Chapter Fifteen: Evolution

Forgotten Maple and the others couldn’t make sense of why Valen was so strong.

They found it incomprehensible that anyone not of the Speed Path could achieve the breakneck speed Valen had displayed.

This was why, even though the question might sound inappropriate, Forgotten Maple still had to ask.

Valen nodded, not bothering to refute it. "You can say so. I evolved through more than one Evolution Path."

"So that’s the case." A look of realisation flashed past Forgotten Maple’s eyes. At the same time, he felt a trace of envy. Dual Evolution! They were talking about evolution through more than one Path!

Once Valen had made his preparations, he cleared his mind of all disturbances and began to wait patiently. As for admitting the truth that he possessed more than one Evolution Path, it wasn’t really a big deal.

Although uncommon, there had already been several precedents. Take, for example, Jerome—whom Valen had met back in the Energised Chamber. He had introduced himself as having the dual paths of Strength and Speed.

Coupled with the fact that he had already displayed such frightening speed, he would only draw unnecessary attention to himself by not admitting the truth.

Valen’s mind once again entered that domain of serene calmness as trophic travelled through his palm into his body, tempering it continuously.

He gradually burned through the purple coins in his possession, his face darkening when he realised he hadn’t reached Level 1 even after using more than 13 coins.

Gritting his teeth, he continued the absorption while praying that the purple coins in his possession were sufficient for him to level up.

The minor evolution attained at Level 1 could significantly boost his strength. Level 1 was a threshold every human must surmount in their quest for infinite evolution. It was also the most important.

Not only would the gaps between the different Paths be clearly shown, but every Evolver would also receive a qualitative transformation.

If he didn’t cross this threshold, Valen knew that his chances of survival in the beast haven would remain minuscule.

Just as anxiety gripped his heart after draining the energy of the 19th coin, Valen finally felt a shift within his body.

A stinging pain assaulted his eyes, causing him to close them. An aching sensation spread out from his ears, making him wince.

All parts of his body released waves of pain one at a time, causing him discomfort.

However, it vanished a second later, as though it had never been there.

When Valen opened his eyes, he felt as though an entirely new world had opened before him. He could clearly make out the battle in the distance—which was roughly 2.5 km away—as though he was standing right there.

’The standard sight of a Level 1 Evolver is 1 km, but Sight Path Evolvers have it doubled. Since I’m technically a Sight Path Evolver, it’s normal for me to have a visual range of 2 km. But why the extra 500 metres?’ Valen did a mental calculation, confusion rising within him.

For now, he decided to leave it be. Then, he focused on his hearing, which had undergone drastic changes. To his surprise, he could hear the breeze blowing from over 130 metres away, which wasn’t supposed to be possible for a Level 1 Sound Path Evolver.

His ears also picked up the tremors running through the ground. Before Level 1, he could only faintly hear them. Now, he could hear them very clearly.

The heartbeat and breathing rhythm of those around him were also picked up by his hearing, stunning him.

As for those a bit distant from him, their Silver Watches continuously emitted counter-frequencies that shredded outgoing sound waves before they fully formed, rendering his powerful hearing ineffective.

The only reason he could hear the heartbeat of those around him was because of their closeness. Otherwise, their Silver Watches would have hindered his hearing.

Aside from these changes, he also felt blood flow and breathing had become smoother and faster. He also felt the powerful strength contained within him and the lightness of his body.

’It’s like I can run over 120 metres per second, which is higher than a Speed Path Evolver of the same level. Amazing! Simply amazing!’ Valen thought to himself, taking in a breath of air.

Just as he prepared to stand up, he felt that something was wrong. Accompanying the changes in his body was an inexplicable hunger.

Yes, his body felt as though it hadn’t eaten for a year. As waves of hunger washed over him, he also noticed his heightened sensitivity and sharper senses, like smell and taste.

’What’s happening?’ Valen couldn’t make sense of anything going on around him.

He summoned his profile, but this time through his system lenses, as he didn’t want anyone to see it.

---

[Profile:

Name: Valen

Username: Night Star || HP: 150/200 (Until you eat a nutrient-rich delicacy, you’ll constantly lose 50 HP every 30 minutes)

Evolution Path: Twilight Gene (Updated)

Rank: 0 (Apprentice)

Level: 1.01% Energy Absorbed

Points: 986

Status: Normal]

---

Valen nearly cursed in rage after seeing the negative status next to his HP. He didn’t understand what was going on, but he knew he didn’t need to understand.

