Looking for the shortest way back, he turned toward the cleared path behind the Aerilian squad.

I think I am done with the undead for today.

Heading their way, the few zombies mingling between them were barely an inconvenience, and as he came before the squad he received half a dozen respectful nods. Smiling in return, he wished them a good hunt and upped his pace, quickly turning a jog into a full-blown sprint in the direction of the northernmost villas in the distance.

I could pick one of the empty houses and open the archway from there, he nodded, having a clear destination ahead of him. Hmm, I wonder how the Slayer of Gorax'thal is doing.

Stopping next to a back wall, he observed the house inside.

This one will do, he nodded and vaulted over the eight-foot-tall brick wall.

The house he chose was pure white and built in a modern style with sharp edges and big glass windows. It even had a large swimming pool that was now filled with filthy-black water and a couple of bloated, unmoving corpses.

From the broken doors and shards of glass filling the hallway, John hazarded a guess that the occupants made a stand against the incoming horde.

Could they have escaped through a different entrance? He mused as he followed the signs of struggle deeper inside.

It took a bit of investigative work, but after a couple of minutes, his guess proved to be the most likely scenario. The directions of the scuffle pointed outside, through a small garden gate, and somewhere to the west.

This reminds me, he frowned mid-step. What happened to the second shelter?

Closing his eyes, he tried to picture the sight from the western bridge. One shelter shone from the position that was now occupied by the Silverstar Enclave, but the other was situated further north but not that far east.

Yes, it should be somewhere west of here.

John would lie if he said he wasn't tempted to immediately head in that direction and begin his exploration, but on the other hand, there were pressing issues he should take care of first. Namely, his second evolution.

Bah… okay, evolution first, exploration after.

Moving back into the modern house, he picked the main bedroom and grinned. There were more suits inside the wardrobe and by his estimates, the size seemed to fit almost as well as his previous loot.

What followed was yet another heist of a pile of clothes and a couple of smaller cabinets that he carried through the archway and into his shelter.

"A bit of a mess, but hey. Since no one else is coming for a visit… why bother," he mumbled as he walked around the hoard of clothing he collected.

His first stop was to the Al'drul's emporium for the remaining three uncommon cards. There, the experienced merchant must have known something, because he abstained with the usual qips and let him quickly finish the transaction while only holding an impassive expression.

"John, pay me a visit after you finish, and… good luck," Al'drul said as he was stepping out.

Damn, that felt… ominous. Am I missing something?

He wasn't iron-clad confident if rushing into it was the correct choice, but waiting was yet another risk. He gained a very powerful card for being among the fastest to reach the E-grade and he was hoping to replicate the achievement for the second time.

There were surely some greedy leaders heavily taxing their subjects, but hopefully, the massive price for all twelve cards would shift their interests elsewhere. After all, it was far easier to get power from abilities and good body modification cards. Besides, they would need to equip at least some of their most loyal guards or they would be risking a rebellion.

Yes, doing it now feels like the correct choice.

Being lost in thought, he pulled the wooden door of the Desperate Fool's Inn open and subconsciously tugged it close as he walked inside.

"Hey, Slayer of the Gorax'thal, how are you…"

BAM!

The powerful impact reverberated through the wooden floorboards as the dark wood door slammed shut behind him.

"Argh… c'mon!" John cursed after diving down and then looking accusingly at the bulky piece of wood.

The youthful bartender kept his back to him, cleaning one of the tables with a green piece of cloth, but as John focused on his movements he could clearly see the slight shake of the shoulders.

"Yeah, yeah… It got me," he grumbled, and as if on cue the man turned around and pretended to just notice his arrival.

"Ah, welcome back," he kept his face masterfully calm. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No need," John sighed. "I am only going to take a short rest."

"Of course," Slayer of Goraxthal nodded. "If I may… or nevermind, enjoy your stay." The youth turned back and resumed his cleaning.

John briefly deliberated pressing for details, but decided to keep his focus on the task ahead. It was time to enter the D-grade. Leaving the ground floor with quick steps, he ascended the stairs and entered his room.

