The Mortal Evolution

Hao Yun, with a Smug face, is lying on his sofa and looking at his profile panel.

[

Name: Hao Yun

Age: 20/77

Race: Human

Job: None

Task Completed: 1

Penalty Taken: 0

Next Task Update: 18:11:22

STATS:

Strength: 5

Speed: 6

Vitality: 5

Endurance: 4

Intelligence: 6

Willpower: 4

Charisma: 6

System Affinity: 3

Luck: 4 

Skills: Cloak Identity( Passive Skill )

]

"Whoa, look at this!"

"System, how come you know my Lifespan?"

[Answering the Host's question: My main unit did a scan of this whole world, so it knows the lifespan of every single being.]

"Okay... So, what's with this skill? It's a passive one."

[Skill "Cloak Identity" allows the user to hide their true strength, achievements, and Identity from others.]

[Special Note: It is a Unique skill given only to a single person for completing the first system task before anyone else.]

"Ability to hide my true strength, doesn't that mean I can be a Wolf hiding in a Sheep's skin.... wait! That sounds evil."

"I can be a God pretending to be a human, wait! That sounds too Arrogant."

While Hao Yun keeps wondering what he would be, the rest of the world follows; some complete their task, some ignore it, and some simply procrastinate it since they are too hard.

Here, in the government office, the Officials are reaching their limits.

They have naturally divided themselves into three factions.

The First Faction wants to prioritize the Civilization Advancing System above anything else.

The Second Faction is opposing the idea since they think it could lead to disruption in the country.

The Third Faction is a Neutral one since they think both Factions have valid points.

"Do you think this is something you could handle?"

"Not completing these tasks could mean risking tens of thousands of lives, or do you think it's not plausible enough?" Says Director Lee from the National Intelligence Service.

Minister Jang of Internal Affairs refutes.

"But, changing our country's whole energy infrastructure in mere 7 days would mean using every single worker available in the nation on this task. It would be Chaos."

"What do you think, Mr. Jun? " Both ask the President.

"I think both of you have Valid points, but we can't delay this matter. If only we had a bit of a hint of this Blue Screen's reality..."

"It looks like the president of Country himself is in the neutral faction."

Their argument lasted till the next morning.

Director Lee: " Don't Everyone think we should decide by now?"

(National Police Agency) Director Choi: "Oh! Speaking of decisions, I assume every one of us has access to our individual panel, right?"

"Yeah, but what of it?"

Choi: "How dense can you be? Have you already forgotten we all received our personal tasks with a limit of 24 hours, the time limit should be over, and nothing happened to us?"

Officials: "I knew it! The Blue Panel is some kind of new trick to create Chaos in this world."

"Me too."

"Me too."

Choi: "Now that I think, it looks like this must be done by some enemy country or mad scientist."

The Meeting Room, filled with senior officials, began to feel that they were just being tricked.

At that time, Many small blue screens appeared, all containing the same message.

[Reminder: Only 10 Seconds have left to the deadline.]

[9...]

[8...]

[7...]

[6...]

[5...]

[4...]

[3...]

[2...]

[1...]

[System expresses its condolences to the Host.]

[Due to failing to complete the System Task, Host will receive a penalty...]

[System Observation has declared Host either intentionally or by being ignorant, didn't even try to complete the task...]

[Undestimating System is not a good thing...]

[Initiating Neutralizing Process.]

"What?"

"Everyone, did you see it?"

"What will happen to us?"

"Don't worry, it's just trying to scare us. How in the world will this Blue Screen neutralize us?"

"Will it grow limbs and come to kill us in this room, Ha Ha Ha..."

"BOOM!"

"SPLAT!"

"What??"

"SPLORCH!" "SPLORCH!" "SPLORCH!"

"Whaaaaaaa...."

"No, it can't be!! THWACK!"

"Ahaaaaaaa..."

[Neutralization process Complete]

Just in a brief moment, the Meeting Room filled with over a hundred senior Officials reduced to just 9.

4 of these 9, including President Jun, were from the neutral Faction, while 5 of them were from the system-prioritizing Faction.

Meanwhile, Hao Yun, on the way to his part-time job, thought:

"Today is the last day I'm doing this job."

"Now that I have this strength, I will look for something better."

"Isn't it also possible that I just won't have to do anything in the future, and still can live my life as I want?"

Just at that moment, Hao Yun coincidentally looked at the electronics shop. A TV screen facing outside.

[Breaking News: Is the world about to end? It is estimated that more than 1 billion people across the world have died because of ignoring the System Individual Tasks.]

