Grey stared at the evolution interface hovering before him, his breathing gradually returning to normal as the exhaustion from the battle settled into his aching muscles.
The bodies of the Forest Ravagers were scattered throughout the clearing, their dark blood staining the soil while broken branches and torn leaves covered the ground, and although Grey had survived the fight, every wound across his body reminded him that reaching Level 3 had not suddenly transformed him into an unstoppable monster.
If anything, the battle had proven the opposite.
He was still weak, although he had become considerably better at surviving.
Grey glanced toward Seraphina, who remained comfortably beside the enormous stone formation with her head resting upon her forelegs. The ancient dragon had made it painfully obvious that she could have ended the entire battle within seconds, yet aside from knocking away one creature that had nearly caught Grey off guard, she had deliberately remained on the sidelines and allowed him to handle the danger himself.
Grey appreciated that more than he expected.
"If you had killed all of them," he said while looking back at the system interface, "I wouldn’t have gained anything."
Seraphina opened one golden eye and regarded him with an expression that suggested she had already known he would eventually understand that.
"Exactly."
Grey turned toward her with a faintly amused expression, while Seraphina slowly lifted her enormous head and allowed the pale moonlight to reflect across her crimson scales.
"You are weak," she said calmly.
Grey’s eyebrow twitched as he looked at her. "Thanks."
"You are extremely weak."
"That somehow sounds worse."
Seraphina’s lips curved slightly as she watched his reaction. "Weakness is not permanent, Grey, and if you continue evolving at your current pace, the creature standing before me now will eventually become something far different from the goblin who first entered my territory."
Grey studied her for several seconds before turning his attention back toward the system. "And you’re not going to help me become stronger?"
"I already told you that I would remain beside you."
"That’s not what I asked."
Seraphina’s expression became slightly more serious as she lowered her head. "If I solve every problem for you, what will you become?"
Grey didn’t immediately answer because he already understood where she was going with the question.
She continued after a moment, "Power that is given without struggle is easily lost, while power obtained through your own blood and effort becomes something that belongs entirely to you. I could erase every creature in this forest without even leaving this clearing, but if I did that, you would learn nothing and your growth would become dependent upon me."
Grey glanced at the corpses surrounding him before slowly nodding.
She had a point.
He didn’t particularly like admitting it, but she had a point.
"If I was about to die?"
"I would intervene."
"Every time?"
"Every time."
Grey narrowed his eyes as he considered that answer. "Even if I’m being stupid?"
"Especially then."
A reluctant laugh escaped Grey as he shook his head. "Fair enough."
Seraphina lowered her head again, apparently satisfied with the agreement, while Grey returned his attention to the interface that had been waiting patiently in front of him.
[Current Species: Lesser Goblin]
[Level: 3]
[Evolution Energy: 50]
[Selected Evolutionary Path: Goblin Hunter]
[Evolution available.]
A second option remained beneath the evolutionary path he had previously selected.
[Special Evolution Route]
[Requirement: Unique Bond with SSS-Rank Existence.]
[Compatibility: Confirmed.] This story is hosted at g.com.
Grey stared at the unfamiliar option for several seconds before finally looking toward Seraphina.
"What’s this?"
One of Seraphina’s ears twitched slightly, making it obvious that she knew exactly what he was referring to, but instead of answering immediately, she simply watched him with an unreadable expression.
Grey’s eyes narrowed as he studied her. "You know, don’t you?"
"I know what the system is showing you."
"Then explain it."
Seraphina closed her eyes and rested her head against her forelegs again. "No."
Grey stared at her in disbelief.
"No?"
"You should discover what it means yourself."
Grey’s expression became increasingly irritated as he rubbed his forehead. "You’re really enjoying this."
"Perhaps."
Grey sighed before opening the special evolution route, although the moment he did, the interface flickered strangely before displaying another message.
[Special Evolution Route: Locked.]
[Additional conditions required.]
[Current progress: 1/3.]
Grey frowned as he studied the information.
"Of course."
