The carriage rattled to a stop outside of House Aodh’s estate, its iron-wheels crunching gravel with a sound like breaking bones. Late afternoon sun slanted through the western trees, casting long shadows across the manicured grounds. Fin blinked out the window, the familiar sprawl of stone walls and ivy-draped arches snapping him from his reverie. The ant leg, glossy, heavier than it looked, shifted against his thigh as Kilian kicked the door open without ceremony, hopping out with a long, exaggerated stretch that cracked his spine in three distinct places.
“Home sweet home, little brother,” Kilian muttered, eyeing the estate.
Brady and Stefanie followed, their murmurs about tavern plans and potential bounties trailing off into the crisp air. Jace lingered inside the carriage, his quarterstaff balanced against his knees. “Finally escaping the little lunatic who thinks fighting is recreation.”
Fin slid out last, boots hitting the ground with a soft thud that sent a jolt through his tired legs. The weight of the yesterday’s exertions had settled into his muscles, a dull ache that spoke of growth rather than injury. The air smelled of pine and rich earth, a sharp, welcome contrast to the dungeon’s ichor stink still clinging to his clothes and hair. He inhaled deeply, trying to replace the memory of burnt chitin and mana discharge with something cleaner.
Kilian clapped his shoulder, the gesture firm but quick, affectionate in its restraint. “We’re off to Wellspring to report the dungeon’s closed. It’s the nearest city with a Guild Hall and the Guild will want details, probably bore us with paperwork and lectures about ‘proper containment protocols.’” His voice dropped into a mock-serious tone for the last three words, a clear imitation of some unlucky guild official.
Fin nodded, hefting the chitin leg. Its weight tugged his arm downward, a solid reminder of the yesterday’s revelations. “Hey,” he said, catching Kilian’s eye before he returned to the carriage. “That skill evolution. Any advice?” The quick question felt inadequate for the magnitude of the decision looming before him, he couldn’t find better words to frame it.
Kilian paused, glancing back with a half-smile that softened his battle-hardened features. “Follow your heart, runt. System offers what it sees in you, trust your gut on what fits.” He ruffled Fin’s hair with calloused fingers, then sat down inside the carriage. Brady gave playful wink as he clambered back inside. With Stefanie just giving a little wave as she followed.
From the window, Jace gave a curt nod, the closest thing to approval Fin had seen from him the past few days. As the carriage began to move, he called out, “don’t evolve anything stupid, kid. Some choices can’t be undone.”
As the carriage pulled off from the estate, the doors burst open, Cahira rushing out in a swirl of dark skirts and worried energy. Her sharp eyes, the same brown as Kilian’s, scanned him with military precision, cataloging his hair matted with sweat, tunic streaked with green stains, the splatters of ichor on his boots, before softening with visible relief. “Fin!” She grabbed his shoulders, turning him side to side like a healer checking for injuries. “Are you hurt? Did those fools let anything touch you?” She scanned the area looking for Kilian. “I had hoped Kilian would keep you back from the main fight…”
“I’m fine,” Fin said, squirming free with a grin he couldn’t suppress. “Everything went smooth, Kilian didn’t even let me near the boss. Just some soldier ants.” He decided not to mention how many “some” had been, or how close a few mandibles had come to taking his arm. “Look.” He hefted the ant leg, its jagged edge glinting in the sunlight. “Trophy. For a new tantō."
Cahira’s frown eased, though her hands lingered, checking his arms for cuts and bruises with the thoroughness of someone who had bandaged far too many wounds. Donovan’s voice cut through the doorway, deep and amused. “Let the boy breathe, love. He’s giddy, practically bouncing. Needs to freshen up and sort that skill evolution clouding his aura.”
Fin spun, ant leg thumping the ground with a weighty thunk. “How’d you know about that?” He stared at his father, searching for signs of some perception skill he’d never mentioned.
Donovan stepped out onto the portico, his broad frame filling the arched doorway. Dark hair catching the light. He winked. “A father knows his boy. And your mana’s been flickering since you arrived, System’s way of nudging you.” He gestured towards the house. “Go on, bath, then bed. Before Marian finds you and tries to sway your decision with his theories. You’ve earned a proper rest. Not every day a Tier One gets to go toe to toe with multiple Tier Two best and come out unscathed.”
Cahira sighed, releasing Fin with obvious reluctance. “Fine. But I want a full report later, no skipping details just because you think I’ll worry.” She shooed him inside, her sternness undercut by the relieved smile she couldn’t quite hide. “And leave that disgusting thing outside, it’s still dripping.”
Fin trudged upstairs, chitin leg reluctantly left on the portico, its weight a phantom ache in his shoulder by the time he reached his room. He closed the door behind him, surveying the familiar space, desk cluttered with parchment and quills scattered from his last attempts at copying Earth equations, bed unmade from his early morning rush, window overlooking the eastern gardens. Home, untouched by the day that had changed his perspective on everything.
He headed for the adjoining bath, shedding clothes that reeked of combat and adrenaline. The water steamed invitingly, washing away dungeon grime in rivulets of gray-green, the heat soaking into muscles he hadn't realized were so sore. He sank deeper, letting his head rest against the tub's edge, replaying yesterday in vivid detail, soldier ants crumpling under Thunderfang's precision strikes, plasma bursting through chitin with satisfying cracks, Kilian's fireballs cratering the boss's shell like it was parchment. Power. Real power. His chest tightened, a complex mix of awe and hunger that settled beneath his ribs.
Clean and towel-dried, dressed in loose sleeping clothes, Fin flopped onto his bed, the familiar creak of the wooden frame grounding him in normalcy. The room was quiet, late sun slanting through the window in golden bars, dust motes drifting in lazy spirals through the light. He stared at the ceiling, tracing familiar cracks he'd memorized years ago, letting yesterday's events settle into memory.
The soldier ants had been a thrill, manageable chaos he'd carved through with gleeful abandon. His skills had worked, better than he'd expected, even. Thunderfang had pierced shells, Plasma Compression Burst had shattered limbs, and his perception field had tracked movements well enough to keep him relatively unscathed. But the boss fight, Kilian blurring beyond visual tracking, Stefanie vanishing and reappearing like reality was merely a suggestion, Brady soaring on currents he commanded with thought alone, had been a revelation. Tier Threes didn't just fight; they commanded the very elements of combat. Precision, control, mastery over forces that bent to their will. His fists clenched against the quilt, fabric bunching between his fingers. He wanted that, not tomorrow, not in years, but soon. Soon enough to taste.
"Follow your heart," Kilian had said, as if the choice were simple. Fin exhaled slowly, sitting up and crossing his legs beneath him. He centered himself, breathing evenly the way Marian had taught during his earliest magic lessons, and pulled his System sheet with a focused thought. Blue text flared into his vision, overlaying reality with luminous script:

