Chapter 536: The Demon Cat’s Evolution
"Meow!"
Without warning, the Twin Winged Water Demon Cat, which had remained perfectly still until now, let out a sharp cry.
Its wings immediately spread wide, and the mark on its forehead flared to life. Like a projector casting light through the sea, it released a brilliant dark-blue radiance that expanded in every direction. The glowing symbol rapidly grew larger, becoming a five-meter-wide magical sigil that pulsed with shimmering light while enveloping the cat’s housecat-sized body. The charge was complete, and its evolution had begun.
For a heartbeat, everything around it seemed to fall strangely quiet, as though even the restless sea had suddenly paused in anticipation. Every pair of eyes remained fixed on the small figure at the center of the growing light, unwilling to look away for even an instant.
The seawater surrounding the cat began to rotate, forming an enormous vortex. The ocean churned violently as immense water element energy was drawn from the surrounding sea by an invisible force, streaming endlessly into the swirling current before being absorbed by the cat at its center.
It was absorbing water-element energy directly from the ocean itself, something even many deep-sea Mythic Beasts couldn’t accomplish. Yet this little demon cat was doing it effortlessly, as though drawing strength from the ocean itself was the most natural thing in the world. If it was already capable of this much after a single evolution, Marcus could only imagine what it might become in the future.
And it wasn’t limited to the sea, either; originally, it had been a Soul-Mist Water Demon Cat that preferred darkness. After devouring the soul of the Twin-Winged Ice Owl, a Mythic Beast, it had grown a pair of wings and gained the ability to fly. And, after staying for a thousand years within one of the Five Sacred Springs, the legendary Spring of Purity, it had accumulated an enormous reserve of water-element energy, making life both underwater and on land feel completely natural.
Land, sky, and sea; for this absurdly fortunate little demon cat, mastering all three almost felt inevitable.
The evolution entered its final stage, and the vortex spun faster and faster until it became a roaring whirlpool. Wrapped in a blazing dark-blue aura that flickered like ghostly flames, the cat continued absorbing water-element energy from the ocean until, at last, the accumulation reached its limit.
"Meow!"
With another triumphant cry, the cat spread its wings and stopped absorbing energy.
The enormous water sigil dissolved into countless streams of blue light before collapsing back into its body. At the same moment, the gigantic vortex imploded, sending a violent shockwave racing through the surrounding water and nearly throwing everyone off balance.
As the turbulent currents raged around them, a burst of pitch-black light suddenly erupted from within the dark-blue glow. Countless shadowy spirits spiraled around the cat, dancing through the water like wandering phantoms.
Then its body began to grow, from the size of a housecat to the size of a full-grown tiger.
Its increase in size wasn’t entirely unexpected. Marcus had already noticed from the pet egg’s projection that this species would mature into a much larger beast. Even so, its proportions remained sleek and graceful rather than bulky.
The broad wings only added to its regal appearance, folding neatly against its body before flexing with quiet confidence. It looked powerful enough to command attention wherever it went, yet somehow it hadn’t lost the graceful, almost playful elegance that had made it so charming before.
What caught Marcus’s attention, however, wasn’t its size; it was the final moment of the evolution. The sudden eruption of black light and those swirling shadow spirits made him pause; he had assumed the Soul-Mist Water Demon Cat’s darkness and the Twin-Winged Ice Owl’s icy blue power had completely fused into that unique dark-blue aura. Apparently, that wasn’t the case. At the very end of the evolution, its power had returned to pure darkness.
Just what kind of potential is this little thing hiding, and what would it become after its next evolution? For the first time in a while, even Marcus couldn’t make a reasonable guess.
The newly evolved demon cat bounded through the water toward them with astonishing speed. Its sleek black fur rippled gracefully with every movement, while vivid blue markings shimmered along its back. Beneath the lingering dark-blue glow, its coat seemed to conceal wisps of dark energy and drifting spirits, and its sapphire-blue eyes shone with an eerie, almost demonic brilliance.
It truly lived up to the name of a demon cat.
"..."
Jade stared at the tiger-sized feline for a long moment before letting out a disappointed sigh.
"Marcus... that’s kind of sad. Kitty grew up." She looked at the much larger cat with obvious reluctance before pouting. "I can’t carry her around anymore. She was so cute when she fit in my arms."
Marcus chuckled at her genuine disappointment.
"Don’t worry. If you ever find another pet you really like, I’ll catch it for you."
As he smiled at her, his eyes drifted over the young archer standing beside him. Her light armor followed the graceful lines of her figure, and the closeness between them made it impossible not to notice how much she had begun to mature. She still carried the youthful innocence that made her so endearing, but she was growing into a beautiful young woman before his eyes.
Jade had unconsciously leaned against him during the entire evolution, her slight frame resting comfortably at his side. The warmth of her body and the easy trust she showed him made him smile more than anything else. Without thinking, he gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a light squeeze.
The demon cat bounded over with an excited purr. The moment it reached them, Jade’s attention immediately shifted away from Marcus as she eagerly opened its status window.
"Marcus, look!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Kitty gained a new skill after evolving! Cat’s Grace. She can change her size!"