The Evolution Of A Goblin To The Peak

Chapter 1095: A Step Forward

Days passed quickly.

Soutaʼs group had returned to Ekatoe City, bringing with them the spoils of war. His men had looted a vast trove of resources from the Obsidian Desert, and the organizations of the five fallen leaders were utterly destroyed. Most of their wealth now belonged to Astros.

With a newfound budget, construction in Ekatoe City accelerated. The materials used were far superior to before, ensuring that the cityʼs foundation would be stronger than ever.

Souta hired skilled workers from across Hall Plains to aid in the cityʼs expansion, while Torkez shifted his focus to the Guardian Fortress. Their goal was clear-build, fortify, and install another portal to link it with the existing Guardian Fortress.

Souta sat in his room, examining the rewards he had received.

His level had risen to 77, and he had gained a new title- ”Slayer.”

Its effect was simple yet brutal: each consecutive kill within a ten-minute window granted him a stat enhancement. However, if he failed to kill within that timeframe, the enhancement would reset.

Ten kills equaled a 1% boost to all stats, and the effect could stack up to 100%. ”This suits me perfectly,” Souta thought, a smirk playing on his lips.

With war on the horizon, this ability would prove invaluable.

A 100% increase in stats was an overwhelming boost.

If Souta had maximized the effect during his battle with Feron, the fight would have ended much faster.

With his current arsenal, he no longer needed to flee from a Seventh Shackle Realm opponent. Of course, facing multiple at once was another matter entirely. ”My attacks are strong... but my defense-” Souta muttered, deep in thought.

He had noticed a pattern. In every battle against high-level opponents, parts of his body were constantly being destroyed. ”Iʼve been relying too much on my regeneration,” he admitted.

It was time to reevaluate his defenses.

Most of his skills focused on attack power, leaving his defense lacking in comparison. At the very least, his new title would help, as it boosted all basic stats, including defense.

Meanwhile, the construction of the portal to the Championʼs Den was finally completed.

To prevent another disaster like last time, the higher-ups had dispatched two Sixth Shackle Realm experts to guard it. With most warriors tied up on missions, two experts were more than enough.

Souta was satisfied. He understood how busy the warriors were-constantly fighting on the frontlines, risking their lives.

In recent days, Souta hadnʼt taken on any missions. Instead, he used the portal to travel to Athenʼs Championʼs base in Championʼs Den, redeeming combat arts and spells with his accumulated merits.

The higher-ups hadnʼt assigned him elsewhere, still wary of what had happened when he lost control of his power.

After his return, Souta rarely appeared in public. Most of his time was spent training inside Sayaʼs inner consciousness, pushing himself to grow stronger. Occasionally, Vashno, Eztein, and Franklin would join him. ...

In the blink of an eye, another week passed since the portalʼs completion.

Souta exited Sayaʼs inner consciousness and stretched his body. Stepping toward the window, he gazed outside. It felt like ages since he had seen the world beyond.

Given the time difference within the inner consciousness, it truly had been a long time. ”Learning spells is really hard...” he muttered.

Opening his palm, he slowly constructed a Tier 2 magic circle. The process felt sluggish-too slow compared to the speed of his opponents. And this was just a Tier 2 spell. A Tier 3 magic circle would take even longer.

Just as Eilish had once told him, mastering a Tier 3 magic circle was far more complex than learning multiple languages.

It was like constructing a complex program-each step had to be carefully built while precisely controlling his energy.

Souta opened the window and extended his palm outside. [Light Shock]!

The Tier 2 magic circle he had constructed flared to life, and a ray of light shot from his palm.

It surged into the sky before exploding, illuminating the entire city.

People all over Ekatoe City instinctively turned their eyes toward the sky, drawn by the sudden burst of light.

Souta smiled as he watched the glow fade. Shaking his head, he murmured, ”Iʼm getting better at spellcasting.”

Souta recalled the lessons Eilish had given him on spellcasting.

Since most of his dark-element skills came from the system, he had decided to manually learn the light-attribute spells he had redeemed from Athenʼs Champion.

Stretching his arms, he summoned his key subordinates to his office for a meeting. He needed an update on the cityʼs development.

A few minutes later, Vashno and the others gathered in his office. Alice was absent-she was still deep within the ancient ruins, focusing on strengthening herself.

Souta turned his gaze to Eztein. ”Letʼs start with you.”

Eztein nodded. ”The progress of our forces has been remarkable, especially with the influx of new resources. Many have advanced to A-rank, and a few have even reached S-rank. Additionally, several witches have broken into the Shackled Realm.”

Souta closed his eyes, contemplating. ”Thatʼs good, but we canʼt just hand out resources without effort. Obsidian Desert-Iʼve personally wiped out the five largest factions there. Investigate and identify any remaining factions that resemble them. Then, eliminate them.”

Eztein gave a sharp nod in understanding.

Next, Gragas delivered his report. ”Weapon and armor production is steady, but we require more raw materials to sustain the current output.”

Souta leaned back in his chair, considering his next move.

