Chapter 124: The Castle beyond Fog

Evolution is a unique process that all beings of nature possess the potential for, including humans.

Though humans have rarely ever transcended their base biological boundaries, they do achieve feats that are superhuman: for example, becoming Assimilators.

The beasts of nature, on the other hand, are more special.

They are ranked into certain categories naturally and they possess the power to go beyond that categorised level.

Even those born to normal beasts can sometimes grow up to be rare or even unique beasts.

The potential that one is born with is different from the growth potential that one obtains through their surroundings and nurture.

It is said that a well nurtured child could grow up to achieve their full potential much faster. In rare cases, they might transcend their racial limitations to achieve a unique rank of their own.

’By that logic, Felix was already powerful.’

She was a unique derivative of her species. An evolved version that was perfect for her original environment.

She was born different from others as a member of the latest generation.

There surely might be some more out there like her in this world but finding a mystique among them was not going to be an easy task.

’She was born different from the others.’

Even though she had spent a long time in the Sungrade cradle, she wasn’t raised like a mystique but a different creature altogether.

She was an outsider in that place. Much like me...

Perhaps that was the reason I brought her with me and not just her mystique powers.

’I never actually knew her true potential until we bonded.’

The mystique skill that was only going to be a useful power to me later became a fascinating subject of study for me.

And I studied her powers with her deeply.

We studied her world together.

We explored, we talked, we laughed, we agonised over situations that might seem too simple to a genius like Nyx but were fun to the two of us.

We had fun together. And I guess in that time, we became more than just friends.

The bond we share is magical, I’d say.

’I did not want to let it go.’

I’ve done everything I can to be with her until now and I’d do so again however many times I have to.

Putting Nyx aside, she is my first friend in this life. And I’d cast dark magic if it was for her.

’I was ready to do that this time as well.’

But just when I thought I’d have to jump in the moment her evolution was complete, without any warning, I found myself walking inside a very familiar gray fog.

Felix wasn’t here right now. And while the fog itself seemed much bigger and thicker, I can tell a lot more by accessing it through our connection.

-Thup. Thup. Thup.

I walked deeper since I knew I was walking towards something.

Beyond the fog where nothing should exist, we knew there was something.

I wasn’t the only one inside this fog anymore. The legendary mystique beast that had crushed this very fog a few moments ago was in here as well.

And, unlike before, he wasn’t able to superimpose his own domain in this one.

’And the reason for that...’

Is this.

"Turrrrrrr...!"

There exists a castle beyond our gray fog now.

It was part of her Finite personal reality.

It was also old... and glamorous like the castle of a god.

All I could do as I watched this place was to gasp at its unfathomable existence.

’I look like an ant before this behemoth.’

Even the giant Imugi, running wild inside the seemingly endless corridors of this castle as I could see with my blue eyes, seemed like a child before it.

It was trapped inside the castle right now.

It was in there, using all the powers it could, using its winds, using the mystique skill that it had, using the full extent of its powers that seemed life threatening to all my being... but despite all those attacks, nothing actually happened.

As I watched from outside the castle, trapped deep inside of this ’permanent’ structure, the snake was struggling to get out.

I can tell it already knew what this castle was, but however much it tried, all that it destroyed, retired to how it was before it knew it.

Seeing the legendary creature struggle was something I did not expect, but at the same time, there was a twist.

’The castle is feeding off of it.’

The more power that creature uses, the worse it will be for it. The castle was almost like a parasite that was feeding off of what was inside of it.

’The Imugi isn’t dumb.’

It did not take the creature more than a few minutes to realise what was happening here.

It was getting weaker the longer it stayed here. And if it kept going on with these attacks, it would lose whatever little strength it had left.

{ "I surrender." }

The legendary mystique beast that had only been screaming at the two of them until now came to the point where it had appeared in this castle.

It bowed to the master of this castle, and the castle, in response, turned its eyes towards me.

"Ah..."

It was only now that I realised where my feline partner had been all this time.

"Let it go, Felix."

I felt a strange warmth when she subdued the legendary beast on her own.

I don’t know where exactly this castle came from but, whatever the case may be, when the bronze-gold behemoth resembling a multi-layered organ of an otherworldly symphony deconstructed itself and came back to its familiar, original form, I could only look at her with pride in my heart.

She looked different now.

The gray white body and the tiger-like straps on her body had changed a little.

There were some golden straps on her body now.

She looked bigger than before even though she was already a big kitten, and, most of all, the deep blue eyes that I have known all this time were different as well.

’I didn’t even notice it.’

I had the same eyes when I used our bond power.

They were deeper than before. Bluer than the deep waters that we have survived.

There was an unknown rune mark inside them shaped like a calligraphy (Q), something I have never seen before.

The bronze choker that she got from the treasury had changed as well. It wasn’t just a necklace anymore.

It extended all the way to her head as well, and was shaped like a crown on top of her bigger head.

Her whiskers that Alex loved so much made her look a few years older now as well.

But all these changes aside, the warmth that those eyes were looking at me with, had not changed one bit.

"Good work, Felix."

She has grown a lot in that short moment.

"Meow~!"

{ "Master!" }

But she is the same little friend that I have always known.

The same partner that I am so proud of.

"Turrrrr..."

And at the same time, the same Mystique that had brought a legendary draconic beast to its knees... something I dare say I had not expected to be possible.