Standing over the remains of the Basilisk Hatchling, the intoxicating rush of accumulated power was undeniable. Adam willed his status screen to appear, a satisfied hiss escaping him as he took in the numbers.

[ Level: 18 ]

[ EP to Next Level: 2/95 ]

[ Evolution Points: 1002/1000 ]

[ Skill Points: 3 ]

"Three whole points," he mused. "And I'm on the cusp of evolution. It would be foolish to spend these now. I'll save them. Once I see what new skills my evolved form unlocks, or what new options appear in the Shop, I can invest them perfectly." He dismissed the screen, his focus narrowing to the pulsating, golden prompt that demanded his attention.

[ Evolution Available! ]

[ Select your Path: ]

Three new, intricate diagrams materialized in his mind's eye, each more awe-inspiring than the last.

Path 1: Umbral Stalker Viper

"Become the ultimate assassin of the deep dark. Your shadow is your kingdom."

◇Evolved Form: Umbral Stalker Viper

◇Primary Boosts: Massive Agility & Intelligence, Moderate Strength.

◇New Trait: Phantom Phase (Active): Briefly become intangible, phasing through physical attacks and obstacles. (High Mana Cost)

◇New Skill: Soulrend Bite (Passive): Your venom now attacks the spiritual essence of your prey, causing mental anguish and disrupting magical abilities.

Path 2: Juggernaut Scale Python

"Embrace overwhelming physical dominance. Become an unbreakable force that crushes all in its path."

◇Evolved Form: Juggernaut Scale Python

◇Primary Boosts: Massive Strength & Vitality, Moderate Agility.

◇New Trait: Adamantine Scales (Passive): Your Scale Fortification is massively enhanced, granting extreme resistance to all physical damage.

◇New Skill: Tremor Charge (Active): Build momentum and unleash a devastating charge that stuns and damages everything in your path. (High Stamina Cost)

Path 3: Abyssal Glidewing Serpent

"Master the skies of the underworld. Your wings become instruments of both grace and terror."

◇Evolved Form: Abyssal Glidewing Serpent

◇Primary Boosts: Greatly Enhanced Agility & Strength, Balanced Vitality.

◇New Trait: Winged Predator: Your Membrane Wings evolve into larger, more powerful Glidewings. You gain true, sustained flight and can use them for powerful gust attacks.

◇New Skill: Abyssal Glide (Active): Enter a state of ultra-efficient, near-silent flight, drastically increasing aerial speed and maneuverability for a short time. (Moderate Mana Cost)

Adam stared at the options, a genuine conflict raging within him. The Umbral Stalker was incredibly tempting—intangibility and spiritual venom were game-breaking abilities. The Juggernaut was a straightforward path to becoming an unstoppable tank.

But his eyes kept drifting back to the third option.

"The Umbral Stalker is a perfect assassin, and the Juggernaut is an immovable object... but the Abyssal Serpent... it's a force of nature. It doesn't just avoid damage or tank it; it dominates the entire battlefield from above."

He thought about his skills. Mantis Slash and Crystal Shard Shot from the air. Shadow Pounce from three dimensions instead of two. He could rain down destruction without ever touching the ground. It was the ultimate expression of the hit-and-run, high-damage style he had always favored. It wasn't about becoming invincible; it was about becoming untouchable and devastating.

"My strength has always been in my agility and my strikes. This path doesn't change that; it perfects it. It multiplies it. This is the way."

With his decision made, he focused his will on the Abyssal Glidewing Serpent.

[ You have selected: Abyssal Glidewing Serpent. ]

[ Proceed with Evolution? Y/N ]

Y.

The energy that consumed him was fiercer and more transformative than any before. He felt his body lengthen and his muscles reconfigure, becoming denser and more powerful. But the most profound change was in his back. His wings, once simple membranes, burned with energy.

They grew, their span doubling, the supporting bones thickening and strengthening. The leathery membrane darkened to the color of a starless night, and sharp, horn-like protrusions formed at the leading edges.

He could feel them now not as accessories, but as fully integrated limbs, powerful and responsive. He could flex them, fold them tightly against his body, or snap them open with lethal force.

When the light faded, he was new. He was longer, sleeker, and more formidable. He experimentally snapped his wings open—a sound like a black banner unfurling in a gale.

He beat them once, and a gust of wind blew Noodle's fur back. With a powerful downstroke, he lifted off the ground, hovering with a stability he had never known.

