-The Evolution Process will take exactly two hours.-
These words were as sweet as the finest candy to Cynrik’s ears. For 12 years, he had been grinding day in and out to reach an imaginary goal. It wasn’t until the events of five years ago that he had finally seen the path laid ahead. Cynrik looked down at his open palm, where a thin grey rock, no bigger than his pinky finger, rested. This was the EvoStone Shard he received five years ago as a quest reward.
Floating silently in his vision was a notification window, showing all of the requirements for his Tier-1 Evolution.
-Level 10 (Complete)-
-All Stats minimum 50 (Complete)-
-Mana Codex Tier-1 (Complete)-
-1 Elemental Affinity at Tier-1 (Complete)-
-Mana Cycles Completed 1100/100 (Complete)
-Mana Circuit Tier-1 (Complete)
-Tier-1 EvoStone 1/1 (Complete)
His eyes drifted to the Mana Cycles, and he snorted, seeing that he had actually completed 800 cycles during the Powerleveling process, which before would have been impossible.
[Tobs, give it to me straight. How bad is this gunna hurt?] Although Cynrik didn’t fear pain; he wasn’t nearly masochistic enough to actually enjoy it.
-Host… you’re acting like a baby again.-
[FUCK YOU, TOBS. WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BABY? I’LL SHOW YOU! ACTIVATE THE EVOLUTION PROCESS!] Cynrik shouted into the mind link causing Brance to flinch, then rub his temples at his older brother’s lack of maturity.
-The Host has met the requirements for Tier-1 Evolution-
-Using EvoStone Shard as the Catalyst.-
Cynrik’s eyes widened, and before he could react to the notifications, the small finger-sized stone started glowing and hovering just above his palm. He watched as the small floating rock started rotating mere inches above his palm, and a sudden sense of foreboding washed over him.
-Catalyst has been primed with Ambient Mana, beginning the process of evolution.-
-This System advises the Host stays perfectly still.-
Black lines formed on Cynriks forehead as he heard Tobs “advising” him to not move, and he had to fight the urge to clench his open palm into a fist.
-Remember Host…you asked for this.-
“Wha…FUCK,” Cynrik’s potential question was cut off, and he cursed loudly as the spinning, glowing stone dove down and burrowed into his palm, leaving a trail of smoke and blood in its wake. Clenching his teeth so hard that he tasted blood, Cynrik forced down the urge to scream as he watched the glowing stone make its way up to his wrist, then his elbow, and finally disappearing into his torso.
His whole body began to twitch uncontrollably as it felt like lava was coursing through his veins, starting from his heart and spreading to the rest of his body. Slowly Cynrik forcefully closed his open palms into tight fists and continued to monitor the glowing stone, but now with Mana Sight.
Across the room on one of the other couches, Brance broke out in a cold sweat as he watched Cynrik suffer in silence. Not wanting to be left behind, he soon activated the Evolution process and was thrown into the same painfilled hell that Cynrik was experiencing.
-System has Detected the Host has reached Prestige Level 20.-
-Perfect Foundation has been achieved.-
-You have activated the Titles Tab.-
-You have achieved Title “Perfect Foundation.”-
-Mana Codex is being restructured.-
-Mana Circuits are being strengthened and expanded.-
-Mana Codex is being strengthened.-
-Mana Codex is Expanding.-
-Density of collected Mana is evolving.-
-Analyzing Hosts Body Tempering.-
-The Host currently has a Tier-2 Body, breaking it down to strengthen further.-
-The Host has obtained access to their Sea of Consciousness(SOC).-
-Sending Host’s mind to their SOC.-
Cynrik and Brance felt as if they were floating in space, the pain suddenly disappeared, and they both experienced the same thing they had when they died back on Earth. But, although they were experiencing similar things, it was slightly different. When Cynrik entered his SOC, it was a world filled with darkness, blood, and fire. While floating in the nothingness, he witnessed the formation of a small world, similar to what he would imagine the Abyss of Hell to look like. Brance was seeing a world of pristine shining mountains. The two SOC were polar opposites, not unlike Heaven and Hell.
Cynrik oriented himself with the strange feeling of flight and made his way towards the lava-filled ground. He wasn’t scalded or burned; instead, he felt warm and at home. Looking around, he saw volcanos erupting and a sky as dark as an endless void.
“Well shit, if anyone saw this, they’d think I’m a demon or something.” Cynrik chuckled lightly before finding a solid patch of ground to sit cross-legged.
Holding up his hand, Cynrik saw that he had an astral appearance, not unlike when he was in the Hall of Gods. He quickly connected the dots and figured out he was in his soul form. However, unlike when he entered the RWTC, he no longer had his old appearance from Earth. Tyler was gone, and he was now Cynrik Jetlensr through and through.
