Beast Evolution Forge

Next day and the forest had grown quiet—too quiet.

They went deeper, alert just in case monsters jumped them. Vell raised his hand, halting them as his eyes squinted.

"Something's here," he muttered, his voice low.

"I feel it too. We're being watched." Wren said, her mana claws activating.

Before Vell could reply, a sword came flying towards him which he casually caught with two fingers. He threw back in the direction, using the exact amount of force. The enemy then showed up, two on trees while the other two were on the ground.

'hmmm.' He looked at all of them without any reaction but one thing was for sure, they were not ordinary enemies.

Each of the figures wore dark armor, its surface etched with glowing crimson runes that flowed with mana. Their faces were hidden behind sleek black masks, their red eyes glowing menacingly through narrow slits.

The tallest of the four stepped forward, his voice deep and confident. "So, you are Vell."

Vell tilted his head, unimpressed. "And you are…?"

"We are Mother's elite guards," the man replied, his tone laced with arrogance. "The strongest underlings she has ever created. Each of us is stronger than any of the captains you've fought before."

The other three nodded in unison, their armor clinking softly with the motion. "You stand no chance," another one added, her voice sharp and cutting. "Surrender now, and perhaps we will spare your pathetic team."

'wow, how cringe.' He thought, not impressed at all.

"Boys, shall we show them mother's powers?"

"Yes!" They all yelled in unison.

Yenna took a defensive stance, and the kids all followed suit.

Vell, on the other hand… just stared at them.

Then he laughed.

It wasn't just a chuckle. It was a full-blown, uncontrollable laugh that echoed through the forest. He bent over slightly, clutching his stomach as if he'd just heard the funniest joke of his life.

The guards froze, their confidence visibly cracking.

"What's so funny?" the tall one barked, his deep voice carrying a hint of confusion.

He wiped a tear from his eye, his laughter dying down to a grin. "You're serious, aren't you?" He straightened up, his eyes piercing through them. "You really think you can scare me with that? 'Mother's strongest underlings'? Please. I've seen things scarier than you before."

The tall guard growled, his fists clenching. "You'll regret mocking us!"

"Oh, I doubt that," he shot back, his grin widening. "I'm just curious which one of you I'm going to break first."

The guard snapped. "Kill him!"

The four of them rushed forward, their dark armor shimmering as their mana flared. The forest shook with their combined power as they closed the distance.

Vell didn't move.

At the last second, the first guard swung a massive, rune-covered sword straight at his head. Yenna shouted, "Vell!" but there was no need.

With one hand, he caught the sword mid-swing. The blade stopped cold, the impact sending shockwaves through the ground. The tall guard's eyes widened behind his mask.

"What…? How?!"

'something's wrong, he was not this strong before.'

Vell smirked, his grip tightening. A loud crack echoed as the sword shattered in his hand, pieces falling uselessly to the ground. The guard stumbled back, panic creeping into his voice.

"You're supposed to be weaker than us!" another guard screamed, charging in with a spear.

He sidestepped the attack effortlessly, grabbing the spear's shaft mid-thrust. With a flick of his wrist, he ripped it from the guard's hands and snapped it over his knee like it was a twig.

"Too slow," he said flatly, punching the guard in the stomach. The impact sent him flying backwards, crashing through a few trees before he finally stopped.

The remaining two guards hesitated, fear visible even through their masks.

"You… you monster!" one of them cried, hurling a dark mana ball at him.

Vell didn't even flinch. He walked straight through the attack, the mana licking his skin but doing no damage.

"Not bad but this is how you do it." He made a mana ball in his hand and closed the gap in seconds, grabbing him by the hair and lifting him effortlessly off the ground.

"Tell me how it tastes ok?" He asked, his voice low and dangerous.

The guard whimpered, struggling in his grasp. "P-Please…"

He tilted his head, considering him for a moment. "No." He sent the mana into his body and it began doing its thing, eating him inside out and it was excruciating.

The last of Mother's elite guards stood frozen, his sword trembling in his grip. "S-Stay back!" he shouted, desperation in his voice.

Vell stepped toward him, his red eyes glowing brighter. "You called yourselves the strongest, didn't you? So what's wrong? Where's all that confidence now?"

"Y-You're a monster!" the final guard stammered, taking a step back.

His smile faded. "No," he said coldly, his aura flaring around him like a dark storm. "I'm something far worse."

Before the guard could react, Vell disappeared in a blur of speed. A second later, he reappeared behind him, his hand resting on the guard's shoulder.

The guard stiffened, his entire body trembling. "W-What…?"

"You lose," he whispered.

With a single blow, the guard crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Silence fell over the clearing. He stood alone, surrounded by the broken forms of Mother's so-called strongest guards. He cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders as if he'd just finished stretching.

His group stared at him, their mouths hanging open.

"Uh…" Yenna finally managed, her voice shaky. "That was… fast."

He turned to them, his smile returning, this time softer. "What? Did you expect them to put up a fight?"

Mia and Sia ran up to him, their faces full of awe. "Daddy, you're so cool!" Sia squealed, jumping up and down.

Wren crossed her arms, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Show-off."

Yenna just sighed, shaking her head. "You're impossible."

Vell chuckled, ruffling Mia's and Sia's hair. "Come on, we're not done yet. Mother's still waiting for us."

As they moved forward, Yenna glanced at the unconscious guards. These were supposed to be Mother's best, and Vell had torn through them like they were nothing. Continue your journey with My Virtual Library Empire

She looked at him, 'Just how strong is he going to get?'

Vell, walking ahead with that confident grin, seemed unfazed. But deep inside, he could feel it—the hunger for more power, more strength.

Mother was close, and he couldn't wait to face her.