"This… this is evolution?" Alina's voice trembled, eyes wide as she stared at the creature before her. "That's too powerful…"

The Hexagonal Goat stood proudly in the center of the hall, its six curving horns glinting under the lamplight. Only hours ago it had been a scrawny thing, barely reaching Luciel's chest. Now it towered over him—two meters tall, with thick, glossy wool as black as night and eyes that burned faintly with otherworldly intelligence.

Luciel smiled faintly at her astonishment. "It's more than powerful. It's a proper evolution."

He reached out, running his hand along the creature's dark fleece. The wool resisted his touch—tough, springy, almost alive. When he pressed harder, a faint pulse of energy pushed back, jolting his palm.

"Interesting…" he murmured. "The fibers have rebound force. Woven into fabric, it would act as armor. Impact resistance—and maybe reflection."

He imagined soldiers wearing cloaks spun from this beast's fleece, deflecting blows like ripples across water. "Good for a bodyguard," he muttered. "Or perhaps… a milk goat."

Mino laughed softly. "Only you would think of turning a devil beast into a dairy animal."

"Someone has to," Luciel replied, half-serious. "If it can give milk—or even if it just eats grass instead of biting things—it's already more useful than most men I've met."

He patted the creature's neck. "All right, you big oaf. You're staying here for now. But listen carefully." His tone sharpened slightly, carrying the edge of command. "You are not to enter the plantation without permission. Understood?"

He projected the command mentally, reinforcing it through their soul-bond. The Hexagonal Goat's eyes flickered with confusion, and then mild hurt. It let out a low, bleating cry—half complaint, half plea.

"Don't look at me like that," Luciel sighed. "Be good, or I'll have mutton stew tonight."

The goat bleated again, stamping a hoof, but eventually turned and shuffled toward the doorway, its horns scraping faintly against the frame. "Bah~~" it cried in reluctant farewell before trudging out into the courtyard, where it finally stood obediently under the watch of a nervous rabbit-eared girl.

Her wary stare seemed enough to keep even a magical beast in line.

---

"Elara," Luciel said, turning toward the silver-haired woman standing beside him. "Bring me the snake."

Elara nodded and approached, holding a small cloth bag that squirmed faintly in her hands. "The biggest one?" she asked.

"The biggest," Luciel confirmed.

When she loosened the string, a cluster of pale serpents writhed within. Luciel reached in without hesitation, fingers closing around the thickest coil. The creature hissed once, cold and slick in his palm. Its scales shimmered faintly like powdered snow.

> [System Notice]

A Level 0 lifeform detected: White Snake.

Begin domestication?

"Yes," Luciel answered silently. "Domesticate and evolve—to fifth level."

> [Processing...]

Domestication successful. 10 Domestication Points consumed.

Evolving: Level 1 → Level 5. Energy deduction: 11,110.

Evolution complete.

Luciel blinked as energy flared in his mind. A chill wind seemed to pass through his thoughts.

> [New Ability Detected: Frost Dominion (Inherited from "White Nether Serpent" Lineage).]

Talent adapted and integrated.

The world turned cold.

Frost crept up the edges of his vision as if reality itself were freezing. His breath left his mouth as a pale mist. The sensation was not unpleasant, merely strange—like being submerged in clear mountain water that neither burned nor bit, but sharpened everything it touched.

When the numbness faded, Luciel exhaled slowly and opened his eyes. A soft glimmer of blue danced in his irises.

"Status," he whispered.

A translucent screen appeared before him, etched in faint white runes:

> Trainer: Luciel

Age: 24

Stamina: 153.5

Speed: 149.3

Strength: 148.2

Spirit: 171

Lifespan: 24 years / 3,550 years

Taming Points: 140

Evolution Points: 1,172,690

Abilities:

— Impact Reflection (Level 5)

— Frost Dominion (Level 5)

Domesticated Beasts:

— Hexagonal Devil Goat: Impact Reflection (Level 5)

— Ice Serpent: Frost Dominion (Level 5)

Luciel studied the lifespan field for a moment and chuckled softly. "Three thousand five hundred years… and I'm still only twenty-four. Hard to believe that number even means anything."

A hiss echoed through the hall.

Everyone turned.

Where once a palm-sized snake had lain coiled, there now stretched a creature nearly eight meters long. The White Snake—no, the Ice Serpent—unfurled its immense body across the marble floor. Its scales were translucent like crystal ice, catching the light and scattering it in shimmering arcs. Frost trailed behind it in delicate whorls, freezing the ground wherever it slithered.

"This… this was the little snake?" Alina whispered. Her voice carried disbelief and awe in equal measure. "That's impossible."

