Max sat in the quiet of his mountain home, the rainbow crystal resting on the table before him.

The prismatic light refracted across the walls, casting shifting patterns that seemed almost alive. He leaned back, his golden eyes thoughtful as he weighed the stone in his hand.

Max had an idea and typed the detailed parameters of the Crystal from the simulator's screen to his phone.

"AI," he said aloud, his tone calm, "analyze possible applications for this crystal."

The screen of his superphone lit up, and a soft hum filled the room.

A progress bar crawled across the display, painfully slow.

Max experimented in the meantime, exposing the crystal to different conditions. He tried infusing it with a trickle of energy, setting it near other enchanted objects, and even crushing a part of it into powder and feeding it to different species, they simply died.

Nothing noteworthy happened. The crystal remained inert, its vibrant glow unwavering but unresponsive.

"Worthless for now," he muttered, setting the crystal back on the table.

Finally, the superphone chimed.

[No significant properties detected under current conditions.]

Max's lips pressed into a thin line. "So much for that."

Shifting his focus, he opened the phone's hacking interface. "Access Lyra's family's data. Target: research on rainbow crystals."

The screen flickered as the simulator worked, bypassing layers of mediocre security. Within moments, a trove of data became accessible, and Max began reading.

Lyra's family was underwhelming, a small, unremarkable house with no history of significant power or influence.

Their sole claim to relevance was a single B-rank powerhouse who is the head of the family, and Lyra and her brothers who had lucked into finding the dungeon that later transformed into the rainbow crystal mine. Prior to that, they didn't even have a proper research facility.

The mine had been their desperate attempt to break into the upper echelons of society.

The research notes were disorganized and amateurish, filled with conjectures and inconclusive results.

Most of their experiments had failed, and the family seemed to lack both the resources and the expertise to make meaningful progress.

Max scoffed. "They're fumbling in the dark. Not surprising."

After hours of reading, he decided to shelve the matter for now. The crystal was intriguing, but without a clearer path forward, there was little point in pursuing it further.

Just as he leaned back to stretch, his superphone buzzed with an incoming call. The name on the screen: Charles.

Max answered. "What is it?"

Charles's voice was crisp and professional, but there was an undertone of urgency. "The B-rank you attacked, he's alive. Barely."

Max raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. "Explain."

"It seems he saw your attack whatever it was coming. He didn't have time to escape completely, but it was enough to brace for impact. Likely used some defensive skills or items to mitigate the damage. He's in critical condition, but stable."

Max nodded slowly. It wasn't entirely unexpected. A B-rank wouldn't go down easily, and while the shot had been devastating, someone of his level might have had just enough time to prepare.

"Go on," Max said.

Charles continued, "He proposed to make a deal with us. As long as we don't speak of his injuries and refrain from attacking him again, he'll stand by us in future dealings. A mutual non aggression pact, so to speak.

Should I accept, I told him I'd ask the one that attacked him before giving him an answer. "

Max tapped his fingers on the table, considering the proposition. "That works.

And I need you to Expand our channels and markets," Max said decisively. "Use this opportunity to solidify our position. And…" He glanced at the crystal on the table, its glow reflecting in his eyes.

"Keep an eye on Lyra's family. Their mine won't amount to much with their incompetence. Once they fail to produce results, move in and acquire it."

"Understood, but who's Lyra and what mine? ".

" I'd send you their details, also don't acquire that yourself, if the crystals prove useful, than I plan on mining it till there is nothing left, so someone should take the blame in the future. "

"No problem, I'd find a pawn to take the credit. "

Charles didn't have the slightest idea how to go about it, but his father should, and he would be more than happy to help since they were expanding their reach, which can literally save his life from old age, with access to markets and the invisible protection of a Powerhouse he might just be able to buy something that can help him live longer in the future.

Max ended the call and set the phone down. His gaze returned to the rainbow crystal.

'For now, there were other priorities.'

Charles's Perspective

The bustling streets of the trade city were alive with energy, but Charles Wood's focus was entirely on the task at hand.

He stood at the head of a large table in a lavish conference room, surrounded by influential figures from various sectors.

Contracts and proposals were scattered before them, each one representing another step towards progress.

