Humanity: Evolve

Zhang Long pushed open the inn's door and walked inside, quarterstaff gently bumping against the floor as he used it as a cane.

The air around him immediately became stuffy and his ears were filled with the raucous laughter of pioneers sharing drinks around the tables.

The "Pitcher" inn had a good reputation among it's customers, often being well known for it's good service and comfortable rooms.

It's architectural style was similar to medieval taverns, made entirely of wood, but it had all of the modern necessities as well such as electrical lighting with the LED lights shaped to look like hanging lanterns.

Zhang Long walked past the rowdy crowds of drunken men and women, noting the colours of their soul stones. Mostly grade ones, a few grade twos scattered here and there.

'I'd like to rent a room.' He shouted over the din.

The lady at the counter smiled and nodded, before raising up two fingers making a peace sign.

'Two sovereigns a night.' She then stuck out another two fingers. 'Four sovereigns total if you want breakfast included.'

Zhang Long fished out four sovereigns, placing them on the counter. The lady pocketed them with proficiency, before handing him a room key.

'Room 34, one of the best.' She said, winking.

Zhang Long nodded gratefully, before vanishing further into the inn.

The building had five stories, with ten rooms on each floor. He climbed up to the third, quickly finding his newly rented room.

It was a medium sized room, with a large double bed. The whole interior was a dark beige colour, with brown-red curtains and a wardrobe opposite the bed. There was also a short bedside table with a lamp on top.

The whole place had a rustic feel and it's size was large enough not to feel claustrophobic but also small enough to feel cosy.

Zhang Long nodded in approval, pulling his suitcase behind him as he entered the rustic room. He unpacked his belongings, a set of nightwear went straight into the wardrobe and a stack of academic books sat comfortably on the bedside table.

After fully making himself at home, he summoned Winter with a flash of white light.

The wolf looked around curiously, sniffing at the air before letting out a playful bark and leaping onto the bed. Zhang Long wrinkled his nose as he noticed the wolf's white hairs falling onto the bed.

He pulled out the black arm-long spirit stone box from the leather bag, eliciting an excited rumbling sound from Winter who nudged his arm with yearning.

Zhang Long was half tempted to tease the wolf, but decided to cut straight to the chase and promote it.

He opened the box, a familiar gust of spiritual essence filling the room. He picked up one of the stones. It's size half that of his palm.

Winter shuffled forward and placed it's head on his l.a.p, tongue sticking out. Zhang Long gave it's mane a ruffle, sending a plume of hair into the air.

He placed the spirit stone against Winter's forehead.

Nothing happened.

'Winter, you can absorb this spirit stone.' He reassured, patting the spirit beast on it's head.

The wolf did an action akin to a human nod, before closing it's eyes in concentration. The spirit stone flashed blue, before slowly disappearing, particles flying away in a non-existent gust of wind.

Zhang Long grinned and repeated the action twice more, until he had no more spirit stones. Then he pulled out the scanner and activated it with a sliver of spiritual energy, whilst pointing it at Winter.

The holographic screen showed that Winter had reached grade 1/3 and it's evolution percentage had reached 37%, a 3% increase from it's previous 34%.

He wondered what would happen when the bar reached 100%, whilst he reached into his inner pocket and pulled out the green grade 2 beast core.

Winter's eyes lit up like shooting stars in the sky. It showed a more intense reaction than when it had been given spirit stones, tossing restlessly as it's eyes were locked on the green beast core.

Zhang Long noticed that when he had first obtained the beast core, Winter hadn't shown such an intense reaction.

'It must be because it is able to use it now. Perhaps spirit beasts are attracted to cores when they are able to promote grades or something.' He muttered, holding Winter's head still and pressing the beast core against it's head.

This time, it didn't even ask for permission and immediately absorbed the contents of the beast core.

Winter's body suddenly flashed blue and green, the two different colours fusing and mixing like a taijitu. Then, the boundaries between the two became thin, the green colour invading into the blue, like the ocean's waves encroaching on the shore. Only, they didn't wash away and instead became stronger and more persistent.

The wolf fell off the bed in it's tossing and turning, letting out an ear shattering howl of pain. The green and blue had completely fused, with the blue changing to a green colour.

Then, with a bestial howl, Winter's beast core emerged and flashed green as it absorbed all of the energy in front.

The wolf's body lay stock still, shuddering now and then from the massive influx of energy.

After what seemed like an eternity of mind breaking worry, Winter's entire body was coated in a sheen of grade 2 green spiritual energy.

Then it's body began a strange metamorphosis, nose becoming pointier and talons growing out of it's paws. It's fur began to resemble feathers and became a brighter white colour.

Zhang Long didn't know how long had passed. He had just sat there, notebook in hand as he recorded the entire process with a slack jaw.

A flood of excitement rushed through into his mind from their mental connection. Zhang Long didn't refuse it, embracing the spirit beast's emotion.

This was new science.

This was new territory.

He employed his artistic skills, drawing a picture of Winter from his memory and then sketching down the changes which had happened to it's body.

From the previous pack hunter emerged a solitary lone wolf. It's jaws encased in hard white bone, it's fur becoming a long white plumage of feathers. It's claws elongated and curved, becoming talons which glinted malevolently in the light and it's body rose steadily in height and bulk.

