Evolution and... Fish!?

The next morning Merces is being woken up by heavy feeling on his chest.

He grunted and tiredly opened his eyes to see Zaneks tail laying on his chest as he sleeps peacefully.

"Damn, Zanek. Your tail is heavy." Said Merces as he pushed the tail off of him.

To which Zanek just ignored to continue his sleeping time under the morning rays.

Merces couldn't help but shake his head.

Zanek grew so much in the couple of months now nearing 4 meters in length. His feathers are now longer than ever and are brighter than before. After endless training Zanek got a fire affinity as his core developed. He is now able to breath fire and his feathers are now fore resistant.

Merces is very proud of Zanek as he got a long way from when Merces caught the half a meter long Dactori.

While reminiscing about the past he hears a voice behind him.

"Oh you are finally awake boy." Said the bulky man with a grin as he walked towards him. In his right hand a wooden self-made spear and in the other a net.

Merces looked at his uncle who was looking like a fisher with a straw hat and a half open white shirt and short trousers and a pair of sandals. Merces tilted his head in confusion and asked, "Why are you dressed like that, aren't you freezing? And more importantly why the straw hat?"

"Grahahahaha, don't ask so many questions and come with me. It is time to catch our breakfast." Said uncle Elkier dogging the questions and throwing the net at him.

Merces coughed the net and looked at the back of his uncle who was already walking away. He just shrugged his shoulders and followed him leaving the sleeping Dactori alone to guard the temporary camp that his uncle build when Merces was unconscious.

After 10 minutes of walking Merces asked "How much longer are going to walk uncle?"

Just as he said so Elkier stood still. Merces walked next to him and saw a big lake clear lake surrounded by many trees.

"Go and catch some fish Merces." Said Elkier hitting him on the shoulder.

"Won´t I get a spear too?" asked Merces.

"Don't you already have one?" asked uncle Elkier back with a grin.

As if a candle light up he put his right hand in front of him and imagined his black spear with a crescent blade but unlike last time now it materialized it by growing a black tree with red and dark purple leaves instead of blinking in existence. The tree was only 3 meters high and a part of the trunk opened revealing his alkarium weapon.

Merces stood there in confusion wondering why a tree grew this time but ignored it for the moment and grabbed his spear. As he took out the spear with ease the tree closed its trunk and shrunk before disappearing into the earth as nothing happened. He inspected the spear and noticed a little red leave sign on the crystal.

He turned towards his uncle to ask him about it but saw his uncle with a look of surprise and shook on his face.

Before Merces could ask or say a word Elkier exclaimed "How did your weapon already evolve!? "

"I guess it happened when I tired the weapon with my spirit form" said Merces nonchalant not understanding the amazing feat he just accomplished.

"Ha ha ha… you don't know that you just accomplished what every alcarium weapon wilder want. *sigh* you wonder me every time boy.""

"What is so amazing about the change?" said Merces as he looked at the spear and back at his uncle.

"Normally an alkarium weapon will appear out of thin air when summoned, but when it evolves into a variant it will appear differently." Said Merces uncle with a slight smile.

"So it is just a cosmetic change?"

"No, that´s not all. An evolution means it´s connected with your soul especially well and gained an extra skill. But everyone will know it is a variant when you summon it, and it takes longer to manifest which in a battle were every second can cost you your life can be fatal."

Merces thought for a while and asked, "Can it be masked somehow?"

Uncle Elkier grinned at his nephews' question and put his hand to the side as a small green tornado manifests and the purple and gold eastern sword materialized in his left hand.

"Wait? How did it appear with a tornado this time around?" asked Merces bewildered.

"Because I suppressed it last time. With enough training you can summon your soul weapon normally to not reveal that it is a variant, but when summoned like that, the gained skill will also be locked."

"Ohhhh"

"*sigh* all this talking made me hungry so go and catch our breakfast already." Said Elkier tired.

Merces walked towards the lake and took of his clothing, leaving him only in his shorts showing his well-trained body.

He dipped his toe in to test the waters and immediately shivered.

The water was ice cold as it was still early spring.

Clonsing his eyes he put a hand on his chest and chanted, "Shield thy from cold as heat erupts from within, Inner Fire." (AN: Inner Fire added into Grimoire of all.)

Immediately after chanting 'Fire Cloak' he sighed in pleasure as his body began to warm up.

He learned the spell during his solo training sessions in the winter when his teacher was away for some kind of business, never telling him what kind of business.