"We'll be launching distribution in the eastern provinces by next quarter," Charles stated, his voice sharp and authoritative.

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"The resources are in place, and the new alliances ensure smooth operations."

Across the room, Jason, Charles's father, leaned back in his chair with a broad grin. Pride radiated from him, a glow that came not from personal achievement but from the success of his son.

His chest puffed with exhilaration, and he made no effort to hide his joy.

"Brilliant work, Charles," Jason said, his booming voice filling the room. "This is exactly the kind of progress I envisioned for the family."

But not everyone shared his enthusiasm.

Bruce, Charles's uncle, sat in a corner, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

His bitter expression contrasted sharply with Jason's elation. The rapid success of Charles 's operations grated at him, a reminder of his own comparative stagnation, what's worst is the fact that he won't receive the slightest benefit from the matter, because he knew his brother well enough and Charles was even worst than his father.

"Quite the spectacle," Bruce muttered under his breath, though no one paid him any mind.

Charles continued with unshaken focus. The absence of Larry and Amelia, two other family members often involved in the family's affairs, was noted but irrelevant. Their lack of contribution had become a pattern, and Charles didn't plan on wasting time on them.

The meeting wrapped up, and as the room cleared, Jason clapped Charles on the back, beaming. "You've done well, Charles."

Charles gave a curt nod. "It's only the beginning."

....

Back to Max.

Three days had passed since Max's encounter with the rainbow crystal and his brief foray into Lyra's family data.

That stone is useless for now, but Max didn't plan to give up on it, not after he scanned the pigeon and checked it's abilities, it only had two ; its innate that allowed it control that rainbow light, and one passive blue, that accumulated energy to be used in dire need, the same one that turned it into a bird of light.

Still, from the data at hand, Max could tell that the process of the pigeon gaining its powers would be impossible to repeat, so Max decided to completely ignore it until someone came up with some use for it, or maybe he becomes skilled enough to use it in forging or something... Up to the future.

...

The quiet of his mountain retreat was broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or the faint chirping of birds.

Max stood in a gardens Lucy made for the crows, gazing at Louh, one of his crows.

Louh's normally lively demeanor had faded over the past week. His body was gaunt, his ribs visible through his thin feathers. The crow hadn't eaten for seven days, a deliberate preparation for his evolution.

"It's time," Max murmured, his golden eyes narrowing as he turned toward his prized black bonsai.

The other crows and Lucy gathered nearby, their usual antics subdued as they watched. Even Lucy, typically brimming with mischief, stood silently, her gaze fixed on Louh.

"Lucy, I need you inside the mountain to watch for anything that might pop up, just in case."

'OK', responded Lucy as Max approached the bonsai, running a hand over its glossy black leaves.

He hesitated for a moment before snapping off a small branch. The wood was dense and dark, pulsating faintly with radiation.

"It'll grow back," he muttered, remembering his stock of emerald water.

The reason he used the branch from his tree, instead of simply buying a piece of wood resource, is because of its uniqueness, after all this specific evolution would change slightly with the type of wood used.

Walking back to Louh, Max crouched down and extended the branch.

The crow's tired eyes flickered with a faint glimmer of recognition as he pecked weakly at the wood.

After a moment of hesitation, Louh began to eat, Max helping him breaking the branch into small pieces until it was completely consumed.

Max reached into his space ring, pulling out his old Evergreen Robe.

...

Equipment name : Evergreen robe.

A flexible armor with E-rank defense capabilities.

Ability Evergreen : when the wearer's health reaches a critical level of less than 30%, an evergreen power wave will be triggered, healing the wearer back to full health.

Note 01 : this healing effect can even regenerate lost limbs, but not the heart muscle nor the brain.

Note : cooldown duration 2 weeks.

Overall Grade : D+

....

"This will hurt, Louh, But it's necessary. You'll be first to evolve."

Craw!

Max looped the robe's chain, the same ones he made around the crow's neck, securing it tightly.

Then, without hesitation, Max pulled a small, sharp dagger from his ring and plunged it into Louh's chest, aiming directly for his heart.

