Beast Evolution Forge

Vell came down from his room after a few hours to find his girls already waiting for him at their table. People in the inn were looking at him and whispering to each other. Some quickly turned away when he looked at them.

"Good afternoon, Master," Ruby said with a bright smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough," he replied, sitting down. "What's with all the staring?"

Regina leaned in close. "There was a strange power coming from your room a few hours ago. Everyone felt it. Some players even left the inn because they were scared."

"Is that so?" He said, not showing any reaction. He picked up a piece of bread and took a bite. "It's nothing to worry about."

The girls exchanged glances but didn't ask more questions. They knew better than to push when he didn't want to talk about something.

"So, what's the plan?" Jolly asked, changing the subject. "Are we going to start earning points?"

"Yes. First, let's check the available challenges." He brought up the mission board on his interface. The others did the same.

[Available Challenges:

1. Monster Hunt: Defeat monsters in the outer fields. Points vary by monster strength.

2. Artifact Recovery: Find and retrieve lost artifacts from ancient ruins. 500 points per artifact.

3. Resource Gathering: Collect rare resources from dangerous areas. Points vary by resource type.

4. Area Control: Hold control of marked areas for points over time. 100 points per hour.

5. Boss Battle: Join forces to defeat powerful bosses. 1000 points, divided among participants.]

"I think we should start with Monster Hunt," he said after reading through the options. "It's the safest way to earn points while we learn more about this floor."

"There's a group heading out to the east fields right now," Jia said. "We could follow them and see what kind of monsters are there."

"Good idea. Let's gear up and move out."

They finished their food quickly and prepared their equipment. As they were about to leave the inn, the tall man approached them again.

"Leaving so soon?" he asked with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "The east fields can be dangerous for new groups."

"We'll manage," he replied coldly. "Now move aside."

His smile faded. "Just trying to be helpful. This floor isn't like the others. Players who don't work together often don't make it far."

"Is that a threat?" Wren asked, her hand twitching.

"Not at all," he backed up slightly. "Just friendly advice. Good luck out there."

They pushed past him and headed out of the inn. The streets were busy with players buying supplies, forming teams, and discussing strategies.

"Keep your eyes open," he told them as they approached the east gate. "Once we leave the safe zone, we're fair game for both monsters and other players."

The gate guards checked their player cards before letting them pass. As soon as they stepped through, a message appeared:

[You are now leaving the safe zone. PvP is enabled. Proceed with caution.]

The east fields stretched out before them, a vast expanse of tall grass dotted with trees and rocky outcroppings. In the distance, they could see other players engaged in combat with large, wolf-like creatures.

"Those must be the Mana Wolves," Regina said, observing through a magical scope she created. "They seem to be worth about 10 points each."

"Let's start with them then," he said. "Remember, use only half your power unless absolutely necessary. This is as much about training as it is about earning points."

They moved through the grass carefully, keeping low to avoid being spotted too early. As they approached a pack of Mana Wolves, Vell signaled for them to spread out.

"Ruby, Jia, take the left. Regina, Wren, the right. Jolly, with me down the middle. On my mark."

The wolves hadn't noticed them yet, busy feeding on something they had killed.

"Now!"

They burst from their hiding spots, attacking the pack from three sides. The wolves howled in surprise, their glowing eyes fixing on the attackers.

Ruby shot daggers toward two wolves, slowing them down as Jia followed up with craw strikes. Regina and Wren focused their attacks on the largest wolf, likely the pack leader. Jolly and Vell charged straight at the remaining wolves.

The fight was over quickly. Even at half power, his team was far stronger than the average player on this floor.

[Monster Hunt Successful. 6 Mana Wolves defeated. 60 points earned. 10 points added to each team member.]

"That was too easy," Wren complained, returning to her human form after finishing off the pack leader in her weasel form.

"Don't get overconfident," he warned. "These are probably one of the weakest monsters on this floor."

As they continued through the fields, taking down more wolf packs, he noticed they were being watched. A group of players was following them from a distance, observing their fighting style.

"Don't look now, but we have company," he told his team quietly. "Four players, behind that ridge."

"That man's team?" Regina asked.

"Probably. Let's keep moving and see what they do."

They continued hunting monsters, gradually moving deeper into the fields where stronger creatures lurked. The mana crystals in this area glowed more intensely, suggesting higher concentrations of magical energy.

