Michael was just about to use the last of his evolution points for the day to evolve Lily, his first female undead orc shaman, when he suddenly paused.
It wasn’t because he had changed his mind, but because an idea struck him.
Did the quality of an undead mutation depend on the quality of the material used? Or the quantity? Or perhaps both?
Beginning had only used his armor and hammer during evolution, yet he was far stronger than the previous undead orc that evolved through the standard method.
Despite both being Goliaths, the difference was clear— the non-mutated one looked like a female orc standing beside a male: smaller, less imposing.
Even though they were both level 25, the aura they gave off was worlds apart.
Beginning’s evolution felt powerful— so powerful, in fact, that if there were such a thing as a “pseudo-extraordinary” rank, he would have qualified. Michael could confidently say Beginning gave off a far stronger presence than Prince did at level 25, despite both being three-star rare rank creatures at the time.
However, it still wasn’t as overwhelming as Lucky, who was a one-star extraordinary creature. It felt like Beginning’s strength was halfway there— not quite extraordinary, but strong enough to potentially rival some weaker or non-combat extraordinary beings.
This realization piqued Michael’s interest.
The idea that materials could influence an undead’s evolution opened a new door. And with it, more questions.
Was it really this simple? Could it be this beneficial without a downside?
Surely not.
What if the materials conflicted with the nature of the undead? Like using water-type materials on a fire-type undead— that couldn’t end well, right? There had to be effects, possibly negative ones.
Even if standard evolution was always safe, this path might not be.
Would Michael abandon it?
No. He wouldn’t.
The benefits were simply too great.
He hadn’t even tested Beginning’s strength yet, but the signs were all there.
And that led to another realization.
Until now, Michael’s undead were more or less equal in power if they were the same race, rank, and level. But now? That balance was about to break.
It was simple.
Mutated undead were going to be either stronger or weaker than standard evolved undead.
And even among the mutated, differences would emerge—especially if his suspicion about the quality and quantity of materials proved true.
He hadn’t tested it yet, but he was about to.
Lily only had a few magical items on her, and most of them were pieces of jewelry.
Lily wore a thin ruby circlet on her forehead.
It was called a Fireheart Band. It enhanced her affinity with fire magic, allowing her to control flame more precisely and burn hotter without using more mana.
Next were her earrings.
They were called Emberpierce Rings. They gave her a slight mana regeneration bonus while casting fire spells.
Around her neck hung a Pendant, a black chain holding a cracked ruby core.
The item would occasionally surge with heat, empowering a spell at random with a burst of searing energy.
Lily’s wrists were adorned with identical Bangles.
These were simple items, but dependable—they increased casting speed for fire-elemental spells by a small, but noticeable amount.
These items were all at least one-star rare rank equipment, with none exceeding the three-star rare rank threshold.
Even in the larger city he’d moved to—one far more prosperous than his previous—extraordinary rank items were practically nonexistent.
Their scarcity was a direct reflection of their value.
To Michael, their rarity meant one thing: they were precious, powerful, and incredibly useful.
The reason Michael paused Lily’s evolution wasn’t hesitation—it was curiosity.
Lily was a mage. So was he.
And just recently, he had purchased a small arsenal of magical equipment.
Though none of them were attuned to fire, they weren’t element-restricted. In fact, most of them could be used by anyone—mage or not.
That was what made him pause.
Could he use them in Lily’s evolution?
His real concern was what kind of change it might bring to Lily.
Was he prepared to take another risk with this method? The previous one had paid off—but there were no guarantees.
He didn’t even care about how expensive his method was right now.
Michael weighed his options. For a moment, he hesitated.
Then he exhaled, firmed his resolve, and nodded to himself.
He would take the risk.
Without wasting another second, Michael reached into his storage space and began pulling out his gears.
Michael laid each piece of gear on the ground in a neat arc around Lily’s body, his hands moving with quiet precision.
The Siren’s Echo Earrings came first. He handled them gently, the violet stones shimmering faintly even under the dim dungeon light.
They weren’t attuned to fire, but they enhanced focus and mental stability.
Michael slipped them onto Lily’s ears carefully.
Next was the Dreamsteel Ring. When worn, it sharpened clarity and stabilized thoughts—less magic, more enhancement of the caster.
