I Can See Evolution Paths

The tiny crack spread another inch. Nobody moved. Nobody even breathed. The chamber that had been filled with explosions only moments ago became completely silent.

Arthur carefully lifted the egg with both hands. It was warm. Not just warm. Comfortably warm. Like holding sunlight.

Another crack. Tiny fragments of crystal drifted into the air before dissolving into white particles.

Arthur blinked. "It’s really happening," he said.

Instead of stepping back, he instinctively brought the egg closer, his curiosity completely winning out over any caution. His smile slowly widened. "So," he said, "this is what the Goblin King protected."

Mithra was already kneeling beside him before anyone else reacted, her eyes sparkling. "Arthur," she said, "hold it carefully." She leaned in so close her nose almost touched the shell. "I can’t believe we’re actually watching something hatch," she said, her excitement impossible to hide.

Mara smiled quietly, one hand resting on the Blazefang Lion’s neck. The Lion had stopped growling entirely. Instead it quietly watched the egg.

Mara noticed. "It doesn’t feel threatened," she said. She looked toward Arthur. "It actually feels gentle."

Sun folded his arms. "Please don’t explode," he said.

Arthur looked up. "Why would it explode?"

Sun shrugged. "We’ve had a rough day," he said. "I think it’s a reasonable concern."

Arthur couldn’t argue with that.

Kong slowly crouched beside Arthur, staring at the shell and tried reaching out.

Arthur immediately slapped his hand away. "No," he said.

Kong pouted while the Blazefang Lion titled its head and Athy flew close to the egg in wonder.

Melo floated onto Arthur’s shoulder, both tails curling around his neck as she peeked over. The closer she looked, the brighter her eyes became, and she quietly squeaked, almost like she already liked whoever was inside.

Athy landed on Athena’s shoulder, and both of them tilted their heads at exactly the same angle.

Arthur glanced between them. "You two really are alike," he said.

Neither answered.

Vedas stood beside Arthur, spear planted, watching silently. There wasn’t excitement in his expression. There wasn’t nervousness either. Only curiosity, like someone waiting to meet a person whose name they had heard for years.

The cracks suddenly spread across the entire shell, white light escaping through every opening. It grew brighter, brighter, until the entire Temple seemed bathed in gentle moonlight. Nobody could see the egg anymore.

The shell slowly floated apart.

Not breaking but opening, like flower petals blooming.

The light finally faded.

Arthur blinked.

Resting in his palms was a tiny girl with long white hair. Tiny fairy wings folded behind her. She was barely taller than Arthur’s hands.

Arthur instinctively held his breath. The tiny figure inside didn’t move and for one long second, nobody dared speak.

Then her tiny fingers curled.

A soft breath escaped her lips.

Arthur smiled without realizing it. "...Hello." And then he looked her over. "Oh, this is a pretty one."

The white light didn’t disappear immediately but lingered around the tiny girl. Tiny motes drifted lazily through the Temple.

Broken crystal pillars reflected the light until the entire chamber shimmered.

Even the scorch marks left behind by Kyne seemed softer beneath the glow.

For a brief moment...

The ancient Temple felt alive again.

Mithra practically teleported beside Arthur, her eyes completely lighting up. "She’s adorable! So adorable! I want to hold her!"

Arthur immediately pulled his hands back. "No," he said. "You’ll squeeze her."

"I won’t!"

"You definitely will."

"That’s something you would do!"

"Well... Huh?" Arthur blinked. "Fine... One at a time."

Mithra pouted. "Fine. But I get second."

Mara laughed softly. "She really is beautiful," she said.

Sun scratched his head. "I was expecting a monster," he said.

Kong stared in awe and the Blazefang Lion leaned down and said. "She is smaller than Melo."

Melo immediately puffed up proudly, almost as if she had somehow won.

Athena hadn’t moved. She continued studying the tiny girl’s wings, her ears, her silver hair. Her expression slowly changed. "Wait," she said.

Everyone turned.

Athena stepped forward. "Could this be," she said, pausing, "a fairy?"

Silence.

Sun blinked. "A fairy?"

Mithra looked back. "You’re serious?"

Arthur frowned. "I’ve never even heard of one," he said.

Athena slowly nodded. "They’re supposed to be extinct," she said. "Or at least so rare that most people think they’re myths."

Everyone looked back toward the tiny girl. Nobody spoke anymore as the fairy’s tiny fingers twitched again.

Her wings fluttered once.

