Beast Evolution Forge

The forest fell silent as the last particles of the Chimera Lord scattered on the wind. Vell sheathed his swords, the adrenaline of battle fading from his system, leaving behind a bone-deep weariness that made even standing difficult.

He swayed slightly on his feet.

[Hohoo, seems the old you is slowly coming back, that's nice, I miss seeing you fight, properly.]

Regina was the first to notice. "Master needs rest," she said, moving to his side and offering her shoulder for support.

"I'm fine," he muttered, but didn't resist when she guided him to a fallen log. As he sat, the full weight of using his limiters hit him like a physical blow. His muscles ached, and a dull throbbing began behind his eyes.

[you have become rusty, your body is not keeping up with your power growth.]

'haha, makes sense.'

Wren bounced around him, her lightning form still active though slightly dimmed. "Did you see me, Master? Did you see what I did to that monster? I was all like KZZZT and BAM!"

Despite his exhaustion, he couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "I saw. You were incredible, Wren."

Her electrical eyes brightened at the praise. "I've been feeling it building for weeks! Ever since that day... you know." Her voice sobered momentarily, but the excitement quickly returned. "But now I can control lightning! Look!" She extended her hand, and electricity danced across her palm, forming intricate patterns before dissipating.

'sometimes I forget she is just a kid.' He thought, smiling.

Luna approached, her crossbow now slung across her back. She knelt before him, examining him with critical eyes. "You pushed yourself too far. Using so much power after already exhausting yourself with the gauntlets was reckless."

"We're all alive, aren't we?" he responded, though there was no bite to his words.

She sighed, pulling medical supplies from her pack. "Yes, thanks to your recklessness and Wren's awakening. But next time—"

"Next time I'll be more careful," he finished for her, the familiar exchange almost comforting in its predictability.

Across the clearing, Ada and Jolly were examining the spot where the Chimera Lord had fallen. Ada ran her fingers through the black dust, her mana responding to something within it.

"found it." She came out with a red mana core. She held up, its crimson surface gleaming. Unlike typical cores, this one pulsed with an inner glow, as if still alive despite its master's demise.

"A high-grade core," Luna observed, momentarily distracted from tending to Vell's exhaustion. "Rare for a monster on the lower floors, especially the 1st floor."

Wren bounded over, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Can I see it?" she asked, electric fingers outstretched.

"Careful," Ada cautioned, reluctantly placing the core in Wren's palm. "It's still active, something about it is giving me the creeps."

The moment the core touched her hand, a strange resonance occurred. The red glow intensified, and for a brief moment, crimson electricity danced around her.

"Whoa!" She jerked back, nearly dropping the core. "It... it tried to connect with me!"

Vell stood up despite Regina's protests, his fatigue momentarily forgotten. "Let me see that." He approached Wren, examining the core now resting in her palm.

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[Interesting. The core is attempting to integrate with her awakened form.]

"Hmm, tasty." He said, absorbing the core without hesitation. He felt it immediately, so much power that it made him feel dizzy.

[reckless as always I see.]

'I need that adaptability skill, its the only to grow stronger even faster.'

The world around him blurred as the core's energy surged through his system. Unlike the many cores he had absorbed before, this one felt alive, almost sentient as it fought against his assimilation.

[You idiot, this core is different—it's too potent to absorb directly.]

He dropped to one knee, his body trembling as red veins spread across his skin. The pain was excruciating, like molten metal flowing through his veins. He could feel the core's essence attempting to rewrite his own, to transform him just as it had transformed the Chimera Lord.

"Master!" Ruby rushed to his side, her claws extended defensively as if she could physically fight whatever was happening to him.

Luna's face went pale. "He's absorbed the core directly—this is bad."

Inside his mind, a battle raged. The core's energy carried memories—fragments of the Chimera Lord's consciousness that clawed at his thoughts like hungry parasites.

