novelraw Chapter 95: The Choice – Wizard or Fighter
Chapter 95: The Choice – Wizard or Fighter
"Felix Mundus."
As Muse spoke the name of that scholar, the group arrived at the "Roach Nursery."
Following several 'territorial expansions' spearheaded by the Spectral Roaches, the space here had grown immense. Rows upon orderly rows of insect eggs formed a massive, brown-hued legion.
On a raised piece of high ground in the distance sat The Roach Matriarch. A staff clenched in her left hand and a scythe gripped in her right, she crouched there with her legs drawn in, looking every bit like a monarch seated upon a throne as she continuously spawned fresh eggs.
The sight sent an involuntary tremor through Cynthia's heart. Is this really something a high school freshman Beast Warrior is capable of?
On their walk here, Cynthia had already spotted numerous Spectral Roaches in the tunnels. Yet, until she laid eyes on this scene herself, she simply couldn't convince her own mind that any of this was real.
Cynthia had long since dug into Fly's background. Both of his parents were average office workers. Aside from the freshman benefits provided by Star City High and the prize money he'd won from the Freshman Invitational, Fly had virtually no other sources of resources. (His newly launched social media account on TT had barely taken off, let alone started generating any real profit).
Under such circumstances, to have cultivated such a massive swarm of Spectral Roaches within his Sea of Consciousness was truly inconceivable.
"It's quite... spectacular."
Even a Grandmaster-level Beast Warrior like Muse felt a hint of awe in his heart.
"What's the next step?" Fly asked, practically itching to get his Beast Totem's evolution underway.
Instead of answering Fly directly, Muse pointed toward the high ground in the distance. "Is that The Roach Matriarch?"
In terms of sheer size, The Roach Matriarch was easily ten times larger than any of the adult Spectral Roaches they'd encountered along the way. Furthermore, the fact that she wielded a staff in one hand and a scythe in the other clearly indicated that she possessed the dual potential of both a Wizard and a Fighter.
"If you guide your Roach Matriarch down the Wizard evolutionary path, I dare say you wouldn't be at a disadvantage, even when facing those geniuses from Sovereign High."
"But..." Muse suddenly added, his tone growing heavy.
Fly raised an eyebrow.
The moment someone drops a "but," it usually means they're advising against that particular choice.
It wasn't just Fly who was confused; even Cynthia, standing behind Muse, wore a look of bewilderment. "Why not?"
"No matter how you look at it, the Wizard evolutionary path clearly boasts a much higher ceiling of potential, right?"
"Since that's the case, wouldn't choosing this evolutionary path give Fly a better edge in The Jade State League?"
Hearing this, Muse turned his head and shot Cynthia a stern look. "Have you completely forgotten everything I've taught you?"
"I..." Cynthia stammered, looking embarrassed.
Whether it was academic theory or Martial Studies cultivation, she was considered top-tier among her peers. From middle school to high school, and then onto university, she had always been the golden child in everyone else's eyes.
Yet, it seemed Muse was never satisfied with her. The icy tone he so often used left a bitter taste in her mouth as his daughter.
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"Of course the Wizard evolutionary path has a higher ceiling, but..." Muse turned his attention back to Fly. "You're already a level 3 Beast Warrior, aren't you?"
"Yeah." Fly gave a slight nod.
"In that case, what did it feel like when you broke through to level 3?" Muse asked.
It hit Fly like a bolt of lightning.
Beast Totems were not "dead objects"; they possessed their own consciousness. It was only because Beast Warriors wielded formidable Psychic Energy that they could suppress the totem's instinct to rebel.
Going down the Wizard evolutionary path meant that Fly's Beast Totem would become significantly stronger—which also meant its resistance would become exponentially more violent.
The memory of breaking through to level 3 flashed across Fly's mind—the miserable sight of himself and Dean Sterling being hunted down by The Roach Matriarch...
"Well..." Fly hesitated.
