I Can See Evolution Paths

The White Frontier had gone strangely quiet after the growls from the previous Chapter. Arthur and the others continued following the human footprints they’d discovered. The tracks were still fresh enough that the snow hadn’t completely settled over them.

Arthur occasionally glanced down as they walked. At first, the footprints looked normal, but the farther they followed them, the stranger they became. Some were deep enough to sink several inches into the snow, while others were barely visible, as though whoever had made them was struggling to put one foot in front of the other.

One set suddenly dragged through the snow for several meters before becoming uneven again.

Luna noticed it too. "They weren’t walking normally."

Arthur crouched and examined the marks. "Something happened."

Athena knelt beside him and pointed toward another set. "Look at these."

The footprints suddenly turned sharply toward the trees and then stopped.

Arthur followed their direction with his eyes. There were no tracks leading back.

Sun looked around uneasily. "That’s not suspicious at all."

Vedas gave him a look. "You could try being serious."

Sun shrugged. "I’m serious. It’s suspicious."

Athy flew a little higher and searched the surrounding forest. "I don’t see anyone."

Eden moved closer to Arthur. "Maybe they were attacked."

Arthur stood. "Let’s keep going."

They continued. A few minutes later, something half buried beneath the snow caught Arthur’s attention.

He stopped and brushed away the snow before pulling it free.

An Academy identification badge.

Athena’s expression immediately changed when she saw it. "That’s a student’s."

Arthur turned the badge over in his hand. The metal was scratched, and a thin layer of frost had formed across its surface. He held it a moment longer than he needed to, the small object suddenly carrying more weight than its size.

He looked back toward the footprints. "Then we’re getting close."

The mood among the group changed immediately. Nobody knew what had happened to the student who had dropped it, but the tracks suggested that whatever had happened, it hadn’t been peaceful.

He stopped. "Wait."

Everyone followed his gaze. Arthur walked forward and brushed the snow away. A young student lay underneath, unconscious.

Luna’s expression immediately changed. "They’re alive?"

Arthur checked their breathing. "Barely."

Athena suddenly stopped. "Arthur..."

He looked toward her.

Several meters away, another body was partially buried beneath the snow.

Arthur’s expression changed.

He looked farther into the clearing. There was another student leaning against a tree. Then another lying face down in the snow and another. The group slowly realized that they weren’t looking at a single injured student. The entire clearing was scattered with unconscious students.

Some were lying directly in the snow, while others had collapsed against trees as though they had simply lost the strength to continue walking. One student’s arm was almost completely covered in frost.

Eden’s eyes widened. "There are so many..."

Luna’s face paled. "What happened to them?"

Arthur’s expression hardened. "I don’t know." He looked toward the surrounding forest. "But we need to find out."

Then Mithra’s expression changed. "But something’s wrong." She immediately knelt beside the nearest student. "I’m checking them."

Melo’s tails spread around her. "I’ll help."

They began examining the students one by one. Mithra checked their breathing and mana before placing a hand against the chest of the nearest student.

"They’re alive," she said, but her expression remained serious. "Their mana is extremely unstable."

Arthur looked at the purple markings covering the student’s arm. There was no mystery about what they were. They had already seen the same corruption affect Beasts, and Luna had explained that it had once spread through her village.

The problem was that it was now inside the students.

"Can you heal them?" Arthur asked.

Mithra nodded and immediately began using her healing abilities. Warm energy spread through the student’s body. The frost covering their skin slowly melted, and several of their smaller injuries began closing. Their breathing also became steadier.

But the purple markings remained.

Mithra tried again, this time directing more of her healing toward the areas surrounding the corruption.

Nothing changed.

She slowly lowered her hand. "I can treat their injuries, but I can’t remove the corruption."

Athena crouched beside her and carefully examined the student’s mana flow. "Is it spreading?"

Mithra watched for several seconds before shaking her head. "Not while I’m treating them."

Melo looked at the student’s face. "But they’re still suffering."

The student’s body suddenly trembled.

Melo immediately released a gentle layer of Dream Mist. The student’s breathing gradually slowed, and the tension in their face eased. The trembling gradually weakened until the student’s breathing became steady again.

Mithra glanced toward Melo. "That helped."

Melo’s ears lowered as she watched the student. "They’re terrified."

Mithra looked at the purple markings. "And the corruption seems to be making it worse."

Melo nodded. "Then I’ll keep their minds calm while you treat their bodies."

Mithra gave her a small smile. "Good. Let’s keep them alive."

Arthur watched the two of them work together before looking at the other students scattered throughout the clearing. The purple corruption had already caused enough trouble for them. Now it was affecting people too. And if these students had been left here much longer, Arthur wasn’t sure how much worse their condition would have become.

Arthur suddenly looked toward the forest.

A low growl rolled between the trees. Everyone went quiet. Another growl followed. Then another. Snow fell from the branches.

Athy rose higher. "I see movement."

"How many?" Arthur asked.

Athy looked deeper into the forest. "More than I can count."

Eden looked toward the unconscious students. "Are they coming here?"

Athena studied the purple markings before looking toward the approaching sounds. "The corruption may be attracting them."

Arthur’s gaze moved between the students and the dark forest. Another growl echoed through the trees. Then another.

His expression slowly hardened. "They’re not coming for us."

Luna looked at him. "Then what do they want?"

Arthur glanced toward the unconscious students. "Them."

Luna’s face became even paler. "Why?"

Arthur tightened his grip around Dusk. "I don’t know." He looked toward the forest as more movement began disturbing the snow. "But they’re not getting close enough for us to find out."

Arthur looked around the clearing. "Mithra, Melo, stay with the students."

