Professor Hootsworth adjusted his spectacles with a clawed foot and stared at Nutmeg with such intensity that Mia half expected laser beams to shoot from his eyes.
"So let me get this straight," the owl said slowly, voice dripping with academic incredulity, "you evolved… into that?"
Nutmeg, perched casually on a reinforced training bench outside the Alchemy Guild, flexed his biceps with a twinkle in his eye. "Impressive, right? The Ancient Walnut of Strength guided me. It was… glorious."
"Ancient Walnut of Strength?" Hootsworth deadpanned. "That's not in any of the evolutionary records."
Nutmeg thumped his barrel chest with one fist. "That's because no squirrel has ascended to such legendary physique. I am a pioneer."
Mia, sitting on the bench beside them, snorted into her smoothie. "I think we all knew Nut wasn't going to follow the 'normal squirrel' path."
Hootsworth fluffed his feathers with visible frustration. "The standard evolution tree for a Windtail Squirrel involves increased agility, minor elemental affinity, and perhaps a spectral form by Stage Four. Not this… marsupial meat mountain."
"I'm still nimble," Nutmeg said, casually picking up a training dummy with one hand and spinning it like a baton. "Just… buff nimble."
The owl's eyes gleamed. "Fascinating. Utterly uncharted territory. I must collect data. Perhaps it's a rare strain of latent mutation. Mia, did you feed him anything… unusual?"
"I gave him dried fruit, enchanted acorns, and like three roasted marshmallows last week," she said, shrugging. "That counts as normal, right?"
"For a campfire," Hootsworth muttered. "Not a pre-evolution diet plan. Hmm… the magical signature in his aura does feel denser. Condensed mana circulation, thicker than average core… it's like someone poured a bodybuilder into a squirrel frame and then added rocket fuel."
"I like the sound of that," Nutmeg said, flexing again. "Can we get shirts that say that?"
"No shirts. You'll rip them," Mia said, standing up and stretching. "Alright, you two geniuses, since everyone's evolving and learning new tricks, I figured it's time to put our skills to the test."
Hootsworth perked up. "Test?"
"The public battlegrounds," Mia said, pointing to a broad archway just down the block. "They're open today, and we could use the practice."
Nutmeg immediately struck a mock battle pose. "Finally! I've been aching to see how my new muscles hold up in real combat."
"Just don't punch anyone into the stratosphere," Mia said.
"Only if they start it."
With the Alchemy Guild at their backs and the mid-morning sun shining brightly overhead, the trio made their way toward the arena. The city bustled with its usual rhythm—merchants shouting from their stalls, enchanted carts rumbling by, children darting past with miniature beasts in tow.
The public battlegrounds were nestled between the Alchemy Guild and a bustling tea house, marked by towering pillars engraved with battle motifs and a magical sign that read "Spar Smart, Spar Safe!" in sparkling letters.
Inside, the space was wide and open, filled with stone platforms, training dummies, magical warding runes, and sectioned areas for beginner to advanced matches. Some rings were already occupied—young tamers clashing with low-level beasts, referees keeping careful watch, and medics on standby with glowing potions.
Mia stepped into the observation lane and took it all in. "Nice. Looks like the beginner ring is free."
"I'll set up an exercise," Hootsworth offered, gliding forward and summoning a chalkboard from a side platform. "Nutmeg, answer me this: when you evolved, did you sense any external trigger besides the food?"
Nutmeg squinted in thought. "Hmm… well, I did see a vision. A glowing acorn floating over a lake. It told me to 'embrace the thiccness.'"
"Of course it did," Hootsworth said dryly.
Mia rubbed her temples. "So, besides dreams of enchanted protein, anything else?"
"There was a rush of power," Nutmeg said seriously. "Like my little body couldn't hold it anymore. So I… grew."
"Fascinating," Hootsworth muttered, scribbling on the board. "Perhaps your evolution wasn't strictly elemental. It may fall under the rare 'Adaptive Growth' lineage. That would explain the irregularity. Such beasts evolve based on personality traits and internal desires."
Mia glanced at Nutmeg, who was currently trying to balance on one hand while doing tail push-ups. "That… actually makes a lot of sense."
They approached one of the open battle rings, where a training assistant—an older woman with a no-nonsense ponytail and clipboard—greeted them. "Here for a session?"
"Yep," Mia said, flashing her guild ID. "Just practice. No ranked matches today."
"Platform three," the woman nodded. "Keep it clean. No explosions near the observers."
"Understood," Mia said. "Mostly."
As they entered the ring, Mia pointed to a row of practice dummies. "Nutmeg, start with target slams. Let's see how well you handle brute strength against defense spells."
"Aye aye!" Nutmeg roared, charging at the nearest dummy like a freight train and slamming it into the wall with a puff of spark-dust. The dummy's enchantments flickered, then short-circuited.
"Oh dear," Hootsworth muttered, furiously scribbling notes. "He's overloading the mana buffer of standard constructs. We'll need sturdier training dummies. Or reinforced walls. Or both."
The next half hour was a blur of activity. Nutmeg tested his new agility by vaulting between stone platforms, his tail propelling him with impressive finesse despite his new mass. Hootsworth summoned floating puzzles and magical logic traps for him to solve midair—some of which ended with Nutmeg smashing through them instead of solving them, claiming it was "a valid answer."
Mia joined in too, coaching both of them, calling out strategies, and occasionally dodging tail slams that got a little too close.
By the time they took a water break, even Nutmeg was panting.
"Still got more juice in the tank," he huffed proudly, wiping his forehead with a towel the size of a tablecloth.
"You are a menace," Hootsworth said, offering him a high-protein treat. "But a brilliant one. I must catalogue every ability you displayed today. We've possibly unlocked a new beast evolution class, and you're the only known member."
Mia handed them both drinks and sat down on the edge of the ring. "Think we'll be ready for the city-level competition?"
"With my new bod and Hootsworth's genius," Nutmeg said between sips, "we're unstoppable."
Mia smiled at them, pride warm in her chest. "We'll train smart, not just hard. And when the time comes, we'll show them what we're made of."
Hootsworth puffed up. "Indeed. Brains, brawn, and beauty."
Nutmeg struck a dramatic pose, lifting a dumbbell made of pure stone. "We shall be legends."
Mia snorted. "Let's settle for not breaking the arena next time."
"Small goals," Nutmeg said, winking. "Small goals."