Zian never stopped eating. While the other larvae crawled into cracks to rest, he kept grinding away.
Once he grew to three feet, things got more exciting. Eggs weren't enough anymore.
He struck without warning, lunging at a cluster of smaller worms gathered around a freshly cracked egg.
[Sewer Larvae consumed: 412/1000]
The sewers became his hunting ground.
'Alright, time to speed things up.'
By the twenty-hour mark, he consumed over seven hundred larvae. The remaining worms fled at his approach, squeaking warnings to each other.
"Run all you want," Zian chuckled as he cornered another group. "You're just making this more interesting."
He developed a technique—moving his massive body to block escape routes before striking.
Sometimes he would eat five or six larvae in a single ambush.
The once-crowded sewer grew more quiet after he systematically eliminated his competition.
[Sewer Larvae consumed: 999/1000]
Finally, only one remained. A particularly clever larvae that had survived by hiding in the deepest, narrowest pipe.
Zian waited patiently at the opening, his massive jaw blocking any chance of escape.
When hunger finally drove it out, he struck without mercy.
[Sewer Larvae consumed: 1000/1000]
[Mission Complete]
[Evolution Available]
Light pulsed beneath his skin as the system's message appeared before him.
=====
Parasite Path
Focus: Infiltration, host control, body-snatching.
=====
Predator Path
Focus: Hunting efficiency, stealth, speed.
=====
Swarm/Colony Path
Focus: Quantity over quality, hive-based evolution.
=====
Each path had its strengths and weaknesses, but the Predator and Swarm routes was too high profile.
He should assume that this world likely had people who could kill him easily. Staying low-key early on would be smarter.
The Parasite Path promised subtlety. He could slip inside a host with useful abilities, use their strength, and abandon them if needed.
'Then it's settled…'
The moment he made his choice, his skin began to dissolve.
No pain. Just a strange, warm sensation as his flesh liquefied and flowed around him like molten wax.
The dissolved tissue hardened into a cocoon. Through the membrane, he glimpsed distorted shapes of the sewer beyond, but it didn't take long before he completely lost consciousness.
Time became meaningless inside. Hours or days could have passed—he couldn't tell. His awareness flickered in and out.
At long last , the cocoon began to crack.
From within, he emerged—now only the size of a ping-pong ball, with multiple eyes granting him a full 360-degree view and a body built to bounce.
'I lost my combat power, but moving like this isn't so bad,' he thought as he leapt, using the ground to angle himself forward. His small size also worked to his advantage.
[DING!]
[Evolution Complete: Parasite]
[Limitation: Due to current host level, you can only infest small creatures.]
He half-expected it. No way the system would hand out overpowered abilities from the get-go.
'I need a host,' 'he thought. 'Something useful but not conspicuous.'
Rolling forward, he let his many eyes scour every corner and crevice of the sewer.
No rats. Not even cockroaches. They'd likely already been eaten by his brothers, or were too afraid to linger here. He would have to go deeper.
Minutes passed before a faint rustle echoed from the corner. A rat, digging through discarded wrappers
Zian bounced closer, calculating his approach. The rat's whiskers twitched, sensing danger too late as he launched himself in a final, powerful jump.
'Got you!'
On contact, his body melted into a translucent dark red slime that enveloped the animal.
The rat squealed and thrashed, but his parasitic form was already seeping through its fur, penetrating skin, burrowing toward its brain.
Slowly, the rat doubled in size, its eyes burning red as veins throbbed beneath its skin. An unexpected effect—but a welcome one nonetheless.
Zian paused, allowing his mind to adjust to the new body.
The integration felt... pleasant. Like slipping into warm clothes after being naked in the cold.
But what impressed him most was how naturally he moved.
The rat's muscle memory flowed into him like water filling an empty cup. He didn't need to learn how to scurry or balance—the knowledge was simply there.
'Incredible,' he thought, flexing his legs. 'It's like I've been a rat my whole life.'
[Mission: Devour 10 human livers to evolve into Category 2.]