Mithra nodded. "Understood."

Arthur turned toward Vedas. "Hold the front."

Vedas planted his spear into the snow. "I’ll handle it."

"Sun, take the left."

Sun nodded and looked toward Kong. "You heard him."

Kong cracked his knuckles. "Let’s go."

Eden spread her wings and rose into the air. "I’ll watch the sky."

Athena moved closer to Arthur, already studying the surrounding forest. "I’ll call out anything that gets through."

Arthur nodded. "Then let’s keep them away from the students."

The first corrupted Beast burst from the trees. Vedas met it immediately, his spear colliding with its claws.

Boom!

Snow exploded beneath their feet.

"You’re not getting past me," Vedas said.

Sun and Kong intercepted another group. "Kong!"

Kong immediately charged. "Got it!"

They attacked together, keeping the Beasts away from the clearing.

Eden took to the sky. "I’ll watch above!"

Athena began analyzing the battlefield. "Three approaching from the eastern side!"

Arthur immediately turned. "I see them." He intercepted one before it could reach the students.

Meanwhile Mithra remained beside the unconscious students. "Melo, keep them away from here."

Melo’s five tails spread. "Leave it to me." Dream Mist spread through the clearing, and illusions of the students and the group appeared throughout the snow. The corrupted Beasts hesitated.

Melo smiled. "Let’s make them chase the wrong targets."

The fight continued, but this time the group couldn’t simply pursue the enemies. Their position had to be defended, and every Beast that reached the center of the clearing became a threat to the unconscious students.

Vedas fought near the edge of the clearing, repeatedly forcing the larger Beasts backward whenever they attempted to push through.

Sun and Kong handled the creatures approaching from the left, working together to knock them away before they could reach the center.

Above them, Eden intercepted anything attempting to leap over the defensive line.

Athena remained near Arthur, constantly watching the battlefield and calling out movements before they happened. "Arthur, three coming from the right!"

Arthur immediately moved to intercept them. "I see them." He swung Dusk, knocking the first Beast aside before stepping around the second. The third attempted to slip past him, but Arthur caught it with a golden strike and sent it crashing into the snow.

Across the clearing, Vedas blocked another attack. "These things aren’t giving up!"

Eden dove past him and struck a Beast before it could reach the center. "Then we don’t give up either!"

Vedas smiled. "Good answer."

For several minutes, they managed to hold the line.

Gradually the group realized something disturbing. The corrupted Beasts weren’t simply attacking randomly. They were beginning to change their approach. One Beast repeatedly attacked Vedas, and when it realized it couldn’t get through, it retreated. A second Beast immediately moved toward the opposite side instead.

Athena noticed. "They’re changing their tactics."

Arthur looked toward them. "They’re learning."

Sun glanced over. "That’s not something I wanted to hear."

Mithra looked up from the students. "Neither did I."

The Beasts began spreading out, and Melo’s illusions stopped working as effectively. "They’re starting to recognize the illusions."

"Then don’t let them get comfortable," Arthur said.

A large Beast charged, and Sun called out, "Kong!"

"I know!" Kong rushed forward, and Sun fired Point Shockwave immediately after, the combined attack sending the Beast tumbling backward.

Athena suddenly called out, "Arthur! Behind you!"

Arthur twisted around and caught a Beast’s attack with Dusk. "Thanks."

"Don’t thank me. Move!"

Arthur laughed. "Right."

The longer the battle continued, the harder it became to maintain the formation.

Arthur was forced to the eastern side of the clearing when three Beasts attacked together. Vedas was dealing with another powerful creature, while Sun and Kong were keeping several smaller ones from surrounding them.

For only a few seconds, the center was left without enough protection.

One of the corrupted Beasts noticed.

It suddenly abandoned its opponent and rushed through the gap.

Eden’s eyes widened. "One got through!"

Mithra looked up but the Beast was already charging toward her. Behind her were the unconscious students and there was nowhere to retreat.

Mithra tightened her grip around Kusa. "Damn it."

Melo turned sharply. "Mithra!"

The Beast lunged.

Mithra raised Kusa, but she knew she was too late.

Then—

BOOM!

Snow exploded between Mithra and the Beast.

The corrupted creature was thrown backward, rolling several times before digging its claws into the ground.

Mithra froze.

Someone was standing between her and the Beast.

A long black cloak moved gently in the falling snow. Their face was hidden behind a strange spiral mask.

Red.

Another figure stepped into the clearing beside the unconscious students.

Blue.

A third emerged from between the snow-covered trees.

Green.

For several seconds, nobody moved. Even the corrupted Beasts seemed uncertain, and the whole clearing held its breath waiting to see what the strangers would do next.

The blue-masked figure raised one hand. Blue light spread across the snow and washed over the unconscious students. Their unstable mana immediately began to settle.

Athena’s eyes widened. "They’re helping them."

Arthur lowered Dusk slightly, but his grip remained firm. "So you’re not with the Beasts."

The green-masked figure glanced toward him. "Obviously not."

Sun blinked. "Well, that’s reassuring."

Vedas kept his spear raised. "Who are you?"

The red-masked figure finally turned toward them. "People who don’t want these students to die."

Mithra looked between the three strangers and the students behind her. "Then why are you here?"

The red mask shifted toward the surrounding Beasts. "For the same reason you are." The figure raised one hand. "To stop them."

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. "You sound pretty confident."

The red mask tilted slightly. "You should probably step back."

Arthur didn’t move. "Why?"

The red figure looked toward the corrupted Beasts. "Because we’re about to clear the field."

The three figures stepped forward. The corrupted Beasts began growling.

Arthur’s expression slowly changed.

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