Evolution
The young ones decided to rest—not from physical exhaustion, but as a strategic move. They didn't want sleep to sneak up on them in the middle of an intense gaming session, especially knowing that four hours offline in the real world would be enough to reach dawn in the virtual world. It was the most efficient way to wake up fully recharged.
Sig, true to her style, settled comfortably on the couch in Loli's room, ready to surrender to sleep with a relaxed smile.
When the three of them woke up, Grandpa was already on his feet. He had slept just enough and had no intention of playing as intensely as his grandchildren. He didn't need to. While he prepared something in the kitchen, a knock knock knock echoed from the door, interrupting the morning calm.
Bert, still groggy with sleep, went to open it. Standing before him was Alfred, the bartender from Sig's bar, carrying a large, sturdy-looking box. Inside were strange components that looked like parts from unknown machinery.
"Hello. Miss Sig asked me to bring the nutritional connectors," Alfred announced in his usual calm tone, unfazed by the weight of the load.
"Oh, right. Come in, Alfred," Bert replied, recognizing him immediately. To them, he wasn't just a bartender—Alfred had been Sig's butler, assistant, and personal bodyguard since they were kids. He was the one who picked her up from school, the one who looked after her when the world seemed too dangerous.
"Sig, Alfred is here," Bert called, gently knocking on his sister's bedroom door.
A few seconds later, the door opened and Sig appeared, hair tousled and eyes still sticky from sleep.
"Perfect, Alfred! Just leave it over there. I…" Her words trailed off when a spark lit up in her eyes. "Hey, Bert… we still have a demon beast core, right?"
"Yeah," Bert replied calmly, but as he realized her idea, he slowly turned to Alfred, anticipating what was coming.
"I'll give you five high-quality potions," Sig offered quickly, trying to tempt him.
"No need," Bert interjected before Alfred could respond. "He'll be a big help to us. If I remember right, you said he mastered martial arts and the use of multiple weapons, didn't you? That kind of support is worth more than a few potions."
"Seriously?" Sig asked, trying to hide her excited smile.
"Yeah. We need him. And I'm not charging you," Bert said, his gaze firm with the faintest hint of a smile.
"Awesome! I'll tell Loli to get it ready," Sig exclaimed, dashing back to her room with renewed energy.
Meanwhile, Alfred remained stoic, still holding the box. His expression showed a mix of resignation and acceptance; this wasn't the first time his young mistress roped him into something like this. Bert gestured to show him where to set the box down.
"Alfred, forget about the bar for a while. Let those addicts in the back room run the place. Loli already sent you an invite to the virtual world. We need your help in there," Sig explained as she returned, waking Loli with a blanket tug.
"…As you say, Miss," Alfred replied with his usual composure, still trying to process the sudden leap from serving drinks to becoming a digital warrior.
That was when Grandpa appeared from the back of the house, scratching his chin as he took in the scene.
"Maybe we could use this house as our base," he proposed in a calm voice. "It's got a lot of empty rooms. We inherited it years ago, and it's far too big for just the three of us."
"You think so, Grandpa?" Bert asked, surprised by the suggestion.
"We'd only bring in close people. Like Sistina, or Alfred. The rest of the neighborhood's houses… they're abandoned. Their old owners were drained. If no one claims them, someone else eventually will. There's no need to buy like before—plenty of properties are just forgotten."
"It could work…" Sig murmured, thoughtful. That possibility meant more than just comfort—it meant hope. If they could establish a base, they could leave behind the turf wars over territory and mana. Sig had always fought to support community kitchens and her people. If she found a better way forward, she wouldn't hesitate. Her loyal followers, who had stood by her since the dark days of her father, would follow her too.
A stable income, without bloodshed or needless risk… who would want to keep dying over a street corner soaked in desperation? Let the others fight over ruins. She had a new world to conquer.
"Well, now that Alfred brought the connectors, we can play in peace," Bert said, walking off to his room. There was no reason to keep crowding into Loli's. He had already moved his computer to the corner of his bed to play more comfortably.
"Now that I think about it, my body doesn't hurt from sitting for so many hours…" he muttered to himself, shrugging as he closed the door behind him.
Grandpa and Sig also headed to their respective rooms, ready to dive into the virtual world.
…
Elsewhere, Lua woke up to the murmuring of players in the village. She opened her eyes in surprise—it was already morning. Slowly, she sat up from her bed of furs, stretching her arms as the sunlight hit her face directly, forcing her to squint.
"Oh, Miss Lua, it looks like you're awake," greeted Sig with a gentle smile.
"Hello, Miss Lua," said Loli, blushing a little at her sleepy expression.
"Mm," Lua replied simply before walking toward the well to wash her face.
However, as she crossed the courtyard, she paused. Something had changed. She glanced back at the group of players and noticed a new presence.
Among them stood a peculiar figure: a small skeleton, entirely black and barely a meter tall. His name floated above his head in faint letters:
Alfred – Level 1 – Spiritual Skeleton (Low Class)
Lua raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She simply smiled to herself and kept walking. The world was getting more and more interesting.
"What's the plan?" Loli asked, looking at Bert.
