Reincarnated as the Only Male in an All-Girls Magic Academy!-Chapter 26: Evolve! Evolve Again!

Ren stepped into his dorm room and immediately noticed something strange; emptiness.

There was no Lia. No footsteps. No sight of her meditating on the bed while surrounded by piles of manuals and half-eaten fruit.

No scent of her ridiculously strong peppermint tea. Ren's eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned the room like an investigator.

His mind flicked through the possibilities. Knowing Lia and her workaholic tendencies, she was most likely at the reinforcement room working on her physical stats, or in one of the simulation chambers grinding battle experience.

That girl treated rest the way old people treated demons—pure evil and best avoided. He let out a breath, casually dropped his bag on the table, and shrugged it off.

"She's probably off trying to break through to adept stage through hard work," he muttered, amused. His tone was light, but truth be told, he admired it.

First things first; shower.

Ten minutes later, Ren stepped out of the hot steam feeling like a brand-new human. The fatigue from walking through half the rune lane had melted off him like butter on a hot pan.

He threw on some loose clothes, opened a self-heating meal box from the bedside table, and dug into a meal that would've made five-star chefs weep.

Spicy honey-glazed beast ribs, golden rice infused with spiritual essence, and a creamy side dish that somehow tasted like roasted marshmallows and dreams.

"God," Ren whispered with a full mouth, "the food in this world is insane." He leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach like an old man.

Out of all the amazing things this new world had offered him; the crazy reincarnation, the ridiculous magic, the cheat-like Evolution Forge, this food definitely made the top five.

Right up there with the weaving and carving systems that tickled every scientific bone in his reincarnated body.

Oh. And the women.

Yeah, he wasn't going to lie about that part.

They were definitely prettier here. More curvy. More ethereal. Even the average-looking ones back on Earth would probably cry themselves to sleep if they saw how naturally gifted the girls here were.

He wasn't just talking about their looks either, there was a magical kind of confidence most of them carried, like they knew their own worth and weren't afraid to knock you out with a lightning bolt if you disagreed.

This was also partly because this world was mostly ruled by strong women. Women could both carve and weave after all.

But Ren shook those thoughts out of his head and leaned forward, suddenly all business. That little habit he carried from his past life, the urge to break every problem down into smaller, testable parts took over like a reflex.

Carving that rune was the most exciting thing to do, no doubt. It would give him a power-up, maybe even put him ahead of most of the early students here.

But Ren had already decided to wait just one more day. Because while everyone else would rush forward with emotion and excitement, he moved with precision. With control.

This wasn't just about raw strength. It was about creating an unshakable foundation.

His Evolution Forge was still a mystery in many ways. Up until now, he'd only used it to enhance thoughts, mental sea, and experience.

Stuff tied directly to his own body or soul. But for the past few nights, he'd been running experiments.

Random ones. He'd try holding a spoon, a boot, even a rock to see if it would follow him into the dream and land inside the Forge.

Nothing worked.

It didn't take a genius to figure out why.

They weren't magical.

But now? Now he had real enchanted items. A rune with a soul-beast signature. A weapon most likely born from a blood ritual. A tonic that could interact with the soul.

These were actual items with mystical resonance. And Ren was dying to see if the Forge would accept them.

So he laid down.

Pulled the blanket over his legs.

Made sure his left hand gripped the rune scroll tightly, while the kusarigama manual rested in his right. The tonic was tucked against his chest, and the kusarigama handle rested under his forearm.

And then, with a deep breath, he closed his eyes.

The darkness welcomed him like an old friend.

And the moment he opened his eyes again—

He was there.

The glowing white floor of the Evolution Forge stretched out before him like a clean slate. And in his arms—

Everything.

The scroll. The manual. The weapon. The tonic.

His lips curled into a smirk.

It worked.

He could now evolve items!

Moving with the calm purpose of someone halfway through a brilliant heist, Ren stepped up to the evolution chamber.

