Chapter 1: Breaking Free from the Island

Green light spread continuously in all directions, seemingly about to fill the entire cave. The figures of Mels and Little One had long since been swallowed up by the radiance, yet Roani, standing to one side, remained rooted in place as if he could still see them.

With silver hair and a lifelong obsession with Summoned Beast research, Roani could never have imagined all that was happening to an ordinary young boy! The scene before him was dreamlike, illusory, making Roani unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy. However, all illusory beauty held no attraction for him now; at this moment, his heart was solely focused on the Summoned Beast undergoing assimilation on its own—Little One!

Unlike Roani's stunned stillness, Mels stood guard nervously by Little One's side. At first, he had been happy about Little One's evolution and even enchanted by the wondrous scene composed of green light. However, the good times didn't last long. When he noticed Little One's green body pulsing rhythmically, a sense of unease arose in his heart.

Frantic with worry about Little One's safety, Mels hurriedly ran to its side upon seeing its abnormal state, reaching out his hands to embrace his Summoned Beast. Just as his palms touched Little One's body, a wave of heat, fierce as fire, suddenly emanated from it, nearly burning Mels's hands!

"Ah!" The pain shot straight to his heart, causing Mels to reflexively withdraw his hands.

"Little One, Little One, are you okay? Don't scare me, answer me quickly!" Watching Little One's strange condition, Mels forgot the pain in his fingertips and shouted.

Unfortunately, no matter how much Mels called out, Little One remained unresponsive, only trembling continuously. After calling for a while with no effect, Mels tried reaching out to Little One again. Sadly, the painful scorching heat had not subsided from Little One's slender frame.

"What should I do? What should I do?" In his panic, Mels was at a loss, anxiously asking himself, his anxiety written plain on his face. To him, Little One was neither a tool for battle nor his servant, but a companion who had grown up with him since childhood. Although Mels also hoped Little One's power would strengthen, if anything happened to Little One, Mels would never forgive himself for his own willfulness!

Just as Mels was overwhelmed with anxiety and Roani could only watch helplessly, the expanding Little One suddenly opened its eyes, smiled at Mels, and said, "Boss, don't worry, I'm fine! My body is very hot right now, and I don't know what will happen, but I feel very comfortable, as if filled with endless power inside!"

"Little One, you're awake! That's great, I'll never pressure you to evolve again! As long as you're by my side, that means more to me than anything!" Overjoyed to tears, Mels wiped the tears from his eyes as he spoke to Little One.

However, upon hearing Mels's words, Little One only shook its head gently and said, "Boss, it's not you forcing me; I want to become stronger myself! Brother Sol, Brother Rek, they both have powerful Summoned Beasts. Whenever the battle is most dangerous, they can always protect their masters with their own strength. But I can't; I can only watch you fight alone. I don't want that, I really don't! I want to have great power, I want to be able to help you!

Boss, do you remember there's another self inside me? Right now, he's talking to me. He possesses the strongest power, enough to make you invincible! But he can't give that power to me; only he can use it. So... I've decided to give my body to him, let him replace me in protecting you!

Boss, this is the last time I'll appear before you. We'll never meet again after this. But I believe you'll live more happily than before, and you'll definitely achieve your dream of becoming the number one master admired by everyone on the continent! Boss, I..."

Before Little One could finish, Mels suddenly raised his hand and struck Little One to the ground.

"Boss, you..." Looking at Mels's angry expression, Little One lay on the ground, bewildered.

"You idiot, did I ever ask you to gain power this way?" Mels roared furiously.

Little One had never seen Mels so angry with him before and didn't know how to respond.

Man and beast stared intently at each other for a long moment. As the fury in Mels's heart gradually subsided, he spoke again: "Yes, I do want power, and I do want a Summoned Beast with super strength, but I like Little One more! A companion who can spray a little acid, who makes me laugh when I'm bored, who talks to me when I'm lonely, and who understands my thoughts without me having to say much! Even if everyone laughs at me for having a low-level Summoned Beast, even if Little One can't be a helper in battle, even if he has shortcomings, I just like Little One, I like my companion!

If you want power, then go get it! I won't stop you because that's your freedom. But I absolutely will not accept it, absolutely not! You can have super strength, and I will never use it! As long as Little One leaves my side, I'll pry out the Summoning Gem! Even if I become a cripple, I absolutely refuse to gain power at the cost of losing my companion!

