The golden light emitted from the corpse of the mutated rabbit was like wisps of smoke. The smoke then converged into some form and just floating in the air.
As this unfolded, the students whispered in shock.
"Essence Card... an Essence Card is forming," one student said first.
All the students watched with wide-eyes, as the rare phenomenon tooking place. Essence Cards were one of the magics of this world, forming after a beast was slain. But they were incredibly rare. And now, these novice students were witnessing one Essence card to form on their very first day.
When the process was complete, a white card floated in the air, shining in the sunlight. The image of the mutated beast Rave had killed was etched on the card, its form frozen in mid-dash, just as it had been moments before death.
Rave stood there, staring at the card in disbelief. It felt unreal for him. On his very first day, he'd been struck by an unexpected wave of luck.
"If this keeps up, I may just be the first person to die from too much luck," he thought.
While lost in thought, the instructor approached, his face contain no emotions.
"Congratulations, Rave," he said. "You got a rare Essence Card and a mutated beast. Not just everyone every was al lucky as you. You should figure out what this card's skill does on your own."
Rave nodded. It truly was luck. These cards could hold anything—skills, weapons, artifacts, pets, or buffs.
The other students, watching Rave and the instructor, seethed with jealousy. Their hearts burned with envy at Rave's fortune. But there was nothing they could do. In this world, the beast's spoils went to the one who killed it. As expected, the skill card floated toward Rave's chest and vanished.
A deep female voice echoed in his mind:
Common Tier Skill Card: Quick Dash.
The voice continued, explaining:
Upon activation, this card grants the skill Quick Dash, pushing the user's muscles to their limits and granting incredible speed.
Rave smiled slightly. Even it was simple discription or not at least he now knew what the card held.
"So it's a skill card. Is this pure luck, or the beginning of something else?" he thought.
After a few hours as three top students only remained scilent leaving other beasts to some students.
The hunt ended, but the mood among the students was somber. Most of them returned with disappointed faces. At best, they had caught one or two Sprint Rabbits. Meanwhile, one of their classmates named Rave had hit the jackpot with mutated beast.
Rook sighed heavily. "What a waste. We missed our chance."
Even Allie shook her head, clearly dissatisfied.
But Rave was different. He stayed quiet, a small spark of pride flickering inside him. He couldn't stop thinking about the skill card.
As the group walked to their homes, they saw the massive Crystal Dome ahead. It was enormous, sprawling over a large town and protecting it from outside dangers. The setting sun cast a fiery glow over the dome, making it look like something out of a dream.
Rave had learned that these domes were natural shelters in this world, providing protection from the Geno Beasts and serving as homes for humans. It was the very place where he had first been teleported from his home world to Genesys.
Inside the dome, the students went to their assigned rooms. Rave headed to his small, plain room. It was cramped, but it was all he could afford. Being an orphan with no inheritance left him no option. With a sigh, he freshed up and ate a simple meal, lastly coming to his original work.
Rave pulled the corpse of the Mutated Sprint Rabbit from his leather pouch. The pouch, a space socket given by the school, can hold things far more than it appeared. Though the rabbit's body had dried, it was still preserved by the pouch's magic.
"It's time to reap all the rewards."
Using a sharp blade, he carefully cut into the rabbit's chest. He didn't want to damage the corpse, knowing it might have other uses. With precise movements, he extracted a small, shiny crystal from its heart.
The crystal resembled a bulbous amethyst, but its color matched the Sprint Rabbit's fur. Rave gently removed the Genesis Crystal and stared at it intently.
"Please, let this be a good amount of Genesys Points," he prayed silently.
Without opening his eyes, he swallowed the crystal, still stained with blood and flesh from the rabbit's heart.
A disgusted expression crossed his face.
"Ugh! I should've cleaned it first," he groaned while almost vomiting it back. But he was able to barely hold it.
A familiar voice sounded in his mind:
Obtained one Mutated Gene Adaptation Crystal. Gained 4 Genesys Points.
Rave's body began to glow as energy surged through him. A feeling of warmth spread through him, and his face relaxed into a smile.
"Energy… This is real energy," he murmured, feeling the power.
But then his face twisted into frustration.
"Wait, only 4 Genesys Points?!"
