It was a quiet afternoon when the guards from the Baron's castle arrived at the orphanage. Lady Emma had been tending to the children, as usual, when she spotted the armored men approaching the gates. Their arrival was unexpected, and the children, including Raven, gathered around curiously. The insignia of the Baron's house gleamed proudly on their armor as they dismounted their horses.
The lead guard, a tall man with a stern face and gray streaks in his hair, bowed slightly in Lady Emma's direction. "We've come to thank you on behalf of the Baron, Lady Emma," he said in a deep voice. "Your report about the unusual activity in the forest was invaluable. It has allowed us to act swiftly."
Lady Emma, surprised by their formal tone, stepped forward. "I only did what was necessary. It was... unusual to say the least, seeing so many wild beasts acting that way."
The guard nodded gravely. "Indeed. After receiving your report, the Baron ordered a full investigation of the area. What we found confirmed that the beasts were fleeing from something far more dangerous."
The children, especially Raven, listened closely. The guard's words sent a ripple of curiosity and unease through the small crowd.
"What did you find?" Lady Emma asked, her voice laced with concern.
The guard hesitated for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "We discovered a disturbance deep within the forest, a massive cave that had collapsed in on itself. From what we could gather, it was a den—likely of a very powerful mana beast, far stronger than any we've seen before. We believe the collapse may have disturbed the natural order, causing the other beasts to flee in panic."
A murmur spread among the children, but Raven's mind was elsewhere. His thoughts raced, piecing together the events of the picnic with this new information. A mana beast stronger than the others... he mused. That must be what scared them.
Lady Emma nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you for informing us. Is there still a danger?"
"We've secured the area for now," the guard reassured her. "But we'll continue monitoring it. If anything changes, you'll be the first to know."
After exchanging a few more words, the guards departed, leaving a sense of unease in their wake. The children eventually scattered, going back to their daily activities, but Raven's thoughts lingered on what he had heard.
---
Later that night, Raven lay awake in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. His body still ached from the injuries he had been inflicting on himself, and the dull pain in his arm was a constant reminder of his recent experiences. He thought back to his plan—the one where he would force his body to heal over and over, pushing it to evolve just like his other abilities.
He flexed his arm, feeling the slow but steady progress of his recovery. It was working, just as he'd hoped. The Ancient Celestial Evolution System was adapting.
Suddenly, a familiar notification appeared in his mind.
---
System Notification:
Your body has undergone numerous healing processes.
Healing ability has evolved from natural recovery to Accelerated Healing (E Rank).
---
A grin spread across Raven's face. It worked.
His theory had been correct. By constantly forcing his body to recover from injury, he had triggered the system to evolve his healing ability. Now, his wounds would heal faster, allowing him to recover more quickly from battles and injuries.
"This is just the beginning," he whispered to himself, filled with renewed determination. "With this, I'll be able to push myself even harder."
Then he realized something wasn't he supposed to get the ability at f rank at the start it was clearly E rank.
He asked the system.