Listen, no matter what you are, return Little One's consciousness to his body immediately, or I'll pry out the Summoning Gem right now!" Mels stared intently at the being before him, speaking as if to a stranger.

"Haha, when did you realize I wasn't Little One?" Little One said to Mels.

"Nonsense, I've lived with him for thirteen years. Would Little One say those things earlier? Does his head contain so many flowery words? At first, I didn't notice and thought it was really Little One's idea, but after thinking a bit, I realized you weren't Little One! Enough talk, give Little One back to me now!" Mels shouted.

It turned out that an unknown force had entered Little One's body, temporarily hiding Little One's consciousness, and then used Little One's body to speak to Mels. Although he didn't know the purpose of this force, Mels understood that the one speaking to him now was not his long-time companion.

"Hehe, actually, you're wrong! I am Little One, and Little One is me! Perhaps Summoned Beasts are like accessories to you humans. Humans always think we're just characters at your beck and call. However, you don't realize that, just like human evolution, we Summoned Beasts also continuously evolve with the times!

You must be very curious why Little One possesses independent thinking ability. Actually, this is the strongest evidence of evolution. However, Little One has always been by your side, so in his heart, he absolutely believes you are his best companion. That's why he won't openly acknowledge this evolution!

And I am the dark side within him, the part of his thoughts concealed by his emotions that possesses great power and remains wary of humans! Although Little One trusts you deeply, I am different. I still evaluate everything about you based on your actions. So, when the combat experience Little One possesses and the power within his body expand to the point where he can no longer maintain his current form, I appear before you to conduct a small test, to see if you are worthy of having the evolved Little One!

Although you still have many flaws and your judgment of situations is still insufficient, your feelings for Little One have moved me deeply. I believe Little One will be very happy by your side. Mels, perhaps we'll meet again in the future, or perhaps we'll never see each other again, but I hope you never forget the promise you made to me today—which is also to Little One—to never abandon a true companion for any purpose!" After saying this, Little One gradually closed its eyes.

Just as Mels was carefully pondering the meaning of Little One's words, the green light illuminating the surroundings seemed drawn back into Little One's body.

Originally only about thirty centimeters tall, Little One's body gradually expanded after absorbing the green light. Its plump, round body slowly elongated, two small bumps gradually bulged on its back, and then, like a hatchling breaking from its egg, they formed two wings. At the same time, its round face slowly became pointed and elongated, and a row of horn-like protrusions grew from the back of its neck to its forehead. Its body changed from standing on two legs to four, and sharp claws appeared at the tips of its fingers. Finally, on its cute little rear, a tender mass rapidly grew, forming a tail nearly as long as its body!

At this moment, light still enveloped Little One. Mels could only see its outline, unable to make out its full appearance. Even so, Little One's transformation was enough to astonish Mels. Compared to the previous evolution that only changed its size, this time, even Mels couldn't tell whether Little One had evolved or devolved. After about five minutes, the green light gradually faded, revealing a dragon-like Summoned Beast nearly one meter in length, with wings on its back, well-developed hind limbs, slender forelimbs, and a long, pointed tail!

"Boss... what's wrong with me? It feels like I had a dream, a very long dream!" Little One murmured, opening his eyes to see Mels' astonished face.

The familiar voice reached Mels' ears once more, but at this moment, he could hardly believe that the being before him was the Little One who had accompanied him for so many years! That tiny, adorable, chubby little guy was long gone—now, Little One had become a majestic green divine dragon!

"Lit... Little One, is it really you? Is it really you?" Mels asked, his voice full of doubt.

"Boss, what's wrong? Did I change? Change to the point where you don't recognize me?" Little One looked at himself and said. "No, no! Little One!" Mels could no longer hold back his emotions: "I thought I almost lost you! Little One, you must never do something so dangerous again!" Mels hugged Little One tightly, his voice choked with sobs.

"Hey, boss, what's with the waterworks? If Sol and Rek find out, they'll definitely laugh at you!" Little One still didn't know what had happened. Seeing Mels' unusual behavior, he couldn't help but tease him.

