Hunger

Then, more firmly, Nyx added, "I might be a tortoise, but there's no way in hell I'm eating that thing."

Just the thought of eating a raw, mud-covered earthworm sent countless shivers down his spine. Even if it was cleaned, cooked, and seasoned to perfection, he still wouldn't partake in such a vile meal. 

Aurora chuckled.

[Good choice.] 

Suddenly, a faint rumble reverberated in the burrow, causing both of them to pause.

[Is it another earthworm?] Aurora tilted her head and glanced around in the small space for the source of the sound.

On the other hand, Nyx's expression tightened briefly, but then — unbeknownst to Aurora — a sheepish smile crept across his face.

A moment later, another rumble resounded. This time, Aurora was prepared and located the source. Narrowing her eyes for the worst, she turned in the direction of the sound.

But when she finally identified the source, her serious expression crumbled in an instant.

[Pfft…]

Nyx groaned, his cheeks were burning as Aurora pointed a finger at him.

[Oh, Nyx… it's just your stomach.] 

Following that, another loud rumble echoed, as if to affirm her claim. This time, she wasn't able to control herself and burst out into laughter.

Melodic laughter filled Nyx's mind. Normally, he would have been delighted to hear the soothing and rhythmic sound, but it was different this time.

"Yeah. Yeah." Nyx grumbled under his breath. "Laugh it up while you still have a chance."

[I will.] Aurora replied between fits of laughter.

Not knowing what else to do, Nyx snapped his eyes at what he believed to be the cause of his misfortune. He glared at the earthworm, which had yet to leave the burrow. It wriggled aimlessly, seemingly oblivious.

"Stupid worm…" Nyx muttered.

Sensing the hostility, the earthworm froze, then began to inch backward in an almost comical retreat. 

As for Aurora, after seeing Nyx ignoring her, she pouted and floated over to him.

[Alright. This princess is done teasing.] She then pointed to the earthworm. [What are you going to do with it? It's clearly not a threat to us, but it's not useful either.]

Nyx stared at the creature, his earlier frustration giving way to thoughtfulness. 

"Frankly, I don't know. It's useless… harmless, but…" He hesitated, wondering if he could evolve the earthworm, similar to how he evolved from a regular tortoise to a Semi-Aquatic Stoneback Tortoise.

Aurora frowned, tilting her head.

[Don't tell me you're planning to keep it, Nyx. It's an earthworm. Wait…] Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she exclaimed incredulously, [You aren't thinking of taming it, are you!?]

"I don't know yet," Nyx admitted truthfully. "But maybe." 

[Nyx, you only have a single Life Bound Soul Core, don't you know what that means?]

Nyx replied, [I'm well aware of what that means. I can only tame one Magical Beast.]

[And you still plan to use it on an earthworm? Earthworms aren't Magical Beasts.]

Nyx didn't reply as he continued to stare at the earthworm, which in turn stared back at him. While his eyes held uncertainty, the earthworm trembled in fear. But for some reason, it didn't run away.

And like that, an entire minute passed by in silence, until Aurora broke it.

[If you want to waste your only Life Bound Soul Core on this thing, don't let me stop you.] Aurora sighed dramatically and threw her hands up in the air. [But don't come running to this princess when it turns into nothing but a glorified compost machine.]

Nyx ignored her jab and pondered. Could the earthworm evolve? Could it, too, break free from its mundane shackles and become something extraordinary? 

The idea was absurd, but wasn't he the proof that the impossible was possible?

But then again, his Status didn't mention an Ability related to evolution — at least not in a conventional sense. He had Vital Essence and Soul Essence, which were needed for evolution. And then there was his Body Refinement Class Ability, which, as Aurora had explained, was meant to strengthen his body. It had nothing to do with evolution — or at least, not directly.

But something about that didn't add up.

Weird…

Once again, Nyx's mind wandered to what The System had previously said, <{Nyx, this is YOUR Trial! There no instruction or guidebook beyond what lies within. All Chosen must find their own path.}>

Disregarding the first and last sentences, Nyx focused on the second set of words. 

If not for Aurora being sealed within his Soul Sea, he would have had no instructions, guides, or mentor. He would have had to rely on himself. 

Furrowing his brows, Nyx thought, 'Something is missing in my Status. I'm sure of it.'

Nyx was confident that there was something The System did not include in his Status. Whatever it was, it would be up to him to uncover it. However, before Nyx could continue pondering, Aurora suddenly spoke again.

[Are you done pondering? Or do you need this princess to poke you back in reality.] She then pouted.

Nyx raised an eyebrow.

'Uhh… why is she so prickly?' He wondered, though he kept it to himself.

"Yes." Nyx simply responded. "Let's see if my theory is correct."

[Wait… you're serious? You're actually going to tame it?] After saying so, Aurora rolled her eyes and turned her face away.

After a moment, Nyx replied with a nod, "I've made up my mind. If I fail, I'll take the loss. But if this works…"

He didn't finish the sentence. His silence spoke volumes of what he meant.

[Do what you want.] Aurora sighed.

"To form the bond, I…" Nyx hesitated and glanced at Aurora for an explanation.

Aurora sighed again, but still explained, [Subconsciously, you should know what to do, but I'll explain nevertheless. Listen carefully. To form a bond, you need to have a strong enough desire to tame a Magical Beast — in your case, tame an… earthworm — which, in turn, would summon your Life Bound Soul Core from your Soul Sea. Then, the process will automatically begin.]