Beast Evolution Forge

Chapter 75 Battle 2

Vell looked around at the group, his new form feeling both familiar and alien. He saw the fear, the shock, but also the unwavering loyalty in their eyes. He smiled softly, a genuine smile that reached his eyes, making them shine with a light that was more warm than the red glow from before. "Don't worry, it's still me. Just... a little bit different."

He walked over to Yenna, who was still looking at him with a mix of awe and trepidation. He gently took her hand, his touch sending a jolt of warmth through her. "I know I look scary, but I promise, I'm still the same."

Yenna squeezed his hand, her eyes searching his. "I know, it's just... you're so different now. And that power..."

"Yeah," he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. He looked around the room, his new senses taking in all the details, the damaged walls, the dead body of Mother, and the strange energy lingering in the air. "Let's talk about this later, I think. First, we need to get out of here." He looked at the sky and then he frowned. 'Is it just me or the sky looks redder than before?'

He turned his attention to his kids, "Are you all ok, did that thing hurt you bad?"

Mia and Sia nodded, "We're okay, daddy. You were so strong!" Sia said, her eyes still wide with amazement.

Wren, on the other hand, was quieter. She had a more calculating look in her eyes, and he could feel that she was thinking about something. He knew her well enough now to know that she was not just going to forget what just happened.

"So," he clapped his hands together, breaking the tension in the air. "Let's get out of this dump, this place is giving me the creeps. And then, we will have a looooong talk." He started walking towards the entrance of the temple. They followed behind him.

He made sure he walked slowly to match their pace, he knew their stamina was not as great as his.

As they walked, his mind was racing. He needed to figure out what had happened to him, how he had come back to life, and what this new power meant. He also needed to know how to control it. He had felt the raw strength surging through him, the desire to destroy, but he also felt a pull to protect, to heal. It was like he was two people at once.

[Master, I believe now is an appropriate time to explain what just happened.] The system's voice interrupted his thoughts.

'Yeah, I would appreciate that.' He thought, looking around the temple. The damage caused by Mother was still there, and it looked like this place was starting to fall apart. The air was thick with corrupted mana, he could feel it swirling around him, absorbing it. 'That's good but I need a new core.'

[Master, the reason you returned is due to the fundamental nature of your being. Remember, you are not merely a human; you are something far more unique, something that is currently developing. You possess a physiology that, once fully realized, transcends normal mortal limitations.]

"So, what does that even mean?" He mumbled to himself, stopping in his tracks. Yenna and the others looked at him, waiting for him to continue walking, but instead he just stood there, with a confused look on his face.

[To put it simply, you cannot die from conventional means. A mortal wound that would kill any other human, or even most high ranked individuals, is not enough to extinguish your life force. The act of having your heart ripped out, while traumatic, was ultimately insufficient to destroy the core of your being.]

'Wait, so you're saying that... I'm unkillable? How is that even possible?' He looked at his hands and touched his chest, his skin feeling so different now, so much stronger. He felt the power within him and it was a lot, but it wasn't like the power he felt back in the forest, it was something else entirely.

He paused, realizing that he might have just made a huge mistake. He looked at their faces, and he could see their confusion.

They didn't understand what he was implying.

Wren tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Wait, what do you mean 'the real Mother'? Isn't the monster we fought the boss of this dungeon?" She asked, and the others looked at him, their confusion clear on their faces.

Sia blinked, her eyes widening. "Yeah, daddy. We beat her already, right? You killed her with all that amazing power." She looked confused, looking at his chest, as if trying to remember what happened to him.

Mia nodded, agreeing with Sia.

Yenna's eyes narrowed, "So, what, we fought a fake?" she asked, a slight growl rumbling in her throat. She felt like she was played, like she had been used.

He sighed, scratching the back of his head, "Yeah, it was not the real Mother, the one we fought back there was more like a puppet, a vessel that was used to test us, or something like that. I am not really sure." He tried to not make a big deal out of it, but he could not just lie to them, not after all that they have been through.

"Are you serious?" Yenna asked, her voice full of disbelief. "So that whole fight was for nothing? And she was playing with us? That's messed up." Her hands tightened into a fist, ready to punch something.

He nodded, "I know, I know. But that's not the end of the world, right?" He tried to sound upbeat, but he knew that his own emotions were starting to mix into this mess.

Wren stepped forward, her expression more serious than usual. "So, if that wasn't the real Mother, how strong is the real one?" Her claws twitched slightly, a sign of her concern.

"I don't know, but I can feel her somewhere not far from here. Her energy is weak but, if we do nothing, we might get in trouble. I am more worried about you guys, not her. I don't think that she will be able to hurt me in my current state, so you guys need to be very careful from now on."

Sia clutched Mia's hand even tighter. "So, there is another scary monster out there?" she whispered, her voice shaking.

"It's okay, Sia." He said, putting his hands on her shoulders. He tried to be as gentle as possible. "I am here, and I promise I will make sure no one will hurt you. Not now, not ever." He smiled, trying to reassure her. His smile was genuine, but his eyes held something else, something that even he could not understand.

He then looked at Yenna, "We can't let our anger get the better of us, we need to stay calm and be ready for everything. If she is smart, she might be trying to make us fall into a trap, we can not allow for that to happen." He then looked at all of them, his eyes scanning all of them, making sure that they were ok. "We have been through worse. We will deal with this together, like always."

He stood up again. He could sense Mother, not far from where they were standing. Her presence was weak, but it was still there. 'she must have used more power than she expected, now is our only chance and the only way to do that, is with my team at full strength... no, beyond that.'

"Okay, time to work on your bodies, sit down with your backs turned to me."