Kael entered the deeper part of the black zone.
The moment he crossed the invisible boundary, his system changed.
[Ancient Evolutionary Region entered.]
[Environmental pressure: Extreme.]
[Evolutionary energy density: 8.7× normal.]
[Warning: Prolonged exposure may cause forced mutation.]
Kael looked around.
The forest had become unnaturally quiet.
No insects.
No birds.
No distant roars.
Nothing.
Even the wind seemed unwilling to enter.
Kael activated his new mutation.
Evolutionary Energy Perception
The world changed.
He could see energy flowing beneath the ground.
Thousands of glowing threads moved through the soil.
Some entered trees.
Some entered monsters.
But all of them eventually converged toward one point.
The center.
Kael followed the network.
Every step made the pressure stronger.
[Adaptive Evolution: 4.67% → 4.74%]
A few minutes later, Kael stopped.
A giant stone arch stood between the trees.
It was covered in symbols.
Kael recognized one immediately.
The same symbol from the ancient artifact.
He approached.
The moment his hand touched the stone—
BOOM.
A wave of energy passed through him.
His system appeared.
[Pre-Era structure detected.]
[Authority fragment nearby.]
[Accessing residual information...]
[3%... 7%... 11%...]
Kael waited.
Then—
[Access denied.]
He frowned.
"Again?"
A second message appeared.
[Reason: Evolutionary authority insufficient.]
[Alternative access condition detected.]
[Defeat the guardian.]
Kael looked beyond the arch.
A circular clearing opened ahead.
At its center stood a tree.
Kael had seen enormous trees before.
This one was different.
It was ancient.
Its trunk was wider than a building.
Its roots covered the entire clearing.
And beneath it—
something was sleeping.
Kael's Evolutionary Energy Perception revealed an enormous energy mass.
The system began scanning.
[Scanning...]
[Scanning...]
[Target partially identified.]
[ANCIENT ROOT GUARDIAN]
Level: 26
Classification: ???
Evolution Stage: Stage 3 — Superior
Strength: ???
Agility: 71
Vitality: ???
Endurance: ???
Perception: 118
Skills
Ancient Root Control — Level 5
Regeneration — Level 5
Territorial Awareness — Level 6
??? — Level ?
Ability
Life Drain
Title
Guardian of the Ancient Grove
Kael stared at the numbers.
Level 26.
Perception 118.
He immediately knew one thing.
The creature already knew he was there.
The Guardian opened its eyes.
They weren't animal eyes.
They looked almost human.
The creature slowly rose.
Its body was enormous.
Part beast.
Part tree.
Part something Kael couldn't identify.
Roots moved beneath its feet.
Kael's Threat Detection went wild.
[DANGER.]
[DANGER.]
[DANGER.]
[Target exceeds current combat parameters.]
[Direct combat survival probability: 4%.]
Kael looked at the Guardian.
Then at the ancient tree.
Then back at the Guardian.
"Four percent."
He smiled.
"Still not zero."
The Guardian raised one hand.
The entire forest moved.
Roots erupted from the ground.
Kael jumped.
A root passed beneath him.
Another attacked from above.
Kael twisted.
A third came from behind.
BOOM!
He blocked with Iron Shell.
The impact sent him flying.
Kael landed.
The roots attacked again.
He ran.
The clearing had become a battlefield.
Web Control activated.
Kael attached webs to several trees.
He swung between them.
The roots followed.
Kael changed direction.
The Guardian tracked him effortlessly.
Its Perception was too high.
Kael couldn't hide.
So he stopped trying.
He ran directly toward it.
The Guardian raised its hand.
A massive root came down.
Kael jumped.
Another root.
He ducked.
Another.
He slid beneath it.
Then—
Razor Edge.
Kael struck one of the Guardian's roots.
CLANG!
The weapon bounced off.
Kael frowned.
"Too hard."
The Guardian attacked.
Kael barely escaped.
The ground erupted behind him.
He rolled.
Then noticed something.
The damaged root was glowing.
The energy inside it was moving toward the Guardian.
Kael's Evolutionary Energy Perception activated.
He could see the flow.
The roots weren't independent.
They were connected to a central energy network.
Kael smiled.
"Same weakness."
He ran.
