[Detected completion of placement requirements. Transporting to World 48205 B in the Travilon Galaxy.]
Hearing the same emotionless voice again, Adrian simply closed his eyes and waited. There was no point resisting. There was no point asking questions. Everything so far had followed a structured procedure. This would be no different.
A strange sensation spread through him.
It felt as if his body was slowly breaking apart into countless tiny particles. Not painful. Not pleasant either. Just unfamiliar. He could not feel his limbs, yet he was still aware. It was similar to the sensation of losing circulation in an arm, except it was happening everywhere at once.
So this is teleportation, he thought calmly.
The feeling lasted only a few seconds, though it was impossible to tell exactly how long. Time felt distorted in the white void. Then the dissolving sensation stopped.
In its place came cold.
Not sharp freezing cold, but a damp, creeping chill that settled into his body. Along with it came grogginess. A heaviness. His thoughts felt slow for a brief moment.
Adrian opened his eyes.
Darkness greeted him.
Complete darkness.
He could not see walls or a ceiling, yet he felt enclosed. The air was thick with the scent of soil and old wood. It was humid. Damp. Organic.
I suppose this is the tree hollow mentioned in the placement description.
He remained still for several seconds, letting his senses adjust. His body felt small. Light. Flexible. Instinctively he stretched outward, testing the limits of his new form.
The movement surprised him.
It felt natural.
There was no awkward adjustment period. No confusion over limbs. No need to consciously think about how to move. His body responded smoothly to his thoughts, his muscles contracting and extending in a fluid motion.
Interesting.
It feels as though I have always been in this body.
He twisted slightly, sliding along the damp dirt surface beneath him. The texture scraped gently against his scales. It was not uncomfortable. If anything, it felt grounding.
He attempted to speak.
"Hmmm."
What came out was a soft hiss.
Adrian paused.
He tried again, pushing air through what he assumed were vocal cords.
Another hiss.
So verbal speech is not possible.
That was mildly inconvenient. Still, it did not truly matter. He had no one to talk to. For now.
A subtle awareness spread through him. His tongue flicked out automatically, tasting the air. Information flooded into his mind in a way that felt strangely intuitive. Scent particles. Moisture. Living organisms nearby.
His tongue flicked again.
There was something else in the hollow with him.
A faint red silhouette appeared in his vision.
Adrian stilled.
The darkness was no longer complete. Against the black background, a small shape glowed faintly in shades of red and orange. Heat.
Infrared vision.
So that ability carried over into this world as well.
The shape clung to the inner wall of the tree hollow. Small. Probably an insect. It shifted slightly, unaware of his presence.
Adrian felt no excitement. No hunger in the emotional sense. But his body reacted differently. There was a dull ache in his stomach. Weakness. His placement description had mentioned exhaustion from fleeing his mother.
Energy is required.
Slowly, carefully, he began to move.
His body glided forward with almost no sound. The muscles along his length contracted and released in smooth waves. He kept low against the surface, reducing vibration. Instinct guided him effortlessly.
Interesting. This body understands hunting better than I do.
He moved slowly enough that the glowing silhouette did not react. A few more centimeters. His head tilted slightly, aligning his strike.
The insect remained still.
Within striking distance now.
Adrian opened his mouth.
He lunged forward.
His small fangs pierced the insect's body before it could react. The movement was faster than he had expected. Pure instinct. Efficient. Precise.
The insect struggled weakly.
He swallowed.
The body slid down his throat, squirming briefly before going still. A foul taste spread across his palate. Bitter and unpleasant. His first instinct was to spit it out.
He did not.
This body had burned nearly all its energy escaping the cave. Weakness was unacceptable. Taste was irrelevant.
The bitterness faded as the insect disappeared into his stomach.
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
[You have killed a Pungent Fly. +0.1 Evolution Points.]
Adrian blinked slowly.
The system.
Right. I did not arrive empty handed.
For a moment, faint nostalgia surfaced. Countless hours spent in his teenage years playing games in order to fit in with his classmates. He had never enjoyed them emotionally, but he had memorized mechanics. Systems. Optimization strategies.
A familiar phrase came to mind.
Status.
He thought the word clearly.