"You little rascal! It's all your fault, and you still have the nerve to say that!" Mels gave Little One a light, playful punch. "Ouch, boss, you're still as fierce as ever! Hehe, it's strange though—even though my body is filled with power, your punches still hurt just as much!" Little One happily wagged his tail, like a gentle puppy clinging to its owner.

"Alright, Master Roani is probably waiting anxiously. I'll tell you about the evolution later!" Mels said with a smile as he stood up. Then, led by Mels, Little One—now the 'Green-Winged Flying Dragon'—slowly followed him toward Roani.

"Master, thank you so much. Without you, Little One wouldn't have evolved, and I wouldn't have realized how important he is to me again!" Mels gave Roani a respectful bow of thanks.

"Oh... ah! No!" Roani was still reeling from the wondrous sight of Little One's evolution, and Mels' thanks seemed to leave him at a loss. It wasn't until Mels called out again that the white-haired old scholar snapped back to reality and said, "No, no, this is completely unexpected. I never imagined your Summoned Beast could evolve in a leap! Wait a moment, let me get something to try and see what level your Summoned Beast has evolved to!"

After saying this, Roani didn't wait for Mels' agreement. He went back and rummaged through piles of tools, pulling out two transparent crystals. Hurrying over to Mels, he said, "Don't worry, this is absolutely safe. I just need your Summoned Beast to release some of the power within him, and then the crystals in my hands will show the strength he possesses!"

Hearing Roani's assurance that it wouldn't harm Little One, Mels turned to Little One and said, "Just release some of your aura. Hehe, I want to know how strong you are, too!"

"Aura? What's an aura?" Little One cocked his head, confused, seemingly not understanding what he meant.

"Aura is..." Before Mels could finish, Roani suddenly raised his voice and exclaimed, "Little One, don't you know what your master is thinking? Don't you understand what he means by 'aura'?"

"Hmm... no! I don't know. Before, even when the boss didn't speak, I could tell what he was thinking, but now I just can't understand!" Little One thought hard for a moment before shaking his head dejectedly.

"That's impossible!" Mels shouted loudly! His expression was one of utter shock, as if the world were collapsing before his eyes!

"My dad said that as long as the synchronization rate is above thirty percent, we can communicate thoughts through words; when it reaches above forty percent, we can understand each other's thoughts without speaking—that's common sense! Even though we still use verbal commands during battles, that's just to make the orders clearer. The synchronization rate between you and me has long been over fifty percent—how is it that I can't make you understand even with words? Little One, try again!" Mels crouched down, putting his hands on Little One.

"Boss, I... really can't!" After another effort, Little One said dejectedly. As soon as he finished speaking, Little One looked up and said, "Boss, I'm sorry, I..."

"Forget it, it's no big deal! You can still talk, so from now on, we can just chat like real friends, right?" Mels gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry just yet. Let me check your current synchronization rate first. Mels, it's actually quite normal for the synchronization rate to drop after a Summoned Beast evolves! You see, Summoned Beasts are creatures that sustain themselves on their master's energy. When the master's ability is too low, the Summoned Beast cannot evolve to a higher rank.

So, after a Summoned Beast evolves, because it possesses greater power, and in a short time, the human master cannot achieve the same level of improvement, the synchronization rate between the Summoned Beast and its master naturally decreases!" Roani explained while retrieving the crystal ball used to observe synchronization rates.

"Then... are you saying that the lower the synchronization rate between me and Little One now, the greater the growth in Little One's abilities?" Mels asked, somewhat understanding but still confused.

"Hehe... you could say that. But generally, this situation doesn't occur. As I mentioned earlier, Summoned Beasts are creatures that depend on their masters for survival, so their evolution rank is roughly equivalent to their master's ability. Therefore, the synchronization rate after evolution doesn't necessarily change, and even if it does, the change should be minimal. However... with you, anything is possible! I've never even seen a Summoning Gem evolve before!" Roani picked up the crystal ball and laughed.

Only then did Mels notice that the white water well Summoning Gem on the back of his left hand had now become an emerald Summoning Gem emitting a bluish-green light! Looking at his own hand, Mels' expression was as if he were looking at someone else's hand!

How many times over the years had Mels dreamed of possessing a mid-rank Summoning Gem? How many times had he dreamed of being able to showcase a Soul Mage and a Steel Ape like Rek and Sol?

