The air in the secluded grove was different now, thicker, charged with something raw and untamed. The plants still trembled from the aftershock of Evolis' breakthrough, their leaves whispering in response to the residual Etherion that still radiated from him. The world around them hadn't yet settled, as if nature itself recognized that something had changed.
Evolis stood in the center of it all, golden eyes gleaming, the light within them sharper than before. His body hummed with energy, his breath steady, controlled. Too controlled. His Etherion coursed through his new Tri-Core system like a perfectly refined storm, but beneath the surface, he could feel it—an unfamiliar power, still unstable, still needing to be tempered.
Evolis exhaled, settling into his meditation as the lingering energy from his breakthrough pulsed through his body. His Tri-Core System hummed inside his dantian, a perfect trinity of power, yet… something was missing.
It was balanced, efficient, but it wasn't fully connected to him.
His elements, Gravity, Space, and Plantae, were his greatest weapons, yet they remained separate, existing alongside his cores instead of being one with them.
That needed to change.
He focused inward, diving into his inner world.
Before him, inside his dantian space, three distinct cores floated in perfect triangular formation, pulsating with untamed Etherion. He could feel their immense power, but they lacked alignment with his affinities.
"If I can tie my elements to my cores…"
The thought sent a thrill through him. If he succeeded, it would mean greater control, faster casting speeds, and a natural attunement between his Etherion and his abilities.
He started with the Gravity Element.
He reached out with his consciousness, guiding the dense, black-gold energy, feeling the overwhelming weight it carried. It was raw, unrestricted force. If he wasn't careful, he could easily crush himself under his own energy.
'Gravity is pressure. It's force, it's pull, it's the authority over weight itself.'
He let the thought sink into him. Slowly, he pulled at his Gravity Affinity, willing it to merge.
It was insanely difficult, as it seemed to resist what he was trying to do. Sweat matted his forehead as he used his mental energy in such a taxing way.
He took a deep breath as he re-centered himself and tried again, but it just didn't seem to be working.
A frown appeared on his face as he thought he might be using the wrong approach.
So instead he tried to gently guide the energy instead of trying to control it, and that seemed to work as the energy started responding and moving towards his core.
The moment they touched—
BOOM.
A pulse of crushing force erupted through his dantian, nearly shattering his meditation. His breath hitched as his entire body felt heavier, the sheer density of his own Etherion pressing against him.
But he didn't stop.
He held firm, guiding the chaotic force, weaving the essence of Gravity into his core rather than forcing it on top of it.
The energy caused his skin to crack, which healed straight after. His bones creaked, his blood vessels ruptured, blood started to drip into his eyes, as he struggled to finish the process.
He was at the final step, but this final step was more difficult than the whole process combined. It seemed like he was at an uncrossable chasm.
'I'll be damned if I let all that effort be wasted.' Slowly a tyrannical and oppressive will emerged from the depths of his soul, forcing his Gravity energy to obey.
Gradually… the resistance faded.
His Gravity energy changed, the once chaotic mass of energy settled into something more refined, more attuned to him.
He tested it. A thought—the air around him bent.
His control had sharpened.
Next was the Spatial Core.
It was unlike Gravity. While his Gravity Core had been dense, this one was formless, fluid, and elusive. It wasn't something he could grip—it was something he had to understand.
"Space isn't forced. It's bent. It's manipulated."
He focused, reaching out with his Spatial Affinity, willing it to merge with his core.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
The world shifted.
His very sense of position blurred, his body feeling as though it was existing in multiple places at once. A splitting headache tore through his mind as the Spatial Core rejected him—distorting instead of merging.
Evolis gritted his teeth. No. He wasn't letting go.
"Not by force. By flow."
He let go of his instinct to control. Instead, he let the energy settle naturally, coaxing his Spatial Affinity into his core rather than demanding it obey.
The moment he surrendered—it clicked.
His Spatial Core shifted, its once unstable, fluid state harmonizing, becoming something more responsive.
