Located in the heart of Kegali's vast forest, across the Kanundra Hell's Gate, on the eastern edge of the infamous Red Island. The sun was setting slowly, making the lively place much calmer. The sound of nearby creatures could be heard as they gathered to take shelter once the darkness fell.
The gentle flow of the river and the afternoon song of birds created soothing music that echoed throughout the area. Another day of survival had come to an end.
Eon flew through the air. He was making a slow and silent circular motion to land on the ground. Despite his large size, his wide wings could easily carry his weight due to his high strength stat count.
[Deceitful Shapeshifter has been activated.]
Eon's body shrank instantly from the massive body of a Lesser Bildabear to a small, seemingly harmless white Slug. He entered his house and, once inside, shifted his gaze to the two status boards that were floating in front of him.
He was about to make another decision about his evolution path. There were three options, just like the last time, but this time the skill he would receive was a damaging active skill.
***
Arcryonide Novice Barbarian.
Race Description:
[The Arcryonide species with unrivaled battlefield dominance thanks to their ferocious and unpredictable fighting style. They are not the best at protecting their allies, but they excel at eliminating the most dangerous threats on every battlefield while withstanding every attack. They can rush toward their target as an unstoppable force that no one can stop, wreaking havoc wherever their feet step. The Berserker class's path. They are erratic, destructive, and wild.]
Skill: [Barbaric Rush.]
***
Arcryonide Novice Defender.
Race Description:
[The Arcryonide species that specializes in protecting allies and surviving even the most destructive attack that no other species can withstand. They are the main defense of every battle, as they have exceptional survivability in exchange for lower damage output. Although this species can become the best defensive unit, they cannot win a battle on their own because they lack the necessary damage to fight effectively. The longer they fight, the tougher they become, and the less damage they inflict. Guardian Class's path. They are tough, tenacious, and dependable.]
Skill: [Defender's Smash.]
***
Arcryonide Novice Warrior.
Race Description:
[The Arcryonide species that is the champion of righteousness. The God's servant, the protector of the weak, and the embodiment of justice. They are not as defensive as the Defender or as destructive as the Barbarian, but they can survive on the battlefield well while supporting their allies and annihilating any enemy who gets in their way. A class that strikes a balance by being a generalist rather than a specialist. The Paladin Class's path. They are magnificent, adaptable, and righteous.]
Skill: [Frost Wave Slash.]
***
Eon growled, darting his gaze between the three options in front of him. There was no wrong choice; it was simply a matter of which battle style best suited Eon. There were three classes to choose from: the wild and destructive Barbarian, the extremely defensive Defender, and the generalist Warrior. Eon paused for a few moments before deciding on the next evolution that he preferred more. It was a difficult decision because each of the options seemed promising to him.
Then he growled again and used his eyes to select the next evolution he had finally decided on. Eon moved to the corner of his chamber as soon as the evolution board vanished. He stood there watching as his entire body melted and put him to sleep. He was already asleep and in the process of evolving after a few seconds.
[Initiating the evolutionary process.]
Eon's evolution took nearly five days, which was longer than his previous evolutions. He slept as the sun set, and when he awoke on the fifth day, it was already morning.
Eon's crystal ball form flickered as the birds sang outside. Despite his evolution, he did not change in appearance—and he would remain that way.
[The evolution process is complete.]
[You have been awarded one defense point.]
[You have increased your Strength stat by nine.]
[Deceitful Shapeshifter has been activated.]
Eon transformed into his Slug form and wandered his eyes around the area before returning to his body. He growled, his eyes darting away from the sunlight streaming through the holes in his chamber. He crept a few centimeters toward the center of his room before focusing his gaze on the status board floating in the air.
Eon progressed to a higher species. This time, he received an extraordinary damaging skill to add to his already impressive arsenal of damaging skills.
RACE: Arcryonide Novice Barbarian [Level: 30/40] [Exp. Points: 4.6/25].
HP: 570/570
MP: 300/300
Top Speed: 60 km/h
Defense: 3
[STATS.]
Strength: 57
Agility: 30
Intelligence: 30
[DAMAGING ACTIVE SKILLS.]
Lethal Augmentation [MP Cost: 20] [Level: 20/20].
Icy Touch [MP Cost: 20] [Level: 20/20].
Barbaric Rush [MP Cost: 1] [Level: 1/20].
[NON-DAMAGING ACTIVE SKILLS.]
Deceitful Shapeshifter [MP Cost: 1]
Ice Armor [MP Cost: 20] [Level: 20/20].
[Imitation] Vanguard [MP Cost: 40] [Level: 20/20].
[PASSIVE SKILLS.]
World Conqueror's Perception.
[Lesser] MP Regeneration.
[Lesser] HP Regeneration.
[Lesser] Mana Absorb.
SKILL POINTS AVAILABLE: 3
[Mana Absorb.]
[Regenerate MP equal to 15% of the maximum MP of the eliminated unit. This skill will be upgraded when the user reaches level 80.]
Eon gained far superior MP regeneration, which rewarded him by killing units. The higher the MP of the eliminated unit, the greater the MP gain. This skill would greatly increase Eon's chances of victory even against a group of powerful monsters without having to worry about losing MP or relying too heavily on leveling up to replenish his MP.
Unlike MP Regeneration, which regenerated his MP in and out of battle every hour, this skill was only useful in battle.
Eon's gaze was drawn to his newly acquired damaging skill, which he had chosen from the three options.
[Barbaric Rush.]
[Rush toward the target at the user's flight top speed and strike with a ferocious attack that deals 155% (+55% per level) of the user's strength stat. This skill can lock on to a target 1 meter (+1 per level) away. The user is immune to any form of crowd control while on its way to its target. This skill cannot be stopped externally as long as the user has not stopped it and will chase the target even if they use blink, invisibility, or complete concealment. If this skill last hits a unit, crowd control immunity is extended for 10 seconds or until this skill is used again.]
A skill that greatly enhanced his first two skills. The Barbaric Rush had provided Eon with an excellent opportunity for another excellent skill combo. A skill that guaranteed a hit no matter how difficult it was to approach his target—and a single touch was all Eon needed for a kill. He would no longer have to struggle to catch up to his target while being bombarded with attacks and being crowd controlled, which was the source of his difficulty in fighting back in the Sentrowl nest.
[Barbaric Rush has received three skill points.]
[The damage output and range of Barbaric Rush have increased from level 1 (155% of strength stat) (1 meter) to level 4 (320%) (4 meters).]
Eon crept out of his house.
[Deceitful Shapeshifter has been activated.]
Eon spread his enormous wings, which were attached to the white Lesser Bildabear's back. He raised his nose and directed his gaze toward the river. He detected the odor of Gerolak Tadpoles swimming in there. The Warden was nowhere to be found, and the Kanundra Hell's Gate was already closed.
The Hell's Gates cycle had begun again... Another war would soon erupt between the river dwellers and the Peasant evolution line.
Eon growled, turned his gaze away from the river, and waved his wings, this time in the direction of the south.
It was time for Eon to continue his hunt.