Beast Evolution Forge

Chapter 29 Slot 2 Pt.3

He walked towards the snake and instead of attacking, it stared at him, as if assessing his threat level with the stick. He was wobbling, finally showing signs of being tired but somehow, the air around him was different that even the snake slithered backwards.

He swung the short in short intervals with his right hand, his veins flickering with each swing. His looked like they were staring off somewhere else, as if not acknowledge the snake anymore.

'hahh, how long has it been since i swung a sword? I wonder if those brats are doing ok.' His swing stopped mid way and the stick began to grow, mana spread across its surface, veins of purple light creeping like roots of a tree, as if the mana was rewriting the object's very essence.

The air grew heavier and even the snake seemed to sense that something was wrong here, a feeling telling it to run.

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes half lidded as he traced the stick's length with his gaze. "Hey big guy, do you know the funny thing about weapons," he began, his voice calm but carrying the weight of experience. "They're not about sharp edges or heavy steel. They're about the hand that wields them."

"Anyone can pick up a stick," he said, his eyes now locked on the serpent. "Anyone can swing a blade. But cutting? Truly cutting? That's a different game entirely."

It hissed, coiling tighter, preparing to strike, but he continued, his grip firm but effortless. "It's not about the weapon. A sword's just steel. A stick's just wood. What matters is what _you_ make of it. What matters is if you know how to wield 'yourself'."

He took a single powerful step forward, his body loose, relaxed, almost nonchalant. The snake recoiled slightly, its instincts screaming caution. He gave it a faint smirk, the stick in his hand glowing brighter but also cracking, it was reaching its limit.

His raised the wood in a vertical pose, holding it tightly with one hand, the ground beneath him began to shake and the stick stick pulsed even stronger.

'It been so long since i did this, i wonder is Kana has mastered this move yet, she was my best student..... well, not really, she was the worst.'

He exhaled, and the next moment, everything changed.

He swung.

It was a single, clean motion, a swing that seemed both slow and instantaneous, paradoxical in its perfection. The air around him howled, not from the swing itself, but from the sheer power tearing through it. A crescent of violet energy shot forward, an arc so sharp and refined it seemed to slice through the very fabric of reality.

The serpent froze mid-hiss, its coiled body held in perfect stillness as the arc of mana passed through its head.

The light faded, the weapon in his hand shattering into harmless splinters and he stood motionless, his breathing steady, as if the feat had cost him nothing.

The serpent's body remained for a moment longer, unbroken but utterly still. Then, as though an invisible thread had been pulled, it collapsed into two precise halves, severed so cleanly that even its blood hesitated before spilling onto the ground.

The night was quiet once more.

He turned his back on the corpse, his steps slow and unhurried. "Sharp edges don't matter," he muttered to no one, his voice carrying in the silence. "You just have to know where to cu-"

[slots remaining: 3/3]

"There, all done. Welcome to the family."

The slimes bounced excitedly, their forms jiggling as they playfully nudged against him. He chuckled, wincing slightly as the effort sent a jolt of pain through his battered body.

[Master, I cannot believe this. Two slimes. TWO! You had the chance to tame beast-]

" I thought i told you to shut up. Your way of thinking is flawed, they're not just beasts. They've got potential, i saw it myself and even if they didn't..." He reached out, letting his hand sink into one of the slime's cool, squishy forms. "They're mine now. That's reason enough."

[Very well, Master. It is your choice. However, I must remind you that you wasted to precious slots and you can only get more by becoming stronger and reaching higher ranks.]

"If i can get more then why are you bitching so much?"

The system was silent for a beat, the faint hum of its presence in his mind growing colder, almost petulant.

[...As you say, Master.]

"That's what I thought," he muttered, giving a wry smirk as he pushed himself upright. His legs trembled, but the presence of the slimes, happily bouncing around his feet, gave him an odd sense of reassurance.

"Besides, who says I'm not already thinking ahead?"

One of the slimes leapt onto his shoulder, its gelatinous body wobbling but somehow staying balanced. The other circled around his legs, almost as if guarding him from unseen dangers.

It was cute

[Thinking ahead? You've chosen creatures that are universally regarded as cannon fodder. Their potential is negligible, and their growth is—]

"Growth takes effort," he cut in sharply, his tone brooking no argument. He gazed down at the smaller slime, watching its form shimmer faintly in the night.

"Just because they're underestimated doesn't mean they're worthless. I was underestimated once, too, along time ago but look where that got me."

The system hesitated. [I will trust you, Master. Then Shall I analyze their current state and potential abilities?]

"Now you're talking."

[Analyzing...]