Limitless Evolution: I’m The New Dragon God?

Ryuzen rose to his feet, brushing the dust from his battle-worn clothes. The murmurs in the hall stilled instantly, all eyes on him. His golden slit eyes glimmered faintly, and his voice cut through the noise with steady authority.

"I appreciate the offers," he said evenly. "But the Junior Blood Legion was not formed to lean on others. We carved our way through Azathoth's jaws, and we survived Hell Mode because we trusted only ourselves. That will not change."

A sharp silence followed his words.

Roland of Iron Fang frowned, his men shifting uneasily behind him. Seraphine's crimson eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a faint smirk that did not reach her eyes. Garron of Temporals Guild, however, simply crossed his arms, his heavy aura pressing down on the room like a storm about to break.

"You speak boldly, boy," Garron rumbled. "But boldness without allies becomes arrogance. Temporals remembers those who refuse an open hand."

Venus stepped forward, glaring. "Enough. Our captain made his decision. Threats won't change that."

The tension thickened. Several nearby guild members muttered in disapproval.

"Tch, kids who don't know how to seize opportunity…"

"They'll regret it when they're crushed."

"Going alone into Hell Mode again? Suicidal."

But Venus's eyes shone with quiet pride as she looked at Ryuzen, and Felix grinned. "That's our leader. Doesn't matter who tries to sway us. We'll grow on our own terms."

Irina crossed her arms, her expression firm. "If they think we're easy prey, let them try."

Ryuzen's gaze swept across the gathering once more, calm yet sharp. "The Legion doesn't exist to serve another's ambition. We'll climb with our own hands, even if the path is steep. Those who mock us can stay at the bottom and talk. Those who fear us… will move aside."

For a moment, no one spoke. Then, slowly, the rival guilds backed off, though their displeasure lingered in their eyes.

Seraphine gave a cold laugh as she turned away. "Very well. Walk your path. Just remember—when you fall, not everyone gets a second chance."

Garron's heavy gaze lingered longest. Finally, he spoke one last line before leaving. "Remember boy, Dragons that soar too high are the first to be shot down."

The hall buzzed again, whispers of envy, disdain, and respect swirling together. But the Junior Blood Legion stood unmoved, a small unit burning with resolve.

---

The vast tree gate of the Chrysalis Forest loomed before them, its surface carved with writhing patterns of insects frozen mid-movement. The scarlet runes embedded in the arch pulsed ominously as the words [Hell Mode] ignited above the portal. A chill spread across the plaza.

Dozens of guilds and independent evolvers stood gathered, whispering, watching with sharp eyes. Few had the courage to even attempt Hell Mode once, let alone twice. To see the Junior Blood Legion walking calmly toward the gate again stirred disbelief, ridicule, and grudging admiration.

"They're really going back in?"

"After barely surviving the last time?"

"They must have a death wish."

Someone laughed harshly. "Watch. They'll crawl back out crying, if they even make it out alive."

Jack, his pride still bruised from his earlier embarrassment, smirked from the crowd. "Arrogant brats. They think a few wins make them invincible. They'll learn soon enough."

Yet others were silent, unease flickering in their gazes. Memories of Azathoth's jaws and the blood-soaked battlefields whispered of something different about these five.

Ryuzen walked at the front, his stride steady, his draconic aura faintly shimmering. Behind him, Venus adjusted her gauntlets, Irina tightened her bowstring, Felix spun his blade lazily as if itching for blood, and Rudos's calm presence steadied the group like a heartbeat.

As they approached the gate, the air vibrated with hostility, almost daring them to cross. The blood-red glow of Hell Mode deepened, turning the carved insect patterns into living shadows writhing across the stone.

Venus snorted. "Hmph, they're waiting for us to fail."

Felix grinned. "Then let's give them something better—let's make them choke on their own words."

Irina's eyes, sharp as glass, never left the runes. "We didn't come this far to be their entertainment. We'll survive this… and more."

Rudos gave a small smile. "As long as I breathe, none of you will fall. That much I promise."

Ryuzen placed his palm against the gate. His golden slit eyes glowed, unshaken by the sea of mockery and malice surrounding them. "Let them wait. When we return, it won't be in failure."

The runes flared violently, the gate trembling as if alive. A deep rumble echoed, like the grinding of an ancient beast awakening. Then, with a burst of crimson light, the Junior Blood Legion vanished into the forest of horrors once more.

Behind them, the crowd erupted in noise—laughter, scoffs, uneasy silence. But beneath it all lingered a different kind of tension. Because if those five survived Hell Mode again, the world would have no choice but to recognize them.

-

The moment the crimson light swallowed them, the Junior Blood Legion felt the air shift. The Chrysalis Forest in Hell Mode was nothing like before. The trees were taller, darker, their bark pulsing faintly as if veins of some monstrous creature. The ground was damp, thick with the stench of decay, and a low droning hum echoed from every direction.

KREEEEEHHHH!

The sound tore through the forest like a war horn. From the shadows, massive Ants poured out, each easily twice the size of their Extreme Mode counterparts. Their obsidian carapaces gleamed with faint runes, each one carrying a different elemental glow—crimson flame, jagged lightning, swirling frost, and even a sickly green poison mist.

"They've mutated…" Venus muttered, tightening her stance as a Fire Ant lunged forward, its mandibles dripping molten sparks.

"Good," Felix grinned, twirling his blood blade. "More monsters, More Exp."

Irina's bowstring thrummed, an arrow glowing with mana piercing through a Frost Ant's eye. But the creature didn't fall immediately—it screeched and burst into a mist of freezing wind, forcing the team to scatter.

"Careful! They explode now!" Rudos barked, already weaving healing light across Venus's arm where the frost had grazed her.

Dozens, then hundreds of Ants poured in, each swarming with relentless hunger. The ground shook with their charge, the buzzing of wings overhead drowning out thought. Fire washed over them, lightning cracked against their weapons, and poison mist crept through the battlefield like a living death.

Ryuzen stepped forward, his draconic aura intimidating the lesser Ants.

"Form up! Don't let them scatter us!"