I Can Copy And Evolve Talents

Chapter 1349: Into The War

Sael still stared at the Tideturner in his hand with absolute astonishment. The weight of it felt right. Perfect. This was going to be an heirloom, undoubtedly. Something he could pass down through his family line, if he ever had one.

Smiling in fulfillment, he held the bow tightly and returned his gaze to Northern.

”Lord Northern, if it’s okay... I’d like to join the battle now.”

Northern nodded. ”Sure.”

But then he paused. Sael waited, watching as something passed behind Northern’s eyes.

Then Northern extended his hand downward and a pool of darkness formed beneath his palm, revealing a gateway that swirled like a whirlpool caught in a blue sea.

Two creatures pulled themselves out of the portal, first vague with shadow, their forms bleeding darkness, then clarifying as they touched solid ground.

The first was a sleek white dragon with an aerodynamic build designed for speed. Pale ivory scales shimmered with a faint opalescent sheen, while its underbelly and tail faded to dark charcoal. Golden horns crowned its head, matching the metallic gold talons that gleamed like polished bronze. Even standing still, it looked fast. Built to cut through air like a blade through water.

The other was its dark counterpart. Deep purple-black scales that absorbed light rather than reflected it. Massive bat-like wings with translucent violet membranes that glowed faintly at the edges. Crimson claws and horn tips pulsed with dim inner light. It was sleeker than its cousin and more serpentine.

Where the white one promised speed, this one promised stealth and dread.

Aoi had called the first one Radiant Seraph, and the tenebrous one, Nightmare Wyvern. These two were the evolutions that came from the variants of Aerosyles created by both [Infinite Iteration] and [Recursive Generation], both abilities of Endless.

Northern felt more drawn to the darker one. But he wasn’t ready for his own mount yet. He had thought about it, though. He wanted his own ride to be ten times larger than these. These ones were merely the size of a small aircraft’s wingspan, around eight meters from tip to tip. The Nightmare Wyvern was about a meter smaller than the Radiant Seraph. Northern wanted whatever he would call his mount to dwarf a standard aeroplane back on Earth.

’I wonder how many of them I have to fuse together to get that.’

It was going to take time. One thing Northern knew was that Recursive Generation worked with time. So far there had been only one generation of the variants created by Endless. He could vaguely sense it was nearing time for the ability to create another evolution, since its deep analysis and understanding of this one was slowly reaching the brim.

Both creatures settled on the Spire roof, their talons clicking against the stone.

Judgment looked at the Radiant Seraph with stars of light practically exploding from her eyes.

Belatedly remembering her tendency, Northern extended his hand, stopping her as she approached the small white dragon.

”Wait. You don’t need this. You can already fly, can’t you?”

Judgment glanced between his face and the deathly beautiful creature. Her expression said everything: logic was not going to win this argument.

”This is different! I can also manage my essence well and focus fully on attack. Besides, I’m not that fast, I promise. It’s all pointless, okay, I still want to ride!”

”Then take the black one.”

Judgment rebelled immediately.

”What? No! Hell no! That thing looks carved from darkness. This one on the other hand...” She turned her head to the Radiant Seraph, her eyes glittering with light.

Northern found himself caught in a small dilemma. He had wanted to give Sael the Radiant Seraph to match the archer’s elegance, and here Judgment was ruining it all.

”It’s okay, Lord Northern.” Sael said, a kind smile on his face.

He looked at the bow in his hand. His grip tightened on it, almost unconsciously.

”I can’t thank you enough for this. I really love it, and then you’re helping me with a flying mount. Lord Northern...” Sael looked like he wanted to ask a question, but stopped himself.

Instead he smiled.

”Thank you so much for this. I won’t fall short of your expectations for me.”

Northern folded his arms. ”Frankly speaking, I have no expectations.” He paused, then added, ”Even if I did, I don’t think you would.”

He smiled one last time. ”Go get them.”

Saddles manifested out of the shadows and solidified on the bodies of both echoes. Sael mounted the Nightmare Wyvern with practiced grace. Judgment practically threw herself onto the Radiant Seraph.

Both bestial echoes flapped their wings against the wind and launched with a force that threw them straight into the sky.

Northern’s hair and clothes whipped violently for a moment before the two riders vanished into the distance. Less than a second, and they were gone.

Silence settled over the Spire roof.

Then he turned back to the edge of the forest where the fog had disappeared.

He locked his fingers together, cracking his knuckles as he stretched his hands forward. Used the opportunity to roll his shoulders.

’Just how many times have I stretched today? My body must really be anticipating.’

His gaze fell on the dark horizon. A chilling focus settled over his eyes.

Then he opened his hands.

A swirling mass of darkness fumed out of his palm and continued to expand. It grew and coalesced, solidifying into a long rod sharp on both ends. The rod itself stood twice Northern’s height. This was a manifestation of [Supreme Shadow], which Northern had tried to make as physical as possible.

He wrapped it with [Dread Manifestation].

And then he did something he hadn’t quite done before.

He lunged his arm back with explosive force, causing the wind around the area to whip violently and displace. Then he released the rod, throwing it forward with even more devastating force.

But when the shadow rod left his hand, Northern used [Eclipse Step] and entered into the rod itself. Riding with it at hysterical speed.

The shadow rod trailed across the air, crossing the dark fog and a large portion of the forest in a heartbeat, falling toward a specific region within the dark forest.

Encased within his autonomous shadow, Northern was already smiling.

’This will be fun.’