Shen Tian groaned so hard he was pretty sure he strained something.
Of all the possible ways to die and get reincarnated, this had to be the worst. Not only had he died a stupid, anticlimactic death in his old life—tripping over his own shoelaces and falling into a canal—but now, he had woken up in a world where Spirit Energy had returned to Earth.
Great. Just great.
And of course, it wasn't like Spirit Energy returned politely. No, it came back and turned the world upside down. Humans were picking evolution paths based on their dormant bloodlines, beasts were mutating into horrifying species that could probably eat a small car for breakfast, and danger zones had sprouted in places no sane person would ever set foot. Basically, it was a post-apocalyptic survival simulator, but with more glowing lights and prettier power auras.
And Shen Tian? He had been reborn into the body of a sixteen-year-old boy in a Federation city, apparently one of the low-tier regions where life expectancy and luck were measured in misfortune points.
He sat up and glanced into the cracked mirror across the room.
Of course he was handsome. Very handsome. Way too handsome. Like, "stop getting distracted by your own jawline" kind of handsome.
Great. Handsome, reborn, powerless… and cursed with a dark halo swirling above his head. A halo that wasn't gold or silver like in the fantasy novels he'd read back in the 21st century. No, this one was pitch black, with inky mist writhing inside like a tiny storm cloud determined to ruin his life.
"Perfect," he muttered. "I get reincarnated into a world of evolution, and apparently my main character buff is 'omnipresent bad luck.'"
He pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to be a long life—or a short, miserable one, depending on how often things exploded around him.
As if to confirm that, a sudden rustle came from the corner of his small, shabby room. Shen Tian whipped around, heart racing. Maybe it was a mutated rat. Maybe a wild T3 creature had wandered in. Maybe the universe had finally decided to give him a break.
Nope.
Perched on the edge of the dresser was a small, silver fox—its fur shimmering like liquid moonlight. It had sharp, clever eyes that seemed to miss nothing, and its bushy tail flicked with an unmistakable air of judgment.
And it glared at him like he had personally insulted its ancestors.
Shen Tian froze.
"Uh… hi?" he said cautiously. The fox cocked its head and let out a soft chitter that sounded suspiciously like, 'you're pathetic, aren't you?'
Before he could even think about backing away, the fox leaped onto his shoulder—and somehow stuck there, curling around his neck like it owned the place.
Shen Tian's first instinct was to panic. "Okay… okay… I guess this is my life now. Cute demon shoulder pet. Fantastic."
The creature blinked up at him, silver fur glinting in the faint sunlight, and let out a tiny, almost sarcastic laugh. Shen Tian wasn't sure if it was mocking him or simply amused by his existence—but either way, he had the feeling this fox was going to make his life interesting, whether he liked it or not.
Shen Tian sighed. Of course. This world had bad luck, mutated beasts, and now a sarcastic shoulder companion. His life had just officially gone full anime.
He looked at the halo above his head. The inky black swirl seemed to pulse with some kind of… judgment? Disapproval? He wasn't sure. Probably both.
"Yeah, thanks, Universe," he muttered. "Really appreciate the warm welcome."
The silver fox chittered again and tapped its tiny paw against his cheek. It was as if to say, 'get a move on, human, we have survival points to earn.'
Shen Tian rubbed his face. Survival points. Right. The Evolution System.
He hadn't even fully realized it yet, but the system had activated the moment he survived the first mutating rat ambush outside his window. His dark halo wasn't just for decoration—it was some kind of manifestation of his unique "bad luck" bloodline. And judging by the tiny silver fox clinging to him, he wasn't going to be evolving alone.
"Okay… I guess we're partners now," he said, scratching the back of his head. "Don't eat my shoes, don't steal my clothes, and maybe… just maybe… don't randomly teleport me into a T3 hazard zone. Sound fair?"
The fox chittered again—maybe a laugh, maybe a warning. Shen Tian didn't care; he decided it was cute enough to forgive later.
He took a deep breath and stood up. The dark halo swirled ominously, and the silver fox fluffed its tail as if it were checking its armor. For some reason, Shen Tian felt… reassured.
At least he wasn't completely alone.
He glanced out the window at the city below. Glow lines of spirit energy traced through the streets, humans sparring with their awakened bloodlines, beasts occasionally bursting out of containment fields, and the distant T3 regions glowing like danger incarnate.
"Yeah," Shen Tian muttered to himself, "this is going to be… fun. Or terrifying. Or probably both. Definitely both."
The fox flicked its ears and let out another chittering laugh, and Shen Tian laughed along. Maybe life wasn't so bad if you had a clever, sarcastic silver fox to keep things interesting.
Taking a deep breath, Shen Tian tightened his fists. "Alright, bad luck, halo of doom, sarcastic silver fox… let's see what the Evolution System has in store for us today."
And with that, Shen Tian stepped toward the door. Outside, the world was already waiting—and judging by the way his new partner swished its tail and narrowed its bright silver eyes, it was not going to go easy.