Rain hammered the cracked asphalt like a relentless drum.Wipers screeched across the windshield, fighting a losing battle against the downpour. My hands clenched the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.
"Damn it… I shouldn't have stayed up so late gaming."
Headlights cut through the sheets of rain—two blazing suns barreling toward me.
A truck.
Moving too fast.
My heart slammed against my ribs as the world slowed. Instinct screamed at me to turn, but the slick road betrayed me. The car spun out of control.
The last thing I saw was a wall of steel and blinding white light.
Then—BAM!
Darkness.
I expected pain. Screaming. The stench of burning gasoline.But when I opened my eyes, the world was… wrong.
The sky burned crimson.The moon loomed like a bloody eye, glaring down from the heavens.And the ground—soaked in gore.
A corpse lay sprawled next to me, its massive body covered in jagged black scales. Its jaws were lined with dagger-like teeth, still dripping with fresh blood.
It was a beast, the size of a truck. And it was very, very dead.
My breath hitched. What… the hell?
Before panic could root me to the spot, something cold and mechanical sliced through the chaos:
[Supreme Evolution System Activated.]Host Detected: Soul Transfer Complete.Welcome to Arathia. Rule One: Evolve or Die.]
My mind blanked.A… system? Like in a game?
Text flashed before my eyes, glowing in midair:
[Initializing Core Functions…]Host Status:
Name: ???
Species: Human (Weak)
Bloodline: None
Evolution Points: 0
My lips trembled. I wasn't dreaming. This wasn't some VR game.
This was real.
A low growl shattered the silence.
I turned slowly—and my blood ran cold.
Three more beasts slithered out from the shadows, their crimson eyes gleaming like molten lava. Smaller than the corpse beside me, but still massive.Each step they took crushed bones beneath their claws.
Predators.And me? I was the prey.
My body screamed at me to run, but my legs felt like lead.No… no, no! I just died! I can't die again!
The voice returned, cold and emotionless:
[New Mission: Survive the First Hunt.]Objective: Kill or be killed.Reward: Evolution Points ×10Penalty: Death. Permanent.
Kill? With what? I had nothing. No weapons. No armor. Not even a stick.
The nearest beast lunged, jaws snapping like a bear trap.
Instinct took over. I dove to the side, rolling through the mud as claws shredded the ground where I'd stood a heartbeat ago.
Pain lanced through my arm—blood sprayed. My vision swam, but adrenaline roared louder than fear.
And then… I saw it.
The dead beast.The massive corpse.Its blood pooled beneath my fingertips.
A new notification blinked into existence:
[Corpse Detected: Scaled Direwolf (Rank F)]Option: Devour?Warning: Primitive Evolution Protocol Engaged.]
I froze. Devour?
Another beast pounced. Its shadow loomed over me—Yes! YES!
I slammed my palm against the confirmation window.
The world blurred. The coppery taste of blood filled my mouth as raw, burning energy surged into my veins. My body convulsed, bones cracking, muscles tearing—and knitting back stronger.
[Devouring Complete.]+1 Rank Evolution.]Bloodline Unlocked: Direwolf (Basic).]New Ability: Predator's Instinct.]
A shiver ran down my spine. My senses exploded.I could hear their hearts pounding.Smell their fear.Taste their blood in the air.
I grinned.
The next beast leapt—and I moved.Not as prey.As a hunter.