Chapter 92: Next Evolution stage for the summoner

Chapter 92: Next Evolution stage for the summoner [Mass release 1/5] Kairos entered Melvin’s training room. This time, he wore none of his core weapons, and he stepped in without a clear idea of what was about to unfold. The air was still, yet charged with anticipation. Melvin followed closely behind. A digital screen flickered to life above his open palm, its glow reflecting in his focused eyes. He tapped at it repeatedly, navigating through different panels. As he worked, his voice rang out clearly through the room. "This is a battle to test some things about my new experiment," Melvin began, his tone calm but laced with intent. "So you are free to go all out in your integration to fight." He stressed the last part with a deliberate firmness that made Kairos narrow his eyes. Kairos nodded silently, his expression hardening. He clenched his fists, adopting a Feral Art stance—balanced, grounded, and ready. A sharp sound echoed through the room like a siren call to action. Suddenly, the floor a few meters away began to shift. A circular section opened up, metal panels parting like jaws, and from the darkness beneath, a humanoid robot emerged. It was roughly man-sized with a box-like chest and square head. Its limbs were fashioned after a human’s—arms, legs, and hands—but it looked hastily constructed. As though Melvin had merely strapped metal parts together in a hurry to form a combatant. To anyone else, the robot would have appeared crude and almost laughable. But Kairos knew better. He had faced enough of Melvin’s creations to understand that appearance was often a deception. The real threat always lay beneath the surface. As Kairos remained poised, the robot suddenly lunged forward at an incredible speed. It closed the distance between them within seconds, its metallic feet thudding heavily against the floor. Kairos didn’t flinch. He waited for the perfect moment, then struck. "Axe Kick!" he called out as his leg whipped through the air, slamming into the robot’s side with immense force. The impact rang out with a loud clang. The robot staggered, its form faltering slightly, and a noticeable dent appeared on its left side. The kick had been a clean hit—one of the Feral Arts techniques Kairos had recently learned. Though the blow may have seemed straightforward, it carried deep internal force. If it had been a human receiving the kick, they would’ve been sent sprawling across the room, possibly even knocked unconscious. But something unexpected happened. The dented section of the robot began to shift and reshape. Within moments, the damaged part reformed, smoothing out like it had never been struck at all. Kairos’s eyes widened. It’s healing... like flesh? His thoughts were interrupted as the robot struck again, faster this time. It launched a direct punch toward Kairos’s face. He barely had time to react. With honed reflexes, Kairos tilted his head at the last moment, letting the fist graze past his cheek. Using the momentum of the dodge, he retaliated with a punch aimed squarely at the robot’s face. But just as his fist moved forward, something eerie unfolded. The robot lifted its leg and performed a near-perfect imitation of Kairos’s earlier axe kick. Before he could react, the metallic foot slammed into his side. The pain was instant. Kairos was thrown off his feet, his body crashing to the cold, hard floor. He skidded across the smooth surface until his back slammed against the far wall. "Ghhhaa—!" he gasped, clutching his side. His ribs throbbed with pain, and his breath came out in short, pained bursts. Damnit! I finally see what this robot is... He struggled to his knees, his eyes burning with the sting of impact. Thankfully, his integration would allow his body to heal within minutes. The robot had failed to fully replicate the Feral Arts technique, so its attack, while powerful, hadn’t been fatal. It can copy... and heal. It learns and adapts. I need to be careful. I need a lethal strike... With new determination, Kairos activated his Echo Walk skill. His form vanished before the robot’s eyes and reappeared behind it in a flash. His muscles coiled and tightened. He launched a fierce punch aimed at the base of the robot’s neck—what looked like its most vulnerable point. But the robot reacted. It turned sharply, like it had anticipated his move from the start. It dodged the strike and locked both metallic arms around Kairos’s outstretched limb. In a blur of movement, the robot spun, lifting Kairos off the ground like a ragdoll. Then it hurled him over its back with brutal force. He hit the ground hard, sliding across the floor once again until his spine hit the wall with a loud thud. "Aaagh!" Kairos cried out, his vision swimming. Pain exploded in his shoulder—it was dislocated. His arm hung loosely by his side, completely useless for the moment. "Sorry about that, Kairos," Melvin called out from across the room. He stepped away from the panel, a concerned yet intrigued expression on his face. Kairos managed to raise his good arm and gave him a thumbs-up, signaling he was still conscious. "—What the hell are you feeding that robot?" he asked, panting through the pain. Melvin grinned, clearly pleased with himself. "I thought you’d never ask," he said, voice bubbling with excitement. "The robot can copy skills and regenerate damage using advanced nanotech I infused into its core. It analyzes your fighting patterns. At first, it tried to replicate your Feral Arts, but then—" Melvin tapped at the screen again. "—it found the video of you fighting those beasts and processed the data. With that, it analyzed your entire fighting style and speed. That’s how it predicted your movements and beat you. Isn’t that amazing?" It was amazing. Brilliant, even. Until it nearly snapped Kairos’s arm out of place. The pain was intense, and all Kairos could offer in return was a strained, fake smile. "That’s enough for the test," Melvin said, eyes still fixed on his screen. "I suggest you rest until your arm heals. I’ll update the coding so it doesn’t go breaking limbs during future sparring sessions." Kairos lay back, breathing heavily as he clutched his injured shoulder. Man, that was complicated... he thought. I never realized my fighting pattern was so predictable. It even matched my speed from just a video... that’s insane. His mind began to wander, drifting from the pain to something deeper—something that had been gnawing at him for some time. What do I need to evolve to the next level? He knew his evolution wasn’t complete. Not yet. There were still more stages left—more power to be unlocked. But how? Kairos called out to the system. ’How do I get stronger and evolve? Is there some way to do it without having to kill another summoner?’ He hated that idea. Killing other summoners was the fastest route to evolution, but it was also the darkest. If he were caught, he’d be hunted. Labeled as a rogue. Killed without hesitation. He could only take that path if he was truly desperate—if lives were at stake. The system responded. [One of the ways to break into the next evolution is by killing five more summoners.] [3/8] [Another way is by completing system-based missions which will arrive when the time is right.] Kairos frowned. He had reached a roadblock. He needed to kill five more summoners to evolve—but that path was too dangerous, too risky. And as for the system missions... he hadn’t received even one yet. He didn’t know how they worked or when they’d appear. For now, all he could do was train harder. Follow current novels on freewe(b)novel.c(o)m