Savage Awakening 227. Fourth Evolution (Patreon)

His Chains dropped heavy to the ground. Bare. Stretching on and on behind him. His thick breaths fogged the air. His heart hammered hot in his chest. 

It would have to be a sprint from start to finish. With how much he had left… he had just one go at this.

He burned the last of his Bloodline. The last of his essence. When he roared, a flickering gray Titan-Rhino roared with him. His body ran so hot he felt like it might melt at any moment—

He stomped. And dashed for all he was worth. Chains trailing behind him. Just kept slamming down footsteps, making a wide circle, looping the angry beast, bursting between blizzard streams—

It was inevitable that he would get caught. He knew it. He just gritted his teeth and took it, felt the cold tearing at him—it was like he'd stepped into a different less forgiving gravity. Freezing his muscles, his skin—it even gotten into the skull, cold fingers grasping at his thoughts, and he was falling—

A second stream was trained on him now too, dumping all over him—

He felt his Health dropping dangerously.

He bellowed. Choked on icy essence. Stomped, and stomped, and stomped like a stubborn bull—and at last barreled through. Feeling chilled all the way to the core of him.

His heart still pumped white-hot… 

Warning!  

Health under 50% 

Savage Body Activated

Strength increased 25%

Speed increased 25%

Vitality increased 25%

He just kept going, making the beast turn, making it follow him. He didn't do anything different. Nothing that might arouse its suspicions. Just dropping his Chains behind, link after link, as he threw himself forward with a desperate energy.

One turn. Two. A wide lasso, lapping over itself now… Zane was not a nimble man. He knew this. But he made up for it in raw speed. Each step left a crater, showered sheets of ice and snow; he was going so fast, so forcefully, every time he got hit it had to be an accident. There was no aiming for him. 

He made it three full turns before he crossed a blizzard stream again.

This time when he stumbled through the other side, he was soaked to the bone. Shivering involuntarily even as his heart did all it could, struggling to drive heat to the rest of his sluggish body… he was stumbling now.

But the trap had been set.

He let out a deep rattling breath.

And firmed fists around his Chains.

Time to finish things. 

He wrenched them even as he ran, driving forward, roaring, calling every last drop of power inside him.

And his Chains exploded in Stormfire. 

And he pulled out an old, trusty Skill. One of his very first. It had not failed him yet.

Prometheus Noose. 

All those Chains began to constrict. Loop on loop on loop, closing in, crushing over the Hydra’s long throats—making a vice grip… 

A perfect conduit for Zane. At last he had somewhere to channel all his strength. And he did with a vengeance.

All four Hydra-heads looked down for a second, bewildered. Then began to hack as the Chains closed in. The beast tried thrashing it off, howling, and an enormous force hammered through. For a second Zane was wrenched off his feet.

When he crash-landed though he dug in. Gritted his teeth, and put all his trembling, shivering, exhausted body—every last muscle that still listened—into the life-and-death tug-of-war.

Zane tugged harder. Even badly wounded. Even broken. His muscles raged with a Godbeast’s strength. They did not fail him.

And the Hydra began choking harder too. Choking on the raw force, on the brightening white circle searing deeper and deeper into its necks, cutting off its essence, its blood, life itself… 

By now Zane was light-headed. So much essence was rushing out of him at once—he was sputtering, stumbling. Deeply sore wherever he could feel. Every muscle felt like it’d been wrung dry. He was fighting pressed up against his limits—and beyond… 

He forced himself to pull even harder. Trying to bring his massive arms together, working his back to its maximum—

His mouth hung open in a silent scream. And his Promethean Noose closed in. Flaring so hot it melted that deep-frozen skin, so hot it seemed to melt the air itself, make a strange splintering reality over its surface—squeezing so tight it locked all those dragon heads together. 

The realm's most intense fires pressing up against the realm's coldest ice, white-blue crushing against white-blue, a line of blindingly intense color—

Huge gallons of steam hissed out at the points of contact. Like the Blizzard Hydra itself might blow.