“Tobs, you still with me?” Then, realizing he could only wholly let go of his past self, Cynrik checked if he was still connected to Tobs.
-I am, since the beginning of your reincarnation, I have been completely fused with your soul, so even in your Sea of Consciousness, I am present.-
“OH?, hehe Hey Tobs, since this is TECHNICALLLY my imagination, does that mean I can give you a body now?” Feeling the excitement building in his chest, Cynrik spoke his thoughts aloud.
-…Host…please don’t.-
“HEHE, TOO LATE, ARISEE TOBS!”
CLAP
Dramatically clapping his hands, Cynrik willed with all his might into existence, a physical form for the disembodied voice that had lived in his head for 12 years.
A small glowing orb poofed into existence several feet away and slowly started shifting around like a blob of goo.
“OK, let’s see, what should you look like?” Cynrik tapped his index finger on his chin with his left hand and began sculpting a body out of the glowing goo orb. Both his hands started moving as if he was sculpting clay, and over time, the orb started changing into a humanoid shape.
“Eh, too much like Raphtalia…” Waving his hand and starting over from scratch, Cynrik kept mumbling his thoughts.
“Nope, to Bulmaish…tsk now it’s just Bulma with cat ears and a tail, UGH!”
Cynrik continued molding and resetting the orb repeatedly when there was a sudden soft pop in the distance.
Brance appeared in Cynrik’s SOC and was flabbergasted by the sight of his older brother waving his hands in the air like a maniac, which caused the body of a small astral girl to rapidly change its appearance.
Upon sensing his entry, the astral form of Tobs, which was now a teenage girl with large breasts, raccoon ears, and a fluffy tail, turned her head and gave him a pleading look.
Brance noticed how desperate this girl’s eyes were for help, and he realized this was a physical representation of Tobs, making his forehead crease and his face flatten. Not wanting to see poor Tobs in this state, Brance snapped his fingers and manually overrode Cynrik, changing her appearance drastically.
With a bright flash, a lithe teenage girl appeared with B-cup breasts. Her waist-length hair was two-toned, half white and half black; the sides and back of her head sported a neat undercut. Her eyes were serpent-like and monochromatic, just like her hair, and her almond-shaped eyes matched her small nose and high cheekbones perfectly.
Cynrik and Brance both sucked in a cold breath, and one thought rose in their minds, “Cute.”
She stood around five foot four inches, and her petite figure made the brothers both have the urge to protect her at all cost.
Stunned by Tobs’s sudden appearance change, Cynrik looked around and spotted Brance not far away and shot him a thumbs up.
Tobs turned and bowed to Brance, showing her gratitude for saving her from Cynrik’s insanity.
“Oi, Brance, gotta say, you’ve got decent taste.” Cynrik didn’t realize that by accepting the loss of his previous Earth Identity, he had wholely become the 12-year-old Vinestran Native, so he could no longer view Tobs, who looked to be a couple of years older than him, as a little girl.
“Host Brance, Host Cynrik, the evolution process is nearing completion. You have been in your Seas of Consciousness and have been unable to sense the changes in your bodies. Please be prepared for the massive changes you’ve both gone through. I will now start posting some of the notifications that I’ve been holding back till now.” Pressing her hands together, Tobs moved as if she was pulling something out of her inventory and flung several notification boxes at both brothers.
-The rewards for achieving a Perfect Foundation will now be administered.-
-Your Dark Affinity has reached Tier-0 20% Proficiency.-
-You have learned the Tier-0 Dark Skill Shadow Veil.-
-Your Dark Affinity has reached Tier-0 40% Proficiency.-
-You have learned the Tier-0 Dark Skill Decay.-
-Your Dark Affinity has reached Tier-0 60% Proficiency.-
-You have learned the Tier-0 Dark Skill Shadow’s Image.-
-Your Dark Affinity has reached Tier-0 100% Proficiency.-
-Your Tier-0 Dark Affinity has Evolved to Tier-1.-
Brance’s eyes scanned through the notifications while Tobs narrated.
-Your Light Affinity has reached Tier-0 20% Proficiency.-
-You have learned the Tier-0 Light Skill Minor Healing.-
-Your Light Affinity has reached Tier-0 40% Proficiency.-
-You have learned the Tier-0 Light Skill Orb of Light.-
-Your Light Affinity has reached Tier-0 60% Proficiency.-
-You have learned the Tier-0 Light Skill Radiant Skin.-
-Your Light Affinity has reached Tier-0 100% Proficiency.-
-Your Tier-0 Light Affinity has Evolved to Tier-1.-
“Now that I have informed you of the changes to your Affinities, it is time to go back to your bodies and see the results of your Evolutions.” With a loud snap of her fingers, Cynrik and Brance were expelled from Cynrik’s SOC, and they opened their eyes back in the dorm, only to be met by the worried faces of Gabby and Benny.