Chapter 1
Kai Louvan had killed many things in his life.
Unfortunately, most of them were plants.
He stood in the middle of a dusty field under the pale morning sun, staring at the latest victims of his agricultural incompetence.
Rows of potato plants.
Or rather…
rows of what used to be potato plants.
Now they were dry, shriveled stalks that looked like they had given up on life several days ago.
Kai crouched down and poked one gently.
The entire plant collapsed.
"…That seems dramatic."
Behind him, someone groaned loudly.
Old farmer Brant marched across the field like a storm cloud.
Brant had lived in Rustland Settlement for over thirty years and had grown almost every crop imaginable in poisoned soil.
Potatoes.
Corn.
Mutated beans.
Even glowing carrots.
The man could grow food in what was basically dirt and disappointment.
Which made Kai's failures even more impressive.
Brant stopped beside him and crossed his arms.
"Let me guess," the old man said flatly.
Kai looked up hopefully.
"They died?"
Brant pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Of course they died!"
Kai shrugged.
"Well, you never know."
Brant pointed at the dead field.
"These were perfectly healthy seedlings three days ago!"
Kai thought about that.
"Maybe they were stressed."
Brant stared at him like he was considering throwing him into the wasteland.
"They're potatoes, Kai."
"Everyone has limits."
Brant groaned and turned away.
"I swear the radiation fried your brain."
Kai stood up and brushed dirt off his pants.
"Technically we all live in radiation."
"That is not an excuse for killing vegetables."
Brant stomped away muttering darkly about wasted soil and wasted oxygen.
Kai watched him go, then looked back down at the field.
"…Okay, maybe I messed up a little."
The wind rustled softly across the settlement.
Rustland wasn't much.
A handful of wooden houses.
A small water tower.
A storage building for food and supplies.
And a wall built from scrap metal and old concrete to keep monsters out.
Most people here were farmers.
Or hunters.
Or mechanics.
People who knew how to survive.
Kai was supposed to be a farmer.
Supposed to.
Unfortunately…
plants seemed to hate him.
He crouched down again and dug his fingers into the dry dirt.
"Maybe the soil's cursed."
A tiny movement near his boot caught his eye.
Something green crawled slowly out from under one of the dead potato plants.
Kai blinked.
"Oh."
The small creature looked like a caterpillar.
Except it had bright glowing eyes and tiny antennae that moved curiously in the air.
Kai had found it two days ago while digging irrigation lines.
And since then…
it had refused to leave.
The little creature crawled onto his shoe.
Kai leaned closer.
"You again."
The caterpillar stared up at him.
Kai sighed.
"You know," he said thoughtfully, "you're lucky you're not a potato."
The creature tilted its head.
Kai gestured at the field.
"If you were, you'd probably be dead already too."
The caterpillar blinked.
"Kro."
Kai smiled.
"You even sound like a Kroko."
"Kro?"
"Yeah. Kroko. That's your name now."
The creature chirped softly.
"Kro."
Kai nodded.
"Glad we agree."
He sat down on a wooden crate beside the field and stretched his arms.
Life in Rustland was simple.
Wake up.
Try to grow food.
Avoid monsters.
Repeat.
Kai had somehow managed to fail at step two.
He picked up a small potato shovel leaning against the crate and turned it over in his hands.
The metal blade was bent slightly.
Probably from when he accidentally hit a rock.
Or maybe when he dropped it on his own foot.
That happened too.
Kroko crawled up onto the handle and sat there.
Kai glanced at it.
"You're a strange little thing."
"Kro."
"Do you eat potatoes?"
The caterpillar blinked.
Kai held up one of the few surviving potatoes from the field.
"You can have this one if you want. It might die anyway."
Kroko sniffed the potato.
Then ignored it completely.
Kai frowned.
"Wow. Even the caterpillar doesn't trust my crops."
Before he could say anything else—
The ground trembled.
Kai froze.
That was not normal.
A loud metallic bell suddenly began ringing from the settlement wall.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Kai stood up instantly.
"Oh no."
Voices shouted from the wall.
"MONSTER!"
"Monster outside the gate!"
Kai grabbed his shovel and ran toward the settlement entrance.
People were already gathering near the gate.
Farmers.
Hunters.
Guards.
Everyone stared out toward the cracked highway that ran past Rustland.
Kai pushed through the crowd.
"What is it?"
Someone pointed.
Kai followed the direction.
Then immediately regretted asking.
A massive wolf was walking slowly across the broken road outside the settlement.
But it wasn't a normal wolf.
Its body was the size of a truck.
Black fur bristled like steel wires.
Its fangs looked metallic.
And glowing red veins pulsed under its skin like molten cracks.
Someone whispered behind Kai.
"Ironfang…"
Another voice trembled.
"An Ironfang Alpha."
Kai blinked slowly.
"…That seems excessive."
The wolf lifted its head and sniffed the air.
Then its glowing eyes turned toward the settlement.
Toward the people.
Toward Kai.
The monster growled.
The sound vibrated through the metal walls.
Kai pointed at himself.
"Why me?"
Brant smacked the back of his head.
"Because you're standing in front!"
The wolf lunged forward.
It slammed into the gate.
The entire structure shook violently.
Wood splintered.
Metal screamed.
People scattered.
Kai stumbled backward.
"This seems bad."
Kroko crawled up onto his shoulder.
"Kro."
Then—
something strange happened.
The tiny caterpillar began glowing.
Kai blinked.
"…Why are you glowing?"
A voice suddenly echoed inside his head.
Cold.
Mechanical.
Calm.
SYSTEM ACTIVATION COMPLETE
Kai froze.
"…What?"
A blue screen appeared in front of his face.
EVOLUTION SYSTEM ONLINE
Host Detected:
Kai Louvan
Compatibility: ???
Warning:
Host classified as extremely unsuitable.
Kai stared at the message.
"Excuse me?"
The system continued.
Emergency Protocol Initiated
Survival Probability: 12%
Suggestion:
Run.
Kai looked at the giant wolf smashing the gate again.
Then back at the floating screen.
"…You're not very encouraging."
The system paused.
Then replied.
Correction.
Survival Probability: 7%.
Kai groaned.
"This system hates me."
Behind him—
the gate shattered.
The Ironfang Alpha stepped into Rustland Settlement.
People screamed.
The wolf's glowing eyes locked onto Kai.
The system chimed again.
New Mission Detected
Objective:
Defeat the Ironfang Alpha
Reward:
Evolution Ability
Kai stared at the monster.
Then at the screen.
Then at Kroko.
"…You picked the wrong host."
The wolf roared.
And lunged straight at him.
Kai screamed.
"WHY AM I THE HOST?!"
And deep underground…
Dr. Erjuc Jayvex smiled.
Because the experiment had finally begun.