"For now, leveling up. Especially Grandpa and Alfred," Bert replied calmly.
"Leveling up? But I'm just going to tend a farm, no need to worry," said Ganfall with a relaxed smile.
"No, Grandpa, it's necessary. When you level up, your stats increase. And when you have more stamina, your body gets stronger, making farm work easier and less tiring," Bert explained patiently.
"I see," Ganfall said, nodding as he started to understand.
"Wait!" Loli suddenly exclaimed, and everyone turned to her, puzzled. "I still need to evolve," she remembered excitedly. "Which one should I choose?" she asked, scanning the list of available evolutions. She had already ruled out the ones unrelated to fairies—they were too many, and many sounded ugly or like backtracking to earlier branches.
"Tell me the options you have," said Bert calmly.
"Okay," Loli replied, then began to read them along with their short descriptions:
Fairy Evolution Options
Ancient Forest Fairy – Strong bond with wise and ancient trees.
Spring Nymph – Controls blooming and the world's fertility.
Sylph of the Wind – Winged fairy that commands air currents.
Dryad – Fused with a great magical tree.
Nature Spirit – Almost divine, maintains the balance of life. [SEALED]
Celestial Fairy – Uses pure light and heavenly magic. [SEALED]
Solar Pixie – Emits intense light that burns or heals.
Astral Fairy – Communicates with constellations and manipulates stars.
Dawn Guardian – Appears at sunrise, fights the darkness. [SEALED]
Embodied Light – Near-sacred entity, destroyer of darkness. [SEALED]
Shadow Fairy – Can hide and spy from within shadows. [NEW]
Nightmare Fairy – Manipulates dreams and fears. [NEW]
Lesser Succubus – Seductive evolution that absorbs life energy. [NEW]
Night Witch – Controls dark magic and curses. [NEW]
Lady of Forgetting – Erases memories and manipulates identities. [NEW]
Black Flame Fairy – Wields a dark fire that cannot be extinguished. [NEW]
Infernal Salamander – Fuses soul with underworld fire. Very heat resistant. [NEW]
Fiery She-Devil – Humanoid form with demonic fire and small horns. [NEW]
"Succubus sounds cool. Maybe you can use it to charm a cute Oni," Sig whispered near Loli's ear, making her blush all the way to her ears.
"I think either Black Flame Fairy or Fiery She-Devil could work. They seem like offensive magic types. Salamander might be defensive. Witch and Lesser Succubus seem focused on debuff damage, like Nightmare Fairy. You unlocked them after using that powerful fire spell, so they're probably related. You can choose between crowd control, damage, or support," Bert analyzed calmly.
Loli narrowed her eyes. "Actually, I really like the fairy form. Even though it's small… maybe the next evolution will be taller. I do like fire, but… Astral Fairy sounds special. Stars? That sounds cute!"
Bert nodded. "Star magic is rare. It might have good magic damage or unique abilities."
"Then I choose Astral Fairy," Loli declared with a big smile.
She tapped the evolution option, and her body began to glow with a bluish-white light. Tiny constellations spun around her, then a stellar energy wrapped around her body like a cosmic veil. When the light faded, her dress was now white with light blue accents, decorated with star patterns, and her wings sparkled with golden specks.
Her hair remained blue, but brighter, and she seemed a little taller than before.
[STATUS PANEL UPDATED]
Name: Loli
Level: 10
Race Level: 1
Race: Astral Fairy (Rare Class, Magic Type, Mid-Low Tier)
Title: Goddess of Fortune ⭐
[STATS]
Health: 200
Mana: 387.5 (200 base + 7.5 × 25 INT)
Damage: 1
Defense: 1
Strength: 2
Endurance: 3
Intelligence: 25
Speed: 13
Dexterity: 17
Luck: 10 (max)
EXP: 0/1000
[ABILITIES]
• Fairy Luck – Multiplies luck for 10 seconds.
• Stellar Nova (Star Spell, Fire, Level 1)
• Falling Star (Star Spell, Impact, Level 1)
New Spells:
✨ Stellar Nova
Type: Starfire – Level 1
Mana Cost: 22 MP
Cooldown: 4.0 s
Description:
Summons a small burst of cosmic fire that deals magical area damage.
Base Magic Damage: 0.5 × INT = 12.5
Final Damage: 12.5
Area of Effect: 2 meters
Additional Effect: 15% chance to apply Stellar Burn (1 damage per second for 3 s).
🌠 Falling Star
Type: Direct Damage – Level 1
Mana Cost: 20 MP
Cooldown: 3.0 s
Description:
Launches a fast-moving star that pierces enemies with a blazing trail.
Base Magic Damage: 0.5 × INT = 12.5
Final Damage: 12.5
Penetration: Can pierce up to 2 enemies
Additional Effect: If the enemy has less than 5 resistance, they are knocked down.
"Wow!" said Loli, thrilled. "Now I have star fire!"
"Sounds powerful," said Bert with a smile.
"Hunting will be easier now!" Sig exclaimed, full of excitement.
"…I feel a death flag rising," Bert commented with a tense but amused smile.
And with that, the five of them began walking toward the forest—now with a star by their side.