Chapter 688 The Panda’s Evolution

Sakura Knight was on the verge of losing his mind. For three straight days, he and his subordinates had been slaughtering monsters inside the ruined temple, yet they still hadn’t found a single clue, let alone figured out how to open the mysterious black door.

No matter how thoroughly they searched, the result remained the same. They were stuck, with nothing to show for all their effort.

"Damn it!"

How had someone else managed to open that door? More importantly, why hadn’t he been the one to do it first?

The thought gnawed at him, filling him with frustration and resentment until he felt like killing someone just to vent his anger. He finally forced himself to mutter a curse under his breath, but it did little to ease his mounting irritation.

His already vicious eyes grew even more menacing as he glared at the wall where the black door had once stood. Murderous intent churned within him, and the sight of that empty space only made his mood worse. Three days of hard work, and he had absolutely nothing to show for it.

Meanwhile, Marcus was having the time of his life grinding monsters in the passage.

Fourth Day, Noon.

Ding!

[Congratulations, player Stonehaven. Your pet, the Yin-Yang Giant Panda, has leveled up! Current level: 50. HP +300, MP +200, Attack +200, Defense +300.]

Thanks to the experience bonus from fighting monsters above level 60, Marcus had managed to raise the panda from level 45 to level 50 in just four days. That was less than half the time it had taken him to level up himself back when he was at a comparable stage of progression.

With such a ridiculous experience gain, he couldn’t help feeling that all those hours of grinding had been well worth it.

As soon as the system announcement rang out, a brilliant flash of light enveloped the Yin-Yang Giant Panda. Its clone moved toward it, and the two bodies merged into one, releasing a powerful surge of black-and-white yin-yang energy that spread through the passage.

The Yin-Yang Harmony Orb had appeared once again!

Marcus and his pets watched closely as the swirling energy gathered around the panda, gradually condensing into its familiar orb. Before long, the black-and-white sphere had completely enveloped the panda, hiding its body from view as the two opposing forces revolved around each other in an endless cycle.

Whoosh!

The energy inside the orb began spinning faster and faster, creating a mesmerizing spectacle of intertwined black and white. The swirling forces showed no sign of slowing, and Marcus could only wait as the minutes ticked by.

After a full three minutes, the opposing energies finally began to converge, pouring toward the center of the orb and merging into the panda’s body.

It was evolving!

Marcus held his breath, his eyes fixed on the orb. He wasn’t the only one paying close attention.

Camillo, Lyanna, and his other pets had also gathered to witness the transformation, all of them watching with barely concealed anticipation. The evolution of a Super Divine Beast was no small matter, and everyone wanted to see just how much stronger the panda would become.

Whoosh!

The last traces of yin-yang energy surged into the panda, and the orb dissolved in a flash of light. The level-50 evolution was complete, and the system announcements immediately followed.

Din!

[Congratulations, player Stonehaven. Your Super Divine Beast, the Yin-Yang Giant Panda, has reached level 50 and has fortunately triggered the special growth effect ’Pet Growth’! HP +3000, MP +2000, Attack +2000, Defense +3000. All elemental magic resistance +30%, physical and magic attack immunity +10%. All learned skills +1 level.

Skill ’Drumbeat of Yin and Yang’ has evolved into ’Drumbeat Shakes Yin and Yang.’ Skill ’Yin-Yang Dance Slash’ has evolved into ’Yin-Yang Twin Dragon Slash.’ The talent skill ’Yin-Yang Detection’ has been comprehended. The skills ’Yin-Yang Harmony Diagram’ and ’Yin-Yang Harmony Sword’ have also been comprehended, along with two ultimate skills: ’Yin-Yang Heaven-Earth Shaker’ and ’Yin-Yang Whirlwind Slash.’]

Before Marcus could fully process everything he’d just heard, another announcement sounded. This time, the news concerned the panda’s equipment. The Mythic Artifact known as the Green Bamboo Yin-Yang Set had evolved as well!

"Ding!