Name: Fin AodhAge: 11Tier: One
Active Skills:Thunderfang (Unique) Level 20 Plasma Compression Burst (Unique) Level 2
Passive Skills:Convergent Resonance (Unique) Level 25 [Evolution Available]Electromagnetic Perception (Unique) Level 8
Scientific Warfare (Unique) Level 1

The Evolution Available tag pulsed with gentle urgency, like a heartbeat calling for attention. He focused on it, accepting the prompt with a thought that felt like pushing through a membrane. A whir spun in his mind, sharp, familiar, like the sound of pages turning, and three distinct options bloomed into his awareness, each a potential path forward:You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Evolution Option 1: Convergent Battleframe
Core Principle: Redirects the sophisticated mana absorption system to enhance physical capabilities and combat effectiveness.
Enhanced Mechanics:

Electromagnetic Combat Amplification – Converts ambient mana into localized electromagnetic fields that boost muscle fiber efficiency and neural reflexes, optimizing movements and speeding reaction time with precisely calibrated electric jolts.
Fusion-Enhanced Physical Augmentation – Channels purified mana into microscopic fusion reactions throughout the body, heating metabolism and toughening muscle fibers for raw strength output beyond normal limits.
Tactical Transfer Matrix – Redirects mana reserves instantly to stressed body areas, automatically reinforcing against incoming damage or boosting critical strikes based on situational analysis.


