Zayn staggered out of the fading dungeon, barely able to stand. His clothes were torn, skin bruised, and his knuckles burned from gripping that broken chain too tightly.
> [Core of Evolution Lv.1 Acquired]
[System Access: 12% Unlocked]
[Skill Slot: Locked]
[Inventory: Locked]
[Stats: Adaptive.]
He sat down on a stone near the gate, watching the system menu flicker in and out like an old TV with bad reception.
"Core of Evolution?" he muttered, tapping the prompt.
A small icon spun open into a 3D blueprint of a glowing core inside his chest. Beneath it, text began to scroll.
> [You do not level up in a traditional way. Each kill evolves your body, skills, or traits based on context.]
[Evolution Rate: Unstable.]
[Mutation: Pending.]
[Next Evolution Trigger: First Kill.]
Zayn's eyes widened.
"Wait… I haven't even made my first kill yet?"
The hounds from before didn't count. He'd only survived. Everything up until now had been about dodging death, not dishing it out.
And then—
RRRAAAAAHH!
A low-level monster burst from the trees near the exit—a Feral Grunt, Class E, horned and fanged, drooling shadow saliva.
Zayn jumped up, adrenaline replacing his exhaustion.
He had no sword.
No skills.
Just rage, reflex, and a loose chunk of metal he'd found in the rubble.
He moved.
---
The battle was ugly.
He dodged wide swipes, took a scratch to the shoulder, and jammed the sharp edge of the metal into the Grunt's throat.
The monster thrashed.
Zayn didn't stop. He roared as he drove the metal deeper until the Grunt went limp.
Blood poured down his arms.
> [First Kill Registered.]
[Triggering Evolution…]
[Mutation Path: Reflexive Combatant]
[Trait Acquired: Battle Instinct (Passive)]
— +10% reaction speed in combat
— Auto-detect fatal openings
— Suppress fear response
> [Evolution Bonus: Glitched Trait - Battle Surge]
— Temporary stat boost when wounded.
Zayn dropped to his knees, chest heaving.
And then… he smiled.
"So this is how I grow… with every fight… with every kill."
A new fire lit in his eyes.
He wasn't just part of the game now—he was rewriting the rules.
To be continued…