After a few hours, they had accumulated over 300 points each.

[Alert: Rare monster detected nearby. Defeat for bonus points.]

A marker appeared on their maps, indicating a location just ahead.

"What do you think, Master?" Ruby asked, excitement in her voice. "Should we go for it?"

He checked their status. Everyone was still in good condition, with plenty of mana and minimal injuries.

"Yes, but be careful. This could also be bait for an ambush."

They approached the marked area cautiously. In a small clearing surrounded by tall rocks, they found their target: a massive wolf with two heads, its fur crackling with electrical energy.

"A Thunder Twin Wolf," Regina whispered. "Worth at least 100 points."

"Hmm, Ruby, that one is yours." He said, sitting done on a rock.

"Really?" She asked, very excited and ready to attack.

"Yes, but, I want you to use your mana only, no daggers." He took out an apple from his bag and ate it.

"Yes, just watch me, master."

She stepped forward confidently, her eyes locked on the wolf. The massive creature growled from both heads, electricity crackling along its fur as it sensed her approach.

"Remember, mana only," he reminded her as he casually bit into his apple.

"Yes, Master!" She nodded, taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating on her mana flow.

The wolf didn't wait.

It charged at her, both heads snarling, sparks flying from its fur. The ground shook as the massive beast ran toward her.

She opened her eyes just as the wolf leaped. She raised her hands and created a blue mana shield. The wolf crashed against it, making her slide back a few feet, but her shield held.

"Good defense!" Jolly cheered from the sidelines.

She smiled and pushed forward. Her shield changed shape, turning into a wave of energy that knocked the wolf backward. The creature shook both heads, confused by this attack.

"Now's your chance!" Regina called out.

She focused her mana into her palms. Two glowing blue orbs formed, spinning faster and faster. She threw them at the wolf one after another. The first hit its left head, making it howl in pain. The second hit its body, sending it tumbling across the ground.

But the monster wasn't done. It got up quickly, electricity now forming around both its heads. It opened its mouths and fired lightning bolts at her.

She dodged to the side, but one bolt grazed her arm.

"Ouch!" she winced, touching the burn mark on her sleeve.

"Focus," he said calmly, still eating his apple. "Remember what I taught you about redirecting energy."

She nodded and stood her ground as the wolf prepared another lightning attack. This time, when the bolts came, she created a spinning disc of mana in front of her. The lightning hit the disc and started circling around it.

"Perfect," she whispered, adding more power to the disc. The lightning grew stronger, mixing with her mana.

The wolf charged again, thinking she was distracted. Just as it jumped, she pushed the disc forward. It flew straight at the wolf, hitting it in the chest. The combined mana and lightning exploded on impact.

It fell to the ground, both heads hanging low. It tried to stand but collapsed again.

"Finish it," he instructed.

She formed one final mana orb, larger than the others. She compressed it until it was small enough to fit in her palm but glowing intensely. With a quick motion, she threw it at the wolf.

The orb exploded in a flash of blue light and when the light faded, the monster lay motionless.

[Rare Monster Defeated: Thunder Twin Wolf. 120 points earned. 20 points added to each team member.]

"Excellent work," he said, standing up and tossing his apple core aside. "You're getting better at controlling your mana flow."

She beamed with pride. "Thank you, Master! I've been practicing just like you showed me."

"I can tell." He patted her head, making her smile even wider and her tail swing around.

Suddenly, Regina looked behind her. "looks like they are no longer watching."

"They saw the gap in power and decided it was not worth it, good on their part." He said, heading towards the wolf corpse.

He took the core and gave it to Ruby and then summoned a dagger. "I like this fur." He said as he began skinning the monster.

"Why are we going so slow? we are powerful enough to be at least on the 30th floor. We can clear this floor in 10 minutes, so why are we acting like weaklings?" Regina asked, helping him remove the skin.

"Experience. Like I said before, we might have the power but we still need experience, both combat wise and people. You should know that better than anyone."

"....Yeah, I guess you are right, I am just scared we might not be able to keep the seal in tact."

"No need to worry, we will stop that thing from being released but we can't just rush and get ourselves killed." He got up, carrying the skin. "Will you eat the meat?"

She got to her feet instantly, "no thank you."

"Hahaha, let's get out of here."