I Can See Evolution Paths

The camp woke up noticeably different from previous mornings. Some students were still talking about Vordo. Some were excited about having witnessed a Silver Rank battle. Some were joking nervously about the pressure attack.

The professors, meanwhile, acted relatively normal. Roland and Silver were present, Silver calmly resting nearby, black flames occasionally leaking from its mouth.

Arthur kept looking at Silver.

Vedas noticed. "You’re still staring," he said.

Arthur didn’t deny it. "I’m thinking," he said.

"That’s what worries me."

Arthur looked at Silver. "I want to fight like that."

Vedas sighed. "I knew it."

Roland gathered the first years. The students expected another warning after what happened. Instead Roland surprised them.

"Starting today, your groups may travel farther from the temporary camp," he said.

The students reacted immediately. "Really?" "How far?" "Are we allowed into the deeper forest?"

Roland raised a hand. "Within the mapped outer region," he said, making the distinction very clear. They could explore farther, but not beyond the surveyed boundaries.

Then another professor explained an important safety mechanism. "And before anyone asks, you won’t get lost."

The students looked confused.

The professor tapped his chest. "We can sense your locations."

Arthur raised his hand. "All of us?"

"Every student."

Arthur looked impressed. "That’s convenient."

The professor smiled. "If you leave the permitted region, we’ll know."

Sun immediately looked at Arthur. "He’s going to test that," he said.

Arthur looked offended. "I wasn’t."

Sun said, "Yet."

Mithra laughed.

Roland told them they could explore in their assigned groups. The first years immediately scattered. Some wanted to search for rare plants. Some wanted to train. Some wanted to map waterways. Others simply wanted to see more of the Everglades.

Arthur’s group naturally stayed together. Arthur, Eden, Vedas, Sun, Mithra, Athena, Kong, Melo, and Athy.

As they left, Arthur looked toward the wilderness. "Let’s go farther," he said.

Sun sighed. "Of course."

Mithra smiled. "At least we’re not sneaking away this time."

Arthur nodded. "We’re officially exploring."

Vedas said, "That somehow sounds worse."

As they walked, the group naturally started talking about yesterday.

Eden admitted she still remembered the sensation of the pressure. "When that Beast released its pressure, I thought I was going to die," she said.

Arthur nodded. "Me too."

Sun looked uncomfortable. "I actually thought I was dead," he said.

Kong looked at him. "You screamed," he said.

Sun immediately turned. "I did not."

Kong said, "You screamed."

Sun said, "It was a tactical scream."

Melo laughed. "Very tactical."

Sun looked betrayed. "You’re supposed to support me."

Melo said, "I support the truth."

Athena brought up Roland and Silver, explaining that seeing the battle directly had given her a much better understanding of what Silver Rank combat actually looked like.

Athena said, "I’ve read descriptions of Silver Rank battles before."

Arthur looked at her. "But seeing one is different."

Athena nodded. "Much different."

Mithra added, "The speed was ridiculous."

Vedas said, "The coordination was even more impressive."

Arthur smiled. "Roland and Silver barely needed to communicate."

Vedas nodded. "They already know what the other is going to do."

Arthur looked at Vedas. "We’ll get there," he said.

Vedas smiled. "Eventually."

Eden immediately joined in. "And me!"

Arthur looked at her. "You too."

Eden smiled proudly.

Arthur remembered seeing his own body during the illusion.

"The strangest part was seeing myself," he said.

Sun looked at him. "Your own body?"

Arthur nodded. "Yeah."

He was quiet for a moment.

"For a second, I actually thought I was dead."

The group became quieter.

Mithra looked toward the ground.

"I saw you die too," she said.

Arthur looked at her.

Mithra gave a small smile, but it wasn’t her usual playful one.

"I knew something was wrong. I knew we were still standing there. But when I saw everyone being killed..." She paused. "It felt real."

Arthur nodded slowly. "Yeah."

Vedas glanced toward the forest. "That’s what made it terrifying."

Athena closed her notebook.

"The pressure didn’t simply make us afraid," she said. "It forced our minds to experience the outcome."

Eden’s wings lowered slightly. "I don’t want to feel that again."

Arthur looked at her."You won’t."

Eden looked up.

Arthur smiled. "Next time, we’ll be stronger."

Sun immediately sighed. "You somehow turned that into motivation."

Arthur shrugged. "It worked."

Mithra laughed softly. "Of course it did."

The group reached an area they hadn’t explored before. The trees were enormous, not simply tall, their trunks wide enough to contain entire rooms. Some roots rose from the ground like stone walls. Others formed natural bridges over the waterways.

Arthur was fascinated. Eden flew around one. "Arthur! This tree is huge!" she said.

Arthur placed his hand against the bark. "It’s bigger than some buildings," he said.

Athena examined it. "The tree is absorbing mana directly from the surrounding water," she said.

Arthur said, "So it’s basically feeding on the Secret Realm."

Athena said, "In a way."

Kong walked around the trunk. "Big tree," he said.

Sun looked at him. "You finally found a new observation."

Kong nodded. "Very big."

Everyone laughed.

They soon discovered something even stranger.

Enormous crystals rose from the swamp floor.

Some were completely transparent. Others contained glowing bubbles of mana that slowly drifted through their interiors like stars trapped inside glass.

