The Glorious Evolution

The moment the Blood Hunters’ army kicked off their expedition, a massive cloud of dust rose as they headed towards their destination.

Some traveled on winged nightcrawlers while the majority remained on the ground. Lord Idriss was leading the expedition on top of Voidscale Raker, carrying with him his wife.

It was a long, eel-like nightcrawler with webbed wings that stretched out from just behind its gills... He set a decent pace, forcing everyone to travel at a similar speed.

While Arthur remained on the ground, suffering from Jojo’s constant teasing, Levi was seen chilling in the back with Shia and Nurah... His only friends with winged mounts.

He had already offered his brother to fly with him, but Arthur rejected it, telling him that he wanted to test his nightmount on long distances.

Shia was on top of a new eagle-like nightcrawler, resembling the perished Mika a bit. Nurah was sitting on top of a fully black winged crow with six emberwine eyes... The staple Nightmount for Blackthorns.

They were flying parallel to each other, with Levi in the center.

”I didn’t expect your mother would allow you to join our expedition.” Shia addressed Nurah casually.

”Why not? I am still a trainee under the authority of the government.” Nurah smiled.

”Authority? When did the Blackthorns care for it?” Shia chuckled.

”I am still not at that level yet.” Nurah giggled, knowing that she was referring to her mother and grandfather.

Although the two girls were daughters of the most powerful families in the region, they didn’t seem to be in conflict. They had interacted many times before during some private gatherings, and their personalities clicked.

Shia was rebellious, while Nurah was playful and careless about anyone’s opinions.

While they were chatting about general topics, Levi was seen spacing out into the distance, smiling in happiness.

He turned a deaf ear to their conversation, appreciating his new vibrational colorful world. Although his Harmonic Spine was limited based on Levi’s physical body, it was still capable of painting more than thirty meters around him.

Unlike his echolocation ability, which was limitless depending on Levi’s energy fuel, his Harmonic Spine was considered an organ.

Just like the rest of his organs, they were improved by any sort of physical enhancement. In other words, although he possessed the best auditory organ in the universe, its true potential was barely scratched.

In fact, the current thirty-meter range was only possible due to his enhancement after his first evolution. Before, its range barely surpassed ten meters.

This spoke volumes about the quality of Levi’s all-around body enhancement. It had surpassed even a perfect evolution’s enhancement standard by a mile.

Ten meters or thirty meters... Levi was simply enjoying the sight of the nightmounts, his friends, the clouds, and the wind caressing his cheeks, leaving him smiling foolishly.

A simple contentment.

”What got you smiling like that?” Nurah giggled, ”Are you enjoying our company?”

”Yes,” Levi replied with the same smile.

”Aren’t you the sweetest?”

The girls seemed to like his response, not realizing that Levi only said so to be polite. In reality, he had tuned out most of their conversation, enjoying his mysterious, colorful world in peace.

When it came to girls and romance... They were nonexistent terms in Levi’s mind at the moment... After all, what’s the point of having a girlfriend or a wife when his life was hung on the line by The Three Body Problem?

It was simply cruel to get into a relationship with anyone while knowing this.

Meanwhile, on the southern side of the Heliodor’s region, the Sunstrike Agency had gathered more than a hundred Daywalkers for their major expedition, too.

Lord Darius had personally announced that the Sunstrike Agency had been planning for this expedition for about two months now in the background... The target? A Shadow Castle Nest.

The two major expeditions had split the public into two sides, each one supporting an agency... Unfortunately, they would have no information about the expeditions until their conclusion. But they cheered and prayed for them both.

At the moment, Lord Darius and Sir Alaric had just finished with their briefing and contract signings... They gave them the standard ten minutes to get in formation and walked away.

While they seemed busy with the preparation, they were having a different type of meeting inside Lord Darius’ Spiritual Leywell, using their consciousness wisps.

”They decided on The Lord of the Broken Peak? What an interesting choice, Idriss...”

Lord Darius murmured as he watched the Blood Hunters’ briefing through a spiritual mirror. He was sitting at a black table with Sir Alaric on the side.

His spiritual plane was nowhere as marvelous as Levi’s. However, it had a chilling, sinister wind blowing everywhere, and anywhere... Even the water underneath was black, matching the darkness of its skies.

As for his soul and Shadowlife seed? They were the only entities with an ounce of light in this god-forsaken plane.

They weren’t separated like Levi’s. Instead, the Shadowlife seed had already integrated itself with his humanoid, featureless figure, spreading its roots and branches across his soul, resembling a nervous system.

”My lord, the boy looks suspiciously nervous...” Sir Alaric frowned at Demetris’ antics, ”He is bound to get noticed.”

”It’s an Abyssal Lost Nest expedition... Everyone is nervous.”

Lord Darius was unbothered, understanding that even veterans were feeling the pressure. No one would be alarmed if a trainee at a Junior rank sweated a bit.

Although Lord Darius was right, Sir Alaric’s heart was still not at ease. He was a perfectionist who made sure to prepare thoroughly before making his move.

The Harrowing Forest’s failure wasn’t on him... Who would expect a Tier 7+ monster to ruin all of his efforts for the sake of a contract with a boy?

As for this entire scheme? He wasn’t comfortable in the slightest since it was rushed and still had many holes uncovered.

It was risky... But, as his lord insisted, they had no choice.

The Refined Blood had to reach the Bishop, and he gave them no time to perfect another strategy.

”Contact Grave’maw and Mantis, we have work to do.” Lord Darius ordered calmly.

After four hours, a couple of breaks, and close to three hundred kilometers crossed, the Blood Hunters had arrived at the borders of the Abyssal Lost Nest... Mountain Thurnak.

The journey would have been much shorter if they had taken a battleplane... Unfortunately, their region wasn’t rich enough to afford buying or maintaining them.

They run on electricity, and in this new world, electricity was a vital resource that must be prioritized for the region’s development and safety... Only rich regions had enough to squander on battleplanes and other military-based assets.

As for gasoline? Unless a well was near the borders of a holy region, it was too risky to drill for them in the wastelands... It was a prime target location.

-Wow... I knew Abyssal Lost Nests were massive, but this...-

-It’s big enough to contest against our territory...-

-Are we invading this... Shit scary.-

Everyone came to a halt and stared with solemn expressions at the dreadful, gigantic mountain.

Mountain Thurnak towered over the valley with its peak split clean in two, as if some great force had ripped it apart.

From the broken summit, a fierce, gloomy storm was spilling out, akin to an active volcano. It sent dark clouds into the heavens, creating a whirlwind, stretching out for hundreds of kilometers.

This blotted out the sun and turned daylight into a dim, shadowy dusk in its territory.

Under that constant gray gloom, nightcrawlers slipped from caves and cracks without hesitation.

They flooded the mountain’s lower slopes and the surrounding woods, moving freely in a light they barely noticed.

Even at high noon, the world there felt like midnight... Perfect for creatures that thrived in darkness.

Seeing this sight, the helpers gulped a mouthful in dread, experiencing for the first time what it felt like to be near an Abyssal Lost Nest.

”What a strong corruptive atmosphere...” Levi murmured, feeling a suffocating wind assault his face from a distance.