Slowly her silver eyes opened and then slowly focused.

The first thing she saw was Arthur.

She looked at Arthur.

Blink.

Blink.

Her tiny eyebrows slowly relaxed and then she faintly smile. Arthur didn’t even realize he was smiling back until several seconds later.

Mithra quietly whispered, "...She smiled at him first."

Then the fairy gaze shifts around the Temple.

The massive pillars.

The broken battlefield.

The group surrounding her.

She slowly stood inside Arthur’s palms, balanced perfectly and then she asked, "Where is this place?"

Everyone froze.

Sun slowly pointed. "She talks," he said.

Arthur smiled naturally. "This is the Goblin King’s Temple," he said.

The fairy blinked once, then looked directly into Arthur’s eyes. "Who are you?" she asked. She looked around again. "Who are all of you?"

Arthur smiled. "I’m Arthur," he said, pointing toward himself. "I’m your partner."

Eden looked quietly at Arthur for several long seconds. As though trying to understand him. Then she carefully stepped closer to his face as she walked over his palm. And then she sat down before leaning against his thumb.

Arthur blinked. "Comfortable?"

She nodded. "Safe."

Arthur’s smile softened. "Good. And these are my friends."

Silence.

Then Arthur suddenly felt something through Synchronization.

Confusion.

Annoyance.

Jealousy.

He blinked, and a vivid image appeared in his mind. Vedas calmly walking toward him, picking him up, spinning him around, then throwing him straight into a wall.

Arthur almost burst out laughing. "So that’s what you want to do," he said.

Vedas immediately looked away, embarrassed.

Sun slowly looked between them. "Is Vedas jealous?" he said.

Mithra burst into laughter. Athena covered her mouth. Even Mara couldn’t hide a smile.

Vedas crossed his arms, pretending absolutely nothing had happened.

Arthur grinned. "First time?"

Vedas looked away. "...No comment."

Arthur immediately saw another image.

This time...

Vedas calmly dragged Arthur outside before throwing him off a cliff.

Arthur burst into laughter. "That’s even worse."

Sun slowly looks at Vedas. "...How many ways have you imagined killing Arthur?"

Vedas immediately looks away.

Arthur suddenly freezes as another image appears.

This time...

Vedas is burying Arthur underground.

Arthur sighs. "You’re getting creative."

The fairy tilted her head. "You’re my partner?" she asked.

Arthur nodded. "I hatched you," he said, pointing toward Vedas. "And he’s my first partner."

Silence.

Mithra immediately pinched Arthur’s right cheek. "What do you mean you hatched her?"

Athena pinched the left. "You carried an egg. That’s not hatching."

Sun nodded seriously. "I witnessed the entire event," he said. "You contributed very little."

Mara joined in. "I agree."

Even Kong pointed as if he was trying to say, he didn’t hatch her.

Arthur tried defending himself. "I emotionally supported the egg," he said.

Nobody accepted that explanation.

Arthur sighed dramatically. "I’m being bullied," he said.

The fairy watched everything, then laughed and it sounded magical. Everyone immediately stopped arguing, then smiled.

Athy chirped happily.

Melo floated closer without hesitation.

Even the Blazefang Lion lowered its head beside Arthur.

Nobody had asked them to.

They simply wanted to be closer.

Athena quietly noticed. "...Interesting."

Arthur blinked. "That’s dangerous," he said.

Sun looked over. "What is?"

"If she keeps laughing like that," Arthur said, "she’s going to win every argument."

The fairy tilted her head again. "Really?"

Mithra smiled warmly. "Absolutely," she said.

A blue window suddenly appeared before Arthur.

[New Beast Partner!]

Arthur blinked. "No way," he said.

Immediately he opened his Status.

[Beasts:]

[Goblin Commander]

[Level 29]

[Skills: Hurling, War Shout, Armor Piercing, Command Authority, Magic Burst]

[Synchronization: 65%]

His eyes widened when he saw another entry below it.

[Time Fairy]

[Level 1]

[Skills: Charm, Vision Sharing]

[Synchronization: 5%]

Arthur stared.

Once.

Twice.

Then suddenly laughed and everyone turned.

Athena frowned. "Arthur?"

He pointed toward the screen. "It wasn’t a joke," he said. "My Status says she’s my second Beast."

Silence.

Mara clapped happily. "Congratulations!" she said.

The fairy smiled proudly. "Partner," she said.

Arthur smiled back. Then he noticed something. Sun wasn’t smiling. Athena looked stunned. Even Mithra had gone strangely quiet.

