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Quaternary Period, Cenozoic Era — Pleistocene
Ancient North America, Rocky Mountains
This was the age of ice.
In the northern reaches of the Rocky Mountains, endless peaks lay buried beneath snow and glaciers, the land frozen in white silence. Yet farther south, the world told a different story. Sunlight scorched the forests and grasslands, fierce winds swept across the plains, and life flourished in raw, untamed abundance.
At this moment—
Deep within the vast mountain wilderness—
"ROAR—!"
A thunderous roar ripped through the air, startling countless birds into flight as they fled in panic.
On a rocky plateau stood a massive tiger-like beast, its gaze cold and commanding as it surveyed the land below, as though inspecting its territory.
Its body was cloaked in thick, tawny fur mottled with dark markings. Each powerful limb was packed with dense muscle, every movement radiating explosive strength. A short tail curled slightly behind it, tipped with a tuft of dark fur that lent a faint softness to its otherwise fearsome presence.
But what truly defined this creature were the terrifying saber teeth protruding from its jaws.
Long, slender, and curved like blades, their edges razor-sharp. Each fang extended more than twelve centimeters, resembling twin sabers forged for slaughter. One look was enough to send a chill through any living being.
This was a saber-toothed tiger—the final and most fearsome form of its lineage, often regarded as the ultimate evolutionary predator of its kind.
She was an adult female.
Behind her followed three cubs.
Two of them stared at their mother's towering figure with wide, curious eyes, their soft, peach-colored fur rippling in the wind.
"Awooo~~~"
One especially chubby cub lifted its head and tried to imitate her roar.
What came out, however, was a soft, milky cry—more endearing than intimidating.
The contrast made the scene unexpectedly warm.
Yet among this close-knit family, one figure stood out.
The largest cub lay flat on the ground, eyes unfocused, his expression filled with confusion.
Who am I?
Where is this place?
What's happening to me?
Instinctively, he tried to lift his hands to rub his head.
But the moment he moved, what entered his vision was a massive tawny paw—thick, powerful, and tipped with sharp, gleaming claws.
His mind went blank.
This wasn't a human body.
…
After a long while, he finally accepted reality.
He had been reborn as a saber-toothed tiger cub.
Not a modern tiger—nothing like the species he had known before.
This was an ancient predator, a creature that should have existed only in fossils, documentaries, and movies.
The realization left him stunned.
Just how far back in time did I come?
At that very moment, as if responding to his thoughts—a cold, mechanical sound suddenly echoed in his ears.
[Ding! Gene Evolution System successfully bound.]
A system?
His thoughts froze for a split second—then surged with uncontrollable excitement.
He had read countless novels in his previous life. He knew exactly what this meant. This was the cheat— the golden advantage that accompanied transmigration.
[Current timeline: Late Pleistocene Epoch, Quaternary Period.]
[Estimated time: 10,000 years before present.]
[Current location: North American savannah.]
[Current species: Smilodon — apex saber-toothed predator. Please review the attribute panel for details.]
A series of calm, emotionless notifications rang out, each one clarifying his situation further.
The Pleistocene.
So he had really arrived at the end of the Ice Age—ten thousand years in the past.
The Pleistocene was an era of extreme climate upheaval on Earth. During its peak glacial periods, more than thirty percent of the planet's landmass had been swallowed by ice sheets.
That explained everything.
He pushed himself upright and lifted his head, gazing toward the distant mountain range. With his sharp vision, he could clearly see glaciers capping the scattered peaks, the white expanse stretching endlessly toward the horizon. The sight was vast, ancient, and overwhelmingly magnificent.
"Open the attribute panel."
Having roughly confirmed his surroundings, he shifted his focus inward.
[Ding! Displaying host attribute panel.]
As the notification sounded, a translucent interface unfolded before his eyes.
---
[Host]: —
[Species]: Smilodon (Male)
[Age]: 3 months
[Strength]: 3
[Agility]: 2
[Vitality]: 1
[Gene Points]: 0
[Fused Genes]: None
---
The panel was concise and straightforward, resembling the stat windows from online games. He quickly grasped how it worked.
Below the attributes, additional information appeared—an overview of his species.
The genus Smilodon once consisted of three known species. One had vanished earlier in the Pleistocene, leaving only two by its end.
At this point in time, the saber-toothed predators that still ruled the land were divided by continent—one species dominating North America, the other South America.
Although this North American variant was slightly smaller than its southern counterpart, it was still a monster among cats.
An adult could reach over 1.2 meters at the shoulder, exceed two meters in body length, and weigh anywhere between 160 and 280 kilograms—comparable to the largest modern big cats.
He silently absorbed the information.
An apex predator…
Then reality caught up.
"…Looks impressive," he thought dryly. "But right now, I'm just a three-month-old cub."
In a world ruled by ice, fangs, and raw survival, that distinction mattered more than anything.
And this was only the beginning.
---
Out here in the wild, without the protection of an adult saber-toothed tiger, he knew exactly how things would end.
He would have died long ago—without even leaving a corpse behind.
After all, this land was not home only to the massive herbivores that served as prey for saber-toothed tigers.
It was also crawling with terrifying carnivores.
American lions. Giant leopards. Dire wolves. Hyena-like predators. Massive flightless terror birds. Even short-faced bears that towered over modern grizzlies.
None of them normally hunted saber-toothed tigers.
But a defenseless cub?
That was a completely different story.
To them, it would be nothing more than a rare and irresistible meal.
With that grim reality in mind, his attention shifted back to his greatest lifeline.
What exactly does this Gene Evolution System do?
Gene evolution… what did that even mean?
[Ding! Please access the system's gene pool.]
As the notification sounded, another translucent interface unfolded before his eyes.
This time, the panel was filled with card-like projections.
Each card displayed a different organism, its image accompanied by a brief description outlining the genetic traits and abilities it could provide.
---
[Squid Gene]
Ability: Adaptive color change
Cost: 300 gene points
[Pit Viper Gene]
Ability: Heat-sensing vision
Cost: 500 gene points
[Crocodile Gene]
Ability: Extended breath-holding
Cost: 800 gene points
[Bat Gene]
Ability: Echolocation
Cost: 1,000 gene points
[Electric Eel Gene]
Ability: Electrical discharge
Cost: 2,000 gene points
[Mongoose Gene]
Ability: Toxin resistance
Cost: 3,000 gene points
[Salamander Gene]
Ability: Limb regeneration
Cost: 5,000 gene points
[Bird Gene]
Ability: Flight
Cost: 8,000 gene points
[Tardigrade Gene]
Ability: Extreme survivability
Cost: 10,000 gene points
---
He stared at the list in silence.
His thoughts stalled completely.
If he could fuse these genes—if he could obtain even a few of these abilities—
That would be absurdly powerful.
Resistance to toxins. Regeneration. Enhanced senses. Even flight.
In theory, such a creature would be nearly unstoppable—able to survive extreme environments, dominate land and water alike, and stand at the top of the food chain.
Then reality struck again.
Gene points…
How exactly were those obtained?
Before he could think further—
"Rrrr—"
A low growl sounded nearby.
The adult female saber-toothed tiger leapt down from the rocky outcrop, her sharp gaze sweeping over the cubs. Without hesitation, she turned and began moving away from the plateau.
The two smaller cubs reacted instantly, scrambling after her while calling out.
Seeing this, he snapped back to reality.
System research could wait.
In a world like this, survival came first.
He hurried to his feet and followed closely behind.
Right now, nothing mattered more than staying near her.
As long as he held tightly to that massive shadow of protection, he would live long enough to worry about evolution later.