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The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea

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Over about twelve hours, I was focused almost entirely on Taura and her transformation into a Wyvern.

It was a drastic change, after all. Taura'd initially been a minotaur, and I was changing her into a flying lizard. It certainly wasn't an easy change, either. Every monster I've made before this was easy in comparison. Leviathans? Just giant whales; the time taken was just to infuse them with the appropriate amount of mana. Even Wave was easier, though that might have been the overwhelming amount of mana in his body at the time, letting me mold his body like clay.

Taura was the first time I was taking a monster of one 'genetic line' and turning it into something totally different. It was lucky I had experience giving mammals scales, thanks to Kata's transformation.

Before anything else, I'd asked and received permission to put her into a deep sleep. It would be incredibly disorienting to change in all the ways she was going to and be aware of them as they happened. Wave stayed awake to watch over her, a respectful distance away. I needed space to work, after all.

Fur turned to scales, and her mammalian nose became a draconic snout. Hooves turned to claws and arms to wings. Bones and their joints stretched and warped to the correct proportions. Arms and hands lengthened incredibly, forming wings.

But I didn't just want to erase who she used to be; I wanted some carryover from her past and found it in her horns and scale color. Taura's fur had been a rich, earthy brown, found in fertile and healthy dirt or the bark of a great pine tree. Translated to scales, I was pretty happy with the now glossy brown. As a Minotaur cow, Taura's horns had been on the smaller side. I grew them out and swept them forward, the gleaming ivory of the points vicious in their simplicity. I also grew an array of smaller horns to define the top and sides of her head, though none were even an eighth as long as the two largest.

At this halfway point, I was left with what I'd expected; a Wyvern-kin. Essentially, a Drake-kin, but with wings instead of arms, a thinner skeletal structure, and a far lighter.

I liked the look and decided to keep the template aside for later. I had ideas for an evolutionary tree embedded in the genetic and magical natures of all my lizardry Children, but that was something for another time. I wouldn't let myself be distracted that easily.

At this point, I enhanced her basic Earth affinity and added a decent chunk of Water, quickly following up with the basic aquatic adaptions I'd given Wave. It wouldn't do to promise Wave he could show her the deepest depths of the Eleventh and not make her capable of it.

With all the groundwork done, I could focus on increasing her mass while keeping track of her proportions and making sure they were similar, if not identical, to Wave's. I stopped her growth when she was a foot or so shorter at the shoulder than Wave, then, after a quick once-over to make sure I hadn't missed anything, I prompted her awake.

She blinked, wide-pupiled cow-like eyes briefly visible before she closed them to stretch her jaw and yawn. Ah. Thought I'd forgotten something... Actually, I'll leave it as is. I like it. It's another good carryover from her origin. She spent a minute or so stretching her body, inspecting it, and getting familiar with her new instincts. I was strongly reminded of Wave's awakening, where he'd done the same thing.

Taura only realized she wasn't alone when Wave decided to approach. Though she no longer possessed ears, her sense of hearing was as sharp as ever, and her head twitched around to face him.

I wished them luck as they flew into the skies, roaring in delight and excitement.

Now, where was I... Right! I need some kind of crystal or stone I could use as a catalyst for this to semi-automate the evolution of one stage of my draconic children to the next. Manacores make the most sense. Different 'grades' to facilitate different stages. While most of the mana for the transformation could be provided by the Child themself, it took more than they had to give.

Hmm. If I made them one use, I could have the manacore dissolve back into mana as it was used, acting as further fuel. With the evolutionary information inside their genetic code, the crystal could act mainly as a booster and a trigger for the transformation. I wanted them as generic as possible and as much control about their forms given to the Child as I could, within what the template allowed. I'd need to do some more experiments...

Perhaps I was giving too much attention to the Draconic line. Along with the crab line, it already had plenty of evolutionary stages, while the Capriccio and Minotaur lines were single-stage.

