Idalia stared at the runes, the words swimming in front of her. Her tail lashed again, fur bristling. The idea of being ordinary! It felt wrong, a tight knot in her chest. She didn't want to end up like the average Liorex, bound to a life of mundane roars and simple bites.

  An idea sparked in her mind, burning bright. "I can do better than that!"

  "More. Show me more!"

  She glanced back at her Status display, mesmerized despite her earlier irritation.

  The words were still swirling, waiting to be touched like the shimmering surface of a pool of water. She focused on the next option and a stream of shining runes materialized, almost like a promise.

  [Display Further Possible Evolutions]

  "That's Bottommoon's!" She giggled. Then she tilted her head in thought.

  "Fire and ice? Now that sounds powerful!" She licked her lips, tasting the potential in the air. This was what she wanted: something more than just a loud roar; she wanted nuance, strategy, a spark of creativity.

  But then the thoughts turned heavy again as her gaze drifted back to the requirements. Eight moon cycles!

  "I can't wait that long," she huffed, annoyance bubbling just under her fur. "And more firepower… I'll just have to work harder!"

  She squinted at the next options on the display, willing them to appear before her as if she could draw them from the ether.

  [Display Further Possible Evolutions]

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  "Hirohowl..." Idalia muttered. That one was definitely his. She dismissed it immediately, as she didn't want to be like that hotheaded brute with his fierce, bully nature. She wanted to shape her own identity, not be defined by anyone else, even if they were powerful.

  "Keep looking," she encouraged herself. She took a deep breath, focusing her thoughts. "There has to be more."

  As if responding to her determination, the display shimmered again. New words unfurled in a cascade, and Idalia leaned closer, eager to grasp each new choice. One in particular caught her intrigue.

  [Display More Potential Evolutions]

  Idalia's pulse quickened. [Elite]? [Elite] meant special, and special was what she needed.

  She let out a soft growl, imagining herself darting effortlessly through dimensions, outsmarting her foes before they even knew she was there. The anticipation burbled inside her like a hot spring waiting to burst.

  But the requirements were back, heavy like rocks in her paws. Ten moon cycles? And the necessary firepower and willpower seemed insurmountable.

  "I can't just sit here waiting," she muttered, frustration igniting a wildfire of resolve within her. "I'll find a way. I need to grow faster!"

  She stared at her Status display again, her heart racing as her thoughts churned. If other Liorex could evolve, then so could she. There had to be a way to speed up the process.

  Maybe if she trained harder, if she sought more Power Particles, or found ways to enhance her strength?

  There was a world outside her little corner of the volcanic field teeming with energy and opportunity. Papa said so.

  She growled, "I'll prove them all wrong. I'll be the greatest Liorex there ever was!"

  She returned her attention to the gleaming runes of her Status. The more she understood, the more power she could harness. "I can do this. I just have to build my strength, my firepower, my willpower. I need to learn… and fight."

  A sudden thought struck her, quick as a snap of lightning: "Mama's training!"

  She recalled Mama telling stories of how she and the other young Liorex trained under the watchful eyes of their elders, the mentors who honed skills through challenges and obstacles.

  Idalia leaped to her paws, her tail flicking with excitement.

  "I won't wait that long! I'll show you all! I'll be something more than 'common' or 'rare!'" She puffed her chest, imagining all her friends watching her evolve into something magnificent. She'd be the first of her kind! A true wonder.

  She would hunt all the creatures!

  Her belly growled at the idea of hunting, and her paws itched with anticipation. She would venture deeper into the volcanic landscapes of Vulkhanzhar the next day. Into parts that felt strange and alive, where she might encounter other beasts, perhaps other Liorex, or even the fearful tales of the two-legged creatures that roamed outside these lands.

  Each encounter could teach her something. Force her to adapt, to grow stronger.

  Idalia turned sharply, her heart pounding.

  "I'll find something to battle! I'll show that smug fox and everyone else how truly rare I am!"

  With one last glance at her Status display, she felt a fire igniting in her belly, urging her forward. "My status," she whispered like a claim.

  | [Open] Idalia's Status |

  The chart flickered once, then dissolved, leaving only its echo humming through her body. She giggled as it tickled her nerves. "Play…" she repeated. "But it bites back."

  Just then, she felt the tremors that shook the earth. A shadow loomed behind her. Idalia looked up. She saw him again: her big, mean rival.

  Hirohowl.

  "Let's go. We're returning to the Pride." He grumbled, then his maw opened wide. He leaned downward, picking her up.

  Idalia squeaked in excitement oncs Hirohowl made his first steps. She did a little swing make her dangle in his jaw and that made him growl. "Put me on your back, Hiro! I want to ride on your back, Hiro!"

  Silent at first, Hiro stomped ahead. Finally he snarled, "Tch. Fine."

  As Hirohowl's heavy steps thudded across the scorched plain, Idalia clawed at his back for a reaction. None for now and she huffed.

  She decided to focus elsewhere. Her eyes shimmered faintly, half-focused on the world beyond. Then to the shimmering, invisible world of her Status system.

  She couldn't stop thinking about it. All those fantastic evolutions, all those amazing choices. Each one a promise. Each one a chain of delight!

  She pressed her paw against her chest where the essence quivered faintly beneath the fur. "More," she whispered again, her mind tugging at the hidden strings of the system's magic.

  Then, as if answering her call—

  [System Alert]

  The light flared so suddenly that even Hirohowl's eyes flicked sideways for an instant. "What are you doing back there?" he growled. "Stop glowing."

  But Idalia barely heard him. Her breath caught in her throat as the message burned across her vision. Automatic evolution? Her claws flexed against his scales. "No! No, no, no," she whispered, shaking her head. "That's not fair. I'm supposed to choose who I become!"

  Her heart thundered like lava surfacing from the depths below. The thought of losing control, of becoming something random, something ordinary, made her stomach twist.

  "System!" she hissed in her mind, trying to sound fierce even as panic prickled under her fur. "You can't just pick for me!"

  [System Response]

  "Non-selection denotes compliance."

  Her tail puffed. "Compliance?! I didn't agree to that!"

  Hirohowl's ear flicked back at her shouting. "What are you yapping about now?"

  "Nothing!" she snapped quickly, but her eyes stayed wide, the reflection of the glowing system runes still flickering across her pupils. Her mind churned faster than the molten rivers below.

  Six moon cycles…

  That wasn't long. Not long at all.

  "Then I'll just have to beat it," she murmured to herself, determination burning through the fear. "I'll train until the stars fall. I'll evolve my way before the tenth moon."

  Her claws dug into Hirohowl's back as she grinned, a wild spark in her eyes. "And when I do… I'll make the system itself proud of me."

  [Status Locked — Evolution Timer Active]

  “Tick, tock, little flame.”

  [Thanks for reading!]

  Patreon is now up for advanced chapters. I'm currently at 10 chapters ahead of RR, and I'll be working to push that higher. Thanks!