Hmm, I should probably undress before I lie down.

After tossing his clothes next to the bed, he opened his deck and pulled out the three remaining cards.

"A single Dexterity first," he mumbled and watched it crumble in his right hand.

A shiver ran through his entire body, making his muscles and tendons feel like they were hit by a bolt of weak lightning.

"And now it is time to evolve," he whispered and used the other Dexterity and the Strength cards together.

A mixture of weakness and freezing cold rampaged through him and his vision was partially covered by a new System message.

[Congratulations!

All six of your attributes have reached 40 (D) or above, and your body is about to undergo its second evolution.

You have five minutes to find a safe place before the evolution begins]

Closing his eyes, he spent the time ignoring the uncomfortable feelings his nerves were firing off, until suddenly… nothingness.

Remembering the last time he spent here, he wasn't surprised by the lone marble platform in the middle of space, nor the lack of his physical self.

Navigating around by his sheer will, he explored the small area around him.

Six pedestals spread around the edge… Hmm, even the Fate card is already floating above me. Am I missing something?

The place was nearly the exact replica of the previous location. The only difference he could find was the color of the marble floor and the pedestals around him. Where previously everything was white, now it all had a deep azure color, as if cut from lapis lazuli instead.

Dedicating a while to exploration, he spent a couple of minutes just floating around. Yet, he couldn't find anything new.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

[Strength

The unwavering power within, driving you to overcome challenges, push your limits, and rise to new heights]

Right… I guess I should get to it.

Reaching out with his mind, he touched the floating card above the pedestal and observed its change into golden light and the subsequent forming of his new body in the middle of the platform.

Sticking with the same order, he followed up with Dexterity.

[Dexterity

The nimble ability to maneuver through life's obstacles with grace and precision]

Mhm…

[Perception

The keen insight to see beyond the surface, to discern hidden truths and uncover new perspectives, unlocking the potential for growth and discovery]

Sure…

[Focus

The power of the mind, enabling you to cut through distractions and hone in on what truly matters, unleashing your full potential and achieving greatness]

Okay…

[Vitality

The pulsing energy that fuels your body, inspiring you to embrace life's adventures with vigor and enthusiasm, and empowering you to thrive in all that you do]

Of course, it does...

[Willpower

The inner might that shields your minds from doubt and fear, empowering you to stand firm in your convictions and navigate life's challenges with unwavering resolve]

And lastly…

[Fate

To hold this card is to take Fate by the reins and carve your own path]

All seven cards had the same pictures and descriptions as the previous ones, making him a little disappointed about the repetition.

At least his body was slightly different. From the looks of it, the grey heart truly brought permanent changes to his very being, because each layer was somehow affected by either the grey blood or the presence of the grey heart itself.

Watched in wrapped attention as a silver spark slowly descended onto his prepared body, he was interested to see any unexpected changes during the final part.

So that's it? He wondered as the small core absorbed the second spark, but his thoughts came to a halt as a black ripple exploded in the open space above him.

It spread out, making the sky look like a calm pond disturbed by a tossed rock, and every star it touched winked out and even the far galaxies dimmed as a spot of darkest black emerged from the middle and slowly formed a ring of superheated gasses around it.

John wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a black hole or a massive cosmic eye staring right at him and despite his lack of physical body, he was assaulted by a soul-crushing pressure until he felt something deep within him give out.

You have broken the second chain of Fate!

Take this…

A black System message with a blood-red border popped up before him, but the forming letters stopped in the middle of the second sentence for a moment that felt like it was stretching out into eternity. However, all of John's scenes felt dulled out and he barely even noticed the long pause.

You have broken the second chain of Fate!

You have progressed further than even I expected.

Curious.

You have even touched upon something taboo.

Intriguing.

Perhaps, my gift was not sufficiently valuable to reward your impressive progress.

Take this instead, and crush all who would oppose you under your heel

A small rift tore open three feet before him, and from it fell out a card John could best describe as having inverted colors. Where all other cards had black frame and colored borders, this one had a white frame and black border, looking exactly like the boon he received after his first evolution.

