Eren didn't trust impressions.
Impressions lied.
Numbers didn't.
Inside the Sovereign Genesis Realm, translucent system panels hovered in front of him and Lia, stabilizing one by one after the last treasure absorption cycle ended. The air still carried heat and spiritual residue, but nothing felt unstable—no backlash, no violent energy dispersal.
Charmander stood upright at the center of the training field, chest rising and falling evenly. Honedge floated beside it, blade angled slightly forward, its single eye sharp and aware.
The system chimed.
[Detailed Growth Report — Authorized View]
Charmander — Growth Analysis
Initial Status (Before Treasure Use):• Level: Lv. 29• Combat Tier: Mid Gym• Potential Ceiling: Champion+ (Sealed)
Charmander had already passed its natural evolution threshold long ago.
But evolution had been deliberately suppressed.
Not denied—controlled.
Treasures Consumed:
Refined Combat Essence (Low → Mid Tier)→ Level Increase: +4 Levels→ Lv. 29 → Lv. 33→ Effect: Battle instinct refinement, stat cohesion improved
Flame-Type Growth Crystal (Mid Tier)→ Level Increase: +5 Levels→ Lv. 33 → Lv. 38→ Effect: Fire affinity +15%, output stability increased
Low EXP Candy ×2 (Used for Consolidation)→ Level Increase: +2 Levels→ Lv. 38 → Lv. 40
Final Status (Post-Absorption):• Level: Lv. 40• Combat Tier: High Gym• Foundation Stability: Perfect
Lia stared at the panel. "Eleven levels… clean."
"Clean matters more than fast," Eren replied.
Charmander flexed its claws. Heat radiated from its body in controlled waves, no longer flaring uncontrollably. Its tail flame burned shorter and denser, compressed like a forged core instead of a flickering torch.
The system paused.
Then released the lock.
[Evolution Suppression Lifted.][Charmander meets all evolution conditions.]
The realm responded instantly.
Fire-type energy gathered—not explosively, but with discipline. The light wrapped around Charmander's body, shaping instead of tearing, reinforcing instead of overwhelming.
Its frame elongated.
Muscle mass redistributed.
Claws darkened and sharpened.
The tail flame surged upward, brighter, steadier, carrying a weight it hadn't before.
The light faded.
A Charmeleon stood in its place.
It didn't roar.
It didn't posture.
It simply opened its eyes—calm, intelligent, controlled.
[Evolution Complete: Charmander → Charmeleon]
Charmeleon — Updated Status:• Level: Lv. 40• Combat Tier: High Gym (Peak)• Potential Ceiling: Champion+ (Seal Reinforced)
Lia let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding."That felt… correct."
"It was," Eren said. "No rule was broken."
The interface shifted.
Honedge.
Honedge — Growth Analysis
Initial Status:• Level: Lv. 31• Combat Tier: High Gym• Potential Ceiling: Champion+
Treasures Consumed:
Spirit Core Fragment (Mid Tier)→ Level Increase: +4 Levels→ Lv. 31 → Lv. 35→ Effect: Spiritual density increased, form clarity enhanced
Weapon Mastery Relic (Low Tier)→ Level Increase: +2 Levels→ Lv. 35 → Lv. 37→ Effect: Technique assimilation +18%
Low EXP Candy ×2→ Level Increase: +2 Levels→ Lv. 37 → Lv. 39
Final Status:• Level: Lv. 39• Combat Tier: High Gym (Peak)• Evolution Condition: Met
The moment the report finalized, Honedge vibrated softly.
Spectral energy folded inward around its blade. The hilt extended, spiritual mass thickening instead of dispersing. The single blade split—not physically at first, but in intent—offense and defense separating into distinct roles.
Then reality followed intent.
Honedge evolved.
Two blades hovered in perfect symmetry, bound by a steady spectral force that pulsed like a heartbeat.
[Evolution Complete: Honedge → Doublade]
Doublade — Updated Status:• Level: Lv. 39• Combat Tier: Entry Elite (Lower Threshold)• Potential Ceiling: Champion+ (Stable)
Lia sank down onto the ground, laughing quietly."So this is what legal dominance looks like."
Eren closed the interface.
"No shortcuts," he said. "Just perfect efficiency."
Charmeleon stood tall, heat coiled tightly within its body. Doublade hovered silently, pressure refined to the point of invisibility.
Both were stronger.
Both were stable.
Both still had room to grow.
Eren looked toward the deeper zones of the realm—zones that responded now, glowing faintly as if acknowledging them.
"Next goal," he said calmly."Lv. 36 for Charmeleon's final evolution."
Lia smiled, eyes sharp.
"And this time," she said, "we won't suppress it."
Above, far beyond realms and systems, Heaven's Rule updated its ledger once more:
Growth confirmed.No violations detected.Efficiency rating — abnormal.
The climb continued.
But now, even the rules had been conquered—by obeying them better than anyone else.