A thought—space wavered subtly around him.
His control had evolved.
Finally, the Plantae Core.
Unlike the others, this core felt alive, pulsing with an instinctive energy that didn't resist—it welcomed him.
"Healing. Siphoning. Growth itself."
He reached out, and the moment his Plantae Affinity touched the core—
It merged effortlessly.
There was no explosion, no resistance, just an immediate acceptance, a natural connection. His Plantae Core flourished, expanding slightly, filling his body with a newfound vitality.
Evolis exhaled.
His Tri-Core System was no longer just a structure—it was a part of him.
Three elements. Three cores. Three sources of power.
They didn't just co-exist anymore.
They were one.
[Congratulations! You have achieved something great!]
Evolis ignored the messages he was receiving for now.
He clenched his fist—
And the world responded.
The gravity around him subtly warped at his mere thought. The space in front of him distorted ever so slightly. The plants in the grove leaned toward him, attuned to his presence.
This… was it.
He opened his golden eyes, a slow smirk forming.
Across from him, Orion sat with his arms crossed, looking absolutely livid.
"Two and a half hours," he muttered under his breath as he pointed his shaking finger towards Evolis.
Evolis smirked. "What was that? Speak up, grandson."
Orion's face darkened. "You little—"
Evolis, enjoying the moment as much as he could, interrupted him, "Now that's no way to speak to your grandfather is it? Come pay your respects you unfilial grandchild."
He had such a righteous look on his face that if anyone looked at the two right now, they would look at Orion in disdain for not paying respects to his grandfather.
Orion couldn't take it anymore and coughed out a mouthful of blood, and passed out.
Evolis ignored him, and checked his status now that he had ranked up.
Name: Evolis Aetherion
Age: 18
Race: ???
Attributes:
Strength: 223 → 293
Agility: 230 → 301
Endurance: 235 → 307
Vitality: 234 → 304
Intelligence: 196 → 290
Charm: 243 → 310
Etherion Core Level: 83 → 100
Stage: Early Advanced
Talent: SSS
Bloodline(s): Locked
Affinities:
Greater Gravity (Stage 7)
Greater Space (Stage 7)
Unique Plantae (Stage 7)
Time (99% unlocked)
Fire (93% unlocked)
Earth (95% unlocked)
Water (94% unlocked)
Wind (96% unlocked)
Abilities:
Innate Skills:
The Seer's Gaze [Grade: Stage 1] [Evolvable]
This mystical ability unveils hidden truths and dispels illusions. With a mere glance, your gaze can pierce through disguises, revealing an individual's true race, cultivation level, and even the intricacies of their skills. Your eyes allow you to break down the most complex intricacies of things down to their basic components, aiding you in understanding anything unknown.
Future Sight: Allows the user, to see 1 seconds into the future. Will automatically activate when the user detects that he's in danger. At Stage 2 can start to see fragmented timelines of the future.
Body of the !O# %F @$%pt$b$%#@y %$& G#$wt% [Grade: Stage 1] [Evolvable]
Adaptive Assimilation: After being hit with an enemy's ability, your body can begin to learn it and incorporate aspects of that ability.
Chameleon's Veil: Your body adapts to environmental conditions, granting temporary camouflage or resistance to specific effects. As well as allowing you to show only what you want your enemies to see.
Advanced Regeneration: Your body's regeneration is quadrupled and is able to regenerate limbs.
Evolis was really... really excited to test out his power.
Evolis shifted his gaze, the teasing smirk lingering on his lips as he turned his attention toward Aeliana. Orion's dramatic reaction had been amusing, but now—this was something else entirely.
Aeliana sat cross-legged in absolute stillness, her expression serene yet focused. But beneath that calm exterior, her Etherion was raging.
The air around her was shifting—unstable yet controlled.