Countless times at banquets on Skull Ridge, Mels had left in disappointment—not because he didn't enjoy the excitement or celebrating victories with everyone. It was because at those banquets, everyone would summon their Summoned Beast partners to compete and entertain. Little One, Mels' best partner, the one who never abandoned him, was simply too weak—so weak that Mels couldn't bear to face it.

But from today onward, that awkward situation would be gone forever. Mels had finally become one of the best among the younger generation, both in terms of person and beast!

Just as Mels was immersed in excitement, Roani quietly picked up the crystal ball to measure the synchronization rate. When the pale blue crystal ball approached Mels and Little One, it suddenly turned white in an instant! A transparent white!

"This is impossible! This is impossible! A synchronization rate of zero cannot occur!" Roani thought, horrified.

"Master, how is it?" Mels' voice suddenly reached Roani's ears, snapping him out of his shock. "Oh... it's... it's fine. It's just that your synchronization rate is a bit lower, around twenty percent or so. It might be due to the impact of Little One's leap evolution. But don't worry, I believe it will soon return to its previous level, maybe even better, after some time!" Roani hurriedly put away the crystal ball and deceived Mels.

"Ha, that's good! I was really worried about not being able to connect with Little One heart-to-heart!" Mels said excitedly. Then, he pulled Little One along and said, "Little One, we should go out and see Sol and the others. Let's give them a big surprise with your new look!"

After saying goodbye to Roani, Mels vanished from his view. Only after Mels was completely gone did Roani hurriedly pull out the notebook he carried, open it, and write: Mels, a key figure to note, possesses an unimaginably peculiar Summoned Beast. Perhaps he is an important figure in uncovering the "Miracle"! Little One, a Summoned Beast with no prior documentation, might be one of the six Summoned Beasts that determine the fate of the world as mentioned in the "Miracle"!

Who exactly is Roani? And what is the "Miracle" he speaks of? Mels had no idea, and perhaps nobody did!

When he stepped out of the basement, Mels realized he had spent half a day inside the ancient ruins. Sol, Rek, and Akafir, having not seen Mels for a long time, were already waiting anxiously outside. Although the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes had repeatedly told them that Mels was only enhancing his Summoned Beast and there was no need to worry, for them, only seeing Mels safe and sound with their own eyes could ease their concerns.

"Boss, it's great that you're okay!" Rek exclaimed excitedly as he rushed forward upon seeing Mels emerge.

"I already said, how could anything happen to such an awesome boss? You were all just worrying for nothing. Isn't that right, Boss?" Sol followed closely behind Rek and appeared before Mels.

"Hmm, Brother Sol, weren't you just pacing around earlier, muttering, 'Boss, please don't let anything happen, or else I won't be able to go chasing girls with you!'?" Akafir said while munching on an apple.

"Shut up! You brat, you can barely string a few words together normally, but when it comes to exposing my flaws, you suddenly become so articulate. Are you looking for a beating?" Sol turned around, his face flushed, intending to hit Akafir, but Akafir had already anticipated this and had run off to the side, chuckling dryly.

"Haha, you guys always love to roughhouse. Unfortunately, I'm not in the mood to watch right now. I wanna show you guys the new Little One!" With that, Mels gently called out to Little One at the basement entrance. After a moment, a cautious and shy Little One slowly emerged from the shadows, trembling with two tender wings and waddling on its hind legs before everyone.

"H...hello, everyone," Little One said timidly, lowering its head, as if still unaccustomed to its new body and appearance.

"Wow!" Sol's exclamation snapped everyone out of their shock. "Is this really Little One? Really?" Sol stared wide-eyed at Little One as if seeing the rarest creature in the world.

"I... I know it looks ugly. Brother Sol, please don't laugh at me!" Little One said dejectedly, lowering its head.

"Ugly? My goodness! If you call this ugly, then shouldn't our Summoned Beasts go for plastic surgery?" Sol said with an exaggerated expression, covering his face with his hand. Then, looking at Little One again, he said excitedly, "Little One, you look absolutely dashing now! Totally awesome and impressive! Haha, if you had a couple more heads, you'd really be a 'miniature version of the Eight-part Dragon King'!"

"R...really? Am I really cooler than before?" Little One still asked doubtfully.

"You dummy! I already told you earlier, but you didn't believe me. Now that everyone says you've become more impressive, you should believe it!" Mels bent down and gently patted Little One's head.