"Furthermore," Muse continued, "an evolved Beast Totem requires time to adapt. The greater the boost in power, the longer the adjustment period. With The Jade State League right around the corner, how much time do you really have to spare?"
"So, the way I see it, sticking to the Fighter evolutionary path you're already familiar with might be the safer bet."
"There are risks involved, though."
Muse paused for a moment before pressing on.
"Choosing the Fighter evolutionary path means the gap between you and the super-geniuses at Sovereign High likely won't narrow by much, which will put you in a very tough spot during The Jade State League."
"And if you fail to take the championship, not only will I immediately sever our apprenticeship contract, but I'll also demand you pay the 1.5 million in compensation."
"The choice is yours, Fly."
Muse didn't try to dictate Fly's future. He merely laid out the pros and cons clearly, handing the final decision right back to Fly.
Regardless of whether Fly chose the Wizard or the Fighter evolutionary path next, Muse wouldn't say another word. He would simply power up the evolution machine.
Another choice, huh? Fly hadn't spent much time with Muse, but he already had a good feeling about the old man.
Every time a problem arose, he broke down the stakes and returned the power of choice to Fly.
Fly didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned his gaze toward The Roach Matriarch in the distance.
The benefit of choosing the Wizard evolutionary path was securing a higher potential ceiling for the future. The downside was needing far more time to adapt, coupled with the inevitable, fierce backlash from his Beast Totem origin.
Conversely, the Fighter evolutionary path would be much easier to manage, but it lacked that high ceiling.
When the time came, it would mean he'd have to rely on his old combat style to clash head-on with the super-geniuses from those elite academies.
If this were just a local tournament in Star City, Fly would still be confident about taking the crown.
But...
This was The Jade State League.
This was a tournament where even Mr. Carter and Dean Sterling—two people who fully understood his combat power and talent—still didn't believe he had a chance.
The difficulty was unimaginable.
"Fly, if I were you, I'd choose the fighter evolutionary path," Cynthia couldn't help but chime in, seeing him hesitate.
"Star City High's chances of winning The Jade State League were already slim to none. You don't need to bet everything you have on a pipe dream."
"The Fighter evolutionary path is far more stable than the Wizard's. You won't face such a violent backlash."
"Even then... even then..." Cynthia paused, taking several deep breaths before finally mustering the courage to continue. "Even if my father severs your apprenticeship contract, you can still use the foundation from this evolution to forge a better future for yourself."
Cynthia hadn't known Fly for long, but he hadn't made a bad impression on her. Right now, she was truly looking at things from his perspective, offering advice as someone who had been there before.
Cynthia had competed in The Jade State League; she knew exactly how brutal that arena was.
Although emotionally, she desperately wanted Fly to win the championship and pass her father's test, logically, she didn't believe he could actually pull it off.
Unless a miracle happened!
"Cynthia!"
Muse reprimanded, a hint of anger in his voice.
"This has nothing to do with you."
"Your shallow martial arts experience isn't worth a single mention in the face of a true genius."
Hearing her father evaluate her like that, Cynthia froze. "Father..."
When it came to martial arts, Cynthia had never once slacked off.
She believed she had never brought shame to him, yet Muse was always like this. He rarely, if ever, acknowledged her.
Fly hadn't expected the atmosphere to turn so sour.
"I've made my decision."
Attempting to diffuse the awkward tension, Fly turned back to Muse. "I choose Wizard."
"This time, I'm taking the Wizard evolutionary path," Fly declared, his voice ringing out with absolute conviction.
"Fly!" Cynthia cried out, still wanting to change his mind.
But Muse cleanly cut her off. "Good."
"You've made your choice, now you must bear the consequences," Muse said, simultaneously pressing a button on his electric wheelchair.
Back in the basement of Muse's villa, a faint light flickered.
Immediately after, the black crystal orb hummed to life. The black orb, originally only a meter or so in diameter, rapidly expanded to over two meters, sucking Fly's body right into it on the spot.