severed hand, trying to reattach it.

"No more changes," he said firmly. He stepped forward and thrust both swords deep into its chest, directly into what he assumed was its core.

He channeled his mana through the blades, corrupted energy eating away at the monster from the inside. It shuddered violently, its body beginning to break down.

"How...?" the monster gurgled through its ruined throat. "I was...perfect..."

"Perfect my ass," he replied, twisting his blades before pulling them free. "No one is perfect, especially not monsters."

The creature collapsed to its knees, its body crumbling like charcoal. The glowing red lines faded, and the five eyes winked out one by one.

"Hahaha, excellent, very excellent. We shall me again human, I will be waiting." With a final shudder, it dissolved into dust, carried away by the gentle forest breeze.

Vell stood there, swords dripping with black ichor, breathing heavily. The battle rage slowly left his eyes, replaced by the familiar weariness.

"limiters, back on," he whispered. His body relaxed as the power inside him was once again contained.

His team approached cautiously. Wren, still in her lightning form, was the first to reach him.

"Master, that was amazing!" she exclaimed, her electrical voice crackling with excitement. Find exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

He looked at her, a small smile finally breaking through his battle-hardened expression. "Your awakening was more impressive."

Luna examined the pile of dust that was once the Chimera Lord. "We are so lucky that thing was way weaker than it should be."

"It's dead now," he said simply. "That's all that matters."