He stopped at the marked spot and stared at the ground.
"…So… how exactly am I supposed to dig this?"
As he wondered, a strange instinct washed over him. His body stiffened, then moved on its own. His muscles began scraping the floor rhythmically, tail and torso shifting in a pattern he didn't recognize but somehow understood.
"What the—?!"
Then he paused, realization hitting him like a brick.
"Oh. Right. Snakes can dig."
He stared down at himself with deep disappointment in his own knowledge.
The system's silent panel hovered nearby, giving off the very clear feeling of: I told you so.
Bit by bit, he burrowed downward. Dirt piled behind him. His scales ached. His breath grew uneven.
By the time he reached the bottom, his face had gone pale from effort.
His vision blurred.
Through the haze, he saw a pond—soft, mystical light rippling from its surface, unlike anything he had ever seen.
He didn't understand what was happening. He was fainting, yet—
His vision flickered he only saw a pond and a bone that attracted attention.
His body moved on instinct again, slithering toward the glowing water.
Moments later, everything faded as he dipped into the pond.
The pond reacts with something dormant, something ancient resides within him.
.....
[Evolution Point +1]
[Evolution Requirement Met]
...
A bright screen flashed in front of Arin's eyes.
His pupils shrank.
[1. Cave Serpent → Stone-Scaled Serpent (Common)]
Pros:
+ High defense
+ Earth affinity
+ Thick skin, good resistance
Cons:
– Slower than your grandma
– Low growth potential
– The "safe choice" (a.k.a useless)
---
2. Cave Serpent → Toxic Fang Serpent (Uncommon)
Pros:
+ Poison resistance
+ Evolved venom glands
+ Slight speed/agility boost
+ Good for hunting weaklings
Cons:
– What do you expect? Still useless.
---
3. Cave Serpent → Shadow-Blood Serpent (Rare)
Pros:
+ Shadow blending/camouflage
+ High agility
+ High perception
+ Perfect for ambush predators
Cons:
– Weak early stats
– Low resistance
– Hard to master
– It's "alright," I guess.
---
4. Hidden Evolution: Primordial Serpent Seed (???)
Condition:
1. Resonance
2. Intelligence
3. ???
4. In contact with an Ancestral Molting Pool (met with Lesser Ancestral Molting Pool)
(Conditions met)
Pros:
…Do I have to explain EVERYTHING to you?
Who do you even think you are?
Cons:
Figure it out yourself, dumb worm.
...
"Pretty generous of you to list the pros and cons," Arin muttered.
[You better show gratitude if you don't want to lose karma.]
A jolt shot through his body. Arin instantly switched tones.
"Oh—thank you! Thank you! I'd be lost without you! Honestly, you're the best system ever! Thanks to you, the choice is obvious…"
The system stayed silent.
Arin didn't hesitate.
"The fourth one."
The world shattered.
His vision collapsed into darkness.
At first, he felt nothing.
Then his body began to shrink.
His scales peeled away one by one, falling like fragile paper, dissolving before they could touch the ground. Beneath them, raw red spots bloomed across his skin—small at first, then spreading until they covered him entirely.
The pain came late.
Slow.
Relentless.
The red patches began to merge. New scales pushed outward from beneath, uneven and unfamiliar. A dull pressure formed on his forehead, swelling until a small bump emerged.
Along his tail, tiny thorns took shape, tearing their way out in a process that felt endlessly drawn out.
His body twisted.
Rebuilt.
Not into what he was—
But into something else.
And the evolution was far from gentle.
His vision slowly returned.
His head broke the surface of the pool, lungs burning as he gasped for air. For a brief moment, he couldn't grasp what was happening—
Then pain.
Agonizing, overwhelming pain slammed into him all at once, as if every change he had undergone before was being forced through his body again in a single instant.
A scream tore from his throat, echoing through the cave—loud enough to reach the other serpents lost in brumation.
He collapsed beside the pond, huffing weakly.
"Wh—what the hell was that…?" he muttered between breaths. "Oh god…"
As the pain faded, something else replaced it.
Clarity.
His vision felt different—sharper, wider. With a strange sense of unease, he looked toward the surface of the pond.
And for the first time ever…
He saw himself.
His body was smaller than before, but that didn't bother him.
"Why do I look… cool?" he thought.
Bloody-red eyes stared back at him. Crimson scales traced his form, smooth and faintly gleaming. The bump on his forehead was barely noticeable—for now.
He remained mesmerized by his reflection.
Then, just beside it, something else caught his attention.
A white-blue flower swayed gently near the water's edge, releasing a chilling aura.
Cold… Qi.