CHAPTER 36: EVOLUTION BEGINS

Lucas stood in the center of Nexus Tower, shimmering with cosmic energy, his red eyes staring into the dimensional darkness with a cold, calculating expression. Selena’s report of the Silver Banner Alliance’s arrival didn’t bother him—instead, it awakened something darker within him.

Blood Evolution Tree is available. Requirements met: 1.2 million feeder units. Cosmic-tier energy achieved.

The system gave him the notification he’d been waiting for. This wasn’t just another upgrade—it was a fundamental evolution that would change the very nature of his powers. Lucas felt a thrill of sadistic anticipation course through his veins.

"Selena," he called, his voice rumbling with controlled power. "Come here."

In a flash, Selena appeared beside him, moving as fluidly as a shadow. Her red eyes glinted with curiosity and absolute devotion. "Yes, My King?"

"We will evolve," he said, activating an interface accessible only to the Blood Tyrant. "The Silver Banner wants to play with cosmic-tier power. They will gain something beyond their comprehension."

[Blood Evolution Tree] - Activation Initiated

Available Branches:

- Sovereign of Endless Hunger

- Architect of Dimensional Decay

- Dominator of the Living and the Dead

- Weaver of Absolute Despair

Warning: Evolution choice is permanent. Current feeder units will be restructured.

Lucas studied each branch with terrifying intensity. Each choice offered a transformation that would alter not only him but the entire power structure he had built. However, one particular branch caught his attention with an almost magnetic pull.

"Dominator of the Living and the Dead," he murmured with dark satisfaction. "Perfect."

Selena stared at the interface, which shimmered with energy that rippled reality around her. Even with her evolved vampiric abilities, she could sense the power contained within this system beyond her comprehension.

"My King," she whispered, her voice wavering with awe and hunger, "this choice will change everything."

"Exactly," Lucas replied with a sinister smile. "They want to see what the Blood Tyrant can do? They will witness the birth of something unprecedented in the history of dimensional warfare."

Lucas pressed his choice with absolute decisiveness.

[Dominator of the Living and the Dead] - Selected

Evolution Process: Initiating...

Feeder Unit Restructuring: 27% Complete

Undead Army Enhancement: 43% Complete

New Abilities Unlocking: 15% Complete

Estimated Completion: 2 hours 47 minutes

Warning: The Evolution process cannot be interrupted

Lucas’s body began to glow with energy, fundamentally altering the atmosphere around him. This wasn’t just a physical transformation—it was an existential reconstruction that altered his relationship with life and death itself.

Selena took a few steps back, not out of fear, but out of reverence. The energy radiating from Lucas made her vampiric instincts vibrate with a mixture of submission and ecstasy. She could feel the power flowing from her, My King, surpassing anything she had ever felt.

Evolution Progress: 47% Complete

New Unit Type Detected: Blood Puppeteer

Capability: Advanced manipulation of both living and undead entities

Range: Continental-scale influence

Efficiency: 340% increase from base necromancy

Lucas felt his consciousness expanding beyond physical limitations. He could sense every feeder unit in his domain, not just as a resource, but as an extension of his will. More than that, he could sense life beyond his domain—potential puppets waiting to be dominated.

"Incredible," he whispered, feeling the transformation taking place at the cellular level. "Selena, do you feel this?"

"Yes, My King," Selena replied, her voice trembling with almost religious devotion. "Your power... It’s transcending mortality itself."

"Incredible," he whispered, feeling the transformation taking place at the cellular level. "Selena, do you feel this?"

Evolution Progress: 73% Complete

Blood Puppeteer Units: 3 Available

Requirement: High-tier living targets for initial conversion

Recommended Targets: Cosmic-tier entities

Bonus: Converted units retain 100% of their original abilities

Lucas smiled with an expression that made Selena feel a mixture of fear and arousal. She could see the calculations going on in Lucas’s mind—planning that involved manipulation on a scale she had never imagined.

"Silver Banner Alliance," Lucas said in a tone full of dark amusement, "perfect timing. They will be the test subjects for this evolution."