Once his HP ran out, nothing might happen to him, but it would trigger the life-saving barrier of his Silver Watch, meaning he would have to pay 10,000 points for nothing, and also have his Silver Watch destroyed.

If that happened, he would be in for a big loss. Although his Blood Path restored 1 HP per minute, in 30 minutes, he would only have 180 HP, whereas another 50 would be deducted.

This was only delaying the inevitable.

However, when he noticed the ’Updated’ beside his Evolution Path, he immediately checked it.

---

[Evolution Path: Twilight Gene]

[Description: You gain 2.5x the strength, 2.5x the speed, 2.5x the sight, and 2.5x of all other paths with every evolution and level-up.]

[Your body has developed a new branch of evolution, increasing your stats even more.] 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

[Matching with system database.]

[Branch has been identified]

[Evolution Branch: Beast Gene (lowest level, still in infancy)]

Description: Grants you sharper senses and enhanced reflexes.

Flaw: The body needs sufficient nutrients to keep up. Otherwise, you’ll suffer grievous consequences.

---

Valen finally understood why his sight, sound, and speed had far exceeded the norm. He also now knew the reason for his intense hunger.

’Turns out... my body discovered another branch of possible evolution, though it’s still in its infancy. But just how expansive is the system’s database?’

Valen grew excited the more he thought about it. At its infancy level, the Beast Branch had already increased its Twilight Gene’s efficacy by 0.5x.

What more could it achieve at the Basic Level? The Intermediate Level? Or even the Perfect Level? That would become an evolution unparalleled in human history. Excitement surged within Valen as he imagined what the future would be like.

’It’s just that this side effect is really taxing,’ he sighed internally.

Valen really wanted to ask the system just how many Evolution Paths existed in the universe. But he knew he couldn’t do that here. He wasn’t the only Sound Path Evolver present.

He could only suppress his hunger for now and stand up. Casting a glance at the distant battle 2.5 kilometres away, he gestured for his teammates to move.

They gradually advanced, readying their gear with determination on their faces.

"Remember, our goal is the Hero Sector. No need to recklessly engage the Amberfiends in a prolonged battle." Valen instructed once they got within 300 metres of the battle.

His teammates nodded with solemn expressions.

The other scattered parties—which had followed them to the Elite Sector—stood nearby, clutching their weapons tightly.

Valen hesitated for a moment before turning to face them. His gaze carried calm confidence as he said, "For now, let’s put away doubts and cooperate as one. Only then can we increase our chances of barging into the Hero Sector. Otherwise, we might just die here.

Valen’s party members also glanced at the scattered parties, waiting for their response.

Hesitation was clear in their postures as they stared at one another warily. Seconds ticked by with no one stepping forward to agree.

This made Valen feel conflicted. He didn’t want to attack any innocents, but he couldn’t just allow them to stay behind him all the time, as no one knew what they might do.

He was currently suffering a weakened state due to the immense hunger raging within him. He couldn’t let uncontrollable elements influence his later battle against the Amberfiends.

Just as his internal turmoil deepened and he didn’t know what to do, a casual voice sounded from the crowd of Evolvers.

"Forget greed, seek compassion. All for the betterment of humanity. Do not worry, my friend. I, Edgar Lugard, agree to your terms of cooperation."

The crowd parted to reveal a young man clad in a purple Power Suit. A purple helmet covered his head, with a visor as dark as night shielding his face. Two pistols were strapped to his waist, and he held two others in each hand.

Although Valen couldn’t see his face behind the visor, he felt like the young man was smiling.

An odd expression appeared on his face, as he was certain he hadn’t seen a young man in a suit when they crossed into the Elite Sector.

But on deeper thought, perhaps he had just put it on. After all, wearing a Power Suit was instantaneous.

Valen nodded and responded to the young man, "Alright, in a minute we’ll charge forward. The Evolvers ahead won’t be able to hold on for much longer."

"Party leader, please wait." Just as Valen stood up and was about to dash toward the battlefield, Abandoned Protocol called out.

Casting her an inquisitive look, Valen saw her returning the five red arrows she had initially retrieved from her quiver and taking out a wrapped object instead.

After unwrapping it, a green-coloured sniper came into view.

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A/N: Sorry for the late update. The network is really bad at my area. Anyways, 1 Chapter out, 3 more to go. Please vote with powerstones, so I’ll know I have readers. It feels like I’m the only one here and it’s so demotivating.