The natural energy in the grove gravitated toward her, streams of silver wind-like Etherion twisting into a vortex, pulling from the very essence of the realm. The way it coiled around her was mesmerizing, as if the elements themselves acknowledged her presence.
She's already drawing from the world naturally.
He could feel it with his Divine Sense—her core was changing.
Unlike his, which had forcefully pushed past every possible limit, hers was following the natural path of cultivation. She wasn't breaking barriers—she was flowing through them effortlessly.
Evolis hummed. "She makes it look easy."
His golden eyes flickered as he honed in, watching every intricate detail of her transformation.
Her Etherion Core trembled within her dantian. Unlike before, where it had been a single sphere of stored energy, it was now splitting—gradually, seamlessly.
Crack.
A fissure formed.
Unlike his own violent struggle, Aeliana's was smooth—her affinity with Etherion was too natural, too refined. It was as if her body already knew what to do.
The single core fractured further—and then there were two.
The moment the process completed, a wave of Etherion pulsed outward.
Her Wind Affinity exploded to life.
A sudden gust swept through the grove, bending trees, rustling leaves, sending dust scattering through the air. The very atmosphere seemed to shift in recognition of her breakthrough.
Her silver Etherion coursed through her expanded pathways, flowing at twice the speed as before. Evolis could tell—her control had sharpened significantly.
More than that, though—there was something different.
His gaze sharpened.
That silver Etherion…
The strange mystical aura she carried, the one she had never quite understood, had now fully awakened.
And she felt it too.
Aeliana's breathing hitched slightly as the realization sank in. She clenched her fists, the newfound power thrumming beneath her fingertips.
Her instincts had expanded.
She could feel the world more intimately, more naturally.
It wasn't just an increase in power—it was an expansion of her very being.
The Wind no longer felt like an ability she had to control—it simply was.
The Silver Etherion, however, was something else entirely.
It pulsed, reacting not to her conscious will, but to something deeper.
She could feel it.
Evolis could see it.
'Moonlight affinity.' The name came to her almost instinctively. She had finally realised what this mysterious power was.
Aeliana's silver eyes snapped open.
A flash of power surged through them, the faintest glow of silver lingering in her irises.
She exhaled, her breath steady, her presence heavier than before.
Not physically, not like his Gravity Affinity—but in presence alone, she carried more weight.
She turned towards where Evolis was seated with a smug grin, clearly excited to gloat about it to him, when she froze.
"Of course you finished before me, I don't even know why I'm surprised." She just shook her head.
But then as if sensing something was off she looked at him again, "Hm?" Then her mouth feel open in shock.
"Y-you, what's wrong with your core!?" She pointed at him with a trembling finger.
This idiot kept doing things no one should be capable of. "Sigh." At this point, was there really any point in acting like she hadn't expected it?
Still… she couldn't deny it. The sight of him, standing there, having shattered yet another known limit…
It was frustrating.
And yet…
It was incredibly attractive.
Evolis tilted his head with a teasing smile, "Hm? What do you mean?" Feigning ignorance.
"Maybe you should check if everything's fine with my body." With a palm on his forehead as if he was a sick patient who needed a doctor, he stepped towards Aeliana, and placed her hand on his chest.
"See? Healthy as can be."
Aeliana blushed and tried to pull her hand away, but Evolis didn't allow her and pulled her closer, placing her in his arms.
"Shouldn't I get a reward for being so incredible." Evolis said with a teasing smile.
"W-What do you mean?" Aeliana was flustered. Every time he did something like this she would always lose all her composure, and be left like a blabbering fool.
And yet... she didn't hate this feeling.
Evolis held Aeliana firmly against him, watching the way her silver eyes flickered—half with defiance, half with something she wasn't quite ready to admit. Her breath was unsteady, her pulse quick beneath his fingers.
She was flustered, but she wasn't pulling away.
That told him everything he needed to know.
He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "You're blushing again."
Aeliana's eyes widened just a fraction before narrowing. "I am not."
His smirk deepened. "You are."
