The evolution didn’t take long.
Soon, Michael found himself staring at the transformed creature—the result of its advancement from a Three-Star Rare Rank to a One-Star Extraordinary Rank.
It was no longer a Black Griffin.
It had become a Galestrike Griffin.
Michael wasn’t sure if its sheer size was due to its new power level or if that was simply how Galestrike Griffins were, but the undead beast before him was massive—far larger than before.
Its wings stretched wide.
The obsidian hue of its feathers had lightened, gaining streaks of deep cobalt that shimmered subtly with each shift of its form.
Its claws were sharper, curved like sickles, and its beak gleamed with a polished sheen.
Even in death, the Galestrike Griffin exuded majesty.
Power.
Michael took a step closer, squinting as he tried to inspect the fine details of its body.
The creature’s mane, once short and wild, now whipped in the wind like strands of shadow and light combined.
Then came the pressure—it was just as suffocating as Prince’s.
Michael opened his system panel, already bracing himself for the new status entries. And when he saw them, his lips parted slightly in awe.
[Galestrike Griffin – Lv. 43]
[Rank: Extraordinary★]
His gaze lingered on the level for a second.
Just like Prince… It had also crossed into the late thirties. And it was still growing.
“Two monsters…” Michael muttered under his breath, both thrilled and a little overwhelmed. “I’ve created two monsters.”
And he wasn’t done yet.
Not even close.
Michael then turned to look at the other notifications.
[Your Rare★★★ Undead Black Griffin has evolved to Rare★ Undead Galestrike Griffin.]
[Your undead Galestrike Griffin has gained the skill {Wind Cannon}.]
[You have received feedback from your undead Galestrike Griffin’s Rank Advancement.]
….
The undead griffin had only gained one new skill—but that didn’t mean its strength was lacking.
At least several of its skills had also advanced in mastery.
Michael wasn’t sure which of the two was stronger—Prince or the griffin—but he knew this: each had abilities the other didn’t, and limitations unique to their forms.
What mattered was that both were undeniably powerful.
With just eight more levels at most, the two would reach the peak of Rank 2.
Michael didn’t know how his current level compared to other Awakeners his age, but even a newcomer like him could tell—if it came down to class abilities alone, few could match him.
As those thoughts flickered through his mind, he turned his attention to the griffin’s new skill, eager to see what it could do.
Michael blinked.
[{Wind Cannon} (Basic Mastery) | Proficiency: 1.0%]
Wind Cannon condenses ambient wind mana into a concentrated blast of kinetic force, fired in a straight line.
Cooldown: 5 minutes
That… was not a skill you wanted to be on the receiving end of.
“A high-pressure beam, huh?” he muttered, imagining the massive griffin unleashing it mid-flight. “No wonder the damn thing grew wings like that.”
Michael then turned to check the griffin’s other skills.
They were all significantly stronger now.
“With your strength now—and the fact that I can summon you—I think it’s time I started addressing you with a name.”
He looked into the undead griffin’s pale eyes.
“Flight.”
The undead beast shook its massive body in acknowledgment.
Michael stared at it a moment longer before turning his gaze away. Flight was his last level 25 undead to evolve.
It was time to start evolving the others.
With his current stock of evolution points, he had two options: evolve several newly summonable undead to Rare Rank, or evolve three existing One-Star Rare Rank creatures to three star rare rank creatures.
After some thought, he chose the latter.
Curiosity won in the end.
And besides, there were three undead—Lily, Beginning, and Ghost—who were just the right level.
Not so high that they’d advance to Rank 2 with the evolution, but high enough that evolving them now to the next race Rank would significantly boost their strength to the peak of Rank 1.
Michael had realized this a little late
An undead advancing to Rank 2 from Extraordinary Rank gave much better feedback than one ascending as a Rare Rank.
That was one of the reasons why, despite all the hunting he’d done in the past few days, none of his undead had reached the peak of Rank 1.
He had intentionally spread their power levels more evenly.
Also, if he were evolving based on “seniority,” then the next in line after Lucky and Prince should’ve been their third brother—the other wolf.
But that wolf…
Compared to the other two, it just didn’t stand out.
Its strength aside, Michael found himself unmotivated to evolve it—especially when he wasn’t curious about what it might become.
Why?
Because Lucky and Prince had already blazed a trail far ahead.
It was truly… an unfortunate wolf.
Having made his decision, Michael summoned Ghost.
As for Lily and Beginning, he didn’t have enough mana to summon them directly from Aurora to the Land of Origin.
He had tried it a few days ago and was nearly drained of mana—so much so that he’d been forced to use a spirit crystal to prevent his condition from worsening.
So, after summoning Ghost—the Spectral Centurion Ant—he shifted his consciousness back to Aurora.
There, he found Lily and Beginning in his house and placed them into his storage space before returning to the Land of Origin and bringing them out.Michael turned to observe the three undead standing before him.
Ghost stood silently, its presence as dark and dense as always.
Even without a word, the Spectral Centurion Ant radiated menace.
The ghostly trails leaking off its body drifted like smoke over water, ethereal and cold.
Its scythe-like mandibles clicked once, as if acknowledging his gaze.
Michael turned to observe his undead orcs next.
The first was Beginning, standing tall with the distinct armor strapped to his frame and the massive hammer resting on his back.
Then there was Lily—though far less intimidating in appearance.
She wore normal clothing and, thanks to a certain younger cousin with questionable taste, even had a touch of makeup.
Despite her strange getup, Lily had been gifted several magic items to aid her with spellcasting.
Michael gave them both a cursory glance before activating his talent.
He didn’t expect anything out of the ordinary—but then, the system chimed.
A different message appeared in front of him, one he hadn’t seen before.
—
[Your Undead ‘Beginning’ is with an extraordinary material. Do you want to consume it to evolve?]
[Your Undead ‘Lily’ is with an extraordinary material. Do you want to consume it to evolve?]
—
Michael blinked.
“…Wait, hold up!”