When they piled down into their shelter just before nightfall on Saturday, everything went a lot more smoothly than their first night. A smug grin spread across Pax's face as he set up his cot against the far wall of the boys' sleeping room. No one could argue against his need to be undisturbed for as long as possible at the start of the night. Amil noticed his smile and scowled, which just made Pax grin even wider.

By the time he finished, a savory aroma had filled the shelter. Instead of being excited, he and the other boys exchanged nervous glances. Mage Eldan had insisted on cooking up some of the serpentine creature they’d killed. Pax had never eaten any kind of snake before, and the thought wasn't appealing. But no one was going to refuse Mage Eldan.

“Dinner time, everyone. Come and get it.” She sounded both excited and impatient.

When no one moved, Kai huffed and gave them all a disparaging look as he headed for the door. “A bunch of picky cowards. Food is food.”

Amil looked affronted, but Pax had to concede the young street kid was right. Since when were they picky about food, any food?

“You're all in for a treat.” Mage Eldan aimed a half smile their way as she glanced up to see them trooping into the living area. “I've been preparing this meat for the last day and a half. If you didn’t know, snake meat is usually pretty tough. I soaked it most of the first day in lemon juice and a special combination of spices, which not only tenderizes it but gives it a wonderful flavor.”

The girls were already in line, bowls in hand, and didn't seem at all fazed by the idea of eating something that had slithered along the ground without legs. Kai lined up behind them, staring eagerly at the pot giving off the delicious aroma. Pax had to admit the smell was intriguing.

“Then I added it to this device I call a slow cooker.” Mage Eldan tapped the side of the sturdy-looking pot sitting on the earth counter with two flame cores inserted into the base. “This stew has been simmering for hours now in my pack and should be perfect for dinner. Dig in.” Her expression turned stern. “But don’t take more than you can eat. The leftovers are mine.”

Everyone bobbed their heads quickly in agreement before moving to the line and filling their bowls. Incedis produced another loaf of bread from somewhere and passed out thick slices to everyone. When Pax looked down at his bowl, he could immediately distinguish the snake meat from the other ingredients. It had curled into c-shaped chunks with a pattern that looked similar to fish.

He waited a minute to take his first bite. Once he noticed how enthusiastically the others were eating, he shrugged and joined them. The first bite burned the top of his mouth, and he flinched back, almost spilling his food. Amil snorted in amusement.

Once Pax blew on the next bite and tasted it, he had to pause and stifle a moan. It was amazing, an explosion of tangy and spicy flavor. He quickly dove in. He’d never imagined snake stew would be so delicious. While the meat was a bit tough, chewing it added a pleasant contrast to the softer chunks of vegetables. Taken together with the first meal Mage Eldan had served them, Pax decided he’d eat anything she offered in the future without question.

As he worked his way through the bowl, he wondered if she had some kind of high-level cooking skill. If so, maybe she could help one of their crew gain the skill too. He could see it coming in very handy, especially when out on assignments in the Wilds, when they ran out of prepared dishes in their inventories.

Amil wiped out his bowl with the last bit of bread in his hand and crammed it all into his mouth with a satisfied grunt. When he finished chewing, his attention turned immediately to Pax, who was only halfway through his bowl. “All right, spill. You and which evolutions you're choosing are the only entertainment we've had all day. And I don't like cliffhangers. So pick your evolutions and then tell us what they do. We all deserve something fun this evening after the crazy running and training we've done all day.”

“Don't you think you should do something first?” Mage Eldan was giving them all a glare that looked both impatient and expectant.

Amil responded immediately, barely pausing for a breath. “Thank you, Mage Eldan, for this amazing and wonderful meal. It was the perfect ending to a hard day, and I wish you weren't keeping all the leftovers for yourself.” He gave her a bright and wide smile.

Everyone else quickly chimed in their thanks and compliments about the meal.

Her gaze narrowed at them for a moment before she gave them a curt nod and sat back to finish her own food.

When it looked like they’d appeased her, Amil turned back to Pax and waved one hand impatiently for him to speak up.