"Not impossible," Elara murmured, her gaze steady but reverent. "Just evolution."

"Evolution?" Alina snapped her head toward her, silver teeth clenched. "You call that—" she gestured helplessly at the monstrous serpent "—not exaggeration?"

Elara only smiled, remembering the day she'd watched the Black Tortoise evolve—an entire city trembling as divine power reshaped the creature. "You'll understand, in time."

"You always say that," Alina muttered. "And it never makes me feel better."

Luciel's voice broke through their chatter. "At least we won't be eating dried jerky anymore."

They turned to him, confused, but he was already kneeling beside the snake, studying the frost patterns left in its wake. The ice spread in gentle, spiraling fractals, freezing the air so that even his breath hung heavy and white.

"With this one," he said softly, "we can preserve meat indefinitely. Ice cellars, cold storage… maybe even refrigeration chambers for the city."

Mino shivered violently. "L-Luciel, it's getting cold…"

Sophia, standing closest to the snake, had turned pale. Her thin maid's uniform was no match for the creeping frost that now coated the floor, and her teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Luciel frowned. "Right. It'll need a proper place to stay."

He thought for a moment, mind flicking between maps of the Black Tortoise's shell and the surrounding terrain. "Somewhere it won't freeze everything solid…"

"The back of the high ground," Elara suggested. "There's a ridge of stone there—it could hollow out nicely."

Luciel nodded. "Good idea. We'll build the cold chamber there. The serpent can guard it."

Mino raised her hand timidly. "Um… could it maybe go now? Before we all turn into icicles?"

Luciel looked around. The floor was already slick with frost; the legs of the tables were rimed in white, and fine shards of ice glittered in the air. Even he could feel the bite of the serpent's ambient aura.

He sighed. "Fair point."

Elara rubbed her arms briskly. "Can't it at least suppress its cold?"

Luciel reached out with his mind, connecting to the serpent's will. Can you control the frost around you? he asked.

The snake's answer slithered back, soft and hissing through the bond. Its silver eyes gleamed apologetically.

"No," Luciel translated aloud. "That's its natural body temperature."

Alina tilted her head thoughtfully. "Then it's not its fault. It's shaping the environment to what it needs to survive."

"Perhaps," Luciel admitted, watching the way the serpent's scales shimmered like frozen moonlight. "Still, I can't let it freeze my entire hall."

He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling another cloud of mist. "We'll move it now. If it evolves again while confined here, it might turn the whole shell into tundra."

"Probably best," Elara agreed quickly.

---

They left the hall together, following Luciel and the serpent through the rear passage toward the high ridge behind the city. The air outside was sharp, the wind biting against their skin, yet the serpent seemed invigorated—its white body gleaming brighter under the open sky.

Luciel stopped at a flat stretch of stone and placed his palm against the rockface. "Here."

Channeling his power, he pressed his will forward. The stone rumbled, cracking and bending under invisible force. A vast cavity opened within, smooth and hollow like the inside of a seashell. He divided it further—three chambers: the central vault for the Ice Serpent's dwelling, and two side chambers for cold storage.

"This will do." He stepped back, admiring the structure. "An outer cold store for the city's meat and supplies… and an inner one for the mansion. Separate, easy to manage."

Elara crossed her arms. "You're turning our fortress into an empire of ice."

Luciel smiled faintly. "An empire needs food before it needs glory."

He turned toward the serpent. "This is your home now. Guard it—and keep the temperature steady."

The Ice Serpent's long body flowed into the central chamber, its passage frosting the walls into glittering white. It raised its head high, tongue flickering as if in contentment.

Luciel drew a small knife and deftly detached several of its scales. They came away easily, cold and translucent as glass. "These will serve as tokens," he said. "Anyone carrying one will be recognized as ally. If someone enters without it…"

He paused, eyes glinting. "Freeze them."

The serpent hissed softly—approval, perhaps even delight.

Luciel tucked the scales into a leather pouch at his waist. The air inside the newly formed chamber was already crisp and cold enough to turn breath to fog.

"Good," he said quietly. "Then that's settled."

The serpent coiled deeper into its den, the faint whisper of frost settling around it like a lullaby. Outside, the others stood silent, breath clouding in the air.

Mino finally broke the quiet. "You really think of everything, don't you?"

Luciel gave a small, tired smile. "When you've lived as long as I plan to," he said, glancing once more at his absurd lifespan figure hovering in his mind, "you learn to plan ahead."

Behind him, the Ice Serpent exhaled—a slow, powerful gust that froze the air into glittering motes. The cold storage was complete.

And with it, the Black Tortoise City took another step toward permanence.

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