[System Activation]
The world was ending.
I coughed blood, my ribs shattered under the Frostfang Wolf's claws. Around me, the ruins of New Shanghai burned, the sky choked with crimson smoke.
"Ding! Host's mortality rate at 99.9%—Abyssal Evolution System initiated!"
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in my skull. Suddenly, the wolf's snarling muzzle froze mid-air, its glowing stats floating before me:
[Frostfang Wolf – Tier 1 Monster]
HP: 300/300
Skills: [Arctic Claw] | Weakness: Fire
"First Blood Mission: Slay the beast! Reward: [Hellfire Touch]!"
I grinned through bloody teeth. "Time to eat."
With a scream, I lunged—not away, but into its jaws. My hands, guided by some primal instinct, seized its throat.
"DEVOUR."
Black tendrils erupted from my palms, drilling into the wolf's flesh. Its howls turned to gurgles as its body dissolved into swirling shadows...
[+150 Evolution Points!]
[New Skill Unlocked: Hellfire Touch – Coat limbs in soul-burning flames.]
I stood, my wounds knitting shut. The wolf's icy blue eyes now floated in my irises.
Then—a new alert blared:
"Warning! High-energy lifeform detected. 'Pale Stalker' (Tier 3) approaching. Suggested action: FLEE."
I cracked my neck. "Or… I could have dessert."
◈Chapter 2: "Beastform Mutation"◈
The Pale Stalker wasn't human. Not anymore.
Its bone-white limbs scuttled across rubble like a spider, its face a smooth mask save for a vertical mouth lined with needle teeth.
"Scanning… Subject is a mutated human. 97% Corruption Rate. Special trait: [Phase Walk]—can briefly become intangible."
I ducked as it blurred through a concrete pillar, its claws raking my shoulder. Blood sprayed—but I laughed.
"You're fast." I licked my crimson fingers. "Let's see if you taste better than the wolf."
I activated [Hellfire Touch]. My arms erupted in violet flames. The Stalker hesitated—its first mistake.
I grabbed its wrist before it could Phase Walk. The flames seared its flesh, and its shrieks sounded almost… human.
"DEVOUR."
The tendrils surged again. But this time—something changed.
My spine arched as white chitin armor burst from my skin. My nails lengthened into obsidian claws.
[+400 Evolution Points!]
[Mutation Unlocked: [Partial Beastform] – Gain attributes of consumed prey!]
The System's voice turned almost… hungry.
"Host has reached Tier 1 Evolution Threshold. Consume one more high-tier target to ascend!"
I flexed my new claws. The Stalker's Phase Walk skill pulsed in my veins.
Then—a gunshot rang out.
"Freeze, monster!"
A squad of soldiers in black exo-suits aimed pulse rifles at me. Their leader's visor displayed his stats:
[Captain Leon – Human (Genetically Enhanced)]
Threat Level: Tier 2
He fired again. The bullet stopped an inch from my forehead, suspended by an invisible force.
The System chuckled.
"New Objective: Eat the Captain. Reward: [Military-Grade Cybernetics Blueprint]."
I smiled. "Wrong move, 'hero'."
◈Chapter 3: "The Celestial Experiment"◈
Captain Leon's cybernetic arm sparked as I ripped it off.
"You—! What the hell are you?!" he choked, his men's corpses littering the street.
I crouched over him, my Beastform's talons tracing his jugular. "The upgrade."
Then—a tremor shook the city.
The sky split. A colossal obsidian hand emerged from the rift, each finger thicker than a skyscraper.
[ALERT! CELESTIAL-CLASS ENTITY DETECTED: [The Maw].]
[Recommended Action: PRAY.]
The System's display glitched violently before updating:
"Host… this is a failed experiment from the Upper Realm. It seeks to 'reset' this world."
Leon gasped. "That's… the thing that began the Apocalypse!"
The Maw's single eye focused on me. A voice boomed in my skull:
"…ANOMALY DETECTED. PURGING."
I spat blood and grinned.
"System. How many Evolution Points to eat that?"
A pause. Then—
"Calculating… Approximately 1,000,000. But there's a shortcut."
A map flashed in my vision, marking a pulsing red dot beneath the city:
"Locate the Heart of the Abyss. Absorb it… and you can devour gods."
I crushed Leon's throat and stood.
"Then let's dig."