Pax stayed quiet, deliberately taking his time finishing off his bowl. He made sounds of enjoyment that Mage Eldan seemed to appreciate, while the others’ impatience steadily grew. But they didn't dare interrupt, instead cleaning up after the meal while they waited. It didn't take long before Pax finished and joined them.

A few minutes later they were all done and sat back down together.

Pax cleared his throat, smiling as all eyes focused on him. “As Rin argued so well for the benefits to everyone I’ll work with, I've decided to upgrade my Universal Mana Shaping to Universal Mana Projection.”

Rin grinned at him, but no one spoke, waiting for him to continue.

“I also couldn't argue with Tyrodon’s excellent reasoning, so I am going to upgrade my Runes skill to Instinctive Runes.” He sent Tyrodon a nod of acknowledgment. “And finally, the level 1 skills I plan to evolve are Primordial Golem up to the Resonance evolution and Aeroshift to the Reservoir evolution.”

“Yes!” Amil pumped his hand in excitement. He'd been the one arguing the most for the Golem evolution, attracted to both the magma element and the possibilities for a creature that enemies couldn't permanently destroy.

Bryn looked very pleased about Pax's choice to evolve Aeroshift. She'd made a detailed and logical list for the offensive and defensive possibilities for the spell, especially if the evolution allowed him to reach a greater distance and cast the spell more frequently.

Dahni frowned. He’d been the advocate for evolving Flashbang, arguing that if Pax were ever separated from their group, he’d need something fast and powerful to survive.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Well, don't just tell us about them.” Rin made an impatient gesture at him. “Activate them and read off Vitur’s explanations so we know what they actually do.”

A thrum of excitement filled Pax as he nodded toward his friends, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes. They'd all made guesses about what the titles of the various evolutions actually meant, but they were just guesses. Pax really hoped the evolutions were amazing instead of disappointing.

One by one, he navigated through his menu and made his choices. He could feel his heart racing in his chest as he finally opened the newly evolved descriptions.

***

Congratulations! You've evolved your Universal Mana Shaping Level 3 into Universal Mana Projection Level 3.

Mage Skill Evolved: Universal Mana Projection Level 3

This evolution advances a mage’s abilities to manipulate mana outside their body to the next level. They can create constructs that are limited only by their imagination and level of experience with the skill and their understanding of the element being used. The mana used must be, at least partially, the mage's own. Distance and direct connection to the mage also affect mana cost and chances of success. Constructs do not need to be stationary and can move with the mage if desired.

Note: With higher mastery, mages can create autonomous constructs that persist for a limited time on their own, without attention from the mage. These will require significant mana, experience, and focus to create.

Congratulations! You've evolved your Runes Level 2 into Instinctive Runes Level 2.

Mage Skill Evolved: Instinctive Runes Level 2

This evolution marks a significant advancement in the mage's mastery of rune magic, granting them an increased understanding of runic symbols and their applications, with little prior study. The mage can now intuitively understand the specific runes needed to achieve their enchanting goals. The mage's creativity and ingenuity become their greatest assets to help them forge new paths in creating unique rune patterns.

Note: Increased mastery and understanding of the specific elements will make successful rune creation much more likely.

Congratulations! You've evolved your Primordial Golem Level 1 into Primordial Golem Resonance Level 1.

Mage Spell Evolved: Primordial Golem Resonance Level 1

This advancement deepens the mage's connection to their summoned creature, enhancing control and coordination. The golem's movements become more fluid and responsive, acting in harmony with the mage's intentions. This heightened synchronization allows for greater agility and precision in battle or other tasks, making the mage and their resonating golem an even more formidable force. With further advancement of this spell, the mage can entrust the Golem with increasingly complex tasks and minor autonomy.

Note: Increased understanding of magma and high levels of mana manipulation skills will also improve this spell.

Congratulations! You've evolved your Aeroshift Level 1 into Aeroshift Reservoir Level 1.

