The moment Ren drifted into unconsciousness, he found himself once more inside that impossibly pristine white chamber: the Evolution Forge.
He blinked, letting his awareness settle as his body adjusted to the forge's reality again. His body here didn't ache. His limbs were steady. His breath flowed easily.
"First thing's first," Ren muttered to himself, snapping his fingers and instantly navigating his watch screen.
A familiar ding! echoed through the space like the triumphant ring of a bell in an empty cathedral.
Then the text appeared, bright letters etched across a sea of black.
[DING! Evolution Complete.]
[Soul Flame has evolved!]
[Stage 1 Umbral Kinephantom Panther — Soul Flame → Soul Core!]
Ren tilted his head. "Wait, what?"
His eyes narrowed, and he instinctively tapped the word "Soul Core" to pull up the description. The text that followed made his jaw slacken ever so slightly.
[You have broken the natural limits of a Stage 1 Soul Flame.]
