Nightfall's Calling

Meanwhile, inside the cave of Valtuz were a location where bandits sit and recover their wounds. But this time, this cave is filled with the voices of anguish.

"Oh god! It burns!"

"I can't see! My eyes!"

"Someone please heal her! She's spazzing out!"

"I'm running low on Healing Magic! I need a Mana Potion!"

Frantic voices fill the caves and people of different race and sizes rush scramble to tend to the injured. Zaneth walks to the scrambling mass to assess the situation.

"What's the damage?" Zaneth said.

"We've lost a lot of our guys when those crows attacked, even more were injured by them." one female bandit said. "Our supplies had took a major blow as well. Most of our watch towers and bell towers were destroyed."

"Those type of crows are usually A-V in terms of ranks. The human I was fighting felt like he was a A rank at least." Zaneth said.

"The crows must be with him since they didn't attack him, right?" the woman claimed.

"Unlikely, he'd had to travel the mountains to find them and they're territorial. He'd be dead the moment he steps in their territory." Zaneth refutes her claim.

"If we're going to attack, we'll have to reorganize. We lost a lot from the crows." the woman said.

"Fine, I'll come back until night falls." Zaneth said and turns back. He walks back as the scrambling bandits run around him to tend for the injured to await for his next plan tonight.

Little did he know, that night can be darker for a different reason.

{Meanwhile...}

I began riding Zala back to the city of Valtuz to await for the aura to be fully converted into my own. However, the problem is that I cannot use any magic during the conversion. Therefore, I'll have to rely on my monsters and brute strength.

The gate opens and I ran inside with them and the gate closes.

"Kain, buddy! Hyoran told me what happened. You really are something. Trying to fend off an army of bandits." Thompson said, expecting of my power, but with disbelief.

"Are you kidding? Even if I sent all of them with me, it'd be a struggle." I said. "Where's Hyoran?"

"She's in the room, but she's been restless the moment she came back." Thompson said reluctantly with a concerned expression.

"Restless? How?" I said.

"I dunno, she said there was an explosion. Hyoran tried to go back, but Viridesca stopped her." Thompson replied.

I exhaled through my nose, knowing that Hyoran would do something reckless. Well, I'm not one to judge. I did some reckless shit, but I didn't go in without planning something.

"All right, I'll check on her." I said.

I walked inside the tavern and into the room where we had slept in. I knocked and the door quickly opens.

"Kain!" Hyoran shouted and hugged me tightly. But as she hugged me, her ears and tail began to spike and stiffen. She noticed that I have something foreign inside me.

"Kain...you...what is that inside you?" Hyoran said, stepping back with a fearful look on her face.

"It's aura. Although it's not mine." I said.

"Not yours? How did you..." Hyoran's face went pale. "No...that explosion...!" Tears soon well up inside her eyes.

Crap, so she heard that explosion despite me holding off Zaneth. That's what Beastkins usually are, they have better hearing.

"Okay, I did get injured." I said, reassuring her, "But I survived. I even took his aura and making it my own."

I did skip the details, but Hyoran is very sensitive at this age. Even more so as a female Lycanian. Hyoran sniffled and wipes her tears.

"Anyways, the bandits no doubt took a hit. So, I will go out there and attack again tonight." I said.

"Tonight? Would it be the same as before?" Hyoran said.

"No, it is different. I will be bringing Arex, Gris, Noire, and Saeva." I said. "While we wait, I can convert this Aura to my own. However, I can't us my magic right now."

"How long will it take for you to make it your own?" Hyoran asked.

[ETA for full Aura Conversion: 5 seconds.]

"Just about...now." I replied.

[Conversion complete.]

With the message, the aura Zaneth had became permanently mine. The aura that was once red now became blue.

[Unique skill acquired. Aura-VI, Weapon Ki-VI.]

[Due to restrictions, Aura and Weapon Ki will be restricted to Tier V.]

[You can now use magic.]

Can't do anything about that. Also, I have unknown skills that I haven't unlocked yet. However, I can use magic now and became more versatile than ever. However, versatility won't do much if I am facing overwhelmingly powerful opponents.

"Incredible...how can a person not only survive from such grievous injuries and afflicted by Aura Contamination, but survive and convert the foreign aura to their own?" Arex wondered.

"Wow...Kain's aura is blue." Hyoran said, struck in awe. "You'll come back right?"

"I'm not leaving yet." I said. "I have to evolve Gris, Noire, Saeva, and Arex before nightfall."

"You're evolving them again?" Hyoran said.

"Yeah, there will be stronger enemies and armies in the future. Obviously those who come after us." I said. Zaneth is a prime example of what I said and there will be many more that'll make Zaneth look like a chump.

I walked downstairs to begin evolution. Arex, Hyoran, and Viridesca followed suit. We walked outside of the tavern to the outside where people go around helping each other. We then walked out of the gate.

"Gris, Noire, Saeva, come to me." I said.

*Woof!*

Gris ran through the air using his Sky Strider skill, Noire jumped out of the shadows of the gate and...

*Fwoom!*

Saeva crossed realms and reached to me with infernal flames.

Firstly, I began to evolve Gris and Noire.

[Silver Gale Wolf > Silver Cyclone Wolf > Argent Wolf]

[Black Shadow Wolf > Black Umbra Wolf > Obsidian Wolf]

The reason it changed to Argent and Obsidian is because they have reached 'Advanced Color' series. Advanced Colors is where some monsters has evolved enough to get a synonymous color name. Like Red becomes Crimson, Blue becomes Azure, White becomes Ivory, and so forth.

[Angel Prime > Minor Archangel > Archangel]

[Blaze Hellhound> Inferno Hellhound > Hellfire Hellhound]

I made sure they get evolved too. For Arex, going past Angel Prime makes her into a Minor Archangel and so forth. Archangels are stronger than regular Angels.

"Gris, Noire, Saeva, Arex. Evolution." I said.

[Acknowledged. Now evolving.]

*AWOOOOO!!*

Gris, Noire, and Saeva howled to the sky for another evolution.

*BWOOOOO!!!*

Gris soon became engulfed by the raging typhoon, tearing the air in his wake.

Noire became engulfed in encroaching darkness. Soon, the darkness shot through the sky, becoming a pillar.

Saeva soon became engulfed in infernal flames, mixed with red and black.

Lastly, Arex floated upwards and her body rapidly becomes pure light. She then became a giant pillar of light.

{Meanwhile...}

Thompson who is standing on top of the gate towers gaze upon the four pillars raging about. The other people also gaze in awe of the display.

"Woah...four monsters evolving at the same time. It's insane." one man gasped.

"The bandits might be in trouble if they finish evolving." one woman said.

"'Might'? They're royally screwed if all four were to attack." Thompson laughed.

"What if...all of this was a front so he could take over the city?" one man said.

"Judging the kid's smarts, he might. But if that was the case, this place would've been long taken over by now." another man said.

"What are you idiots saying!? Kain's just a kid! How can he rule a city?" Thompson shouted. The people quickly fell silent from his outburst. Thompson sighed and looked in the distance at the four raging pillars of various magic.

"Kain...I hope you know what you're doing and hopefully you'll truly save not just Valtuz, but many other places." Thompson thought to himself, hoping that one individual who he placed his hopes on isn't a bigger monster than the corrupt nobles and the bandits combined.