Beast Evolution Forge

Vell screamed out in pain, his body like molten fire, sending him to his knees. His vision blurred as he tried to focus on the figure, which now watched him with an unsettling mix of curiosity and malice. The orb's energy felt like it was tearing him apart from the inside, each pulse resonating with the three mana cores within him.

'what is this. corrupted mana?'

[yes but its more pure, more evil which makes it a lot denser and stronger. This might be where you die.....master.]

'Fuck that, if its mana then it means it can be absorbed, which also means i have a chance.'

[....I am afraid your body might break down if you attempt that.]

'Why do you sound so against me?'

[....I don't know.]

'then shut up and let me concentrate.'

The figure just stood there watching with calculating eyes.

(Interesting. Your body resists well. Most humans would have turned to ash by now.)

The figure's voice echoed directly into his mind, sending shivers down his spine. He gritted his teeth, his fists clenching tightly as he fought against the suffocating force.

"Y-you call this a test?" He spat through gritted teeth, his body trembling. "Feels more like a punishment, I am literally dying."

(Punishment? No. This is... a gift. If you survive, you might gain something valuable. If you don't, then you were never worthy of my interest in the first place.)n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

'fucking bastard, i will kill you.'

(Human, what do you think corrupted mana is?)

'what bullshit is it talking about now, corrupted mana is evil and dirty, there is nothing more to it.'

(beings always label what they don't understand and can't control as evil. Boy, listen well, corrupted mana is not simply a "dark" or "evil" variant of conventional mana. It is a primordial energy, predating the structured flow of elemental and arcane forces in the world. Where ordinary mana is shaped by laws, elements, emotions and intentions, corrupted mana exists outside these constraints. It is pure, unfiltered power, raw and chaotic, with an inherent will to dominate and consume, this is why, what you call monsters are always chaotic.)

He listened through the pain, making sure to understand everything being

said.

(The process of becoming "corrupted" isn't merely about exposure to this energy. Instead, corrupted mana chooses its hosts, testing their resolve and compatibility. Those who succumb are consumed entirely, their bodies and souls disintegrating into fuel for its endless hunger, this is what happened to many of the monsters you people fight. However, those who survive... they are irrevocably changed, will you be one of those very few? or will you be nothing but ashes for the soil.)

'kugh...dammit, this whole thing is so fishy, why is this thing testing me, where did it come from, what does it want, so much is not adding up but right now i should really focus before-'

His vision dimmed, and he felt the mana beginning to press hard against his cores, trying to shatter them. The ordinary mana was trying its best to repel the corrupted mana but this was not going to last, his mana was slowly being consumed.

[Master! Your mana is going haywire! If this continues—]

'I know, damn it! Just... let me think!'

He thought hard, of a way to control or rebel this mana out but nothing was coming to mind, was he really going to die here? without getting his revenge, without living his life to the fullest?

'fuck that. if you are denser and stronger, then i should just make something that can hold you.'

The figure reacted in surprise and frowned. (It seems i was wrong about you, you are going to kill yourself with what you are attempting.....truly a shame, i expected more.)

'shut up, I am genius when it comes to learning, something like this is nothing, even if it means coming face to face with death, i will survive this.'

[master....]

He drew the the cores together until they were all surrounding the mana, this was excruciatingly painful but he pressed on. He slowly absorbed the mana equally into all the cores and they all began to crack.

(Human, stop this, you will cripple yourself, you have passed the test, i will remove the mana so stop.)

He smirked. "Would you look at that, it sounds scared, as if it was told not to harm me....too late fucker, i am seeing this through."

Next step began as the cores started to slowly spinning around the mana. the speed got faster and faster until they formed a whirling vortex, each core straining against the pressure of the corrupted mana. His body screamed in protest, veins darkening as the energy tried to consume him entirely.

'I won't... lose!'

He channeled every ounce of his willpower into this. The corrupted mana pushed back like a raging beast, but he met it with equal ferocity. Mana was still mana, slowly, he began to force the energy into submission, molding it to his will.

The mana in the cores left and covered the corrupted mana, it felt like a he was lying on top of broken glass. Blood was exiting his body as incredible speed, as if running away and this was making him weaker, if he did not finish this soon, he would get consumed.

The cores then shattered and he coughed up blood but quickly went back to concentrating.

(you fool, stop this or else i will be in trouble!)

He ignored it and focused on the pieces of the cores. they were still spinning and he slowly fused them together into a large cube that was not containing the all the mana in his body. This core was created by combining pieces of all three types of mana inside him, its appearance was obsidian black and it radiated with a dark crimson hue.

The corrupted mana tore through the normal mana, freeing itself but it was still trapped. it tried to break free but this core was stronger and denser.

'hehe, thanks for the idea and since you are contained, i can do this...'

He moved the mana against its will, it was now under his control but this was not what he was talking about. The old mana and the new one fused together forming into a purple colored mana that was stable and filling up the core. The pain was slowly going away and the blood stopped leaving, he finally felt like he could breath.

'Man, i am so good at this, hehe.'

He thought, staggering to his feet, panting heavily, his body drenched in sweat. He glanced down at his hands, noticing faint tendrils of mana swirling around his fingertips.

The figure tilted its head, an amused expression crossing its otherwise unreadable face.

(Very good. Very, very good. You are... resilient. Rarely do humans impress me, but you, Vell, may prove to be an exception.)

His eyes instantly went cold and a new type of energy began leaking out of his body, sharp and dangerous.

"you, how do you know my name?"

(Ohh, look at you forcing yourself into the second stage of mana, haha, truly an impressive human. To answer your question, I know many things. Including your hatred for the association, your fractured bonds with those you once called family, your desperate desire to survive in a world that has turned its back on you and i also know about the organization that has sunk its teeth in you. Your existence is a threat to them, you are supposed to be dead but you are alive, it intrigues me....us.)

"what did you say? you know the people that framed me? who are they, tell me now." This new energy was going wild, chaotic, cutting everything in it path to the figure. But this energy didn't leave a single scratch on it but he didn't care, he needed answers.

"TELL ME, WHAT DO THEY WANT WITH ME!"

The figure chuckled, a deep, resonant sound that seemed to vibrate through the forest itself.

(Tell you, why should i do that? What good will that do you right now? at your current level, you can't even win against their weakest member.)

[Master, calm down and listen to it.]

He sighed and clamed down, the energy disappearing as he felt back to the ground out of breath.

"fuck that, just tell me."

(Those emotions are going to be a problem. get those under control, learn about that new energy and master it, only after you do that, will i tell you about 'who' you really are. Get strong human, we shall meet again.)

After those words, it vanished into the night, leaving him with many thoughts.

'....who i am?'