The *Laser Dragon Turtle*, which had been crouched on the ground with fifteen jet-like protrusions on its shell, was now surrounded by a visible aura of blood. Its muscles bulged, and just as *Dawn* approached to engage it in close combat, it swiped the mech away with a single strike. After sending *Dawn* flying, the Dragon Turtle didn't immediately pursue but slowly stood up.
As it rose, the thick shell on its back began to crack along shallow lines, emitting a faint golden light. The gaps in the shell widened, and the small sparks of electricity dancing across its body grew more intense. Its very essence was changing.
As it continued to evolve, the thick limbs of the Dragon Turtle gradually slimmed down. Its claws lengthened and became more refined, almost resembling human hands. Its form grew increasingly humanoid—or rather, more Titan-like.
...
While the Dragon Turtle underwent its explosive evolution, alarms blared simultaneously at multiple military bases across the world. Countless surveillance devices zoomed in on the scene, capturing the Dragon Turtle standing up and transforming.
In the underground base closest to the Dragon Turtle, where the *Dawn* mech had been deployed, dozens of balding scholars huddled around the monitors. Some of them were almost fanatical, their eyes filled with a strange reverence.
"Godification!"
"The sixteenth catastrophe beast has been born."
"A miracle is unfolding before our eyes."
Unlike these excited scholars, the base's commanding officer, an elderly man with graying hair, watched the Dragon Turtle's transformation with sorrow in his eyes. His face flushed briefly with frustration, a sense of helplessness overtaking him.
He knew exactly what the scholars meant by "godification." The *Shore People*, the intelligent species born from the ocean and evolved to live on land, had their normal evolutionary process forcibly altered by a mysterious power three thousand years ago.
Since then, they had gradually transformed into their current form: tall, strong, brave, and aggressive, with superior intelligence, longevity, and physical abilities compared to their ancestors. Modern Shore People even rejected the idea that their green-skinned ancestors from three thousand years ago were related to them.
One of the most distinctive features of today's Shore People was their black hair. Any newborn Shore child with black hair was hailed as a genius destined for greatness in any field they chose, though most of these prodigies ended up as pilots. The black-haired Shore People were especially adept at combat and had a natural intuition for close-quarters battle.
These black-haired Shore People were called the "Children of God" by scholars, and many superstitious individuals believed they were descendants of gods. This genetic mutation not only affected the Shore People but also spread to all living organisms in the world. Countless species underwent evolution, producing powerful creatures, some of which developed extraordinary abilities. These creatures were known as mutant beasts.
Through years of combat and research, the Shore People classified these mutant beasts into three levels based on their energy and destructive power: *Threat*, *Danger*, and *Calamity*.
While *Threat*- and *Danger*-level mutant beasts could easily slaughter ordinary Shore People or destroy a street, they were little more than nuisances to an entire city. *Calamity*-level beasts, on the other hand, could wipe out entire cities with ease.
The Dragon Turtle that had emerged from the ground and caused an earthquake was a *Calamity*-level mutant beast, one of the most powerful of its kind.
No one expected the Dragon Turtle to evolve mid-battle with *Dawn*. Such evolution would push it beyond its original limits, transforming its form and strength entirely.
This phenomenon was what the scholars referred to as "godification." Since the first recorded godification of a mutant beast, every beast that broke through its limits had taken on a form closer to that of a human.
This inexplicable transformation had led Shore scholars to believe that a great being was behind it all, a being they called a god. Therefore, when mutant beasts underwent godification, their forms were said to become more "god-like."
These godified beasts gained all sorts of miraculous abilities—regrowing limbs, immunity to physical attacks, and more. Once a mutant beast completed its godification, it was classified as a *Catastrophe*, akin to a natural disaster with unimaginable destructive power.
Fortunately, after becoming a *Catastrophe*, these beasts became less active. Even the most energetic ones would frequently fall into long periods of dormancy. Scholars speculated that this was because the beasts, now true high-energy organisms, could no longer sustain prolonged high-intensity combat in their world's environment.
While the frequency of battles with *Catastrophes* decreased, the appearance of each one was no less terrifying than a natural disaster. Yet, though such disasters were unavoidable, they were not entirely unstoppable.
"It's a miracle! Every *Catastrophe*-level mutant beast proves that gods descended into our world three thousand years ago. They are the best evidence of the divine."
An elderly scholar with a glowing bald head stared at the rapidly evolving Dragon Turtle, his expression fervent.
"Alert all *Hunter* mechs! Mobilize every resource we have. We must kill this *Catastrophe*. There are already too many in the world."
The commander, shaking off his earlier helplessness, steeled his resolve. His eyes locked onto the Dragon Turtle's transforming form as he issued his orders.
"It's no use. Almost all weapons are ineffective against *Catastrophes*. Attacking it will only enrage it."
"Yes, Commander, it's already godified. Don't send the pilots to their deaths."
"I understand that it has entered the godification stage, but it's not yet a complete *Catastrophe*. It's still evolving." The commander turned, glaring at the scholars. He pointed at the screen, where the Dragon Turtle was becoming more humanoid. "It's not a god yet. It's not invincible. Our attacks can still hurt it."
"But—"
"No buts. I believe in your theory about divine intervention, but if the gods do exist, I believe the Shore People are their chosen ones, the most favored of all."
...
"It's already reached the *Soul Intent* level? Interesting!" Muria watched with keen interest as the Dragon Turtle's form shifted, becoming more humanoid.
Standing tall now, the Dragon Turtle had transformed into a forty-meter-tall humanoid figure, its muscles bulging beneath blue-black skin. The once-solid shell on its back had broken apart, with fragments forming an armor-like covering across its body.
The shell's main section had become a large, circular wheel that floated behind it, with twenty-four jets extending from its edges. Blue-white lightning arced across the wheel, radiating an awe-inspiring power.
Even more intriguingly, white jets of air burst from the wheel, lifting the newly evolved Dragon Turtle into the air. It now had the ability to fly.
Meanwhile, inside the *Dawn* mech, Fargo stared in stunned disbelief at the scene unfolding before him. He recognized the transformation all too well and had tried to stop it.
Despite pushing the mech to its limits, *Dawn*'s particle cannons and railguns couldn't penetrate the lightning field surrounding the Dragon Turtle. All of Fargo's ranged attacks were blocked, and in close combat, he had been utterly outmatched.
Now, as the Dragon Turtle completed its evolution, the gold-painted *Dawn*, covered in crimson energy patterns, lay shattered. It even bled like a living organism.
"Can you help me?" Fargo asked suddenly. Lying in the mech's cockpit, he turned his head slightly. As he moved, the mech's head followed, and its glowing blue mechanical eyes locked onto Muria, who was hovering invisibly above.
"..."
Muria remained silent for a moment, surprised to have been noticed.
Beside him, the golden dragoness smirked. "Little Muria, you're too weak. Even the locals can spot you. Ha! And now he's asking you for help. What are you going to do?"
"You can see me?" Ignoring the dragoness's teasing, Muria checked his invisibility spell. It was working perfectly, so he was puzzled as to how the pilot had detected him. Muria extended his mental energy into the pilot's mind.
"Yes," came Fargo's nervous reply.
"Do you know who I am? And you still dare to ask for my help?" Muria's curiosity sparked a bit of mischief. Imitating the mental patterns of a devil he had once encountered, Muria communicated with Fargo.
"No," came the trembling voice.
"Then let me tell you. I'm a devil from Hell, and I enjoy devouring souls."
_________________________
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