In a wet jungle, the air was thick with humidity, every breath heavy with the earthy scent of damp soil and rotting vegetation. Shafts of pale sunlight struggled to pierce through the dense canopy above, falling in broken fragments that glimmered faintly on the jungle floor. The undergrowth was alive with the faint rustling of insects, the distant calls of birds, and the occasional splash of droplets falling from leaves that had gathered too much moisture.
Amid this chaotic sea of life, a small predator lay in wait.
A 20 cm long grey lizard crouched low, hidden beneath a cluster of curled, dead leaves. Its rough scales carried a dull sheen that mimicked the surrounding debris, blending almost seamlessly into the background. Small grains of dirt clung stubbornly to its body, adding to the illusion of lifeless camouflage. The lizard's sides rose and fell slowly as it breathed, its golden, slit-pupiled eyes locked onto a single target not far ahead.
Only a short distance away, perched on a moist patch of earth, a black-spotted frog twitched restlessly. Its body was no larger than a fingernail, its skin glistening faintly as though varnished with oil. From time to time, the frog blinked its bulging eyes and shifted its position, kicking at invisible irritants with twitching legs. Though the frog was cautious, glancing about and flexing its limbs as if expecting danger, it never once noticed the grey lizard's unblinking gaze.
The lizard lay completely still. Even the faint flick of its tail was absent.
"Target: black-spotted frog, amphibious, can provide 1 bio-energy point."
A cold, mechanical voice rang inside Luo Feng's mind, breaking the silence with its clinical tone. The words appeared with startling clarity, as if engraved directly onto his consciousness.
"1 bio-energy point? Not bad."
His tongue flicked lightly against his lips, a tiny motion, betraying the hunger growing within. The lizard's muscles, small and wiry, were tense beneath its scaly hide, ready to unleash at any moment. His gaze followed every tiny shift of the frog's body, waiting patiently for the precise instant to strike.
The forest around him seemed to slow. Droplets fell from above, landing with heavy splashes on wide green leaves. Somewhere in the distance, an insect droned monotonously, its buzzing vibrating faintly through the air. Seconds dragged on, then minutes. The frog's wariness began to fade, its movements becoming less erratic, its eyes less alert.
That was the moment Luo Feng had been waiting for.
His body tensed like a coiled spring. In the blink of an eye, he lunged forward with startling speed, leaves scattering in his wake.
The frog's wide eyes snapped open in horror, but it was already too late. Luo Feng's jaws gaped wide, revealing small but razor-edged teeth that clamped down with precision. His mouth closed around the frog, the sudden force muffled by a wet, soft crunch. The prey writhed desperately, its tiny limbs flailing, its throat releasing shrill croaks that barely escaped into the thick air of the jungle.
But the grey lizard did not loosen his grip. His jaw muscles locked, his head jerking from side to side to keep the frog pinned, refusing to let the prey wriggle free. The struggle dragged on for an entire minute, the frog's convulsions weakening with each passing second until at last, the small body fell limp.
Only then did Luo Feng release his bite, adjust the frog's body, and swallow. His throat bulged as the black-spotted frog slid down, leaving behind faint traces of slime. A small, rounded bulge appeared in his stomach, distending his lean frame ever so slightly.
Almost immediately, his body began to react. His stomach gurgled faintly as powerful gastric acids flooded in, their strength far exceeding that of a normal lizard's. The frog's flesh and bones softened quickly, breaking down in a wave of chemical destruction. The faint taste of blood lingered in his mouth before fading into a bland aftertaste.
Satisfied, Luo Feng darted away from the open patch, every step quick and low to the ground. His claws clicked lightly against wet stone as he scrambled toward a pile of rocks half-shrouded in moss. With a twist of his slender body, he slipped inside a narrow gap and disappeared into the dark hollow within.
The interior smelled faintly of earth and mildew, the air cool and still compared to the damp heat outside. It was an abandoned ant mound, a sprawling labyrinth of hollow chambers and tunnels long vacated by its builders. No ants remained. The silence here was comforting, the thick walls providing a sense of safety.
Curling his body into the shallow nest-like chamber, Luo Feng settled down to digest.