Michael slipped it onto Lily’s finger.
Then came the Veilband Circlet, a silver thread-like band that rested lightly against the skin.
Michael placed it gently above her brow, fitting it just beneath the ruby Fireheart Band Lily already wore.
The Mindroot Pendant followed.
Michael draped it beside the cracked ruby pendant she already had.
Lastly, the Warding Mantle.
Then Michael stepped back.
Lily now wore nine magical items.
Michael exhaled slowly. His heart beat faster, anticipation thrumming through his veins.
This was it.
The theory wasn’t perfect. There were still a dozen variables he couldn’t control.
The fire-specific items should help align the evolution with her core nature, but the neutral ones might tip the scale unpredictably.
She could become stronger. She could mutate in unforeseen ways. She could even fail.
Michael’s gaze sharpened.
“No growth without risk,” he whispered, voice low.
With no more hesitation, he activated the evolution.
“Evolution points!”
“Show daddy your limit!”
The reaction was immediate.
Like with Beginning, Lily’s body convulsed under a sudden pulse of energy.
Light exploded—not just plain white, but a burning, molten crimson.
Flames licked around Lily form.
The temperature in the environment spiked.
Even Michael had to take a step back.
Soon.
The light faded.
And the screams stopped.
Michael stared.
Lily stood, her back straight, her.
Her skin had shifted in tone—it was also a dull grey like the first Goliath but had a hint of red around.
This didn’t not really surprise Michael since beginning skin tone was also a bit darker than the first evolved Goliath.
Then they was the hair.
It looked like burning red.
But the most striking thing about Lily?
Michael blinked. “…What the hell.”
Lily was tall. Not quite as tall as Beginning, but close—unnervingly close.
If male Goliaths were supposed to be significantly taller than their female counterparts, then either Lily had just shattered that expectation, or she was the exception to a rule.
Was this normal?
Were female Goliaths supposed to look like this?
Also her aura…
Michael’s eyes twitched.
It seemed a bit more powerful than….. Lucky.
This was absurd because Lucky wasn’t a rare rank but an extraordinary rank creature.
Was this supposed to make sense?
The worst part, or rather, the most amazing part was that Lily wasn’t an extraordinary rank creature still.
“Is it that the race rank isn’t supreme?”
“Or my knowledge is still lacking?”
With several thoughts running past his mind, Michael turned to look at the notifications that followed Lily’s evolution.
—
[Your Rare★ Undead Orc Shaman has evolved to Rare★★★ Mutated Undead Goliath Shaman]
[New skills Gained: {Flame Mantle}, {Ignite}, {Greater Strength}, {Fire Wall}, {Fire Spear}, {Size Alteration} {Mental spike}]
*******
Michael let out a low, stunned laugh.
Lily’s physical changes were confusing but her newly gained skills were a pleasant surprise.
Not only did she gain new skills, she gained even more than Beginning who was also mutated.
What shocked Michael the most was a skill that didn’t seem like it should belong in her skills set.
A mental skill.
{Mental Spike}
Launches a sharp psychic pulse at a target’s mind, briefly stunning or disrupting concentration.
Effect: Minor mental damage, 1-second stun
Range: 15 meters
Cooldown: 30 seconds
This was the description of the skill at the very beginning of basic mastery.
The influence of the magical items was undeniable.
There was no way a skill like this would have appeared otherwise.
Michael looked at Lily next to Beginning.
One male, one female. Both Goliaths. Both mutated. Both evolved through his experiment.
And the results?
Terrifying.
Two Goliaths—equal rank, equal level—but now… vastly unequal in capability.
Michael couldn’t stop grinning.
This changed everything.
“Looks like mutation isn’t just about strength,” he murmured. “It’s about direction.”
The thought made his blood race.
If he could control the direction of evolution…
Then this wasn’t just about making stronger undead.
It was about designing them.
Piece by piece. Role by role. Fire, shadow, metal, mind, frost—it didn’t matter. So long as he had the right materials, he could push evolution in any direction.
*******
A/N: Flight name has been changed to Gale. Y’all said the previous name was terrible and I couldn’t help but realise why, haha. Thanks for reading and please remember to vote!!