Beast Evolution Forge

The silence that followed her departure was heavy, thick with unspoken questions and a lingering sense of unease. Vell stood in the center of the room, the gifts she had bestowed upon him floating silently in the air, mocking him with their presence. He felt drained, exhausted, not just physically, but mentally. The fight, the transformation, the revelation of the clone, and now this… it was all too much to process.

[reward: inventory]

[secondary reward: core manipulation]

'sweet, i have been wanting a skill to store stuff in...but what is core manipulation?' He didn't really care, 'i will figure it out later.'

He looked at the gifts, his gaze lingering on the sword. It pulsed with an energy that resonated with something deep within him, a power he had only recently begun to tap into. He reached out, his fingers brushing against the cool metal of the hilt. The moment he touched it, a jolt of energy surged through his body, making him gasp.

[Master, be careful! That sword is dangerous!]

He ignored the system's warning, his grip tightening around the hilt. The energy from the sword flowed into him, filling him with a sense of power he had never felt before. It was intoxicating, addictive, and he could feel it feeding the darker impulses that had surfaced during his transformation.

'This power…' He closed his eyes, savoring the feeling, letting it wash over him. It felt… right. It felt like coming home.

He opened his eyes, his gaze now fixed on the core, then on the body. The core had a lot of pure corrupted mana that felt both repulsive and strangely alluring. The body was… well, it was a body, a perfect replica of the one he had so brutally destroyed, now whole and untouched.

[Master, what are you going to do with that?]

'I don't know yet,' he admitted, his voice low. 'But I have a feeling it might be useful.'

He waved his hand, and both the core and the body disappeared, stored within his inventory. He then turned his attention to the black cube, it floated silently in the air, its blue mana veins pulsing with a steady rhythm.

He reached out and took the cube in his hand. It was heavier than he expected, and it felt strangely warm to the touch, almost alive. He turned it over in his hands, examining it closely, trying to decipher its purpose.

[That, Master, is… a adaptive codex, i am not sure what this one does specifically since i haven't seen one in a long time. The ones i know are usual used to form barriers, weapons, give information and so on, its a very precious weapon that even high ranked players use.]

"... I see, so she lied about not knowing what it is... well, i am thankful, still not sure what she is after but i will use it well."

He studied the adaptive codex, turning the smooth, cool surface over in his hands. The blue veins throbbed sending small waves of energy through him. It was a fascinating object, its purpose both mysterious and tantalizing.

[Master, I advise caution. Adaptive Codexes are powerful, but they can also be unpredictable. Without knowing its specific function, activating it could have unforeseen consequences.]

"I understand that, but I can't just ignore it. She gave it to me for a reason, whether she was honest about its purpose or not." He could feel a pull towards the codex, a sense of curiosity that outweighed his apprehension. "Besides," he added with a smirk, "where's the fun in being cautious all the time?"

[Fun is irrelevant when dealing with unknown, potentially dangerous artifacts. Your impulsiveness will be the death of you.] The system's tone was flat, but he could detect a hint of worry.

He chuckled, "Maybe. But it's a risk I'm willing to take." He closed his eyes, focusing his mind, and channeled a small amount of mana into the codex.

The cube responded instantly. The blue veins flared, bathing his hand in an ethereal light. The surface of the cube shifted, the solid form becoming fluid, almost liquid. It flowed around his hand, enveloping it like a glove, and then, it was gone.

He opened his eyes, staring at his hand. There was no trace of the cube, no sign that it had ever been there. He flexed his fingers, feeling a strange new sensation, a sense of… connection.

[W-What the, the codex has bonded with you. It's… integrated itself into your system.]
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'What?' He frowned, confused. 'What does that even mean?'

[It means the codex is no longer a separate object. It's a part of you now, linked to your very being. Its abilities are now yours to command.]

He raised his hand, focusing his will, and a shimmering blue construct materialized in his palm. It was a small, floating sphere, pulsating with the same energy he had seen in the cube's veins.

'What is this?' He thought, his mind racing. He instinctively knew how to control the sphere, how to move it, how to shape it. He willed it to expand, and it grew, becoming larger, more complex. He willed it to change shape, and it morphed into a blade, a shield, a staff, each form perfect, flawless.

