Mutant awakening: My evolution knows no bounds

Silas halted in front of the door, his gaze shifting sideways to where Sensei Josh stood, silently observing the scene. Silas's eyes narrowed, and he fixed Sensei Josh with a penetrating, unblinking stare. The intensity in his gaze held for a few heartbeats before he turned away, stepping out of the room with a calm, lethal resolve.

He strode down the hallway toward his dorm room, each step measured and deliberate.

As he walked, a sudden, flashing red notification appeared before him, hovering like a warning:

[A compulsory quest has arrived]

[Quest Info: Apex Predator]

[More Information: Someone in the academy endangered the host's life. The host must hunt down this person like an Apex predator and eliminate them.]

[Kills: 0/1]

[Duration: 1 week]

[Reward: (Hidden)]

[Failure: Death]

Silas paused mid-step, examining the notification with a slight, dark smile. The quest required him to hunt down the one who had sent him and his group to the Grade 5 mutant realm and exact revenge. Although the system didn't reveal the person's identity, Silas already knew who it was.

Earlier in the day, while the students were stepping through the portals, he'd noticed Sensei Josh lingering near their group's portal, his expression unreadable yet suspiciously intent. The instant they found themselves in a Grade 5 realm instead of the promised Grade 2, Silas knew who was responsible.

This wasn't the first time Silas had clashed with Sensei Josh. Josh knew, though lacked evidence, that Silas was involved in the death of his son and his friend. One witness had survived to tell the story, but the academy dismissed it, insisting that a boy with no active Skill Slot couldn't possibly have overpowered a group of Grade 3 mutants.

To everyone else, it seemed impossible; but to Josh, it was a bitter truth he couldn't let go.

Fury stirred within Silas, his anger fueled not by the need for self-preservation but by something colder. If Josh had tried to face him alone, Silas might have respected his resolve.

But the fact that he'd risked the lives of Silas's entire group just to seek his revenge made Silas's blood simmer with contempt. This wasn't just about survival; this was about a man who would sacrifice anyone to satiate his own hatred.

He didn't need the system's encouragement to eliminate Sensei Josh; he'd already planned to. All he needed now was the perfect opportunity. 'You just wait,' he thought, the corners of his mouth twitching into a dark grin. 'I'll make you regret it.'

Silas continued down the hallway, finally arriving at his dorm room. He pushed open the door and entered, closing it behind him with a quiet, final click. Crossing the room, he sat down on his bed, summoning his system's interface with a flicker of thought.

---

[Name: Silas Griswold]

[Race: Mutant]

[Evolution Tier: Tier 4 Soul Devourer]

[Level: 62]

[Health: 100/100]

[Soul Points: 110/200]

---

### **Attribute Panel:

- Strength: 50

- Speed: 29

- Reflex: 29

- Agility: 35

- Intelligence: 30

- Available attribute points to distribute: 29

---

### **Skill Panel:**

- **Lightning Dash LVL 3:** Boosts speed for 4 seconds. Costs 10 soul points.

- **Soul Claws LVL 3:** Allows claws to extend from fingertips. Costs 1 soul point.

- **Soul Control LVL 1:** Enables movement of beings with souls, similar to telekinesis but limited to living things at this level.

---

### **Arsenal:**

- **Chest Piece Armor (Grade 3)**

- **Leg Piece Armor (Grade 3)**

- **Scythe (Grade 4)**

- **Ghost Mask and Ghost Outfit**

- **Hedgetant Quills (100)**

- **Soul Recovery (1)**

---

**[Shop]**

---

Silas scanned through the interface, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. The first thing he noticed was his increase in Evolution Tier. As a Tier 4 Soul Devourer, he could now gain an additional attribute point from each soul he consumed.

He felt a faint twinge of disappointment—an extra attribute point was useful, but he'd been hoping for something more substantial with this evolution.

"I guess each evolution unlocks a little more," he muttered, scrolling through his stats.

"The more I evolve, the closer I get to a new, more powerful skill set." He reasoned that as a Soul Devourer, his strength came from absorbing others' attributes. Still, he yearned to evolve beyond the limitations of his current Tier.

"Once I move past this stage, the real abilities will start to emerge."

Silas then directed his attention back to his available points. Deciding to focus on his speed, agility, and reflexes, he began to allocate the points, increasing his stats systematically.

[10 points added to Speed: 39]

[10 points added to Reflex: 39]

[9 points added to Agility: 44]

He'd intentionally left his strength unchanged. While his strength already surpassed his other attributes, he knew that boosting his agility and reflexes would make him a more versatile and deadly opponent. Satisfied with his distribution, he turned his focus to the skill panel.

The new active skill he'd unlocked caught his attention, and he read its description with growing interest.

"Soul Control, huh?" he murmured, considering its potential. "Being limited to living things for now is a bit of a drawback, but once I level this up…" He trailed off, imagining the possibilities. With enough progression, he could conceivably crush a mutant with a mere thought, bypassing physical constraints altogether.

That kind of power appealed to him, and he made a mental note to start practicing with it immediately.

Lastly, Silas's eyes moved to the new panel that had appeared at the bottom of his screen: the shop. Curious, he tapped it, and the interface transformed into a display of various items, gear, and tools. His eyes lit up with interest as he browsed rows of mutant armor, high-grade weapons, potions, and specialized items.

One item, a potion designed to fully replenish his soul points, caught his eye. Another item, a unique container, promised to store additional souls, allowing him to save and draw on their energy as needed. Silas scrolled further, noting with quiet excitement the array of advanced gear and equipment he could now access.

There were weapons he'd never seen, tools he'd only imagined, and gadgets that could enhance his abilities in ways he'd yet to explore. He stopped to admire a Grade 5 armor piece that promised near-impenetrable defense, and his mind began spinning with plans.

A faint smile spread across his face. This was just the beginning; with the right equipment, he would soon be a force unlike any this academy had ever seen.