She tried to step back, but his grip on her waist tightened just enough to keep her there. "L-let go."
"Not until I get my reward," he said, his tone teasing, but there was something else beneath it—something deeper, something that made the space between them feel impossibly small.
Aeliana swallowed hard. She hated that he did this to her. That he had this stupid ability to make her heart race like she was some inexperienced girl.
And she hated even more that she didn't want him to stop.
"You're unbearable," she muttered, trying to will away the heat rising up her neck.
Evolis hummed, brushing a thumb over her wrist. "And yet, you're still here."
Aeliana opened her mouth to retort, but he was already leaning in—slow, deliberate. His golden eyes flicked down to her lips, then back up, searching, waiting.
He wasn't forcing her.
But he wasn't stopping either.
Her heart thundered against her ribs.
Screw it.
With a sharp inhale, Aeliana grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him down.
Their lips crashed together—messy, impatient, perfect.
Evolis stiffened for half a second before a quiet growl rumbled in his chest, and then he was kissing her back, his grip tightening, pulling her closer.
Aeliana barely had time to process anything beyond the butterflies flying in her stomach, beyond the way his hands moved instinctively, one pressing against the small of her back, the other tangling in her hair.
She should stop.
She should—
"Oh for fuck's sake—"
The irritated groan shattered the moment like a lightning strike.
Evolis and Aeliana quickly separated, both turning sharply toward the source of the interruption.
Orion stood there, arms crossed, looking absolutely done.
"You lovebirds can find a better time and place," he grumbled, rolling his shoulders. "I've been waiting for this fight, and unless you plan on smooching your way out of it, you'd better get ready, Evolis."
Evolis wiped his thumb over his lower lip, still smirking.
He turned back to Aeliana, who looked like she wanted to murder Orion on the spot.
"Looks like our moment's over," he murmured, voice low, just for her.
Aeliana rolled her eyes.
Orion stretched his arms, cracking his neck. "Come on, Golden Eyes. Time to see what you can do after just breaking through."
Orion looked up as he noticed Evolis hadn't moved. In fact Evolis looked at him as if he was expecting something.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Evolis smirked.
Black lines appeared on Orions face. He could feel a mouthful of blood rushing up his throat as he cursed Evolis and his previous 18 generations.
"G-grandfather." He said in the softest voice possible.
Evolis' smirk widened, "Hm? I couldn't quite catch that. Could you maybe repeat what you said?"
Orion was close to just throttling this brat here and now.
"Grandfather."
"Mhm, I nearly thought I had an unfilial grandchild for a second"
"..." Orion didn't say anything and just moved to an open clearing. But the way his veins were popping on his forehead, anyone could see that he was extremely indignant. "Let's go"
Evolis nodded with a satisfied smile on his face. He had finally managed to shut Orion's annoying mouth.
Aeliana sighed, but she didn't object.
Because in truth… Evolis needed this.
No matter how impressive his breakthrough was, raw power meant nothing if he couldn't control it.
And Orion?
He wasn't just pissed about losing a bet.
He was a Master Stage cultivator, someone who had refined his abilities over years of battle. If Evolis thought he could just walk into his new power and be perfect right away, Orion was going to prove him wrong.
Evolis smirked, stepping forward. "Alright then. Show me what you got."
The clearing stretched before them, bathed in the ethereal glow of the bioluminescent vines that wrapped around the towering trees. The air was thick with tension, charged with residual Etherion from their breakthroughs. The ground beneath them, soft and rich with energy, pulsed faintly in response to the two combatants standing at its center.
Evolis flexed his fingers, feeling the way his new power flowed through his Tri-Core System. He had already taken the first step in aligning his affinities to his cores, but that didn't mean he had control. He knew that better than anyone.
Across from him, Orion stood loose and relaxed, rolling his shoulders. Despite his easy-going stance, there was a dangerous gleam in his eyes, a predator sizing up his prey.
