"Is that... Is that Gus?" Uchronia's voice was a mix of awe and confusion.

"I thought he'd become bigger," Alwin said, squinting through the fading light.

"Evolution is a mysterious mechanism granted by Cor. Our best scholars are researching the intricacies of this phenomenon. Our best scholars are studying its intricacies. We know it makes monsters stronger, enlarges their Core, and gives them new forms—forms influenced by their environment and experiences. In rare cases, they may even be blessed with a Core Skill by the mighty Cor!"

As the light finally faded, Alwin and Uchronia blinked at the figure before them. The transformation was complete, and standing before them wasn't the Furball that they had come to know and love. No, evolution had given something that every monster dreamed of having. The thing that would make life easier, make everyday tasks much simpler: hands.

A monster slightly bigger than a Furball loomed before them. His body was now more oblong than blobby. His reddish-brown coat had transformed into a striking yellow blaze as if lightning itself was coursing through him. A sharp horn jutted proudly from his head. No legs still, but two large paws—complete with claws—looked ready to tear into any human foolish enough to cross his path.

"Gus the Furball, is now, Gus the Fluffpaw," said Milvus.

Gus glanced down, taking in the changes to his body. He turned his paws over, watching as sharp claws slid in and out. A visible shiver ran down his spine as he accidentally pricked his paw pads. With a mix of curiosity and apprehension, he reached up, feeling the smooth, black horn that now crowned his head.

"Aww man," said Gus.

"What's wrong?" asked Uchronia.

"I can't sleep face down anymore." He frowned. "But, that's okay. I have hands now! That means I can eat even faster!"

Leave it to Gus to make every little thing food-related. Probably didn’t even realize he nearly got them all killed yesterday. But could they really blame him? Everyone has their weaknesses; Gus’s just happened to be extremely... exploitable. Next time they went on a mission together, they'd have to put in some additional countermeasures to ensure his snack attacks wouldn't get them all killed—and yes, Alwin was calling the phenomenon of Gus being bribed with food, Snack Attacks.

"Take the rest of the day to adjust to your new body and I recommend trying out your new Species Skill, Lightning Paw too," said Milvus.

"Maybe after lunch," said Gus. "So, can I go eat now?"

"Sure thing, just remember to leave the amulet," said Milvus.

"Okay!" Gus said, dropping the amulet on the ground without a second thought.

Gus acting like the Furball he no longer was began to hop towards the door, his paws flopping by his side, smacking the ground. His face lit up as if a bright idea had struck that food-obsessed brain of his. Rather than only relying on his bum to push himself forward, he used his hands to launch himself, like playing a perpetual game of leapfrog with the floor. He was reaching speeds that Alwin could only dream of.

Another idea sparked to life within that burger brain of his, a huge smile spreading across his face. Electricity coiled around his body before Gus bounded out of the room leaving behind a trail of lightning in his wake. With the use of Lightning Legs, or perhaps they should change the skill's name to Lightning Arms, Gus was moving at speeds Alwin couldn't even comprehend.

When he finally evolved, his evolution was going to surpass Gus'. Alwin was going to make sure that happens.

"So that's how an evolution works," said Milvus. "Give me a day to work out the arrangements and I'll let you know what we'll do with both of you tomorrow. Oh, and Alwin, I'll try to find out about the status of that Goblin, Lin."

"Thanks!" said Alwin.

"Just take the day to unwind and recuperate, okay? Go and take out your frustrations in the training room," said Milvus.

The three of them stepped out of the glass chamber that had shielded them from the Lightning Tribulation. They watched as he approached the console panel, his tentacles dancing over the controls once more. The ceiling sealed up with a soft hiss, and the glass chamber began to descend back into the ground, any evidence of its existence swallowed up by the earth.

"I'll see you all tomorrow," said Milvus, exiting the room.

Now it was the two of them. They had the whole day off, which was a nice change of pace. There were so many things that he could do and yet all he wanted to do was head to the library to research more offensive skills. Two blobs in his mind materialized, the black-colored goofing-off, and the white-colored serious-business. They had reached a consensus, believe it or not. Goofing-off was going to take a step back and let serious-business handle the reins for now—you can't goof off if you're dead after all. Tiny stick-figure-like hands emerged out of their blobby forms and they shook on the agreement.

