The morning sun painted the forest in shades of amber and gold, its rays piercing through the morning mist like celestial spotlights. Kaiser stretched his wings, feeling the cool morning air ruffle through his feathers. Below his perch, the forest was awakening – deer cautiously emerging from their nighttime shelters, smaller birds beginning their morning chorus, and the occasional splash from the river signaling that breakfast was serving itself.
"Time to get this evolution show on the road," I thought, launching myself from the nest. The morning air currents caught my wings, lifting me higher with minimal effort. Two more fish and I'd hit that magical 100 mark. The anticipation made my talons tingle.
The river stretched below like a silver ribbon, its surface occasionally broken by ripples that my enhanced vision could track from hundreds of feet up. The first fish – a plump trout that clearly hadn't read the memo about staying hidden – practically volunteered itself. Kaiser's dive was precise, almost elegant. His talons pierced the water with barely a splash, emerging with the struggling fish.
"Sorry, buddy," he muttered to himself as he landed on a nearby branch. "But you're about to contribute to science. Well, eagle science. Evolution science? Whatever." The fish went down easier than his early attempts at hunting – he'd finally mastered the head-first technique that prevented those awkward moments when a fin gets stuck the wrong way.
The second hunt took more patience. The sun had risen higher, casting shadows that made spotting fish more challenging. After twenty minutes of circling, he spotted another target – this one moving more cautiously than the first. The dive was steeper this time, requiring more precision. Water sprayed as his talons connected, but the grip was sure.
As he finished his second breakfast, the notification he'd been waiting for appeared:
{Bioenergy: 100/100}
{Bioenergy max reached, cannot gain anymore Bioenergy, until evolved}
{Conditions have been met, do you want to evolve?}
{yes/no}
"Well, well, well," I thought, my heart racing with excitement. "Time for the eagle upgrade package." But wisdom from my previous life kicked in – never install updates without a backup plan. Better find some protection for whatever was about to happen.
The flight back to my parents' nest was quick, aided by favorable winds and anticipation. They were there, as expected, my father preening his feathers while my mother arranged some fresh nesting material. I announced my arrival with a series of happy screeches, landing beside them with what I hoped was appropriate filial respect.
We spent some time together, sharing what passes for eagle small talk – head bobs, wing stretches, the occasional affectionate nip. My father eventually took off for his morning hunt, while my mother settled in for what she probably thought would be watching her weird kid take a nap.
The evolution menu appeared again, and this time I was ready:
{Evolution options}
1) Haast Eagle (Common)
2) Golden Eagle (inferior)
3) Harpy Eagle (inferior)
"Haast Eagle, huh?" I mused, remembering what little I knew about them from my human life. Extinct giants of the eagle world, known for hunting moa in New Zealand. Going from 'inferior' to 'common' rank was just icing on the cake. The choice was obvious.
***
The transformation was... interesting, to say the least. Imagine growing several times your chick while it was sleeping, and you'll get the general idea. From the mother eagle's perspective, it was have been quite a show – watching her chick suddenly start expanding like someone had pumped him full of eagle growth hormones. But she was also overjoyed, the stronger he grew the more safe he would be.
Her mate returned during the process, and he was quite a dramatic moment when he nearly attacked what he thought was a massive intruder. Thank goodness the mother eagles quick thinking and loud screeching explanation stopped him.
***
When I finally woke up, the world looked different – literally, because I was now viewing it from a much higher perspective. At 1.4 meters tall with a 3-meter wingspan, I made my parents look like sparrows in comparison. The strange energy coursing through my body felt like I'd chugged ten energy drinks, minus the jitters.
My parents weren't here, so I decided to test my flying. with a powerful flap of my wings. I took flight to the sky. I flew faster than ever before, the flapping of my wings producing more winds.
It took a while to adapt to it, but it was fun getting strong.
Testing my new wings was interesting. The tree I perched on made concerning creaking sounds, but held firm as I checked my new stats:
{Name: Kaiser
Race: Haast Eagle
Rank: Common (F-)
Titles: None
Stats:
Strength : 27/50
Agility: 24/50
Constitution: 23/50
Dexterity: 23/50
Intelligence: 29/50
Skills: Pecking (G+), Hunting (F)
Bioenergy: 0/500}
My stats also increased so much due to evolution, it increased every stat by almost 20. My limiter was also increased to 50 stats.
It seems I have also gained a new skill from the evolution, hunting is it? I was curious so I pecked on it, for more information.
{Hunting: shows the weak point of beasts that are classified as prey, by the user. provides a small boost to all stats, if target is equal or higher than user}
The hunting skill was particularly intriguing. Being able to spot weak points in prey? That was like having a built-in targeting system. Combined with my increased size and strength, I could probably take down prey that would have been impossible before. The possibilities were exciting – could I hunt deer now? Smaller predators? The opportunities seemed endless.
But the most intriguing question remained: if this was just the first evolution, what else was possible? How far could an eagle go? Could I keep evolving until I became some sort of mythical creature? The thought was both exciting and slightly terrifying.
Sleep claimed me before I could ponder further, my new body demanding rest after its transformation. The last thing I saw was my parents perched nearby, looking both proud and slightly bewildered at their suddenly gigantic offspring.
At least I wouldn't have to worry about those grey fish anymore – they'd probably take one look at my new size and swim to a different continent.