Mythical Monster Evolution-Chapter 21: The Origins of Catalysts

Kai staggered, beads of sweat forming all over his body. He fell onto his back again, crawling backward as he continued to stare into the maw of the Catalyst.

He could barely make out its silhouette, clouded in darkness. What truly terrified him were the long, sharp, white teeth, only a few inches away from his face.

"Isla, Isla! What do I do!" Kai screamed as loudly as he could.

He could feel it in his being. There was no way in hell he could face such a creature. If he even tried to show hostility, he'd be dead in a fraction of a second.

What Kai needed was simple.

A miracle. He needed a miracle—a godsent intervention to save his life right now.

Still, there wasn't much he could do at the moment. All he could do was pray and plead with his favorite fairy, who was currently dead silent inside his Monster Core.

"I-I don't want to hurt you..." Kai uttered as he continued to crawl backward. His words were in the draconic tongue. It felt more natural to him in his current evolution, especially considering how panicked he was. He also thought there might be a better chance of the Catalyst understanding him if he spoke the language of monsters.

When the Catalyst began walking in his direction after he spoke in the draconic tongue, Kai thought he had a sliver of hope. However, he didn't dare try running away; that would mean certain death.

There was only one thing he could do—convince the Catalyst to let him live.

"I-I wanted to help you get out of this place... that's why I came all the way here!" Kai stammered, his body trembling uncontrollably, fear gripping every part of him.

To his surprise, the black panther-like monster before him gave a small nod. It seemed to understand him.

"ROARR!"

Out of nowhere, the Catalyst howled loudly, its roar reverberating throughout the Corrupted Tree. Kai had no doubt that everyone in the Dark Elf Village had heard it. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad one.

The Catalyst raised its massive right paw, and Kai flinched, squeezing his eyes shut as he braced for the end.

But seconds passed, and nothing happened. He was still in one piece. He hadn't died as he had expected.

Kai squinted open one eye, and the scene before him left him utterly shocked.

The Catalyst had bowed its head and lifted its paw in a gesture that resembled a formal bow—a stance one might take before a king, albeit with some minor differences.

Isla, are you seeing this?! What the hell is happening? Tell me, quick!

The Catalyst now seemed far less threatening in its submissive posture, but Kai remained wary. He worked hard to conceal his nerves, trying to act as if everything was entirely normal.

Isla! What the hell is happening? Answer me! Kai screamed internally, desperate to hear his fairy companion's familiar, if often annoying, voice.

Contrary to his expectations, Isla didn't respond. Instead, she materialized in front of him, her gaze fixed solely on the beast before them. From where Kai stood, he couldn't see her expression, but he didn't need to. Her posture and the way she moved told him everything he needed to know.

Isla was in a state of pure shock.

"This... how is this possible..." she mumbled as she floated closer to the Catalyst.

Her words were barely audible to Kai. She seemed to be muttering to herself as though trying to make sense of the scene before her.

Then her head snapped toward Kai, then back to the Catalyst.

"Master... what have you done?"

Isla shook her head, her heart pounding in her chest.

There was something she had never told Kai—something crucial about the Catalyst and its true purpose. She had mentioned its power and how defeating it would make him stronger, which was true. But her true reason for seeking the Catalyst was something far more personal.

It was tied to the origins of the Catalyst itself.

"Isla, what the hell is happening! Why is the Catalyst acting like I'm its master or something? Stop mumbling and explain!"

The Catalyst kept its head bowed throughout the entire interaction, not daring to look up.

For the first time since appearing, Isla turned her attention to Kai. She knew he deserved an explanation.

"The reason why it's acting this way is because it believes you are its master," Isla said, her voice calm but heavy with meaning. "Let me explain why I truly wanted to come here to find this Catalyst."

Kai froze, focusing entirely on her words. He didn't want to miss a single detail. Isla's reaction had convinced him this explanation was critical.

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"Catalysts aren't just powerful beasts that exist within a realm. They're far more special than that. Before my Master's death, each Catalyst acted as a Guardian of their respective realm. That changed after his death, when humans took control of everything. But it wasn't always this way."

She paused, glancing back at the Catalyst.

"Catalysts were created directly by Varkul. They were his own creations—monsters made for the sole purpose of controlling every single realm. And for some reason, Puma is recognizing you as its master."

Kai frowned, processing the information. "Puma?"

"The big puppy in front of you!" Isla said, giggling for the first time, the tension breaking just slightly.

"I-I'm his master?"

Kai could barely believe it as the words came out of his mouth. He was now the master of such a powerful monster, who could literally kill him in the fraction of a second? How did any of this make any sense whatsoever!

Isla flew over Puma as she gently landed on his head, sitting on the top of his head.

"Is he your new master, Puma?" Isla asked with a bright smile that was unlike anything Kai had seen before.

She seemed genuinely happy. The look on her face resembled the one where friends saw each other after a very long time.

However, contrary to their expectations, Puma did not nod. He shook his head slightly as he finally rose his head and body.

Slowly, he began walking in Kai's direction once more. However, this time, he looked a lot less threatening. Kai felt that Puma wouldn't hurt him.

It was something else. Something that even Isla could have never expected.