A translucent screen appeared in front of his vision.
[Status
Name: Adrian Vale
Species: Juvenile Emerald Viper
Age: 8 days
Evolution Points: 0.1
Length: 10 cm
Diameter: 1 cm
Abilities: Weak Venom, Constrict, Infrared vision, chemoreception]
[Evolution Store]
(Author note: chemoreception is the thing snakes do with their tounges to sense the area around them.)
Adrian studied the information carefully.
Ten centimeters long. One centimeter thick.
That was… small.
Extremely small.
His venom was described as weak. His constriction ability was likely negligible at this size. Physically, he was near the bottom of the food chain.
Annoying.
Still, complaints were useless. Every system had a progression path. The key was efficiency.
He focused on the final option.
Evolution Store.
The screen shifted.
[Evolution Store
Increase Length by 1 cm: 1 Evolution Point
Increase Diameter: 1 Evolution Point
Improve Venom: 5 Evolution Points
Upgrade Species: 10 Evolution Points]
Adrian examined each option in silence.
Increasing length would provide reach. Diameter would provide strength. Improved venom would increase lethality. Species upgrade likely offered more significant changes.
Ten points for a species upgrade.
At his current rate of 0.1 points per fly, that would require killing one hundred insects.
That was inefficient.
Unless larger prey granted more points.
Which they likely would.
He flicked his tongue again, tasting the air.
The hollow seemed quiet. Safe for now. But not indefinitely. He could sense distant vibrations through the wood. Movement outside. Larger creatures.
The Verdent Forest.
A dangerous biome.
Adrian coiled loosely against the inner wall of the hollow, conserving energy.
So this is my starting point.
Born to an empress who devours her own offspring. Forced to flee within days of hatching. Dropped alone into a forest where everything larger than me can eat me.
He felt no despair.
Only clarity.
This world operates on predation.
Good.
That is simple.
The weak die. The strong survive. Strength can be quantified. Measured. Increased.
He glanced again at the evolution options.
Increase Length: 1 point.
A single centimeter would not change much. But multiple upgrades stacked over time would matter. Exponential growth was possible if prey size increased accordingly.
Improve Venom: 5 points.
Venom was a force multiplier. With effective venom, he could kill prey larger than himself. That option held promise.
Upgrade Species: 10 points.
That was the real prize.
Evolution.
He tested his body again, slithering in a small circle within the hollow. The movement was smooth, efficient. His scales brushed against the bark with a faint scraping sound.
Despite the weakness of his form, he felt something new.
Not emotion.
Possibility.
In his past life, growth had been slow. Years of education. Decades of work. Status determined by institutions and bureaucracy. Even skill required approval.
Here, growth was direct.
Kill. Gain points. Evolve.
Simple.
Transparent.
Merit based.
He almost preferred it.
Another faint vibration traveled through the wood. Something heavy moving in the distance. His body froze automatically.
Instinct again.
Predator awareness.
Adrian remained perfectly still, controlling even the smallest muscle twitch. After several seconds, the vibration faded.
Safe.
For now.
He glanced once more at his status screen before dismissing it.
Ten centimeters.
Pathetic.
But temporary.
He coiled tighter, conserving heat within the hollow. The cold from earlier still lingered in his scales. His body needed rest before hunting again.
One insect had granted 0.1 points.
He would need more.
Many more.
His eyes adjusted further to the darkness. The hollow was small but adequate. The entrance was partially covered by leaves and debris, offering concealment.
A good temporary base.
He would hunt small insects first. Build points steadily. Avoid larger predators. Study the forest. Map vibrations. Identify safe routes.
Then expand.
Gradually.
Efficiently.
There was no rush. Survival came first. Growth came second.
Domination would come later.
Adrian closed his eyes briefly, allowing his body to digest.
The Infinite Evolution System.
He had not chosen it. It had chosen him. But the name implied limitless potential.
Infinite.
If that was true, then starting as a weak serpent did not matter.
All organisms began small.
What mattered was trajectory.
And his trajectory would only go upward.
In the darkness of the tree hollow, a ten centimeter emerald viper lay coiled quietly.
Small.
Weak.
Insignificant.
For now.