The cavern floor was littered with remnants of the slain Floor Guardian, its obsidian-like armor shattered across the battlefield. The oppressive weight of the abyss had finally lifted, leaving only silence broken by the faint crackling of fire and the whisper of stirred water.
Kael leaned heavily on his glaive, his body trembling from the strain of forcing every drop of strength into that final decisive blow. Sweat clung to his brow, but his gaze never wavered from his summons.
They were changing.
Pyraflame's body glowed like molten ore about to burst apart. Flames roared from within its chest, spilling through cracks in its scales. The drake roared defiantly, wings unfurling with searing heat that warped the air itself.
The System rang out, calm and absolute:
[Pyraflame][Evolution available – Rare Rank.]
Kael's eyes widened as the fire beneath Pyraflame's talons spread into molten rivers. The drake was not simply evolving—it was erupting.
A storm of flame coiled into a vortex, swallowing Pyraflame whole. Its roar thundered through the chamber as the cocoon of fire collapsed inward.
When the blaze died, Pyraflame emerged larger, sharper, a crown of jagged flame-like horns forming upon its head. Its wings were edged with molten steel, its scales a blend of crimson and ember-black. The aura it radiated was pure aggression—an embodiment of destruction.
[Pyraflame has evolved into Rare Rank – Flame Sovereign Drake.][Specialization Path: Assault.]
Kael smirked faintly. "A true engine of war."
Aquara: The Eternal Tide
Aquara stepped forward next, her staff glowing faintly as she dipped it into the pond created by her purification during battle. The water rose around her, shimmering with light that carried no corruption, only balance.
The System chimed again:
[Aquara ][Condition 3: Completed.][Evolution available – Uncommon Rank.]
The pond erupted upward into a dome of water, enclosing Aquara completely. Within, her form blurred, her silhouette merging with the flow of water until it reshaped itself.
When the dome collapsed into droplets of liquid light, Aquara stood resplendent. Her fins extended outward into crystalline blades, her robe adorned with flowing azure runes. The staff she carried had morphed into a trident crowned with pearls of condensed mana. Her aura no longer felt fragile—it was a bastion.
[Aquara has evolved into Uncommon Rank – Tidecaller Spirit.][Specialization Path: Defense and Support.]
Kael exhaled slowly. "A shield… and a tide. Perfect."
Unlike Pyraflame and Aquara, Luminara remained still. Her halo spun lazily, wings folded around her body as faint golden light pulsed outward. She had not transformed—but her evolution path revealed itself.
[Luminara]
A pause—and then a surprising simplicity.
[Condition 3 Unlocked: Heal an ally beyond the point of collapse.]
Kael frowned. This was far easier than he expected, and yet it struck a deeper note. Luminara's growth wasn't about raw power—it was about presence. To endure despair, to hold the line, and to restore hope.
The angelic summon bowed her head gently, as though promising she would meet those trials when the time came.
The last to stir was Umbra. The shadows it had devoured during the battle thickened, shrouding its body in darkness so deep it seemed to drink in the faint glow of Luminara's halo.
[Umbra][Condition 3 Unlocked: Consume the remnant shadow of a fallen abyssal beast.]
Kael blinked. "…That's it?"
For Umbra, the path was surprisingly direct. It had already satisfied two harrowing trials, and the third was far simpler—devour what lingered of corruption after the kill.
A grin flickered across Kael's lips. This one will complete its path sooner than expected.
Umbra pulsed once with violet light, then sank into the shadows, awaiting the moment to fulfill its last step.
The evolutions ended, and silence returned. But it was not the silence of emptiness—it was the silence of power redefined.
Pyraflame, now a weaponized sovereign of flame.Aquara, reborn as a guardian tidecaller.Luminara, a beacon with paths yet ahead.Umbra, a predator whose final step was already within reach.
Kael clenched his fists, resolve surging.
"They're not just summons. They're pieces of my soul given form… and they'll carry me through the abyss."
The System delivered its final message of the night:
[Summon Evolution Records Updated.][Warning: Abyssal fluctuations rising. Floor descent imminent.]
Kael straightened, glaive in hand, his summons standing ready by his side. Whatever awaited below, he knew one thing—he was no longer the same Kael who had entered this floor.
And neither were his companions.