The Runic Alchemist

The moment the little Trunkling hit level 50, Damian received an additional temporary skill as well:

[Beast Evolution: Leader Rank (Temporary): Bound by soul, the user has the right to choose his companion's evolution path.]

Damian didn't want to keep Toph waiting any longer. As soon as he hit level 50, Toph dragged Damian by his pants, tackling him. Once he had Damian's attention, he trumpeted loudly and stared at him with his two blinking eyes. He knew Damian held the key to his further evolution.

Still, Damian convinced the little munchkin to level up all his skills first, and at last, Toph was ready. Damian didn't waste much time—he told everyone, and they set up a small camp beneath a tree with open space around them. Though Damian could sense all the monsters nearby, some of his companions stood watch as he activated his temporary skill, putting Toph down. Everyone gathered, watching the little elephant in anticipation.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Damian activated the skill, and immediately a window appeared. Everyone clamored behind him to take a look.

—

PATHS OF LEADER RANK EVOLUTION FOR UNRANKED BEAST TOPH

Pyrophant

Voidwalker

Terra Gaurdian

Celestiphant

Mana-mammoth

—

"He has five options…" Grace murmured.

"There's no explanation for what each path entails, though…" Evrin said.

Pyrophant must be a fire influenced version of the normal Celestiphant path. He has options to evolve in his traditional path too. The Astralox Titan was cool and powerful but not invincible. Even after becoming an emperor ranked beast there was not much use of its massive mana besides keep spamming with the same skills and his movements were slow - it did pack a lot of punch in its attack though.

So, Voidwalker, Terra Guardian, and Mana-mammoth were the paths he really needed to choose from. Toph loved using his Quick Dash skill, and after acquiring Voidstep, he loved spamming that skill, even though his tiny body and minuscule mana could barely handle it.

Mana-mammoth seemed like a path that favored as much mana as Toph could store in his body, while Terra Guardian seemed related to the Battle Elephant skill set and influenced by his tackling ability. All were just Damian's assumptions though.

"What do you guys think?" Damian asked.

Then, looking at Toph, he explained his thoughts in detail, placing five different stones on the ground, each representing a path he explained. Even the little munchkin was working his smooth head at full power, examining them carefully.

"Voidwalker seems rare… He has space-time affinity. I think you should make use of that," Lucian answered simply.

"Celestiphant was what he was, right? I read about it in the library…" Lumi said, thinking hard as if the decision was a matter of life or death for her.

"That's what his species is called, but he's still unranked…" Damian clarified.

"Mana-mammoth and Voidwalker should be the choices…" Sam said, but before he could continue, Toph drew everyone's attention.

"Wheee!"

He was smacking the Voidwalker stone that Damian had set on the ground relentlessly, his excitement obvious. Damian couldn't help but smile, and others chuckled as well.

"I guess there's no need to decide…" Einar commented, picking the little guy up and snuggling him close.

"Okay, I'm doing it…" Damian said, as Einar set Toph down and everyone took a step back, unsure of what would happen next.

Damian selected Voidwalker, and suddenly Toph's body was enveloped in a brilliant golden light—so intense that it was hard to even look at. The light lasted for a few seconds before it began to fade.

When it finally disappeared, a bundle of sleeping elephant remained. Toph had grown—not by much, but he was already twice his previous size. His color had shifted to a bit brighter shade of purple, still almost indistinguishable from pink. But the most noticeable change was his giant ears—they were now pitch black. His tail was the same, though now it seemed to be on fire, the flames a deep black. When Damian picked him up, the fire didn't harm him, nor did it burn his clothes. It was a weird experience.

His belly now glowed with more intensity, and Damian could feel a noticeable improvement in Toph's mana. Even his small, four feet had darkened at the tips. Toph was sound asleep, and while the others behind him made strange noises, trying to poke the little chubby elephant, he remained undisturbed.

Damian used the analyze spell to reveal his improved stats:

---

Name : Toph Lv.51

Rank : Leader

Race : Voidwalker Elephant

Affinity : Fire, Space-time

Mana : 498/4000

STR : 65

DEF : 60

INT : 70

AGI : 67

DEX : 54

CHA : 7

LUC : 10

Titles : [Curse Bound], [Emperor], [Trunkful of Menace]

Skills : [Power Core V2 Lv.1] [Thunderous Trunk Lv.1] [Phantom Dash Lv.1] [Elemental Infusion Lv.9] [Radiant Steelguard Lv.1] [Juggernaut Charge Lv.9] [Battle Elephant Lv.9] [Infernal Surge Lv.1] [Temporal Shift Lv.1]

—

"That's some improvement," Sam commented. Damian just nodded.

They began to move on, as this was their last day in the area. They all planned to have dinner in the mess hall tonight. Damian cradled Toph's sleeping form as they made their way toward the key point on the other side of the dense forest.

Though the area was higher level than the previous four, it barely had any new monsters, and Damian had already analyzed most of them. There were plenty of leader- and terror-ranked monsters, however, they encountered them without having to seek them out - these ones were ferocious. Elias and Lumi, though clearly struggling, refused to back down. They fought on, knowing the value of this experience.

Elias had clearly never entered the dungeon before, leveling up with each passing second his body could handle. Lumi took breaks in between, but Elias only stopped when he ran out of breath, his armor bloodied. Damian didn't say anything, even when others shot him concerned looks regarding the over-exertion of his squires.

Damian didn't see the issue; this seemed like a valid approach to him. They wanted strength, and as long as they didn't venture too far or get seriously hurt, this would be fine. Opportunities like this were rare, and only Sam and Einar agreed with him without reservations.

For levels they had killed men.. Monsters were a much better choice as a beginner.

Continue reading stories on empire

At last, they reached their destination. The forest opened to reveal a small clearing with a mountain behind it. A Lord-rank monster-the mini boss, guarded the key point. Damian spotted two Highsword second-rankers on the mountain slope. They had set up camp with a tent and all. They were watching from above as if waiting for the show to begin.