Normally, lizards required many hours, sometimes days, to fully break down their meals. This was especially true for young ones with small, underdeveloped bodies. But Luo Feng was different. His stomach worked furiously, churning the frog into nutrients at an unnatural pace. Within less than an hour, the bulge in his stomach was gone, the prey completely dissolved.
Ring!
"The host has successfully gained 1 bio-energy."
The mechanical voice returned, as emotionless as before, reverberating inside his head like a bell. The sound cut through the silence of the nest, sharp and undeniable. Luo Feng's eyes opened, his slit pupils narrowing, and he whispered in his mind:
"System, open my information panel."
In the air before him, a faint shimmer appeared, like ripples on water. The shimmer spread, unfolding into a rectangular curtain of pale light. Lines of glowing text scrolled neatly across its surface, stark and orderly against the dim background.
---
Host: Luo Feng
Race: Grey Lizard (Variant Species)
Status: Juvenile Period
World: Blue Planet (Earth-like Planet)
Main Task: The host, in the role of "Grey Lizard," must accumulate 10,000,000 reputation points in this world.
Mission Period: Grey Lizard life cycle (ten years).
Penalty for Failure: Complete erasure, body and soul.
Host Property List: (not expanded)
---
The glowing panel hovered silently, casting faint reflections along the damp walls of the mound. Its light flickered gently, as though alive, before stabilizing into a steady glow.
Luo Feng sighed softly.
It had been ten days since he came to this world, yet everything still felt unreal. In his heart, he hoped it was just a dream that he would eventually wake up. But every time he saw this system panel, he was forced to accept the truth.
He had really crossed into another world. Worse, he had reincarnated as a lizard.
Luo Feng, once an ordinary 18 year old high schooler with no special qualities, had died in a car accident on his way to class. That accident had brought him here.
The first day had been filled with boundless fear and despair. Unlike the protagonists in online novels who rejoiced at crossing into new worlds, Luo Feng had felt only crushing loneliness.
He could never again see his parents, relatives, or friends. And of all things, he was reborn as a lowly lizard.
At first, he prayed desperately to return. But no miracle came. In the end, he could only accept reality and focus on survival. The system had made it clear: failure meant permanent death, body and soul erased.
Life was better than death. Even as a lizard, Luo Feng did not want to perish so easily. He would fight to complete the system's mission. Perhaps then he would have a chance to go home.
His feelings toward the Ultimate Evolution System were complicated. It had not caused his death, an ordinary car accident had done that, but it had dragged his soul here, forcing him into this fragile body and binding him with a cruel task. He resented it, yet he also relied on it to survive.
As its name suggested, the system existed to push him toward evolution. The catch was that he needed to earn 10 million reputation points on this planet.
According to the system's explanation, reputation points represented fame. The louder his name, the higher his value. But as a mere lizard, even survival was a struggle.
"If I rely only on myself, I'll never finish this task. Luckily, the system gives me some help."
By hunting prey, Luo Feng could gain bio-energy, which fueled his evolution. Just five days ago, he had undergone his first evolution, his attributes improving across the board.
Thinking of this, he willed the system to expand his properties. The panel flickered once again, lines of text shifting and rearranging until new details appeared.
---
Host Property List:
Level: 2
Bio-energy: 10/15 (evolve at full)
Skill Points: 1 (rewarded per evolution)
Body Length: 20 cm
Diameter: 0.7 cm
Strength: 0.1
Defense: 0.05
Speed: 0.2
Agility: 0.2
Spirit: 1.2
Physical Strength: 0.5
Skills: None
Reputation Value: 0/10,000,000
---
The glowing text shimmered faintly as if etched in liquid light, each value gleaming with sharp precision. Numbers seemed to pulse with hidden potential, tempting him with the promise of growth.
Seeing that he only needed 5 more bio-energy to evolve again, Luo Feng's spirits lifted. His strength would soon grow, and with it, his odds of survival.
For now, he could only keep hunting.
The jungle outside was alive with noise and danger, shadows shifting as predators and prey alike stirred among the leaves. Luo Feng's claws scratched lightly against the stone as he pushed himself up. He slithered out of the mound's narrow entrance and onto the damp earth, scales glistening faintly in the scattered beams of sunlight.
Leaving his den behind, the small grey lizard crawled into the jungle once more, every movement silent and deliberate, his sharp eyes scanning for the next prey.
The hunt had only just begun.