—

[ Name: Moon ]

[ Race: Human ]

[ Class: Classless, Runesmith]

[ Level: 31 ] [18%]

[ Lives: 26,787 ] [Super Lives: 0]

[ Strength: 150 ] [ Agility: 210 ] [ Constitution: 172 ] [ Mana: 252 ] (+10 to all stats)

[ Attribute Points: 5]

[ Skills: Elemental Attack, Advanced Elemental Body, Tenacity, Golden Skin, Ignite, Dagger Arts, Rune Inscription, Eye of Truth, Thunderclap Raiju, Calmness, Beastmaster, Minor Mend, Cleanse, Stone Clasp, Heaviness, Air Step, Piercing Sword, Bird dance, Bullseye, Archery, Spear Arts, Feint, Rune Enhancement]

[ Talent: Grim Reaper ] 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

[ Class Skills: Class Slot {1/1}, Life Burn]

[Beast Souls: Fire and Nature]

—

Moon was satisfied with his current status, his hunting had paid its due in full.

’Time to evolve it.’

[Beast Soul: Fire and Nature]

[Rank: F] [Evolve]

[Potential: S]

[Details: Summon a powerful spirit that can control fire and nature elements to a mid degree. The Spirit is loyal to its owner, and is subject to injury, and death.]

—

Moon made his decision, he was going to evolve his only beast soul.

There were several reasons, and he had weighed each one carefully before committing.

The first was the spirit’s current state.

At F-Rank, it was too weak to contribute anything meaningful to any of his battles. Its attack against the boulder had been impressive in concept but lacking in raw output when faced with his opponents.

In a real fight against the beasts and spirits on this island, it would be a liability rather than an asset. Losing it because it was too weak was more than just wasteful, he knew how valuable and rare Beast Souls were.

Keeping it at F-Rank was also not an option, it was the same as not having it at all.

Evolving it to the next stage was the best option he had.

Which led to the second reason. Based on his observations and the pattern he had seen between beast ranks and combat power, Moon believed that an E-Rank spirit would sit at the pinnacle of 0-Star, a little further away from First Star Evolver strength.

That was a significant jump from where it currently stood.

Having an ally at that level of power was exactly what he needed right now. Against the woman in the base, against the spirits from the pavilion, against anything this island threw at him, a combat-ready beast soul fighting alongside him and Mirage could be the difference between winning and losing.

It was the best investment he could make with his current lives.

And there was a third reason, quieter than the others but no less compelling. Moon was curious. The spirit’s unique fusion of fire and nature had already produced attacks he hadn’t seen until he managed to complete his first acupoint. The way the two elements fed each other rather than canceling out was something special. If the evolution granted new abilities on top of strengthening the existing ones, the spirit could become something truly dangerous.

Moon pulled up the evolution screen.

[Beast Soul: Fire and Nature]

[Rank: F → E]

[Cost: 20,000 Lives]

He confirmed it without hesitation.

[Beast Soul: Fire and Nature has Evolved to E-Rank!]

—

[ Name: Moon ]

...

[ Lives: 6,787 ] [Super Lives: 0]

’I have enough lives to sustain two or three deaths after some hunting. That’s more than sufficient.’ Moon thought internally.

He had considered saving up to fifty thousand lives to use his new class skill, Life Burn. Doubling all his attributes for ten minutes at the cost of ninety percent of his lives was a tempting trump card. But he decided against it for now. There were foundational things he needed to evolve first, and he was almost done with them.

’From now on, I need to keep fifty thousand lives in reserve at all times. Just in case something goes wrong.’

He turned toward Frey.

"Now. Lead me to the hunting ground where the base hunters go to get stronger."

Frey’s head snapped up. "W-What? Why do you want to go there?"

Moon looked at him.

"Why else?" A grin spread across his face. "To hunt them down."

Before Frey could respond, Moon clicked his fingers.

A flash of light erupted beside him, and the Fire and Nature spirit suddenly spawned in the cramped space of the crevice. Half its body burned with living flame, roots and vines glowing. The other half pulsed with green, luscious life. It hovered silently at Moon’s side, its mismatched eyes fixed on Frey.

The heat from its fire half and the earthy scent from its nature half filled the confined space instantly.

Frey’s face went pale once more, his back pressed flat against the bark behind him.

"A-A beast soul?!"

"Yes. A beast soul." Moon said calmly. "So don’t think too much, okay?"

Frey stared at the spirit hovering beside Moon. Then at the smile still faintly plastered across Moon’s face. Then at the runes strapped to his own body. Then back at the spirit.

The color that had briefly returned to his face after the water was gone again.

Moon’s purpose was plain and simple.

Horrify Frey into complete submission.

Although Moon believed he had already shown enough to keep the runesmith in line, but the next steps were going to be dangerous. Being pushed into a corner could bring unexpected things out of people, and Moon didn’t want any surprises.

Every variable needed to be controlled.

Frey needed to understand, on an atomic level, that running, betraying, or disobeying wasn’t just risky...It was impossible or better put...a death sentence.

"So." Moon dismissed the spirit back into its mind space. "The hunting ground. Lead the way."

Frey nodded standing up on shaking legs and walked toward the exit.

’How am I going to get out of this alive...I’m dead!’ Frey thought as he walked in front of Moon.

Meanwhile, a few steps behind him, Moon was smiling faintly. He could see it in Frey’s eyes, the fear of death.

’That should keep him in check, at least for the next few hunts.’

The two Evolvers made their way out of their hideout and into the wider world outside the crevice. What awaited them was either victory, death or perhaps both.