Perhaps... a diverging path? A choice between Mino-Centaurs and a more human look? And for the Capriccio, something similar? I was unsure, though I knew I would figure out some appropriate forms in time. I shook the thought away. I'd first deal with the Draconic and Crab lines since they had evolutions and move on.

Back to the Seventh Floor Experimental Chambers to appropriate some cores! Oh, and I need to get some volunteers. I decided to start with the crabs. To begin with, I would give them a flat-up choice between bipedal Crab-folk and the Scorpans, with the Black Scorpan as a further evolution of the Scorpans. Perhaps something unique for King Strikes-The-Air as well...

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Blackwater Port, Kolchiss County, Theona

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Baalzebub, Capriccio representative of the Children beyond The Creator's Gaze, sighed in relief as she stepped down from the altar. That had gone much better than she'd worried it would.

Things hadn't been going well for them in the month since they'd gotten permission from the local human lord to build a temple in his city. The site was in the poorest part of town rather than the richer or even the middle class, though that was more an effort to appease the insulted human priests on the lord's part. The priests didn't like the monsters, as a matter of course. Humanity was the planet's master, and monsters were merely animals to be killed, harvested, or controlled where possible. Spawned from pits, no doubt connected to the Four Hells themselves. Those were their beliefs, and they stuck to them.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Baal tried to explain to the priests that the human gods had shaped them and were worshiped. They were not spawned from the 'Hells.' The Creator had shaped the Children, and while they worshiped him, he never demanded obedience. Further discussions highlighted the inherent biases the Children needed to overcome. It wasn't about the Creator being adored by the Children; it was them trying to spread their teachings to humans and turn them away from their own gods.

Again, Baal tried to explain that that wasn't their intention. They were not here to convert, only to spread the tenets they lived by that their Creator had taught them. To be Curious in all things. To treat others how you wish to be treated. Be willing and capable of defending yourself, but never to be the aggressor. To share with and enrich the lives of others. Never hoard more than you need.

Despite the priest's fervent denunciations of the Children and opposition to allowing them a place to worship within the city, the city's Lord Kolchiss had gained plenty in trade with Atlantis. After more than three weeks of peaceful cooperation and no aggression from the Children toward any detractors or hecklers they encountered, he granted them a parcel of land.

Though it was in the poorer section, on the edge of what Baal would deem a slum, perhaps that was a boon in disguise.

The Poor were receptive to The Creator's teachings, though few could read the book. Dozens to hundreds would gather for community readings, soon to take place inside their now-completed temple. Though Baal knew they'd initially come for the free food offered at said readings, she'd seen the interest grow in their eyes as she read. The stories and lessons they taught resonated with the masses. They had little, but all were uplifted by sharing what little they had. The rich hoarded their wealth jealously, something well-known in this former kingdom. The average peasant in the slums could barely feed themselves. At the same time, beyond the dirty hovels and streets, men and women feasted on delicacies from across the country and beyond.

Today was the opening of The Temple Of The Creator. She'd just delivered her first proper sermon, with the stained glass window letting in the evening light. The teardrop form of The Creator, cradled by dozens of arms, had cast the crowd in dappled purple and teal as the light shone down upon them.

As the humans who'd come to the sermon filtered out Baal noticed about a dozen approach robed Children and engage them in conversation. She smiled, recognizing most of the humans who did so. They'd been the most interested in The Creator and his teachings out of all the others, going so far as to attend every lesson and had even asked if they could learn to read!

Baal stumbled as a heavy hand gently patted her back.

"Nice sermon, Baal. I told you there was no need to worry; you're a natural at this!" Aston complimented. Baal scowled at the Minotaur and straightened her robes.

"Listen to the boy, Baalzebub," Teka advised. The drake-kin's scales gleamed in the fading light. "Your first few lessons a month ago may have been stumbling and unsure, but your confidence has grown by leaps and bounds."

