Morning sunlight filtered through the tall trees of the Neo-Terra outer forest.
The city noise had already faded behind Adrian.
Only the rustling leaves and distant bird calls remained.
Adrian adjusted the backpack on his shoulders and looked around carefully.
"Alright…"
He gripped the baseball bat tightly.
"Let's see what else evolved."
The events of the morning still felt unreal.
A system panel.
Experience points.
Gene points.
Evolution.
If it were a game, then the forest in front of him was clearly a low-level hunting zone.
But Adrian wasn't stupid.
In games, the first monsters were easy.
In reality—
They could kill you.
So he moved slowly.
Carefully.
Every step deliberate.
Strange Movement
A faint rustling sound came from the bushes nearby.
Adrian immediately froze.
His grip tightened on the bat.
The bush shook again.
Then something crawled out.
A giant beetle.
But this one was very different.
Its shell glowed faintly with pale yellow light.
Its mandibles looked sharp enough to cut metal.
The creature was nearly ten centimeters long.
Adrian swallowed.
"That must be…"
The system responded instantly.
Mutated Creature Detected
Radiant Beetle
Rank: E-Class Mutation
Adrian's eyes widened.
"So those news reports were real."
The beetle suddenly turned toward him.
Its glowing eyes locked onto Adrian.
Then—
SKREEEEE
The creature charged.
"Shit!"
Adrian swung the baseball bat instinctively.
CLANG
The impact echoed like metal hitting metal.
The beetle flew backward and crashed against a rock.
But it didn't die.
Instead it flipped itself upright instantly.
Adrian frowned.
"That shell is tough…"
The beetle charged again, faster this time.
Its mandibles snapped violently.
Adrian jumped sideways.
The creature smashed into the ground where he had been standing.
"So you're aggressive too…"
Adrian grabbed the kitchen knife.
"If crushing doesn't work…"
"Then I'll cut."
Close Combat
The beetle lunged again.
Adrian waited.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then—
He stepped forward.
STAB
The knife slid between the plates of the beetle's shell.
Blue fluid exploded outward.
The creature screeched violently.
Adrian twisted the blade deeper.
The beetle thrashed wildly.
For a moment Adrian almost lost his grip.
Then—
The movement stopped.
The insect collapsed.
Silence returned to the forest.
Adrian stepped back and exhaled heavily.
"That thing was stronger than the others…"
Then the familiar sound appeared again.
DING
Radiant Beetle Killed
+2.0 Experience Points
Adrian smiled.
"That's a lot more than termites."
But something else happened.
A second notification appeared.
DING
Radiant Beetle Genetic Material Compatible
Consume to obtain Gene Points
Adrian looked at the glowing corpse.
He hesitated.
Then sighed.
"…Guess lunch is ready."
He cut open the beetle's shell carefully.
The inside looked unpleasant.
But Adrian had already crossed that mental barrier earlier.
He tore off a piece and forced himself to eat it.
Crunch
"…still disgusting."
But he swallowed it anyway.
DING
+1 Gene Point Acquired
Adrian's eyes widened.
"That's a huge jump!"
He immediately opened the system panel.
System Panel
Host: Adrian Ren Carter
Age: 22
Mutation Level: Not Awakened
Available General Experience Points: 4.4
Available Gene Points: 1.1
Available Gene Abilities: 0
Adrian stared at the panel silently.
"One gene point already…"
"Does that mean I can unlock something?"
The system flickered again.
A new option appeared.
Gene Ability Available
Radiant Carapace (Passive)
Cost: 1 Gene Point
Effect:
Slightly increases skin durability and resistance to impact.
Adrian's eyes lit up.
"A defensive ability…"
He didn't hesitate.
"Activate."
DING
Gene Ability Unlocked
Radiant Carapace — Level 1
A strange warmth spread across Adrian's body.
His skin tingled.
His muscles tightened slightly.
The sensation lasted only a few seconds.
Then it faded.
Adrian clenched his fist.
His knuckles felt… stronger.
"Tougher."
He smiled.
"So evolution is real."
He looked deeper into the forest.
The shadows between the trees suddenly felt more alive.
More dangerous.
But Adrian wasn't the same person who woke up this morning.
Now—
He had the Evolution System.
And the hunt had only just begun.
Adrian looked deeper into the forest.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"So… this world became a game."
"And monsters give rewards."
He rolled his shoulders.
"Then I just need to grind."
Hunting Begins
The first target appeared quickly.
A group of Stoneback Ants crawling near a fallen log.
Their bodies were nearly one centimeter long, with hardened gray shells.
Adrian smashed them with his bat.
CRACK
DING
Stoneback Ant Killed+0.2 Experience Points
DING
Stoneback Ant Killed+0.2 Experience Points
Within seconds, the entire colony was wiped out.
Adrian crushed them like a machine.
He didn't even stop moving.
Mutated Worm Nest
A patch of dirt suddenly wriggled.
Adrian crouched down.
Then several thick purple worms burst from the soil.
They were almost 20 cm long.
"Ugh…"
Adrian stabbed them rapidly.
STAB
STAB
The worms burst open with disgusting green fluid.
DING
Mutated Soil Worm Killed+0.5 Experience Points
Adrian didn't hesitate.
He cut one open and forced himself to eat a piece.
Crunch
"Still disgusting…"
DING
+0.3 Gene Points
Adrian wiped his mouth.
His eyes gleamed.
"So it works."
Rampage Mode
An hour passed.
Adrian moved through the forest like a predator.
He hunted everything.
Iron Termites
Stoneback Ants
Mutated Grasshoppers
Radiant Beetles
The forest floor became a battlefield.
The system notifications flooded endlessly.
DING
Radiant Beetle Killed+2 Experience Points
DING
Mutated Grasshopper Killed+1.5 Experience Points
DING
Stoneback Ant Killed+0.2 Experience Points
DING
Mutated Soil Worm Killed+0.5 Experience Points
Adrian stabbed.
Crushed.
Cut.
And occasionally forced himself to eat the mutated creatures.
Every time he did—
The system rewarded him.
DING
+0.5 Gene Points
DING
+0.7 Gene Points
DING
+1 Gene Point
Sweat covered Adrian's forehead.
But he was smiling like a madman.
"This is insane…"
"I'm literally leveling up."
System Update
After another Radiant Beetle died beneath his knife—
The system chimed again.
DING
Accumulated Rewards Updated
+25 General Experience Points+6 Gene Points
Adrian immediately opened the panel.
System Panel
Host: Adrian Ren Carter
Age: 22
Mutation Level: Not Awakened
Gene AbilityRadiant Carapace — Level 1
Available General Experience Points: 28.4
Available Gene Points: 6.1
Available Gene Abilities: 1
Adrian stared at the numbers.
"Six gene points already…"
"That's enough to unlock multiple abilities."
His breathing slowed.
But suddenly—
The forest became quiet.
Too quiet.
The insects stopped moving.
Even the wind seemed to disappear.
Adrian frowned.
"…Why did everything suddenly go silent?"
Then—
A deep growl echoed from the trees.
Something large moved behind the bushes.
Branches snapped.
Heavy footsteps approached.
Adrian slowly raised his baseball bat.
For the first time since entering the forest…
He felt danger.
Real danger.
Something big was coming.