The Mortal Evolution

As Hao-Yun walked, he realized that not only was this world different in appearance from Orbis-9, its gravity also seemed to be lower than Earth's.

He was feeling lightweight, lighter than Earth, but the quietness of the surroundings made him feel something was off.

After an hour of walking, he still couldn't find the base camp of the expedition team. During their training, they were taught to build their base close to the portal, so that if anything happened, they could escape through it.

It was too odd.

"I think it is a better decision to return and report this planet's situation."

"I don't feel right here. Let's just leave this world and enter into another one."

Hao-Yun began walking on the same path he had come from, but he couldn't find the portal, as if it had disappeared.

"What's wrong with this place? Something like this never happened?"

He began running at his full speed, but still found nothing. However, there was one clearly noticeable development.

"Why does it look like this ground his acting restless?"

"It's like I'm standing on this world's heart."

SHAKE... SHAKE...

RUMBLE...

"What's this happening? Why is this ground shaking so much?"

"It's like I'm surfing in the sea."

RUMBLE...

"Whaaa... Noooo..."

The ground shook so hard that a large rift tore open. However, it was closed the moment Hao-Yun fell inside it.

Hundreds of meters beneath the ground, the darkness was at its extreme level.

Hao-Yun was lying unconscious. It took him an unknown amount of time to regain his consciousness. But even he was confused as to how he was alive after falling from such a distance.

He pulled out his torchlight and switched it on.

(Click)

"What?"

"Whaaaaa??"

"What is this? Aren't these people from the Expedition Team? What are they doing here?"

"Wait... What's with this smell?"

"It's rotting... Oh my god! Don't tell me they are all dead."

"How is that possible? What exactly happened here?"

Hao-Yun realized he was probably saved because of three reasons: his higher status, this world's low gravitational pull, and the pile of dead people beneath him.

"Calm down... calm down... calm down, Hao-Yun... You've got to survive."

"I don't wanna do it, but still, let's click some pictures of these people and the surroundings as proof that I didn't do it. Maybe we can even learn the reason why this all happened."

"I also shouldn't remain here for a long time, it's not good for my sanity."

Step-Step...

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

"This is the sound of water, or some kind of liquid. Let's try following it."

"This place, these sigils, it looks like some kind of civilization used to live here."

The place was too dark for Hao-Yun to see anything on a broader and clearer scale. His small torch narrowed his vision to only a limited area.

The faint, repetitive sound reverberated in the dark. Hao-Yun whined; his body was continuously urging him to pull back.

"What happened to the dripping sound? Why did it stop all of a sudden?"

COUGH... BLURP...

He tasted blood: not anyone else's, but his own. His body screamed in pain.

But nothing trained him for the horror when he looked at his right side.

His Right hand... was gone... Completely.

Hao-Yun had a hunch about what caused it. But he didn't dare to look back and ran as fast as he could.

THUMP-THUMP... THUMP-THUMP...

He heard the sound of feet. He knew it was chasing him, but he didn't know how large it was to create such a loud sound.

Haah-Haah-Haah...

Hao-Yun was nearly out of energy, but he still pushed himself.

GRAHBAM!

Hao-Yun reacted to a sound in a split second and found himself falling to the ground the next moment. The sound was of something that hit his left leg. The Monster attacked it. Hao-Yun was no longer able to run.

He used his remaining two limbs and turned his body around. His vision blurred, and his neck was stiff.

A strange shape emerged from the shadows. It was massive, hunched down, its thick limbs dragging across the stone with a beastly hunger. Its eyes were cold, and its jaw was stained red.

"Monster!"

Hao-Yun screamed while trying to crawl with his two limbs.

Grrrrrr...

But it looked like everything was futile.

"Looks like this is the end for me."

"My death is standing in front of me. I am unable to do anything."

"Ahh... At least Joo-na and Jiwon would remember me... Probably."

"Coming into this world was the biggest mistake in my life, so big that it cost me my life."

"Monster, looks like you're also hungry, it's okay... You can eat me."

"Is that what you thought I would say?"

"You Damned Monster, no matter how unlucky I am, no matter how strong you are. I... Hao-Yun... Refuse to die here!"

"Even if it means to make an enemy of Heaven, I would do that without Hesitation!"

"I would decide when I die, not a Monster like you, not even that damned blue screen."

Hao-Yun, in anger, hit his left arm on the ground with his remaining force.

It triggered something. A mechanism that seals the place before the Monster can react. It has been left on the other side.

"What just happened? Am I saved?"

"No... Probably not. I can't do anything with only this left arm and right leg."

He had lost hope. Believing nothing could save him today. At that moment, he heard a sound. Something descended. It was Bright... Blinding Bright...

Hao-Yun didn't know what was going on.

"That thing... I can hear it. It's calling me..."

Hao-Yun tried crawling to that Bright Light. His body was ignoring the pain and just desperately trying to touch that light.

"Is it some kind of another trap? But it doesn't matter. I'm going to die anyway, if my body is so desperate to touch this light, it can't be something bad."

(Touch...)

The moment Hao-Yun touches that Bright Light, it begins getting absorbed into his body. He feels a surge. A sudden surge that makes his mind go blank.

In a few seconds, Hao-Yun sees his body recovering to its normal state. His lost limbs are regenerating at a fast pace. The power, however, continued to surge. Now, Hao-Yun no longer felt anything pleasant, but he was feeling an itch all over his body.

In a glimpse of an eye, the Itch grew into a pain so much that it faded what he felt when he lost his limbs. His body began to swell. He was screaming out of extreme pain, but the surge of power still didn't stop.

Aaaaaaa...

"It was much better for me to be eaten by that monster!"

Noooooo... Stop it... Stop whatever you are....

I can't handle it anymore! Aaaaaa...

Hao-Yun's body swelled so much, it looked like he could explode at any moment, yet the light showed no sign of slowing down.