I Can See Evolution Paths

Arthur’s feet hit wet earth.

Water splashed around his boots. Humid air hit him immediately. The first thing he noticed was the smell. Wet soil. Plants. Mana. Something faintly sweet.

Then a distant roar shook the trees. Arthur slowly raised his head. The Everglades stretched before him. Massive trees rose into the sky, some so large that several students could stand around one trunk and still not reach halfway around it. Waterways cut through the forest in every direction. Fog hung between distant trees. Glowing plants illuminated patches of darkness.

Arthur’s eyes widened. Then his smile returned. "Wow," he said.

Mithra landed nearby and looked around. "It’s even larger than I imagined," she said.

Sun looked at the endless wetlands. "How are we supposed to navigate this?"

Athena immediately looked around, fascinated. "We’ll need to establish landmarks," she said.

Arthur looked at her. "Already?"

Athena adjusted her glasses. "If we don’t, we’ll get lost."

Arthur smiled. "Then let’s remember everything."

Sun sighed. "That isn’t reassuring."

Around them, the first-years reacted collectively. Some were amazed. Some were nervous. Some immediately started comparing it to what they expected.

"This is huge."

"Where’s the road?"

"There isn’t one."

"We’re actually supposed to explore this?"

"I can’t even see the other side!"

A professor overheard them. "That’s the point," he said.

Everyone became quiet. The professor gestured toward the wilderness. "Welcome to the Everglades."

While everyone was still looking around, something enormous moved through the sky. At first the students thought it was a mountain.

Then the mountain moved.

The shadow covered the students.

Arthur looked up.

The creature was so enormous that for a moment, his mind refused to accept what he was seeing.

Its shell looked like a floating island. Trees grew across its back. Small waterfalls spilled from between the stone-like pillars and disappeared into the clouds below.

It wasn’t flying.

It was simply moving through the sky as if gravity didn’t apply to it.

Several students forgot to breathe. Nobody moved until it had drifted well past them, the whole camp watching in silence as the shadow slowly crept off the ground and back into open sky.

One whispered, "That’s a Beast?"

Another slowly shook his head. "That’s a mountain."

The Floating Pillar Turtle passed overhead without even acknowledging them.

Arthur’s eyes shone. "I want to see it up close."

Sun immediately grabbed his shoulder. "No."

Mithra laughed. "Of course that’s your reaction."

Vedas looked up. "I’ve never seen anything like it," he said.

Melo’s tails lifted. "It’s carrying a mountain," she said.

Arthur looked at him. "I didn’t say I was going."

"You were thinking it."

Arthur paused. "Maybe."

Then something familiar appeared. Clouds above them began moving strangely. The students looked up. A massive formation of Cloud Whales drifted through the sky, their bodies blending with the clouds, huge shapes emerging and disappearing inside the mist, wisps of condensation trailing behind them.

Arthur immediately recognized them. "Those!" he said.

Mithra looked at him. "You know them?"

Arthur nodded. "We saw them during the trip to the Ruins of Evolution."

Vedas looked upward. "I remember."

Melo smiled. "They’re even bigger from here."

Athy circled above Athena.

Athena watched them carefully. "Their migration pattern is different," she said.

Arthur looked at her. "Different?"

Athena nodded. "They weren’t moving in this direction before."

Arthur looked toward the distant Cloud Whales. "Then why are they?"

Athena tilted her head. "I don’t know."

Arthur’s smile slowly returned. "Interesting."

Sun sighed. "There it is."

"What?"

"That word."

Arthur looked confused. "It’s a good word."

"Not when you say it like that."

Eventually Roland and the other professors began organizing everyone. Temporary tents. Supply stations. Medical area. Equipment storage. Map boards. Communication markers. The students realized this wasn’t a casual field trip. The Academy had prepared a genuine expedition base.

Roland explained, "This will be our temporary base. You will return here whenever your assigned activity is complete." Then, "The Everglades has been explored for generations." A pause. "But only the outer regions have been properly mapped."

That got Arthur’s attention immediately. His eyes shifted toward the wilderness. "Only the outer regions?"

Roland nodded. "Correct."

Arthur smiled. "So there’s still a lot nobody knows."

