Han-Jun planted his paws, his tiny chest heaving. The Great Boar was lowering its head, its heavy hooves scraping the dirt in preparation for a final, catastrophic charge. The air hummed with the tension of the Earth mana radiating off its tusks.
"Alright, Aethelgard. You gave me the SSS-rank. Now let's see if I can survive long enough to actually use it."
' Status! Status! Where is the damn evolution bar?!'
[NOTICE: EVOLUTION PROGRESS: 99%. ONE REFINED MANA SAMPLE REQUIRED.]
'One percent! One percent is all I need! Fine! You want to eat a lizard? Get ready for severe indigestion!'
The boar grunted—a deep, seismic sound—and launched its multi-ton body forward.
Han-Jun didn't move. Not at first. He waited until the last possible microsecond, until the shadow of the beast completely engulfed him. Then, he activated [Heart of the Dragon], but instead of a wide pulse, he focused every ounce of his mana into a single, needle-sharp point aimed directly at the boar's left eye.
The mana burst hit the beast, causing its massive head to whip to the right.
SKREEE!
Han-Jun didn't dodge. He sprinted towards the boar, using the momentum to slide under the beast's belly. It was a suicide maneuver. He unhinged his jaws, his mouth unrolling into a swirling vortex of black and blue mana.
"GLUTTONY... DEVOUR!"
He clamped his teeth onto the soft, exposed underside of the boar's throat, just as its massive hoof descended.
CRUNCH.
The world exploded into a chaotic mess of sound and impact. Han-Jun was crushed against the dirt, the boar's massive weight pinning his small body down. But he didn't let go. He felt the pure, primal mana of the Earth roiling out of the wound, flooding his throat like liquid magma.
100%.
[NOTICE: EVOLUTION REQUIRED.]
[TRAIT ACTIVATED: GLUTTONY OF THE VOID DRAKE — OVERLOAD]
The boar squealed, a sound that cracked the surrounding oak trees. Its massive bulk shuddered and began to dissolve, not into light, but into a black, swirling mist that was sucked into Han-Jun's mouth.
It was too much mana. His tiny draconic body couldn't hold it. The pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt, like being filled with boiling steel.
'Fuck... my skin is... breaking... I did... it...'
His vision blurred, and the darkness rushed in.
[NOTICE: INITIATING CALAMITY EVOLUTION]
[RACE: CALAMITY HATCHLING (SSS) -> CALAMITY SCION (SSS)]
[STATUS: COMPLETE.]
The humming system interface was the first thing to return. Han-Jun groaned, his head throbbing with a phantom ache. He was lying on a soft bed of grass near the edge of the pond.
'Ugh... what time is it? Did I hit 100% or did that boar make me a ghost?'
He tried to push himself up, but something was wrong. His arms felt... long. His balance was completely different. He opened his eyes, squinting at the intense morning sunlight.
He looked down.
He wasn't covered in grey scales. He was pale. Flawless. And very, very naked. He sat up, his heart pounding, and reached for his face. His skin was smooth. His snout was gone.
"F-fuck... Are you kidding me?! I have hands?! I HAVE FINGERS?!"
His voice was clear now, the raspy lizard-growl gone, replaced by a clear, high-pitched childish tone. He stared at his small, human-like hands, wiggling his fingers in pure, ecstatic disbelief.
"FUCK! YES! YES! YES! No more lizard paws! I'm human again! FUCK YOU, LIZARD-LIFE!"
He jumped up, but his long, flexible grey tail snapped against his thigh, reminding him he was still only mostly human. He paused, looking back. The tail was still there, and two tiny, obsidian-black horns were barely noticeable just above his temples.
"Wait... tail is still a go... horns... whatever. I can put a hat on that."
He ran to the edge of the pond, his tiny feet slapping against the grass. He looked down into the crystal-clear water. A reflection stared back at him—a young boy, maybe seven years old, with pale skin and a messy mane of pure white hair. His eyes were a startling, vibrant electric blue. He had a slight, sharp smile that looked... dangerous.
Han-Jun stared. He didn't look like a human. He looked like the Scion of a primordial power.
'Scion of the Drake. That's my race! My true, SSS-rank face!'
He paused, a sudden, horrifying thought occurring to him. He looked down at his crotch.
[NOTICE: 'COMPOSED MIND' SUPPRESSING EXISTENTIAL PANIC.]
[ADVICE: EXPOSURE TO ELEMENTS WILL RESULT IN A 1% HEALTH PENALTY PER HOUR.]
"ARE YOU SHITTING ME?! I'M AN SSS-RANK GOD AND I'M UNABLE TO SURVIVE A COLD BREEZE?!"
He scrambled around the edge of the pond, looking for anything he could use. He settled on a massive patch of wide, leafy grass. He unhinged his jaw—which was thankfully still draconic—and snapped up a dozen long blades. He wasn't sure how to do it, but his [Draconic Scion] body instinctively understood simple crafting.
A few minutes of fumbling later, Han-Jun was wearing a pair of the most rustic, leaf-woven shorts the world had ever seen.
[NOTICE: 'GRASS PANTS' EQUIPPED. HEALTH PENALTY REMOVED.]
He stood up, adjusting his leafy shorts. He looked in the reflection again, and a cocky, confident grin spread across his face.
'Well, if I'm stuck as a seven-year-old, at least I'm the best-looking seven-year-old in Aethelgard. I look like a tiny god. Watch out, Aethelgard. The Scion is born.'