I Can See Evolution Paths

Arthur and the others sprinted through the streets toward the walls. Every impact shook the glowing roads. Goblin warriors raced toward the battlements. The cheers from only minutes ago had vanished. Now only screams remained.

Arthur gripped Dusk tightly. "We need to reinforce the—"

He suddenly stopped. Everyone behind him nearly crashed into him.

Sun blinked. "What?"

Arthur slowly looked upward. Everyone followed his gaze.

Silence.

High above the city, dozens of Thunderbirds circled between the massive stone pillars supporting the underground cavern. Lightning danced across their wings, blue sparks connecting bird after bird until it looked like a storm cloud flying overhead.

The air became heavy.

Every Goblin instinctively looked upward, and even the monsters outside the walls hesitated.

The storm... Had arrived.

Then, crack!!

A bolt of lightning crashed into a nearby watchtower, and the entire top half exploded, stone raining into the streets below. Another bolt struck a warehouse, and it erupted into flames. Another bolt, and a nearby home collapsed. Goblin civilians screamed and scattered.

Arthur’s face darkened. "Damn it," he said. "Even they came."

Another Thunderbird spread its wings, electricity gathering along its feathers. Craaaack!! Three more bolts rained down, and the city shook harder.

Athena immediately studied the battlefield. "We have to stop the Thunderbirds," she said.

Sun folded his arms. "And the beasts are already attacking the walls," he said, clicking his tongue. "Damn it. How did they even know this place existed?"

Nobody answered right away.

Then Mithra spoke. "It was Kyne," she said.

Everyone turned toward her.

She crossed her arms. "It escaped," she said. "It found another exit. It told the others."

Arthur nodded. "That explains everything," he said.

Athena continued thinking aloud. "If one group entered underground, the main army never needed to," she said. "They only had to gather outside another entrance."

Sun sighed. "So they’re attacking from two directions. And flying over the walls."

Arthur watched another bolt strike.

The walls shook from another monster impact. His mind raced. If we all defend the walls, the Thunderbirds destroy the city. If we chase the Thunderbirds, the beasts break through. Every second wasted meant more Goblins dying.

Arthur clenched Dusk. "We split," he said.

Nobody objected.

Arthur continued. "We only need the walls to hold," he said. "We don’t need to win. We only need time."

Sun nodded. "So who gets the easy job?" he asked.

Arthur laughed. "Nobody," he said.

Sun sighed. "I figured," he said.

Arthur quietly looked around the city. Smoke. Fire. Collapsed homes. He couldn’t help muttering, "I wish this city actually had some defenses."

The moment the words left his mouth, his King’s Mark grew warm. Arthur froze. A strange feeling spread through his body. Not pain. Not mana. Direction. Like someone pointing.

Kingdom Awakener. Its effect had activated.

Arthur instinctively looked toward his Mana Realm. "The journal," he said, his eyes widening.

He immediately reached into his Mana Realm. A flash of light, and the journal appeared, wrapped in crystal, bound with golden thread.

Athena blinked. "Arthur?"

He immediately placed it into her hands. "Mara. Athena."

Both looked confused.

Arthur spoke quickly. "There has to be something," he said.

Athena frowned. "Something?"

Arthur nodded. "I refuse to believe Halburn left behind a city, built trials, prepared treasure, created an inheritance, and didn’t think about adding defense to the city."

Everyone went quiet.

Arthur looked toward the burning city. "I believe he left behind the city’s defenses," he said.

Mara’s eyes widened, hope replacing worry. "I believe that too," she said. She immediately grabbed the journal. "We’ll find it."

Athena already began flipping through the pages. "If it’s here, we’ll activate it," she said.

Arthur smiled. "I know you will," he said.

Mara immediately mounted Leo, and Athena climbed up behind her. Before Leo even started running, Athena was already reading. The two disappeared toward the throne room.

Arthur watched them leave. "Please find it," he murmured.

He inhaled deeply.

[War Shout].

His voice exploded across the kingdom. "All Goblin combatants! Gather in the city center! Immediately!"

The command echoed through every glowing street, and the city became strangely quiet.

Then footsteps could be heard.

It was only one pair, then ten, and then a dozen.

Goblin Riders arrived first.

Then Goblin Hunters.

Goblin Archers.

Goblin Mages, Goblin Healers, Goblin Scouts, Goblin Spearmen, and Goblin Spirit Channelers. Soon over eighty Goblin warriors stood before Arthur.

Raku stepped forward. "The Prophet," he said. "Do you have a plan?"

Arthur nodded. Without answering, he began pulling weapons from his Mana Realm. One spear. Another. Another. Golden swords. Golden bows. Golden shields. Golden armor. Golden staffs. Soon an enormous mountain of Dawn Kingdom equipment filled the plaza.

Every Goblin stared.

Arthur smiled. "Equip yourselves," he said.

The Goblins hesitated.

Arthur continued. "Today," he said, "you fight as the warriors of the Dawn Kingdom."

For a long moment...

Nobody moved.

The pile of golden weapons reflected the burning city around them.

Ancient spears.

Golden bows.

Heavy shields engraved with forgotten runes.

Armor that had once protected kings.

The Goblins simply stared, and then one elderly Goblin slowly stepped forward. His hands trembled as they reached toward a golden spear. His fingers brushed against the smooth metal.

"...Warm." His voice shook. "It still remembers."