Mage Spell Evolved: Aeroshift Reservoir Level 1

This evolution decreases the cost of Aeroshift and grants the mage the ability to create an internal mana reservoir dedicated to the spell, enhancing its versatility. By storing excess mana during times of safety, the mage can now execute longer or more frequent teleportations when needed. By managing mana reserves well, they can seize the initiative in both offensive and defensive combat maneuvers.

Note: Teleportation magic is very disorienting and can be dangerous in crowded environments. Increased levels of Insight and dedicated practice can mitigate those difficulties.

Evolution Points: 12 (-29)

***

“Well?” Pax blinked his eyes open, still processing the wall of text. A slow grin spread across his face. “I think I'm going to have a lot to practice tomorrow in the recovery breaks from the cooling rod.”

He chuckled at their impatience and quickly read off the new descriptions. It was interesting to see who reacted to what, but at least they all stayed quiet until he finished.

Once he finished, though, everyone started talking at once. An excited chaos ensued as everyone shared a jumble of ideas, talking over each other with an enthusiasm that was infectious. Some ideas were practical and innovative, while others were outlandish or even comical. Pax just sat back, enjoying the camaraderie. It reminded Pax of how excited they’d been choosing their first spells.

Incedis and Eldan let them work through a lot of their ideas before they stepped in and added a few corrections and suggestions of their own. By the time things wound down, Pax had jotted down a few directions he wanted to test out.

Tomorrow promised to be an interesting day. The first thing he was looking forward to was waking up early and having some time to see exactly what it took to create one of the mana constructs his new Projection skill mentioned. He also decided to spend at least half an hour working with his new Runes skill.

When he’d mentioned that, Tyrodon had asked if Pax would do that last and wake Tyrodon up early so he could join in and offer suggestions. He’d immediately agreed, realizing how much he'd missed the brainstorming and crafting sessions with Tyrodon. Pax had always felt pressured to spend his limited time doing things only he could. But now, the Instinctive Runes had joined the list of projects he might be the only one with the ability to achieve.

Pax would wait until they were back up top before working with his Primordial Golem Resonance. It made him giddy to think of sending the little guy out to forge ahead of them, especially if the new evolution didn’t require the usual focus and effort so he could still multitask.

Finally, Pax rerouted the steady trickle of mana from his mirror to his Aeroshift Reservoir. The mirror's reserves were almost full, anyway. Even if the mana cost for Aeroshift had decreased, it would still be too much for him to manage in his breaks. He’d have to wait until they reached the ruins. There, he'd be in relative safety and wouldn't need to keep his mana at half all the time.

Thinking it through, he figured he could dump his remaining mana into the reservoir every night, until he had enough to do a few practice sessions.

Pax sighed, realizing the new evolutions had just added another set of items on his to-do list. He was pretty sure the leaders at the base would want him to get busy with Taming and unlocking minor elements as soon as he arrived. Hopefully Incedis would negotiate a reasonable schedule for him, so he’d have time to work on his own advancement.

At least their current regimen, as brutal as it was, kept adding significant chunks of progress to the paths of understanding for his secondary elements. With a full day of training for each of the four types, along with a second day working with Nature, Pax was excited when he checked his new totals.

***

Lightning: Level 1 - 39/100 (+18)

Ice: Level 1 - 50/100 (+17)

Nature: Level 1 - 47/100 (+21)

Magma: Level 1 - 31/100 (+18)

***

The speedy progress assuaged his worries as Pax headed to bed with the others. A flush of excitement and anticipation filled him. Things were really looking up. In a few days, they'd be safely ensconced in the ruins, hopefully with their own rooms, including training and crafting ones.

Pax knew Incedis wanted to keep his abilities hidden from the average rebel, and he agreed. But the leaders would know what he could do. Pax could finally go all out with his unique magic without the risk of punishments. Just imagining it felt so freeing. Pax couldn't think of anything more amazing right now, especially since every one of his achievements would make the rebels stronger and more likely to defeat the empire. He was so close to finally being a full rebel. He couldn’t wait.