The creature charged and Grey stood, waiting for the perfect moment.
All his instincts urged him to run, but he held his ground until the final moment.
As the monster attacked, Grey ducked under its body and swung the branch upward with full force. The wood struck its jaw and the impact barely seemed to matter.
The creature twisted in midair and struck Grey across the chest, sending him flying backward a few meters.
He landed against a tree and collapsed onto his side, struggling desperately to breathe.
The beast approached slowly and confidently, seemingly grinning at the reaction of its prey.
Grey’s fingers clutched the dirt as he realized he couldn’t win—he was too weak, too slow, and had no idea of what he was fighting.
Then something appeared in front of his eyes. A translucent blue window.
Grey blinked. The creature kept coming closer, but he watched the odd display regardless.
[Extreme survival conditions detected.]
Another line appeared.
[Life form compatibility confirmed]
Grey’s expression changed. "What..." The window expanded.
[Dark evolution system initializing]
For the first time since waking in the forest, Grey forgot about the monster standing several meters away. The beast growled, but Grey stared only at the floating words.
[Welcome Gray Valentine]
A second window appeared beneath it.
[Species: Lesser Goblin]
[Level: 1]
[Evolution Energy: 0]
[Current Survival Probability: 3.7%]
Grey stared at the final number. "You could’ve just said I’m screwed."
The creature charged and he barely rolled aside, and its claws tore through the tree behind him, wood exploding into splinters.
Grey scrambled upright as the system stayed visible. He couldn’t explain why or how, but he sensed this wasn’t a hallucination—it was real.
If the system appeared because he was in danger, maybe it could help him survive.
Grey focused on the creature. A small symbol appeared above its head.
[Fearl Thornwolf — Level 3]
Grey’s expression tightened. "Level three?" He looked at his own status. "Level one."
The Thornwolf lunged again. Grey ducked beneath its claws and sprinted toward the damaged tree.
He didn’t have to kill it; survival was all that mattered. This understanding shifted his perspective entirely.
Instead of fighting the monster head-on, Grey began using the environment.
He kicked loose dirt into its eyes, ducked behind trees, climbed over roots, and kept forcing the creature to change course.
It wasn’t graceful or heroic, It was about survival.
Eventually, the Thornwolf grew more aggressive and frustrated, moving unpredictably. Grey then noticed a subtle detail — it always attacked from the same side.
Though a small and seemingly insignificant observation, Grey had no other clues to go on.
He waited as the creature charged. Grey shifted left, and the Thornwolf adjusted accordingly.
Grey moved again, prompting the beast to open its jaws. In that moment, Grey threw himself toward the ground. The creature’s momentum carried it past him, but its front leg hit a thick root, causing the monster to stumble.
Grey seized his opportunity, grabbing a broken branch and stabbing its sharpened tip into the creature’s exposed side.
The Thornwolf howled in pain but Grey held on tightly as the creature thrashed fiercely, flipping him onto the ground.
He hit the ground as the beast fell. Grey stayed still, ears ringing, chest heaving fast. For a few seconds, neither moved.
Then the system appeared again.
[Feral Thornwolf has been defeated.]
Grey stared.
[Experience acquired.]
[Level increased.]
[Current Level: 2]
His breathing slowed. Another notification appeared.
[Evolution Energy acquired.]
Grey pushed himself upright and looked at the dead creature. The strange interface changed again.
[Corpse detected.]
[Possible actions:]
[Consume]
[Extract Trait]
[Discard]
Grey looked at the three options. Initially, he felt disgusted. Then, he experienced hunger. Finally, curiosity took over. "What happens if I extract a trait?" The system offered no answer.
Grey looked at the Thornwolf. Whatever world he had entered, whatever rules governed it, one fact had already become painfully obvious.
Nobody was coming to rescue him. There was no hospital, no family, no police, and no familiar city waiting beyond the trees.
There was only this forest, this strange body, and a system that had appeared when he was moments away from dying.
Grey slowly crouched beside the corpse and placed one clawed hand against its fur. The interface flickered.
[Feral Thornwolf]
[Potential traits detected.]
[Enhanced Olfactory Sense]
[Predatory Instinct]
[Minor Physical Enhancement]
Grey’s eyes narrowed.
He was unsure of what he might become or how far this system could advance him. He didn’t even know if he would stay a goblin tomorrow.
However, one thing was clear — he had received a new life, and Grey Valentine was determined not to waste it.
His claw hovered over the first available trait. Then he smiled faintly. "Let’s see what this world has to offer."
The forest remained silent around him as Grey made his first choice.