The man just came out of his egg—egg shell still stuck on top of his head, disgusting warm fluid dripping down his tiny serpent face.
He looked at the window-like screen floating in front of him, expressionless.
A new holographic panel flickered into existence.
---
(SYSTEM BOOTING… WILL YOU SURVIVE?)
Name: Arin
Species: Lesser Cave Serpent (…stupid toddler)
Cultivation: Body tempering(stage 1)
Status: Extremely Pathetic
Stats:
Strength: 0.5 (A toddler will beat you)
Agility: 0.7 (can you even run? Right you don't have legs so... I guess slither faster?)
Endurance: 0.2 (try not to move ok?)
HP: 2/2
Cultivation speed: 0 (You wish)
Evolution Potential: "lol… good luck."
Bloodline: 0.1% (???)
Skills:
Pathetic Bite (Lv. 1) – yep… it's just pathetic.
Fear Sense (Lv. 1) – your species' innate ability to…shit itself in panick.
Newbie Slither (Lv. 1) – Wiggle. Just wiggle.
Quests:
1. Stay alive for 10 minutes
2. Do NOT get eaten
3. Seriously. Don't. Get. Eaten.
Rewards available… if you somehow survive.
---
"What the f*ck is this?" he hissed instinctively.
Except… the sound wasn't human.
A sharp hissss escaped his tiny mouth.
Then it hit him.
A cold instinct slammed into his mind like a bucket of ice water.
His tongue flicked out.
His pupils narrowed.
Every nerve screamed—
Danger!
He didn't think.
He jumped—
…or well, violently wiggled into the air.
His tiny body thudded against the ground, pain rippling through his scales.
"Sss—!"
He winced.
Then he saw it.
Another Lesser Cave Serpent, freshly hatched, slimy, stupid, and somehow even more pathetic-looking than he was.
It raised its head and hissed—
Then launched at him.
The attack was slow.
Like, painfully slow.
Arin could almost take a nap before dodging.
He awkwardly twisted to the side, barely avoiding the tiny serpent missile.
His landing?
Disastrous.
His HP dropped from crashing into a rock.
The other serpent turned again, preparing to lunge a second time.
This time it came in full speed but surprisingly his life was on the line so... He moved and doged...
Arin's mind screamed:
I JUST GOT HERE—LET ME LIVE 10 MINUTES FIRST!
He looked toward the tiny serpent.
It had smashed headfirst into a rock and now twitched pathetically on the ground—
unable to stop itself once it went full speed.
"Well… ferocious, sure.
But also incredibly stupid."
Arin thought as he stared at the nearly-dead serpent.
A sudden, primal hunger crashed over him.
Arin froze—his new instincts screaming louder than his human thoughts.
Before he realized it, his body was already slithering toward the wounded hatchling, drawn by an urge he couldn't fight.
"W–well… he tried to kill me first, so… it's fine, right?"
Arin tried to justify himself, staring at the barely-breathing serpent.
But the hunger only grew sharper.
It drowned out the guilt.
It drowned out everything.
And then—
he opened his tiny jaws and took his first bite.
Once he tasted blood, he couldn't stop.
Something inside him clicked—cold, instinctive, and utterly feral.
With every bite, his thoughts grew dimmer, his instincts sharper.
By the time he lifted his head, the little serpent was gone… and he felt different.
Colder.
Fiercer.
More serpent than man.
A soft ding echoed in his mind.
A system window flickered into existence:
---
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
You actually survived 10 minutes.
Honestly? I underestimated you.
"I definitely didn't expect you to be the one doing the eating.
Impressive… in a concerning way."
Arin hissed in annoyance.
"…Where are my rewards then?"
The system chimed again—way too cheerfully.
---
[TIP]
Rewards? Oh, sure.
But maaaybe try being a little nicer to me first?
Let me explain it slowly:
Keep me happy —> you stay happy.
Simple, right?
---
Arin felt the invisible daggers stabbing straight into his soul.
Cold sweat slid down his tiny serpent head.
His entire demeanor shifted instantly.
'Happy system, happy life… I guess,' he thought bitterly.
…
"Better. Here are your rewards:"
1. Basic Tier general Draw Ticket ×1(basic for your level)
2. +2 Inventory Slots
3. Shop Access Unlocked(f tier)
---
"There are… things like this too?"
Arin's excitement rose, his serpent eyes gleaming as the translucent panel flickered before him.
But beneath that thrill, a strange instinct stirred — a whisper from some distant, fragmented memory.
Something about these privileges…
felt wrong.
As if these were not rewards meant for a creature like him.
The eerie sensation crawled down his spine, foreign and cold.
But he brushed it aside quickly; curiosity and hunger for growth drowned out the unease.
Arin hurriedly opened the rewards menu.
Arin clicked on the Draw tab.
A new window popped up—loud, flashy, and somehow insulting.
Across the top, glowing letters mocked him:
"Welcome, gambler! Hurry up and waste your time and energy on this stupid lottery!"
Under it, smaller lines flickered:
"Go on, pull it. Ruin your life early."
"Odds so low even hope gave up."
"Don't blame us when you cry."
Arin stared blankly.
"…Why does this feel like a scam?"
A massive, colorful wheel materialized in front of Arin. It spun wildly the moment he tapped
[Use Basic General Tier Draw Ticket ×1].
THUMP—THUMP—THUMP—THUMP—
The wheel made heartbeat-like sounds, each beat speeding up as the rotation blurred into a rainbow.
Arin gulped.
The labels flashing past were… discouraging.
Common Health Potion (bright green, a huge chunk of the wheel)
Rotten Meat (why is this even a reward?)
Bloody Eyeballs (the letters were dripping…)
Basic Combat Technique: Serpent Edition (a tiny sliver—barely visible)
Body Tempering Pill (a microscopic golden speck labeled JACKPOT)
The more he watched, the more hopeless it looked.
"What kind of scam lottery is this…?"
The wheel spun faster, the thumping reaching a climax—
THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP—
Arin's eye anxious in anticipation of the result The wheel finally began to slow down… and the pointer moved toward something Arin absolutely did not expect