The Glorious Evolution

Shia sat down and opened it without another word, taking out the first Growth Totem and immediately absorbing its stored energy.

She wanted to leave right now\... every moment spent here felt like another chance for something to happen to her father.

Yet, she understood why Levi gave her those fifteen minutes.

Her evolution granted her a Dominion and a way to survive wounds that should kill her... but surviving wasn’t enough.

Shia fed the purified sunlight into her Seed, reaching for another totem before the first completely emptied.

Arthur stepped closer, intending to join them, but Levi spoke before he could make his suggestion.

”Nurah, use these fifteen minutes to find a mercenary squad that can assist us. Give them the location and everything we know about the enemies... be honest about the difficulty.”

Although he knew that it was highly likely for any squad to accept with such short notice, it was still better to put out an announcement and hope for the best... he even offered to pay three hundred thousand credits.

Nurah nodded and immediately opened the available contracts and mercenary listings, leaving Levi to bring up the map Naima sent them.

Idriss’s last location appeared above the cases, along with the surrounding region and the distance separating his cave from the academy.

Levi turned toward Arthur, Jojo, and Nurah.

”The three of you will support us from here. Keep track of any updates from Madam Naima and coordinate with whichever squad Nurah manages to hire. If Sir Idriss’s location changes, or the academy sends help, we need to know immediately.”

”... big bro.”

Arthur’s expression darkened at the assignment, while Jojo glanced from the map to Shia.

Levi understood what they wanted to say... they trained together, fought together, and none of them wanted to remain at the camp while the others risked their lives.

But they had no Dominions of their own.

Against the Hound, Fang, and Rain, Levi couldn’t guarantee their safety... especially while trying to reach Idriss and get him out alive.

Taking them along just because they refused to be left behind could give Na’thir more hostages... in fact, even bringing Shia with them was a risky move, but Levi knew better than to sideline her when her father was targeted.

At least, she had a Dominion to fend for herself.

”Those are your positions,” Levi ordered firmly. ”I need you ready to do your part.”

Arthur started protesting anyway, and Jojo soon joined him, trying to explain how she could help.

Levi tuned out their complaints as he examined the totems before him.

They could argue with him after they brought Idriss home... right now, every moment spent defending his decision was a moment he could use to feed his Sun and Void Seeds.

He thought he had earned a year to grow steadily, but Na’thir made it clear that he had no intention of giving him that much time.

Levi sat down before the mountain of Growth Totems... but before activating any, he steadied his breathing and used his Harmony Breathing Technique to connect with the Ancestral Nine Senses Tree.

He needed a favor.

’Can you leave the solar and dark energy to the other two for now?’

He made the request softly after the spiritual image of the Crimson Tree appeared before him, waving its branches in greeting.

The Nine Senses Seed could absorb either energy... before, it wouldn’t hesitate to suck up everything until it reached the Evolution Stage... but lately, Levi found out that if he used little amounts of Solar or Dark energy to feed the other two seeds, it didn’t seem to care much about it.

He didn’t know if it was because he was in her favor or because he chose it for his main soul, which was technically a confirmation of victory over the host’s soul; whatever reason it was, the Nine Senses Seed wasn’t acting as a hungry hippo for any bits of energy.

Even the other two appeared more chill than they should after getting their souls... it was like they no longer cared about what he did during the truce until he decided to reach Solarbound with them.

As for their petty small differences, they turned a blind eye to each other... he confirmed it after he evolved to Warden rank using the Nine Senses Seed before pushing the other two to Evolution Stage... it became clearer when he fed the two Origin Seeds their natural energies while the Nine Senses Seed was at Warden rank and left them to feed in peace.

It was as if the moment the three agreed on the truce after Levi proved himself during their Spiritual Trial, they kept their word and no longer gave him any trouble.

But this was different...

He was about to push out a large amount of energy, and he needed the Nine Senses Ancestral Tree’s confirmation that it wouldn’t touch it to keep the ’truce’ alive.

’Do you think she’ll agree?’ the Titan asked Ash’Kral privately.

Ash’Kral remained silent.

Before, he would’ve answered without hesitation... asking the Nine Senses Tree to put her growth aside so her two rivals could feed this heavily?

Levi might as well ask the Sun and Void Trees to embrace each other!

Little energy scraps were one thing, but a mountain of growth totems was another.

