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Evolution was an incredible Trait—one I never imagined I could obtain—yet it remained shrouded in mystery. The more I used it, the more I sensed it was connected to something profound within me, almost as deep as the Soul Orb that had merged with both Freyja and me.
With every use, I felt like a god-like being. The ability to reshape reality through nothing more than my internal energy was beyond comprehension.
From the moment I gained it, I could hardly stop experimenting. Through trial and error, I discovered several limits. First, I could only evolve things I could touch with my hands. That meant I could enhance my tattoo or my physique, but I could not directly evolve Skills, Blessings, or anything intangible.
It was a fair restriction. Without it, nothing would stop me from elevating my entire list of skills into far stronger forms. Still, I was grateful for the boundary. I would have felt uneasy if such power had no limits.
Another limitation soon became clear: there was an upper threshold. If something demanded far more energy than I possessed, evolution simply failed. I learned this when I tried to evolve Freyja. Her requirements—vast amounts of Mana and Divine Power—were beyond my current reach.
Now I wondered what else I could evolve. Could I strengthen my Soul Orb or the Soul Palace I visited in my dreams? What if I deliberately evolved monsters to make them stronger, granting more experience and higher-quality materials? I would have to test it myself.
My tattoo provided a fascinating example. It would have likely remained at Tier 3, but by first evolving the ink to a higher tier and then evolving the completed tattoo, it jumped two full tiers and became far more powerful than I had ever dreamed.
This might create a useful loop, though I doubted it could be exploited endlessly. There were surely limits, especially with something as specific as tattoo ink and its byproducts.
Evolving living beings worked beautifully. I had easily transformed my newly summoned troops from low-level trash-grade units into far stronger forms than anyone expected.
This also meant I could evolve humans—my own family, everyone in the village. But what would they become? The thought filled me with both excitement and dread. What if it failed? What if it mutated them into something monstrous?
Although the Trait worked on living beings, it refused to affect Skills, Abilities, Techniques, Traits, Stats, or anything I could not physically touch. There would be no easy shortcuts to becoming a truly skilled fighter. I still had to train, learn, and grow. My Skills and Classes could not be directly improved either, though the System might allow them to evolve naturally over time.
That evening, I told my parents about my new power during dinner in the most direct way possible. I evolved the dish my mother had prepared—grilled meat, baked potatoes topped with cheese, and boiled grains.
"Wanna see? It's crazy. Evolve!"
"...?!"
"...!!!"
The dish glowed with brilliant light before settling back into its new form. It had grown significantly larger, though no extra ingredients had been added. Every component had simply become more substantial, richer, and far more aromatic.
"What happened to the food I cooked?" my mother asked, eyes wide. "It's bigger?!"
"Yeah, I evolved it!" I said with a grin.
Ding!
[You have used your Trait [Evolution (??? Rank)] to evolve your [Simple Meat Dish] into a [Divine Meat Dish]!]
I devoured the entire plate in under a minute. A powerful surge of life force, divine power, and mana flooded through my body.
[You have consumed the [Divine Meat Dish]. Your Internal Energies have been restored by 70% of your total amount, and your Regeneration of Internal Energies has increased by 200% for the next 30 minutes. Additionally, all Stats are increased by 15% for 10 minutes.]
I explained the effects to my stunned family. Then, unable to resist, I evolved everything else on the table.
"Isn't this incredible?!" my father gasped.
"It's almost a god-like power," my sister whispered. "Brunhild, how did you get this?"
"The Gods gifted me a scroll," I explained. "It's not that special… right?"
"You're being far too humble," my mother said, voice filled with awe. "This power is utterly ridiculous—beyond magic itself. Truly divine… a miracle."
"And the food tastes even better! Gahahahah!" my father laughed heartily as he ate. "Hey Brunhild, we'll be counting on you to fix your mother's godawful cooking from now on."
"What?!" my mother hissed, smacking him on the head.
"I was joking, woman! Stop hitting my head!" my father groaned.
I guess they never change, huh?
"For now, you should be careful with this power," my mother said seriously. "Has it been proven safe on living beings?"
"Yeah," my brother answered. "Outside earlier, Brunhild evolved Fenrir, Huginn, and Scaly into much stronger forms. It works on living beings. She even used it on those wolfmen she summoned."
"Wolfmen?!" my father exclaimed. "So those were the soldiers you mentioned? Incredible."
"Hmm…" My mother's expression remained worried. "Such incredible powers always come with a price. Is it really safe to use freely?"
"Maybe not," I admitted. "I'll have to be careful. I could technically evolve members of the clan… but I don't know if I should."
"You could evolve us?!" My father's face lit up with disbelief. "Now that's crazy… Hm, does it hurt? I'm in if it doesn't."
"Dad, don't be reckless!" my sister protested.
"Yeah, it's too much for now," my mother agreed. "Leave it be. No need to rush. Especially after hearing how much energy it drains and how you nearly passed out. It's not good for you."
I nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just want to help the village… but the power gap keeps growing. I wish the gods had gifted something to the other villages too."
"I agree," my sister said. "I hate how all this power keeps piling more responsibility on you. Take it easy. And despite all that raw strength, you're still a pretty clumsy girl. You've got a long way to go before you become truly strong beyond just physically."
"Right," I nodded. "I haven't even learned how to sew clothes properly yet… I've been slacking."
"Yeah, we'll have some classes later," my sister said.
"Your archery is still pretty poor too," my brother added. "Outside of the Skill that fixes your aim, you still suck."
"Eugh…" I groaned. "I-I know…"
"Your axe and sword techniques aren't the best either," my father said. "You've barely grasped our personal style, and I still need to teach you more of the clan's techniques. You rely on Skills too much. I've heard there are distant places where Skills weaken or become completely useless."
"Old man, those are just myths. Don't scare her," my mother sighed. "Anyway, sweetheart, you should rest now. We have a hunt tomorrow. Your power is great, but it doesn't come without cost. To pay that price, we all have to work together. Never forget that, and don't let strength go to your head."
"I know," I said softly. "Then I'll head up."
I walked upstairs, drew a bath, and soaked while reflecting on their words. They were right about everything. My powers were incredibly convenient, but they still demanded effort, time, and discipline to master. Until then, I remained clumsy and inexperienced, relying too heavily on Skills.
I had to keep working hard and never let strength cloud my judgment. Because no matter how powerful one becomes, true skill in crafting, cooking, or leading others can only be earned through learning and experience.
Those who abuse their power are usually the ones who refuse to learn more about themselves, the world, and the people around them. They become shallow, aimless, and ultimately lose themselves.
But I won't let that happen to me.
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