CHAPTER 57: EVOLUTION PHASE ONE

The initial moments of the Aether Priming were very difficult. Not only for Scorch but for Jethro as well.

Because of the fires of the forest, the prolonged heat was starting to get to him. Every breath Jethro drew scraped like molten sandpaper down his throat, searing his lungs.

The aether also had its effect. It weakened him, creating purple veins through his flesh. This caused the beastlinker to blare once again, the persistent crimson screen appearing like an angry guardian.

[WARNING: AETHERIC NECROSIS IS PROGRESSING]

[FLAME-AETHER TOXICITY: CRITICAL]

[TAMER VITALS: DECLINING - HEART RATE ELEVATED, RESPIRATORY DISTRESS]

Jethro glanced at the notification with a silent determination in his eyes. Once again, he ignored it.

His body was heating up, his heart was pounding, but his entire focus was still locked on the tiny, trembling form of Scorch, swimming precariously in the fire lake.

Scorch wasn’t just whimpering now; he was listless. His vibrant scales looked dull, his bright eyes half-lidded, his small chest barely rising.

"What’s happening?" Jethro muttered, worried. He glanced down at the beastlinker, swiping to the evolution interface.

[Status: Monitoring Vital Feedback Loops]

[Secondary Action Required: Emotional stimulus is required to subject mechbeast into harmonizing with aether]

Jethro understood that.

Mechbeasts’ Soul Core were semi-etheric. If exposed to energy it couldn’t harmonize with, it entered a resistance loop.

This loop burns through the structure until the mechbeast either dies or begins morphogenic crystal growth; essentially, reinforcing its Soul Core to process the new aether.

Scorch needed emotional Stimulus

Jethro’s eyes widened. "Scorch!" he exclaimed. He hurried even closer to the edge of the fire lake. "Don’t fade off, buddy. Just keep your eyes with me."

A bubble of steam burst in the river, the heat burning under Jethro’s jaw, but he held himself together, watching Scorch lift its head sluggishly.

There was fear and exhaustion in those big reptilian eyes. It whimpered softly.

"I really wish I could get you out of there, Scorch, but the phase has to be complete or I’ll ruin your cultivation and evolution pathways."

The beastlinker mirrored this statement.

[Evolution Pathway: Infernal Dragon]

[First Path: Aether Priming]

[Phase One: 3% complete]

[Warning: If beast exits this environment now

- Resonance Regression Likely (72%)

- Cultivation Pathway interference (66%)

- Evolution Pathway interference (90%)]

Scorch shrieked, the fires burning against the scales that covered its body.

Jethro winced at the pain in his lizard’s eyes. "Come on, Scorch. You have to fight!" he urged, leaning forward despite the wave of nausea that hit him.

"You’re weak because there’s no aether in your Core. Well, there’s aether everywhere. This whole place is soaked in it!" Jethro cried. "It’s a bit stronger than you can normally harness and refine but it’s still aether. You can do it, Scorch."

Scorch only gazed at him, eyes still weak.

"Remember the Rift?" Jethro said. "Remember the big bad guy with the dragon? You saved me from him, right? And you wanted to stop him too, but you couldn’t. You were too small compared to his dragon."

Jethro’s eyes glowed with ferocity. "Well, you can be a dragon too!"

"It’s in your..." He slammed a fist weakly against his own chest, wincing at the flare of pain from his blistered hand. "It’s in your heart!"

Scorch let out a worried cry, seeing Jethro in pain, seeing the aether it couldn’t harness poisoning his master.

"It’s okay, bud," Jethro noticed its concern. "It’s just... ugh... it’s just the aether, Scorch. I’ll be fine. Just open your Core. Let the aether inside of you."

They locked eyes in that intense moment. "Do it for me," Jethro whispered, eyes reddening, threatening to shut.

Suddenly, a scene Jethro recognized from the Rift expedition happened before him.

Scorch’s body began to glow, and from the air, tiny specks of glowing light were attracted into its form, seeping through its Vincintine skin and into its core.

Ding! The beastlinker notified.

Jethro drew the device closer to his face to see.

[Emotional stimulus successful!]

[Harnessing trigger initiated]`

[Path: Aether Priming

Phase: 32% complete]

Jethro shot his head at his lizard, eyes wide with disbelief and a shot of hope.

Scorch’s eyes were closed and its entire body was glowing. It was glowing red, just like the specks of crimson orbs floating into its skin.

’He’s doing it,’ Jethro’s mind said.

"You’re doing it, Scorch!" he exclaimed, grinning with joy. "You’re harnessing flame-based aether. You unbelievable lizard!"

He glanced down at the Beastlinker’s display, his heart hammering against his ribs.

[Evolution Monitor: Scorch - Red Lizard]

[Target Path: Infernal Dragon]

[Path: Aether Priming

Phase: 78% Complete]

[DNA Similarity: 7.5% → 8.1%... 8.7%... 9.3%...]

`Core Signature Similarity: 62.3% → 63.0%... 63.8%... 64.5%...]

It was working! The emotional tether, the shared memory of survival, the defiant spirit Jethro had ignited, the fear of losing its master. It was forcing Scorch to adapt, to harness the aether that would otherwise kill Jethro.

In mechbeasts, soul memory and instinctual behavior were partially coded through the emotional tether to their masters. This meant decisions, such as wanting to evolve, depended as well on their masters’ needs.

Mechbeasts didn’t ’think’ like humans.

They relied on instinct, and instinct in them was often reinforced by repeated emotional feedback through the bond.

When a tamer forms a contract, the emotional tether that is established between their Soul Core and the Soul Core of their Mechbeast doesn’t just allow aether and ability transfer.

It allowed something far deeper:

Shared emotional memory. Shared survival instinct. Shared will.

In time, Jethro’s needs would become Scorch’s. Jethro’s fears, desires and anger would be shared by the lizard as well.

Scorch had never truly thought about being a dragon. But it realized that Jethro was right. It had felt completely helpless back in the Rift. Why? Because mechbeasts had the contract-forced desire to protect their masters.

Harnessing the aether that could have poisoned Jethro was a way of protecting him for now. But becoming an Infernal Dragon would protect Jethro in the future.

Scorch was doing this for his dear master, Jethro Merrick.

With a loud inhale of pain, Jethro sunk his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out what seemed to be an inhaler.

He stuck it into his mouth instantly and sucked as hard as he could. He sucked three times over, before he finally felt the toxin soothing him.

The aether veins on his neck began to disappear, the red in his eyes faded off, and his heart stopped hammering wildly.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Jethro collapsed backwards, planning to rest a bit.

But he realized his eyes had caught something. So Jethro lifted his head, looking over his boots at a sight that left him befuddled.

Scorch was shedding his skin.