{Adaptability. Transformation. Power.}

The words echoed through his mind, tempting him with visions of the strength he could possess if he surrendered to the core's influence.

[Fight it, you fool. Remember who you are.]

He gritted his teeth, forcing his mana to encircle the invasive energy. He wouldn't be consumed—he had lost too much already to surrender his identity to a monster.

"Everyone, stand back," he managed to gasp between waves of pain. "I need... space."

Wren' tried to approach "But Master—"

"Now!" he commanded, his voice carrying an authority that brooked no argument.

As his team retreated, he closed his eyes and dove deep into his inner landscape. There, in the space between thought and action, he confronted the writhing mass of energy that sought to overwhelm him.

'You want adaptability?' he thought, addressing the core's essence directly. 'Let me show you mine.'

He stopped fighting the transformation and instead guided it, using the techniques he had developed over months of core absorption. Rather than resist the foreign mana, he channeled it, redirecting its purpose without surrendering his will.

On the outside, his team watched in horror as his body contorted. His skin rippled like the surface of disturbed water, patches briefly taking on a metallic sheen before returning to normal.

"What's happening to him?" Jia whispered.

Luna shook her head, her expression grim. "He's either mastering the core or being mastered by it."

Inside, Vell continued his battle of wills. He could feel the core's power—the ability to transform, to adapt to any situation. It was exactly what he had been seeking, but at too high a price if it meant losing himself.

[Clever. You're using its own nature against it.]

Indeed, he had realized the key: the core's essence was built for adaptability, which meant it could be adapted itself. Instead of allowing it to change him, he forced it to change for him.

Minutes that felt like hours passed. Finally, the red veins receded from his skin, and his breathing steadied. The pain subsided, replaced by a strange new awareness of his body—as if he could feel every cell, every fiber of his being.

"It's done," he said, his voice slightly different, carrying a subtle harmonic quality that was not there before.

Luna approached cautiously. "Vell? Are you... you?"

He nodded, rising to his feet with a fluid grace that seemed too perfect to be natural. "I'm still me. But different." He flexed his hand, watching as the skin briefly shimmered with a metallic luster before returning to normal. "I've integrated the core's adaptability without surrendering to its consciousness."

"That was reckless," Luna said, though her relief was evident. "You could have become a monster."

"Sometimes you have to take risks to grow stronger." His eyes met hers, and for a moment, she saw something in them, something she knew all too well. "And we need to be stronger for what's coming."

Wren approached, her lightning form finally fading as her excitement and exhaustion caught up with her. Her small human frame reappeared, though faint electrical discharges still occasionally sparked from her.

"So what can you do now, Master?" she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

He smiled, ruffling her hair. "I'm not entirely sure yet. The core's power was adaptation—the ability to transform to counter threats. I'll need to experiment."

"Well, not now," Luna insisted, retrieving her medical supplies. "Now you rest. Both of you," she added, giving Wren a pointed look. "Elemental awakening and core integration are more than enough excitement for one day."

He sat quietly, exploring his new awareness. He could feel the potential for change within him—not the chaotic transformation of the Chimera Lord, but something more controlled, more refined.

[This power could be useful, but be cautious. The core may be subdued, but not entirely gone.]

'I know,' he thought. 'But the ability to adapt, to transform... it's worth the risk.'

[Always seeking power, aren't you? Some things never change. well, knowing you, you will probably have the core fully absorbed in a week.]

He didn't respond to that, instead turning his attention to Wren, who had collapsed from exhaustion beside him, her small frame curled up like a child after a long day of play.

"Her awakening is remarkable," Luna said, following his gaze. "Lightning elementals are rare."

"Yeah, a lot has happened, I am just glad she is ok." He ran a hand through her hair, "I can't afford to lose her too." Hearing these words, Luna couldn't help but feel strange, this new vell was way different from the one she knew.

'Could he really be different? Can I finally release myself for a worthy master?' She thought, looking at a seal on her left chest, similar to the ones Vell has. 'Can I?'