The Glorious Evolution

Before the viewers could react, four spiritual chains emerged from the marks and flew in the direction of Burden Collector, piercing his core.

The Gravari had no organs or a heart... only their sponge-like flesh and a core as their ’heart’ and soul container... in a sense, they were somewhat like Golems, but made from different material.

Levi instinctively tried to pull away, but before he could make another move, the pain tormenting his body began to weaken.

’Shit... it’s too late.’

His grip loosened slightly as the burning sensation around his wounds faded, followed by the exhaustion making his limbs feel almost impossible to move... Even the small wound inside his cheek stopped bothering him.

The injuries were still there... yet the suffering attached to them was being drawn through the chains!

On the other side, Burden Collector’s stomach began to swell... His sponge-like flesh expanded while his legs thickened to support the growing weight that was pushing against the rubble until cracks spread around his feet!

”IT HAS BEGUN!”

Gamemaster Gamble announced loudly, standing on his floating platform.

”Burden Collector has opened the connection, and Celestial is already supplying him with enough nourishment to grow to his ultimate form!”

The remaining swarm rushed toward their creator, climbing over his feet before merging into his expanding body... However, even after the final copy disappeared, he continued growing.

Six meters... seven... eight!

His arms grew longer while the pores covering his flesh widened and contracted, greedily processing everything arriving through the chains.

Levi slowly descended until his feet touched the arena.

He knew that allowing his opponent to grow stronger was a terrible idea... unfortunately, once the process of collection began, there was no stopping it.

The only good news about any of this was the disappearance of his burdens... both physical and mental.

’Ah...’

Levi let out a long exhale as the distress that had almost suffocated him moments earlier flew out of his chest... even the grief he had learned to live with was being taken away.

His parents were still dead as he remembered their faces, their voices, and the home they could never return to... but for the first time, those memories didn’t drag him toward the way everything had ended.

He could think about his mother without feeling his chest tighten.

He could remember his father without the familiar anger ruining the memory a moment later.

The realization left him standing still... accepting the relief, however brief it might be.

Meanwhile, in the sky, Arthur’s expression slowly eased up.

He had been watching the giant’s growth with his fists clenched, waiting for Levi to cut the chains or unleash something powerful enough to interrupt the process.

Instead, he saw his big brother lowering his weapon with shoulders no longer pulled tight... It was a small change... one most viewers wouldn’t have bothered noticing while an enormous sponge was growing in front of him.

But Arthur did... He’d seen his big brother live with that tense posture for so long that it had become the norm.

Even at home, even while eating with them or making some stupid comment, Levi always seemed ready to get up and deal with something.

There was always another problem waiting for him.

”Am I evil to wish that such burdens be taken from him forever...?” Arthur murmured under his breath, but the girls heard him.

The question made Jojo turn toward him, but after noticing his soft expression, she swallowed whatever insult she had in mind.

She thought he was joking as always, but no, Arthur genuinely didn’t wish to see his brother take care of so many responsibilities, even if it meant keeping his strength to himself.

Arthur had the heart of a selfless hero... he wouldn’t hesitate to shoulder anything thrown at him if it meant helping those in need. However, when it came to his brother, Arthur wouldn’t hesitate to twist his view of sacrifice and responsibility if it meant seeing his big brother at peace.

In his eyes... he had already suffered enough in his childhood; it was too cruel for the world to keep demanding more from him before he could turn twenty years old.

”Temporarily.” Jojo softened her tone while keeping her attention on Levi. ”But... you know your brother better than anyone else; you think he would sit still even if your wish came true?”

Arthur lowered his head slightly.

Of course, he wouldn’t... Arthur knew that his wish was nothing but a... wish.

As long as their parents remained dead, as long as Bishop Na’thir remained roaming, as long as their planet remained under threat of corruption, Levi would never stop just because a creature had drained his burdens during a nocturnal game.

”TEN METERS!”

Gamble’s announcement dragged their attention back toward the arena as Burden Collector’s head rose higher above Levi!

The giant rolled his expanding shoulders while the stream connected to the grief inscription thickened, causing his upper body to swell even faster.

”Oh? The emotional burden is giving him considerably more than the physical one!” Gamemaster Gamble commented with interest. ”Whatever Celestial has been carrying, those inscriptions have made quite a feast out of it!”

