"Thanks for coming, Oli," Eik said, closing the door behind her.

"Yeah, no problem. I'm pretty busy but it sounded important when you came by Mission Central earlier."

"It is," he said, failing to keep some of the excitement out of his voice.

"Where's Bin?"

"She's playing at a friend's house right now. Why?"

"Because if I can't cuddle with my cute little niece, then why did I even come here again?"

Laughing, Eik punched her in the shoulder. "Just crawl back into your lair then, you sasquatch."

"Damn, did you get stronger or something?" she asked, massaging her shoulder.

"That's actually kind of why I asked you to come."

Ihasu came in through the back door, her hands stained with garden soil. "Hey, Oli. Nice to see you. Did Eik offer you tea yet?"

"No, he most certainly did not, the scoundrel."

"I was just about to!" Eik grumbled and handed her a kettle of water. "Here, heat this for me real quick."

"Is that all I am to you?" she asked with mock sorrow but igniting her hand nonetheless. "A glorified gas stove."

He tilted his head from side to side. "Yeah, pretty much, I guess."

"Bastard," she spat.

"Witch."

"Creep!"

"Freaking freak!"

"All right, all right, you two. It's very funny to watch you bicker like children and all that but can we move on, please?" Ihasu interrupted, rolling her eyes hard.

Olivia nodded and cleared her throat. "Sure. So, you said there was something about new power?" she asked and handed back the kettle, the water inside now boiling audibly.

Eik accepted it. "Yeah, actually, I think I migh— Ow, fuck! That's fucking hot, holy shit, Oli! Warn a guy, will ya?" he hissed, setting it down on the kitchen counter as quickly as he could.

Olivia just waved her hand in the air. "Hello? Fire hand, bro. What did you think was gonna happen?"

He glowered and grumbled something too quiet to be heard as green goo enveloped his hand. "Anyway. I think I might hit S-rank today. Or whatever my equivalent is."

Olivia stopped and stared, seemingly forgetting all else. "… What?"

"I think I've hit S-rank. I didn't check yet, but I'm pretty sure."

"Because you killed an S-rank monster?"

"Yeah, I was already only one tick away, so it must have brought me across the threshold."

She flopped into a chair. "Holy shit…" she breathed.

"I was hoping you'd be here when I evolve, just in case. I asked Andy and Grandpa Gul as well but they might be late. They're dealing with a lot of crap because of the war effort."

"So it's going pretty well with convincing the Alliance this time?" she asked as Eik poured hot water into her tea cup.

"Yeah, much better than before," Ihasu answered. "Now that we have more concrete information, they seem to be more receptive. And the fact that the biggest clash between us in recent time is already underway is getting more difficult to sweep under the rug at this point. They pretty much have to act now."

"Well, good. Can't wait to smash some of those culty bastards!"

"I'll look at my levels first, if you don't mind," Eik said.

"Be my guest."

He rolled up his sleeve and showed them his forearm as the glowing script appeared.

[Acquired Movement Boost — Lv. 148]

[Acquired Movement Boost — Lv. 149]

[Acquired Movement Boost — Lv. 15…]

[Acquired Movement Boost — Lv. 172]

[Acquired Movement Boost — Lv. 173]

[Acquired Apocalypse Canvas — Lv. 110]

[Acquired Apocalypse Canvas — Lv. 111]

[Acquired Apocalypse Canvas — Lv. 11…]

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[Acquired Apocalypse Canvas — Lv. 138]

[Acquired Apocalypse Canvas — Lv. 139]

[Acquired Living Manifestation — Lv. 173]

[Acquired Living Manifestation — Lv. 174]

[Acquired Living Manifestation — Lv. 17…]

[Acquired Living Manifestation — Lv. 187]

[Acquired Living Manifestation — Lv. 188]

The levels were rolling in like crazy. Despite how high level his skills were already, they gained much which would net him a significant power boost in addition to what would hopefully end up with an S-rank evolution.

Perhaps foolishly, Eik had thought himself reasonably close to S-rank strength after taking Eik's Legendary Mystery Medicine, but the fight with the the cultists and the monster had disproved that notion thoroughly.

Winning one fight against an S-ranker tanked by a friendly S-ranker and another against one who was holding back his strength because he couldn't get himself to destroy the heart of his holy faith turned out to have been nothing like a genuine solo fight.

Yes, he had bagged a pretty good win in the end, but in a straight fight he had been getting his ass whooped into next week. Without his little magic disappearing trick in the nest, he would have been dead in the dirt right now.

Without a doubt he was closer than any A-ranker had the right to be, but it was the absurd destructive power and the weakening effect of Profound Toxin that had done the job. It kind of felt like a cheap win, even if he knew that there was no such thing as cheap in a fight for survival.

He read the next messages.