Louh let out a weak, pitiful caw as blood spilled onto the grass. The other crows flapped their wings anxiously, and Lucy's telekinetic powers circle of the area her nervousness apparent. But Max's sharp glance kept them all at bay.

The Evergreen Robe activated instantly. A soft, green glow enveloped Louh's body, its energy sinking into his feathers and flesh. The healing process began, but it wasn't just about mending wounds.

His body had literally zero nutrients, so his body started forcibly consuming the wood inside his stomach

the wood was broken consumed and drawn toward his damaged heart, where it fused with his tissues.

The healing power of the Evergreen Robe accelerated the process, reconstructing parts of Louh's heart and surrounding muscles using the wood, as it's properties started merging with Louh's very essence.

Max watched intently, his gaze never wavering. He could see the changes taking place beneath the crow's skin.

Black veins pulsed faintly as the wood's energy spread through Louh's body, integrating with his very being.

Minutes passed like hours. The green glow from the robe intensified, and then, as suddenly as it began, it faded.

Louh lay still for a moment before a shudder ran through his body.

Slowly, he rose to his feet, his movements shaky but purposeful.

His feathers, once black , now gleamed with an even darker sheen, almost as if they absorbed the light around them. He stood slightly taller, his form more imposing despite the subtlety of the change.

Max tilted his head, studying the crow. "Not what I expected."

According to the web, a wood crow's feathers were supposed to turn green, symbolizing their connection to nature. But Louh's transformation had deviated from the norm, this was obviously because he used a bunch the black bonsai.

Lucy appeared next to Max and tilted her head curiously, pointing at Louh and mimicking a question with her gestures.

Max shrugged. "Doesn't matter. He's stronger now."

Louh let out a low, throaty caw, his gaze fierce and unwavering. The other crows gathered around him, their earlier anxiety replaced by admiration.

Lucy clapped her hands, now that Louh is stronger, he can bully the pigeon more...

But the process wasn't over yet, it would take a few more minutes for Louh's body to adapt and awaken it's new abilities.

Louh closed his eyes, feeling his new body changing.

Max straightened, the changes within Louh, started happening to him next, through his talent.

The progress of passing skills and abilities were painful and while He could feel his new abilities, Max simply ignored them because of the pain that came with it.

......

Soon the process was over.

[Ding, your pet wood crow Louh has evolved, would you like to name it's new evolution?]

"No, just mark it as wood crow and show me his stats and details."

Name: Wood crow Louh.

Strength: F. (new limit D+)

Agility: F-. (new limit D++)

Vitality: E. (new limit B+)

Spirituality: F+. (new limit C++)

Overall evaluation: F+.

[Innate ability "Parasitic Bloom"] :

-proficiency: initiation.

Increase life span by 500 years.

Abilities & skills :

[Arborize] :

Grade : Green.

Proficiency: initiation.

Lock your Gaze on to a target turning it into wood.

Note 01 : if your gaze is interrupted before complete woodication then the transformation will not be permanent and will slowly reverse itself.

Note 02 : this ability can be resisted by the vitality and spirituality attribute.

Evolution Description: it allows the evolved creature to unnaturally extend their lifespan by exploiting the wood element. Instead of harmonizing with nature, it leeches vitality and life force from the surrounding environment, leaving plants, animals, and even people withered and lifeless. The evolved creature thrives by consuming life rather than contributing to the natural cycle, creating an aura of decay wherever they go.

"Wow! just wow!"

Max was simply amazed, the evolution was supposed to be D-rank with a very slight chance of it being C- in case the wood used was of top quality.

And the lifespan innate was supposed to only give 100 years as a starter with 10000 being the limit with a certain perfected effect.

But Louh's évolution was much more extraordinary, and the description hinted that Louh might awaken some other abilities with time.

"Thankfully I wasn't stingy, and used a branch from the Bonsai instead of buying one."

Louh Stats was currently low, even lower then previous but all it takes is one simulation to push them to maximum.

"alright guys, Louh has just evolved so he will be physically weak for a few days, so be careful while playing, and Louh your not allowed to turn your brother and sisters into wood even if they asked you to."

Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw!...

Ma ignored the noisy crowd and went to make a cup of coffee to enjoy while doing his Kraxtal weaving studies.