Lord Evolution: Starting With SS-rank Skills

Dark Forest

It was a moonless night; a thick darkness enveloped the forest, accompanied by a harrowing silence that filled the atmosphere with mystery and terror. In this profound darkness, not even the sound of birds singing or insects buzzing could be heard—only the faint, constant rustling of leaves from nearby trees broke the silence.

In the heart of the dark forest stood a plain-looking cave, surrounded by thick bushes.

Suddenly, a sharp breeze stirred the air, and the dark figure of Alister appeared out of nowhere.

Alister observed the area keenly with his hazel eyes, his expression cold and focused. After ensuring the surroundings were clear, he began moving toward the concealed entrance of the cave before him.

As he drew closer, he chanted in a strange language, seemingly activating the magical locks of the door.

A sound of wind whistling spread as a strange dark portal appeared before him.

Alister walked in, and the dark portal quickly disappeared.

After crossing the portal, he found himself in a place that looked too clean and advanced to be called a cave.

He was first greeted by a long passageway endowed with glowing crystals of different colors that provided illumination and also served as decoration.

Beyond the passageway lay a wide hall adorned with more magical crystals. The mana inside this place was dense and carried traces of darkness, indicating the dark nature of the place despite its beautiful interior.

Alister walked through the passageway and arrived in the hall where a long, rectangular table with numerous chairs stood in the middle. However, there was no one occupying these seats except a masked, dark-robed figure sitting at the far end of the table. A visible dark, misty aura emanated from his body. His red eyes, which appeared to glow despite the lighting in the room, stared at Alister.

Alister, who was always calm and collected, couldn't help but shiver in his presence.

He quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, 8th Grandmaster."

"Mm," the 8th Grandmaster responded with a simple hum before gesturing for Alister to come and sit beside him.

After Alister sat down, the 8th Grandmaster didn't waste time and quickly requested reports on the mission he had given Alister and Xandros.

Alister nodded as calmly as he could, preparing his answer carefully. Even though he knew and was close to the 8th Grandmaster, he still found it difficult to stay composed in his presence.

Without wasting time, he reported everything he had prepared beforehand to the 8th Grandmaster. He started by recounting some of the previous missions they had completed, including the destruction of certain territories and the assassination of specific targets. Afterwards, he proceeded to share the good news about the arrival of a new target, who was none other than Riela.

"A newly awakened mage with the potential to become an archmage?" the 8th Grandmaster asked, his red eyes glinting with disbelief.

"Yes, 8th Grandmaster. Not just that; there is a high possibility this one possesses a blessing—just the type we need for the Dark Seed ritual," Alister replied.

His reply caused the expression of the 8th Grandmaster to change. It was easily noticed in the movement of his eyes, which turned from neutral to interested in a split second.

"Are you sure?" he asked Alister.

Alister nodded and elaborated further. The expression of the 8th Grandmaster brightened after hearing his words.

"Good job, Alister. I always knew you were the right candidate for this task. Keep a close eye on the target and bring her in when the time is right. I'll train her myself—either to strengthen the blessing if she has one or to give her one if she doesn't. This might take a few years, but that gives you and your brother enough time to find others like her.

The sooner we perform and complete the ritual successfully, the sooner we achieve the cult's ultimate goal. We'll become unrivaled, immortal, and make history in the wizarding world."

Alister listened to the words of the 8th Grandmaster and nodded.

They discussed matters for a few more minutes—the 8th Grandmaster mostly spoke about the past rituals the previous heads of the cult had performed and how they had failed. He told Alister such failures wouldn't happen this time, as he had studied the flaws of the recorded rituals and found ways to prevent them.

He even ensured to remind Alister of the other benefits of the ritual.

The 8th Grandmaster spoke with joy and determination as though he was speaking to his own child.

Alister knew the 8th Grandmaster didn't mean any harm, but the dark power the grandmaster possessed was chaotic to someone on Alister's level.

While Alister was powerful compared to other mages, he was nothing in front of the 8th Grandmaster and the other grandmasters of the cult.

Both of them discussed for a really long time before Alister stood up and prepared to leave.

"Wait a minute, I have something you need to have," the 8th Grandmaster said, waving his hand in the air as a ring appeared.

"I added more magic artifacts than the last time; it'll definitely be of help to you and Xandros. Also, I added a new spell I formed—try to see if you can understand and master it," he said as he handed over the ring.

"Thank you very much, 8th Grandmaster," Alister said as he took the ring from him and observed it; the amount of magical artifacts inside made his heart tinge with excitement.

"No need to thank me; you and Xandros have worked harder for the cult than anyone else," the 8th Grandmaster replied.

Alister nodded before walking towards the exit.

While walking toward the exit, Alister couldn't help but smile as he felt himself getting closer to achieving the goal his ancestors had failed to reach.

The lifelong goal of the cult was profound and supreme; most of Xandros and Alister's ancestors were founding members of the cult a few centuries ago. They worked tirelessly toward the same goal but failed to achieve it before death seized them.

Xandros and Alister were born into the cult; they learned about its ways and cause from a very young age.

As they grew up, they became serious in their magical cultivation and study of the magical world, doing everything it took to ensure they didn't end up like their fathers, who worked hard but never achieved the goal.

However, both of them had different approaches. One pursued it actively and aggressively, while the other did so calmly, calculating every step he took.

Currently, both of them were high-ranking members of the cult, which was already impressive considering their young ages.

The cult had different levels of membership, beginning with the lowest—slaves—then moving up to the highest — Supreme Master. Alister and Xandros were currently masters.

'If this ritual succeeds, both of us will be promoted to grandmasters immediately and be able to access the Supreme Codex of Knowledge and Death,' Alister thought, smirking as he passed through the portal and appeared outside the cave.

The night was still dark, and the forest still echoed with deafening silence.

Alister stared at the sky for a few seconds with a calm smile before disappearing.