Evolution Progress: 89% Complete

Final Integration: Dominator Protocol Activation

New Passive Ability: Life-Death Duality Manipulation

Active Ability: Puppeteer’s Absolute Command

Ultimate Ability: Continental Soul Binding

Warning: Power level exceeding cosmic-tier classifications

The energy vibrations emanating from Lucas began to affect the surrounding environment. The necrosoil he had created began to change, becoming more... alive. A paradoxical existence where death and life blended in terrifying harmony.

Selena felt this change with all her enhanced senses. The ground beneath her feet vibrated with energy that blurred the boundaries between living and undead. This wasn’t mere necromancy—it was a complete redefinition of existence itself.

Evolution Complete.

Blood Tyrant → Dominator of the Living and the Dead

New Classification: Beyond Cosmic-Tier

System Alert: Unknown power level detected

Recommendation: Immediate containment protocols

Status: Protocols insufficient

Lucas opened his eyes, and Selena felt a shock that made her vampiric core tremble. Her King eyes were no longer simply red—they gleamed with dual-colored energy. Red for death, silver for life. A combination that should have been impossible, but now it was reality.

"How do you feel, My King?" Selena asked in a barely controlled voice.

"Powerful," Lucas replied in a tone that warped reality. "And hungry. Hungry to test this new ability."

Blood Puppeteer Units: Ready for Deployment

Target Requirement: High-tier living entities

Current Candidates: Silver Banner Alliance approaching

Estimated Arrival: 8 hours 23 minutes

Recommendation: Preparation for mass conversion

Lucas felt new abilities flowing through his consciousness. He could sense the heartbeat of every living being within a radius of hundreds of kilometers. Even more terrifying, he could sense the potential to transform that heartbeat into a rhythm he controlled.

"Selena," he said, his voice rumbling with new power, "prepare the domain for the greatest demonstration we’ve ever conducted."

"What shall I prepare, My King?"

"Welcome ceremony," Lucas replied with a smile that made Selena feel a mixture of terror and absolute devotion. "Aurelius and his elite core will be guests of honor. And after the ceremony is complete..."

Lucas activated one of the Blood Puppeteer units, the energy radiating from the activation process making the dimensional fabric vibrate.

"They will become permanent residents."

Blood Puppeteer Unit #1: Activated

Target Lock: Preparing for high-tier conversion

Capability: Cosmic-tier entity manipulation

Success Rate: 97.3%

Side Effect: Complete loyalty programming

Duration: Permanent

Selena stared at Lucas’ transformation with an expression that was a mixture of awe, hunger, and something deeper—absolute submission to a power beyond her comprehension.

"My King," she whispered, her voice trembling with complex emotions, "they will never know what hit them."

"No," Lucas replied, staring in the direction where the Silver Banner Alliance was approaching. "They won’t. And when they do, it will be too late."

System Alert: Dimensional breach detected

Silver Banner Alliance: 6 hours 17 minutes to arrival

Recommendation: Begin puppeteer preparation

Warning: Unknown energy signature detected from approaching forces

Analysis: Aurelius is carrying an unknown artifact

Lucas raised an eyebrow, sadistic interest glinting in his dual-colored eyes.

"Artifact?" he murmured in a tone filled with dark curiosity. "Interesting. It seems they came more prepared than I thought."

He activated Blood Puppeteer Units #2 and #3, the energy radiating from the activation making the entire Nexus Tower vibrate with terrifying power.

"No matter," he said with an expression that made Selena shiver with anticipation. "Whatever they bring will be part of my collection."

All Blood Puppeteer Units: Activated

Target: Silver Banner Alliance Elite Core

Mission: Complete conversion

Contingency: Artifact acquisition

Status: Ready for deployment

Lucas felt new power coursing through his veins, a consciousness expanding beyond physical limitations, and a hunger beyond anything he had ever felt. The Silver Banner Alliance thought they came for containment.

They were wrong.

They came to be puppets.