“Thank you!” Alan waved the cashier goodbye, pushing open the door. A loud yet pleasant bell rang, and the cool breeze of noon gently rustled his new clothes. He looked down, amazed that such a store had this quality.

In my day this stuff would’ve cost a fortune, he thought. His attire was entirely black. A lightly armored shirt covered mostly by a black robe. They even let me donate my old clothes. They’ll probably just throw it away though. He felt for his sword attached beneath the robe, It looks cool, but it might not be the most practical. The robe might occasionally get in the way, but Alan decided he could just take it off if he got into a serious enough battle.

Fenrir was going to finish evolving soon, so Alan knew he wasn’t going to be in a life-or-death battle anytime soon. And once he reached bronze stage, he could form mana armor that would protect his clothes. Swiftly he made his way back to the Golden Goose Inn. Dariel nodded as Alan walked in. He was currently serving a type of broth to two burly adventures sitting at one of the tables,

“Nice outfit.” He said with an honest smile. The remark wasn't sarcastic.

“Thanks.” Alan replied, eyes landing on the broth, “The food here good?”

“I’m not a pro, but it’s edible,” Dariel laughed, the faces of the two adventures frowned at the comment.

“Maybe I’ll try some of it later,” Alan chuckled, making his way upstairs, opening the door to his room with a clank,

“I guess I’ll meditate until Fenrir evolves. Then I could hunt with him once or twice. Meditating will increase my mana core grades faster anyway. The extra souls won't hurt though.” Alan unclipped his katana, leaning it gently against the frame of his bed. Sitting down on the cold wooden floor, he began to breathe. The rhythmic breathing he had used oh so many times before. This continued for an age before a blue screen accompanied by a bothering sensation interrupted his meditation.

[Mana Core Evolution Achieved]

Alan smiled, “Foundation Grade 2. I’ve been evolving much slower compared to my previous body, but at this pace, I should reach Bronze Grade 4 in a few days.” Immediately, he closed his eyes once more, returning to focus, nothing more important than his breathing as he waited for the screen to interrupt once more. His mana flowed even smoother and more powerful than before, his body energized and overcome with ecstasy. His breathing continued, mana circulation more efficient.

[Fenrir evolution complete. Would you like to confirm this evolution?]

Alan's eyes shot open, a smile playing on his lips,

“Finally,” His head turned. It was night. The moon once again cast its silvery hue on the surrounding buildings,

“He barely fit in this room before…I’ll just do it outside.” With that, Alan left the inn, and snuck out of the town, jumping over the wall and sprinting deep into the forest.

He skidded to a stop, the town just barely peeking over the distant canopy. Excitement bubbled within, the pleasure of evolving your mana core like a drug most became addicted to.

“Yes.” He spoke plainly, indicating to the system his decision to confirm the evolution, whatever that meant.

A change occurred immediately. A wave of energy burst forth, and the darkness around began to quiver and shake as if dreading the presence of an encroaching entity. A small hand of darkness reached from beneath Alan, stretching out across the grass a few meters in front of him. The end of the hand grew larger, its shaft still thin, creating an eerie, almost horrific shadow. Then, a small ball made of swirling black began to peel upwards from the hand until its entire form floated a few centimeters above the ground.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

It began to pulsate, expanding in and out like a heartbeat, growing larger and larger, its size contracting less than it expanded. The tornado of shadows spun even quicker until the ball achieved a similar height to Alan.

Then, it exploded. It released a powerful wave of darkness, engulfing the surrounding area in a void. The grey of the moon vanished, along with any sight of surrounding vegetation.

Woof!

The void was sucked in, vanishing in an instant, and Fenrir’s new form was revealed. He looked identical to his previous body, but he now towered above the canopy. He must have been nearly double the size of the infant Frenzy Bear to stand above the canopy while on all fours. Fenrir’s tail was wagging, chipping away at a tree behind him like an axe. He held what looked to be a large smile, and moved in for a lick.

