The forest felt different now.
Kai flapped his wings slowly, his claws gripping the mossy bark of an ancient tree as he perched in the upper canopy. The golden seal still glowed faintly on his chest—a reminder of the Dragon God's words.
No more humans.
Not until he evolved.
He sighed, breath curling with faint sparks of ember. His once-comfortable human form was now locked away, and he could still feel the subtle ache of its absence.
[Quest Active: Path of Evolution – Rank B+]Objective: Defeat a Threat-Class Beast. Unlock Advanced Form.]
He knew he had to start hunting stronger monsters. But so far, all he had seen were the usual low-tier forest creatures—horned squirrels, flame-tail foxes, and oversized insects. None of them were worth his time anymore.
What he needed was a real challenge.
Something dangerous.
Something—
CRASH!
A tree collapsed in the distance. Birds scattered into the sky in a screaming flurry. The ground shook, and Kai immediately turned his head in that direction.
His eyes narrowed.
He leapt off the branch and soared low through the trees, weaving between trunks, wings pulled tight. As he neared the impact site, he slowed, landing silently atop a boulder overlooking a clearing.
And then he saw it.
A creature stood alone, sniffing the air with twitching ears.
It was… a bunny.
A big one. White fur, glowing red eyes, long ears flicking at every sound. It stood on two legs like a beast, not a pet. Its muscular body was armored with patches of hardened fur and bone-like plating.
But most importantly—
[Beast Identified: Titanfang Rabbit][Classification: Threat-Class][Rank: B-]
Kai's eyes lit up.
Perfect.
The bunny raised its head sharply, locking eyes with him in a fraction of a second.
Then—
BOOM!
The creature vanished from sight.
Kai's eyes widened as he jerked his body backward. A white blur slammed into the boulder where he had just stood, shattering it into chunks of flying stone.
Fast!
Kai spread his wings and launched into the air, circling above. The rabbit growled—actually growled—and leapt up, flipping midair with unnatural grace.
Its clawed feet came crashing toward him.
He dodged left, but one paw grazed his wing. Pain shot through him as white-hot claws ripped through membrane.
He flapped hard, rising higher.
[Warning: Wing Damage – Minor Tear Detected.]
"What kind of bunny is this!?"
The Titanfang landed in the center of the clearing, cracking the earth beneath it. Steam puffed from its nose as it crouched low, preparing another jump.
Kai growled and opened his mouth.
[Skill Activated: Ember Breath]
A stream of searing flame erupted from his throat. The rabbit reacted instantly, spinning sideways in a corkscrew motion, narrowly avoiding the blast. The flames scorched the ground, blackening grass and bark.
"Okay, no more games," Kai hissed, claws glowing with energy.
The rabbit landed and charged again.
But this time, Kai was ready.
He focused—his vision sharpening, time slowing. He could feel the Evolution System assisting him, running calculations in the background.
[Prediction Matrix Engaged – Weak Point Identified.]
The rabbit leapt, aiming high.
Kai dove low, twisting midair and spinning.
His tail whipped around—
CRACK!
A direct hit.
The rabbit's body was slammed into a nearby tree with a heavy thud. Bark exploded. Leaves rained down.
Kai didn't let up.
He rushed in, flames bursting around his body.
[New Skill Activated: Flame Pounce][Passive Unlock: Combat Instinct Lv.1]
He tackled the Titanfang, claws sinking into its side. The creature thrashed, kicking hard with its hind legs. One kick struck his chest, knocking the wind from his lungs.
But Kai held on.
With a furious roar, he reared back and bit into the bunny's neck, flames erupting from his mouth and searing its fur.
The Titanfang screeched in pain.
And then it stopped moving.
Kai backed away, panting, body bruised and singed. Smoke rose from his wounds. His wing still stung, but the pain was dulling now.
[Enemy Defeated: Titanfang Rabbit (Rank B-)][Essence Absorbed: +2 Evolution Points][New Trait Acquired: Muscle Spring Lv.1 – Increases jump power and reflex speed.]
Kai sat back on his haunches and stared at the steaming corpse.
He laughed softly.
"I can't believe I almost died to a bunny…"
He looked down at his claws, trembling slightly.
"But I won."
A warm pulse spread through his body.
[Evolution Progress: 47% → 62%][New Skill Slot Unlocked.]
"Not bad."
He closed his eyes and focused on his inner world—the interface glowing inside his mind.
There, in the depths of the Evolution Path, new branches had appeared.
[Mutation Available: Adaptive Musculature – Evolve Tail and Claws][Pathway Detected: Beast-Slayer Dragon Form (Locked until 80%)]
Kai took a breath.
He wasn't strong enough yet.
But he was getting there.
Later that night, Kai returned to the trees and found a quiet spot near a cliff overlooking a lake. The moonlight glimmered on the water below, calm and beautiful.
He looked up at the stars.
"I wonder if that girl is still thinking about me."
He didn't know why the thought bothered him.
But it did.
He wasn't supposed to care.
He was a dragon.
A monster.
But maybe… someday…
He'd talk to her again.
Far away, in the Moonlight Citadel, Elira sat by her window, staring up at the same moon.
She held a notebook in her hands, scribbling something down in elegant handwriting.
"White hair. Glowing eyes. Strong, but not hostile."
"Spoke broken language. Could turn into a dragon."
She tapped the page with her pen.
"Where did you go?" she whispered.
And deep in the woods, the wind carried no answer.
Only silence.
And a heartbeat growing stronger with every evolution.