Absolute Craft-Chapter 60: Evolution (4)

Chapter 60: Evolution (4)

"We can kick other players twice a day," Joel said.

Players could vote to remove disruptive or trolling teammates from dungeon expeditions, because no one wanted to waste time. It had already been weeks since the game’s launch, so basic dungeon mechanics were common knowledge. Even if someone entered the dungeon for the first time, hoping for a blind experience, their teammates would quickly spoil the mechanics and pressure them to follow standard strategies. If the newcomer refused, the party could validly kick them out.

Still, the kick option was only available twice per day. After using those two votes, a player either had to leave on their own or endure any new teammates.

"There’s also a penalty for those who leave mid-dungeon or right at the start," Joel added.

Apparently, kicking someone required a party vote—one Blake and Joel would lose since there were only two of them.

"Do you have anyone to invite to our party?" Blake asked.

He didn’t have any in-game friends yet—only Joel was on his friend list, which wouldn’t solve their current problem. Joel had met plenty of players and added them to his list, but he wasn’t sure they’d agree to Blake’s plan. Still, he was willing to contact them if it helped.

As Joel typed messages to those he’d met, he explained, "My friends have all graduated and either gone to college or taken over their family businesses. I know they’re playing this game, but they’d rather hang out with their school or work friends than with me. I’d feel out of place anyway, you know? Still, meeting new people is fun!"

Blake answered, "It sure is."

He’d known this in his gut, but a humiliating event had left such a scar that he didn’t want to interact with other players anymore. Now, forced to face that challenge, he remembered how exciting it was to meet new people—provided they had genuine talent rather than being total losers like Silver Dash.

Five minutes later—just as Blake came to terms with his lingering sadness—Joel spoke up excitedly.

"Good news, bro! We have four teammates who agreed to leave the dungeon for us!" Joel clenched his fists, practically glowing.

Blake didn’t hide his relief. "Let’s head to the Abandoned Village, then."

-

Walking through the white foliage and vivid green carpet beneath, Blake found a few low-level monsters that could serve as a decent test for Sol. Rather than serious training, he simply wanted Sol to gain levels in a safer environment. Of course, it was still a questionable idea.

Had it been Joel, Blake would have thrown him into the fray without hesitation. But he had a soft spot for pets like Sol, seeing him more as a hatchling in need of constant, motherly care.

TAP!

Blake set Sol on the forest floor. The little one stared ahead at a small green boar with short, razor-sharp tusks. Despite its size, the boar loomed larger than Sol’s dragon husk and could likely overpower him.

Then again, Sol had someone much bigger behind him: the man in black armor, who could easily be called his "dad."

Nervous, the little boar squealed and charged at Sol.

Sol countered with his proud dragon’s breath. His flames spread out like bubbly clouds, but they weren’t strong enough to deter the boar. Terrified of Blake, it simply barreled through the flames without slowing down.

Although it took some damage, it kept going!

Sol blinked in surprise. Unlimited mana alone wouldn’t help if he couldn’t stop the charge. The boar was about to slam into him.

"Perfect!" Blake cheered from above. "He shrugged off your attack, so now you have to adapt! Show me what you’ll do, Sol! Adaptation is the greatest skill of all! Go for it!"

While Joel took mental notes, Sol’s thoughts raced. He needed to beat this thing on his own.

What could he do? Under the pressure, his dragon husk synced more deeply with his soul. Draconic scales formed along his back, and both his tail and wings ignited with glowing red flames.

Sol let out a short cry and sprang forward. With a quick flap of his wings, he hovered just above the ground and rocketed toward the oncoming boar. Flames swirled around his muzzle, turning him into a tiny meteor. He crashed into the boar, launching it backward.

BANG!

The little boar collided with a tree trunk and slid onto its belly.

Now airborne—though only slightly higher than Blake’s head—Sol descended on top of the boar and unleashed another burst of flames, finishing it off like a true ruler of the skies.

Blake and Joel stood speechless.

"That had to be..." Joel whispered.

With a tear shining in his eye, Blake nodded. "Yeah... that was evolution!" He rushed to Sol and scooped him into a hug. "My boy evolved!"

Though it wasn’t a full evolution—and Joel had done something similar earlier—Blake ignored the specifics and cuddled Sol proudly.

Joel didn’t mind being overlooked. He was happy for them. Honestly, seeing Sol’s golden eyes light up was more than enough to make him forget everything else.

Only Beatrix, her emerald eyes mildly exasperated, remained calm, watching them all quietly.

Suddenly, Joel glanced over his shoulder. "I swear I felt someone staring at me... like I’m some kind of idiot!"

Blake and Sol, aware of Beatrix’s presence, simply ignored him and continued basking in the moment.

Blake kept hugging Sol, while Sol whimpered for more battles.

Right now, these two were the most hopelessly absorbed pair around.

Sol’s solo victory was so special that everyone here ended up making Joel’s in-game acquaintances wait longer than expected.

A few minutes late wouldn’t hurt anyone, right?

Well, it did.

When Blake and Joel met up with Joel’s friends, their group was one person short. One man had ditched them altogether, ignoring Joel’s request simply because he hadn’t bothered to show up on time. This left Joel feeling awkward, forced to bow his head and apologize to the others.

Then, someone familiar approached them...