Evolution

Before arriving at the castle, Ray put Noir away. Although magical beasts as pets were common among mages, knights lacked the ability to tame them.

After sneaking back into the castle, he laid down to rest. He was surprised that Slyvia hadn't reported his disappearance to the guards. Then again, humans only cared about themselves—if it didn't affect her, there was no need to get involved.

As usual, the sound of two pots banging together woke them up. They resumed their journey in the carriage, but this time, Ray noticed frequent stares from one of their companions.

"Hey, is it just me, or is Slyvia looking at you a lot?" Gary asked.

"Isn't it usual for people to stare at me?" Ray replied, unfazed by the attention his red hair often attracted.

"Yeah, but you're not the only one with red hair, and she was even looking at you when we were packing away."

Ray shrugged, indifferent. Most likely, she was watching him because of the previous night's events. When Ray first arrived at Renny Town, four other red-haired students had also been assigned private tutors and special guards. Perhaps the kingdom believed in the so-called curse and wanted to keep them in check.

As night fell on the third day, they set up camp again. This time, the conditions were worse. They were surrounded by swamp, and the group moved to a nearby hill for a better vantage point. Complaints arose—mostly from the nobles—about the smell, the filth, and the discomfort, while others, accustomed to hard labor, endured it in silence.

Ray, on the other hand, was pleased by the change in terrain. A new environment meant a variety of magical beasts, and he had already gathered all he could from the Fanged Boars.

As the sun set and the moon rose, he left to hunt. Just before he departed, he caught Slyvia watching him again. He chose to ignore it—she hadn't said anything last time, and he doubted she would this time either.

Entering the swamp, he summoned Noir, and the two began their hunt. With both of them working together, they gathered crystals at double the pace. Among the creatures they encountered were Sharp Worms.

The Sharp Worms were human-sized but lacked limbs. Their greatest weapon was their massive, razor-sharp teeth, which they used to swallow their victims whole before grinding them up.

Though powerful, Sharp Worms were slow. With Dragon Eyes activated and Ray's superior speed, they stood no chance.

Further into the swamp, he discovered a Faly Hornet's nest. However, sensing an intermediate beast inside, he decided against engaging. The problem wasn't the beast itself, but the sheer number of hornets swarming around the nest.

Tonight's hunt was a jackpot. The swamp was teeming with creatures, and Ray lost track of time in his excitement. When he finally looked up, dawn was just an hour away.

Before returning to camp, he decided to feed all the collected crystals to Noir. As the numbers climbed, his excitement grew—36… 48… 69… 82… 94… and finally, 100.

A message appeared before him:

Though half-expecting this result, he was still taken aback. He immediately selected Yes.

Ray's jaw nearly hit the floor. He had never learned about this in school. Magical beasts had evolution branches. If not for the system, would Noir have chosen its evolution naturally? Or did the environment influence how a beast evolved?

As a dragon, Ray had never experienced evolution. His kind was born at the top of the food chain. But now, he was faced with a choice.

Two options appeared:

Horned Wolf

A wolf with a black horn on its forehead. Although not physically strong, it excels in speed and has a slight resistance to elemental attacks.

Blackened Wolf

A massive wolf capable of growing up to eight meters tall. Its main strength lies in brute force, particularly in its claws. It can also be used as a mount but is weak to elemental attacks.

Option B resembled the wolf he had fought alongside Gary in the forest. The idea of a mount was tempting—a wolf was faster than a horse and could outrun even higher-tier beasts. However, its sheer size made it difficult to keep a low profile.

On the other hand, Option A, while seemingly weaker, left more room for future growth. At lower tiers, there were few elemental-based creatures to worry about.

In the end, he chose Option A.

The moment he selected it, Noir vanished, retreating into his mind. He tried summoning Noir again, but an error message appeared:

With no way to speed up the process, all Ray could do was wait. The sun was rising—soon, everyone would wake up. He sprinted back to camp as fast as he could.