[Congratulations, player Stonehaven. Your pet, the Yin-Yang Giant Panda, has reached level 50. The Growth Mythic Artifact ’Green Bamboo Yin-Yang Set’ has undergone its first evolution! Panda’s Defense +15%, HP +10%, Attack +10%. Set skills ’Green Bamboo Light’ and ’Green Bamboo Reflection’ unlocked.]

It had finally evolved!

Marcus listened to the system announcements with bated breath, and the more he heard, the wider his eyes grew.

The massive stat increases alone were enough to make him grin from ear to ear, but he hadn’t expected the panda to acquire a new talent skill, two ultimate skills, and an evolved Mythic Artifact set all at once.

Each announcement brought another pleasant surprise, and by the time the last one rang out, he was practically bursting with excitement.

Damn! What kind of ridiculous luck was this?

He had to admit that this treasure of a panda was becoming more impressive by the minute. In terms of overall potential, it was already giving Blackie, his Nightmare Dragon Steed formed from the Five-Element White Dragon and the Nightmare King, a serious run for its money.

Before Marcus could call it over, the newly evolved panda trotted toward him of its own accord. It lifted its round head and looked up at him with an affectionate expression that carried just a hint of smugness, as though it knew perfectly well how much stronger it had become and was now waiting for its master’s approval.

"BamBam!"

Marcus laughed and reached out to pat the obedient panda, then took some fresh bamboo shoots out of his inventory. The moment it spotted its favorite food, the panda’s eyes practically lit up. It immediately pressed its furry body against him, rubbing its head against his hand before happily accepting the bamboo shoots.

Nuzzle, nuzzle.

The panda settled down beside him and began crunching away, looking utterly content with itself. Its earlier smugness had vanished beneath the simple pleasure of eating bamboo, and the sight was so endearing that Marcus couldn’t help smiling. For all its newfound strength, BamBam was still the same affectionate companion he’d always known.

’Good. Very good.’

With the panda happily occupied, Marcus opened its skill list to examine the results of its evolution. The stat boosts were impressive, but what really interested him were the new abilities. If they were as powerful as the system announcements suggested, they could make an enormous difference in the battles ahead.

First up were the two evolved combat skills.

Drumbeat Shakes Yin and Yang: Evolved from Drumbeat of Yin and Yang, which had itself evolved from the basic ranged attack skill Yin-Yang Double Strike at level 30.

By pounding the Yin-Yang Divine Drum, the panda releases powerful waves of yin-yang energy that strike distant enemies. Compared with its previous version, the skill has a wider attack range and significantly greater power.

Yin-Yang Twin Dragon Slash: Evolved from Yin-Yang Dance Slash, which had originally evolved from the basic melee skill Yin-Yang Slash at level 30. By swinging the Green Bamboo Yin-Yang Sword, the panda unleashes black-and-white dragon-shaped sword shadows that attack enemies within six meters. Both the range and destructive power of the attack have increased considerably.

Marcus nodded with satisfaction as he read through the descriptions. Both skills had become substantially stronger, giving the panda more than enough firepower to deal with groups of enemies at close and long range.

The improvement in its attack power was exactly what he’d been hoping for, and the fact that its ranged and melee skills had both evolved meant it would be far more versatile in combat.

His heart raced with excitement, but the two upgraded attacks were only the beginning.

Yin-Yang Detection: Passive talent skill. By drawing upon the surrounding yin-yang energy, the panda can detect traps and hidden mechanisms with ease, then alert its master to their presence. The skill had been comprehended by borrowing from its master’s Luck and Agility attributes.

Marcus stared at the description for a moment before breaking into a grin.

"Damn! My attributes can actually influence my pet’s growth?"

That was an unexpected bonus. He’d known that his pets could become stronger through leveling and evolution, but the possibility of his own attributes helping them develop new abilities was another matter entirely. If his Luck and Agility could contribute to the panda’s growth, then the relationship between master and pet was even more closely intertwined than he’d imagined.

It was almost as though they were growing stronger together. ’Man and pet, perfectly in sync. Now that was something he could get behind!’

The next skill was just as impressive.