Zhang Long could make out increased muscle mass around Winter's legs, he was sure that the wolf-bird hybrid could crush an armoured vehicle with ease.

Soon, the green energy was absorbed completely into Winter's body, leaving a grotesque but fascinating amalgamation of a creature.

Zhang Long could see a striking resemblance between his newly changed spirit beast and the terror bird it had slain before, an almost maniacal grin appeared on his face as he studied it's body ceaselessly.

After some time of studying the wolf-bird, he slumped back onto the bed, feeling the consciousness within his own triple in size. Winter had not only become physically stronger, but mentally also.

Zhang Long activated his scanner, selecting the "scan" option and pointing the disk at the sleeping wolf.

[??? - New Species]

(Berserk Terror Wolf)

Grade: 2/1

S.e.x: Male

Diet: Carnivorous

Talent Class: Physical - Grade 1/2 ~ Physical - Grade 1/3

Method of Attack: Biting, Pecking, Clawing, Kicking, Berserking Tactics

Evolution: 0%

(Berserking Tactics: Will attack in short bursts of strength, increasing in strength and ferocity with each wound taken.)

---

Then a box popped up, with flashing borders.

[New species discovered - Please Name it]

Zhang Long's face, which had long been tired of grinning, widened.

He thought for a moment, before deciding.

'Down with Latin! Up with Chinese!' He shouted, a feeling of euphoria erasing his usual cold attitude.

He swiped upwards, causing a keypad to appear.

Then he carefully typed in the name he had thought of, making sure not to press the enter button and be stuck with a species name that had a typo in it.

Zhang Long checked the name he had written three times, before pressing enter in satisfaction.

[Name Chosen, thank you]

[Species Named - Kuangbaolang]

The name meant "Raging wolf" or "Berserk wolf", something very fitting for Winter's new appearance, along with it's updated statistics.

The only concerns he had was whether this berserk wolf would be able to control itself in battle. The scanner hadn't mentioned any sort of"debuffs", but only time would tell.

Zhang Long studied the status panel closely, noticing a few things.

Winter seemed to have gained a second talent, one which was grade 1/3 whilst the talent it originally had increased by one full sub grade.

The methods of attack had changed as well, a few new methods had been added. Pecking and kicking seemed to have been "inherited" from the terror bird beast core. It was safe to say one of the terror bird's two talents had been inherited as well, as for which one it was, he couldn't be sure.

The bird had displayed momentary kicking strength increases as well as sporadic bursts of speed. Zhang Long would have preferred the latter, as Winter's new body seemed to be suited to short but intense confrontations, but the former wouldn't be so bad either.

Then he frowned as he tried to recall the status panel of the terror bird. He vaguely remembered that the bird only had a single talent.

'Then how could it exhibit two talents, if the scanner only showed one?'

He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

His eyes rested on the evolution meter. It had reset from 37% back down to 0.

Zhang Long guessed that the meter increased with the natural increase of spiritual essence or with the absorption of spirit stones.

This meant that the grade 2 beast core had contributed at least 63% of the spiritual energy required for Winter to evolve.

He yawned and turned off the scanner, placing it on top of his pile of books, before lying back against the soft bed mattress.

Every time Winter sent a large influx of emotions through their mental link, he would feel exhausted afterwards. This time, with the spirit beast's crackhead-like state made him want to sleep immediately.

However, he forced himself to stay awake. He had not eaten dinner yet, nor had he cleaned himself properly. In fact, the last time he had properly showered was when he first arrived in Pangaea.

His body smelt sweaty and also had that metallic scent of blood which could send someone reeling.

Zhang Long closed his eyes and his mind began wandering over the events which had happened upon his arrival.

The roller coaster of emotions he had been through, as well as the fights and injuries he had suffered. More than that however, was the moral compromises he had made, which although slight, they had a big impact on his mind.

Morals were what made his character. When he shed even the smallest one, he'd lose part of himself.

That was what he believed, anyway.

It was only now, where his mind was peaceful and content did the events of the last three days sink in.

It made him marvel at how different his life had become the moment he came here.

Winter suddenly woke with a sneeze, ruffling it's feathers as it stood up. "Eh? Feathers?" It thought with surprise.

Zhang Long grinned as he felt the spirit beast's internal panic upon finding an unfamiliar object covering it's entire body.

He glanced at it, admiring the freaky fusion of parts. Truth be told, Winter didn't look too strange. Every limb looked as if they'd been there since the creature's birth. There was no mismatch of parts nor any physical deformation.

Winter's body had the shape of a large wolf and had grown in stature after evolving. It was now up to Zhang Long's shoulder. It's body was covered in feathers, no doubt from the terror bird and it had a beak-like array of bones protecting it's face and head.

He thought the name berserk wolf suited it, as it's appearance lived up to it completely.

Suddenly, the ringing of a loud bell and the wail of a siren disturbed his trail of thought.

Zhang Long got up, his face a mask of confusion, but then he heard yelling.

'It's a beast wave! Quickly, assemble at the southern gates!'

He grabbed his scanner and pulled on a coat.

'Winter, let's go!'