The deeper Kael went, the quieter the city became.
There were no screams anymore.
No distant explosions.
Not even the sound of vehicles.
Only the occasional roar of something moving between the buildings.
Kael tightened his grip on the sharpened metal weapon.
His Evolutionary Map remained open in the corner of his vision.
One red zone was directly ahead.
The closer he got, the stronger the system's warning became.
[Evolutionary Resource detected.]
Distance: 137 meters.
Evolutionary Energy Density: High.
Recommended Evolution Stage: Stage 1+
Kael smiled.
"Perfect."
A rustling sound came from above.
Kael immediately stopped.
[Threat Detection activated.]
Something moved across the roof.
Kael didn't look up.
Instead, he activated Enhanced Hearing.
Footsteps.
Four.
No—
six.
They were moving around him.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"Pack."
A howl suddenly echoed through the street.
Then another.
Then four more.
Six creatures jumped from the surrounding buildings.
[GRAYFANG HOUND]
Level: 4
Classification: Mutated Beast
Evolution Stage: Stage 0 — Ordinary
Strength: 18
Agility: 25
Vitality: 17
Endurance: 16
Perception: 29
[Skills]
Pack Coordination — Level 2
Blood Scent — Level 1
[Ability]
Grayfang
Six pairs of eyes stared at Kael.
Kael counted them.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
He smiled.
"Six against one?"
The hounds spread out.
Kael lowered his stance.
"Good."
The first one attacked.
Kael sidestepped.
The second came from behind.
He heard it.
He ducked.
Its claws passed over his head.
Kael drove his metal weapon into its side.
The hound rolled across the pavement.
[Target injured.]
Two more attacked simultaneously.
Kael activated Blackhide.
THUD!
The first impact forced him backward.
The second nearly knocked him down.
Kael twisted his body and used Web Control.
A strand shot toward a broken traffic light.
Another wrapped around one hound's leg.
Kael pulled.
The creature stumbled.
He rushed forward.
CRACK!
One precise strike sent it crashing aside.
Another hound lunged.
Kael blocked with his weapon.
The force pushed him back.
His arms trembled.
"Stronger than the Level 3 ones."
He kicked the creature away.
Then his expression changed.
The six hounds weren't attacking randomly.
They were surrounding him.
Pack Coordination.
Kael's eyes sharpened.
"So that's your trick."
The pack attacked together.
Kael jumped onto the hood of an abandoned car.
Three hounds attacked from the front.
Two from the sides.
One stayed behind.
Waiting.
The leader.
Kael understood the formation.
He didn't attack the closest creature.
He attacked the leader.
Blood Scent activated.
The leader's location became obvious.
Kael launched himself from the car.
The hounds tried to intercept him.
He spun through the gap.
Web Control.
A strand wrapped around the leader.
Kael pulled.
The leader stumbled forward.
Kael landed directly in front of it.
BOOM!
His weapon struck.
The leader fell.
The pack formation broke.
Kael didn't waste the opportunity.
One.
Two.
Three.
He moved through the pack, using their confusion against them.
The hounds were fast.
But Kael had learned from fighting stronger enemies.
He no longer tried to overpower everything.
He moved.
Waited.
Countered.
The fourth hound charged.
Kael stepped aside and struck its leg.
It fell.
The fifth attacked.
He ducked.
Turned.
Struck.
The sixth came from behind.
Enhanced Hearing warned him a fraction of a second early.
Kael turned.
Their eyes met.
The hound jumped.
Kael thrust his weapon forward.
The creature was knocked away.
Kael stood still.
His breathing was heavy.
Five hounds were down.
One remained.
The leader slowly rose.
Kael stared at it.
The creature growled.
Kael tightened his grip.
"Come."
The hound charged.
Kael charged too.
Neither stopped.
At the final moment, Kael stepped sideways.
The hound passed him.
Kael turned and struck.
The creature crashed onto the pavement.
Silence returned.
[Six Mutated Beasts defeated.]
[Experience gained.]
[Level Up!]
[Level 5]
You have received 5 Attribute Points.
Kael looked at the notification.
Then another appeared.
[Achievement completed.]
[Pack Breaker]
Requirement: Defeat a coordinated group of six or more hostile lifeforms alone.
Reward: 2 Attribute Points.
Kael's expression became slightly amused.
"Seven points."
He opened his status.
[KAEL]
Level: 5
Evolution Stage: Stage 0 — Ordinary
Strength: 14
Agility: 16
Vitality: 10
Endurance: 11
Perception: 15
Unassigned Attribute Points: 7
Skills
Enhanced Hearing — 52%
Threat Detection — 51%
Blackhide — 44%
Web Control — 31%
Blood Scent — 18%
Titles
Solo Hunter
Night Hunter's Prey
Unique Trait
Adaptive Evolution
Adaptation: 0.48%
Kael thought for several seconds.
Then he assigned:
Strength +2
Agility +2
Endurance +1
Perception +2
His status changed.
Strength: 16
Agility: 18
Vitality: 10
Endurance: 12
Perception: 17
Kael clenched his fist.
His body felt different.
Not dramatically.
But enough.
Stronger.
Faster.
More responsive.
Then—
[Adaptive Evolution activated.]
Kael froze.
The system continued.
[Repeated exposure to hostile pack-based predators detected.]
[Combat behavior analyzed.]
[Adaptation developing.]
Adaptation: 0.48% → 0.57%
[Minor Pack Awareness acquired.]
Effect: Improved awareness of multiple hostile targets and their movement patterns.
Kael stared at the notification.
Then smiled.
"So my body is learning from everything."
He looked toward the red zone.
It was only a few dozen meters away now.
But something was wrong.
The six hounds had been guarding it.
That meant whatever was inside wasn't ordinary.
Kael walked forward.
He passed through a destroyed building.
Then stopped.
A massive crater occupied the center of the street.
At its center was a tree.
It had grown through concrete.
Its trunk was black.
Its branches were covered in dark red leaves.
And beneath it—
something was glowing.
A crystal.
Kael activated Threat Detection.
The system immediately responded.
[WARNING.]
[High-density evolutionary resource detected.]
[Estimated value: Extremely High.]
[Warning.]
[Resource is currently being protected.]
Kael frowned.
"Protected?"
A deep vibration came from beneath the ground.
The crystal flickered.
Then the pavement cracked.
Kael slowly stepped backward.
Something was waking up.
A pair of enormous eyes opened beneath the tree.
The system tried to scan it.
[Analyzing...]
[Analyzing...]
[Analysis incomplete.]
Classification: ???
Level: ???
Evolution Stage: ???
Kael's smile disappeared.
For the first time since entering the red zone—
he couldn't see the enemy's level.
The ground split apart.
A massive silhouette began rising from beneath the tree.
Kael tightened his grip.
His instincts screamed at him to leave.
But his eyes remained fixed on the creature.
Then the system displayed one final message.
[Evolutionary Resource Guardian has awakened.]
[Survival recommendation: FLEE.]
Kael looked at the creature.
Then at the crystal.
A slow smile appeared.
"Not yet."
He lowered his stance.
"I came here to evolve."
And the guardian roared.