Evolution Online: I Can Fuse With All Things
Chapter 57: Weight of Generosity

Chapter 57: Weight of Generosity

Lucien clearly hadn’t thought through what he wanted to do before acting. What had driven him was pity for the woman—he’d assumed she was simply seeking shelter for herself and her children.

He’d planned to help her and then head into the city, knowing he’d be dissatisfied with himself if he didn’t act.

However, this entire situation left him confronting something shocking about himself.

’I was selfish and stupid.’

From a young age, Lucien had lived a sheltered existence. Even when he attended school—the only environment that could have helped him understand society better—he didn’t experience it like other people did.

In fact, it was more accurate to say school attended him than he attended school.

He was born with a reclusive nature. He was hyper-observant of people, and because of this, Lucien couldn’t make friends. His word choices were bizarre, his speech pattern twisted as though he suffered from information overload and couldn’t properly process anything.

His head was a tangled mess.

Withdrawn from society, he was introduced to gaming as therapy. Over time, he improved, but his father never allowed too many people around him simultaneously. He was rarely permitted at family gatherings because his father feared the same breakdown happening again.

Throughout school, his father paid enough to secure a separate classroom—lecture halls that could hold thousands, but only Lucien would sit there with whoever was teaching him.

He had a custom timetable where he alone attended classes. People knew him in his major because he was always the best but never seen in class. The only people he knew were those who ranked second to him, or at least came close.

He was something of a myth at school.

It was safe to say he was socially reclusive and had never really existed in a society that pushed him to be introspective about himself.

And that’s why this was happening during his first major contact with society.

There was also his history with his mother that made him vulnerable to maternal figures, though he’d never admit that.

’How do I extract myself from this situation...?’

The only reason he’d extended a helping hand to the woman was to feel good about himself. Now that the action seemed likely to cost him more than he could afford, he was reluctant to give his all.

He suddenly felt like a hypocrite.

The Warden handed him the temporary identification.

Lucien looked down at it.

The woman watched him from the side, along with her two children.

She stared at him with radiant hope blazing in her eyes, but a moment later she frowned and lowered her face.

She gritted her teeth, then bowed.

"Dear sir, please don’t trouble yourself. I will fend for myself... if you truly want to help us, you can help us eradicate the root of our problem."

Lucien exhaled and gritted his teeth painfully.

’So I can’t help someone in peace even in a game...’

He bowed as she pulled away and walked back toward the bridge.

As Lucien held out the pouch of gold coins, the ragged people behind him stirred, but the Warden materialized a halberd in his hands, striking fear into their hearts.

Lucien handed the soldiers the coins and walked into the city with a heavy heart.

Even after entering the city, he couldn’t raise his head and felt so disappointed in himself that he was grinding his teeth in anger.

"Come on... don’t beat yourself up. You’re naive—there’s no way you could have known. But being naive means you have plenty of room to grow. Things like goodness, kindness, generosity are far more cunning matters than the world gives them credit for."

Lucien smiled subtly.

"I don’t know whether to feel relieved or even more hateful toward myself... but thanks for your pathetic attempt at consolation."

"You’re welcome. I hear I’m very empathetic."

Lucien chuckled and frowned.

"What? No. No, Gaya, you are not empathetic. You absolutely are not."

"Geez, why do you sound so traumatized? If people heard you, they’d think I poisoned you or something."

Lucien sighed and ignored her. He raised his head as she materialized next to him. Lucien’s eyes widened as he breathed in the entire capital city of Rhamiran—Val’Rhameir.

The city of Val’Rhameir was more dream than reality. It gleamed like a vision cast in crystal and sunlight.

Its heart was dominated by an awe-inspiring palace of shimmering sapphire glass and sky-piercing spires—a testament to elegance, power, and arcane mastery. The city unfolded around it in perfect harmony: manicured trees, lush courtyards, and uniform rows of pale-stone manors flanked serene, turquoise canals that divided the streets like veins of life.

Stone bridges arched over the waterways, connecting neighborhoods alive with the hum of prosperity—markets brimming with goods, plazas echoing with song and coin, and narrow gondolas gliding silently beneath lantern-lit paths.

The city blended magic with precision, civilization with tranquility. Everything flowed, everything shone.

Gayanna nodded as she observed.

"Not bad, not bad..."

Lucien turned to look at her, but suddenly his eyes widened and he staggered back. He furrowed his brows.

"What?"

Gayanna looked at him blankly, blinking.

"What?"

Lucien pointed to her dress.

"Where did you get that? And where are your long, pointed ears?"

Gayanna ran her hand over her ear with a sweet smile.

"You like this one better?"

Lucien frowned.

"You know what I’m talking about. If you could become human all this time, why didn’t you say so?"

Gayanna exhaled softly.

"No, I couldn’t. I just learned."

She walked forward.

"I wonder what you hear when I say I’m a Great Mage."

Lucien followed her quickly.

"I mean... still, you can’t just learn to be human in a matter of minutes and conjure clothes out of nothing, right?"

She clicked her tongue.

"This is the least of my capabilities. Conjuring clothes is necessary—what do you think an elf first learns when they study magic?"

"Control nature?"

"No, dimwit—appear beautiful."

Lucien sighed.

"Right."

’We sure went from great one to dimwit pretty quickly.’