Lizarius awoke to the sound of the system’s voice.
**[Evolution complete.]**
He stretched his limbs, feeling the power coursing through his new body.
He was faster, stronger—and smarter.
“System, can I see my rank?” he asked.
**[You are a Rank 1, Low Tier Beast.]**
Without wasting any time, Lizarius left the cave and headed into the forest.
*I should go back to where the human corpse was,* he thought.
Moments later, he arrived at the site.
Lizarius activated his invisibility, climbed a nearby tree, and peered down at the ground below.
The bodies were gone.
Only scattered footprints from wild beasts remained.
*I’m lucky I left when I did.*
His yellow eyes scanned the area.
*Otherwise, I would’ve been eaten too.*
He climbed back down and continued deeper into the forest.
Before long, he came across a small pond.
As he approached to drink, his sharp eyes caught movement.
A black, rat-like beast with blue stripes was standing nearby, a single horn jutting from its forehead.
Lizarius immediately turned invisible.
“What kind of beast is that?” he whispered to the system.
**[Lightning Rat.
Rank 1, Low Tier Beast.]**
**[It can channel lightning through its horn.
They usually move in packs.]**
*But this one’s alone…*
Lizarius carefully glanced around the area.
There was no movement.
No scent of other beasts.
No sounds except the gentle rustling of leaves.
*It really is alone.*
He slowly crept closer, remaining silent and unseen.
When he was within striking distance, Lizarius suddenly lunged toward the Lightning Rat, aiming for its neck.
But the creature reacted quickly and narrowly dodged his attack.
Lizarius became visible.
The rat hissed, its fur bristling, before charging toward him.
Lightning crackled across its horn.
The Lightning Rat struck.
But the bolt of lightning bounced harmlessly off Lizarius’s newly hardened scales.
Lizarius remained unfazed.
His yellow eyes fixed on the rat.
He opened his jaws and bit down.
His sharpened teeth sank into the rat’s flesh, drawing blood.
The Lightning Rat shrieked and thrashed violently.
Lightning surged through its body in desperation.
But the electricity did nothing to Lizarius.
His bite tightened.
Moments later, the beast went limp.
Lizarius tore into its corpse and began eating.
As he devoured the Lightning Rat, the system chimed.
**[You have gained 40 Evolution Points and the Lightning Rat Gene.]**
“System, what’s a Gene?” Lizarius asked between mouthfuls.
**[You can gain the lightning ability from the Lightning Rat Gene.
Do you wish to fuse it?]**
“Yes.”
A tingling sensation spread through Lizarius’s skull.
Suddenly, two small white horns with glowing blue tips emerged from his forehead.
Lizarius focused, attempting to channel his new power.
Sparks flickered from his horns.
The lightning was weak, but it was real.
“System, why is the lightning weaker than when the rat used it?”
**[You can use Evolution Points to strengthen the ability or fuse additional Lightning Rat Genes to enhance it further.]**
Lizarius paused before asking,
“What is my rank?”
The system responded,
**[Species: White Scale Lightning Lizard.]**
**[Rank: 1, Middle Tier Beast.]**
*So, by eating more Lightning Rats, I can evolve this ability.*
Lizarius looked toward the small pond.
Blue fish as large as a human hand were swimming through the water.
He asked the system for information about them.
**[They are known as Blue Scale Tuna, a Rank 1 Low Tier Beast.]**
Lizarius moved closer to the pond and turned invisible.
He waited patiently.
When one of the fish swam close enough, Lizarius suddenly struck, biting down into the water.
The fish’s blood mixed with the pond water as Lizarius dragged it onto the bank.
He then began eating.
The system announced,
**[You gained 10 Evolution Points for consuming a Blue Scale Tuna.]**
Lizarius continued catching and eating fish until nightfall.
He then climbed a nearby tree to rest.
*I didn’t see any more Lightning Rats after killing that one.*
Lizarius settled onto the branch.
*Maybe they don’t live around here.*
*I’m going to search tomorrow.*
*If I still can’t find any, I’ll have to leave.*
Before resting, he asked the system,
“How many points do I have?”
**[You have 260 Evolution Points.]**
“Use 100 for my internal organs and the remaining 160 for my body,” Lizarius commanded.
A wave of pain suddenly washed over him.
His body trembled as the evolution began.
The pain gradually became too much to endure.
Lizarius eventually fell asleep.
The next day, sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees.
Lizarius slowly opened his yellow eyes.
**[Evolution complete.]**
Lizarius moved his body, feeling the changes.
He was now considerably larger than before.
Suddenly, he heard a strange noise.
His yellow eyes immediately focused on the area below.
Three Lightning Rats were near the pond.
Lizarius silently climbed down from the tree and turned invisible.
He slowly crept toward the Lightning Rats.
But then—
**CRACK!**
Lizarius accidentally stepped on a dry twig.
The snapping sound immediately alerted the rats.
They turned toward the source of the noise.
Lizarius froze.
The three Lightning Rats looked around.
But they couldn’t see anything.
After a few moments, they lost interest.
Lizarius continued his approach.
Once he was close enough, he lunged forward and bit down on one of the rats.
His teeth pierced its body, killing it instantly.
Lizarius became visible.
The sudden appearance attracted the attention of the two remaining Lightning Rats.
They immediately charged toward him.
Their horns and bodies crackled with electricity.
**Zzzzt!**
One of the rats attempted to stab Lizarius with its horn.
But the horn couldn’t penetrate his scales.
Lizarius quickly opened his jaws and bit down on the rat.
The Lightning Rat was killed instantly.
Lizarius turned toward the last remaining rat.
His yellow eyes glowed as his mouth remained smeared with blood.
The remaining Lightning Rat trembled in terror.
Then it turned and fled.
Lightning Rats were fast, and Lizarius knew he couldn’t catch it.
He didn’t pursue it.
Instead, he began eating the two Lightning Rats he had killed.
As Lizarius ate, the system announced,
**[You gained 40 Evolution Points and 1 Lightning Gene Point.]**
After he finished eating both rats, the system sent another message.
**[You gained 40 Evolution Points.]**
Lizarius paused.
“Why did I only get one Lightning Gene when I ate two Lightning Rats?”
**[Not all beasts provide a Gene upon consumption.]**
“Why didn’t you tell me about this before?” Lizarius asked.
**[You did not ask.]**
Lizarius remained silent for a moment.
Then he spoke.
“I want to fuse the Gene.”
A tingling sensation spread across his head.
His two small horns grew slightly longer.
**[Fusion complete.]**
Lizarius looked in the direction the last Lightning Rat had fled.
*It’s time for me to get more Lightning Genes.*
His yellow eyes narrowed.
*Since there were three rats here, there must be a nest nearby.*
Lizarius turned invisible.
Then he moved in the direction the last Lightning Rat had fled.