Chapter 4: Evolution
The classroom hummed softly with the murmur of chatter as everyone was either fiddling with their holographic screens or discussing, and the occasional soft sigh could be heard from students that are bored. Caden, however wasn't able to focus on anything at all. His heightened perception kept disturbing him relentlessly to get his attention, every whisper, every shuffle of feet, and every sound was heightened for him.
"Mr. Arden?"
His teacher's shrill voice snapped him upright. The whole class turned to him; flashes of amusement and curiosity crossed faces.
"Care to share your thoughts on the economic impact of the New Earth Colonization Act?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.
Caden blinked, mentally grasping for an answer. He hadn't known the teacher had entered the classroom, much less that she was telling him to answer some question he hadn't heard. "Uh. It was. significant?" he ventured, full of doubt.
A few of his classmates snickered, and the rest laughed at him, but the teacher simply sighed, shook her head, and moved on. He sank into his seat, heat rising to his cheeks. Normally, he'd at least pay enough attention to avoid looking like a complete fool.
But that faint pulse from the system was still there, and his maxed-out perception wasn't helping matters either. Whatever it was the system was doing, it wasn't going away.
Lunch Break
Caden slipped out of the crowded cafeteria, mumbling something about needing fresh air. No one questioned him. They rarely did since they didn't see him as someone important.
Finding a secluded spot behind the gym, he leaned against the rough brick wall and exhaled deeply. "Alright, what's going on?" he muttered, calling the system interface with a thought.
The translucent screen flickered into focus, its soft glow almost gentle in the bright noontime. Yet, something was off this time. A little map glowed feebly in the corner of his vision. There was a tiny dot pulsating rhythmically about a bit over the edge of the map from the school grounds.
**[System Notification: Abnormal energy signature detected. Investigation recommended. It is advised that the host proceed with caution.]
"Energy signature?" Caden muttered, scowling, peering into the map. The dot moved, shifting minutely as if it had a life of its own.
There was complete silence on the other end as if he should know himself. For a second, he actually considered ignoring it. Whatever it was, it was most probably not worth risking his school-especially the last year.
But the itch in his mind refused to be soothed. He clenched his fists, and his resolution started to set. "Fine. I'll check it out. After school."
The day dragged painfully slow with Caden doing anything but paying attention to a lecture or working on an assignment every time the pulse from the system drew his attention away. Finally, the final bell sounded, and he was sweating like someone who just finished a marathon.
His classmates packed up their bags and were leaving in a rush as he stayed behind, pretending to check something from his notebook. Now that the coast was clear, he slipped unnoticed out of school.
The dot on the map now glowed brighter, telling him to forge ahead. **[Host should move faster]** said the system, and Caden exhaled heavily. *This system will be my death*, he said to himself.
Caden moved quickly and nimbly. The map in his vision from the system remained, the glowing dot guiding him toward the outskirts of his town. *I thought this thing was right behind the school this afternoon, how could it have moved that far*, Caden thought to himself as he saw he was already outside his twin.
As he walked, he noticed subtle changes in his surroundings. There was an unnatural silence. Not even flies buzzed in his vicinity.
The soft hum of the system's voice filled the air:
**[Energy signature proximity: Less Than 400 meters. Caution advised.]**
"Yeah, thanks for that," Caden said gruffly, rolling his eyes. He couldn't help but wonder whether it was seriously worried or trying to get him into something that was way over his league.
It eventually took him to a broken-up building site at the outskirts of town. Scaffolding that was rusty groaned faintly under the wind; weeds had started growing from between cracks in the ground.
Then the system flashed a warning again: **[Proximity: 100 meters. Unknown entity detected. Prepare for possible hostility.]
A chill ran down Caden's spine. "Unknown entity?" he whispered, scanning the site. His high perception kicked in, his senses heightening to the point where the faint rustle of the wind from his movement was loud enough to be heard.
Cautiously, he stepped inside the site, his eyes scanning for any sign of the energy signature. The glowing dot on the map was now as huge as the sun, indicating he was nearly on top of it.