Arthur blinked. "What’s wrong?"

Mithra blinked, then quickly said, "Arthur, are you sure it says you’re connected to her?"

Arthur nodded. "Yeah, I can even see her skills," he said.

Sun sighed. "Then it confirms it," he said. "He somehow tamed another beast."

Arthur felt something was wrong and asked, "Is that not possible?"

Athena crossed her arms. "Not at our level," she said.

Arthur asked, "What do you mean?"

Athena said, "A Bronze Rank tamer can only have one beast. It’s only when you become a Silver Rank Tamer that you can gain two more."

Arthur paused. "But why? Is it because the pressure on them is too much?"

Mithra shook her head. "It’s because their Mana Realm can only hold just one," she said.

Arthur blinked. "Wait, is that why we’re connected with our beasts?"

Athena nodded. "The Mana Realm is basically the real connection. It’s why when our beasts grow, we also grow."

Arthur held his chin, then said, "Oh, then it’s simple."

Sun blinked. "What?"

He grinned. "My Mana Realm is just big enough to hold two."

Athena said, "That is the issue, we don’t know—"

Before Athena could respond, Vedas suddenly spoke. "Actually," he said.

Everyone looked toward him.

"When Arthur enters Synchronization," he said, "I’ve seen it. There isn’t one room."

Arthur blinked. "There isn’t?"

Vedas shook his head. "A hallway," he said. "Three doors. Three separate rooms."

Silence. Sun, Athena, and Mithra all wore blank expressions.

Arthur’s eyes lit up. He laughed and said, "Well, mystery solved. But man, my Mana Realm sounds awesome!"

"It really does. I’m kind of jealous," Melo said softly. "I bet it has a lot of space."

"Oh? I’m curious now. Vedas, can you show me?"

Vedas blinked before imagining the Mana Realm, and immediately a picture appeared inside Arthur’s mind. He saw blue walls with comfortable chairs like it was a warm living room. Then it shifted to a long blue hallway that held one two open doors and one unopened one.

"So one door is for Vedas and the other is for–"

"Me?" Fairy tilted her head. "...Do I live there?"

Arthur laughed. "You do!"

Her face lit up as she squirmed a bit making everyone smile a bit more.

"Still..." Arthur’s smile became even wider. "I want to go there," he said.

Vedas blushed. "It’s comfortable," he said.

Sun slowly rubbed his forehead. "He’s excited about his own soul," he said.

Arthur nodded proudly. "I have excellent taste," he said.

Everyone laughed.

Athena sighed. "When we return," she said, "we’re researching this."

He grinned. "Of course," he said. "Now then. Since she is my partner, we need to give her a name."

But then Arthur froze, tilting his head, and looked down at the tiny fairy who blinked up at him.

Mithra said, "Arthur?"

Arthur said, "I just realized she has been speaking to us and she hasn’t evolved. She just hatched."

Everyone froze, then looked at the tiny fairy, who blushed.

Arthur chuckled. "It seems my new partner is just that amazing." He looked back down at her. "But you need a name."

Mithra nodded with a smile. "What are you thinking about?"

Arthur asked the fairy, "Since you can talk, is there a name you would want to be called by?"

The tiny fairy tilted her head. "No," she said. "I don’t think so."

Sun nodded. "Let’s start saying some names," he said and then he suggested practical names first. "Tiny," he said.

Arthur immediately rejected it.

Mithra suggested elegant names. Mara suggested names from ancient stories. Athena suggested forgotten fairy names pulled from old books she had once read.

Each time, the fairy smiled politely. "Pretty," she said. "Very pretty. But it doesn’t feel like me."

Arthur simply waited. No pressure. No rushing.

Finally the tiny fairy suddenly gasped, like remembering a distant dream. She gently placed both hands over her chest.

"I think," she said, "I’d like Eden."

She quietly repeated it. "Eden."

Then again.

"...Eden."

A smile slowly spread across her face. "...I like that." She looked around nervously. "Would that be alright?"

For a second nobody spoke.

Then Arthur smiled. "I love it," he said.

Mithra clasped her hands together. "It fits you perfectly," she said.

Mara nodded. "It’s beautiful," she said.

Athena smiled. "Welcome, Eden," she said with a grin. "That’s definitely better than Tiny," he said.

Sun scratched his head. "Tiny was good," he said.

Eden giggled again, her wings fluttering happily.

The mood turned light after that.