At first the Hydra felt angry. How dare this little creature challenge it? Then baffled—it, how he could contain so much strength. Baffled, that it was overwhelming it. And then… desperate. As it felt the life slowly squeezed out of it...

It started fighting for all it was worth. Thrashing wild. Screaming. 

And Zane, beaten-down, ruined, had one last task. He had to contain the death throes of a Monster Knight.

It might have been the hardest thing he’d ever asked of his muscles—already stretched to their limits, no power to give. He was so very close to empty. Trembling. Bleeding. Teeth clenched, veins bulging down his neck, his arms… blood vessels started erupting down his heaving back. 

And then a greater pain. Rippling down his body. And he felt huge chunks of him tearing. Down his back. Up his arms. Exhausted muscles giving out at last...

But Zane himself held strong. Bit down through the pain. Eyes narrowed.

He knew he had this Monster exactly where he wanted it.

The Hydra made its final attempt. It turned every head to Zane, eyes bulging, and summoned what essence it could get through.

Zane stared straight into the mouth of a blizzard. As it crushed into him.

Warning!

Health under 25%

He swore to himself then, even as the last sliver of feeling slipped away, that he was not dropping first. He stared down those hateful bulging eyes glaring down at him—so constricted he could see the blood vessels popping through the white. Cold engulfing hot, hot strangling cold…

In the end, the dragon-heads drooped first.

Eyes rolling back. The Blizzard Hydra toppled. Crashed heavy to the ground—and lay there listless.

Broken at last.

Zane sagged to his knees.

Warning!

Critical Health

Savage Body Activated!

Vitality increased 50%

Strength increased 50%

Speed increased 50% 

The notification was meaningless to Zane. 

He felt so exhausted he could hardly breathe. He just knelt there silent. Feeling a great emptiness inside him. Feeling like it was an immense effort just to open his eyes. His arms, legs, felt like they’d been filled with cement. A darkness hung over his head, slowly swallowing him...

He had nothing left.

He felt a flicker of satisfaction. Deep in his ruined chest. He had gotten the job done. He could hardly even think anymore. Every part of him was shutting down. Body to brain. 

Then he heard the Shaman in the distance shouting. 

And froze. 

The battle was not done. 

His friends were still in danger. Reina was still in danger. He made a choking sound. 

He stood on rotted, poisoned limbs. On muscles so torn they hardly worked, he could barely even see anymore—it wasn't so much standing than limping and staggering. Like a zombie. 

He shuffled toward the fight. He had to protect them. It was the only thought on his mind, animating his whole body, keeping him upright. He had to protect. When you stripped away every last bit of him, destroyed him in body and soul… that was all that was left.

Then he saw it. 

The Shaman falling from the sky choking, clutching at his throat—shot through. And Reina, crying out in triumph… 

They did it. 

Zane blinked. 

And keeled over. 

*** 

It was not long before he woke up. In Reina’s lap. He felt deeply peaceful. His head was swaddled in the warm softness of her. 

He saw the notification first—

Level up! 

Level up!

Essence Level 249 -> 251

Then her worried face. Then her relieved face. 

“It’s over,” she said. But before she could get more out—

Level 250 reached

Fourth Class Evolution unlocked! 

Zane blinked. 

The Fourth Class Evolution is a revitalization. The last preparation of the mortal body before the Nascent Soul stage. It is the most significant of the mortal evolutions. 

Huh. 

Right—he almost forgot about that.

First, this evolution grants the user a Weapon Soul—

Then it looked like one notification interrupted another. 

The Signature Title Savage Sage is reacting to the Fourth Evolution. 

The Fourth Class Evolution is the Savage Sage’s ‘Awakening.’ 

For this title, the Weapon Soul will be applied to the first form of the Soul weapon. Prometheus Chains. 

More boxes popped up. 

Savage Sage is reacting to the wielder’s chosen Path… 

Savage Sage is reacting to the Titan Rhino Bloodline… 

Class evolved! 