Evolution Option 2: Convergent Refinement
Core Principle: Specializes in extreme mana purification and core enhancement, prioritizing magical potential over physical applications.
Enhanced Mechanics:

Precision Resonance Calibration – Tunes personal resonance frequency to attract rare mana particles, filtering them with pinpoint accuracy for exceptionally high-quality energy collection.
Advanced Fusion Purification – Refines collected mana in sequential stages, looping purified energy back to catalyze the refinement process, creating cascading efficiency gains over time.
Core Enhancement Transfer – Pumps ultra-purified mana directly into the personal core, gradually expanding and stabilizing it for substantially increased mana reserves and spell efficiency.


Evolution Option 3: Convergent Equilibrium
Core Principle: Maintains balance between combat enhancement and mana refinement, creating a versatile system that excels at adaptation rather than specialization.
Enhanced Mechanics:

Adaptive Resonance Field – Shifts resonance patterns between combat optimization and mana attraction based on situational needs, creating a self-balancing feedback loop. Balances emotions. User may push mana into skill to further alter emotions.
Dynamic Fusion Integration – Distributes fusion-processed mana between bodily enhancement and core refinement, adjusting ratios in real-time based on activity.
Equilibrium Transfer Circuit – Establishes an internal network to shift mana resources where most needed, predicting requirements and maintaining prepared buffer reserves.


Fin leaned back on his elbows, digging into the mattress, mind churning through possibilities. Three paths, each representing a piece of what he'd witnessed today, what he craved for tomorrow. He parsed them one by one, weighing pros and cons with the methodical thoroughness he'd once applied to balancing Earth equations.
Convergent Battleframe was immediately tempting, raw, tangible power, right now. Boosted muscles, faster reflexes, a body that could begin to keep pace with Kilian's battlefield blur. He pictured it clearly: dodging ant mandibles with heightened reflexes, punching through shells with electromagnetically enhanced Thunderfang, tanking hits with that reactive defense matrix. It would transform him into a fighter, a brawler who'd thrive in the chaos he'd come to love. The immediacy of it called to him, strength he could feel tomorrow, not months from now.
But the trade-off gnawed at his thoughts. It leaned hard on physicality, sidelining mana depth and core development. His skills, Thunderfang, Plasma Compression Burst, needed fuel as much as technique, and this path wouldn't grow his core substantially. He'd hit harder, move faster, but burn out quicker too. A sprinter rather than a marathon runner. Kilian might be a combat specialist, but even he maintained enough core depth to sustain those massive fireballs.
Convergent Refinement flipped that equation entirely, mana first, magic supreme. Pure energy cultivation, a steadily expanding core, fuel for bigger and more sophisticated bursts. He could refine Plasma Compression Burst into something truly monstrous, maybe even craft entirely new skills from scratch given enough refined energy. Marian's lectures from his earliest training days echoed in his memory, true mages ruled battlefields through control and capacity, not merely fists and speed.
But it felt distant, slow, a delayed gratification that chafed against his temperament. No muscle enhancement, no speed boost, none of the immediate satisfaction of feeling his body transcend its limits. He'd be a glass cannon, immensely potent, but potentially fragile, watching from the back while Kilian and others took the front lines. That wasn't him, had never been him. He craved the fight, the front, not the sidelines.
Convergent Equilibrium sat between these extremes, balanced, adaptable, a middle path that refused specialization. Not the strongest hitter, not the deepest well, but flexible in ways the other paths couldn't match. It would enhance both his body and his mana, shifting as needs demanded combat one day, refinement the next. He thought of Brady's precision air blades, Stefanie's calculated teleports, Kilian's controlled fire, none of them locked into a single approach. They bent the battlefield to their will through versatility. This path could offer that: grow with him, adapt to him, rather than forcing him into a pre-defined box.
The downside was clear enough: no extreme edge in either direction. He wouldn't outpunch a Battleframe specialist or outlast a Refinement mage in sustained casting. Just... steady, balanced progress across all fronts. Jack of all trades, master of none, except perhaps the art of adaptation itself. He was already able to fight ahead a Tier thanks to Convergent Resonance, maybe he didn’t need Battleframe.
He rubbed his eyes, feeling the weight of the decision. The shadows had lengthened across his floor, stretching toward evening. The absent ant leg's phantom presence reminded him of the day's revelations, the gulf between his current abilities and what he'd witnessed in that cavern.
Battleframe called loudly to the part of him that had laughed while carving through soldier ants, fast, fierce, immediate gratification. Refinement tugged at the analytical side that had puzzled over plasma formation, the part that craved true mastery down the long road. But Equilibrium... it felt right in a way he couldn't fully articulate. Not the flashiest choice, not the safest, just authentically him. A fighter who thought, a thinker who fought. Kilian's advice to "follow your heart" rang true, this path matched the persistent itch in his chest, the hunger to chase what he'd seen without sacrificing what he'd already built.
Fin exhaled slowly, his decision settling like a stone finding its place in a riverbed. He focused on Convergent Equilibrium, willing it into place with firm intention. The whir spun again in his mind, sharper now and warm with potential, and his System sheet updated with a soft blue pulse:

Name: Fin AodhAge: 11Tier: One
Active Skills:Thunderfang (Unique) Level 20 Plasma Compression Burst (Unique) Level 2
Passive Skills:Convergent Equilibrium* (Unique) Level 1 Electromagnetic Perception (Unique) Level 8
Scientific Warfare (Unique) Level 1

The moment the change registered, Fin felt it, the hum in his chest shifted in quality. Slightly stronger, but also different, subtler, broader, like a river splitting into tributaries that could recombine at will. He flexed his hand experimentally, feeling a faint tingle across his palm, not noticeably stronger yet, not deeper in reserves, just... ready. Poised. Adaptable in a way he hadn't been hours earlier.
A grin tugged at his lips, satisfaction warming his chest. Day one of something new, something that was wholly his. He rose from the bed, crossing to the window as twilight settled over the estate grounds. Below, staff moved between buildings, lanterns beginning to glow against the deepening blue. Beyond the walls, the city of Allsfern spread. Somewhere out there his brother’s team were probably setting up camp for the night. The dungeon run had probably changed Fin’s path.
The world looked different now. Not just because he’d seen true power unleashed, but because he’d chosen his own route toward it. Not Kilian’s way, not what others might have expected, but a path that resonated with his core.
He returned to his bed, sitting cross-legged again, and closed his eyes. The new skill, Convergent Equilibrium, hummed quietly within him, as it filtered the ambient mana around him, waiting to be explored. Tomorrow would bring training, testing, pushing boundaries to see what this evolution could truly offer. A dozen questions buzzed in his mind: How would it enhance Thunderfang? Would it change how Plasma Compression Burst formed? Could he manipulate the balance consciously, or would it respond automatically to his needs?
Questions for tomorrow. For now, he let the quiet of the room envelop him, the estate's distant creaks and murmurs lulling him into a meditative state between wakefulness and sleep. His perception field dimmed naturally, contracting to just the confines of his room as muscles relaxed and breathing deepened.
In the space between thoughts, he saw them again, Kilian blurring across stone, Stefanie blinking through reality, Brady commanding the very air. Not as untouchable gods now, but as waypoints on a journey he'd begun in earnest. Convergent Equilibrium was his first true step beyond mere skill acquisition, beyond the basics that had carried him through today's battle.
Fin drifted into sleep with the ghost of a smile on his face, the ant leg a silent promise waiting on the portico, and his newly evolved skill a constant, subtle hum beneath his breastbone, the sound of potential, balanced perfectly between what he was and what he would become.