"Boss, but... but..." Little One still wanted to say something, but Akafir suddenly interrupted.

"Brother Mels, where's that chubby little green thing you used to have? Now that you have such a handsome Summoned Beast, can you give me the old little guy? I really want it!" Akafir seemed to mistake the current Little One for something else, actually asking Mels for the previous "Slime."

After hearing Akafir's words, everyone was both amused and exasperated. Only Little One lowered its head and murmured, "I really have become more beautiful!" A moment later, when Little One looked up again, the previous confusion was gone from its green eyes, replaced by a confident gleam radiating from its gem-like eyes.

"Boss, haha... that's great! That's great!" Little One said, struggling to find the right words.

Although everyone was puzzled by Little One's sudden happiness, Mels could sense its feelings. Mels raised his hand and gently patted Little One's head, saying, "Little One, you've always been the best! Now, before, and in the future! I'll be counting on you from now on!"

"Yes, I'll work very hard!" Little One nodded its majestic dragon head firmly, making a resolution in its heart! "Brothers, let's go drink to celebrate Little One's transformation!" Mels said excitedly as he stood up. "Yay, more food!" Akafir was the first to cheer loudly.

"You're the greediest one. We should cut open your stomach to see how many stomachs you have inside!" Sol teased. After hearing his words, everyone burst into laughter again, and even Akafir, who didn't quite understand what Sol meant, joined in the laughter. Amidst the joyful laughter, the newly reborn Little One felt deeply moved and resolved to always stand by Mels through everything!

Good times always fly by. Two months after Mels and the others arrived on the island, the time to return to the mainland finally arrived.

Originally, using Roani's facilities on the island, they could have returned to the mainland in a shorter time. However, considering that the super-modern technology of Frank Island should not be casually spread to the mainland, Roani and the others unanimously decided to install a wooden shell on the exterior of the Ironclad Ship carrying everyone to avoid unnecessary trouble upon returning to the mainland. Because of this, and due to a lack of personnel, it took them two months to complete everything.

Over the two months, the White-haired Wind God fully taught Mels the preliminary Qi energy cultivation method of the "True Nameless Divine Style," while Rek and the others also learned many practical combat techniques and moves from the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes.

During this time, the adults were always busy building everything, while Mels and the others focused on honing their martial skills. Lannis remained as before, switching between two personalities every day, causing Mels no end of trouble. Despite this, these two months were unforgettable for Mels, and he even wished he could stay on the island forever.

Among the few youths, Akafir was the one who most interested the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes. Although Akafir did not possess any Summoned Beast, his talent for Qi energy and swordsmanship deeply impressed them.

Previously, Akafir had never learned any orthodox martial arts; all his combat skills came from his instincts and innate understanding of the sword. He was like a flawless piece of white jade. After receiving instruction from the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes, whether it was Qi energy cultivation or sword techniques, he could remember everything at a glance and progress by leaps and bounds. Unfortunately, Akafir seemed like a natural swordsman; aside from swordsmanship, he showed little improvement in other martial arts.

Even so, the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes remained confident in Akafir's future achievements and planned to teach this mysterious youth in the most detailed way after returning to the mainland!

As early winter approached, although the morning breeze carried a slight chill, the joy of returning home made Mels and the others oblivious to the cold. While helping the adults load the remaining supplies onto the ocean-going ship and playing with their friends, their excitement was already evident. Seeing the children's happy expressions, the White-haired Wind God and the others couldn't help but be infected by their mood, cheerfully attending to various trivial tasks.

Originally, Roani's secret base was designed to allow him and his students to escape Frank Island at critical moments. Therefore, not only was the base built in a natural cave underground on the island, but the port was also located in a cave leading directly to the sea.

The Ironclad Ship that would carry everyone back to the mainland was not as large as the ocean-going ship Mels and the others had arrived on, but Roani confidently assured everyone that this ship was unmatched by wooden ocean-going ships in terms of speed and resistance to wind and waves.

Having witnessed the super-modern technological power of Frank Island, Mels and the others were also certain of this. Although there had been no unusual occurrences on the island over the two months, Roani, the White-haired Wind God, and the others remained deeply wary of the force that had destroyed Frank Island two months earlier. Even at the moment of departure, they decided to first send out a small boat to observe the situation at sea before deciding whether to officially set sail.