Everything was cold.
But it wasn't the kind of cold that chilled your skin or made your breath visible—it was the kind that clung to your soul. A kind of emptiness.
Kai didn't remember dying.
One second, he had been stepping out of the convenience store, holding a bag of instant noodles. The next, there had been a flash. A truck? A vending machine? A scream? It was all static now. Echoes in the dark.
And then, light.
No, not just light. Warmth.
He felt it first—not on his skin, but deeper. Like a pulse. Like the thrum of a heartbeat that wasn't his own. It pulled him upward, or inward, or maybe just somewhere else entirely.
Then came sound. A low, soft hum, like leaves rustling in the wind. Like breathing.
He opened his eyes.
The world that greeted him was… impossible.
He was inside something vast, living, and ancient. Bark like silverstone curved around him in massive arching patterns, glowing faintly with veins of green and gold. Massive vines twined together to form bridges and walls and stairs that led in every direction, spiraling toward a far-off canopy that glowed like the surface of a star.
This was not a forest.
This was a cathedral of life.
And he was at its heart.
Kai tried to move. Tried to speak. But something was off. He couldn't feel his hands—or his legs. In fact, nothing felt familiar at all. He looked down at himself.
Claws.
His breath caught in his throat.
His arms—no, forelegs—were scaled and sleek, ending in obsidian claws that shimmered faintly in the emerald light. His chest was covered in thick silver-gray scales. A tail coiled behind him. Wings, thin but leathery, folded on instinct against his sides.
His reflection in a pool of glowing sap confirmed the truth.
He was no longer human.
He was a dragon. Or rather, a hatchling. Small. Barely the size of a large wolf. But unmistakably draconic.
"What the hell…" he whispered.
But the voice that emerged wasn't human either—it was a blend of growl and thought, like his voice echoed in his own mind rather than the air.
And then, it came.
A presence.
He hadn't noticed it before. But now, he could feel it. Like a mountain watching him. A storm waiting to move. Kai turned his head—and froze.
A dragon stood before him.
But unlike him, this one was ancient. Vast. Wings like veils of moonlight. Scales that shimmered with stars. Eyes that burned with galaxies. The creature didn't just exist—it commanded the space around it. Trees bowed toward it. The ground pulsed in rhythm with its breath.
It looked down at him.
And then it spoke—not with words, but with thought.
Kai couldn't speak. His throat tightened, his thoughts tangled.
"Why me?" Kai thought. "Why a dragon?"
The being tilted its massive head. Time seemed to slow in the pause that followed.
Kai swallowed. Or at least, he tried.
The ancient dragon leaned closer, and its eyes flared.
A symbol suddenly burned in the air between them. A glyph. Circular, glowing with intricate runes. It hovered there—spinning—then slammed into Kai's chest.
He cried out as energy surged through his entire body. It wasn't pain—but it wasn't pleasure either. It was change. A rewriting of his very soul.
Suddenly, a translucent screen blinked open in front of his eyes.
[Evolution System Activated]
Species: Lesser Dragon Hatchling
Age: 0
Level: 1
Evolution Points (EP): 0
Abilities: [Keen Senses], [Minor Flame Gland]
Next Evolution: Requires 100 EP
Available Evolution Paths: Locked
Kai stared. His mind reeled.
"An… RPG menu? No, this feels more… real."
The dragon began to fade. Its form dissolving into motes of light.
"Wait!" Kai cried out, his claws digging into the bark beneath him. "What am I supposed to do?! Where do I go?!"
And with that, the being was gone.
Silence returned.
But not peace.
The moment the dragon vanished, the Tree of Life began to shift. The glowing sap dimmed. The chamber trembled. The platforms of vine and wood cracked and tilted.
Kai scrambled as the floor beneath him began to collapse.
"Not again—!"
The next instant, he was falling.
The interior of the tree became a blur of rushing wind and flashing light. He slammed through leaves, branches, vines—his wings instinctively fluttering, but too weak to hold him aloft.
Then—
CRACK.
He hit the ground.
Pain surged through his side, but it faded quickly. His dragon body was tougher than it looked.
Groaning, Kai rolled onto his feet. Around him, he saw nothing but dense glowing forest. Enormous mushrooms pulsed with color. Strange birds called from the canopy. In the distance, something howled.
He was alone.
But alive.
The Tree of Life towered in the distance now, its trunk rising into the clouds like a god's spine. Its branches stretched across the sky, and even miles away, it still pulsed with energy.
Kai glanced back down at the glowing menu that still hovered in front of him.
Level: 1EP: 0Abilities: [Keen Senses], [Minor Flame Gland]
"Alright," he muttered. "This is insane. But I'm here. I'm a dragon. I've got… a system?"
He paused.
"No. An Evolution System."
He stared into the darkened forest.
If I want to survive, I need to level up. Gain Evolution Points. And evolve.
A rustle came from the bushes nearby. Kai turned. Two yellow eyes blinked back at him.
A wolf-like creature stepped out—but its body was made of wood and moss, its fangs crystalline, and its claws glinting like obsidian.
It growled.
Kai bared his teeth.
"Guess this is my first fight."
The wooden wolf lunged.
Kai leapt sideways, his instincts kicking in. The beast's claws slashed the dirt where he'd stood. Kai spun, whipped his tail, and smacked it hard across the snout.
The creature snarled.
Kai opened his mouth—and flames sputtered out.
Only a puff. Barely enough to scare a cat. But it was enough to make the wolf hesitate.
That hesitation cost it everything.
Kai lunged, sank his tiny claws into its side, and bit down hard on the neck. His teeth pierced bark and found the glowing sap beneath. The beast thrashed—but it was already dying.
Moments later, it crumbled to dust and vanished into glowing particles.
A chime echoed in Kai's mind.
[Enemy Defeated: Forest Lupin]+10 EP Gained
A surge of warmth flowed through his body.
He grinned.
"This… this is going to be fun."
He turned toward the darkened woods, the Tree of Life's glow at his back, and fire burning in his chest.