Chapter 18: Evolving
Trace looked at his options for evolution.
_________
[Option 1]
Name: [F-Basic] Orc
Description: Do you wish for power? Follow the path of your chieftains and become stronger. Leave nothing but destruction in your path.
Fixed Attributes: Strength +10%, Endurance +10, Intelligence -10
[Option 2]
Name: [F-Basic] Troll
Description: A disciple of stone. Trade your resistance to the Dao of Light for a greater constitution. Tear them all into shreds.
Fixed Attributes: Strength +10, Endurance +10%, Dexterity +10
[Option 3]
Name: [F-Common] Winged Goblin
Description: Take to the skies. Untethered from the earth. Descend stronger.
Fixed Attributes: Dexterity +10%, Intelligence +10%
[Option 4]
Name: [F-Common] Hobgoblin
Description: Unlike those who deviate, you take another sure step onto your path. Leave naught but ruin and a faint breeze in your wake.
Fixed Attributes: Strength +10, Dexterity +10, Vitality +10%
_________
Trace found that there was nothing to worry about, as he only had four options this time.
To the first option, he immediately said nope. Maybe he would pick it if it didn't make him lose intelligence.
So next was Troll, which was also Basic but seemed good as well. But the only catch was that he would lose resistance to the Dao of Light, which probably meant he would turn to stone during the day.
Trace jokingly wished he could have some vampire version of the goblin race and gain blood powers. But even he thought that was gross. Imagine actually sticking his teeth inside of a gywolli? Not that he thought they would have enough blood anyway.
Almost as soon as Trace saw the next evolution name, he nearly picked it. But immediately, he stopped himself and first analyzed the evolution option.
While it seemed good, Trace would most certainly pick it if the next one didn't impress him. Who didn't want to sprout wings and fly?
But Trace also had to consider the implications. Having summonable wings would be better than always carrying them around. Heck, couldn't people just automatically fly at some point?
Trace looked at the next option, which was also common.
A grin spread on his face.
The evolution was very straightforward and seemed to be a literal upgrade to his species, and he would go with it. He had no doubt he would figure out how to fly in the future.
Trace confirmed his choice, and the world went black.
...
Trace woke up, only to feel better than before.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but his evolution was complete. Surprisingly, he wasn't lying in a pool of black sludge. His body, however, felt much better than before.
It was as if he had been reformed, every single one of his cells suffused with the energy known as Essence. He could even sense the energy in the air.
Before anything, however, Trace opened his status screen.
[Name]: Trace
[Race]: [E] Hobgoblin - Primordial Gladiator (Locked)
[Level]: 27
[Class]: [F] Pugilist
[Alignment]: [Coronus] Gilea
[Titles]: Progenitor, Beastial Prodigy, Dao Scholar, Future Beast King
[Dao]: Node of Power - Early
[Beast Core]: [F] Pure Core - Middle
Strength - 57 [Efficiency: 25%.]
Dexterity - 57 [Efficiency: 25%.]
Endurance - 44 [Efficiency: 25%.]
Vitality - 40 [Efficiency: 30%.]
Intelligence - 42 [Efficiency: 20%.]
Wisdom - 41 [Efficiency: 20%.]
Luck - 38 [Efficiency: 20%.]
Free Points: 101
Nexus Coins: [F] 24
Growth across the board. It seemed as if the excess Essence from the hawk kill had given him two levels.
Although Trace wanted to immediately allocate his free points, he first overlooked his body.
First, his skin had grown darker in color. He had grown a few inches but was still comfortably in the 4 feet range.
However, Trace found he could also look internally.
He first found that he could see his Beast Core, an orb of pure white. Branching from his Beast Core were multiple pathways that looked like veins. Essence flowed freely through them.
So now I can control Essence and move it throughout my body. Can I control it on the outside?
Trace could feel the Essence in the air, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn't get the Wind Essence to move.
After a while, Trace decided to figure it out later and return to his Attribute Point situation.
Trace added three to Strength and Dexterity, bringing them up to a nice 60. He then added 10 to Endurance, bringing it up to a 54. Next was Vitality, which Trace believed was his most important stat. Thus, he gave it 20. With 64 left, Trace brought up both Wisdom and Intelligence to 50.
With 47 free points left, Trace had to figure out what to do with it. In the end, he just decided to give Strength 10, Dexterity 10, Endurance 10, Vitality 10, and gave Wisdom 3 and Intelligence 4.
With that out of the way, Trace confirmed his selections.
His body was heightened like never before. His body was bursting with power, and he even saw his body less like that of a swimmer and more of that of a person who hit the gym regularly.
He was still bald, though.
Paying attention to his status screen, there was a new entry for his Beastcore, which was still quite new. As such, he still had very little Essence and needed to absorb more. Unfortunately, he wasn't a Cultivator.
Two new notifications bombarded him.
Loamwalker (Unique, Class Quest): Walk 100 kilometers. Reward: F-Grade skill [Shockwave].
Explosive Fist (Unique, Class Quest): Punch something with Essence 100 times. Reward: F-Grade skill [Meteor Fist]. F-Grade skill [Everlasting Punches].
Break Limits (Unique, Class Quest): Empower your whole body with Essence 1 time for 5 minutes. Reward: Pathbound F-Grade skill, [Limit Shatter].
Trace looked at the quests with a small smile. So this would be how he would get his class skills. Looking at them, the quests were rather simple and easy. He could maintain his top speed of 50 miles an hour for 10 kilometers, and simply walking? He could probably finish it in a day.
It was also similar to the first one, but he would have to see first whether or not punching with Essence is strenuous.
And as for the last one, although it seemed so simple, Trace assumed that keeping that up for five minutes was difficult.
Well, before anything, he had to test out his new strength.
And he knew the perfect beast to test it on.
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