Yin-Yang Harmony Diagram: Active skill. The panda pounds the Yin-Yang Divine Drum, releasing ripples of yin-yang energy that spread outward in the form of mysterious diagrams. The skill increases the Defense, HP, and Attack of the master, the master’s pets, and all members of the party or mercenary group by 10%. The effect lasts for ten minutes.

Marcus’s eyes lit up.

A ten-percent increase to three important attributes, applied not just to himself but to his entire team? That was an exceptionally useful support ability.

The longer the battle lasted, the more valuable such a boost could become, especially when combined with the panda’s own formidable combat power. It wasn’t merely a walking fortress anymore. It could also make everyone fighting alongside it considerably stronger.

And then there was the next skill.

Yin-Yang Harmony Sword: Active skill. The panda’s unique sword art, consisting of thirty-six moves in total. It had currently comprehended the first five moves, with the remaining thirty-one to be unlocked as it leveled up. The moves could be linked together to form devastating chain combos.

Marcus nearly choked.

’A chain attack skill!’

He stared at the description, then read it again to make sure he hadn’t misunderstood. Thirty-six moves, with the ability to link them into continuous combos? That was exactly the kind of ability he’d always wanted to get his hands on.

Just how ridiculous was this skill supposed to be? And how was he supposed to keep his jealousy under control when his own pet had learned a sword art with chain attacks before he could get his hands on one himself?

It was almost enough to make him cough up blood.

"BamBam, you’re a monster. Master admits he can’t compete with you."

The panda merely sat beside him, happily chewing its bamboo shoots as though it hadn’t just acquired an arsenal of skills that would make countless players green with envy.

Looking at its round face and sturdy little body, Marcus could only shake his head with an amused smile. He was fortunate that BamBam was so affectionate. If it had been the sort to flaunt its strength and look down on him, he might genuinely have suffered a breakdown.

Still, there was no point getting jealous over his own pet. If anything, having such a powerful companion was something to celebrate.

Besides, he hadn’t even examined the ultimate skills yet!

Marcus quickly scrolled farther down the list, eager to see what the panda had gained in that department.

Yin-Yang Heaven-Earth Shaker: Ultimate skill. Requires the Yin-Yang Divine Drum. The panda pounds the drum, drawing upon the yin-yang energy of heaven and earth to manipulate the elemental forces in the surrounding area and unleash a devastating attack. Its power depends on the amount and nature of the ambient elemental energy. Cooldown: one hour.

Yin-Yang Whirlwind Slash: Ultimate skill. Requires the Green Bamboo Yin-Yang Sword. The panda spins at high speed, releasing vast quantities of black-and-white yin-yang energy to create a massive tornado that attacks all enemies within fifteen meters. The panda must complete at least five rotations, and the damage increases with every additional spin. Cooldown: one hour.

Marcus’s breathing grew heavier as he read.

Both were powerful area-of-effect attacks, and neither sounded like something an ordinary monster could withstand. The first could harness the elemental energy of its surroundings to unleash a devastating strike, while the second could sweep through a wide area and grow more destructive with every rotation. With the right conditions, the damage could be downright terrifying.

He desperately wanted to test them both.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t an enemy standing in front of him at that very moment, and wasting an ultimate skill just to see what it looked like wasn’t particularly sensible. Even so, the thought of unleashing those attacks on a powerful boss had his blood pumping. He glanced toward the long passage stretching ahead, anticipation building with every passing second.

’Goddess of Dreams, please don’t let the boss in there be too weak!’

He meant it, too. After all the effort he’d put into leveling the panda, he wanted a worthy opponent to test its new abilities against. Anything less would be a waste of such an impressive evolution.

Still grinning, Marcus remembered that there were two more skills he hadn’t examined. These had come from the Green Bamboo Yin-Yang Set’s evolution rather than the panda’s own level-up, and judging by the earlier announcements, they were unlikely to disappoint.

Green Bamboo Light: Passive skill. Level 1 (0/5000). Drawing upon the radiance of green bamboo, the skill grants a 30% chance to convert 20% of attack damage dealt into HP recovery.