Dread Bastion (Mythic [M]) -> Juggernaut Titan (Mythic [E])

Level-up stat bonus: Vitality: +3, Regeneration: +3, Strength: +2.5, Dexterity: +1.4, Speed: +1.2

*** 

Zane saw his Chains in his mind now. There were gemstones studded into their bases—two silver squares, it looked like, shimmering softly… 

His Chains had gone the color of his Bloodline. A Titan-Rhino gray. Blue-white Stormfire streaks ran all throughout them, making up their cores, woven deep within… 

They weren't there right now, physically. But he could feel them like a hidden limb—pulsing with his essence, his powers. Always.

The Weapon Soul makes the Soul Weapon a complete part of the wielder, in body and soul. It grants the Soul Weapon a new upgrade path. The Weapon Soul can be fed by reaping the souls of enemies. The higher-Leveled, the more filling. 

Huh. 

It is currently at Level 2

At this Level the Prometheus Chains’ durability and strength is equivalent to Common Sky-grade Spirit Steel. 

Skill learned! 

Stormfire Power (Passive) [Legendary (E)]

Any Stormfire Skill used through Prometheus Chains will have its powers greatly enhanced. 

Oh neat. 

Then—

Skill learned! 

Anchor of the Gods [Active] [Mythic (E)]

Once the Prometheus Chains make sturdy contact with the enemy, they gain an irresistible weight. They can anchor the enemy utterly, making escape impossible. 

It was a lot all at once. His Chains had gotten a lot stronger, it looked like—Zane was curious how he could upgrade them… but the evolutions still weren’t done just yet.

The System was serious when it said this would be the most significant of Zane's evolutions so far.

The Savage Sage Signature Title is reacting to the Fourth Evolution… 

The Savage Sage Signature Title is reacting to the Titan Rhino Bloodline… 

Zane did a double-take. 

The Savage Sage Signature Title is evolving in accordance with Zane Walker. 

… 

Savage Body -> Asura Body (Passive) [Signature] Lv. [MAX]

Grants access to the Asura Berserker State. 

The more Zane Walker burns his Bloodline and essence, the more his battle frenzy grows, the greater his powers multiply too. At its height, this state grants a twofold increase in raw power, regeneration, and essence regeneration. 

He had barely finished reading it when— 

Savage Sage Title is reacting to the Evolution… 

Savage Sage Title is reacting to Zane Walker’s Soul… 

Sage Mind -> Great Sage Mind (Passive) [Signature] Lv. [MAX]

Grants hypersensitivity to all activities of the Astral Plane. Expands Sage Mind’s feeling-reading abilities. To include essence flows in the environment and in others. 

***

Zane’s head hurt a little. 

In total then—it upgraded his weapons a lot. Gave him a new Chain Skill. Boosted his Title. Swapped out his Signature powers for better versions…

He sat there blinking. But it appeared to be done.

That was…

…Hmm.

There were a few upgrades in Zane’s life that flipped everything upside-down. His Stormfire was one. His Titan Rhino Bloodline was another. He had a sneaking suspicion he had just stumbled upon his third.

***

Reina was flabbergasted at it all—just one of those upgrades would have been a huge pickup. It had to be his Signature Title’s doing, she felt. It intervened somehow.

Evan wanted to see his new Chains, so Zane brought it out. 

They were shaped much like his old ones—they just got new colors, new densities, and his Element was built deeply into it. He liked the look of it—powerful, but also pleasing to the eye. Evan thought it was very cool-looking too—he ooh’d and ah’d all over. When those white-blue streaks ran through it, pulsing gently, they circulated essence from his Core. 

There were his other new powers too. Humming in the background. 

Even just looking around, Zane could feel the essence flowing around their body is so much crisper. He felt like an essence bloodhound. He could sense everything, feel everything. It would make Emperor’s Soul’s job a lot easier.

He wondered how his new Anchor Skill worked—he missed grappling. He had let it fall to the wayside some. It would be a nice change of pace again. 

Then there was this new Berserker thing. He would have to test it out. There was so much to test. Really this last evolution brought all of his old powers together.

First though. He stood.

Reina mentioned there was a huge yellow dot on the other side of the island. The Monster Knights had left something behind… after all those upgrades Zane was almost embarrassed to take more. 

But he still would. Happily.