"You ready, old man?" Evolis smirked, shifting his stance.
Orion scoffed. "Oh, I've been ready."
Then he vanished.
BOOM.
Pain exploded through Evolis' ribs before he could even react.
He felt a mouthful of blood coming up his throat, but he swallowed it before it could escape.
Orion wasn't holding back today.
His body twisted from the impact, his feet barely skidding against the dirt before—
CRACK.
A brutal kick slammed into his stomach, sending him airborne.
Concentric circles exploded out from his back as he shot upwards, he could barely even catch his breath.
His mind screamed at him to react, but his body was too slow. His Etherion flared, trying to stabilize himself—
THWACK.
A fist hammered into his back mid-air, he could feel his bones fracturing from the impact alone, sending him crashing face-first into the ground.
A massive shockwave spread out from the ground, as dirt exploded in every direction.
The world spun as Evolis struggled to his feet from the crater, his breath ragged, vision momentarily blurred. Orion stood a few feet away, grinning.
"That all you got?" Orion taunted, shaking out his fist.
Evolis gritted his teeth.
He had known Orion was fast. But this? This was ridiculous.
'He's too fast. I can't even see him move.'
His golden eyes flickered, his Divine Sense stretching outward, but it wasn't enough. Orion's raw speed was too overwhelming.
Aeliana, watching from the sidelines, exhaled sharply. "Tch. This is worse than I thought."
Evolis had all the power.
But Orion had all the experience.
And right now? Experience was winning.
BOOM.
Another hit. This time to his shoulder.
BOOM.
Another strike, his ribs aching under the impact.
Evolis barely got his arms up to block the next attack, but Orion didn't stop.
A blur of movement—Evolis felt his entire body lift off the ground as Orion's next strike sent him tumbling through the dirt.
He landed hard, coughing up dust.
'Damn it.'
He could feel it—his power wasn't responding fast enough. His body was out of sync.
But then—
Just as Orion blurred forward again, Evolis felt something shift.
His Divine Sense caught his movement—just for a fraction of a second.
And in that split moment—
He sensed it.
Orion's energy spiked behind him.
Evolis moved.
He didn't think. Didn't hesitate.
His sword materialized from his dimensional storage in a single smooth motion—
CLANG.
Metal met flesh as Evolis blocked Orion's attack without turning around.
Orion's eyes widened.
Evolis smirked.
The air stilled.
"Caught you," Evolis murmured.
Then—
BOOM.
Orion disappeared again, his body moving so fast that it was leaving after-images, and Evolis had precisely one second to realize he'd just made a huge mistake.
CRACK.
Evolis barely got his sword up in time to block Orion's next strike, but the force sent him skidding backward.
Orion was on him again instantly.
For every strike Evolis blocked, three landed.
For every inch he gained, Orion took a mile.
Evolis' body screamed with every strike Orion landed.
Pain—sharp, burning, all-consuming—ripped through his muscles, his bones fracturing under the sheer force of Orion's strikes.
But something was different now.
Evolis wasn't just getting beaten.
He was adapting.
His body was rapidly healing the injuries it was accumulating.
Each hit, each impact, he was learning.
His movements were sharper, faster.
With every impact, Evolis' Gravity Core pulsed, responding instinctively to the damage.
At first, it was subtle.
A minor adjustment here. A shift in weight there.
But as Orion's onslaught continued, the changes became drastic.
WHAM.
A direct hit to his ribs. The force should've sent him tumbling—
Instead—
His Gravity Core activated.
A surge of controlled density manipulation anchored him to the ground. His feet dug in, his balance corrected instantly, absorbing the force rather than letting it send him flying.
THWACK.
Another strike—this time a brutal elbow to the chest.
Rather than taking the full brunt of the hit, his Gravity Core redirected the force, spreading it evenly throughout his body instead of concentrating it in one place.
The result?
Less pain. More control.
Orion noticed the shift immediately.
