Around noon the next day, Edge found himself standing on the observational platform of the northeastern watchtower, peering into the distance while watching history in the making.

  On one side stood Sasha, and on the other was Mel—who had taken his hand and leaned her head against his shoulder. The women were far from the only friendly faces around. Every tower in the settlement and most of the wall was packed with people who had come to witness the same event that had brought him here today.

  Dialla had sent everyone a message a few hours earlier, letting them know that a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon was headed their way. After summoning his Guide to check the time, he judged that the tsunami of magical energy should reach them sometime within the next ten minutes.

  After being transported to the far side of Ord, the Ivory Plains were surrounded by high-threat biomes—regions containing flows of magicytes far denser than those found within the former starting zone.

  The great weaves of magic encircling the planet followed laws Edge didn’t even begin to understand, but he had known for some time that the concentrated magicytes from the bordering biomes were spreading toward the center of the plains. Today, they would converge on Puppet Town—officially changing the biome’s designation from mid to high threat.

  Magic-dense, high-threat biomes could sustain stage-three monsters and beasts, which were migrating onto the prairie in search of territory and prey. The creatures native to the grasslands would cycle up faster too, and the whole area would be considerably more hazardous going forward.

  The buffalo were strong enough to deal with the danger, and the herds had been grazing near the border of the biome for weeks. As a result, the massive creatures were bigger and stronger than ever, and he had no doubt that the kings of the plains were ready for whatever lay ahead.

  The settlement had been scrambling to prepare for this moment. If Puppet Town found a way to defeat the kaiju and its undead horde—claiming a staggering amount of experience and high-grade resources in the process—they would be ready to handle the everyday challenges that life on the plains would bring.

  It would be a dangerous period for the town’s uncored residents until the crafters repaired the Dome and could prevent predators and hostile magic from entering the town. Hopefully, we can upgrade the manufactory soon and meet Dialla’s goal of having the entire settlement cored within a year.

  Edge grinned when he realized an accomplishment that would have been unthinkable just a few short weeks ago now felt like it was almost within their grasp. Once Puppet Town’s residents were cored, the biome’s changes would offer them some considerable advantages.

  In addition to easy access to high-grade beast parts, everyone would be able to refill their reservoirs faster going forward, since there would be more ambient magicytes to absorb through their mana pores. That will give everyone a boost in ranking up their skills and turbocharge their crafting efforts.

  His train of thought was cut off when one of the Perception specialists sent up a signal flare, informing the crowd the event was imminent.

  Excited murmurs broke out as people spotted a twenty-foot tidal wave of magicytes heading their way. The hunters with sensory skills saw it first, then individuals who had invested heavily into Perception, followed by everyone else. Soon, the swell was crossing the final stretch of prairie, and people were pulling out magitech recorders to document the historic moment.

  Edge had just enough time to squeeze Melenia’s hand before the scintillating tsunami broke over their heads.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  For the next thirty seconds, all he could see was an inchoate blur of color and motion as the spectators were engulfed in a living torrent of magic. Then the force of the phenomena was past them, leaving the world sparkling in mind-numbingly vibrant colors. The women standing beside him were radiant—almost painfully beautiful—leading him to wonder if being overloaded with the planet’s magic was affecting his mind too.

  Everyone let out gasps of astonishment as they cast their gazes across the Ivory Plains, marveling at how much the biome had changed in the blink of an eye. The air swam with vivid shimmers, creating a living light show that stretched out toward the horizon. When he looked the other way, Puppet Town was saturated with thick flows of magicytes—alight with energy so potent he could taste it on his lips.

  People broke out snacks and uncorked a few bottles of Earth champagne, enjoying the momentous occasion before heading down the stairs and resuming their preparations to battle the horde. Edge bid farewell to Mel and walked beside his friends as they made their way into the hunters’ district.

  Only a few minutes after they entered the lodge, Violet came running through the back door, hollering at the top of her lungs. “Blue is about to evolve to stage two. Come and watch before you miss your chance!” With that, the woman darted outside, and the other hunters followed in her wake.

  The whole crew had been eagerly awaiting this moment for days, and now it had finally arrived. While beasts could cultivate mana seeds to turbocharge their advancement, they could still advance the same way a person did—cycling up their cores after obtaining experience in battle. And Blue had done more than her fair share of fighting over the last few weeks.

  Everyone ran out to the yard, forming a circle around the azure dinosaur. Edge could sense an enormous volume of energy gathering in her core, which felt subtly different from what he’d experienced while watching Mel evolve to stage two.

  His ability to sense the inner workings of a creature’s core had increased dramatically since leaving for the Savage Garden, providing insights that would have eluded him before. When humans evolved, a torrent of mana was produced that catalyzed the transformation of the magitech device implanted behind their ribs.

  Blue’s beast core was using raw magicytes instead, compressing them around her energetic center—tighter and tighter as the process neared critical mass. Her body began to glow, sending ripples through the dense flows of magic blowing across the settlement.

  Everyone watched in silence as the dino started vibrating, issuing a gentle keening in response to the powerful sensations she was experiencing. Rue was studying the proceeding with an intensity that was normally reserved for sausages alone, like he was memorizing the event to ponder later.

  Not long after, something subtle shifted, and all the magic was drawn into her core, altering it in a fundamental way. And the changes didn’t stop there.

  Another difference between beasts and people was that in addition to enhancing their core’s traits and abilities, beasts’ bodies underwent a metamorphic process at each new stage. Blue’s limbs pulsed as they grew wider and longer at the same time, and Edge knew that her muscles and organs were undergoing a similar transformation.

  When it was over, dino was considerably bigger than before, but that was only the beginning of the changes. Her skin had deepened, and her horns had thickened while gaining over two feet in length.

  The energy emanating from her core was fiercer than before, and Violet thought she had learned a new skill and advanced several of her old ones. Every move Blue made radiated agility and strength, and her frame looked tough enough to shrug off all but the mightiest of blows.

  “We’ll take her into the field and learn more soon,” Violet said. “Today, we’ll let her stuff herself silly, sleep it off, and get used to the enhancements to her physique.”

  Everyone spent some time praising the triumphant triceratops—who basked in their adulation with a look of immense self-satisfaction. While the rest of the crew continued petting and playing with Blue, Violet and Trapper went into the kitchen to whip up a victory feast.

  They prepared a massive buffet of fruit and vegetables, including all the beast’s favorite treats. Rue was ecstatic, since he was fond of them too, and his friend graciously let him eat as much as he wanted.

  Everyone else had a selection of the same, along with some grilled meat and bottles of Trapper’s private reserve. Unfortunately, they couldn’t make a whole day of it under the circumstances, but they enjoyed themselves for several hours, savoring Blue’s big moment while taking a well-needed break.

  When they were finished, Edge helped the hunters clear the table and wash the dishes before resuming his training. The impending ordeal made these moments of joy all the more precious, renewing his resolve to defend his home and protect the people he loved.