It looked like a store containing a single shelf, with one of the red evolution crystals floating in the center and ten transparent ones.

He plucked the red crystal from the shelf like it was his personal key to unlimited power.

"Time for the first test," he muttered, and focused on the scroll.

He didn't have to chant or wave his hands around. All it took was a simple thought and a quiet command.

The scroll containing the Phantom Panther Rune shimmered slightly... and vanished.

The red crystal lit up.

Ding! His watch chimed.

[Stage 1 Phantom Panther Rune added to Red Evolution Crystal.]

Another ding!

[Estimated Evolution Time: 700 hours (Real Time) → 7 hours (Chamber Time)]

Seven hours here equaled Seven hundred inside the crystal. Which meant if he slept a bit longer, he could get the full evolution. But what he was really waiting for came next.

Ding!

[Evolution Paths Detected. Does host wish to view them?]

Ren's breath caught. That was it.

Proof!

He waved the message away with a casual flick of his fingers and willed the rune to exit the crystal. It reappeared in his hand instantly, not a single mark on it.

His smile widened.

That single notification had told him everything he needed to know. It meant that even though the Phantom Panther had never reached Stage 3 before... it could.

Maybe not in nature, but in the Forge? With the right path and conditions?

He could force evolution.

And that was all he needed.

It didn't matter if the world called the Phantom Panther a genetic failure. With the Forge, he could turn it into something no one had ever seen before. A custom evolution path. A bloodline reborn!

All he had to do now was research which third-stage evolution path to choose next. The decision had to be precise. Evolution wasn't random here, it was scientific. Calculated. Intentional.

That was why he didn't check the evolution options just yet.

He needed to study. Plan. Compare.

Because this next move? It wouldn't just shape his rune path, it would define his entire combat style.

But that would come later.

For now, he placed the scroll back to the side, gave the crystal a respectful nod, and turned toward the next part of his test.

Ren picked the thick, dull-colored scroll of the Basic Curse Kusarigama Manual in one hand like it was some ancient relic about to reveal a cosmic secret.

It was time to evolve it!

He walked up to the red evolution crystal again, now glowing faintly from the earlier rune test, and held out the scroll. A soft breath. A flicker of will.

The manual vanished from his hand like it had been pulled into thin air.

Ding!

[Common Grade Curse Kusarigama Manual added to Red Evolution Crystal.]

Another beep followed.

Ding!

[Estimated Evolution Time: 3 hours (Chamber Time)]

Then the third notification appeared, and this one was the real treat.

Ding!

[Single Evolution Path Detected: Uncommon Grade – Fiendish Whirl Manual. Confirm?]

Ren's eyebrow twitched. Single Evolution Path? Fiendish Whirl? That sounded like something out of a horror circus or a very illegal underground spinning competition.

Either way, he liked it. Without a moment of hesitation, he thought, 'Confirm.'

The red crystal flashed like a camera light and began to hum softly.

Now came the waiting.

But for Ren, three hours in this chamber wasn't a burden. It was prime thinking time.

With a snap of his fingers, a recliner formed in the white floor beside him. A second snap brought forth a steaming cup of strong black coffee on a floating saucer, complete with sugar cubes and a small cinnamon stick.

He recently discovered the ability to slightly create basic items he needed anywhere in the forge.

It was very handy to move, hold or handle delicate things. This was his ideal environment: quiet, bright, and filled with infinite possibility.

As the manual slowly transformed within the crystal, he sat back, sipped his coffee, and let his mind drift through mental puzzles and riddles he'd memorized into his mind long ago.

One by one, he solved them. No stress, no rush. Just the smooth hum of logic grinding against instinct like well-oiled gears.

Sometimes he would use his transparent crystals to evolve some thoughts, but most times his high IQ was already enough.

Three hours passed like a dream.

And right on cue—

Ding!