His eyes narrowed as he began increasing the power of his attacks.
His attacks weren't just brutal. They were fast.
At first, Evolis was barely perceiving them, his body a step behind, reacting on pure instinct rather than skill.
But then he activated his Spatial Core core as well, the gap started to close.
WHOOOSH.
Orion disappeared, barely evading Evolis' perception
But with the combination of his Spatial Affinity and Divine Sense, he was starting to track Orion's movements.
For just a split second, he could see it.
The distortion in space. The ripple in the Etherion around him.
And when Orion appeared—
Evolis was already moving.
He blinked a couple inches to his left, it wasn't a lot, but it was enough to make all the difference in a fight like this.
He raised his sword and attacked Orion with a diagonal slash, which Orion barely side-stepped.
Orion immediately counterattacked, his fist appearing inches away from Evolis face as he shifted his head.
It wasn't perfect. Not yet.
But instead of barely dodging, instead of being a step behind—
His dodges became cleaner.
He wasn't just avoiding the attacks.
He was positioning himself for counterattacks.
Orion clicked his tongue as one of his punches whiffed completely.
"Okay," he muttered. "That's annoying too."
But what Orion didn't know was that Evolis had another card up his sleeve.
His body should have been breaking down by now. Even with his adaption, he was beginning to feel the strain.
His body should have been on the verge of collapse.
But his Plantae Core pulsed.
And something changed.
With every hit Orion landed, Evolis wasn't just enduring the pain—
He was absorbing the energy.
Every impact sent Etherion crashing through his system, and his Plantae Affinity did what it did best.
It assimilated.
Converted.
Rebuilt.
A cracked rib? The core fed off the energy from the attack, accelerating the healing instantly.
A split lip? The blood clotted before it could even drip down his chin.
A deep bruise forming on his shoulder? The moment Orion struck again, the impact itself fueled the regeneration.
Evolis was getting stronger mid-fight.
His body was adapting, thriving on the pain.
It wasn't just survival.
It was a complete reversal of damage.
Orion's eyes narrowed as he stepped back for a brief moment.
His fists were still bruising Evolis' body—but for the first time, he noticed—
The damage wasn't sticking.
"…Okay," Orion exhaled. "What the hell is going on?"
Evolis grinned, rolling his shoulders.
He could feel it now.
The refinement. The adaptation.
His Gravity Core made him an unmovable force.
His Spatial Core made him a ghost on the battlefield.
His Plantae Core turned pain into power.
And for the first time—
He wasn't just surviving Orion's assault.
He was thriving in it.
Aeliana watched with keen eyes, a slow smirk forming.
"There it is."
She could see it now.
Evolis had caught up.
Orion launched forward again—fast, relentless.
But this time—
Evolis was ready.
His finger subtly tapped in the direction of Orion.
SWOOSH.
A gravitational shift sent Orion's footing off just slightly—
Evolis took advantage.
His sword flashed.
Orion barely managed to dodge, but—
THWACK.
Evolis twisted mid-motion, his elbow slamming into Orion's ribs, barely even managing to push him backwards.
Orion grinned. "Not bad, kid."
Then he kicked Evolis in the stomach.
Evolis wheezed, but his feet didn't leave the ground.
Not this time.
His Gravity Core stabilized him.
His sword flickered—
SLASH.
A Spatial Distortion enhanced the speed of his strike—forcing Orion to actually dodge.
A second clean hit.
Orion skidded back, exhaling sharply.
He cracked his neck. "Alright. Now you're getting somewhere."
Evolis grinned. "Took me a minute."
Orion smirked. "Still gonna lose, though."
Evolis twirled his sword once, his golden eyes sharp.
"Try me."
Aeliana crossed her arms, watching the two.
"Finally," she muttered.
They had just warmed up.
Now?
Now it was time for the real fight.
---
Authors' Note:
Extra long chapter today guys because i won't be able to post tomorrow and possibly the day after, so enjoy!