Arthur’s jaw tightened while the girls went quiet... it was another interesting detail about the battle for the viewers.

But to them, every meter added to that creature’s height made it harder to pretend that Levi had been handling everything just fine.

”He never said it was this bad.” Shia sighed.

”He never complains for a reason... he bottles everything inside and keeps that stupid easy-going smile on his face.” Nurah bit her lip. ”His communication skills are horrid.”

”Or maybe he just doesn’t trust us to be strong enough to help him carry his weight.” Jojo shook her head, recalling just how easily Levi had defeated them before.

This note silenced them at once... after Levi shared the truth with them, they’d become much more motivated to push beyond their limits in training.

Some of them had already created dozens of new techniques in less than a month... a pace unimaginable for those with a mere Shadowlife Seed.

Yet, compared to what they were watching in this game and what Levi was going through, they realized their efforts were still too... ordinary.

How could Levi share his burdens and thoughts with them? Instead of doing so to receive help, it would be the same as having him vent his baggage on their shoulders without any of them having the strength necessary to carry it.

It was nothing more than a selfish move... and Levi wasn’t that person.

”Fifteen meters... and he’s still growing!”

Gamemaster Gamble continued with his excited updates while the Rifters below shared a similar expression... pure dread.

”Celestial is done for...”

”Fifteen meters... if he hits twenty, it’s over.” Mournful Spirit sighed while playing with her biwa. ’I wish we could have traded some musical notes...’

”If he is smart, he will use a resignation token if he has one... not even a Dominion can save him now,” the Taxman murmured, his mouth moving on top of his forehead.

As Burden Collector’s feet sank deeper into the arena, the Rifters didn’t envy Levi’s current position in the slightest.

They knew that the bigger Gravari Trueborns grew, the harder it became to kill them... their bodies might lose some absorption efficiency, but they didn’t need it, as everything they had absorbed was used to enhance their cores and toughen their sponge-like flesh.

It didn’t matter if Levi tried to cut it, blast it, pierce it, or burn it... their bodies became near-indestructible at such a terrifying size!

Gamemaster Gamble didn’t hesitate to share the same sentiment with the viewers, leaving them staring at Levi with mixed emotions... the neutral ones felt nothing but disappointment that the Mixed Abomination’s end was nigh, while his fans refused to back down in the slightest.

Celestial! Celestial! Celestial!...

They chanted his name over and over again, their voices reaching Levi’s ears as distant, soft echoes under the ocean.

That’s exactly how Levi felt at the moment... a mere feather floating on the ocean’s surface while all the noise, responsibilities, pain, promises, grief, hatred, anger, and everything that had weighed on his heart in silence sank to the bottom.

’Was I really carrying all of that?’

He simply stopped feeling as if everything would fall apart the moment he allowed himself to rest... even Ash’Kral remained silent, allowing him to enjoy this brief peace of mind.

On the other side, Burden Collector reached twenty meters at last... his fingers had become as large as Levi’s body, while his legs resembled thick pillars planted in the damaged arena.

”TWENTY METERS!”

Gamble’s voice thundered through the map as Burden Collector’s growth finally stopped!

The last streams of burdens passed through the chains before the inscriptions faded from Levi’s body, leaving the giant standing over him with his enormous shoulders almost blocking the spectators from view.

The difference in their sizes sent the crowd into another uproar!

-What the hell is this! How is this fight even fair?!-

-This ain’t right... But Celestial’s fans deserve some humbling! Kick his ass, Spongy!-

-Celestial has been drawing the short straw since the start of the game! First shitty rolls, then a battle against Borrower, and now fighting a freaking skyscraper?! Fuck you all! You hear me! Fuck you!-

While Levi’s diehard fans were crashing out in the sky and on the stream in his stand, Levi didn’t seem to care that much about Burden Collector’s size. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

He took a long breath, then released it without feeling the familiar tightness waiting at the end.

His wounds remained, and a twenty-meter monster stood only a short distance away.

He understood all of that perfectly well.

Levi tilted his head back slightly as a small, unforced smile appeared under his mask... then he started skipping lightly in place, feeling like his body was made out of cotton: no tension, no burdens, no responsibilities, no negative emotions, nothing.

For the first time in his life, Levi felt free.

’... this feels nice.’