Green Bamboo Reflection: Passive skill. Level 1 (0/5000). Drawing upon the resilience of divine bamboo, the skill reflects 20% of the damage dealt by enemy attacks.

Marcus took a moment to absorb the descriptions, then let out a satisfied breath.

There was nothing more to say. The panda’s evolution had been absolutely monstrous.

One skill gave it a chance to recover health whenever it dealt damage, while the other allowed it to reflect a portion of the damage it received.

Combined with its already impressive defensive attributes, these abilities would make BamBam even harder to kill. It could take punishment, recover its health through attacks, and send part of an enemy’s damage right back at its attacker.

The more Marcus thought about it, the more absurd the combination seemed. The panda was turning into a walking nightmare for anyone unfortunate enough to face it.

He decided to check its overall attributes one last time, just to get a clear picture of its current strength.

—

Pet Status

Name: Yin-Yang Giant Panda

Rank: Super Divine Beast

Level: 50

HP: 25,000

MP: 20,000

Attack: 18,000

Defense: 25,000

Equipment: Growth Mythic Set, Yin-Yang Green Bamboo Set

Talent Skills: Super Sturdiness, Yin-Yang Clone Art, Life Saint Lotus, Yin-Yang Harmony Art, Yin-Yang Harmony Diagram, Yin-Yang Detection.

Skills: Drumbeat Shakes Yin and Yang, Yin-Yang Twin Dragon Slash, Yin-Yang Harmony Sword, Yin-Yang Harmony Diagram, Green Bamboo Life, Green Bamboo Light, Green Bamboo Reflection.

Ultimate Skills: Yin-Yang Heaven-Earth Shaker, Yin-Yang Whirlwind Slash.

—

Marcus studied the status panel, then nodded in satisfaction.

Strong didn’t even begin to describe it.

With 25,000 HP and 25,000 Defense, the panda was already a formidable defensive powerhouse, and its 18,000 Attack meant it could hit just as hard as it could endure punishment.

Add in its evolved combat skills, powerful support abilities, two devastating ultimates, and the benefits of its newly evolved Mythic Artifact set, and it was difficult to imagine a level-50 pet performing much better.

BamBam had truly lived up to its status as a Super Divine Beast.

However, admiring its new stats wouldn’t help him make further progress. Marcus had spent the past four days grinding through the first underground level, and he’d finally mapped the entire floor. It was time to move on.

He climbed onto Blackie’s back and gathered his pets before setting off toward the entrance to the second underground level. With the first floor thoroughly explored, there was little reason to linger any longer. The deeper levels held stronger monsters, better opportunities for experience, and, hopefully, opponents worthy of his newly evolved panda.

Before long, they reached the entrance. Marcus urged Blackie forward, and a flash of light swept over the group as they crossed into the next level.

He was already familiar with the second floor. It was inhabited by level-70 Spider Blade Fiends and Spider Mage Fiends, both considerably stronger than the level-60 monsters on the first floor.

Marcus could handle them, but the increased difficulty had slowed his killing speed enough that grinding there hadn’t been worthwhile. At the time, staying on the first floor had simply been the more efficient choice.

That was then. Now, everything was different.

The moment they encountered their first group of monsters, the two Yin-Yang Giant Pandas sprang into action. Both raised their Yin-Yang Divine Drums and began pounding out powerful beats, unleashing their newly evolved skill, Drumbeat Shakes Yin and Yang. Waves of black-and-white energy swept through the monsters before they could properly react, tearing through the group with overwhelming force.

The difference was astonishing.

What had once been a tedious fight against level-70 monsters had become a swift and decisive slaughter. The pandas’ attacks covered a wider area and hit far harder than before, allowing them to eliminate enemies at a pace that surpassed even Marcus’s grinding speed on the first floor.

They were ridiculously overpowered! With the two pandas leading the way, Marcus barely needed to lift a finger. He simply rode Blackie behind them while his pets cleared one group of monsters after another, their advance through the second underground level all but unstoppable.

And their destination was none other than Lady Silvia.