Chapter 161 – The Evolution Crystals

Chapter 161: Chapter 161 – The Evolution Crystals

The expedition established camp near the mountains before nightfall. The cave Orion selected was spacious enough to accommodate the entire group, and its entrance offered a clear view of the crystal forest below. Two instructors remained outside to guard the perimeter while the researchers examined the materials they had collected.

Azrael sat near the entrance, turning the Abyssal Origin Core between his fingers. The dark crystal was roughly the size of his palm, with thin crimson lines running through its center. Every few seconds, it released a pulse of energy that caused the surrounding air to distort slightly.

Seraphina sat across from him, watching her own discovery glow inside a protective container.

"Are you going to keep staring at that thing all night?" she asked.

Azrael held up the core. "I’m checking whether it’s safe to absorb."

"And?"

"It’s not going to explode."

Seraphina smiled. "That’s reassuring."

"I’m still checking whether it’ll explode inside me."

Her smile disappeared. "Azrael!"

He laughed and put the crystal away. "I’m joking. Mostly."

Orion approached before Seraphina could throw anything at him. He carried two small metal cases and placed them on the ground between the twins.

"Before either of you attempts an evolution, you need to understand what these materials can do. The Abyssal Origin Core contains concentrated energy that has been shaped by a powerful creature’s bloodline. The Genesis Crystal, on the other hand, contains an unusually pure concentration of life energy. Both are valuable, but neither is a complete evolution by itself."

Azrael opened his case. Inside were several smaller crystals, a bottle of silver liquid, and a thin metal plate covered in runes.

"What are these for?"

"Stabilizing your energy during refinement. The main materials will supply the energy, but your bodies must process it correctly. If your foundations cannot handle the transformation, the excess energy will damage your cores."

Seraphina leaned closer to her case. "How long will preparation take?"

"If everything goes well, you can begin tomorrow. However, I want you to test the materials first. Neither of you should absorb an unknown resource simply because your System identifies it as compatible."

Azrael nodded. "Understood."

Orion left them to prepare, and the twins spent the next hour examining their materials. Azrael used Origin Perception to study the Abyssal Core, carefully tracing the energy circulating through its interior. The core contained a considerable amount of power, but he also detected a stubborn residue left behind by the creature’s Abyssal bloodline.

He released a thin strand of Oblivion and touched it to the crystal.

The residue vanished.

The core immediately became clearer, its crimson lines settling into a stable pattern. Azrael’s System responded.

Abyssal Origin Core Analyzed

Compatibility confirmed.

Foreign corruption detected and removed.

Refinement Efficiency: Increased

Azrael examined the result with satisfaction. He had no intention of wasting such a rare resource, especially when it might be the key to his next evolution.

Seraphina had been working on her Genesis Crystal as well. She didn’t need to remove corruption from it, but the energy inside was too concentrated to absorb directly. After consulting the researchers, she placed several small crystals around the container and used Genesis to regulate the flow between them.

Golden light spread across the arrangement.

The main crystal’s energy gradually became more stable, and the smaller crystals began glowing in response. Seraphina smiled when her System confirmed the improvement.

"That’s done. Mine is ready."

Azrael glanced at her formation. "You made that look easy."

"It wasn’t. I just didn’t complain every time something happened."

"I was checking for explosions."

"Of course you were."

By midnight, both sets of materials had been prepared. The researchers finished examining the surrounding area and confirmed that the crystal forest contained several more useful resources, though none matched the quality of the two main crystals. Orion decided that the expedition would remain in the valley for several days to collect supplies while the twins completed their refinement.

The next morning, Azrael entered a separate chamber inside the cave. Seraphina would undergo her refinement in the main chamber, where the researchers could monitor her energy without interfering.

Azrael placed the Abyssal Origin Core inside the metal formation and sat down. Astraeus rested across his knees while the prepared silver liquid floated before him.

He activated the formation.

The Abyssal Core dissolved into a stream of dark energy that entered his body through his chest. A violent pressure immediately spread through his core, and the energy began forcing its way into his bloodline.

Azrael’s jaw tightened.

The Abyssal energy was far denser than the energy he normally absorbed from monsters. It pressed against his Aetherion bloodline, provoking a fierce reaction that spread through his body and reached deep into his soul.

His System opened automatically.

Evolution Preparation Initiated

Race: Aetherion (Awakening)

Current Realm: Peak Mortal Origin

Evolution Progress: 79%

Compatible Evolution Resource: Abyssal Origin Core

Warning: Bloodline transformation detected.

Azrael ignored the notification and focused on controlling the energy.

The first stage went smoothly. His physical foundation absorbed the energy, strengthening his muscles, bones, and internal channels. Then the transformation reached his core.

The pressure increased sharply.

Aetherion energy surged through his body, colliding with the Abyssal energy before gradually drawing it inward. For several seconds, Azrael could barely maintain his concentration. The formation beneath him began to vibrate, and cracks appeared along its outer ring.

