The monsters—some sort of amalgamation between a jungle cat and a porcupine—in total, three of them.
They were laid out in the grass, each one about the size of a panther, with rows of thick quills running down their backs, each glinting in what little sunlight managed to pierce the canopy.
Scary—that’s what they were.
Their tails twitched with slow, predator patience, the quills rattling like dry reeds in the wind.
Even Halvard, my only remaining Standard-class monster, looked unnerved by them.
I took a deep breath before glancing at my caster.
“You’ll be our opening fighter,” I said quietly. “Launch some sort of area-of-effect spell at them, and then Falkar, Dominic, Skreek, and I will charge in.”
While I wasn’t sure he understood every word, he seemed to grasp enough to nod.
With the orders given, we positioned ourselves and made ready.
A wave of cold washed over me as Halvard began his spell, and I glanced back—eyes widening.
A volley of arrows made of pure shadow shimmered into existence above him, his eyes glowing a deep violet hue.
Throwing his hand forward, the arrows screamed through the air, each one finding its mark.
The clearing erupted into a chorus of pained yowls and the roar of charging monsters.
Skreek and I took on the largest one, and within moments I realized—for the first time—we might be hopelessly outmatched.
Even bleeding, its wounds blackened by Halvard’s magic, the beast moved faster than anything I had fought before.
Skreek lunged forward with his spear, only to stumble as the creature leapt back—then its quills shot out like arrows toward us.
One bounced off my shield, but another pierced my thigh, the same spot where the slash wound had only just finished healing.
I growled in pain, ripping the quill free with a hiss as it tore flesh on the way out.
They were barbed—making it do just as much damage coming out as going in.
Blood ran down my leg in a slow, sticky warmth, the scent of iron sharp in the air.
The beast hissed, muscles coiling as more quills rattled along its back like the draw of a bowstring.
Somewhere behind me, I heard Halvard chanting again—but whether in control or in panic, I couldn’t tell.
I dodged a swipe of claws, darting to the beast’s flank and lashing out with my longsword.
Its hide was tough—like trying to carve through raw meat with a dull blade—but I managed to power through, opening a long slash across its side.
Another pained yowl split the air, and before I could react, I was sent flying as the creature’s tail slammed into my chest.
“Gah!” I crashed into a thick tree, wood splintering behind me. Pain exploded across my ribs, crushing the air from my lungs.
For a moment, I could barely breathe—my vision tunneling to black at the edges.
I could taste blood in my mouth, thick and coppery. Every breath was a knife in my chest.
I roared and pushed through the pain, forcing myself to stand.
Skreek was struggling on his own, and I refused to let another ally fall today.
I charged, blade-first, straight at the beast.
Skreek kept it distracted, its eyes widening in what I could only take as surprise as I closed the distance.
My sword sank deep—through its side, past ribs, and into what I guessed was its heart.
The creature thrashed once, hard enough to wrench the hilt from my grip, then collapsed with a heavy, shuddering thud.
For a moment, I just stood there, gasping. The only sound I could hear was my heartbeat—and a faint ringing in my ears.
I turned to see Skreek rushing to aid Dominic, so I pivoted toward Falkar instead.
The remaining beasts weren’t nearly as strong as the one we’d faced, and though all of my minions bore wounds, the battle ended soon after.
Silence returned to the clearing once more.
I collapsed, landing hard in the grass with a huff as the air left my lungs.
Sweat ran down my face in steady streams, and my arms felt like lead. Every breath burned.
The pings of notifications came all at once, and it took me a long few moments before I could be bothered to look at them.
[The Herald has slain Thornprowler Alpha (Lv. 11)! — +155 Soul Essence]
[Falkar has slain Thornprowler (Lv. 7)! — +80 Soul Essence]
[Halvard has slain Thornprowler (Lv. 9)! — +103 Soul Essence]
I gasped aloud at the Soul Essence boost.
That was… a lot.
And the beasts were called Thornprowlers?
I guessed it made sense, judging by their look and behavior.
The alpha must’ve been the big one—which explained why it had seemed stronger.
From the Soul Essence gain alone, I figured it wasn’t just higher level, but a higher rank entirely.
Looking over my monsters, I smiled.
Roderik was Level 10 now, and Halvard had jumped two levels—also Level 10.
I finally had two of the three evolutions I needed.
“Let’s head back, everyone,” I said, keeping my tone calm despite the rush of excitement. I wasn’t sure what the process for evolving involved, but something told me it would take my monsters out of commission for a while.
With the minions cheering behind me, we turned toward home.
We reached home without further incident.
The sun dipped low beyond the trees, painting the clearing in long orange streaks, and along the way we’d managed to catch a stag—good eating for the night.
The kobolds, Skreek and Halvard, set about preparing a fire right away, while Dominic took over Oskar’s old job of standing watch near the edge of camp.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Analth approached as I headed for the cave, something close to curiosity on her face.
“You look like you’ve been through hell… and I see you’re down a minion.”
Her tone wasn’t mocking or harsh—just a simple statement of fact.
I nodded, sighing heavily.
“We ran into more adventurers. A group of elves this time,” I said, explaining the fight against the warriors who, despite their skill, still felt like novices.
“You did well to make it out with so many alive, then.” She praised me, folding her arms. “Most times, a lone adventurer is more than a match for four or five minion-class monsters—and you fought four.”
That was news to me. I looked up at her so fast my neck nearly cracked.
“For real?” I asked, skeptical.
She nodded. “Yes. Adventurers on average have higher base stats and more skills to pull from early on,” she explained. “It’s why the system is pushing you so quickly to evolve your minions. An evolved minion becomes about as strong as one of your standard monsters would.”
