The world had already changed beyond recognition. The Undead had risen from the underworld. The gods now resided in a realm of their own. The sea had transformed, bringing with it horrors beyond imagination. The stars had been reborn, casting treasures upon Gaia. Dragons, once mighty but dormant, had awakened. And the spirits of the elements now danced in their own domain.
But the final fragment was different from the others. It was not tied to land, sky, sea, or even the gods.
It was pure magic.
A fragment that did not belong to any one force but instead to the very essence of existence itself.
As it descended, the world froze.
For a brief moment, everything—the wind, the oceans, the beasts, the flames, even time itself—stilled.
Then, like a heart beating once more after stopping, the world shuddered.
And then it changed.
A Surge of Evolution
The fragment did not create something new like the other fragments. Instead, it boosted what already existed, elevating every living thing to something greater.
Humans, once frail compared to the divine and monstrous beings that roamed the world, began to change.
Some were blessed with strength, their bodies becoming stronger, faster, more durable, no longer just mortals bound by weakness. They could now run as fast as horses, their muscles honed to perfection. Some could crush boulders with their bare hands, while others found their lifespans growing longer.
Some were blessed with intellect, their minds expanding beyond mortal limits. They began to understand magic on a level unseen before, casting spells that once took years to learn with just a flick of their fingers. They could see beyond what was normal, perceive energies, and even touch the flow of magic itself.
Some were blessed with adaptation, their bodies mutating in ways that defied logic. Some grew beast-like traits—horns, tails, claws—remnants of ancient bloodlines surfacing once more. Others developed new abilities, from enhanced senses to partial immunity to magic itself.
As the humans evolve, the other race were nit to be outdone.
The nymph race became a new race called elves, already attuned to nature, found their connection to magic strengthened. They no longer just borrowed the power of the forests—they could become one with it. Trees grew at their command, flowers bloomed in their footsteps, and their affinity for spells became something beyond mortal comprehension.
The beastkin, a race born due to the union of monsters and humans during Python's era, a race of human but born with animal-like traits, found their instincts sharpened. They could see through illusions, strong physical power but weak magic, and some even awakened ancestral abilities—powers that had been lost for centuries.
The merfolk, a race born from one of the children of Pontus, felt their abilities mutating in ways they could not predict. Some gained control over water, bending it to their will, while others found themselves able to walk upon land without losing their strength.
Even the newly born dragons, already mighty, felt the change. Their flames burned hotter, their wings carried them faster, and their intelligence soared to new heights. Some dragons discovered new elements within their breath—shadows, thunder, even the void itself.
But it was not just the races that changed. The monsters of the world evolved as well.
Wolves that once roamed the forests became dire beasts, their size tripling, their intelligence sharpening to the point where they could form packs with tactical precision.
Slimes, once considered the weakest of creatures, began to absorb magic at terrifying rates, mutating into beings capable of taking on new forms.
Even the simplest of creatures—insects, birds, fish—began to shift, some growing larger, some gaining magical abilities, and some becoming entities that had never existed before.
Not just the living changed—the very land itself evolved.
Magical plants, once weak and rare, became more abundant, their properties strengthening. Some grew thicker, able to move on their own, attacking those who came too close. Others began to glow, their petals filled with mana, becoming a natural source of energy. Some even became sentient, whispering in unknown tongues as they watched the world grow.
Mountains rose higher, infused with magic, becoming floating islands that defied gravity.
Rivers and lakes became enchanted, some turning into liquid mana, pure enough that a single sip could empower a mortal for life.
The very air hummed with energy, the atmosphere forever changed. Now, even those who had never touched magic before could feel it in their bones, sense it in their breath.