He soon came upon something sticking out of the ground near the center. Sleek, metallic, it pulsed with some sort of faded blue light upon its surface. Caden hunched down and reached to touch it, but was promptly interrupted by the system high above him in his head. **[Warning: Unknown technology. Host is advised to exercise caution until such time as the system can identify what it is.]**
"No kidding," he grumbled, pulling his hand back. The thing sent waves of energy; the hairs on his arms stood on end.
Before he could reach for it again, he heard the slightest noise; almost indistinct, still it caused him to beep on high alert. He turned around, heart pounding.
A shadow moved near the edge of the site. Slowly, it emerged from the cover of a steel beam. It was humanoid in shape, but its movements were unnaturally fluid. Its eyes glowed faintly, a pale, unsettling light that sent a wave of fear through Caden.
The system chimed again:
**[Hostile entity detected. Engage or retreat. Host discretion advised.]**
Caden's breath caught in his throat. He wasn't ready for this, not even close, but as the creature took a step closer, its intent clear, he knew there was no running.
His eyes darted around the site, landing on a sturdy piece of iron bar lying amidst the debris. Grabbing it, he tightened his grip, his palms slick with sweat. The system flashed another notification:
**[Weapon recommendation: Improvised melee. Host combat proficiency: Low.]**
"Great. Thanks for the vote of confidence," he muttered, heavy on the sarcasm.
The creature lunged. Caden barely had time to react, his enhanced reflexes kicking in just in time to dodge its swipe.
The fight had begun.
His hand tightened around the iron bar as the creature dove at him in under a second with inhuman velocity. He could only manage to sidestep and felt the air around him slicing at his face while its claw-like hand swiped inches from his face.
Adrenaline surged through his veins. He swung the bar with all his strength-the metallic clang ringing through the air as it struck the creature's torso. The impact staggered it for only a moment before it straightened, unhurt, and the iron bar was bent.
The system coldly chimed:
**[Host combat proficiency: Low. Evasion recommended.]**
"No kidding!" Caden muttered, ducking under another swipe. His highjacked reflexes and perception allowed him to evade the blows but his arms ached from the effort. Every step backward carried him closer to the edge of the site.
It was relentless. Moving like a predator, it calculated every step with the interest of playing with its catch. One of its claws finally caught him, slashing across his ribs. A searing pain shot through him as blood soaked his shirt.
Caden stumbled, his breathing hitching. His vision blurred somewhat, but the system's voice was clear: **[Health critical. It is recommended that the host make use of healing items.]
"I'm a little busy!" he snarled, barely dodging another strike.
Every move was a gamble now. His swings were slower, his feet unfirm. Another hit connected, this time along his arm, and down onto one knee he went, panting.
The creature loomed over him, peering from above with eyes of glowing intensity through the darkness. This was it.
But once more, his system beeped to say something new:
**[Accessing inventory. Administering healing potion.]
A vial full of sparkling liquid materialized in his hand. He never hesitated-he gulped it down. His body was suddenly overcome with a sensation of heat as his injuries closed and the strength returned.
The creature lunged at him once more, but this time Caden was ready. He sidestepped; by now, his reflexes were much sharper. With the last bit of strength, he swung upward with all his might, his hands tightly clasping the bar. The iron bar stabbed the creature's neck, and black blood oozed out of the hole in its neck as it crumpled to the ground.
Caden was standing over its lifeless body, heavily panting. The iron bar clattered on the floor as his shaking hands let go of it, the clang resounding in the stillness.
The system softly chimed:
**[Host survival confirmed. Energy signature remains active. Proceed with caution.]
Caden looked at the pulsating object still stuck in the ground.
**[Energy identification completed] said the system, where masses of information regarding the object were flashed on the system interface.
**[Alien signal emitter. It emits signals to space in the form of radiation to send information to extraterrestrial beings outside a planet. Note: Energy emitted can be absorbed by host to aid his evolution]** said the system
Caden looked at the object; his mind replayed what the system said. "Energy emitted can be absorbed to aid evolution."
"Absorb it?" he said aloud, his eyes darting to the lifeless creature lying nearby, its black blood pooling beneath it. Whatever that thing was, it had dropped-this device here for a reason. The idea of absorbing energy from something that was extraterrestrial in nature didn't exactly feel like something safe to him.
But his body still ached despite the healing potion, and the promise of evolving into something stronger was tempting.
[Host discretion. Initiate absorption process? Y/N.]
