The Glorious Evolution

The Next Morning...

Levi woke up in his studio bed as memories of the previous evening flashed through his mind.

After he and Jasmine returned to their table, Madam Crowglass excused herself from the party, signaling its conclusion.

Levi took advantage of his newfound position as a Grandmaster’s apprentice to hand out invitations to the remaining nobles... he didn’t care if they laughed at him before; all he wanted was their money and their promotion of his businesses within the nobility scene.

Naturally, he handed Wick’Ral the invitations as well, telling him that he looked forward to welcoming him to his humble ’territory.’

Wick’Ral said he would try to fit it into his schedule, but Levi knew he wasn’t particularly interested... he brought his daughter to obtain an apprenticeship under a Master Alchemist, only to leave empty-handed while Levi received the highest honor.

Levi could tell that he was livid despite the indifferent expression he maintained throughout the party.

He didn’t dare imagine the Count’s reaction if he discovered that the source of his misery over the past months stood right before him, inviting him to the very territory he intended to acquire through House Targon.

The Count offered three million credits to capture Mr. Problem alive... and yet, here he was, sharing dinner with him, dancing in the same hall, and even congratulating him on becoming Crowglass’s apprentice.

That was the true value of Nocturn’s privacy protection... a Count’s authority meant nothing when it came to accessing a Rifter’s concealed identity.

As for names sharing certain traits? The Boundless Expanse was so vast and populated that hundreds of thousands of people used the same name.

Levi’s Stargazer Society alone had tens of millions of people using variations of his aliases... even Dark Sun appeared hundreds of times before Levi chose it for himself.

Suspecting someone through a mere alias was unreliable in the Expanse... of course, this applied only if the suspicion wasn’t already on.

After Levi finished his daring tease of Wick’Ral with the invitations, an attendant guided him and Jasmine to Madam Crowglass’s office.

They discussed the details of his apprenticeship... Crowglass wanted him to accompany her to the main laboratory on Cerridra, a Cauldron-Fey planet renowned for its medicinal gardens, mineral springs, and abundance of cultivated alchemical materials.

Levi found the prospect tempting.

Spending time in a Grandmaster’s laboratory would do more for his alchemy than fumbling through formulas alone.

However, he couldn’t leave Earth during its current conflict... at least, not before dealing with Bishop Na’thir’s three untethered demons.

And even afterward, he had businesses to oversee, Raids to participate in, and friends he wanted to spend time with.

Accepting an apprenticeship couldn’t mean asking permission every time he needed to attend to his own life.

So, before they went any further, he made his position clear.

”I have private matters to resolve before I can visit Cerridra, Master. When I do come, we’ll need to agree on how long I stay and what assistance you need from me.”

Crowglass regarded him for a moment.

”Research seldom follows a convenient schedule... if you want to take this field seriously, then it has to become your priority for a long period.”

She expected some hesitation about leaving his home, perhaps a request to delay his arrival. Instead, Levi questioned the extent of his obligations, the duration of his visits, and whether she expected him to remain available whenever her research demanded it.

He wanted those terms settled in their contract.

He would honor the work he agreed to undertake, but further assignments and extensions would require his agreement... his businesses, travel, and other commitments would remain his own decisions.

Crowglass explained the benefits of studying beside her and how much his absence could interrupt their progress.

Levi listened, appreciating every opportunity she described... then held to his conditions.

Her mentorship and backing would make his life easier, perhaps spare him years of mistakes. Yet, he still wouldn’t trade his freedom for them.

After all, Ash’Kral remained with him.

The old lazy prick might refuse to spoon-feed him alchemy, but Levi hardly faced a future without guidance if this arrangement fell through.

”If you need someone who can remain in your laboratory indefinitely, I can’t be that person,” He told her straight out, ”Even if it costs me the apprenticeship.”

Crowglass finally understood that he meant it.

She considered the situation between them... if it were anyone else, she wouldn’t hesitate to kick him out of her office as she was a Grandmaster, who didn’t need to beg for apprenticeship... even if she liked him and he reminded her of her late husband.

However, Levi wasn’t any ordinary apprentice... Her research needed the precision he could provide, and finding a better apprentice wouldn’t replace that.

”Then we’ll arrange your visits in advance,” She accepted. ”And specify the assistance expected during each one.”

From there, the discussion became a negotiation she took seriously.

She secured his commitment to the agreed research sessions, while Levi ensured that accepting her instruction left him free to manage the rest of his life.

Only when the contract reflected both did he agree.

As for his safety and the protection of his identity on a foreign planet? Those were the most important terms in the contract, commonly known as The Host’s Oath.

His situation was not unusual across the Boundless Expanse... merchants, researchers, Rifters, mercenaries, and apprentices often traveled between civilizations whose interests conflicted with those of their homeworlds.

An alchemist from a planet under conquest could still study in a foreign laboratory under an alias, just as a merchant could trade with a rival nation without revealing where his family lived.

Such arrangements depended on nocturnal contracts that protected the visitor and bound the host to secrecy.

Levi insisted on the same protections.

Crowglass would safeguard him throughout his visits and departure, keep any information she learned about his identity confidential, and neither detain him nor surrender him to another party.

With those obligations written into their Nocturnal Contract, he had little reason to worry about joining her laboratory.

He could visit Cerridra as Baron Dark Sun without exposing Levi Larson or the people connected to him.

Naturally, the protection extended to Jasmine and his close ones, identified through their relationship to him rather than their names, with a limit of ten guests.

This allowed him to host his brother and friends in his house for as long as he remained on Cerridra.

After they signed the contract, Crowglass dismissed the document.

”Contact me once you’ve settled your affairs and know when you can come. I’ll arrange for your arrival.”

Levi nodded and thanked her with a slight bow.

”I will, Master.”

This time, he meant calling her as such.

With their agreement settled, he and Jasmine took their leave.

Crowglass wanted to talk to them about their relationship for a bit, but when she realized that Levi was a tough nut to crack and a very private person, she postponed it until their trust grew a bit more.

The recollection ended as Levi sat up in bed.

He had plenty to handle before relocating to Cerridra, but one matter no longer required waiting... the Perfect Evolutionary Formula was finally in his possession!

Levi got out of bed, removed his shirt, and settled onto the floor... then he brought out a small bottle from his wallet.

He had already concocted the formula yesterday after he dropped Jasmine back in her Deserted Kingdom.

Neither brought up the kiss or tried to decide what that night meant for them. Jasmine stayed close after they left Crowglass’s office, and Levi grew comfortable enough to reach for her hand himself.

When they finally parted, she gave his fingers one last squeeze before letting go... he almost asked her to stay a little longer.

But they could leave that conversation for another day... for now, there were more pressing serious matters to deal with than his romantic life.

Unlike the previous formulas, Levi had to admit that it took him at least three hours of practice before he dared to concoct the real thing.

He knew that the Warden Evolutionary Formulas were the limits of his skills as an Evolutionist, and if he wanted to concoct the next formulas, it was a must to hone his Alchemist craft.

”Well?” Ash’Kral asked impatiently. ”Waiting won’t improve the taste, trampy.”

”Shush... I am preparing myself.”