Quaternary Period, Cenozoic Era — Pleistocene.
Rocky Mountains, North America.
It was the age of glaciers. The northern ranges were buried beneath endless fields of white, their peaks locked in ice.
But farther south, the mountains, forests, and grasslands were still alive beneath the blazing sun. Warm winds swept across the land, feeding a thriving wilderness.
And in this vast stretch of forest—
"ROAR!"
A thunderous roar echoed across the mountains.
Birds scattered into the sky in panic, fleeing the terrifying sound.
Standing atop a rocky outcrop was a massive tiger-like beast, surveying the land below like a ruler inspecting its domain.
Its body was covered in thick brownish-yellow fur, scattered with dark spots. Powerful limbs formed perfect lines of muscle beneath the coat. Behind it swayed a short tail tipped with a tuft of dark hair, adding a strange elegance to its imposing frame.
But the most terrifying feature was its teeth.
Two enormous saber-like fangs extended past its jaws, gleaming under the sunlight. Each curved blade was long and razor-sharp, easily over twelve centimeters in length.
They looked like twin daggers protruding from its mouth.
A saber-toothed tiger.
The final glory of the saber-toothed family—one of evolution's most terrifying predators.
This particular one was an adult female.
And behind her walked three small cubs.
Two of the cubs stared up at their mother in awe, their round, childish faces full of curiosity.
"Rrrr~!"
One of them tried to imitate her roar.
What came out instead was a soft, squeaky growl that sounded more like a kitten begging for attention.
It was an oddly warm scene—a prehistoric predator family moving together through the wilderness.
Except for one cub.
Among the three, the largest one lay flat on the ground, staring ahead in utter confusion.
Where am I?
What the hell is going on?
Instinctively, he tried to raise his hands to scratch his head.
But the moment he moved, something came into view—
A thick, furry paw.
Covered in brownish-yellow fur.
Ending in curved, razor-sharp claws.
"…?"
His mind froze.
After a long moment of stunned silence, the truth finally sank in.
He had turned into… a tiger cub.
More precisely—A saber-toothed tiger cub.
Not the kinds of tigers he knew from modern times—no Siberian tiger, no Bengal tiger.
This was an ancient predator that had only existed in documentaries and prehistoric films.
"What era did I just get thrown into…?"
The thought barely formed before—
A mechanical voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.
[Ding! Gene Evolution System successfully bound.]
The cub froze excitement surged through him.
A system?!
Back in his previous life, he had read countless webnovels. Of course he knew what this meant.
This was the classic cheat ability that came with transmigration.
The voice continued.
[Current host location: Late Pleistocene Epoch, approximately 10,000 years ago.]
[Region: North American grasslands.]
[Species: Smilodon (saber-toothed tiger).]
[Please open the attribute panel for detailed information.]
The system messages echoed one after another, slowly helping him understand his situation.
Ten thousand years ago…
The end of the Pleistocene Ice Age.
During this period, massive climate shifts had reshaped the planet. At the height of the ice ages, glaciers covered more than thirty percent of the Earth's landmass.
He lifted his head and looked toward the distant mountains.
Even with a cub's vision, he could see enormous glaciers spreading across the peaks, stretching endlessly into the horizon.
The sight was magnificent.
After calming himself, he focused inward.
"Open my status panel."
A transparent screen instantly appeared before his eyes.
[Host]: James
[Species]: Smilodon (Male)
[Age]: 3 Months
Strength: 3
Agility: 2
Endurance: 1
Gene Points: 0
Fused Genes: None
The panel was simple—almost like a video game status screen.
Beneath it appeared additional information about his species.
The Smilodon genus once included three species. One had gone extinct earlier in the Pleistocene, leaving only two by its end.
One lived mainly in North America.
The other dominated South America.
Though slightly smaller than its southern cousin, an adult North American Smilodon could still reach over two meters in length and weigh up to 280 kilograms—comparable to the largest modern tiger
James stared at the numbers on his panel.
"…Sounds impressive."
Then he glanced down at his tiny paws.
"…Too bad I'm only three months old."
Out here in the wild, a cub without protection wouldn't last long.
This land wasn't just filled with herbivores.
It was also home to terrifying predators:
American lions.
Dire wolves.
Leopard hyenas.
Short-faced bears.
Terror birds.
Any one of them would happily treat a defenseless cub as lunch.
"Right…"
"What exactly does this Gene Evolution System do?"
He shifted his attention to the mysterious ability.
Genetic evolution…?
The system responded immediately.
[Ding! Opening gene pool.]
Another transparent panel appeared.
Rows of cards filled the screen.
Each displayed a creature along with a unique ability.
[Squid Gene] – Adaptive color change
Cost: 300 Gene Points
[Pit Viper Gene] – Heat detection
Cost: 500 Gene Points
[Crocodile Gene] – Extended underwater breathing
Cost: 800 Gene Points
[Bat Gene] – Echolocation
Cost: 1000 Gene Points
[Electric Eel Gene] – Electric discharge
Cost: 2000 Gene Points
[Mongoose Gene] – Venom resistance
Cost: 3000 Gene Points
[Salamander Gene] – Limb regeneration
Cost: 5000 Gene Points
[Bird Gene] – Flight ability
Cost: 8000 Gene Points
[Tardigrade Gene] – Extreme survival ability
Cost: 10,000 Gene Points
James stared at the list.
His brain nearly short-circuited.
"If I fuse these…"
"Wouldn't I become unstoppable?"
Electric attacks.
Regeneration.
Flight.
Extreme durability.
If he could combine enough of these abilities, he might become the most terrifying creature the prehistoric world had ever seen.
But there was one problem.
"How do I earn Gene Points?"
Before he could think further—
"ROAR!"
The adult female saber-toothed tiger leapt down from the rock.
She glanced at her cubs and began walking away from the plateau.
The other two cubs immediately followed, chirping softly as they ran after her.
James snapped back to reality.
Right.
The system could wait.
Survival came first.
He quickly scrambled to his feet and hurried after them.
In a prehistoric world filled with monsters—
Staying close to his tiger mother was the safest strategy for now.