Gold... And then black... The colors kept switching between each other in Mian's eyes as he struggled to get himself under control.
Thud!
He felt himself come into contact with something solid and flat beneath him. It took a few more moments for him to get himself under control, and when he did, he looked around him. The floor beneath him was a pitch black color, while everywhere else was a flowing gold.
"Where am I?" He asked himself.
[Welcome, Host.]
A smooth, feminine voice echoed through the space around Mian. He jumped, his eyes and ears darting around, trying to detect the presence of anyone other than himself.
[Do not be alarmed, Host. I mean you no harm.] Upon hearing the words of the mysterious voice, a cool, soothing feeling entered Mian's body. It reminded him of the feeling he had gotten from the river, but stronger... more effective. His body reacted to it and instinctively calmed down.
[Now that the Host is calm, I shall go on to introduce myself. Please, refer to me as Hana. I am the bearer of a gift upon the beings of this planet, and you have met the requirements to receive this gift. Please brace yourself.]
The next moment, before Mian could react, the gold that swam around him suddenly shivered, before rushing at him. He would have tried to run, but there was no possible way for him to do so. He was instantly covered up in a layer of flowing, golden magma that solidified around him, freezing his motions.
By the time Mian opened his eyes again, he was laying at the side of a depression in a large clearing. When he looked around, he finally recognized where he was. In the center of the depression, the massive twenty meter tall boulder stood proudly. All the water that was around it had vanished, leaving a dry, rocky depression in the earth.
Slowly, he stood up. As someone who knew how poorly his body performed, he noticed the changes at once. His body moved in a smoother fashion, and he felt as though he had much more energy stored within him than before. He took a look at his body, and immediately noticed the physical changes.
He hadn't grown a foot taller, nor had he suddenly gotten buff. No, it was something much more simple, but still very odd and astounding. His once black and white fur was now crossed by wavy blue fur. The blue fur was only present in thin streaks that ran across his arms, torso, and legs. Perhaps they were present elsewhere, but he had no way of knowing for sure.
[Congratulations on your awakening, Host.] A voice suddenly spoke right by Mian's ear. He yelped and jumped into the air, landing a few feet away. He turned his way this way and that, but wasn't able to see anyone. Suddenly, a cool chill ran through his body, soothing him and taking away the tension in his body. He remembered this feeling as that which he had felt when he was in that black and gold place.
[I see you remember where you have felt this sensation. Are you calm now, or do you need me to administer another dose?] The soft voice of Hana spoke to him.
"I-I'm calm now." He whispered. If this mysterious being meant to do him harm, then Mian felt that he would be dead by now.
[Good. I shall give you a basic explanation of what is currently going on. Firstly, you have been chosen as the bearer of the Evolution System. With my assistance, you shall learn how to wield the supreme powers to allow yourself, and those you select, to evolve, and reach their fullest potential.] Hana explained.
"Evolution?" Mian knew the concept of Evolution. It had been taught to every demi-human as part of their compulsory learning curriculum that they had undergone at a young age. He had been taught that every living creature had only a miniscule one in a million chance at Evolution, and that even the few times that they might experience this legendary phenomenon, their evolution might end up being useless. Imagine a demi-human getting a claw evolution that turned their claws from sharp and pointed, to curved and blunt. An Evolution could very well be detrimental to the one undergoing such a change.
[Yes, Evolution. Does the Host require a five minute crash course through the basics of Evolution?] Hana was surprisingly patient with Mian, something that he very rarely had the chance to experience in his nineteen years of life.
"No, no. I understand what Evolution is. But, what is this 'System'?" He tilted his head in confusion.
[The Evolution System is a 'helper' or rather, a medium, through which you can express your powers of inducing Evolution. With both I and the System, you will be able to command the power of Evolution however you wish.]
Mian nodded as Hana explained a few more things. He had a few questions for her when she was done.
"So, Hana, how exactly do I induce my powers of Evolution?" He asked. By now, he had moved to a cross legged sitting position a few feet from the bank of the former lake.
[You can induce the power of Evolution by spending Evolution Points.]
"What are these Evolution Points, and how exactly do I gain them?" Over time, he had become more comfortable speaking to Hana, and he had become much more open, the stammer in his voice having filtered out a long time ago.
[Evolution Points are the exchange tokens that you will need to induce Evolution. They are a manifestation of pure natural energy. You can acquire Evolution Points by killing and consuming creatures that have a certain probability of evolving in their life time.]
Mian remained there for the better part of an hour, throwing questions at Hana. His mind had long shed all apprehension he once held to the ethereal, mystical voice. Her receptiveness and the way she remained patient with him made him view her in a new light.