The warbeasts created by the Epic Titan, the Lord of the Wilds, for warfare have a very short growth period. They spend their entire lives in the prime of their strength and energy, never aging. When their life spans come to an end, they die instantly. However, few warbeasts ever get to enjoy this fate because they are made for battle.
Due to their rapid growth, Muria spent only three years leading his ever-growing number of warbeasts in hunts across his father's world. In that time, the number of warbeasts under his command increased to ten species, numbering in the thousands. Finally, they laid their first batch of eggs, which Muria gladly claimed as his reward.
With this "payment" secured, Muria's playtime in his father's world came to an end. It was time for his father, Auston Igneel, to fulfill his promise to his mother, the Golden Dragon, and help her gather resources. Muria was set to accompany them.
"Are you bringing all these warbeasts with you?" asked the Golden Dragon as Auston opened the entrance to his demi-plane and absorbed the ten thousand fully matured warbeasts into it.
"Yes, these will be enough to conquer a small world."
"No, I mean... what if all your warbeasts die during the conquest? Won't you feel bad?"
"Feel bad? They're weapons. Dying in battle is the best end for them."
For weapons, being stored away, carefully maintained and polished over centuries until they rust and turn to dust is a fate worse than death. Only being wielded by their master, clashing against enemies and breaking in the heat of battle, is a true honor and their rightful end.
Upon hearing this, Muria, who had initially wanted to say something after watching his thousand warbeasts enter his father's demi-plane, closed his mouth and said nothing.
...
In the streets, soldiers armed with energy weapons marched in strict formation, patrolling. Pedestrians hurried along, their faces filled with anxiety, as if they feared staying in one place for too long. The entire city was steeped in an atmosphere of fear. Despite the presence of heavily armed soldiers, the citizens did not feel reassured; instead, they seemed to fear them just as much as the unknown danger that loomed over them.
Inside an ice cream shop, a black-haired boy was enjoying a cold, sweet treat while reading a book. Across from him sat a blonde girl, similarly engrossed in a book while sipping on a cold drink. Beside the blonde girl was a black-haired, gold-eyed youth who bore a striking resemblance to the boy. Unlike the others, he wasn't holding a cold drink but instead twirled a small knife between his fingers as he, too, read a book. The scene was oddly out of place.
"Little Muria, did you find anything valuable in those books?" asked the blonde girl, her gaze soft and motherly as she looked at the boy.
"For me, there's plenty of valuable information."
"Oh? Do tell!" The blonde girl's eyes lit up with curiosity.
"For starters, the evolutionary process of the intelligent species on this world is fascinating." Muria flipped through the book he was reading, showing the blonde girl a drawing of a green-skinned humanoid creature that resembled a goblin, only larger and more muscular, with visible fins and webbed feet.
"Can you believe it? These aquatic creatures, which look so much like goblins, were actually the ancestors of the intelligent species that now resemble humans. This was their original form, as they existed three thousand years ago."
Muria then pulled several more books from the table and opened them in front of the Golden Dragon.
"According to my research, the significant changes began three thousand years ago. Due to some unknown influence, the evolutionary process of the intelligent species here accelerated drastically. In just three thousand years, their physical evolution outpaced the changes that took place over hundreds of thousands of years prior. Their skin color lightened, becoming pale, and their average height increased from 1.6 meters to 3 meters. Such dramatic changes are unbelievable, and they happened across the entire world.
"It wasn't just these aquatic goblin-like creatures that changed. Every living creature on this world has been evolving. They've grown larger, stronger, and more aggressive."
Muria continued, clearly excited. "The native species have noticed this change. The prevailing theory is that some special substance or entity has influenced their evolution. They know this isn't a natural process."
"Of course, the scholars of this world don't understand why these changes are happening. But to me, the answer is obvious."
Muria's eyes filled with awe. Though he had witnessed the power of the Titans many times, he found himself once again marveling at their strength.
"Hmm, while this information might be new to you, for us, it's common knowledge," the Golden Dragon said, evaluating Muria's discovery. Her words, however, didn't dampen his excitement.
"Father, I have to ask, what did the Titans do to this world to cause such a massive shift in the evolution of its species?" Muria's eyes gleamed with curiosity as he looked at Auston.
"Muria, the worlds under Titan control can generally be divided into two categories. One is the fully developed world, while the other is the untamed world, marked but not yet influenced by Titan laws.
"In a fully developed world, like the one you and I were assigned, once a Titan enters with their credentials, they become the favored child of that world. The world itself will bless and protect them, making everything progress in their favor. Conquering such worlds is merely a matter of time. Even if you were to fail once, you would have a second, third, or even fourth chance until the world is unified under you.
"These fully developed worlds are essentially designed to serve the Titans."
"Is that why you didn't help me?" Muria asked.
"Of course. I want you to face as much difficulty as possible so that you'll grow stronger. Only by facing challenges will you be better prepared when you venture into the void."
"I get it," Muria interjected, cutting off his father's lecture. "And the second type of world is like the one we're in now, right?"
"Exactly. The second type is an untamed world. Titans only leave a mark here but don't influence its laws. When we enter, we're suppressed by the world's rules, and part of our strength is sealed. If we cause too much destruction, the world itself will turn against us."
"I see," Muria nodded thoughtfully. Then, he asked another question, "But what caused the large-scale evolution in this world?"
"Muria, that's because of the Titan mark left in this world. Can you guess what that mark is?"
"I have no idea."
"A drop of blood! A single drop of blood from an Epic Titan," the Golden Dragon revealed with a smile.
"Mother, are you saying that this massive evolutionary shift across the entire world was caused by just one drop of Titan blood?" Muria's face showed astonishment once again.
He had assumed that such a world-altering event was the result of an Epic Titan's direct intervention. But to think it was merely one drop of blood.
For an Epic Titan, a drop of blood was nothing. If they wished, they could shed dozens of tons without even noticing.
"Why are you so surprised? Look, the changes in this world have been gradual over thousands of years. These creatures had plenty of time to adapt to the influence of Titan blood, which is why there wasn't any major catastrophe."
"That makes sense," Muria nodded. Even though the accelerated evolution caused by Titan blood was gradual, it inevitably led to the extinction of countless species that couldn't adapt to the rapid changes. Natural selection had sped up a hundredfold.
Species that couldn't adapt disappeared, while new ones, better suited to the accelerated evolution, emerged. The native green-skinned duck-like people were fortunate. They had once ruled this world and continued to hold their place at the top during this evolutionary storm.
However, there was no doubt that their dominance had been shaken by the introduction of Titan blood. This potent substance nourished all life, not just the ruling species. And the closer a creature was to the Titan blood, the faster and stronger their evolution, making them terrifying threats to the natives.
Boom!
Suddenly, the ground beneath the street where Muria was sitting shook violently. The pedestrians, though startled, reacted quickly. Without much panic, they rushed to the nearest emergency shelter, as if well-practiced for such events.
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