The world was a blur of green and brown. Liam blinked, his vision slowly clearing as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. The ground beneath him was damp, the air thick with the scent of moss and decaying leaves. He tried to move, but something felt… off. His body felt long, slender, and strangely flexible.
"What the…?" he muttered, but the sound that came out was a faint hiss.
Panic surged through him as he looked down. His heart—or whatever passed for a heart in this form—sank. He wasn't human anymore. His body was covered in smooth, green scales, and his hands and feet were gone. Instead, he had a long, coiled tail.
"I'm a snake?!" he hissed, his voice trembling with disbelief.
Before he could process his new reality, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
"Ding! Detected host's transmigration. Binding [Dragon Evolution System]…"
Liam froze. A system? Like in those novels he used to read? Was this some kind of twisted joke?
"Binding successful! Host's current form: Serpent (Low-level Beast).
Evolution Points: 0/100
Skills: None
Talents: None
Hint: Devour other creatures to gain Evolution Points. Unlock new forms and skills when Evolution Points are full."
Liam's mind raced. So, he was in some kind of fantasy world, and he had a system to help him evolve. But why did he have to start as a lowly serpent? Couldn't he have been something cooler, like a dragon or a knight?
His thoughts were interrupted by a rustling sound in the grass nearby. His serpentine senses tingled, and he instinctively coiled his body, ready to strike or flee. A pair of glowing yellow eyes emerged from the shadows, followed by a low, menacing growl.
A wildcat.
Its fur was matted, and its claws gleamed in the dim light. It was clearly hungry, and Liam was the perfect snack.
"Oh, come on!" Liam hissed. "This is supposed to be my first day, and I'm already on the menu?"
The wildcat pounced, its claws slashing through the air. Liam reacted on instinct, darting to the side just in time. His heart—or whatever it was—pounded as he realized how fragile his new body was. One wrong move, and he'd be cat food.
"Ding! Newbie Quest triggered: Kill the wildcat!
Reward: 10 Evolution Points, Skill [Venomous Bite]."
Liam's eyes narrowed. A quest? Well, if the system wanted him to fight, he'd fight. He wasn't going to die on his first day in this world.
The wildcat lunged again, but this time, Liam didn't dodge. Instead, he shot forward, his small fangs sinking into the cat's neck. The wildcat yowled in pain, thrashing wildly, but Liam held on tight. His fangs pulsed with a strange energy, and he realized the system was already helping him.
Minutes felt like hours as the wildcat's struggles grew weaker. Finally, it collapsed, lifeless.
"Ding! Quest complete! Gained 10 Evolution Points. Unlocked Skill [Venomous Bite]."
Liam released his grip, panting—or whatever snakes did to catch their breath. He felt a surge of satisfaction as he looked at his first kill. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
Liam took a moment to assess his surroundings. The forest was dense, with towering trees that blocked most of the sunlight. The air was humid, and the ground was littered with fallen leaves and twigs. He could hear the distant calls of birds and the rustling of small creatures in the underbrush.
"Alright, system," he muttered. "If this is how it's going to be, then I'll play along. I'll devour everything in my path, and I'll become the strongest creature in this world."
He glanced at the wildcat's body. Hunger gnawed at him, and he realized he hadn't eaten since arriving in this world. With a grimace, he began to devour his prey, the system's cold voice echoing in his mind.
"Evolution Points increased. Current progress: 10/100."
As he ate, Liam noticed something strange. The wildcat's body seemed to dissolve into a faint, glowing energy that flowed into him. It wasn't just about filling his stomach—it was about absorbing the creature's essence to fuel his evolution.
"This is… incredible," he thought. "If I can keep this up, I'll grow stronger in no time."
But he knew he couldn't stay in one place for long. The forest was full of dangers, and he was still just a small serpent. He needed to find a safer spot to plan his next move.
As Liam slithered through the underbrush, he heard a low growl behind him. He turned quickly, his new senses on high alert. Emerging from the shadows was a creature he hadn't seen before—a large, lizard-like beast with glowing red eyes and sharp claws.
"Ding! Host has encountered a Level 2 Forest Lizard. Proceed with caution."
"Great," Liam muttered. "Just what I needed."
The lizard lunged at him, its claws slicing through the air. Liam dodged, but barely. He knew he couldn't rely on brute strength—he needed to use his new skill.
[Venomous Bite] activated.
Liam struck like lightning, his fangs sinking into the lizard's side. The creature roared in pain, thrashing wildly, but Liam held on. His venom coursed through the lizard's body, weakening it with every passing second.
Finally, the lizard collapsed, its body twitching as the venom took its toll.
"Ding! Host has defeated a Level 2 Forest Lizard. Gained 15 Evolution Points. Current progress: 25/100."
Liam felt a surge of energy as the lizard's essence flowed into him. He could feel himself growing stronger, his scales becoming slightly tougher, his movements more agile.
"This is working," he thought. "I just need to keep going."
As the sun began to set, Liam found a small, hidden crevice in a rocky outcrop. It wasn't much, but it would serve as a temporary shelter. He coiled up inside, his mind racing with thoughts of what lay ahead.
"If I can keep defeating stronger creatures, I'll evolve quickly," he mused. "But I need to be careful. One mistake, and I'm done for."
He opened the system interface, checking his progress.
Host: Liam
Current Form: Serpent (Low-level Beast)
Evolution Points: 25/100
Skills: [Venomous Bite]
Talents: None
"Not bad for a first day," he said with a hint of pride. "But I've got a long way to go."
As he drifted off to sleep, Liam dreamed of the future—of soaring through the skies as a mighty dragon, his enemies trembling at his feet. It was a distant dream, but one he was determined to make real.