Thorian settled onto the wall's ledge, surveying his surroundings. Just moments ago, the area had been teeming with kobloids, but now they had dispersed to the east and west gates under the guidance of the two brown kobolds.

Now that I think about it, I should give them names too. It gets tiring to call both of them “brown kobold”.

The three silvery-white assassins were also nowhere in sight. Following Thorian's orders, they patrolled the perimeter of the wall, lending support to all four sections. Recalling their unique appearance, Thorian's expression grew thoughtful.

I wonder what evolution they had received. That form doesn’t look like a normal white kobold; they also had those black streaks decorating their fur.

As Thorian lost himself in thought, the sky above transformed into a mesmerizing tapestry of hues. Dusk descended upon the landscape, bathing everything in warm shades of orange and pink. The sun's final rays danced along the horizon, gracefully outlining the clouds before disappearing beneath the skyline.

This stunning vista stood in stark contrast to the reek of death that hung heavy in the forest. The putrid scent of decaying corpses and congealed blood, mingling with the saturated soil, served as a haunting reminder of the apocalypse. It was an evolutionary hellscape, where only the most ruthless emerged triumphant, and emperors reigned over realms of devastation.

"Thorian, we have some guests," Nox called out from the watchtower, pointing to their right. Following his gesture, Thorian spotted a small group of goblins charging toward the wall, ropes clutched in their hands.

Without hesitation, Thorian summoned a fireball spell and unleashed it upon the hapless creatures. Nox swiftly followed Thorian's assault, closing in on the goblins with an almost supernatural speed. Caught off guard, the goblins could only flail helplessly as the shadowstalker's axe cleaved through them with ruthless efficiency.

What a strange weapon for an assassin, Thorian couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. Hopefully, we’ll get some good gear once we challenge the dungeons.

As Thorian contemplated the dungeons, a subtle grin crept onto his face. The Wolvendale territory, or Raven's Nest as it was known in his previous life, was highly coveted not just because of the Ether Lines Nexus attribute, but also due to the dungeons that surrounded it. These dungeons were a true treasure trove for anyone who ruled over the territory.

Still, we need to solve the issues here first. The orcs should bring enough wood to upgrade all the statues in a few more hours, but it’s the 100-citizen requirement that’s truly putting a wrench in our wheels. We need to upgrade the village so that we can get access to better walls.

Thorian clicked his tongue and lowered his gaze, lost in contemplation. Though numerous opportunities awaited beyond the village, he knew he couldn't leave, at least not yet.

Once our main force evolves to kobolds, our defenses should be strong enough that my presence wouldn’t be absolutely required. I can then go explore the dungeons or start on all the quests I have already gathered.

Time passed as Thorian and Nox guarded the southern gate together. With their combined might, none of the forest monsters managed to breach the walls. The pair decimated chaskas and their evolved form, Tailmashers, goblins, and Rabbarian hordes. Two more Thri-kreens emerged from the dense forest, but with their previous experience, Nox and Thorian had no trouble dispatching them.

After three hours, Thorian had leveled up twice in his Magus class and three times in his flame kobold species. Just as he was about to check his system panel, he heard footsteps approaching.

Glancing to the right, Thorian saw one of the assassins running towards him and Nox, a pleased expression on his face.

"The magi! The magi have evolved!" the assassin announced breathlessly as he raced toward the pair.

"Finally?" Nox raised an eyebrow. "Took them long enough. Have they been slacking?"

Upon reaching them, the assassin couldn't help but chuckle at Nox's response. "Boss, we only advanced so quickly because of your help. They couldn't hunt as effectively in the north."

"But enough about that," the assassin shook his head, his expression brightening as he turned to Thorian. "One of them evolved into a flame kobold, just like you, boss!"

"Oh wow, another flame kobold!" Nox exclaimed while Thorian's eyebrow lifted in pleasant surprise.

So it’s like I thought, the skills you use are what determines your evolution path.

Thorian's smile widened at the incredible news. Having another flame kobold on their side would help them immensely, especially in freeing up the assassins who wouldn't need to spend most of their time on the east and west sides assisting the brown kobloids.

"What about the other magi? What did they evolve into?" Thorian inquired curiously. While having a flame kobold was great news, he was already familiar with that species' abilities and powers. He was most curious about the other evolutions.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"They evolved into their specific elements," the assassin replied curtly. "Water, wind, and earth."

"Oh, how do they look? Are they cool?!" Nox, excited by the new evolutions, couldn't help but exclaim his emotions.

"The water one is blue, the wind one is yellow, and the earth one is dark brown. As for their abilities, I haven't seen them yet, boss."

Nox turned toward Thorian and stared at him with expectant eyes. Thorian obviously understood that Nox wanted to go and see the newly evolved kobolds with his own eyes.

"We can't yet," Thorian shook his head, before focusing back on the assassin. "What about the rest of the kobloids? Did they evolve yet?"

"Not yet," the assassin shook his head. "But they're close! I think in like half an hour they should evolve too."

Thorian grinned at the good news before looking back at Nox, "We can meet up with them in half an hour then."

"Yay!" Nox jumped up in joy. "I wonder what kind of skills they have. I'm sure they will be really cool!"

Both Thorian and the assassin rolled their eyes at Nox's theatrics. Observing the assassin's reaction, Thorian chuckled softly before issuing his orders. "Go see what the orcs have been up to and report on their progress. Once the other kobloids evolve, return with four capable evolved kobolds to stand guard here while we investigate the northern gate. Understood?"

"You got it, boss!" The assassin offered Thorian a two-fingered salute before executing a backflip off the wall and into the village.

What a showoff, Thorian shook his head as the assassin vanished into the dense foliage. He then turned back to Nox, who was still clenching his fist in anticipation of the new evolutions.

In a way, Nox's enthusiasm touched Thorian. The fact that he was so thrilled by the evolution of his brethren revealed Nox's true nature. Despite having been virtually ostracized just days earlier, he was now wholeheartedly supporting his group.

I suppose he's still a child at heart.

Taking a deep breath, Thorian redirected his attention from the black kobold to his own progress.

Display Panel

Ding

Status Panel Race Flame Kobold Level 7/30 (exp: 15/840) Class Magus Level 20/20 (exp: MAX) Lifespan 40 years Cultivation realm Qi Gathering Second Stage (5.3%) Stats Strength 47 Agility 52 Constitution 27 Mana 57 Qi 14 Free Points 15 Skills Minor Fire Affinity (Passive) Flame resistance (Passive) Fireball (Active) Combustion Touch (Active) Waterball (active)

Now that Thorian had reached the limit of his class, he needed to attain maximum proficiency in all four skills before he could pursue class advancement. With this realization, he turned his attention to examining the proficiency of each skill.

Fireball Description You conjure a fiery orb and hurl it at your enemies, leaving them charred and weakened. Proficiency 100%

Waterball Description You summon a watery orb and launch it at your enemies, drenching them and knocking them off balance. Proficiency 23.5%

Still quite a long way to go, and I haven’t even started with the two last skills yet.

Reflecting on the final two starting skills, wind gust and rock bullet, Thorian scratched his chin as he considered their cost. Each skill carried a price tag of 500 Arcane Coins. Although he could purchase one of them using the rewards from his quests, he would still come up short for the other.

I guess I need to go to the dungeons then.