The Berserker Tonic didn’t just push me over the evolution line. It shattered the damn bar completely.
The liquid fire in my stomach expanded, turning my veins into absolute ice. My matte-black skin began to ripple, the scales turning completely translucent before hardening into a crystal-like structure that literally absorbed the light around me. My body didn’t feel anymore; it felt like a draft of wind.
[Evolution Complete!]
[Current Form: Phantom-Fang Assassin (Tier 3)]
[Biomass: 100 / 25,000]
[Skill Upgraded!]
’Petty Venom’ ➔ ’Neuro-Paralysis’ (Tier 3 - Rare)
[Effect: Fangs now secrete a highly toxic, silent nerve agent. A single bite completely freezes the target’s muscle motor functions within three seconds. No swelling, no noise, just instant shutdown.]
[New Skill Unlocked: ’Active Camouflage’ (Passive/Active)]
[Effect: Your scales refract light perfectly. When active, you are completely invisible to the naked human eye. Moving at high speeds reduces efficiency by 10%.]
I uncoiled my new form beneath the rotting logs. I looked down at my tail. Nothing was there. I could feel my body, and I could move it, but visually, I was just a ghost in the grass.
System, I thought, a massive, invisible snake grin spreading across my face. ’This is exactly what I needed. No more hiding in the mud like a peasant. We are going to the capital in style.’
[System: Look at you, you stealthy little parasite. You went from a blue garden noodle to a literal invisible assassin in less than twenty-four hours. Let’s hit the main road. The merchant caravan is scheduled to pass by the north ridge in ten minutes. Time to hitch a ride.]
I glided out from under the log pile. Moving in this form was pure bliss. My scales were so smooth and frictionless that I didn’t even leave a trail in the wet dirt. I was completely silent, completely invisible, and moving twice as fast as my previous viper form.
Ten minutes later, I was hidden in the tall weeds right next to the cobblestone imperial highway.
The rumbling of heavy wooden wheels and the rhythmic clopping of horseshoes echoed through the trees. A massive, luxury merchant caravan was rolling down the path, heading straight toward the grand gates of the capital city. The main wagon was enormous, covered in fine red silk curtains and guarded by four heavily armed mercenaries wearing polished steel breastplates.
Sitting on the driver’s bench was a fat, wealthy-looking merchant wearing five gold rings on his fingers, lazily chewing on a roasted turkey leg.
"Keep the pace up, boys!" the fat merchant called out, wiping grease on his expensive silk robes. "Lady Suzy’s merchant guild is waiting for this shipment of mana crystals. If we’re late, she’ll dock our pay by half, and that woman does not play around when it comes to deadlines.
Oh, nice, I thought, my yellow eyes gleaming out of thin air. It’s a direct delivery straight to my business partner’s front door. Talk about express delivery.
The massive wagon rolled right past my bush. The rear axle was lined with a row of wooden storage crates packed with soft, expensive linen blankets.
I didn’t hesitate. I activated Active Camouflage to its absolute maximum, coiling my body like a tight steel spring. Using Quick Dodge, I launched myself out of the grass like a silent, invisible whip, catching the edge of the wooden bumper with the very tip of my tail.
With a smooth, fluid twist of my spine, I pulled myself up into the back of the wagon, sliding seamlessly between two thick piles of luxury velvet cushions. The fabric was incredibly soft—way better than the damp mud and wet clover I had been sleeping in all day.
[System: Well, aren’t we comfortable? First-class seating, zero copper coins spent, and an absolute guarantee of crossing the city gates without a single guard inspecting your scales. You really are a master of cutting corners, Barry.]
Work smart, not hard, System, I thought, settling my invisible body deep into the velvet, letting out a long, happy snake sigh. ’Next stop, the capital.’