Isabella also requested more materials, explaining that she was working on two potions that would aid in the liquefaction and solidification of mana. Souta approved, knowing that once these potions were completed, more people in the Astros would be able to advance to A-rank and S-rank. ”What about the construction of the Guardian Fortress, Torkez?” Souta asked.

Torkez gave a confident nod. ”I estimate weʼll have it finished by the end of the month. It will surpass the previous Guardian Fortress in both structure and functionality.” ”Thatʼs good,” Souta said, eyeing him. ”But donʼt forget to take breaks and keep up with your training.”

Torkez nodded again, then paused as something came to mind. ”Oh, I almost forgot something.”

Torkez took out a letter and placed it in front of Souta. ”They said itʼs from Lady Echidna.”

Souta raised an eyebrow, intrigued. He hadnʼt expected to receive a letter from her. Without hesitation, he took the letter and slipped it into his pocket, deciding to read it later. Franklin and Vashno had nothing to report, so they remained silent, simply listening to the meeting.

After a few more minutes, Souta dismissed everyone. Without delay, he headed straight for the portal connected to the other Guardian Fortress.

Involin Forest.

This was where his group of monsters gathered.

As Souta stepped out of the portal, his perception expanded instantly, scanning the surrounding area. ”Youʼre here,” a deep voice rumbled.

Souta turned his head and saw a massive green dragon.

Doranjan. ”How heavy were our losses last time?” Souta asked. ”Itʼs quite serious,” Doranjan replied. ”Half of our groups were affected and lost control as well. We had no choice but to eliminate them.” ”I see...” Souta nodded, his expression turning grim.

It had been a dangerously close call. If Kessa had been fully affected, everything would have collapsed that day. With the other warriors occupied trying to stop him, no one would have been able to keep her in check. ”Whatʼs the current progress?” ”There are still seventeen third-evolution-stage monsters left. Most of them come from the goblin race.” ”I see.” Souta hovered into the air, gazing toward the goblin camps. ”None of them evolved into Blood Goblins... Doranjan, when a second-stage goblin is about to reach the third stage, have them drink different types of blood.”

Doranjan flew beside him and nodded. ”Also, make sure to give them only monster blood,” Souta added. ”Itʼll be useless if they drink human or demi blood. They wonʼt gain any traits from it.” ”I understand,” Doranjan said. ”There are a few second-stage goblins close to reaching the third stage, so I can start testing it soon.” ”Good.” Souta nodded in approval.

He understood why the goblins were evolving faster than other monsters. This was the emperorʼs territory, after all. They received all sorts of buffs, allowing them to catch up to the others at an accelerated pace. ”What about the dragon eggs?” Souta asked. ”Theyʼll hatch without any issues,” Doranjan replied. ”At first, I thought they were dead, but after sensing their life force, I confirmed theyʼre perfectly fine. We just need to provide them with energy to nourish them properly.” ”Then Iʼll leave that to you. Also, donʼt forget to train,” Souta said with a smile. That would be another three third-stage monsters added to their forces. ”I know,” Doranjan replied, his eyes studying Souta closely. Even though Souta remained in the fourth stage, his strength continued to grow, eventually surpassing every other fourth- stage being out there. ”Oh, right! Have you figured out what type of dragons are in the eggs?” Souta asked. ”No, we can only determine that once they hatch,” Doranjan explained.

Souta continued asking Doranjan various questions, ensuring he had everything he needed before heading back.

Upon arriving in Ekatoe, he learned that Princess Iris and Prince Servon had requested to speak with him. It seemed they hadnʼt had a chance to talk to him since his return. After all, he had been busy training.

They spoke for a long time, expressing their gratitude for his help in saving them. During their conversation, Souta also learned that they had been staying in Ekatoe ever since the incident in the Obsidian Desert. Most of their men had perished, and rebuilding without any support was proving difficult. Unlike Souta, who had the backing of Athenʼs Champion, they lacked the resources to start over.

It was already night by the time Souta returned to his room. Alone, he sat in silence, his gaze fixed on the letter resting on the table.

Taking a deep breath, he reached for it. Slowly, he tore it open, and a surge of energy rushed out.

For a moment, nothing happened. Inside, the letter was covered in inscriptions. Sensing this,

Souta infused it with his own energy.

Ohm!

A change occurred.

A voice echoed through the room. ”I heard that youʼve lost control of your power. You were consumed... but somehow, you survived.”

It was Echidnaʼs voice, imprinted within the letter. ”I thought you would need to reach the Fifth Evolution Stage first, but since you survived, you can begin now. Thereʼs no need to wait-it will benefit you greatly. Once you complete it, your path to becoming a Monster Lord will be open. Itʼs quite fascinating, as it differs from the usual path. Iʼm looking forward to seeing how it unfolds.”

The voice faded. ”I see... So that moment was crucial for me,” Souta muttered as he closed the letter and placed it back on the table.

He stood up and gazed out the window. ”Saya, it looks like I need to change my plans. Iʼll stop training for now and focus on constructing that framework. I donʼt know how long it will take... but I wonʼt come out until

Iʼve completed the first step.”