[It appears this Adaptive Codex is a shape-shifting construct. It can take any form you desire, limited only by your imagination and your mana capacity.]

He dismissed the sphere, and it vanished, absorbed back into his being. He could feel it within him, just waiting to be used. It was exhilarating, with his imaginative mind, he knew he could take this weapon to the max.

"Ok, this all cool and all but i think its time we move on, I am sure the kids are worried sick." He began walking towards the exit but his vision suddenly blurred and the world spun as he crashed to the ground. "huh?..." His body was unresponsive, he had to energy left, "crap..."

His consciousness flickered, his senses fading in and out like a dying candle. He could hear the system's voice, distant and distorted, echoing in his mind.

[Master, can you hear me? Your body is shutting down. You've overexerted yourself. The fight has taken it's toll. You need to rest.]

'Rest…' he thought, his mind foggy. 'But… the kids…'

[You can't do anything in your state, just rest for now.]

He tried to speak, to tell the system that he needed to get up, that he needed to see his group, but his voice wouldn't work. His body was heavy, unresponsive, his eyelids felt like lead weights.

He could feel himself slipping away, his consciousness fading into the darkness. He wanted to fight it, to stay awake, but he was just so tired… so very tired…

And then, everything went black.

---

His eyes shot open 10 hours later, he stared at the ceiling, his mind still half asleep. "Strange... something feels..." He jumped to his feet and dashed out the room at high speed, arriving outside and using his predator eyes to scan the area. "That way." He ran through the trees like a flash of lightning, not stopping to face any monsters.

"why didn't you wake me up dammit!"

[ i can't forcefully wake you up and like I said, you were to tired to even move, so-]

"SHUT IT, MY KIDS ARE DYING, FUCK!"

He ran faster, his feet barely touching the ground, his body a blur of motion. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his blood roaring in his ears, but he ignored the pain, the exhaustion. He had to reach them, he had to save them.

[Master, you're pushing yourself too hard. You haven't fully recovered.]

He didn't respond.

The bond between them was leading the way but he could not help but be scared, ' this is my fault... i told them to go hunting...if any of them die, i dont know what I will do.'

The trail led him through the dense forest, over hills and across streams. He leaped over fallen logs, dodged around trees, his movements fluid and precise.

A giant spider dropped from the trees, its fangs dripping with venom. He sidestepped its attack, his new sword materializing in his hand. He sliced through the creature's legs, its body crashing to the ground, and he was already moving, leaving the dying monster behind.

A pack of wolves emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing with hunger. He raised his hand, a blue construct forming in his palm, and he unleashed a barrage of energy projectiles, each one finding its mark, the wolves collapsing in a heap.

He didn't hesitate, didn't flinch, he simply moved forward, a force of nature, driven by a single, all-consuming purpose: to reach his group, to save them.

[Master, at this rate, you'll—]

'I don't care,' he thought again, cutting off the system's warning. 'I have to save them.'

He left the section until he arrived at the clearing where they first appeared when they entered the dungeon, and that was where he finally found them.

They were surrounded, outnumbered, outmatched. Giant mosquitoes and ants, surrounded them, their sheer numbers overwhelming.

In the center of it all, his family was fighting for their lives.

Yenna and Wren were back-to-back, their bodies full of cuts and bruises. Blood streamed from a wound on Yenna's torso, staining her legs. Her movements, though still precise, were sluggish, her strength clearly waning. Wren was in even worse shape, her face pale, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

Sia and Mia were huddled on the ground, bodies not moving at all.

The sight of them, so vulnerable, so close to death, ignited a firestorm of rage within him. A guttural roar ripped from his throat, a sound of pure, unadulterated fury that echoed through the clearing.

The monsters, startled by the sudden noise, momentarily paused their attack. They turned, their multifaceted eyes focusing on the new arrival.

He stood at the edge of the clearing, his body radiating power. His eyes glowed with a feral intensity, his teeth bared in a snarl. The sword in his hand trembled under his power, eager to be unleashed. His other hand crackled with blue energy, the codex ready to obey his every command.