"Ding! Energy body detected. Transform into Evolution Points?"
Luciel's eyes lit up. So, the crystal—the beast spar—was a form of stored energy that the system could convert. He had expected this but seeing it happen so simply still sparked excitement.
He didn't hesitate. Transform.
"Ding! Transformation successful. Evolution Points obtained: 100."
The system's voice rang clearly in his mind. The fierce beast spar seemed to melt, transforming into liquid energy, and then it disappeared into the palm of his hand.
"Huh? Where did it go?"
Mino's eyes widened in shock. She stared at Luciel's palm, utterly confused. To her, it seemed impossible. The beast spar—the small, fierce crystal—had vanished as if swallowed by nothingness.
Luciel chuckled softly, amused at the girl's perplexed expression. "This," he said, tilting his hand slightly, "is one of my other abilities."
Mino's curiosity flared. "Other ability?"
He nodded. "Yes. I can absorb energy objects like this and convert them into Evolution Points. It's how I plan to strengthen domesticated beasts."
Mino stared, awe-struck. "That… that's incredible."
Luciel grinned. "Let's see if we can find more."
Without waiting for a reply, the girl darted toward the first rogue spy that Luciel had dispatched, eager to search for any remaining beast spars.
Meanwhile, Luciel's mind was already working. System, he thought, how many Evolution Points are needed to evolve a domesticated beast from level 1 to level 2?
"Ding! 10 Evolution Points are required to evolve from level 1 to level 2."
"And for level 2 to 3?" he asked, already anticipating the jump in cost.
"Ding! 100 Evolution Points are required to evolve from level 2 to level 3."
Luciel's eyes narrowed. Tenfold increase… as expected, it's always harder at the higher levels. He shook his head, feeling a mix of anticipation and calculation. For now, his priority would be evolving a level 3 domesticated beast.
Perhaps it's time to summon the rock tortoise, he thought. It was big, strong, and perfect for the first evolution attempt.
"Come here, Xiaocai," he called toward the nearby rock wall.
From the rocky surface, three-color lizards emerged, skittering quickly toward him. Their scales shimmered faintly in the low light, reflecting streaks of blue, red, and gold.
Luciel pressed a hand on one of them, eyes closed in focus. "System, evolve the tricolor lizard."
"Ding! Level 1 tricolor lizard evolves to level 2. Deduct 10 Evolution Points."
"Ding! Level 2 tricolor lizard evolution successful."
"Ding! Deploy trainer's 'Mimic Discoloration' ability to synchronize with Level 2 'Mimic Discoloration'."
A warm current of energy surged through Luciel's body, spreading from his palm to every limb, his senses sharpening.
"Even the abilities synchronize automatically… that's convenient," he muttered, a hint of admiration in his voice.
The tricolor lizard itself didn't look drastically different—its body had grown to about a meter long—but Luciel knew better. Its strength had increased tremendously; its bite alone could be lethal if someone unprepared crossed it.
"Only a little jerky." Mino returned, holding a small palm-sized piece of jerky. Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked at the lizard. She absentmindedly licked her lips.
"Hiss!" The tricolor lizard recoiled slightly, unnerved by the girl's attention.
Luciel frowned. "No, no! This one's my pet, not food!" He grabbed Mino's rabbit ears lightly to prevent her from teasing it further.
"Huh!" Mino yelped, her ears pulled. She lowered her head in mock indignation.
Luciel quickly let go, noticing her flushed cheeks. "Hey… don't pull my ears like that," she said, her voice tinged with embarrassment.
"I wasn't pulling too hard," he said, waving it off. Secretly, he thought it felt oddly satisfying—strange, considering the situation.
Mino crossed her arms, pouting. "I'm not a pet!"
"Understood," Luciel said, smirking slightly. He made a mental note that he might have a chance to tease her later.
"Wait… I hear footsteps!" Mino's ears twitched sharply. "The rock tortoise… it's coming this way!"
Luciel nodded, calm. "I told it to come here. Thanks for the heads-up."
Through his spiritual connection with the rock tortoise, he could sense the creature's position—it was about two to three hundred meters away. That Mino could distinguish its footsteps from so far away impressed him; she really was remarkable.
Minutes later, the ground rumbled slightly as the massive rock tortoise lumbered toward them, its thick shell glinting faintly in the dim light.
Luciel pressed a hand on its massive head. "System, evolve rock tortoise."
"Ding! Level 1 rock tortoise evolves to level 2. Deduct 10 Evolution Points."
"Ding! Level 2 rock tortoise evolution successful."
"Ding! Deploy trainer's 'Earth Rock Spikes' ability to synchronize Level 2 'Earth Rock Spikes'."
Luciel felt the surge of energy again, stronger this time, spreading through his entire body. His strength, speed, and spirit surged in response. Opening his character attribute panel, he examined the new stats:
Trainer: Luciel
Physical Strength: 10.5
Speed: 8.8
Strength: 9.6
Spirit: 16
Lifespan: 24 years / 260 years
Taming Point: 0 (refreshes daily, accumulative)
Evolution Point: 80
Abilities: Earth Rock Spike (Level 2), Mimic Discoloration (Level 2)
Domesticated Beasts:
Rock tortoise: Talent – Spikes from the rock (Level 2)
Three-color lizard: Talent – Mimic color change (Level 2)
The two beasts had evolved to level 2, and Luciel's attributes had nearly doubled, especially his lifespan, now extended to an astonishing 260 years. Such longevity was rare even among humans, yet he had acquired it effortlessly.
"The tortoise… it's changed again. It's… huge!" Mino exclaimed, her eyes wide with amazement.
Luciel turned to see the transformation firsthand. The once small rock tortoise, barely a meter long yesterday, had now grown to enormous proportions—its shell alone nearly filling a ten-square-meter area.
"Woo!" The tortoise's deep, resonant sound echoed as it nudged Luciel's hand with its massive head, gleeful.
Luciel raised a hand to steady it, cooing softly as one might comfort a child. If the tortoise stood fully upright, it would easily reach three meters tall.
"Luciel… you're amazing," Mino said, her eyes shimmering with admiration.
Indeed, no one would believe that the colossal beast in front of them had once been a mere slap-turtle. The evolution had transformed it utterly, a testament to Luciel's mastery of the system and his careful planning.