[Acquired Monarch's Will — Lv. 205]

[Acquired Monarch's Will — Lv. 206]

[Acquired Monarch's Will — Lv. 20…]

[Acquired Monarch's Will — Lv. 245]

[Acquired Monarch's Will — Lv. 246]

[Acquired Profound Toxin — Lv. 256]

[Acquired Profound Toxin — Lv. 257]

[Acquired Profound Toxin — Lv. 25…]

[Acquired Profound Toxin — Lv. 288]

[Acquired Profound Toxin — Lv. 289]

"Fuckin' hell," Olivia whispered as she read over the level ups, cursing and hissing with every new level that appeared, as if she was filled with brand new disbelief every time. "Maybe I should start hunting S-rank monsters too, if the spoils are this good."

Eik shot her a skeptical side-eye. "Mhmm."

"Or at least take me along with you next time you go. I promise I'll be useful."

"Sorry to break this to you, Oli, but your flames on an S-ranker would feel like a moderately warm summer day slathered in sun screen."

"Oh, come on."

"All right, fine, let's do it."

"Then I want to be taken to kill A-rankers!" Ihasu chimed in.

"And so you will be, my love," Eik sang lovingly.

Olivia huffed. "Wow, differential treatment much?"

"She's my girl, and you're my sister—and an annoying one at that."

"Just get on with your damned levels, you little shit."

He did.

[Reached threshold: Evolution to ??? possible]

[Evolve?]

Eik swallowed hard as beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. This was it. This was fucking it!

A knock on the door announced Andihar and Gul. Just in case something unexpected happened during the evolution it was nice to have two people of higher rank at hand for safety.

Gul nearly choked on his tea when Eik told them of the notification of evolution. Andihar didn't spit but his drink still ended up in his lap nonetheless as his jaw simply stopped working completely. "It took me… years of active combat to his S-rank. Did you unify with your ability?" Gul asked breathlessly.

Eik did have something. Profound Unity. And right there in his own house, he activated one of his most potent abilities.

Olivia and Ihasu stepped back cautiously as a wave of color swept across his skin and dyed it a brilliant, glittering turquoise. Gusts of terrifying energy sliced through the house and filled the space completely, sending Mis into the air in shock as she appeared above the backrest of the couch.

The moment she reached the peak of her jump, she vanished with a barely audible pop and reappeared in the garden outside. A second later, following suit, the blue cat jumped into the air as well but failed to teleport and leapt through the window after Mis instead.

All of them stared in stunned silence. Finally Gul spoke. "How can so many absurd things keep happening in a house with so few square meters?"

"I did suspect that she could do that," Eik said, billowing, flame-like residue of blue blazing off his body.

"And what about the blue one?" Andihar asked.

"I'll tell you after I evolve. And there's something else I also want to tell you. It's time, and I think I'm in a place where it makes sense to be at least a little more open."

"Let's get to it then," Gul said impatiently. "Dawdling gets us nowhere and I don't have all damn day."

"All right, all right, I'm just trying to psych myself up here," Eik breathed nervously, taking a seat on the couch as the others gathered around him. He looked at them one by one, taking deep, calming breaths.

"Well, get on with it," Gul grunted and Eik couldn't help but laugh. He was giddy with nerves and anticipation.

"Yep, yep. Getting on with it as we speak."

He leaned back and closed his eyes, the feeling of the blackness coming over him as it always did.

Before he could even see again he could smell fresh forest air all around, the image of lush trees and chattering streams planting itself firmly in his head. Most intense of all, however, was the stench of rotting wood.

Great. That was still a thing…

But actually, there was one thing missing. His back was totally dry, which was nice. No water this time. Clothes, on the other hand, were still nowhere to be found as far as he could tell. Maybe there was a set of clothes folded up all nice and tidy outside since. After all, this was a dream trip to hit S-rank.

With a crack of breaking wood, he rammed his arms through each side of the coffin and felt around the ground for clothes. No such luck, unfortunately. A commando mission once more it would seem.

Sighing, he sat up, the wood crumbling around him and offering no resistance at all. Well, this was new. He wasn't in that dreadful, stinky swamp. The scent of lush trees and fresh soil hadn't been wrong, but a perfect reflection of the environment he had woken up in. This was the foot of the great mountain on top of which the basin of toxin stood.

"Is this some kind of taxa service? Or hearse service, I guess," Eik wondered out loud, glancing down at the coffin.

Getting no answer, as per usual, he started hiking toward the peak. It was a long walk—hours and hours, the peak seemingly never getting closer, but then, suddenly, his feet met flat rock. For some reason he had barely noticed it.

A few dozen Profound Toxic beasts were meandering about on the summit, almost as if they were protecting the basin, but even as they noticed his approach, they made no move to attack or even appear hostile. That was also new. What the hell was going on here?

Curiosity mixed with that indefinable pull on his spirit and Eik made his way to the basin. In was filled nearly to the brim with the most radiantly beautiful blue liquid. He felt the connection to the Worldbreaker strongly within.

When he was a couple of paces away, it rushed into the air, the Profound Toxic beasts watching with apparent puzzlement.

Quickly, the liquid enveloped him and hauled him into the sky, allowing him to gaze down at the mountain side. Tens of thousands of Profound Toxic beasts of all kinds were making the trip to the peak. When they saw him, they all bowed in unison as if offering him their loyalty.

Some of the liquid holding him separated and spelled out a single message.

[Evolve?]

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