He immediately released Oblivion.

The dark energy wrapped around the unstable portions of the formation, preventing them from collapsing. He continued refining the Abyssal energy while his bloodline worked to assimilate it.

Minutes passed.

Then the pressure suddenly disappeared.

A deep pulse traveled through his body, followed by a surge of power that filled the chamber. His Aetherion bloodline had absorbed the resource, and the energy inside his core settled into a much denser state.

The System appeared.

Evolution Progress Increased

79% → 85%

Aetherion Bloodline Strengthened

Physical Foundation: Advanced

Origin Energy Capacity: Increased

Abyssal Adaptation: Detected

Azrael opened his eyes.

He could feel the difference immediately. His body was stronger, his movements felt sharper, and the energy circulating through his core had become noticeably denser. Even his connection with Astraeus felt different, as if the sword responded more readily to the slightest movement of his hand.

He stood and performed a simple sword technique.

A black arc shot across the chamber and struck the reinforced wall.

The wall split cleanly, leaving a deep cut through the stone.

Azrael examined the damage.

"That’s a substantial improvement."

He checked his System again, but the notification contained no realm breakthrough. His evolution progress had increased significantly, yet he remained at Peak Mortal Origin.

Still, reaching eighty-five percent meant the next stage was no longer far away.

In the main chamber, Seraphina’s refinement had reached its final stage.

Golden light filled the room as the Genesis Crystal slowly dissolved. Its energy flowed into her body, strengthening her bloodline and spreading through her six wings. The feathers shone so brightly that the researchers had to step back from the formation.

Seraphina remained seated at the center, her hands resting on her knees.

Her Genesis energy surged.

For a moment, the light became almost blinding. The formation struggled to contain the energy, but the crystals surrounding her absorbed the excess and returned it in a controlled flow.

Then her wings spread fully.

A wave of golden energy swept through the chamber, and every crystal in the formation lit up at once.

Her System appeared.

Evolution Preparation Initiated

Race: Genesis Bloom (Awakening)

Current Realm: Peak Mortal Origin

Evolution Progress: 78%

Compatible Evolution Resource: Genesis Crystal

Bloodline Refinement Successful

Seraphina’s eyes opened.

Golden light lingered in her pupils as the remaining energy settled inside her core. She raised one hand, and a small golden flower appeared above her palm. A second flower formed beside it, followed by several more, each created with almost no effort.

She closed her hand, dismissing them all.

The System updated.

Evolution Progress Increased

78% → 86%

Genesis Bloom Bloodline Strengthened

Blooming Core: Enhanced

Genesis Energy Efficiency: Increased

Life Manipulation: Improved

Seraphina stood and spread her wings. Their golden feathers were brighter than before, and the energy flowing through them was much more stable. She tested her movement by crossing the chamber in a burst of speed, stopping beside the doorway before the researchers had time to react.

One of them stared at her.

"You moved without activating a movement skill."

Seraphina looked back at him. "I know."

She was pleased with the improvement. Her Genesis abilities had always been powerful, but the increase in energy efficiency meant she could maintain complex creations for longer without exhausting herself.

When the twins reunited outside the chambers, Azrael noticed the difference immediately.

"You look stronger."

Seraphina smiled. "I am stronger."

"How much progress?"

"Eighty-six percent."

Azrael raised an eyebrow. "I’m at eighty-five."

"Then I win."

"You’re treating this like a competition."

"Because I’m winning."

He shook his head, though he couldn’t hide his amusement. Both of them had made substantial progress, and the remaining distance toward their next evolution was finally small enough to feel tangible.

Orion arrived with their updated readings and confirmed that neither had suffered any damage to their foundations. However, he warned them that the final stage would be more difficult than the refinement they had just completed.

"Your bloodlines have accepted the resources," he explained, "but that doesn’t mean the evolution itself will happen automatically. You still need to meet the conditions required for your next form. The final transformation may demand a particular environment, a certain level of energy, or a challenge that forces your bloodline to develop further."

Azrael looked toward the mountains beyond the crystal forest.

"Then we find what we need."

Seraphina nodded. "And if there’s a monster guarding it, we fight."

Orion sighed. "I was hoping you might say something less enthusiastic about fighting dangerous creatures."

"Why?" Seraphina asked. "We’re getting stronger, aren’t we?"

He had no immediate answer.

That afternoon, the expedition resumed gathering resources from the valley. Azrael and Seraphina joined the others, testing their improved abilities against several monsters that approached the camp. Their increased strength made the battles noticeably easier, and they collected several more valuable cores before sunset.

Neither had reached the Transcendent Origin Realm yet, but both had moved considerably closer to it.

With Azrael at 85% evolution progress and Seraphina at 86%, their next breakthrough was no longer a distant goal. It was the next major step in their evolution, and the Eastern Origin Wilds had already provided the first resources they needed to reach it.