I Can See Evolution Paths

The cavern ceiling exploded.

Arthur reacted instantly, activating [Guardian Shield] and covering everyone as enormous chunks of stone crashed down around them.

Water poured through the enormous hole in the ceiling, but before it could reach the ground, it began moving strangely. Instead of falling naturally, the water twisted into a massive spiral, drawing more of the flooding water toward itself.

Arthur raised his eyes.

The spiral suddenly tightened.

A gigantic silver-scaled serpent emerged from the destruction, its enormous body winding through the cavern as water streamed between its scales. Its head descended slowly, and the sheer pressure radiating from it made the surrounding stone tremble.

Sun stared upward for several seconds. "That’s... big."

Kong’s fur stood slightly on end as he studied the creature. "Very big."

Sun glanced at him. "That’s all you have to say?"

Kong continued staring upward. "Very, very big."

Melo’s five tails spread behind her. "I don’t think we should let it get any bigger."

Athy had already flown higher, her golden eyes moving across the serpent’s enormous body. "It’s beautiful."

Athena looked up at her partner. "Athy."

Athy glanced back. "What?"

"Beautiful things can still kill us."

Athy looked at the serpent again and seemed to consider that carefully. "...That’s fair."

Mithra tightened her grip around Kusa and glanced at everyone. "Stay together. We don’t know what it’s going to do."

Vedas didn’t answer immediately. His expression had become much more serious as he studied the creature’s aura. "This isn’t a Bronze Beast."

Arthur felt it too. The pressure surrounding the serpent was fundamentally different from the Beasts they had fought inside the cavern. It wasn’t merely larger. There was a sense of overwhelming control within it, as if the water itself had become an extension of the creature’s will.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed.

Then he noticed something standing on the serpent’s head.

It was a young man with a long ponytail and crimson eyes. He wore black pants with a black shirt and a black sleeveless vest. On his arm was the markings of a dragon. Arthur studied the young man for a moment, but his attention soon returned to the enormous serpent beneath him. The creature’s silver scales reflected the dim light of the cavern, and several long horns curved backward from its head.

"T-That Jakō Ryūdōin," Luna muttered, her eyes widening.

No one asked her how she knew and kept their gaze on him.

Jakō finally spoke. "Give me the Mirror."

The words immediately pulled everyone’s attention back toward him.

Arthur looked at Jakō, then at the Water Long Serpent Dragon beneath his feet. Instead of answering, he continued studying the Beast.

Jakō’s eyes narrowed. "Did you hear me?"

Arthur finally smiled. "You’re Jakō, aren’t you?"

A faint change crossed Jakō’s expression. "You’ve heard of me."

"Not really," Arthur said.

Sun slowly turned toward Arthur. "Then why did you ask?"

Arthur pointed toward the enormous serpent. "Because of him."

Jakō paused.

Arthur’s eyes remained fixed on the Dragon. "Your Beast is impressive." He took a few steps forward, studying the creature’s body with obvious curiosity. "How old is it?"

Jakō didn’t answer.

Arthur continued examining the scales. "That scale density is unusual. It isn’t just a defensive trait, either. The mana seems to be circulating through the scales."

Athena’s eyes sharpened as she listened.

Arthur looked toward the Dragon’s head. "Did it evolve into this form naturally?"

Jakō’s expression darkened. "Are you ignoring me?"

Arthur finally looked back at him. "A little."

Sun immediately covered his face. "He’s doing it again."

Mithra couldn’t help laughing. "He really is."

Vedas shook his head with an amused smile. "At least he’s consistent."

Kong looked between Arthur and the Dragon. "Ask about its evolution."

Arthur immediately nodded. "That’s a good idea."

Jakō’s eyebrow twitched.

Sun stared at Kong. "You just encouraged him."

Kong shrugged. "The Beast is interesting."

Melo’s tails swayed behind her. "I agree."

Jakō’s expression became noticeably colder.

Arthur pointed toward the Dragon. "What species was it before?"

"Enough," Jakō said.

Arthur paused, then smiled slightly. "You’re very protective of your Beast."

Jakō narrowed his eyes.

Arthur glanced back at the serpent. "I respect that."

That response seemed to catch Jakō off guard more than the questions had. For a moment neither of them spoke, and even the group behind Arthur seemed to be waiting to see whether the strange standoff would break into something worse.

Jakō’s gaze eventually moved away from Arthur. It passed over Vedas, Mithra, Athena, Sun and the others before stopping on the girl standing behind them.

Luna.

The change in her was immediate. Her body stiffened even more, and the color seemed to drain from her face. Her fingers tightened around the Fire and the other Mirror until her knuckles turned pale.

Arthur noticed first.

So did Mithra.

Eden, who had been hovering nearby, slowly turned toward Luna.

Jakō’s lips curved into a faint smile. "So you’re alive."

Luna took a small step backward. "No..." Her voice was barely audible.

Jakō continued looking at her. "You’re the only one from the village who escaped."

Luna’s breathing became unsteady. She couldn’t seem to look away from him, even as tears began gathering in her eyes.

Mithra moved closer. "Luna?"