The excitement waned, replaced by dissatisfaction. Still, he felt the changes happening within his body as the Genesys Points flowed through him.
Genesys Points were the key to human strength in this world. They allowed one to evolve and improve, granting power and unlocking higher forms.
For a brief moment, the energy filling Rave's body dissipated, and the changes stopped. His eyes shifted toward the rabbit's corpse.
"It's your turn now. Activate Gene Feeder," he said, activating the main skill of his so-called GEN-Z system.
Dark mist poured out from every pore of his body, swirling around the rabbit's remains. The black mist enveloped the corpse, devouring it entirely. Rave was watching it all in curiosity. it was all new to him using the true powers of system. His mind was filled with thoughts of getting different powers.
As once the process was completed, the mist returned to Rave's body. He was eagerly waiting for something amazingly to happen.
But for a moment, nothing seemed to happen.
"No change?" he muttered to himself, confusion spreading across his face. Then shock overtook him.
"No change? How? Is the system malfunctioning?"
As he frantically scanned the system's screen panel, a sudden, searing pain shot through his body, making him tense up.
"Ahhh!" he cried out.
Gene Feeder Activated. Copying the Gene of Mutated Sprint Rabbit and overwriting it on the host's gene.
Rave couldn't hear the system's words over the agony. His thighs and arms burned intensely, the skin turning red as if they were on fire. He gritted his teeth, enduring the unbearable pain that felt like his muscles were tearing apart.
"F*ck the system! At least warn me beforehand!" he cursed between pained gasps.
The pain was like shoting hundreads of needles shoting into his body.
After a long fight for life, the pain subsided. rave collapsed onto the floor, taking ragged breaths.
"Ha... ha... f*ck my life," he muttered.
A system prompt flashed before his eyes:
Congratulations! You have acquired the Mutated Sprint Rabbit Gene.
"Again... again with the announcements. Why tell me when I've already felt it through that hellish pain?" he groaned, still dazed.
Sitting on the floor, Rave slowly regained his composure. His body felt different. It was stronger, brimming with energy. Even his vision had sharpened, the world appearing more vivid than ever.
To test his newfound strength, he threw a punch.
BOOM!
The sound reverberated through the room, startling even himself. Excitement sparkled in his eyes, but before he could process everything, a sharp knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Rave! The instructor wants to see us. Hurry up!" Rook's voice called from the other side of the door.
Rave froze for a moment, shocked—not by the message itself, but by who had delivered it. Rook and Allie, the top students, rarely spoke to anyone, let alone him. They had joined six months before entering Genesys World and had always kept their distance. Yet now, one of them had come to deliver a message.
Shaking off his lingering aches, Rave stood and opened the door. Rook gave him a brief nod before heading toward the ground where the students' meetings were usually held.
"There must be a reason for this," Rave muttered to himself. "Maybe they're being praised for today's hunt?"
When he arrived at the ground under the dark night sky, Rook and Allie were already there, standing in front of the instructor. The instructor's gaze carried both authority and a faint, unsettling smile.
"You've done well," the instructor said, his voice calm yet firm. "But I don't think that was your true strength."
His words were directed at Rook and Allie, but neither responded. They stood motionless, unreadable expressions on their faces.
The instructor continued, "From tomorrow onwards, for one week, you don't need to join the hunts. Use the time to rest, explore, or hunt on your own—it's your choice. But remember this—"
His tone grew sharper. "After a week, there will be a test. It could be anything—a challenge against other students, a battle with beasts, or something unexpected. Be prepared. Oh, and one more thing... there are powerful beasts roaming at today's hunting ground at night. I hope none of you are foolish enough to go there and lose your lives."
His dark smile widened as he spoke, making his warning feel more like a sinister suggestion.
"See you next time," he said, walking away. But before leaving, he cast a final glance at Rave, his devilish grin widening further.
Rave shivered.
"Did he just look at me? With that smile?" he thought, unsettled. The instructor's words felt less like an advice and more like a veiled challenge.
Rook and Allie exchanged glances before going their separate ways, leaving Rave standing alone.
"Ha... I don't even feel like resting today. How am I this drained from a single day?" he muttered to himself as he headed back to his room.