"Thanks," Baal said, tone sincere, her eyes drifting to the only humans still in the temple. "Have any of them asked to join the temple fully yet?"

Teka shook her head. "Not yet, but it's only a matter of time. Halley will probably be the first; the girl takes in knowledge like a sponge." Halley was a brown-haired girl who seemed utterly invested in what sounded like a debate on the morality of killing in self-defense to an increasingly bewildered Ossydus. "Aston, go free, that poor boy," Teka asked. "He looks in over his head."

Aston snorted and did so, his robes billowing as he brushed past them. As he did, Baal took another look around the temple, remembering how it looked at each stage of construction. They'd come so far since they'd come to this city.

Baal was confident the worst was behind them.

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Outside the Testing Hall, The Guild, The Holy City

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It'd been two weeks since Guard-Captain Heliat had told Akio to start training for the Gold rank-up test. As his sensei had advised, the three teens had taken a few days to rest and relax, ending the short period with a collective oath to dive head first into their training with all they had.

Akio was dismayed to find himself seated at a desk, studying.

Why was he at school again! Isekai was supposed to be an escape from the mundanities of school!

Their mentors claimed they were good enough fighters to pass the gold test since the combat portion was easy. Apparently, it mainly tested knowledge of your chosen fighting style and the ability to adapt and think on your feet. It ensured you had the minimum amount of strength needed to keep up with their tester. The more challenging part was the written portion, something Akio believed without any doubt. This was a medieval world where most people were ignorant through choice or lack of opportunity. By forcing their members to be able to read and write, the guild was able to have them write their own reports, read their missions, and more without needing to have scribes read or transcribe everything for them.

Akio thanked his lucky stars that whatever translation magic the gods had cast on them made them capable of reading every language rather than just speaking them. But just because they instinctively knew what the words said didn't mean they learned the language. They'd had a few language tutors brought in to teach them, referencing the notes left by previous tutors and the heroes they'd taught. Being taught to write in a language they instinctively understood gave Akio more than one headache, and he knew Sophie and Bruce felt the same.

Having just finished the test, Akio massaged his wrist, resting on a bench with his friends. His head pounded with the beginnings of a headache.

"That was surprisingly easy," Sophie commented; the pale girl's arms were crossed, and she had a confident expression. She leaned against the wall, her new sword sheathed at her belt. "The math was easy, and we've been drilled so much in the knowledge part that the essay questions were a breeze."

"Speak for yourself," Akio shot back, now rubbing his temples, his wrist sufficiently massaged. His sword rested against his legs, with it's sheath on his back. He felt a flash of comfort and warmth from Amatasaru from it's place on his lap and returned some gratitude. "I have a headache from forcing myself to write in Phenocian."

"It's not that bad, mate," Bruce commented, who was leaning back against the wall with his hands behind his head. "It's basically English with different letters. Lots of squiggles, though."

"Who said I did well in English class?" Akio answered. "These last two months without sitting in a classroom full of teens have been blissful. I'm just thankful neither of you two has the brain rot."

Sophie and Bruce winced in commiseration. It was undoubtedly even more widespread in English-speaking countries than in Japan.

"I swear If I hear another 'Gyatt' or 'Skibidi,' I'll-" Sophie's tirade was cut off as the door to the Testing Hall swung open, and the Procter exited the room.

"Congratulations, young heroes," the elderly man began, handing them back their marked exams. "You all passed with flying colors." He stopped to let the three teens exclaim and celebrate for a few seconds. Once they'd calmed down, he continued. "I'll have your identification cards updated and delivered to your rooms at the High Temple by tomorrow."

Akio quickly shoved the papers in his bag and rushed to follow Sophie and Bruce as they ran off. They had to tell their mentors as soon as possible so they could arrange the trip to that 'Grindstone' dungeon! They needed to get strong enough for when that necromancer finally showed themselves.

Their adventure in another world was about to start, for real!

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