But the 'Fire Cloak' spell alone wasn't enough as the water was to cold. So he casted his other spell to prevent him to freeze to death. In the last few months with his master he learned a few low tier spells and a single intermediate spell, what could be counted as amazing as normally only people in their 4th year of magic school learn intermediate spells.

He then casted another spell "Help me defend from danger as nature covers me, Wood Armor, light version." (AN: Wood Armor added into Grimoire of all.)

Finishing the cast he immediately gets covered by tiny branches wrapping tightly around his body to keep him extra warm, only leaving his face exposed. Despite being wrapped in wood he it won't restrict his movement much as the wood is extremely flexible.

Taking a deep breath he jumped into the cold water, but due to the wood armor he sunk to the ground of the lake.

Opening his eyes he wondered at the clear water, but his amazement was cut short as a dark silhouette approached him at a fast pace.

'Of course this isn't a normal lake, damn old man!' thought Merces as he looked at a giant armored fish with razor sharp teeth.

Trying to swipe away the fish with his spear but under water his swipe was slower than usual and with the armored fish in his element it could easily avoid the slash and bit him into the shoulder.

As the beast bit into his left shoulder drawing blood Merces immediately pirced its eye and killing it.

Seeing the dead fish up close Merces remembered reading about it. It was a Pirakular. (AN: Pirakular added into Beastpedia)

A fish beast that hunt in groups.

…

Wait groups!

The moment he remembered that, a group of Pirakular beasts could be seen swimming fast towards him while showing their sharp teeth and a hungry glint in their eyes.

Merces still underwater and slowly getting out of oxygen could only turn around and run as fast as possible to land but running away under water from a group of predatory Pirakulars was like running away from a homing spell, delaying the inevitable.

Realizing he couldn't run away he turned around to brace himself and chanted silently 'Poison my enemy for they are my enemies, Poison Cloud' (AN: Added)

But under water the poison spread in a cone shape form and killing three of the 20 Pirakulars who relentlessly chase him as they get closer and closer.

Now in striking distance he stuck his spear forward, finding its mark and piercing a beast in its head.

But Merces didn't got out unspared as two of the armored fish bits right into his right arm.

Merces grunted and silently casted 'Poison Palm' and grabbed the first fish with his left hand killing it in seconds and then the second one. (AN: Added)

While he as busy killing the two the remaining 17 Pirakulars circled around him in a steady motion, having enough intelligent to know that he will soon be running out of oxygen.

So there was Merces in middle of a swarm of hungry Pirakulars as he slowly gets out of breath.

***

Meanwhile uncle Elkier laid on a deck chair with his straw hat on his face sleeping not caring about the cold breeze.

When you look closely you could see a faint red glow emitting from his body.

***

Back to Merces.

After 30 seconds of standstill he finally ran out of oxygen.

The beast immediately rushed him.

But instead of a panicked face Merces had a slight grin.

He activated his aura 'Natures Blessing' and changed into his spirit form and glaped his hands together and put them onto the lake floor thinking, 'Natures dome, arise!'

As he did so sharp roots sprouted around him like a circle piercing 8 of the beasts as the other were lucky enough to be to slow to get pierced.

Sensing the remaining Pirakulars fleeing he undid his dome and walked out of the water.

Finally on land he changed back and slumped down on his back to gulp air like a fish out of water.

As to why he didn't do that sooner?

Well he was panicking and forgot.

Elkier who was sleeping a second ago stood up and walked towards the lake seeing 13 dead Pirakulars flouting on the surface he took his spear attached a string on it and threw it. Piercing the beast and pulling it on shore.

After pulling out the last one he turned towards his nephew who was exhausted lying on his back.

"Not bad kid, you managed to kill 13 of them, but 5 of them can´t be eaten as you poisoned them. Meh, it´s still a passing grade." Said Merces uncle.

Merces just turned his head and looked at his uncle who was walking away.

*sigh*

He stands up and put back on his clothes and followed back his uncle who now has bag full of Pirakulars. The other five Merces poisoned got burned to crisps by his uncle.

***

Back in the "camp" he laid against the still sleeping Dactori and dozed off, while uncle Elkier is gutting the fish and making a fire.

Smelling the delicious scent of cooked fish Merces and Zanek immediately woke up.

Elkier who was sitting next to a campfire looked at the tamer beast duo and said with a grin "Breakfast is ready, come and join me."

Without hesitation they joined Elkier and began to eat the seasoned fish.