The Guardian attacked.
Kael dodged.
He struck a root.
Again.
Another.
The Guardian's movements slowed slightly.
Kael continued.
The Guardian roared.
The ancient tree responded.
Its roots rose from the ground.
Dozens.
Then hundreds.
Kael froze.
"That's a lot."
The entire clearing became covered in roots.
There was nowhere to run.
The Guardian raised its hand.
The roots converged.
Kael's Threat Detection screamed.
He activated every defensive skill.
Blackhide.
Iron Shell.
Resonance Resistance.
Minor Accelerated Reaction.
The roots struck.
BOOOOOOM!
Kael disappeared beneath them.
The forest went silent.
The Guardian lowered its hand.
Then—
movement.
Kael's hand emerged.
He pushed himself upward.
Blood was absent, but his body was battered.
His breathing was heavy.
Yet he was smiling.
The system appeared.
[Extreme evolutionary pressure detected.]
[Adaptive Evolution responding.]
Adaptation: 4.74% → 4.93%
[Impact Resistance developing.]
[Root-pressure resistance developing.]
Kael looked at the Guardian.
"I found something."
The Guardian stared.
Kael had noticed that the roots attacking him were becoming stronger.
But their energy pathways were becoming easier to see.
The more pressure he experienced—
the clearer the network became.
Kael could now see the central flow.
It led directly beneath the ancient tree.
Not to the Guardian.
To something underneath it.
Kael smiled.
"The Guardian isn't the source."
The creature roared.
Kael ran.
The Guardian sent hundreds of roots toward him.
Kael moved through them.
Left.
Right.
Down.
Jump.
Slide.
Web.
Swing.
His movements became faster.
Cleaner.
His new mutation allowed him to see the energy currents before the roots moved.
He could predict them.
The Guardian's attacks began missing.
Kael reached the tree.
The roots attacked.
He cut one.
Then another.
Then another.
A small opening appeared.
Kael dove through.
He landed inside a hollow beneath the tree.
There was a stone platform.
And on it—
a black crystal.
The same symbol was carved into its surface.
Kael approached.
The system went insane.
[PRE-ERA RELIC DETECTED.]
[Authority fragment detected.]
[Evolutionary Authority acquisition possible.]
[Warning: Guardian response imminent.]
Kael reached for the crystal.
The Guardian roared outside.
The entire tree shook.
Kael touched the relic.
Everything went dark.
Then a voice appeared inside his mind.
Not the system.
Something older.
Something vast.
"You seek evolution."
Kael froze.
The voice continued.
"Then understand its first law."
Images appeared.
Countless worlds.
Countless species.
Countless civilizations.
All evolving.
All fighting.
All disappearing.
Then one image remained.
A group of beings standing before an enormous black gate.
The same symbol.
The same symbol on the artifact.
The voice spoke again.
"Evolution does not create the strongest."
A pause.
"It selects what survives."
The vision disappeared.
Kael opened his eyes.
The system appeared.
[PRE-ERA RECORD FRAGMENT UNLOCKED]
First Law of Evolution:
"Survival determines possibility."
Then—
the crystal shattered.
A small black fragment entered Kael's chest.
[Evolutionary Authority acquired.]
[Authority: 1]
[Ancient evolutionary information access expanded.]
[Stage 2 requirement updated.]
Kael looked at the new window.
[Evolution Stage 2 — Mutated]
Progress: 27% → 41%
Requirements:
Stable biological adaptations: Complete
Successful mutations: 2/2
Superior evolutionary exposure: Complete
Evolutionary Authority: 1/1
Evolutionary pressure: 41%
Remaining requirement:
Survive a complete evolutionary transformation.
Kael smiled.
"So that's it."
He turned.
The Guardian was waiting.
The ancient tree behind it was glowing.
The creature's eyes were no longer calm.
It was angry.
Kael stepped out of the hollow.
The Guardian raised both arms.
Every root in the forest rose.
Thousands of roots filled the sky.
Kael looked up.
Then at the creature.
His grip tightened.
The system displayed one final warning.
[Guardian entering full-power state.]
[Estimated combat survival probability: 2%.]
Kael smiled.
"Looks like Stage Two starts now."
The roots descended.
And Kael charged directly into them.