The howling wind roared through the treetops, shaking the leaves as if nature itself was breathing harder than usual. The sky above Kang Seung-woo spiraled like a vortex—like it was about to open a gateway to something beyond.
He slowly pushed himself off the ground, dried blood crusted on his face, though his vision was becoming clearer. Even after the intense battle with Bellraphene, his senses warned him of something far more dangerous.
"That level of power shouldn't exist in a test field..."
Lee Yeon-A, standing beside him, turned with a tense expression.
"This isn't a typical mutated beast. Its bio-signature is mixed with artificial energy—almost like some kind of... mechanical integration."
A faint tick... tick... came from her energy analyzer.
[Energy Density: Exceeds Field Threshold][Alert: Field 17-E Interference Detected – External Power Source Confirmed]
"The field is being interfered with?" Seung-woo frowned. "That means—"
Before he could finish, a low growl echoed from the southwest, deep within the shadows of the forest. A mysterious blue fog began to spread around them.
"What the hell...?"
As they prepared to retreat, the sound of heavy footsteps suddenly halted—and the silhouette of something appeared atop the opposite ridge.
It wasn't a beast.
It was a human... or once was.
A man stood there in Bio-Tech Cloak Armor, half of his face concealed behind a mask, exposing only cold, gray, mechanical eyes. Around him swirled a bio-energy aura, like a localized storm.
Yeon-A's analyzer spasmed.
[GEU (Gene Energy Unit): Unable to Scan][Type: Unknown][Bio-Energy Signature: Hybrid – Artificial-Genetic Fusion Detected]
Seung-woo's body trembled—not out of fear, but from a primal instinct screaming at him.
The mysterious man raised a hand slowly, and spoke:
"You... are the heir of the final gene-wave."
His voice was devoid of emotion, yet it silenced the world like time itself had paused.
Yeon-A lifted her weapon. The wrist interface on her arm flickered under unstable readings.
"Who are you?" Seung-woo demanded.
The man didn't answer. Instead, he extended his hand as if sensing something, and said:
"Prototype Code: C-Rex Type–7… responding. An incomplete evolutionary system—yet stronger than we anticipated."
Suddenly, something inside Seung-woo resonated.
[Deep Genome Resonance – Shadow Code Detected][Warning: Evolution System Interference]
"He's interacting... with my system?" Seung-woo whispered.
Without warning, the man lunged forward at inhuman speed.
Shhk! The sound of metal cleaving air.
Yeon-A activated a barrier field just in time, staggering back three steps.
"Too fast... He's not human!"
The man paused and spoke coldly:
"Your type of evolution is a threat to both worlds—human and pure mechanoid."
"Both worlds?" Seung-woo narrowed his eyes.
"We were once human... but now we live for something beyond."
A pulse of energy erupted from the man's body—Overdrive Burst—cracking the ground beneath him. The test field trembled violently.
Yeon-A's device blared again:
[Critical Disruption – Immediate Evacuation Recommended][Comm Link: Lost]
"Comm's dead!"
Seung-woo felt it clearly. This was no longer just a test.
A voice echoed within him again:
"Face it. This is the path of the True Gene Bearer."
He gripped his blade tight, pulse surging through his fingertips.
If he misstepped—he and Yeon-A wouldn't survive.
"Let's see if you can handle me."
[Pressure Adaption Mode: Emergency Activation][Skill: Hyper Instinct – Auto-Triggered]
Time slowed for Seung-woo once more.The noise around him faded. The enemy's movements became unnaturally sluggish.
"Below!" he shouted.
He dashed forward, intercepting the incoming strike.Impact Flash—his barrier collided with a high-density weapon.
Yeon-A rolled to the side just in time.
"His armor... It's a hybrid system! Bio-energy plus machine-grade power!"
She analyzed, shocked.
"These things... they're more than just mutated lifeforms now..."
The voice in Seung-woo's mind returned.
"He is but a fragment... of the Mechanoid Lineage—one of the sealed ones..."
"Who... are they really?"
The man turned and said:
"Your genes... are still dormant. But we'll return—before it's too late."
Then his body dispersed into particles of light, vanishing into the air.
Silence returned.
Yeon-A collapsed to her knees, gripping her chest.
"This isn't just a test anymore… We've been pulled into a war far greater than our world..."
Seung-woo looked down at his hands—trembling not from fear,but because something within him was awakening.
[Evolution System: E-Class Data Triggered][Gene-Core Fragment A – Unlocked][High-Level Synthesis Pending – Tier 4+ Core Required]
"The core fragment… is awakening."
A final whisper echoed deep inside him:
"Be the one who redefines evolution."
Seung-woo understood one thing clearly—
His war had just begun.