Day One: Hour Zero.
"This is going to hurt."
Dr. Ysmene's words hung in the air of the specialized lab as I stood on an examination platform, surrounded by scanning equipment and monitoring devices.
That's not exactly reassuring, Doc.
"Accelerated evolution isn't natural," she continued, adjusting a holographic display that showed my current biological state. "Your body is designed to adapt gradually, learning and incorporating changes over time. What we're about to do is... compress that timeline significantly."
Rayna stood beside the platform, her concern bleeding through our bond like ice water.
"Is this safe?" she asked.
"Define safe," Dr. Ysmene replied, which really didn't help. "His biology can handle it, Nyxions were designed for rapid battlefield adaptation. But it will be intensely uncomfortable. Possibly painful."
*How painful are we talking? Stubbed toe? Or getting hit by a truck?*
"Somewhere between those extremes," the doctor said, somehow intuiting my unspoken question. "Your pain receptors will be active throughout the process, it's how your body knows where to focus the evolution. But we'll be monitoring constantly. If it becomes too much, we stop."
[QUEST TIMER: 71:47:23 REMAINING]
[CURRENT EVOLUTION PROGRESS: 38%]
[TARGET: 50%]
[REQUIRED GAIN: 12%]
Sergeant Thane entered the lab, carrying what looked like a reinforced collar with glowing energy nodes.
"This," she explained, holding it up, "is a kinetic resistance harness. It'll apply constant pressure to your movements, make everything you do require more effort. Forces your body to adapt to increased demand."
She approached me, and I eyed the device warily.
*That looks uncomfortable.*
"It is," Thane confirmed with brutal honesty. "But it works. I've used similar tech to train soldiers. Your body will compensate by becoming stronger, faster, more efficient."
She fitted the collar around my neck. It adjusted automatically to my size, the energy nodes humming to life. Immediately, I felt the difference, a constant weight, like gravity had suddenly doubled.
[EXTERNAL RESISTANCE DETECTED]
[BODY ADAPTING...]
[ENERGY EXPENDITURE: +150%]
*Oh. Yeah. This sucks.*
"Good," Thane said, reading my expression. "Now try walking."
I took a step forward. It felt like moving through syrup, every movement sluggish and effortful. My muscles strained against the artificial resistance.
*This is training?*
"This is preparation," Thane corrected. "You've got seventy-two hours to gain twelve percent evolution. That might not sound like much, but we're talking about fundamental biological restructuring. Every percentage point is going to require serious effort."
Dr. Ysmene pulled up a schedule on her terminal. "We're dividing your time into four-hour blocks. Physical training, feeding sessions, combat drills, and rest periods. No breaks. No mercy."
*Wonderful. Boot camp from hell.*
"Can he really handle this?" Rayna asked, her hand resting on my back.
"Honestly?" Dr. Ysmene looked at me appraisingly. "I don't know. We're in uncharted territory. But his adaptive capacity is extraordinary. If any organism could manage accelerated evolution, it's a Nyxion."
*No pressure. Just gambling with my biological integrity. Totally fine.*
"Let's start with baseline testing," Thane said, gesturing toward an obstacle course that had been set up in the adjacent chamber. "I want to see what you can do with the resistance harness active."
The next four hours were brutal.
Every exercise I'd done in previous training sessions was now ten times harder. The simple act of jumping required explosive effort. Running felt like pushing through a hurricane. Even standing still demanded concentration as the harness constantly pulled at my body.
But something remarkable happened.
My body began to adapt.
Not gradually, rapidly. I could literally feel my muscles restructuring, my bones becoming denser, my energy pathways expanding to accommodate the increased demand.
[RESISTANCE TRAINING: ACTIVE]
[MUSCLE DENSITY: +8%]
[BONE STRUCTURE: REINFORCING]
[ENERGY EFFICIENCY: IMPROVING]
[EVOLUTION PROGRESS: 38% → 41%]
Three percent in four hours. That's... actually working.
By the time Thane called for a break, I was exhausted but exhilarated. I could feel the changes, subtle but undeniable. I was stronger. Faster. Better.
"Not bad," Thane admitted, checking her datapad. "Your growth rate is exceeding projections. Dr. Ysmene, you seeing this?"
"I am," the doctor replied, studying her own displays with fascination. "His cellular adaptation rate is accelerating. The more stress we apply, the faster he evolves. It's like his body is eager to change."
Because I'm designed for this. This is what Nyxions do.
"Feeding time," Dr. Ysmene announced. "We need to fuel that growth."
---
Day One: Hour Six.
The bio-containment sector had become familiar territory over the past weeks. But today was different.
Today, they weren't offering me a single specimen.
They were offering me three.
"Your energy demands are going to spike during accelerated evolution," Dr. Ysmene explained as we stood before three separate containment cells. "One feeding won't be enough. You'll need multiple sources to sustain the growth rate."
The specimens were each different:
A Void Serpent, sleek and shadowy, its body rippling with dark energy.
A Crystal Mantis, similar to the beetle I'd consumed before, but larger and more aggressive-looking.
A Plasma Elemental, a being of pure energy, contained only by specialized magnetic fields.
[SCANNING TARGETS...]
[TOTAL COSMIC ESSENCE AVAILABLE: 2,847 UNITS]
[ESTIMATED EVOLUTION GAIN: 6-8%]
That would put me at nearly fifty percent. One feeding session to almost complete the quest.
"Can he handle all three at once?" Rayna asked nervously.
"We're about to find out," Dr. Ysmene said. "Xiane, take your time. If you feel overwhelmed, stop immediately."