Everyone gathered their things, laughing, talking, beginning the walk back through the Treasury. Arthur gently carried Eden on his shoulder while she looked around in fascination, complimenting everything she saw.

"The crystals are beautiful."

"Oh! Your shield is shiny!"

"Athy, your feathers are so pretty!"

Even Athena couldn’t help smiling.

"The ceiling is so high."

"The lights are pretty."

"The walls sparkle."

She suddenly looked up at Arthur. "...Is the outside even bigger?"

Arthur smiled. "Much bigger."

Her tiny wings fluttered excitedly. "I want to see everything."

Arthur laughed. "Then we’ll show you."

Eden’s silver eyes sparkled. "Really?"

Arthur nodded. "The forests."

"The cities."

"The mountains."

"The oceans."

"The whole world."

Eden’s tiny eyes became brighter with every word. "...It’s that big?"

Arthur laughed. "Bigger."

She smiled so brightly that even the others couldn’t help smiling too. "Then I’ll remember all of it." She happily clapped both hands together. "I can’t wait."

Mithra smiled warmly. "She’s excited about everything."

Sun nodded. "...I kind of envy that."

Mara looked toward Eden. "It’s nice. I hope she never loses it."

Athena quietly watched the tiny fairy smiling at every wall, every statue, every crystal. "...She really does enjoy everything."

Arthur looked at Eden again.

She had only been alive for a few minutes... Yet somehow she had already made the ancient Temple feel brighter.

Eden tiny wings fluttered excitedly as she stood on Arthur’s shoulder. She felt his blond hair tickle her a bit before she looked around.

"Oh!" She pointed toward Athena. "Your shield is so amazing and shiny."

Athena blinked. "...Thank you?"

Eden smiled brightly. "You don’t like it?"

"N-No, I really do! It’s just..." Athena glanced down at Aegis. "No one has ever complimented my shield before."

"Hm? We didn’t?" Arthur blinks.

Mithra crossed her arms. "I guess we didn’t..."

Sun couldn’t help chuckling. "Most people compliment the person wearing it."

Eden tilted her head. "...But the shield worked very hard too."

Sun blinked. "...Fair enough."

She looked toward Mithra next and her eyes lit up. "Your hair is beautiful."

Mithra giggled and gently rubbed Eden own one. "Thank you but I love yours even more. It’s so sparkling and cute."

Eden held her face with a beaming smile and then her attention turned to Kong. She tilted her head before flying over and gently tapping his head.

"Oh!" She claps her hands. "You’re really fluffy."

Kong blinked before looking down at his own golden fur and then looking at Sun.

"She is right, it’s the only reason I allow you on my head."

Kong glared at him while Eden and Sun laughed.

Then Eden’s eyes landed on Melo and she gasped.

"So soft..." Melo immediately jumped over and allowed Eden to hug one of her tails with both arms. "I want to hug you forever!"

Melo smiled happily and rubbed against her cheek.

Arthur smiled. "I agree, Melo."

And then Athy flew over, landing next to Eden whose eyes lit up. And then Eden snuggled her face against Athy’s chest, making her chirp and gently caressing Eden’s hair.

"And Athy has been conquered." Athena lightly says.

Eden’s eyes landed on the nervous Mara and Blazefang Lion. Eden tilted her head before flying over to Mara and smiled at her.

"Hello there, Eden. You have the cutest smile I have ever seen." Mara says softly.

Eden giggles and says. "You have the most amazing partner I have ever seen."

She slowly moved her hand to the head of the lion and he lowered it. Eden trembled in delight as he rubbed the light head with a smile.

Finally...

Eden looked toward Vedas and she studied him quietly. Vedas trembled and nervously shifted before freezing when he saw Eden grinning at him. "You’re my partner... First Partner?"

"He is, you can treat him as your big brother."

"Big Brother!"

Vedas puffed his chest out as Eden flew over and he gently caressed her hair with a finger.

Mara smiled knowingly. "...She’s going to charm everyone."

Athena quietly nodded. "...I think she already has."

...

Far behind them, Kyne’s corpse remained motionless.

Then a tiny thread of blue lightning slipped free from its body. It floated silently through a pathway, then a hallway, beyond the ruins, across forests, and stopping before hundreds of monsters lifted their heads at the same time.

One massive beast stepped forward, its golden eyes narrowing. "They’ve been found," it said.

Another growled. "Then the hunt resumes."

The entire horde began moving.

As they follow the trail the blue light had left behind.