10: Collective Evolution

Finally, dawn arrived.

As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the Black Iron Forest, the darkness of the night began to fade. Alan could sense a renewed sense of vitality in the air, as if everything was starting afresh with the rising sun.

Stepping out of the hiding cave, Alan faced the ascending sun, feeling its warm rays on his skin. He reached out, almost wanting to grasp the sun itself, trying to hold onto that fleeting beauty.

"What are you doing?"

A gentle voice came from behind. It was Olivia. Everyone else was still asleep.

Alan had been the first to wake up, and Olivia was the second.

Upon seeing Alan venture out alone, Olivia had worried he might be in danger, so she followed him.

"I'm fine. Just feeling a bit emotional," Alan replied.

"Hmm?"

"So many people died in a single night, and I can't help but feel uneasy and unable to accept it."

"It's not your fault," Olivia reassured him, understanding his feelings.

Alan still carried a sense of guilt from the events of the previous night. Perhaps only with time could these emotions be gradually diluted and his self-blame and pain eased.

The cave they had used as a hiding place was spacious and clean, the perfect shelter Alan had found using his night vision ability.

After a night of rest, everyone had physically and mentally recovered to some extent. However, their faces still reflected the confusion of individuals who had been reborn after a catastrophic event.

Upon waking up, the director noticed Alan's absence and was greatly alarmed.

"Sofia, where is Alan?" he asked anxiously.

"Isn't he still sleeping?" Sofia replied.

"But where is he?"

Sofia quickly got up, realizing that Alan was indeed missing. Olivia was nowhere to be found either. Sofia was about to go outside to search for them.

However, just as she was about to leave, Alan walked back into the cave, smiling as he asked, "What do you need me for?"

As everyone saw Alan's return, their anxious hearts immediately calmed. It seemed that as long as Alan was present, there was nothing to fear.

Half an hour later, following the school doctor's advice, everyone had a simple breakfast and drank some water.

Fire could not be lit. It was the fire from the previous night that had attracted the disaster.

"Monsters in the Black Iron Forest are naturally drawn to fire. No matter how far away they are, once a fire is lit, they will be attracted to it!" The doctor explained.

"Last night's incident had nothing to do with Alan. The disaster occurred because students were trying to keep warm!"

"I hope everyone can understand that the reason we survived was because of Alan."

In this moment, the director had temporarily forgotten his position. Like everyone else, he was an ordinary person without any supernatural abilities.

The only way to survive was to rely on Alan and become an evolver. After a simple breakfast, the most anticipated event was about to begin.

After a day and a night, Alan had a rough understanding of the two paths to becoming an evolver.

Firstly, individuals like the doctor and Sofia, who had innate abilities within their bodies, could successfully activate their abilities and become evolvers with the help of an existing evolver.

Secondly, it required a certain level of difficulty.

"I have observed that only a few students have innate abilities, while the rest are ordinary people. To activate their abilities, they must personally kill a green-skinned beast to obtain its energy and become an evolver."

"This may sound simple, but it is actually very challenging, as it is nearly impossible for ordinary individuals to kill a green-skinned beast. But..."

The word "but" suddenly reignited hope within the initially desperate crowd.

"The doctor and I can assist you all. Time waits for no one. Let's start now and strive to make everyone an evolver within a day!"

Alan instructed everyone not to leave the area as a safety precaution, and he set off alone to search for a lone green-skinned beast.

A solitary green-skinned beast was the easiest to kill, as it would not attract the attention of other beasts.

Alan soon discovered a green-skinned beast wandering near a stream, devoid of its usual weapon.

"No weapon?" Alan's eyes lit up. Green-skinned beasts without weapons were easier to deal with. He silently approached the beast, knocked it unconscious, and brought it back.

The unconscious green-skinned beast was tossed to the ground by Alan. The pain quickly brought it back to consciousness.

The piercing screech indicated the beast's anger. Being knocked out had left it feeling uncomfortable, let alone seeing a human standing before it.

"Hiss!"

The cry grew even more shrill as the green-skinned beast lunged directly at a female classmate. However, a large foot suddenly appeared, stomping on the beast and nearly crushing it to death.

The power of a four-star black iron warrior had erupted, nearly obliterating the green-skinned beast.

"Who's coming first?" Alan looked around at everyone.

There was hesitation among the group. While they understood that killing the green-skinned beast in front of them would allow them to become evolvers, taking a life was not something they could easily do.

"I'll do it!" A determined voice spoke up. It was Olivia. Although a hint of panic flickered across her delicate face, it quickly disappeared.

It was the desire for power. Alan was surprised. He had never expected Olivia, who usually appeared delicate and weak, to display such bravery in a crucial moment.

As he looked at the male students, they all blushed with embarrassment.

"Olivia, aim for its neck and kill it with one strike. Don't give it a second chance!" The doctor instructed, handing Olivia the scalpel and explaining how to make a decisive kill. Opportunities were plentiful, but courage only came once.

Once the first attempt failed, it might be beyond Olivia's psychological tolerance to attempt it again. Thus, the doctor provided her with a shortcut.

"Got it!" Olivia nodded vigorously, tightly gripping the scalpel.

The doctor's own ability had transformed the scalpel, making it sharp enough to slice through steel effortlessly. The body of the green-skinned beast could offer no resistance.

Taking a deep breath, Olivia approached the green-skinned beast and aimed for its neck. Her trembling hands betrayed her nervousness, but she didn't hesitate for too long.

She struck with the knife—a clean, agile action, incredibly decisive. The scalpel effortlessly pierced the large artery in the beast's neck.

The sharp blade almost completely severed the neck, causing green blood to flow. The green-skinned beast immediately lost its life force. A mysterious energy surged from the beast and flowed into Olivia's body.

Trembling all over, Olivia's pretty face displayed extreme surprise.

"I did it!"

And in the next moment, others clamored to be the next evolver.

Witnessing this scene, Alan wore a smile of gratification and said, "Don't worry, everyone. Take turns, we have plenty of time."

As long as the method proved effective, Alan could guide everyone to evolve collectively.