[Wispflame

A minuscule portion of the Mythical Soulfire used as a gift for an exceptional progenitor.

With this flame you may burn the very souls of your enemies to ash and then use them to empower yourself]

The mere presence of the card threw dark shadows around it almost like the flickering of a burning candle, but instead of orange light, it only spread patches of darkness around the card.

At least it sounds like the crackling of a fireplace… almost like when I used to visit Grandma.

He felt himself relax under the nostalgic memory. He was once again a little kid sitting in front of the fireplace and feeling the comforting heat and the loud snapping of burning wood. The only thing missing was the presence of his little sister, pestering him and begging him to stop lazing out and start playing with her instead.

What a tireless little devil she used to be.

His moment was broken by a new message.

Take the gift and finish the first part of your evolution so you may enter the $#$$#&+-*.

Annoyed.

It seems like that one has to remain a surprise for you

Yeah, yeah, he shook himself to break out of the memory and instinctively looked around him… At least he tried to, but everything felt kind of blurred, as if out of focus.

How odd…

There wasn't anything but the massive eye somewhere high above and the floating card.

But what about the flickering darkness?

Straining his focus to its limit, he slowly brought the dull grey floor into view and on it finally noticed the dancing shadows.

Was it always this dull?

Looking around for the second time, he could barely make out the pedestals in the distance, but he shouldn't look there… After all, the Wispflame was right over here.

Just a single glance sent a pleasant wave all over him and he…

Something is off, Focus!

But why? Surely his gut would have let him know if there was anything wrong with the gift, right? Right?

Why is everything so dull again?

Hurry up. I can't hold the attention of the other Patrons away for much longer.

They are jealous of me and will also be jealous of you. Especially if they find out about my magnificent gift

Right, John shivered, already feeling the envious gazes of those witnessing his overwhelming power. I have to keep it a secret!

Wait, but Al'drul seemed friendly enough, surely he would understand. And Serath helped me bond with the Witherfang, she wouldn't get jealous of my…

What is going on!? John shouted within his mind.

He was now certain of it. The mental fog, weakness, dull senses, hell even his emotions were all wrong.

Using all the Willpower he could muster, he tore his gaze away from the floating card and did everything he could to block the intruding presence out.

How unfortunate.

Displeased.

You leave me no choice

A bubbling voice filled the entire space, pierced through his attempted ignorance, and smashed into his intangible presence like a tsunami.

"I command you to take that card!"

He was powerless to block it out, yet despite its unimaginable power, it passed around him with no apparent effect. His unbreakable mind held firm.

"I command…"

I REFUSE!

His response was inconsequential in comparison, yet it was enough. A small crack formed across the large eye and through it, all the wrongness got sucked out until finally, the offending card fell out and the sky was filled with bright stars once again.

[You have successfully evolved into D-grade, and now it is time for you to earn your reward.

Enter the Hall of Meritorious Excellence and choose the most fitting reward]

Seeing the good old blue screen made him breathe out in relief.

I have my body back! He cheered, realizing that his conciseness was now housed in his mortal shell.

"Damnit, I missed the final process!" He joked. "Because of that bastard's intrusion, I wasn't able to watch my new body rebuilt itself!"

I don't think I was expected to fend the impossible existence off, he realized and shivered in fright.

It took a moment to actually set in and accept how close he came to a disaster. He had no idea what would have happened if he accepted the Wispflame, but by the compulsive reaction, he was absolutely certain it was not good for the long-term of his well being. No cheering, nor jokes were able to pull him out from the numbness he felt after his first confrontation with a being of unimaginable power.

Luckily, today he survived and learned an important lesson. His gut was not an absolute compass to the truth, and if it could be overpowered, it could also be tricked or misguided by someone skilled or strong enough, so it was time to start thinking about every future decision instead of only blindly following his gut.

A movement to his right brought out a ten-foot-tall yellow archway into focus and after a last look around, he stepped through.

Hopefully this promised reward is going to make me feel a little bit better.