He had expected something ridiculous, and somehow the system had managed to exceed those expectations.
Grey tapped the interface with one claw. "What are the other requirements?"
[Information unavailable.]
Grey stared at the message for several seconds before slowly lowering his hand.
"You’re kidding."
The system offered no response.
Grey closed the interface and shook his head before looking toward the other option. "Fine. I’ll deal with it later."
The special route could wait because there was something considerably more important in front of him.
He opened the Goblin Hunter evolution.
[Evolutionary Path: Goblin Hunter]
[Evolution Requirements]
[Evolution Energy: 50/50]
[Predatory Trait: Confirmed]
[Survival Experience: Confirmed]
[Compatible Body: Confirmed]
[Begin Evolution?]
Grey looked down at his small goblin body while considering the question. He had no idea what the transformation would feel like, and although the idea of becoming stronger was tempting, there was always the possibility that evolution came with risks the system hadn’t bothered to explain.
"What happens if I evolve?"
Seraphina answered without opening her eyes. "You will change."
Grey looked at her with an unimpressed expression. "Very informative."
The dragon’s mouth curved slightly as she continued, "You will become better suited to the path you have chosen, and your body will adapt according to the evolutionary characteristics of a Goblin Hunter."
Grey nodded slowly as he looked back toward the system. "That actually helped."
Grey selected [Yes].
The system responded immediately.
[Evolution beginning.]
Pain exploded through his body so suddenly that his knees nearly gave out beneath him. Grey collapsed onto the ground with both hands digging into the soil as every muscle in his body tightened at once, the sensation becoming so intense that it felt as though something beneath his skin had awakened and begun tearing his body apart before rebuilding every part of him according to an entirely different design.
Grey clenched his teeth as he fought against the overwhelming pain, refusing to scream even while his entire body trembled violently.
The bones in his arms shifted first, followed by his shoulders and spine, while his fingers stretched slightly and the claws at their tips became longer and sharper. His legs lengthened enough to change his center of gravity, forcing his muscles to adapt almost immediately, while a strange heat spread through his chest and stomach as his internal structure underwent changes he couldn’t even begin to understand.
The system continued displaying notifications while Grey struggled through the transformation.
[Muscular structure adapting.]
[Skeletal structure adapting.]
[Sensory organs adapting.]
[Predatory traits integrating.]
[Night Vision integrating.]
Grey’s vision suddenly became impossibly sharp, causing the darkness surrounding him to recede until every tree within the clearing appeared clearly visible beneath the moonlight.
He could distinguish individual leaves moving against the night breeze, tiny insects crawling along the bark, and even faint movements belonging to creatures hiding several dozen meters away.
His hearing sharpened immediately afterward, allowing him to hear the distant flow of water, the movement of leaves brushing against one another, and the faint beating wings of some nocturnal creature somewhere above the canopy.
The transformation continued for several more moments before the pain suddenly vanished.
Grey collapsed onto his back and breathed heavily while staring toward the canopy above him, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he waited for his body to settle.
After several seconds, the system appeared again.
[Evolution complete.]
[Species has changed.]
[Lesser Goblin → Goblin Hunter]
Grey slowly pushed himself upright and examined his body with renewed curiosity.
The changes weren’t dramatic enough to make him unrecognizable, but they were significant enough that he immediately noticed the difference. His arms were leaner but more defined, his legs were slightly longer, his claws had become sharper, and his ears were more pronounced, while his eyes seemed naturally suited to the darkness surrounding him.
Grey slowly stood and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
He felt lighter, more balanced, and more responsive.
He clenched his fist and noticed that the movement felt completely natural, almost as though his new body had always been this way.
The system opened his status.
[Name: Grey Valentine]
[Species: Goblin Hunter]
[Level: 3]
[Strength: 7]
[Agility: 8]
[Vitality: 5]
[Mana: 0]
[Evolution Energy: 0]
[Traits]
[Predatory Instinct — Level 1]
[Night Vision — Level 1]
[Minor Physical Enhancement — Level 1]