“Wait, wait!” Alan stepped back with his hand up, waving for Fenrir to stop, “If you lick me I might actually die.” Alan’s eyes stared at the blue screen that unfolded. Fenrir let out a saddened squeak, sitting down, and crushing a few trees in the process.

{Fenrir} [Silver] {Grade 6}

Special Technique: Shadow Expansion

This wolf can expand an area of darkness around itself. Within it, any entity below its mana core grade will lose all six senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mana sense). The wolf can adjust the intensity of this technique, and which senses are affected however it chooses. Any entity trapped within, with a mana core difference of six grades, or 1 stage, will experience only a few losses in sense. Any entity above that, will not be afflicted at all, aside from the area becoming completely dark.

Techniques:

[Upgraded Skill!] Shadow Movement: This wolf can enter darkness, move freely within, and pull those willing into the shadows with him.

Venom Fangs: This wolf can coat its fangs in a powerful venom made of mana. This venom can cause paralysis.

[New Skill!] Shadow Manipulation: This wolf can summon shadows and manipulate them freely. Forming shadow weapons of various sizes, or even walls to protect against attacks.

Evolution:

Requirements:

Souls: [0/50000]

Mana Core Stage: [Silver] {Grade1}

“Wow.” Alan marveled at the insanity of the technique he was given. Such power, he thought, would surely allow him to surpass the strength he achieved in his previous life,

“All right Fenrir, how about we go hunting for a while? Test out your strength, and our synergy in battle.” The giant wolf perked up at the words, cracking the ground as it stood. Its tail began wagging with ferocity, obliterated a tree, sending wooden shards flying.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gherardo stood waiting. He looked up at the sky tinged in an orange hue.

“Sir, it’s been a few hours. I don’t think he’s gonna show up. He probably failed and is too embarrassed to show himself.” A skinny man in a black suit standing behind Gherardo spoke. The man held a glowing purple orb atop a red pillow. It shone with a mysterious mana.

“He was a trustworthy and honorable fellow. I will wait until the sun sets.” The street in front of the Golden Goose Inn was busy, “The owner of this inn said he is usually out at this time.”

Time passed. The sun began to dip under the horizon and a sea of black invaded the sky. The streets became much less populated, only a few drunkards or random folks walked across the stone.

“See, he still hasn’t shown up.” The man said, looking to his side. Gherardo and his employee had taken a seat on a nearby bench. Gherardo sighed, negative thoughts permeating his mind.

What if Alan didn’t succeed, he thought.

Gherardo wanted to accept the sponsorship even if Alan was a grade or two off. But if he wouldn’t show, Gherardo couldn't grant that kindness. His forehead fell into his palms, wondering if he should just leave.

Footsteps echoed.

“Sorry, it took longer than I thought,” Alan spoke between ragged gasps. Gherardo brought his head up, and he turned to his employee with a smile, before his eyes landed on Alan once more. His hands were on his knees and he was hunched over. Sweat dripped down along his forehead, falling to the stone with a splash.

“I was beginning to doubt whether you would show up,” Gherardo said, motioning his employee to his side.

“Yeah, I didn’t expect it to take so much time. I got a little cocky.” Alan chuckled, straightening his posture.

“It's a little late so we should make this quick. We can meet back here tomorrow morning.” Gherardo nodded toward his employee, “If you just place both of your hands on that mana stone, we’ll see what stage and grade your mana core is.”

Immediately, Alan stepped toward the stone. Raised his exhausted arms up, and gently rested his palm on the perfectly smooth stone. It felt cold, yet warm at the same time. Mana coursed from his arms and into the stone, swiftly altering its color. The purple misty energy within began to swirl, spinning into a bronze color. The eyes of Gherardo and his employee widened in surprise, as a silvery hue was mixed in with the bronze. The swirling began to intensify, before settling into a recurring speed.

“You actually did it.” Gherardo gasped his eyes of pure joy and adoration. I just found someone with the talent behind no other, he thought, did I just witness the fastest mana core growth in history?