NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 7 - The First Evolution
Chapter 007: The First Evolution
“Ding! Energy source detected. Would you like to convert it into Evolution Points?”
Mu Liang’s eyes lit up. So, a Beast Core was exactly the kind of energy source his system needed.
Without hesitation, he gave the mental command. “Convert.”
“Ding! Conversion successful. Gained 100 Evolution Points.”
The moment the system message ended, the Beast Core melted like water, seeping into his palm and vanishing completely.
“Huh?? Where did it go?”
Mino’s bright blue eyes widened as she curiously examined Mu Liang’s hand, flipping it over multiple times.
Her face was so close to his palm that she almost pressed her cheek against it, still unable to figure out how the crystal had disappeared.
Mu Liang chuckled and tugged her cheek playfully. “Alright, it’s just one of my abilities.”
Hearing the term Beast Core, he could already guess it came from the bodies of mutant beasts.
Now that he knew how to gain Evolution Points, he had a clear goal ahead.
“That’s such a cool ability!” Mino exclaimed in amazement.
“I’m going to check if the other bandits had any Beast Cores!”
With that, she dashed over to the first bandit Mu Liang had killed.
Meanwhile, Mu Liang asked the system, “How many Evolution Points does it take to evolve a tamed beast to the next level?”
“Ding! Evolving from Level 1 to Level 2 requires 10 Evolution Points.”
“What about Level 2 to Level 3?”
“Ding! Evolving from Level 2 to Level 3 requires 100 Evolution Points.”
“So it increases tenfold each time…”
Mu Liang shook his head. He had initially planned to evolve a beast straight to Level 3, but now he had to reconsider.
Instead, he summoned the Rock Armor Turtle to regroup and decided to evolve it to Level 2 first.
“Xiao Cai, come here.”
He called toward the rock wall, and in the next second, the Three-Colored Lizard emerged, sprinting toward him.
Mu Liang placed his palm on the lizard and commanded, “System, evolve the Three-Colored Lizard.”
“Ding! Evolving Level 1 Three-Colored Lizard to Level 2. Consuming 10 Evolution Points.”
“Ding! Evolution successful.”
“Ding! Synchronizing Beast Tamer’s ability Mimetic Camouflage to Level 2.”
Almost immediately, that familiar warm current surged through Mu Liang’s body.
His physical strength increased once more.
“So, my abilities sync with my tamed beasts when they evolve. That’s convenient.”
Mu Liang glanced at the Three-Colored Lizard. It hadn’t changed much in appearance, but its body had grown to nearly a meter in length—a significant power boost.
If it launched a sneak attack, an ordinary person could be killed in an instant.
“All I found was a piece of dried meat.”
Mino returned with a palm-sized piece of jerky.
When she saw the massive lizard in front of Mu Liang, her blue eyes sparkled with excitement.
Without realizing it, she licked her lips.
“Hisss~~”
The Three-Colored Lizard tensed up, glaring at the girl warily.
“Relax, this one is my pet. It’s not for eating.”
Mu Liang pinched Mino’s rabbit ears before she got any ideas about turning his lizard into dinner.
“Eep~~”
Her sensitive ears twitched as she let out an embarrassed whimper.
Mu Liang quickly let go, coughing awkwardly. “I’ve been wanting to grab those ears for a while… didn’t expect such a big reaction.”
“D-Don’t pull my ears!”
Mino’s face turned bright red, and she pouted in protest. “I’m not a pet!”
“Alright, alright.” Mu Liang waved dismissively.
…Though he secretly decided he’d grab them again someday—the texture was just too satisfying.
Suddenly, Mino’s ears twitched. “Wait—I hear the Rock Armor Turtle’s footsteps!”
She turned toward the distance, her expression surprised. “It’s coming this way!”
“I called it over.”
Mu Liang raised an eyebrow. He had a mental bond with the turtle, allowing them to sense each other’s presence within two to three hundred meters.
But Mino?
She had heard its footsteps from that far away and even recognized them.
That was seriously impressive.
A few minutes later, the Rock Armor Turtle arrived.
Without wasting time, Mu Liang placed his hand on its head.
“System, evolve the Rock Armor Turtle.”
“Ding! Evolving Level 1 Rock Armor Turtle to Level 2. Consuming 10 Evolution Points.”
“Ding! Evolution successful.”
“Ding! Synchronizing Beast Tamer’s ability Earth Rock Spike to Level 2.”
As his body absorbed the new power, Mu Liang opened his stat panel.
Beast Tamer: Mu Liang
Stamina:5
Speed:8
Strength:6
Spirit:16
Lifespan:24 years / 260 years
Taming Points:0 (Resets daily, can be accumulated)
Evolution Points:80
Abilities:
Earth Rock Spike (Level 2)
Mimetic Camouflage (Level 2)
Tamed Beasts:
Rock Armor Turtle– Talent: Earth Rock Spike (Level 2)
Three-Colored Lizard– Talent: Mimetic Camouflage (Level 2)
Both of his tamed beasts had evolved to Level 2, nearly doubling his attributes.
Most shocking of all, his lifespan had increased to 260 years.
For most people, living this long would be nothing but a fantasy.
Yet, Mu Liang had achieved it effortlessly.
“T-The turtle… it got… bigger…”
Mino’s jaw dropped in astonishment.
Mu Liang turned and finally noticed the change.
Originally, the Rock Armor Turtle had been about a meter long.
Now?
It had grown more than ten times its original size—almost as big as a ten-square-meter room.
“Hooowoo~~”
The giant turtle let out a happy rumble and pressed its massive head against Mu Liang.
“Alright, alright, easy now.”
Mu Liang patted its head like comforting a child.
Now, if the turtle stood up, it would be over three meters tall.
“Mu Liang, you’re amazing!”
Mino’s blue eyes sparkled with admiration.
Who would believe that just yesterday, this massive Rock Armor Turtle was only the size of a palm?
—
Translator’s Note:
Beast Core (凶兽晶石)– A valuable crystal found inside mutant beasts, containing energy that can be used for evolution.
Earth Rock Spike (地岩突刺)– Likely an earth-based offensive ability used by the Rock Armor Turtle and Mu Liang.
Mimetic Camouflage (拟态变色)– Allows Mu Liang and his Three-Colored Lizard to blend into the surroundings like a chameleon.