Eden immediately flew closer.

"They’re beautiful!"

Athena was already reaching for her notebook. "Don’t touch them yet."

Arthur looked at her.

"Why?"

"Because we don’t know what they do."

Arthur nodded and then he touched one.

Athena’s eyes widened. "Arthur!"

Ting.

A second crystal answered.

Ting.

Then another.

Ting. Ting. Ting.

The sound spread through the swamp.

Eden’s eyes became enormous. "Arthur..."

Arthur slowly looked at his hand. "I didn’t know that would happen."

Sun stared at him. "You didn’t even ask what would happen before touching it."

"I was curious."

"That’s not an excuse!"

Another crystal suddenly lit up.

Then another.

Within seconds, dozens of crystals across the swamp were glowing.

The entire area shimmered with blue and silver light.

Everyone stopped.

Even the professors in the distance turned toward them.

Athena stared at the phenomenon. "They’re resonating with one another."

Arthur looked around, completely fascinated. "So they’re connected."

Athena nodded slowly. "Apparently."

Arthur smiled. "That’s amazing."

Sun covered his face. "I knew you were going to say that."

After several seconds, the crystals gradually dimmed.

Athena immediately began writing.

"I’m recording this."

Arthur looked at her. "Can we do it again?"

Athena closed her notebook. "No."

"Why?"

"Because I would like to survive the expedition."

Later they discovered an old stone structure. Broken walls. Old fire pit. Collapsed roof. Rusty metal hooks. Arthur realized people once used this area as a temporary expedition camp.

Vedas said, "Someone lived here."

Athena examined the remains. "Not lived. Camped."

Mithra looked around. "Imagine coming here without the Academy," she said.

Arthur smiled. "That sounds fun."

Sun said, "No. It sounds terrible."

Arthur said, "Both can be true."

Athy discovered something from above. A massive nest built high inside a tree, enormous, and the group investigated from a safe distance. Inside were several massive eggshell fragments.

Eden immediately wanted to see them. "What lived here?" she asked.

Athena studied the size. "Something extremely large."

Arthur’s eyes shone. "How large?"

Athena looked at him. "Large enough that I don’t think you should try to find it."

Arthur paused. "I wasn’t going to."

Sun said, "You were."

Arthur said, "Maybe."

Vedas laughed.

Arthur found a strange vine, its leaves reflecting whatever stood directly behind the person looking at them rather than their actual reflection. Arthur noticed his reflection wasn’t showing him. He moved. The reflection moved differently.

Eden became confused. "Why is it doing that?"

Arthur said, "I don’t know."

Athena said, "Neither do I."

Arthur immediately smiled. "That’s interesting."

Sun said, "You really like those words."

Arthur said, "They’re good words."

While traveling farther they saw several Beasts from a safe distance. A group of Mistmane Stags drinking from glowing water.

Several Mossback Crocodiles sunning themselves on giant roots.

A flock of Crystalwing Bats emerging from a cavern.

The Thunderjaw Heron suddenly moved.

Its enormous beak plunged into the water.

CRACK!

Lightning erupted and then the entire surface of the swamp flashed white. A massive fish shot out of the water, stunned, before the Heron caught it in its beak.

Eden stared. "It used lightning!"

Athena nodded while quickly writing. "Its body is generating an electrical discharge."

Arthur’s eyes shone. "That’s incredible."

Sun immediately grabbed his shoulder. "Don’t."

Arthur looked at him. "I wasn’t going anywhere."

Sun narrowed his eyes. "You were thinking about it."

Arthur paused. "Maybe."

Mithra burst out laughing while Vedas shook his head. "You’re impossible."

Arthur continued watching the Heron.

The Beast calmly swallowed its meal before returning to its motionless stance.

Arthur smiled. "I like this place."

Eden kept pointing. "Look! Another one! And another!"

Arthur laughed. "You’re going to run out of fingers."

Eden looked at her hands. "I have lots."

Vedas chuckled.

While exploring, Arthur’s observation of the environment produced a small benefit. He noticed a pattern between certain plants and the movement of mana currents. Athena confirmed his observation, improving their ability to predict where useful resources grew.

Arthur said, "So the environment tells us where to look."

Athena said, "Exactly."

Arthur smiled. "I like this place more every day."

The group eventually realized they’d traveled much farther than before.

Sun looked toward the sky. "We should head back," he said.

Arthur looked around. "Already?"

"Yes."

"We barely explored anything."

"We’ve been walking for hours."

"Exactly."

"That’s not what I meant."

Mithra laughed.

They began heading back. Arthur looked toward the deeper Everglades one last time. The forest still seemed endless.

As they approached camp, Arthur saw the other student groups returning, everyone carrying something. Plants. Maps. Materials. Stories. The expedition was slowly becoming a real experience rather than simply an Academy assignment.

Arthur looked back toward the wilderness.

Vedas noticed. "You’re already thinking about tomorrow," he said.

Arthur smiled. "Of course."

Then he looked toward the deeper forest. "We’ve only explored the part everyone already knows."

Vedas said, "And you’re thinking about the part nobody knows."

Arthur glanced at him. "Not yet."

Vedas raised an eyebrow.

He looked back toward the wilderness. "But eventually."