But after she granted Levi the mutation born from his brother’s tongue... he no longer knew what to expect.

That gift alone made him reconsider just how much the Tree valued this boy.

’Let’s see.’

Ash’Kral kept watching, waiting for her answer like everyone else.

After a few moments of silence, the Nine Senses Ancestral Tree waved its branches up and down, while sending a familiar warmth that reached Levi’s consciousness.

Then, understanding followed... she agreed!

’Thank you.’

Levi nodded his head in appreciation and felt a bit good about himself... he could tell that was a big ask, and if the tree didn’t like him, she wouldn’t have agreed at all.

Although he knew this truce lasted only until Warden Rank, at least, he wasn’t troubled by them.

Levi withdrew his attention from their connection and reached for the first Growth Totem.

With another thought, he summoned a pile of Vile Totems beside him, placing enough dark energy within reach to match the sunlight he intended to absorb.

He already knew how to offset the heat and cold by feeding the Sun and Void Seeds together... now, he needed to maintain that balance while consuming as much as possible!

Levi activated several totems at once.

Purified sunlight poured from the Growth Totems, illuminating his face and clothes, while thick streams of dark energy emerged from the other pile.

Both flowed toward him.

He guided the sunlight into the Sun Seed and directed the dark energy toward the Void Seed... this time, the Nine Senses Seed allowed both streams to pass without taking anything for itself, keeping her word.

Warmth spread through his flesh as a familiar chill reached his soul.

For a few breaths, the two sensations eased each other.

Then, Levi increased the flow.

Whoooosh!

Arthur’s next complaint died in his throat as a wave of heat struck his face, forcing him to shield his eyes.

Before he could lower his arm, his breath turned white.

Frost spread across the grass around Levi, climbing the nearest cases... only for another surge of heat to melt it and send clouds of steam rolling through the camp!

”What the hell...?”

Nurah slid back, rubbing her arms as the cold pierced through her clothes.

Levi remained seated between the two piles, his hair whipping around his face while the streams pouring into his body grew thicker.

The next wave forced Arthur, Jojo, and Jasmine to retreat too.

Within moments, everyone moved away from him... even Shia dragged her case beyond the spreading frost and immediately resumed absorbing its contents.

The ground around Levi froze, thawed, then dried under the next blast of heat... even the air above his head twisted, making the golden light shimmer through the rising mist!

Jasmine watched from beside Shia, her spiritual perception following the two flows into his body.

’Whoa... he’s absorbing both at once?’

’He’s using their effects against each other,’ N’ibby replied through their connection, her usual tired tone gaining a hint of interest. ’The dark energy cools him as he absorbs the sunlight... and the heat keeps the cold from becoming unbearable.’

Jasmine followed the changes more closely.

Whenever the heat grew stronger, Levi drew in more dark energy.

When the chill began spreading too quickly, the sunlight intensified... he kept adjusting both without allowing either Seed to stop feeding!

’Still, with this pace and amount, I don’t think he can offset the damage.’ She frowned as she watched Levi’s body getting battered by the heat and chill.

She knew that controlling so much energy while enduring its effects was another matter entirely... yet he kept reaching for more!

The heat and cold escaping his body were already enough to drive his friends away.

’As long as he can maintain that balance... he can mitigate most of it.’ N’ibby watched another cluster of totems empty around him and added, ’As for the pain? I think he has gotten accustomed to it.’

Whoooooosh!

The emptied totems kept rolling away from his knees, their places immediately taken by others.

Levi barely noticed.

He felt both Seeds growing, and with each adjustment, he pushed a little more energy into them... with him using the saved-up stock of high-grade totems, the rings on the seeds kept adding up more and more.

While his friends kept watching this scene with a wild look, Levi’s thoughts were working overtime on concocting a rescue strategy and a plan to ensure that the Hound landed in his Dominion.

Knowing that Bishop Na’thir couldn’t enter Craur’s planet left Levi with the perfect opportunity to ambush the Hound.

’Your master sent you to fetch a hostage to lure me out...’

Levi activated another pair of totems, forcing more energy into his growing Seeds.

’But it’s already too late for your three dogs...’ He uttered inwardly, his tone as bone-chilling as it could get.

With his Nine Senses Seed already at Warden rank and the other two approaching their Evolution Stage... Levi Larson had already caught up.

And he was coming for blood at last!