The Evolution Of A Goblin To The Peak Chapter 1253: Fifth Evolution Stage

All of a sudden, the movements of Kessa and Franklin halted. Their features shifted as a palpable shudder ran through their frames.

Kessa angled one of her heads toward Franklin, posing the question, "Did you sense that, Sir Franklin?"

"Indeed, the parasite nestled within me reacted to something," Franklin replied with a nod before adding, "The King and Queen of the Parasitic Essence Eater have stirred."

"The King and Queen?" Kessa echoed, her expression clouded with confusion.

"Yes, our Lord has returned... and it appears we are being beckoned," Franklin explained. A moment ago, when his parasite trembled, he had felt as if he were staring into the abyss of death. He had momentarily overlooked the fact that the King and Queen parasites held absolute dominion over all their kin across the world.

Upon hearing these words, a bright glint appeared in Kessa’s eyes. "Summoning us? Souta is back. Then we must return at once."

Offering a faint smile, Franklin inclined his head. "Agreed. Let us head back. We have squandered months playing in this realm, so the time has come to depart."

Their tenure in the Dream Realm had been extensive. Following the conflict months prior, Franklin had encountered Kessa in the Land of Vanko, and the duo had carved a path of destruction across the region before venturing further afield.

The law of the jungle reigned supreme in the Dream Realm. Countless beasts engaged in predation, and certain territories were governed by chaotic laws capable of threatening even Hero-rank experts.

Over their travels, Franklin and Kessa bore witness to much.

They found themselves in perpetual conflict with entities eager to consume them. Through these unending battles, they refined their strength, pillaging the most affluent lands and eradicating any who dared impede their progress. They even drew the ire of a nation under the rule of a Demigod, forcing Kessa and Franklin to retreat as the state persistently dispatched battalions in pursuit.

For months, they faced hundreds of skirmishes. While there were certainly regions occupied solely by weaker creatures, such territories held no interest for them.

With a shared resolution, Kessa and Franklin turned back.

...

Deep beneath the surface of the God’s Continent.

A dwarf, characterized by a thick beard and matching mustache, rhythmically hammered away at a blade. The intense ambient heat caused sweat to evaporate from his skin instantly. His muscles rippled as he delivered precise, thunderous strikes to the heated steel.

As he raised his hammer for another blow, a sudden sensation originated from within him.

"Eh?" The dwarf’s eyes dilated.

He pivoted his gaze toward the distance, gently setting his hammer aside.

"That fellow, Souta... he has finally returned," he muttered. Taking a steadying breath, he bellowed, "Summon Amanda immediately. Tell her it is a matter of great importance!"

This dwarf was none other than Gragas.

Gragas reclaimed his seat to wait. Before long, just as he had anticipated, a woman with flowing crimson hair and piercing eyes strode into the chamber.

It was Amanda Brune.

"Did you feel it as well?" Amanda inquired as she took the empty chair.

Gragas nodded gravely. "Souta seems to be calling for us."

"However, where are we to go? We lack any notion of his current location," Amanda noted.

"We shall begin by returning to Hall Plains. Once there, we can gather intelligence," Gragas suggested.

Amanda signaled her agreement.

Thus, their intended destination was set for Hall Plains.

Amanda and Gragas swiftly organized their belongings and departed without delay.

...

Within the Immortal Land.

Eztein, Vashno, and Doranjan stood in a line. As they exchanged glances, all three shared the realization of the identical sensation emanating from the parasites bound to their bodies.

"The boss has returned..." Eztein remarked.

Vashno and Doranjan affirmed his statement with solemn nods.

In truth, every one of them had remained aware of Souta’s survival through the link provided by their parasites; they had simply been kept in the dark regarding the timing of his return.

"What is our next move?" Doranjan asked, looking toward Eztein and Vashno.

"Let us push ahead with our journey," Vashno decided. "We must clarify if Isabella is truly located here."

"Agreed. That is the plan. We shall reunite with Isabella before we head back," Eztein confirmed.

Doranjan also voiced his acceptance.

With the course of action settled, the party resumed their trek, moving at a speed several times faster than their previous pace.

Taking to the skies, the trio surged forward, their momentum leaving violent shockwaves in their wake.

...

In the Blood Realm.

Souta hovered aloft, surveying the events unfolding across the realm with the detachment of a deity. Battles continued to rage, and the casualty count spiraled upward, yet he remained utterly indifferent.

Such attrition was a prerequisite for establishing a proper hierarchy within the Blood Realm. Once order was established, he intended to exert all his efforts into honing their strength, providing them with essential battlefields and resources.

They would exist solely to execute his will.

Below, the Nightmare Conjurer reigned supreme, bolstered by his status as an Intermediate Fifth Stage Monster. As the most formidable entity on the ground, no one possessed the temerity to challenge him.