Luna didn’t answer.

Jakō’s voice remained calm, almost conversational. "I wonder if you ever thought about them." Luna’s lips trembled. "Your friends." Another tear slipped down her cheek. "Your neighbors." Her shoulders began shaking. "Your grandfather."

Luna lowered her head, but Jakō didn’t stop.

"Did you feel anything when you left them behind?"

Luna’s body shook.

Eden’s expression changed completely. The anger came so quickly that even Arthur noticed it. Her small fists clenched at her sides before she flew directly in front of Luna, putting herself between the frightened girl and Jakō.

"Stop!"

Everyone looked toward her.

Eden’s silver eyes burned with indignation. "Don’t talk to her like that!"

Jakō looked down at the tiny Time Fairy. His expression carried a trace of amusement. "And who are you?"

Eden puffed out her cheeks. "Someone who doesn’t like you!"

Arthur’s lips twitched.

Mithra couldn’t help smiling despite the tension.

Sun quietly muttered, "That’s Eden."

Eden pointed at Jakō. "You made her cry!"

Jakō’s gaze returned to Luna. "She should cry."

Eden’s eyes widened. "Why?!"

"Because she abandoned everyone."

Eden immediately shook her head. "She didn’t abandon them!" Luna looked up at her in surprise. Eden turned toward Luna for only a moment. "You were scared." Then she faced Jakō again, her expression becoming even more serious. "And you don’t get to make her feel bad for surviving!"

Mithra stepped forward and positioned herself between Luna and Jakō. The warmth that normally accompanied her smile had disappeared. "You’ve said enough."

Jakō looked at her. "And you are?"

Mithra raised Kusa slightly. "Someone telling you to screw off."

Sun immediately stepped beside her, Long resting against his shoulder. "Yeah. You crash through the ceiling, threaten us, and then start blaming a kid for surviving?" He shook his head. "That’s a pretty terrible introduction."

Athena moved forward as well, Aegis rising into position. "Whatever happened to Luna’s village, you don’t get to use it to intimidate her."

Athy flew to Athena’s side, her golden eyes fixed on Jakō. "I don’t like him."

Athena glanced at her partner. "Neither do I."

Melo’s five tails spread behind Mithra. Her usual playful expression had disappeared. "You made Luna cry."

Kong cracked his knuckles as he stared at Jakō. "I really don’t like him."

Sun glanced sideways at him. "You’re repeating yourself."

Kong didn’t look away from Jakō. "Because I still don’t like him."

Vedas lowered his spear. Golden light quietly gathered around its tip. "You came here wanting the Mirror." His gaze shifted briefly toward Luna. "Leave her out of it."

For a moment, Jakō simply stared at the group. He had entered expecting fear. Instead, the more he pressed Luna, the more tightly everyone seemed to gather around her.

Arthur finally stepped forward, and the others naturally gave him room.

He wasn’t angry. If anything, he looked unusually calm as he studied Jakō from head to toe. Then his gaze moved to the enormous Water Long Serpent Dragon before returning to Jakō. "You know, I’ve been wondering about something."

Jakō looked down at him. "What?"

"Why would a Silver Rank Beast Tamer come all the way into this place personally?"

Jakō’s eyes narrowed slightly. "What are you implying?"

Arthur tilted his head. "At first, I thought you came because you were confident in your strength." His eyes moved toward the Dragon. "Then I saw your Beast." Arthur paused for a moment, genuinely considering it. "Now I think I understand."

Jakō’s expression hardened. "Understand what?"

Arthur answered honestly. "You’re compensating."

The entire group went quiet for a second.

Sun slowly looked toward Arthur. "Oh, you’re really going there."

Mithra’s lips twitched as she tried not to laugh. "I think he is."

Vedas folded his arms, an amused smile appearing on his face. "Let him finish."

Kong looked between Arthur and Jakō. "I still don’t understand what compensating means."

Melo’s five tails swayed behind her. "Don’t worry about it. Just enjoy what’s about to happen."

Jakō’s eyes became colder. "You should choose your next words carefully."

Arthur didn’t seem particularly bothered by the warning. "You have a very powerful Beast," he continued, pointing toward the Water Long Serpent Dragon. "It’s huge, it’s strong, and its aura is enough to make everyone in this cavern take you seriously." Arthur’s expression remained thoughtful. "But you still felt the need to threaten a little girl."

Luna’s body stiffened slightly behind Mithra.

Arthur glanced at her for only a moment before looking back at Jakō. "That makes me think you’re not actually as confident as you want everyone to believe."

Jakō’s expression darkened.

Sun’s grin slowly widened. "He’s got a point."

Mithra nodded. "He does."

Vedas chuckled. "Keep going."

Jakō looked toward them. "You think this is amusing?"

Sun shrugged. "A little."

Mithra rested Kusa against her shoulder. "You’re the one who started threatening everyone."

Arthur nodded. "Exactly." He looked back at Jakō. "If you were really confident in your strength, you wouldn’t need to make Luna feel guilty for surviving. You could have simply asked for the Mirror and taken responsibility for whatever happened next."