I thought about that, glancing back at the quest window. It had seemed odd that I only had two days to evolve three monsters—but if minions were that much weaker than adventurers, then sheer numbers wouldn’t cut it. Outnumbering the enemy five or six to one wouldn’t matter if they could still tear through my troops like paper.
“So I should focus more on higher-rarity monsters then? Evolving those, instead of summoning a mass amount of weak ones?” I asked.
Surprisingly, she shook her head.
“No. You want to aim for balance,” she said firmly. “A good mixture of fodder to throw at the enemy, backed by powerful elite squads—and maybe even some legendary monsters sprinkled in when the time comes.”
I nodded slowly, turning the idea over in my head. She sounded like she’d done this before. Maybe she had.
“Alright… you’ve given me some things to think about,” I said, smiling faintly before heading into the cave, where the Core pulsed in a steady golden light.
The first thing I did was check my Soul Essence total after the fighting and passive gains.
[Soul Essence: 1120]
I nearly choked on my own breath. “Holy hell…”
That was more than enough to expand my territory again—and part of me was tempted.
But it was also enough for something else.
[Summon Elite Monster — 1000 Soul Essence]
An Elite monster. Analth had just finished telling me it was good to have a mixture of monsters, and I had yet to summon one.
And if every day was like today for Soul Essence gains, then I wouldn’t have to worry about conserving as much.
“Fuck yes—summon me an Elite!”
The Core flashed brightly, and I threw up a hand to cover my eyes. The light was different this time—hotter, sharper, almost alive. The air thrummed with energy, a deep hum that shook the entire cave.
When it finally cleared, the glow condensed into a single shape—humanoid, tall, and wreathed in faint violet radiance. Its skin shimmered like crystal shot through with molten veins of blue energy.
Where others had eyes, this one had burning coals of light that pulsed in rhythm with the Core itself.
And in the center of its chest, about two or three inches in diameter, was a circular crystal that beat like a second heart, flashing in sync with the Core’s pulse.
As soon as she saw me, the figure dropped to one knee.
[Elyndra - Coreborn Level 8]
[Average Stats: 8]
[Average Skill Level: 6]
[Number of Skills: 7]
For a moment, there was no sound aside from the faint hum of the Core. I could see thin threads of Soul Essence still drifting from the Core to her and back again—like the two were connected, parts of one whole.
Then she lifted her head, eyes locking with mine.
“...Herald.”
Her voice was brittle—like glass about to crack.
But that wasn’t what made me jump.
She had spoken.
Not a grunt, not a growl, not some strange garbled noise. Actual words I could understand.
“I… you said something?” I whispered, half expecting her to vanish if I blinked.
She nodded slowly.
“...Yes.”
I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me—half disbelief, half joy. There was something so otherworldly about her, and yet… human in that moment.
It took me a second to realize she was also very much naked—just as I had been when I was reborn here.
My brain froze. I turned my head so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash.
“Ah… gear. I need gear for you,” I muttered, frantically opening my inventory.
Dammit. I didn’t have any spare clothes—just that wolfhide armor.
Still, it had worked for me, and maybe it would adjust to her too.
I pulled it from storage and handed it toward her without looking.
“Here,” I croaked, keeping my gaze fixed anywhere but her.
Behind me came the faint rustle of leather and fabric as she slipped it on. When she spoke again, her voice sounded steadier—stronger.
“...What does the Herald require of me next?”
I turned, scratching my head for a moment. The leather was form-fitting, but it was still better than talking to a naked woman.
“Uh… what skills do you have? Or what kind of weapon would you like to use?” I asked, curious.
“I am skilled… in the use of spears and bows,” she explained calmly.
Spears and bows, huh?
Skreek had my only high-level spear at the moment, but I could give her one of the longbows I’d taken from the elves and a bronze spear from the first batch of adventurers I’d killed.
She slung the bow over her back and twirled the spear a few times, testing its weight. When she nodded, I assumed she was satisfied and stood at attention.
“Right… um, for now, go out and introduce yourself to the others,” I ordered, and she nodded before heading out.
I let out a long breath, staring at the cave floor for a moment before looking back at the system menu.
“Right… evolution next,” I murmured quietly.
It took me a moment to find the option—it was a sub-tab tucked beneath Kingdom Management.
A list of all the monsters I currently had summoned appeared, two of the names glowing brightly: Roderik and Halvard.
I selected Roderik first, and the interface expanded into a list of options:
- Ranger
- Sharpshooter
- Hunter
It was like picking an advanced class in one of those old RPGs I used to play.
I thought about it for a few moments, but in the end the choice was obvious. Roderik had pulled me out of more tight spots than I could count with that bow of his.
Sharpshooter.
As soon as I selected it, a timer appeared on-screen.
[3:00:00]
Three hours. It would take three hours before he evolved. I only hoped he’d still be available during that time instead of completely out of commission.
Next, I selected Halvard.
Unlike Roderik, he only had one option available: Pyreshade.
It sounded ominous, but it made sense given his use of flame and shadow magic.
I confirmed the choice, and another three-hour timer appeared.
When both finished, I’d have a stronger fighting force waiting for me—stronger than ever before.
And now, with Elyndra—the new Elite—standing watch outside, I finally allowed myself to relax.
All in all, today went well. For once, I didn’t feel like I was just surviving; I was building something.
[Current Day: 3]
[Soul Essence: 120]
[Kingdom Core: Level 2]
[Domain Size: 2 Sectors]
[Active Quest: Evolution — 2 Days Remaining (2/3 Monsters | in Progress)]