I approached the first cell, the Void Serpent. Through the transparent barrier, it watched me with multifaceted eyes that gleamed with predatory intelligence.
Sorry, friend. Nothing personal.
I activated my Devouring Evolution.
The serpent dissolved into streams of shadow and essence, flowing into me. The sensation was different from my first feeding, more intense, more complex. I could feel the serpent's nature being incorporated into my own: its stealth, its affinity for darkness, its predatory instincts.
[DEVOURING: VOID SERPENT]
[ABSORPTION: 100%]
[COSMIC ESSENCE GAINED: 1,124 UNITS]
[NEW TRAIT ACQUIRED: SHADOW STEP (BASIC)]
[EVOLUTION PROGRESS: 41% → 44%]
Before the sensation faded, I moved to the second cell.
The Crystal Mantis went down easier, its essence similar to the beetle I'd consumed before, reinforcing existing adaptations rather than adding new ones.
[ABSORPTION: 100%]
[COSMIC ESSENCE GAINED: 892 UNITS]
[TRAIT ENHANCED: CRYSTALLINE ADAPTATION → CRYSTALLINE DEFENSE]
[EVOLUTION PROGRESS: 44% → 47%]
The Plasma Elemental was last, and it was intense.
Pure energy, no physical form. Absorbing it was like drinking lightning, painful, exhilarating, overwhelming. My body screamed in protest as foreign energy patterns merged with my own.
[WARNING: ENERGY OVERLOAD RISK]
[MAINTAIN CONTROL]
[ABSORPTION: 87%... 91%... 98%...]
I gritted my teeth, or tried to, my jaw clenched as the final surge of energy crashed through me.
[ABSORPTION: 100%]
[COSMIC ESSENCE GAINED: 831 UNITS]
[NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: VOID PLASMA BREATH (BASIC)]
[EVOLUTION PROGRESS: 47% → 51%]
[QUEST OBJECTIVE COMPLETE: 50% EVOLUTION REACHED]
[REWARD CALCULATING...]
I collapsed on the floor, every cell in my body burning with transformation. Through our bond, I felt Rayna's alarm as she rushed to my side.
"Xiane! Are you okay?"
*I'm... fine. Just... wow. That was a lot.*
Dr. Ysmene was frantically scanning me, her eyes wide with amazement.
"Incredible," she breathed. "He just processed nearly three thousand units of cosmic essence. His body is restructuring itself in real-time. Look at this!"
The holographic display showed my biological structure transforming, muscles becoming denser, bones gaining crystalline reinforcement, new energy pathways forming throughout my body.
And I was growing.
Physically, visibly growing.
My body stretched, expanded, refined itself. The cute, kitten-sized creature I'd been was rapidly evolving into something larger, more imposing.
[EVOLUTION THRESHOLD REACHED]
[INITIATING PARTIAL FORM ADVANCEMENT]
[INFANT FORM → JUVENILE FORM (EARLY STAGE)]
[ESTIMATED COMPLETION: 6 HOURS]
The transformation was exhausting. My vision blurred, my consciousness flickering as my body devoted every ounce of energy to the evolution process.
The last thing I felt before darkness claimed me was Rayna's hand in my fur and her voice, worried but proud:
"Rest, Xiane. You did it. You actually did it."
Yeah, I thought drowsily. I did.
*And when I wake up... I'm going to be so much more.
---
Day One: Hour Eighteen.
I woke to find myself significantly larger.
Where before I'd been the size of a medium dog, I was now closer to a wolf, lean, sleek, and undeniably more dangerous-looking. My fur had darkened, the star-like patterns more pronounced and luminous. My horns had grown, elegant curves of crystalline material that caught the light.
And I felt powerful.
[EVOLUTION STATUS UPDATE]
[CURRENT FORM: JUVENILE (EARLY STAGE)]
[LEVEL: 4 → 6]
[EVOLUTION PROGRESS: 51%]
[NEW ABILITIES UNLOCKED:]
- VOID PLASMA BREATH
- SHADOW STEP
- ENHANCED PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES
- IMPROVED REGENERATION
[QUEST REWARD RECEIVED:]
- COMBAT INSTINCT (PASSIVE)
- BATTLE PERCEPTION
- EXPERIENCE MULTIPLIER: x1.5 (48 HOURS)]
I stood, testing my new body. Everything felt different, stronger, faster, more coordinated. The resistance harness that had been oppressive before now felt merely challenging.
Rayna was asleep in a chair beside me, her hand still resting near where I'd been lying. She'd stayed with me through the entire transformation.
She never left.
The realization made something warm bloom in my chest, both hearts beating in synchronization.
Carefully, I nuzzled her hand, projecting gentle reassurance through our bond.
She stirred, her eyes opening. When she saw me, they widened in wonder.
"Xiane? You're... you're so much bigger!"
*I told you I'd be fine.*
She laughed, relief and joy mixing in the sound, and wrapped her arms around my neck in a hug.
"You scared me," she murmured. "When you collapsed, I thought..."
*I know. But I'm okay. Better than okay.*
The lab doors opened, and Sergeant Thane entered, stopping short when she saw me.
"Well, damn," she said appreciatively. "That's one hell of a growth spurt."
*Ready for round two?*
Thane grinned. "Kid, we've got fifty-four hours left. Round two doesn't even begin to cover it."
She was right.
The real training was just beginning.
---
[STATUS UPDATE]
- Form: Juvenile (Early Stage)
- Level: 6
- Evolution Progress: 51%
- Quest: COMPLETE (+bonus rewards)
- Time Remaining: 54 hours
- New Abilities: Void Plasma Breath, Shadow Step