"Hey, Uchronia. Let's go to the—"

"I'm going out for a stroll in the city and you're coming with me."

"—library."

"Did you say you want to go to the library?" Uchronia looked at him, with eyes scrunched up.

"And did you say you want to go out?" Alwin mirrored her expression.

"Yes. I just need some air and time to process everything," said Uchronia. "I don't know what they're not telling us and why they even put mental blocks into our heads."

"Are the mental blocks that bad?"

"Are you serious? They're messing with our heads!" shouted Uchronia. "How can it not be bad!"

"You're right... But Milvus didn't seem that upset when he found out that you don't have those block things anymore."

"I bet he's hiding it. He must be secretly mad that his plans or whoever's in charge's plan were messed up."

"You think so?"

"He keeps hinting at us to go to the training grounds, there must be some trap waiting for us there. That's why we're going out into the city. They wouldn't think about doing something crazy in a crowded area."

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"What do you think they're going to do? Kidnap us?"

"Or kill us.”

"I think you're being paranoid, Uchronia. If they wanted to do that then why didn't Milvus do it already? He is clearly much stronger than us useless monsters who lost to a bunch of no-good humans."

"Maybe I am being paranoid, but when you finally realize that someone has been messing with your head your whole life who wouldn't be?"

"I guess?"

"Alwin! There were thoughts I wasn't allowed to have, ideas that were snuffed out the moment they were conceived, and things I was never allowed to notice until I got smacked on the head by that human. I don't want them to mess with my head again. Just... let's get out of here until I can sort my mind out. And no talking! Who knows if they're listening?"

"Who's they?"

"I don't know!" Uchronia shouted. "I just... don't know anymore." Her voice cracked.

Alwin understood. They walked through the hallways of the academy not mentioning a single word to each other. Thoughts whirred through his mind the entire time—it was the only way to fill the awkward silence that accompanied them. Was she really overreacting or was he underreacting? Did it have something to do with those inhibitors in his head?

He could think clearly—sort of. His thoughts moved in every conceivable direction, became distracted and hovered there not moving an inch, before wandering around taking in the scenery and finally bumping into each other. And... throughout that introspection, he got distracted again.

Finally, they made it outside, the bright sunlight making him squint.

"Let's go a bit further," Uchronia said, already moving.

Alwin followed, silent as a shadow. She led the way, without saying a single thing. That whole mental block revelation had gotten her spooked and rightfully so. But why wasn't he affected in the slightest? Alwin actually understood the gravity of the situation, unlike a certain sandwich-brained Fluffpaw. Maybe the mental blocks really were stopping him from thinking properly.

They wandered around the city of Monsteria, passing by shops, cafes, restaurants, and homes. Monsters of various shapes and sizes milled about the city, each one going about their lives, unaware of the existential crisis Uchronia was going through. To them, it just looked like two monster kids were out on a playdate exploring the city.

Uchronia continued to lead the way, Alwin hopping right next to her. Every so often he'd throw a glance her way. There was a worried frown etched onto her face, that grew deeper the farther they went. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say. Telling a joke was always within the realm of possibilities but when it was a joke crafted by the 'serious-business' side of him, even he knew it wouldn't help the mood.

Just like how Uchronia was diving deep into the depths of her consciousness searching for the light that would lead her out of the murky water of her doubts, Alwin was now, currently, experiencing the same. Not about the mental blocks and how they had shaped and will shape the rest of his life, but about how he could improve himself.

Gus was blessed with an amazing Core Skill, being able to eat pretty much anything. It was offense and defense wrapped into one, plus it came with the added bonus of absorbing new skills from his fallen foes. Offense, defense, and snacks all in one package—it was almost too perfect.

Uchronia's Core Skill allowed her to call in different versions of herself. It was similar to the black-armored Goblins clone skill but amped up to eleven. Her alternate selves came equipped with different skills. She had the potential to be in charge of offense, defense, and support just by calling in her other selves.

What did Alwin have? A defunct Devolution skill that he didn't even know how to use. Should he have asked Milvus for help to figure out what it does? Probably. Did he do it? Obviously not. It was embarrassing and so far only Uchronia had noticed that he didn't even know how to use it. Okay, maybe Milvus did notice it, but he hadn't said anything about it yet.