He gently lifted it into the air, and the weapon felt right. As though it had always belonged in Goblin hands. Tears slowly gathered in the old warrior’s eyes. "We can finally... Continue this beautiful legacy." He slowly knelt and then rested the butt of the spear against the ground. "...At last."

Silence spread through the plaza.

One Goblin Hunter stepped forward.

Then another.

A Goblin Mage carefully picked up an ancient staff.

A Rider fastened golden armor across his Blazefang Lion.

An Archer gently ran her fingers across the bowstring before pulling it once.

TWANG.

The clear sound echoed through the city. One by one, the forgotten warriors of the Dawn Kingdom stood once more.

Arthur smiled. "...Looks like they suit you."

Raku looked down at the spear in his hands. "...No." He smiled. "We suit them."

He nodded before he quickly pointed. "Mithra and Sun. You’ll command fifty of the Goblins."

Sun nodded, and Mithra simply said, "Understood."

Arthur pointed toward the walls. "Delay the beasts," he said. "You don’t need to defeat them. Just keep them away from the city."

Sun smiled. "We’ll buy you time," he said.

Arthur nodded. "The rest, come with me," he said.

Every Goblin Hunter blinked. "Just us?"

Arthur smiled. "Yes."

One Hunter looked confused. "But what about the Archers?"

Arthur shook his head. "They’re more valuable on the walls," he said.

Another Hunter asked, "Then what exactly are we doing?"

Arthur grinned. "Something reckless," he said.

The Hunters immediately looked worried.

The group raced toward the burning district. Lightning continued falling, and entire rooftops collapsed while thunderbirds circled above.

One Hunter finally asked, "Prophet? What do you need us to do?"

Another noticed the bundle of extra spears. "Why did you have us bring so many?"

Arthur smiled. "I need one thing," he said.

Everyone waited.

He pointed toward the sky. "Throw me."

Silence. Complete silence.

One Hunter blinked twice. "Throw. You?"

Arthur nodded. "Exactly."

Another Hunter stared. "You’re serious," he said.

Arthur smiled. "I usually am," he said.

The Hunters slowly looked toward the Thunderbirds, then toward each other, then back toward Arthur.

One finally laughed nervously. "Only the Prophet would think of this," he said.

Arthur scratched his cheek. "Is it that strange?"

Every Goblin Hunter answered together. "YES!"

Even Eden burst into laughter.

Arthur blinked. "Really?"

Sun sighed from the distance. "Sometimes I wonder about you," he said.

Arthur shrugged. "It’ll work," he said.

Mithra smirked. "It probably will," she said.

The Hunters planted their spears into the ground, and others braced behind them. Arthur never slowed down.

Step.

Step.

Step.

He ran across the first spear, then another, then another.

The Hunters roared together.

"NOW!"

Every Goblin Hunter thrust upward together.

Their spears bent beneath the force.

Then—

BOOM!!

Arthur shot into the sky.

The ground exploded beneath the launch, and a shockwave raced through the plaza. Every Goblin looked up; even the warriors already climbing the walls stopped.

The Thunderbirds paused, and the beasts outside the city hesitated. One lone human was flying straight toward an entire flock of monsters. Wind roared past Arthur’s ears, and his clothes snapped violently.

Below him...

The city became smaller.

The walls.

The Temple.

The Goblins.

Everything shrank beneath his feet as Arthur gripped Dusk tighter. "Perfect."

The Thunderbirds finally noticed him, and their eyes widened.

Too late.

[Guardian Strike].

King Mu appeared, his massive spear piercing the first Thunderbird clean through. Another golden spear manifested overhead and crashed down through a second bird.

Arthur landed atop a third Thunderbird, Dusk flashing again, again, again. The bird screamed, and Arthur forced it downward, away from the civilians below, then kicked free. The dying beast crashed into an empty district in the distance.

Arthur smiled. "Now look at me," he said.

The remaining Thunderbirds erupted into furious cries. Every eye turned toward Arthur. Lightning began gathering.

Exactly as planned.

Arthur pushed away from the dying Thunderbird and crashed through a rooftop, rolling, immediately standing back up.

Arthur didn’t even look back.

He was already searching for the next roof, and then he rushed over.

Crack!!

Lightning obliterated the roof behind him.

"...They really hate me now."

Eden peeked out from Arthur’s collar. "Yeah, I think you made them angry."

Arthur glanced upward.

The Thunderbirds were no longer circling but diving at him all at once.

"Yeah, I noticed." Arthur burst into another sprint.

He rushed across rooftops, leaping, sliding, vaulting between buildings. The Thunderbirds pursued relentlessly, lightning tearing through structures all around him.

Midair, Arthur summoned a golden spear from his Mana Realm.

[Magic Burst].

[Armor Piercing].

[Hurling].

He threw it, and the spear erupted like a cannon, another Thunderbird falling from the sky. The others screamed even louder.

Arthur landed hard, and the Goblin Hunters were already racing to intercept where he was leading the flock.

Arthur smiled despite the danger. "It worked," he muttered.

Then another surge of lightning gathered overhead. Arthur dove aside just as an entire building behind him was reduced to burning rubble.

He grimaced, pushing himself back to his feet. "This can’t last forever," he said.

He looked toward the distant throne room.

’Athena and Mara. I’m counting on you two.’

Far away, another bolt of lightning split the sky.

The siege had only just begun.