After meeting Celeste's parents and getting to know them a little, Karl had learned a few things.

They were supposedly incredibly powerful awakeners, though he had no idea which floor of the Tower of Trial they had reached.

The way they carried themselves, their sheer presence—it was clear they weren't ordinary people.

Still, he guessed that at some point, the difficulty of climbing the tower had become too great, so much so that even moving up a single floor carried immense risk.

That was probably when they had decided to stop and focus on raising Celeste instead.

Karl had no idea who his own parents were in this world, but it didn't bother him much.

He didn't feel any kind of loss or longing for a family—his sole purpose was to keep climbing, to reach the top of the tower and get the answers he sought.

How many floors were there?

Thirty? Fifty? Maybe a hundred?

Nobody knew, because nobody had ever reached the top.

Or maybe some had but never returned to tell the tale?

There was no way to know for sure.

"We'll take a break for today so you can check your Specialized Class," Celeste said with a cheerful smile.

"Then we'll finish the Fifth Floor tomorrow!"

Karl nodded.

"Alright.

That'll leave us with around twenty-seven days of free time before the next challenge.

Maybe we can take on some bonus quests or clear dungeons to level up."

"Yep."

Staying ahead of everyone else was important.

The stronger you were, the more control you had over your fate.

If things ever came down to a human versus human fight, strength would determine the victor.

Karl and Celeste spent the rest of the day eating, talking, and exploring parts of the campus they had never visited before.

Even though they had spent a good amount of time in this place, there were still hidden spots and unexplored areas worth checking out.

Eventually, the sun dipped below the horizon, and the two returned to their dormitory.

Clack!

Karl shut the door behind him and immediately threw himself onto his bed, his mind already focused on what was coming next.

He closed his eyes, eager to see what he would gain from his new Specialized Class—

[Master of Evolution].

"Spirit Cemetery," he whispered.

Instantly, his body lost all warmth.

A chilling stillness spread through him as his consciousness drifted away from the real world.

Celeste, who was lying on her own bed, shivered slightly as she watched Karl's body go motionless.

His eyes, now empty and hollow, stared straight ahead, unseeing.

"I'll never get used to this…" she muttered, giving a nervous smile.

She had seen him do this many times before, but it always unsettled her a little.

Still, she shook the thought away and tapped on her Smartwatch.

If Karl was going to be gone for a while, she might as well do something productive too.

Inside the Spirit Cemetery, Karl opened his eyes and immediately got up.

[Spirit Cemetery: 24/50][Spirit Storage: 95/100]

The familiar text panels appeared before him, but he ignored them for now.

They weren't what interested him the most—though he did note that he could now summon one more spirit.

Around him, his spirits stirred, sensing their master's presence.

Some floated toward him, while others watched from a distance, their forms shifting like flickering shadows.

Karl grinned.

His summons were alive in their own way, and seeing them like this filled him with pride.

"Let me pass," he said calmly.

"I need to check something.

There might be a way to make you guys even stronger."

At his words, the spirits parted, creating a path for him.

Karl walked forward until he reached the row of tombstones, each one representing a spirit he had summoned.

He placed a hand on one of them and spoke.

"Can I check my Specialized Class, Reaper?

The system said I needed to come here."

A deep, echoing voice answered.

[Very well.]

The Reaper didn't appear before him, but the moment it spoke, Karl felt a shift in the air.

Then—

Snap!

A crisp snapping sound rang out, and suddenly, a set of glowing panels materialized before him.

Karl took a deep breath, steadying himself before he began reading.

[Specialized Class: Master of Evolution (SS)]

[Your determination and the bond you share with your summons allow you to deepen your connection with them, granting the ability to evolve them into higher beings.]

Karl's eyes widened.

'Nice!'

It was exactly what he had wanted—a class that revolved around strengthening his summons.

It felt like the perfect fit for him.

Of course, he always kept in mind the golden rule:

"A summoner should always be stronger than their summons."

Even so, this class was undeniably powerful.

The stronger his spirits became, the more durable they would be in battle.

If they could survive longer, that meant he could rely on them more.

And just like all Specialized Classes, this one came with new abilities.

Most Specialized Classes started with two abilities, regardless of their rank.

However, the higher the rank, the stronger those abilities would be.

As he leveled up, he would unlock more—and there was even a chance that his Specialized Class itself could evolve into something greater.

For now, he focused on what was in front of him.

[Master of Evolution Abilities Unlocked:]

[1. Evolution Path]

You can now view potential evolution paths for your spirits.

Some require specific conditions, items, or situations to trigger.

[2. Spirit Fusion]

Combine two compatible spirits to create a new, stronger entity with traits from both.

Karl's heart pounded as he read the descriptions.

'This is insane…'

Both abilities had incredible potential, and though he didn't know much about their full capabilities yet, he already understood some key details.

[Evolution Path] meant that each spirit had its own unique way to evolve.

The wording made it clear that the process wouldn't be simple—there would be specific conditions that had to be met.

That could mean rare materials, battle experience, or even environmental factors.

And if evolving a spirit required some precious resource, he would have to think carefully before using it.

After all, what if that spirit died shortly after evolving?

Wouldn't that mean all that effort was wasted?

Karl exhaled slowly.

'It's a power boost, but with risk involved.'

That seemed to be a pattern among high-level professions and classes—the stronger they were, the more risks they carried.

What caught his attention the most, however, was the mention of situations as an evolution trigger.

That meant that, under the right circumstances—perhaps in the middle of a dangerous battle—a spirit could evolve on its own.

That was rare.

Extremely rare.

But if it ever happened, it could be a game-changer.

Then, there was [Spirit Fusion].

This one was more straightforward—it let him merge two spirits to create a stronger one.

It was another form of evolution, except it required sacrificing two spirits to create something new.

The description was clear, except for one word: Compatible.

"Combine two compatible spirits," Karl murmured.

That meant not all spirits could be fused.

There had to be some kind of requirement—whether it was similar traits, shared origins, or something else entirely.

If he tried to fuse two spirits that weren't compatible, what would happen?

Would they be destroyed?

Would the fusion fail?

So many unknowns.

But Karl wasn't the type to hesitate.

He turned toward his spirits, who had been silently watching the entire time.

They had seen the panels too.

Karl's lips curled into a sharp grin.

"Time for testing."

His summons let out eerie whispers of excitement, eager to see what would happen next.

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