[Evolution Complete. Common Grade Curse Manual → Uncommon Grade Fiendish Whirl Manual.]

Ren stood, placed his coffee down on thin air like it was a table, and held out his hand.

The scroll reappeared.

Except now it didn't look dull. It shimmered with a crimson glow along its edge, and the old parchment had been replaced with dark, leathery pages embossed with swirling symbols.

It even felt heavier, as though knowledge itself had gained weight. He unrolled it slowly and let his eyes dart across the first few sections.

His brows lifted.

"Interesting..."

The entire structure of the weapon's usage had been completely overhauled. No longer was it just a list of random attacks and simple tricks.

The manual now focused everything into three specific forms.

Each form wasn't just a technique, it was a full combat rhythm, a flowing dance of chain, weight, and blade.

The first form was simple, but explosive. It focused on sweeping wide arcs, fast close-quarters counters, and building momentum with every strike.

The second form was deceptive, filled with feints, sudden bursts, and using the chain to lock down an enemy's footwork. And the third?

That one was pure chaos. Controlled chaos, sure, but it was all about overwhelming the enemy with spinning, shifting, multi-directional attacks that could control a battlefield and decapitate someone three meters away in the same motion.

Each form had a "true slash" which was a mythical finishing technique that could only be unlocked by mastering every move and transition within that form.

According to the manual, you didn't learn the true slash. You earned it.

Through sweat. Through bruises. Through that sharp moment when training became instinct and instinct became enlightenment.

The moment your mind and body aligned and said: This is it. This is the cut!

Once you executed the true slash of a form, even once, the form was considered complete and the weapon would respond to you differently from then on.

From beginner to professional. That's what this scroll offered.

Ren's lips curved into a grin.

He was happy. Deep down, this was exactly the kind of manual he liked. No vague rules. No dumb luck. Just a clear path of mastery; grit, repetition, then breakthrough.

But happiness was a brief indulgence. He quickly tucked the scroll away and stood in front of the evolution crystal again, this time holding the small glowing vial that contained the Soul Tonic.

"Let's see what you can do."

He activated the crystal again.

Ding!

[Common Grade Soul Tonic added to Red Evolution Crystal.]

Ding!

[Estimated Evolution Time: 1000 minutes (Real Time) → 10 Minutes (Chamber Time)]

Ren raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's fast."

No path options popped up this time.

No flashy names.

It simply evolved, glowing in soft blue light before returning to his hand.

Ding!

[Evolution Complete. Common Grade → Uncommon Grade Soul Tonic.]

He inspected the vial. The liquid inside now shimmered like starlight, and the scent was stronger, like herbal incense mixed with cool mint.

It would likely restore more soul power, and maybe even aid recovery speed.

Nothing fancy, but every little edge mattered.

Then his eyes flicked toward the kusarigama weapon that hung by his side in the dream-forge space. His fingers itched.

He could feel the urge rising.

To evolve it.

To push it past its limits.

To turn it into something deadlier, sharper, faster.

But... he stopped himself.

The current version was already heavy. Too heavy, if he was being honest. He could barely swing it around thrice without his arms turning to jelly.

And the cursed special effect was still hard to control. Enhancing the weapon before mastering even its basic movements was the kind of dumb mistake that Ren simply didn't make.

No. He was wiser than that.

He needed to adapt to the current weapon's weight first. He needed to build his muscles, drill his techniques, and get used to activating and deactivating the special effect at will.

Once he was truly comfortable with it, then he could consider evolution.

And that realization settled something in his mind.

Tomorrow, it would begin.

His real training.

The kind where he'd be spinning in the courtyard for hours until sweat soaked his back and the chain left scars on his arms.

The kind where he'd curse at himself, laugh at his failures, and get back up again. He was going to master each of those three forms and unlock the true slashes one by one.

Because the path of a carver wasn't just magic and runes.

It was motion. It was rhythm.

And Ren? Ren was going to make the kusarigama sing!