Roland looked directly at him. "Yes."

Sun muttered, "Why did you tell him that?"

Mithra watched Arthur’s expression. That look had appeared several times since they arrived at Pathfinder. Whenever the world showed him something he didn’t understand, Arthur didn’t become afraid.

He became curious.

Mithra smiled softly. "You really are happy here, aren’t you?"

Arthur looked at her. "Of course." He turned back toward the wilderness. "There’s still so much to see."

Mithra smiled. "I knew you’d say that."

Roland explained that the Everglades constantly changed. Waterways shifted. Plants grew into previously open paths. Mana storms altered terrain. Some areas became inaccessible. Some regions had never been properly surveyed. And some expedition teams had returned with maps that didn’t match each other.

Arthur immediately became interested.

Athena noticed. "Don’t," she said.

Arthur looked at her. "I didn’t say anything."

"Your face did."

Roland explained the first assignment. "Your first assignment is simple," he said.

Students listened.

"Each group will collect several local herbs."

Some students looked disappointed. "That’s it?"

Roland nodded. "That’s it."

He explained that the exercise tested recognizing useful plants, navigation, environmental awareness, working with Beast Partners, and avoiding unnecessary combat.

Arthur smiled. "We’re actually exploring," he said.

Sun stared at him. "We’re picking plants."

Arthur nodded. "That’s still exploring."

Sun sighed. "You’re impossible."

Arthur’s group began searching. Eden immediately became overly excited. "Arthur! I found one!"

Arthur looked. It was completely useless. "That’s a leaf," he said.

Eden stared. "A special leaf?"

Vedas laughed.

Melo pointed with her tail. "Wrong plant," she said.

Eden pouted.

Athy flew above them and spotted an actual herb. Athena identified it. "That’s one of the herbs we’re looking for," she said.

Eden immediately pointed upward. "Athy found it!"

Athy proudly chirped.

Kong climbed a tree and started searching. Sun looked up. "Kong, don’t eat anything," he said.

Kong paused. "Wasn’t going to."

Sun narrowed his eyes. "You were absolutely going to."

Kong looked away.

Arthur noticed several plants growing along an unusual current, the herbs clustering only where the water had recently changed direction.

Athena checked his observation. She was surprised. "You’re right," she said.

Arthur smiled. "So we can predict where they’ll grow."

Athena immediately started recording it.

While gathering the herbs, Arthur noticed something strange.

One patch of plants was completely untouched. No Beasts. No insects. Nothing. Even though the surrounding area was full of life.

Arthur slowly looked around.

Everywhere else, the Everglades was moving.

Leaves rustled.

Insects buzzed.

Water rippled.

Somewhere in the distance, a beast called but around this patch of plants...

Nothing.

Even the wind seemed weaker.

The rest of the group drifted closer without quite meaning to, all of them drawn in by the same unease Arthur was feeling, the noise of the forest suddenly very loud everywhere except right here.

Arthur’s expression became serious. "That’s strange."

Vedas tightened his grip on his spear. "Yeah."

Melo’s tails curled closer to her body. "I don’t like it."

Arthur looked at the plants for another moment.

But before he could investigate, a professor called out. "Group Three! Keep moving!"

Arthur stood. "We’ll come back later."

Vedas sighed. "I knew you’d say that."

After the first assignment, the students returned toward the temporary base.

One professor pointed toward another section of the forest. "The marked training areas are over there," he said.

Arthur’s head immediately turned, his eyes brightening. "Training areas?"

Sun closed his eyes. "Oh no."

Mithra laughed.

Athena already knew what he was thinking.

Vedas sighed.

Eden practically bounced in the air. "Can we go?"

Arthur smiled. "Of course."

The professor watched Arthur. "You haven’t even finished the first assignment," he said.

Arthur looked at him. "We finished."

The professor looked at the herbs and then at Arthur before sighing. "You people are going to be troublesome," he said. "Alright here what I will do. Gathered these herbs and then you can go."

He showed the herbs to Arthur.

"Oh? Okay, easy!"

He then rushed towards the others while grinning. The Everglades had already shown them things he had never seen before.

And they had barely entered the outer region.

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