Mian sat down, staring intensely at his open palms that rested against his thighs. At least, that was what it would look like to any outside observer. In actuality, he was staring at the semi translucent screen that hung before his eyes.

[Evolution Points: 7]

'Hana?' He called out to the voice that accompanied the Evolution System that he had gained.

[Yes, Host?] The soft, feminine voice of the System replied to his call.

'Can you explain how these Evolution Points work again? I want to be clear before I do something I might regret.' He sighed internally. All of this was stressing him out, along with the strange looks he got from Dion.

While he was immersed in his thoughts, he absently rubbed at his back, the soft skin underneath his fur having been bruised when he slid under the bull.

[Evolution Points can be seen as the essence of Nature Energy that has been hyper-condensed, giving it a vibrant quality that can boost the growth of living beings. Normally, this Nature Energy is scant and free roaming, but through miraculous means, the Evolution System is able to condense this energy and make it available for you, the Host.]

She first started by explaining how Evolution Points came to be, before moving on to the mechanism through which they worked.

[Evolution Points in general can be gotten from both the surroundings, as well as through other living beings that have the potential to Evolve in their lifetime, no matter how miniscule the chances may be. Although, depending on their chances of Evolution, and how many times they have Evolved, the Evolution Points that you can derive from them will vary.]

[For your first Evolution, all your parameters and stats will be automatically handled by the Evolution System, so you do not have to worry about it. You will only be able to adjust and set what should take priority from your second Evolution onwards.]

'I see...' Mian took everything in, needing a couple of minutes to process everything. 'So, how can I... Evolve?'

Instead of replying him, a screen popped into his vision, startling him.

"Hey, you okay? You look quite shaken up over there." Dion's hand landed on his shoulder, giving him yet another start. "Whoa! Take it easy, Mian." Dion held up the flailing boy to keep him from falling down.

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"A-ah! Thanks, I'm okay." Mian regained himself and gave Dion a reassuring smile. "I'm just tired and sore. The fight took a lot out of me."

"Oh, you can get some rest, then. I'll wake you up when they bring over some food." Dion returned the smile before retreating to his cot. Mian nodded meekly before laying down, turning to the wall. He returned his attention to the screen that was still blinking before him.

[Do you want to begin Evolution? This will take one hour, and you will be unconscious for the duration of the Evolution. This Evolution will cost you 2 Evolution Points.]

[Yes/No.]

Mian understood that he was supposed to choose one option. Without thinking twice, he instantly chose yes, giving his confirmation.

[Evolution Phase will begin in ten seconds. You will be unconscious for the duration of this Evolution.]

As Mian heard this, he braced himself for whatever might happen. His many years of experiencing pain under his group guardian had already shaped his mentality in a way that he almost always expected pain.

As soon as the ten second mark went by, Mian immediately felt as though his mind was being drowned in a pool of murky water, his vision going blurry, and his ability to think becoming almost nonexistent.

'What...' His train of though was cut off as he completely lost consciousness.

...

In the other corner of the room, Dion just sat, his mind reminiscing on the arena battle that the pair of them had gone through only about twenty minutes ago. His blood still boiled in his veins as he recalled the whole fight. He did not want to admit what his mind kept telling him, but he had no choice.

He had been useless.

During the entire fight, from beginning to end, he had not done a single noteworthy thing that was worth even an ounce of praise. Mian had been the one to do everything.

'If this is how the future Patriarch is supposed to be, then what different am I from everyone else?' The dark furred boy pulled at his head fur as he scolded himself.

Even Mian, the outcast of the pack, the one and only omega ranked demi-human in their massive pack had been able to do something.

He turned to stare at Mian's back, recalling that exact moment. How Mian had bravely turned to face the rampaging bull while Dion was still trying to regain his bearings on the bull's back. When Mian had bravely charged at the bull, throwing his safety to the side as though it was nothing. And finally, when Mian had slid underneath the bull to slit its throat.

'If I had some time to think, I could have done the same!' He tried to convince himself that he could have done the exact same thing if he had been given enough time to think.

Eventually, he finally acquiesced. He admitted to himself that under that amount of pressure, pressure that was formed from the fear of death, he would not have been able to clear his head and think up a simple way to kill the beast. He admitted his shortcoming.

But as he did so, he felt a new flame ignite within himself. A flame that burned for growth.

'I shall grow stronger. I must grow stronger! Smarter, faster, wittier! I will be able to stand on the same level as Patriarch Daven some day. Just not now...'

He would grow, and when he grew, he would outshine every other demi-human in their pack! With this admission, and drive for self growth, Dion was sure that he would be able to do outstanding things in the future. But first...

They had to find their way back home.