Caden hedged. "If this thing sends signals into space, won't something else come looking for it?"
[The absorption will render the signal emitter inoperable. Chance of external entities pinpointing this location: 0.12%. Process is highly advised.]
"Alright," he sighed, dragging a hand through hair. "Let's do it."
[Initiating absorption process.]
The system's interface flashed, and an electric heat swept through his body. Muscles knotted involuntarily as the faint glow spread from the object into him.
At first, it was warm, almost comforting, but in seconds, it became searing-a feeling of molten fire coursing through his veins. Caden cried out, falling to his knees as his body convulsed.
His mind was a blur of flashing lights-stellar bodies, boundless voids, and giant figures beyond recognition. His senses were going wild; he felt, for one instant, as if he could hear the beat of the universe. Then, in that instant, the pain ceased.
Caden leaned against a rusted beam, still catching his breath. The soft hum of energy coursing through his body was like a second heartbeat.
The system's interface flickered into existence in front of him, sharper and more detailed than before. Unlike the simple translucent screen that he had gotten used to, the interface now shone bright with intricate patterns-akin to circuitry etched into light.
**[SYSTEM INTERFACE UPDATE]**
**[Welcome, Tier 1 Interstellar Soldier.]**
The words floated in bold, glowing letters, followed by a soft chime. Then, his new status page unfolded before him:
**[Host: Caden Arden]**
- Age: 18
- Tier: 1 (Interstellar Soldier)
- Energy Level: 100/100
- Health: 100/100
- Status Points Available: 5
- Evolution Progress: 0% (Next Evolution at Tier 2)
**[Attributes:]**
- Strength: 25
- Speed: 25
- Dexterity: 25
- Endurance: 25
- Perception:
- Energy Absorption: Tier 1
Caden's eyes ran down the list as his gaze hovered on the shining "Tier 1" designation beside his name. Finally, his stats were balanced, all comfortably at 25-except his maxed-out Perception surprised him.
Below the main stats, another catch came into view:
**[Abilities Unlocked:]**
1. Improved Energy Absorption, Tier 1: Host can absorb ambient energy from radiation and light and other forms of energy to restore reserves or temporarily boost physical abilities. Efficiency increases with evolution.
2. Energy Pulse Detection: Host can sense nearby energy signatures within a radius of 2 kilometers.
3. Enhanced Reflexes: Reaction times now 50% faster than normal at critical moments.
Caden whistled low. "Not bad," he muttered, his fingers hovering over the interface.
But there was more. A new tab had blinked in his field of view. Curiosity had him open it.
**[Inventory:]
**
- Healing Potion: x2
- Energy Reserve Pack: +5 units
- Weapon Blueprint (Tier 1): Pulsar Gauntlets
"Pulsar Gauntlets?" he muttered, tapping the blueprint. A 3D image of sleek, metallic gloves appeared, shining with glowing lines of energy. The interface described their function in detail:
- **[Pulsar Gauntlets:**
- Channel energy to fire short-range blasts.
- Increase melee attack power by 200%
- Requires crafting material: Ferrosteel Alloy, Photon Core, and Nano-Thread.
Caden groaned, massaging the back of his neck. "Of course, I needed rare materials to make this thing."
The system responded immediately:
[Construction available. Ingredients can be mined through missions, exploration, or trading. The host is reminded to explore more.
"Awesome," he mumbled under his breath, shutting down the blueprint display.
Finally, he noticed another new bar, below his statistics, titled **Evolution Progress**. It was blank, but a small note above the empty bar explained:**
**[Evolution Progress is enhanced by battle, energy absorption, and the main quests of the system. The upper limit for all attributes is required to initiate Tier 2 evolution.]
Caden exhaled deeply, taking it all in-the system had leveled up and so had he.
As he dismissed the interface, he caught his reflection in a broken mirror leaning against a pile of debris. His eyes seemed brighter, almost aglow faintly in the dim light. The faint lines of energy that had traced his skin during the evolution were gone, but he felt them beneath the surface, ready to be unleashed.
He straightened a bit more, turning to face the path that would take him back to town. For the first time in his life, he felt like he could do anything.
"Time to figure out what this evolution really means," he said, his voice steady as he got into a running stance.