He had served as the former Rank 1 Ruler of the Land of Reem. His only potential rival had been the Rank 1 Sovereign of the Land of Vanko; however, with Souta and Kessa having dispatched that Sovereign, the Nightmare Conjurer was left without an equal.

He proceeded to forge a connection with the core of the Blood Realm.

Tasman was likewise flourishing, finding no opposition of note. In the scope of the Blood Realm, only the Nightmare Conjurer was capable of forcing him to retreat.

"The process nears completion," Souta murmured.

With a subtle motion of his hand, he tore the fabric of space. He emerged into a realm where perpetual twilight reigned. The ground was saturated in blood, and the surrounding interplay of light and shadow shifted with an unnatural, living rhythm.

It was his personal dreamscape.

Within the depths of his dreamscope, Yuko hovered above the earth, radiating a terrifying output of power. Her aura was steadily climbing, casting waves of ominous influence across the terrain.

"She stands on the threshold of reaching the Fifth Stage." A smile crept across Souta’s face.

This was welcome news indeed.

Ohm!

Ripples of energy pulsed outward.

Specks of light drifted through the air, shifting to a vibrant, blazing crimson. In an instant, the energy was drawn toward Yuko like a celestial black hole, knitting together into a dense, protective cocoon.

Thud!

A rhythmic, powerful heartbeat echoed, vibrating in sync with the ambient energy.

Souta narrowed his gaze, ready to intervene should any complications arise. Nevertheless, he harbored the conviction that Yuko would achieve her breakthrough, much like Doranjan before her.

After more than ten minutes of agonizing stillness, an eruption of energy broke the silence, far exceeding the magnitude of all previous pulses, surging outward like a cataclysmic tide.

BOOM!!

The sea of blood beneath them was violently displaced, tossed skyward as if the very world had been upturned.

Spiderweb-like fractures appeared on the surface of the cocoon. They spread and widened with frantic intensity until—

A massive paw, sheathed in flaming fur, suddenly burst through the exterior.

With a display of brutal strength, it tore the cocoon asunder.

A monstrous aura billowed out from within.

Then,

She emerged.

Standing ten meters tall on her hind legs, Yuko rose as the remnants of the cocoon shattered into a myriad of crimson light shards. Flames wreathed her form, making her appear as if she had been forged from a burning star. Her fur glowed with a deep, violent crimson, underscored by stark white stripes lining her back. Her eyes burned with a pure, feral, and ancient light, radiating an overwhelming intensity.

Plate-like, jagged armor coated her shoulders, appearing molten, while burning patterns traced a path from her neck down to her limbs, pulsating like veins of living fire.

The very air trembled in her presence.

Yuko had achieved the Fifth Evolution Stage.

Souta’s lips curved into a slow, appreciative smile as he watched her.

She had finally caught up.

He recalled the time when she was nothing more than a common monster at their first meeting.

But now...

Now she stood as a harbinger of calamity.

ROOOOAAARRR!!!

Her roar reached the heavens, causing the dreamscape to shake. The sound carried power, authority, and raw savagery—a decree to all of existence that a new apex predator had ascended.

"Approach," Souta commanded.

"Master." Yuko vanished, her form blurring, only to materialize directly before him in a fraction of a second.

"At last... the Fifth Stage." Souta smiled faintly, raising a hand with unwavering composure. "Assault me with your full strength."

Taken aback, Yuko nonetheless nodded, a savage glint flashing in her crimson eyes.

Flames blossomed around her limbs.

OHM!!

A tidal wave of bestial fury burst outward like a tempest, distorting the surrounding space. Heat and crushing pressure annihilated everything nearby as she drove her massive paw downward with absolute force.

In that heartbeat, her paw impacted Souta’s open palm.

Sparks showered from the point of contact, tearing through the air like electrical conduits. A destructive shockwave exploded outward, rending the earth and trembling the foundations of the entire dreamscape.

BANG!!

The ground beneath Souta collapsed, forming a deep crater under the sheer weight of the impact. The blood sea nearby boiled and evaporated instantly, transforming into an immense cloud of crimson vapor.

Souta retreated a step and carelessly waved his hand, dispersing the raging flames as if they were nothing more than harmless smoke.

Absolute silence reclaimed the area.

He fixed his gaze upon Yuko, a flicker of genuine shock hidden deep within his eyes.

Upon a moment of reflection, the reality settled in.

Doranjan possessed the innate advantage of his lineage, a dragon manifested at the Third Stage, placing him above common beings from the very beginning.

But Yuko...

She had ascended from nothing. An ordinary monster, insignificant and forgotten by most. Yet, the power she exhibited as a Fifth Stage being now rivaled that of Doranjan when he had first reached that same plateau.