He should've been the star, the main character, the protagonist of his own story. That's what he was expecting to happen, that's what he had expected to happen. Instead, he was relegated to the sidelines. He was no different than the regular monsters that enrolled in the academy—other than the obvious fact that he was about to turn two months old. So, what did Alwin have?

He had his ingenuity, if one could even call it that. Who else could come up with such weird ways to use his spells: puppeteering a suit of armor using nothing but some Spirit Hands and Spirit Feet, playing hot-potato with himself high above the air so that no one could strike him, that weird Spirit Hands cannon thing utilizing a bunch of sets from volleyball to launch him at high speeds. That's what he had to do: come up with creative ways to use his spells that no one else had thought of before.

"Hey, kids. What are you doing out here?" a voice called out, shattering the bubble of introspection they had enclosed themselves in.

The two of them froze in place, eyes locked on the monster that had called them out. Hovering before them was a massive, diamond-shaped crystal, its surface shimmering with the deep, endless blue of the ocean. Surrounding it were miniature versions of the crystal, each one carrying brown paper bags filled with a colorful assortment of food ranging from bread to fish, atop their heads. Alwin recognized the monster as the owner of MOM's Cafe, the last location that Milvus had brought them to during their field trip to the city of Monsteria.

"Just taking a stroll," said Uchronia.

"What she said," added Alwin.

"Well, come with me to my shop. I'll even give you kids a treat on the house," the floating crystal said.

"Really?" asked Alwin.

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"I don't know. I don't even know you," replied Alwin.

"Fair enough. Time's a wasting, daylight's a burning, so let's go."

The massive, floating crystal began to bob up and down the street, heading straight for her café. Alwin and Uchronia exchanged a look, unsure what to make of the sudden invitation. Could this be a trap? Uchronia was practically spelling out her worries with her face alone. Alwin caught her eye, and with a shake of his head, sent a wave of calm through her. The creases on her face smoothed out, their silent exchange easing her fears. They followed behind the floating crystal unsure of their fates.

MOM's Cafe was as busy as ever. Monsters of all shapes, sizes, elements, and smells patronized the quaint little shop. Tiny versions of the cafe owner—drones—answered every beck and call of the customers. Whether it be asking for refills on their coffees, ordering cakes to share amongst their friends, or cleaning up any accidental spills, the drones had it all covered, balancing trays, napkins, and whatever else the patrons required on the tippy top of their diamond-shaped bodies.

The drones carrying grocery bags zipped off into the kitchens to help supply the chefs and waiters, who were presumably drones as well. They went on with their merry business of serving the customers. The noise level inside the cafe was just enough to hear the drone nearest to them shouting orders to the ones who were fetching the orders, as well as the buzz of conversations bouncing off the walls, tables, chairs, and even the occasional ceiling fan.

The café owner led the pair into a private room, magnitudes smaller than the one the class had used months ago. A circular glass table that stood on a lone pedestal in the center of the room along with two chairs. A singular painting of a fruit basket rested on the far side of the wall.

"Have a seat," she said. "I'll bring some cakes and drinks."

"Thank you, miss," said Uchronia.

"It's Lapis. I'll be back in a jiffy."

Uchronia and Alwin were left alone in the room, seated across from each other. Uchronia stared at the wooden pedestal that held up the glass table, lost in thought—was that how Alwin looked when he was daydreaming? Meanwhile, Alwin diverted half of his attention to observing his surroundings, while the other half had the privilege of diving deep into his psyche to contemplate different methods to improve his standing within his squad. Power of multitasking!

Not even five minutes into his rumination-observation session, and Lapis the cafe owner had returned, alongside her drones. Two deep brown chocolate cakes sat atop two drones while two steaming hot cups of cocoa graced the heads of another pair.

"Here ya go, kids," Lapis said, the drones delivering the trays of delicious snacks in front of them before leaving the room, their missions accomplished.

"Thank you, Miss Lapis," said Uchronia.

"Thank you!" shouted Alwin.

Free food was the best. Now who said there was no such thing as a free lunch?

"I've heard a lot about you two from Milvee," said Lapis.

"Who?" Alwin blurted out, his face scrunched in confusion.

"Mr. Milvus," corrected Uchronia, a scowl growing on her face, tail lashing the back of her chair.

"Correctomundo!" shouted Lapis.

Maybe there was a catch after all. Turns out there really was no such thing as a free lunch.