[ Status ]

Name:Adam Smith

Species:Abyssal Glidewing Serpent

Level:18

EP to Next Level:2/95

Evolution Points:2/2500

Skill Points:3

[ New Traits ]

Winged Predator:You possess true flight.

Abyssal Glide (Active):Enhanced aerial mobility.

Noodle, who had been watching the entire process with wide, unblinking eyes, let out an ecstatic series of chirps and "mrrows!" He Void Stepped into the air, teleporting around Adam's hovering form in a display of pure joy, before landing neatly between his new, grand wings, nuzzling the base of his neck affectionately.

"Let's see what this new form can do, Noodle," he thought, his spirit soaring higher than his body ever could. "The hunt is about to reach a whole new altitude."

Noodle answered "meow" and comfortably nestled between the formidable horns of his new Glidewings, he willed the Shop interface open. He scanned the available skills, but nothing immediately jumped out as a must-have for his new aerial combat style.

"Hmm. Nothing groundbreaking. These points are too valuable to spend on minor upgrades," he thought, dismissing the screen. "I'll save them. When I find a truly powerful, high-tier skill, I'll be ready."

The urge to test his new form was irresistible. "Hold on, Noodle!" he projected, a thrill of excitement coursing through him.

With a powerful downstroke of his wings that kicked up a small storm of dust and pebbles, Adam launched into the air. The difference was staggering.

He beat his wings again, gaining altitude rapidly, the cavern walls blurring as he shot upward. Noodle let out a startled but delighted "MEOW!", his claws digging playfully into the scales at the base of Adam's neck as they soared.

They streaked through the expansive caverns, Adam testing his maneuverability with sharp turns and dives. The Abyssal Glide ability activated almost instinctively, streamlining his body and making his flight nearly silent and incredibly efficient.

He was a black arrow in the gloom.

Their flight led them to a breathtaking sight. The tunnel opened up into a colossal, unimaginably vast cavern. But this was no barren stone hollow. A soft, ethereal light filtered down from glowing crystals high above, illuminating a sprawling, subterranean forest.

Giant, bioluminescent fungi stood in for trees, their caps glowing in soft blues and greens. Thick, velvety moss covered the ground, and strange, glowing flowers dotted the landscape. The air was warm and humid, filled with the chirps and clicks of unseen life.

"A forest... inside the dungeon," Adam marveled, hovering at the entrance. "I'll never cease to be amazed by this place."

His Seismic Sense, even from the air, picked up strong, deep vibrations. And his sharp eyes spotted the source: a Cavern Wyrm, a lesser cousin of the Ash-Scale he had defeated, burrowing at the edge of the fungal tree line.

The sight ignited a familiar hunger not for food, but for power. The Dragon's Might fragment in his status, a mere 0.1/1.0, seemed to pulse.

"That Wyrm... it's perfect. Defeating it should give a huge boost to the fragment."

But as he focused, another sensation pricked at his enhanced senses. A different kind of vibration—lighter, faster, more agile. And a scent, carried on a warm updraft: musky, feline, and predatory.

His eyes, sharp enough to pick out a grub from a hundred feet away, locked onto a shape moving with liquid grace through the glowing undergrowth. It was a Shadow-Leopard, its fur a perfect tapestry of deep blues and blacks, mirroring the dungeon's darkness, with eyes that shone like molten gold.

A new desire sparked within him. The Wyrm promise draconic power. But the Leopard... it represented something else. Speed, stealth, and a new, unknown potential. What skill fragment could such a perfect hunter yield?

"Two prizes," Adam thought, a strategic dilemma presenting itself. "The Wyrm for Dragon's Might. The Leopard for... something new. But if I attack one, the other might flee."

He hovered silently, a predator faced with an abundance of choice. The Wyrm was a tank, a test of his newfound strength. The Leopard was a mirror, a test of his stealth and speed.

"Why choose?" A daring plan began to form. He would need to be fast. Brutally fast.

He focused his intent on Noodle. "The Leopard. When I strike the Wyrm, it will be startled. You track the Leopard. Don't let it get away. I'll finish the Wyrm and be right there."

Noodle's ears twitched, his body tensing. He understood. With a final, powerful beat of his wings, Adam tucked them in and dove, a silent, black comet aimed straight for the unsuspecting Cavern Wyrm.

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