The Glorious Evolution

A while ago... Before Levi accepted the mission.

He could be seen reaching under his bed and pulling out a backpack filled with plastic, see-through boxes... Each one contained a dimensional natural treasure... Those were the loot from Dary’s wallet.

’There are ten natural treasures, which ones will I be using for my first evolution?’ Levi inquired.

’It depends on what you desire from your ultimate ability,’ Ash’Kral shared. ’You are currently at around 13%, needing only 2% to hit the plateau and reach the evolution stage. Since you have chosen the auditory path, it means you need natural treasures related to this evolutionary trait. This will ensure your unlocked ultimate ability to be related to your current powers.’

”Wait, I can unlock ultimate abilities from other senses even if I didn’t unlock their abilities?” Levi raised an eyebrow in surprise.

”Of course, the Nine Senses were considered as a singular power, which meant the ancestral crimson tree chooses an ultimate ability randomly from the entire pool,” Ash’Kral shared. ”The only way to limit the randomness is to strengthen your main evolutionary trait with unlocked abilities related to its powers. Most importantly, use an evolutionary formula with relations to the same main trait.”

”Understood?”

”Yeah, I get the gist.” Levi nodded.

If Levi desired a sound-based ultimate ability, he had to create an evolutionary formula that targeted a relative path to his evolutionary main trait.

Levi had no interest in unlocking an ultimate ability related to the other three unknown senses. It would serve less than a wet napkin.

”Now, for the evolution,” Ash’Kral shared. ”Our situation is different than the others. While they need remarkable or perfect evolution to ensure the best path is unlocked, there is no such thing with us.”

”All the evolved paths must be perfect; it’s up to you to shape the final evolution through a series of different paths, each one with a certain strength and weaknesses.”

”Hmm, what you are saying is that our final evolution will depend on my approach to each evolution?”

”Yes.” Ash’Kral nodded. ”If you choose specific senses and avoid others completely, your mutations and such will mostly be related to the focused senses. If you choose to work on all senses, you will be forced to stretch your focus thin on all of their paths.”

”In simpler terms, you will need to work on all of their evolutionary main traits through the resonance system.”

Levi nodded in understanding.

If we considered each sense to be a world, then Levi was given the choice to either explore a single world completely or choose to explore a bit of all nine worlds.

Levi understood that the best approach was to pick three worlds or four and leave the others somewhat deserted.

While he would be losing powers from the cast-aside senses, he would collect more powerful abilities from the chosen senses, strengthening a singular path or fighting style... Hence, the past partners had their own specific stances.

However...

”My goal hasn’t changed,” Levi said calmly. ”Ever since I saw the nanogam flower, I wanted to own a similar one, with millions of mastered abilities... That’s the ultimate goal, the only goal.”

”I can’t achieve it if I focus on a single path or a stance; I want it all.”

”Boy, picking this path will neither be easy nor comfortable,” Ash’Kral warned. ”You have no idea what you are getting yourself into.”

”The thing is, I know,” Levi replied. ”My mind is still unchanged... I want it all or none.”

”I like your resolve, but it’s your funeral.” Ash’Kral chuckled.

Levi would rather have regrets about choosing a difficult path with hundreds of options than settle down on a specific one and come to regret it later on.

Choosing to have a taste of all nine senses would open up all nine worlds to explore, but at least, he wouldn’t have regrets of seeing a closed world.

As for whether he would pull it off or not? The journey was still at its beginning...

”So, how are you going to organize your nine paths?” Ash’Kral asked.

”Simple.” Levi responded. ”Daywalkers have nine ranks, and I have nine senses. I will unlock each sense on a single rank. While I know I will be unlocking only four perfect abilities of each sense, I will work hard on the resonance system to increase my affinity with the ancestral tree. The higher it gets, the more complex abilities you will be able to teach me.”

”In this way, I will have access to all and master all nine senses’ abilities on my own.”

”I see.” Ash’Kral chuckled. ”I wish it would end like this.”

Levi’s brow twitched, knowing that Ash’Kral was still pessimistic about solving the Three-Body-Problem and going beyond Warden rank.

But he didn’t let his negativity affect him. He asked him about the evolutionary formula and the natural treasures he would need to concoct it.

After handing it to him, Levi pulled out the list of dimensional natural treasures. Ash’Kral had told him that evolutions at the low rank were extensively explored due to his inability to go beyond the Warden rank with any partner.