Jakō’s eyes narrowed. "You know nothing about what happened to that village."

Arthur nodded. "That’s true." There was no hesitation in his answer. "I don’t know what happened." Then Arthur’s gaze settled on him again. "But I know what I just watched you do."

Jakō’s expression became colder.

Arthur looked back at Jakō. "I mean, think about it." He gestured toward the Water Long Serpent Dragon. "That Beast is the reason everyone in this room takes you seriously. Not your words. Not your attitude. Not even your rank." Arthur’s expression became genuinely curious. "It’s him."

Jakō’s face darkened.

Arthur continued, "If you removed your Beast from this cavern right now, would anyone here still be intimidated by you?"

Sun immediately answered, "I wouldn’t."

Mithra nodded. "Me neither."

Kong cracked his knuckles. "Definitely not."

Melo smiled. "Not particularly."

Athy raised her hand slightly. "No."

Athena looked at Jakō calmly. "Your Beast is impressive. You less so."

Vedas chuckled. "That’s rather harsh."

Athena glanced at him. "Is it inaccurate?"

Vedas considered it. "...No."

Jakō’s aura exploded outward. The Water Long Serpent Dragon roared, and the entire cavern shook beneath the pressure.

Arthur’s hair and clothes whipped backward from the force, but he didn’t retreat. Instead, he looked up at the Dragon, his eyes shining with genuine interest. "See? That’s impressive."

Jakō stared at him.

Arthur pointed toward the Dragon. "That’s what I mean." He smiled. "Your Beast is terrifying." Then Arthur looked directly at Jakō. "You aren’t."

Sun burst out laughing.

Mithra covered her mouth, but her shoulders were shaking.

Vedas actually laughed aloud.

Kong looked impressed. "That one was good."

Melo’s tails swayed happily. "Very good."

Athy nodded. "I liked that one."

Athena sighed, although there was a faint smile on her face. "We really are encouraging him."

Sun wiped at the corner of his eye. "At this point, I think we’ve lost the right to complain."

Arthur looked at his friends. "What?"

Vedas smiled. "Nothing. Keep going."

Arthur turned back toward Jakō. Jakō’s face had become almost expressionless. Arthur didn’t seem to notice the danger in that expression. Or perhaps he simply didn’t care.

He looked at Luna. She was still standing close to Mithra, but the tears had stopped. And that was good, he wanted Luna to realize she didn’t have to be afraid of him.

Jakō’s patience finally broke. "Enough."

The Water Long Serpent Dragon raised its head, and the cavern trembled beneath its weight.

Jakō pointed toward Arthur. "Give me the Fire Mirror."

Arthur looked down at the artifact in his hand. For a moment, he said nothing. Then he glanced toward Luna. She was still standing close to Eden, her eyes red from the tears she had shed.

Arthur looked back at Jakō. "No."

Jakō’s eyes narrowed. "You don’t understand who you’re dealing with."

Arthur smiled. "I know." He lifted the Fire Mirror slightly. "You’re the guy who wants this."

Jakō’s aura rose again.

Arthur continued. "And I’m the guy holding it."

Vedas gave a quiet chuckle. "That’s certainly one way to put it."

Jakō stared down at him. "You think you can defeat me?"

Arthur shrugged. "I don’t know." His gaze shifted toward the Water Long Serpent Dragon. "But I’m interested in finding out."

Jakō stopped smiling.

Then he released his aura completely. The atmosphere inside the cavern changed. Water trembled across the ground, and the enormous serpent slowly coiled around the chamber. Its silver scales scraped against the stone as it lowered its head toward the group.

Luna instinctively stepped backward.

Eden immediately reached for her hand.

Mithra positioned herself between them and the Dragon while Athena raised Aegis. Athy flew higher, golden light gathering around her wings, while Melo’s five tails spread behind her. Kong planted his feet. Sun tightened his grip around Long. Vedas lowered his spear.

Everyone was ready.

Arthur simply watched Jakō.

Jakō noticed. "You’re still smiling."

Arthur’s grin widened. "I just found someone interesting." Then his gaze shifted toward Luna. The amusement in his expression disappeared. "You made my friend cry." Arthur raised Dusk. "I don’t really like that."

Jakō looked toward the Water Long Serpent Dragon. "Destroy them."

The Dragon lowered its head. Water began gathering inside its enormous jaws, growing denser until the pressure alone made the cavern walls groan.

Eden tightened her grip on Luna’s hand. "Don’t worry."

Luna looked at her.

Eden stared at the Dragon. "We’ll protect you."

Mithra smiled faintly. "She’s right."

Sun raised Long. "We’re all in this together."

Vedas stepped forward. "Then let’s finish this."

Kong cracked his fists. "Finally."

Melo’s tails spread behind her. "I was getting tired of listening to him."

Athy rose beside Athena. "Ready?"

Athena raised Aegis. "Always."

Arthur stepped forward. The Water Long Serpent Dragon opened its jaws.

Arthur looked directly at Jakō. Then he smiled. "You wanted the Mirror." Dusk rose in his hand. "Come take it."

The Dragon unleashed its attack.

BOOOOOOM!

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!