10 10. Evolution

Evan read the translucent screen that had appeared in front of him as the shadows rushed off to search the room.

You have gained [2000 experience points] for defeating [Red Dungeon King]

You have reached [Level 2]

He immediately felt lighter and more in tune with his body. His movements were more graceful and he gained a better understanding of the limits of his body. The room seemed to brighten slightly and smells, noises, and sounds were more vibrant. The fatigue that racked his body disappeared in an instant.

The feeling of overflowing power that came with leveling up was intoxicating, and even Fenrir purred in contentment.

Through it all, Evan became aware of a heavy fog that penetrated his thoughts and clouded his mind that he had not noticed before. The heavy fog lightened slightly as his newfound power rushed through the mana-infused blood in his body. Fenrir gasped as a wave of mana entered the core all at once — like someone had opened the floodgates of a dam momentarily before closing them again. The fog lingered for a moment longer — then it was gone.

The experience left Evan out of breath and panting as he sat on the throne. "Fenrir, what just happened?"

"I am not sure, my King. But I feel stronger. More alive. As if I had taken a drink of water on the edge of dehydration," the core replied.

The summoner thought on Fenrir's words for a long moment before curiosity got the better of him.

[Status].

[Name]: Evan (Soulbound to Dungeon Core - Fenrir)

[Class]: Dungeon Core Summoner

[Evolutions]: None

[Mana]: 10,400 / 1,000,000

[Level]: 2 (1000 / 15,000 experience)

Everything appeared normal until he read his [Mana]. Evan blinked his eyes several times to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"It appears that whatever the problem with our mana can be, at least partially, fixed by leveling up," the dungeon core whispered in his ear.

Evan did not miss the unspoken thought in the core's words. [The System] had been able to fix a wound that neither of them had even known was there until recently. An injury that not even their [Black Blood] had seemed to be able to heal.

They had already guessed that the creator of [The System] was powerful. That much had been obvious to Even and Fenrir who had spent centuries fighting against the most powerful beasts in existence. But this power overshadowed anything they had seen before.

To be able to gift humans the kind of strength that [The System] did — and they knew that they were only scratching the surface of the power that it could grant — was extraordinary.

This existence rivaled even The Labyrinth.

Their revelation was interrupted as one of the shadow knights rose out of the floor.

"Have you found the core?" Evan asked.

In response, the knight bowed and images filled the space in his head. A room — hidden behind a false wall at the back of the throne room.

The summoner dismissed the shadows, watching as they disappeared up his arms and legs and into his body.

He spent the next quarter of an hour extracting shadows from half the monster cores that he had gathered. He tested his newfound power as he summoned an army of a hundred shadows.

The throne room filled with shadows. As one they turned to face him and knelt. Most of the summoned warriors were knights, but he took a moment to inspect the newest additions to his Shadow Army.

[Shadow Archer - Level 1]

[Rank: Soldier]

[Shadow Mage - Level 1]

[Rank: Soldier]

Evan dismissed the shadows and pulled out the small, green monster core that he had received for defeating Tyr. He closed his fist around the core as he activated [Extract Shadow Core]. The process took several minutes, and there was a moment where Evan's will battled Tyr's for dominance. The core shattered and Fenrir absorbed the black mana.

He extended his hand forward and activated [Summon Shadow]. The shadow drifted from his chest down his leg. The hulking figure of the red dungeon king rose up from the ground. The king held Evans's eye for a moment before he bowed his head and fell to his knee.

"I live to serve the true King."

[Tyr (Shadow King) - Level 1]

[Rank: Warlord]

Evan rose from the throne and placed a hand on the shadow king's head. "You will command my army now. Do not fail me."

The shadow bowed his head in deference. "I will not fail you."

Evan smiled and began to walk towards the back of the room and gestured for the shadow king to follow him.

It only took a moment for them to find the false wall. "Break through," he commanded.

A giant two-handed sword appeared in the shadow king's hands. The king roared as he struck the wall with the edge of the blade. The ground shook as steel collided with stone, but the wall held. The king struck again. And again. And again. On the tenth strike, the massive blade went through the stone. The king jerked the sword back and the wall crumbled.

Evan took a few steps into the deep alcove that was hidden behind the wall. In the center of the alcove was a pedestal with a large blue crystal floating above it. He could feel Fenrir shake with anticipation as he watched the crystal spin and twirl in mid-air.

Fenrir's emotions overpowered Evan's sense of self. He felt an endless hunger. A desire so primal that he launched himself at the core without thinking. He was no longer Evan. They were now Fenrir.

He grasped the blue dungeon core in his hands and pulled. The dungeon core's mana essence rushed up through his arms and into Fenrir. He could feel the blue core struggling in his hands, but that struggle weakened with every passing second.

Fenrir's hunger didn't seem to lessen as they emptied the dungeon core. A void. The once bright blue core fell to the ground with a clatter — gray and lifeless.

Ecstasy coursed through Evan's body. He fell to his knees as they turned to jelly and Fenrir moaned in pleasure. He wanted — needed more.

Ecstasy was replaced with exhaustion and Evan's eyes began to close. He managed to keep them open long enough to read the translucent screen that appeared in front of him.

[Evolution Initiated]

[God Eater - Tier 1]

You have drained the life of a dungeon core. You walk the road between life and death. The mana essence that makes up a dungeon core's soul has the power to grant and take life. In time, you will become Life and Death personified.

Mana essence you drain will be converted into pure mana that is added to your total mana pool. Each dungeon core you consume will increase the total stats of your summoned beasts by 1% permanently.

This power comes with a cost. The longer you go without consuming a dungeon core, the weaker and more unstable you become. Going too long without consuming a dungeon core will lead to your death.

[Evolution Skill Detected]

[Aura of Death - Level 1]

You consume the mana from magic beasts within 50 feet, adding 1% of the total stats of every beast within your aura to the total stats of your summons temporarily.

As he got to the end of the screen his vision blackened and unconsciousness took him.