Kael woke before dawn, jolted awake by a sharp pulse from the Gacha Core lodged within his chest.
It wasn't painful—just… urgent.
A faint blue window appeared before his eyes.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
The First Evolution Wave will begin in 10 minutes.
All Lords must prepare their troops.
Warning: Monsters will be attracted to the evolution energy.
Kael's breath tightened.
"An evolution wave… already?"
In his past life, the first Evolution Wave had come two months after summoning.
Yet here, now—only a single day had passed.
This world's Timeline is already shifting… because of me.
His wolf, Lunaris, padded to his side, sensing the rising tension.
Her fur glowed faintly—silver threads of energy coiling around her body.
The baby dragon on his shoulder chirped nervously, wings fluttering like leaves in a storm.
"Easy," Kael whispered. "This is good. Evolution is our strength."
He climbed the small ridge overlooking his territory.
His troops—50 basic human soldiers from the summoning ceremony—were assembling.
They were weak
…for now.
Kael raised his hand, and the Gacha Core ignited.
[INFINITE EVOLUTION — ACTIVATED]
Range: All designated troops
Potential: Unlimited
A column of radiant blue erupted from Kael like a beam into the heavens.
Wind howled. Soil cracked. The soldiers trembled as evolution energy wrapped around them like coiling spirits.
Armor reforged itself.
Bones strengthened.
Eyes sharpened.
Then—
The forest screamed.
Dozens of monsters shrieked and rushed toward the light—the energy calling them like a beacon.
Wolves with bone masks.
Boar-beasts with molten tusks.
Four-armed goblins with obsidian skin.
All sprinting toward Kael's evolving army.
Kael's heartbeat thudded once, loud as thunder.
"Troops—HOLD THE LINE!"
The transformation finished just as the monsters burst from the trees.
Kael's soldiers stood taller, muscles corded, armor glowing with faint runes.
[EVOLUTION COMPLETE]
Basic Soldiers → Evolved Vanguard (Rank D+)
A full rank above anything the other Lords could muster at this stage.
Kael smiled coldly.
"Good. Let's test your strength."
Lunaris leapt first, her silver fur blazing like a comet as she slammed into a bone-masked wolf.
The impact shook the earth.
The baby dragon inhaled—
—and exhaled a tiny, sharp burst of blue fire straight into a goblin's chest.
The troops roared and charged.
The battlefield exploded into chaos.
But Kael didn't join the fight immediately.
He watched, analyzing every movement with the cold eye of someone who had lived through this battlefield before.
My power is already changing everything.
He clenched his fist.
This time… I won't die.
A massive shadow then rose among the trees.
Something far stronger than the rest.
A hulking beast with stone plates covering its body, eyes burning like coals.
Kael's face hardened.
"A Stoneback Ogre," he muttered. "Rank C… impossible this early…"
This confirmed it—the timeline wasn't just shifting. It was mutating.
The raging creature roared and charged straight at him.
Kael stepped forward at last.
His eyes glowed with golden light.
"Lunaris! With me!"
The wolf dashed to his side, aura intensifying.
Kael summoned his weapon from the system—
a simple iron sword that instantly reshaped, reforged by his evolution ability into something far deadlier.
[Evolved Weapon: Aetherblade — Rank C]
The Ogre lifted its arm to crush him.
Kael breathed once
then struck.
A shining arc carved through the clearing.
The Ogre's arm crashed to the ground.
It howled.
Kael moved again—faster than before—faster than any human should be.
The final blow split through the monster's chest like slicing cracked stone.
The battlefield went silent.
The troops stared at Kael with awe.
Lunaris howled triumphantly.
Kael exhaled slowly, wiping sweat from his brow.
Then the Gacha Core pulsed again.
A new window appeared:
[EVOLUTION WAVE REWARD]
You have defeated a C-Rank Monster without assistance.
Reward: 1x Elite Gacha Ticket
Kael's smile widened.
"Perfect. This is only the beginning."