The arena did not erupt immediately.
It fractured.
Whispers moved faster than wind through the stands.
"A Common slime…"
"The young master's first beast…"
"Even with a mutated dual root, what can he possibly evolve it into?"
Kael stood unmoving in the center of the awakening altar. The translucent slime rested comfortably on his head, wobbling slightly as if enjoying the attention.
Lord Valen Dravenmoor's expression remained unreadable, but those who knew him well could see the faint tightening at the corner of his eyes. Not disappointment.
Calculation.
The chief elder cleared his throat and raised his voice. "Awakening complete. Beast: Common-grade Slime. Spiritual Root: Mutated Multi-Attribute Variant. Evaluation: High Potential, unstable growth curve."
It was a safe assessment.
Neutral.
Political.
The laughter from distant clan youths resumed in hushed tones.
Kael finally moved. He stepped down from the altar slowly, the sound of his boots echoing against stone. The pressure in the arena shifted with him, subtle but undeniable.
As he passed a group of younger elites, one of them smirked. "Young master, perhaps you should evolve it into a cleaning slime for the estate."
A few snickers followed.
The slime's body rippled.
For a fraction of a second—
Its translucent surface darkened.
A thin, almost imperceptible line appeared across its center.
Like a closed eye.
The air grew heavy.
Then it vanished.
Kael didn't look at the speaker. He simply paused.
"If it eats you first," he said calmly, "I'll consider it."
Silence fell instantly.
He continued walking.
Above, Lord Valen finally spoke. "The ceremony is concluded. Kael will undergo evaluation training immediately."
The dismissal was clear.
The crowd began dispersing, though conversations buzzed louder than before.
Elara did not leave.
She stepped down from the Windhart delegation without waiting for permission and walked straight toward Kael.
Her movements were graceful.
Her expression was not.
When she stopped in front of him, her eyes flicked briefly to the slime on his head before locking onto his face.
"Are you alright?" she asked quietly.
"Perfectly."
"They were laughing."
"They often do before they regret it."
She hesitated, then stepped closer. "It doesn't matter what they think. Evolution lines depend on compatibility and materials. Even a Common beast can take a Rare or Epic route if—"
"It won't," Kael said.
She froze.
"What?"
"It won't be Rare. Or Epic."
Her brows furrowed. "Then…?"
Kael gently lifted the slime from his head and held it in his palm. It blinked lazily at Elara.
"It will choose something more interesting."
The confidence in his voice unsettled her more than the awakening itself.
"You sound certain."
"I am."
Before she could ask further, a wave of pressure descended from the upper stands.
Elders.
They had not left.
Three of them approached, robes heavy with authority.
"The young master will follow us," the chief elder said.
Elara straightened instinctively but did not step back.
Kael gave her a small glance. "Don't worry."
"I'm not," she replied quickly. Then, after a pause, softer, "I just don't like them looking at you like that."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"They won't for long."
Inside the inner council chamber, the atmosphere was colder.
Runes along the walls sealed sound from escaping. Lord Valen stood near the head of the table, arms folded.
The elders seated themselves.
The chief elder spoke first. "A mutated multi-element root is rare. Combined with your talent, your future remains promising."
Kael said nothing.
"But," another elder added carefully, "a Common slime limits early combat potential. You must choose your first evolution path wisely. Once chosen, it cannot be reversed."
Kael met his gaze calmly. "How many lines are recorded for slimes in our archives?"
"Three viable ones. Defensive Gel Guard, Corrosive Acid Line, and Enlarged War Slime."
He nodded slightly.
"Begin resource assessment immediately," Lord Valen ordered. "If Rare-tier materials are required, the clan will provide them."
An elder hesitated. "Even for a slime?"
Valen's gaze sharpened. "He is my son."
The room fell silent.
Kael turned slightly toward the window. Beyond the estate, the forests stretched endlessly.
For a moment—
The wind changed direction.
Deep within Dravenmoor Valley, beasts began moving restlessly.
Birds took flight in flocks.
A low rumble echoed underground.
An elder frowned. "Did you feel that?"
"Spirit fluctuation," another muttered. "Probably residual awakening resonance."
Probably.
Far beneath the valley's oldest cavern, something ancient shifted in its chains.
In Kael's mind, the system activated again.
[Hidden Quest Updated: Devour the Heavens – Phase 1.]
[Objective: Identify all hidden evolution branches of Void-Eating Mist Slime.]
[Reward: Origin Root Unsealing Progress +1%.]
[New Feature Unlocked: Evolutionary Tree View.]
A translucent interface unfolded before his consciousness.
It was not three branches.
It was dozens.
Some glowing faintly.
Some locked in darkness.
Some labeled:
[Sealed Path – World Taboo.]
[Sealed Path – Extinction Tier.]
[Sealed Path – Convergence Requirement Unmet.]
Kael's eyes darkened slightly.
Interesting.
The slime wriggled happily in his palm.
Outside the chamber—
A horn suddenly echoed from the valley watchtower.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
An emergency signal.
An elder stood abruptly. "That's a perimeter alert."
A guard burst through the sealed entrance, breathing heavily.
"My Lords— the outer forest—"
He swallowed.
"A beast tide is forming."
Silence crushed the chamber.
Lord Valen's aura expanded sharply. "Impossible. There was no migration cycle scheduled."
The guard's voice trembled.
"It started less than ten minutes ago."
Ten minutes.
The exact moment Kael awakened.
Inside his mind—
[World Resonance Detected.]
[Event Classification: Minor.]
Kael looked down at the slime.
It blinked innocently.
And somewhere in the valley—
Beasts began running toward Dravenmoor territory.