So, he had him covered until the Warden rank. But after it, they would need to explore the future ranks together.

Since Levi’s rookie rank was home to auditory-based abilities, Ash’Kral gave him the evolutionary formula to ensure an ultimate ability based on it.

The list appeared as such:

Echo Crystal (Grade C): A clear gem that soaks up sounds around it and can make them louder when released.Vibrational Quartz (Grade C): A rough stone that naturally hums a deep rumble, keeping the mix steady and grounded.Sonic Amber (Grade B+): Hardened resin that is believed to trap the very first ”birth” notes of the world, acting like a tiny sound time capsule.Frequency Moss (Grade D): A soft green moss that eats up extra noise, letting only the pure, clear tones shine through.

Those were the main and secondary materials needed to concoct the formula. There were still more materials, but they were cheap and available.

”I currently have only Vibrational Quartz and Frequency Moss.” Levi held his chin thoughtfully. ”The other two should be sold in the market or at auctions... Though their prices won’t be cheap in the slightest.”

”I need a lot of coins and fast.”

Levi glanced at his account and realized that if he wanted to collect the materials, he might need to sell the others.

While they weren’t needed for this evolution, Ash’Kral told him that they could be used for the next evolutions since each one was related to a sense.

Levi thought about it for a few minutes and realized that he might need to be proactive. However, before he could think too much about it, he found that it was time for the class.

”Oh well, I should pay the mission board a visit later.”

Back to the present...

Levi was seen staring at the fat bank balance of more than twenty thousand coins. A crazy amount for a rookie to own through his own skills. He didn’t sell his natural treasures or cave in to Sir Alaric for the pearl. He smashed the junior Daywalkers in the spars and robbed money from anyone foolish enough not to put their trust in his skills.

Now, he was sitting in his room, asking Astra AI if the natural treasures he needed for his evolution had appeared on the market yet.

”I am afraid it’s negative, Sir.” Astra AI replied monotonously.

”Sigh, still nothing huh.” Levi smiled bitterly.

Usually, Daywalkers shouldn’t struggle too much during their first evolution since the needed materials were either available or their remarkable evolutionary formulas were known knowledge.

But in Levi’s case? He needed rare materials, which should be used for Pathfinders’ evolution while still at the first rank.

Such materials rarely showed up in regular markets. Levi had given it two weeks in case something showed up, but now, he knew that only one solution was available.

Auction House.

”I must attend The Whispering Bids House, but to do so, a ticket is required.” Levi murmured. ”They can be sold in black markets, but I don’t want to squander too much of my budget.”

Levi understood that Auction House was the solution for rare materials... Especially, the ones harvested from other regions.

Those natural treasures seldom make it to the regular markets, getting snatched in heated bidding wars.

If he wanted to get his evolution before participating in the next expedition, he must attend it.

”Should I check with Shia? She might also attend the upcoming one in two days.”

Levi realized that he owned a good network with the upper echelon. For such problems, it was better to seek help from his friends than act solo.

Without further ado, Levi called Shia and explained his situation to her. Shia told him that she wasn’t interested in attending it since she was broke, but now, she would get two tickets for them.

”Now, where is that brute?” Levi murmured while calling his brother.

Although he had nothing to do with the regular market at the moment, he still needed to go with his brother.

Ash’Kral had helped him with Arthur’s perfect evolutionary formula, telling him that he had information about his nightcrawler’s evolution for its species.

When Levi asked him how he knew, since he didn’t have his powers when they met Khu’zen, Ash’Kral told him that he was forced to explore a decent pool of nightcrawlers’ evolutionary paths for his own development. But since his limitation was always at Warden rank, his pool of knowledge ended there.

Levi wasn’t complaining... this meant at least he had his brother’s evolutionary path assured to be perfect for the first four ranks...After that, they would be both on their own.

”Hey, what’s up?” Arthur replied after picking up the call, breathing roughly.

”Where are you at?”

”The gym with Jojo...Getting our sessions out.”

”...” Levi remained quiet for a moment, ”For the two of you to still hang out privately after bickering all day long, I am starting to see a pattern here...”

Arthur, being the dense he was, replied almost immediately, ”Hate is hate; Gym is Gym. I don’t combine anything personal with my Gym time.”