[Those who made some progress but still couldn't complete their task received a lower penalty; many are hospitalized because of this.]

[Korea has lost around 3 million People, and almost all ministers of all departments.]

[Luckily, President Jun is still alive and has issued an order to halt all projects for the time being and put every single engineer and worker of the country to build a working Green Energy Infrastructure to power the whole country within 6 days and 12 hours.]

[Exactly what is this Blue Screen? This Civilization Advancing System? Who is behind it? And what's their motive to do this?]

Hao Yun made a bizarre expression.

He was feeling a mix of surprise, fear, confusion, and relief because he was not among those people.

[Host, a new task has been issued.]

[Please, complete it before the deadline.]

"Looks like it's already time for the new task."

"From the looks of the current situation, I don't think doing a part-time job is a good idea."

"From now on, my top priority is to complete these tasks and ensure my own survival."

"Speaking of which, how's that guy doing?"

"Can't call him since he's overseas, but at least let's leave a message for him."

Hao Yun: Dude, are you still alive?

Hao Yun: Reply immediately... if you are.

Sending Mob...

Now, let's see what today's task is...

[TASK LIST]

[

Daily Task (Rare): Obtain 3 Etheral Cores

Time Limit: 72 hours

Rewards: Random Increase in all stats(Maximum 7), Job Change crystal

Penalty: The Host will be tortured by Demons for 10 Years

Objective: Sinseol-dong station

]

"T-This... is going on whole another level!"

"But, wasn't Sinseol-dong station abandoned a long time ago? What can I possibly achieve by going there?"

Better not waste time here, don't wanna get tortured by Demons, and that is, for the whole 10 years.

With that in Mind, Hao Yun rushes to the long-abandoned Sinseol-dong station, though he ends up running into another obstacle.

"Oh god! Why didn't I think of it before?"

"Of course, this station would be sealed."

"What should I do now?"

"Ahhh... Is this the End for me?"

"Should I break the entrance and enter it?"

"No... I can't do that. Authorities will come. Everyone has access to the Individual panels. I'm not the only strong one here."

[Objective Complete: Reached Sinseol-dong station]

[Opening Entrance to Second Dimension of Earth]

[Giving Host Temporary Skill "Super Vision"]

[Super Vision: provides the ability to see things that can't be seen by normal human eyes]

"Oh-ho-hooo! Doesn't this feel like I'm the Protagonist of this World!"

"No-No-No, I can't become Arrogant."

"See you after three days, My Dear Earth."

Hao Yun steps into the black-violet portal. Nothing changes, though. He returns to Earth. In the Same place at Sinseol-dong station, he left, like he never entered the Portal.

Or so it looked like.

Hao-Yun can clearly notice, feel, and see that this place looks exactly like someone copied Earth and pasted its Layout here, but there are no Humans.

There are many types of creatures, all completely different from what we find on Earth.

"Urgh... what's with these Creatures, how come there is not a single Human?"

"Is this still Earth? Hasn't System misteleported me to some alien planet?"

"It can't be, right?"

One roaming Creature notices Hao Yun.

"Hey, You!"

"Who are you? And how did you come here?"

"This isn't a place for beings like you."

"Wait... Is this flesh?"

"Y-You! Don't tell me you came from First Dimension?"

Hao-Yun thought for a while.

"If this strange place is called the Earth of the Second Dimension, then the original Earth must be the First Dimension."

"Yeah, I came from First Dimension. But what of it!"

"By the way, who are you? And why are there so many Strange Creatures?"

"Strange Creatures, you say?"

"From our point of view, you are a Strange Creature that came out of nowhere."

"When you put it like that, it may also be true."

"Still, who are you? And what's this place?"

"Listen well, Kid."

"I'm Bleu, and this is the Ethereal Earth."

"Around 5 percent of Living beings who die on your Earth, reincarnate here."

"The people here are in their Ethereal form."

"The ones whom you can partially see through are weaker individuals, the ones who are opaque are stronger ones."

"So, what you mean to say is all people here are souls of some people who died on Earth."

"Yeah, you can say that."

"But, let me warn you, Kid, this place is too dangerous for a First Dimension person like you."

"If you stay here too long, the Dimension itself will notice your presence and exterminate you and your soul, so it's better for you to leave as soon as you can."

"Are you serious?"

"What possibly could I gain by lying to a weakling like you?"

"Y-You... You could have chosen some better words, couldn't you?"

"Still, doesn't this mean I'm in deep trouble?"

"If I stay too long, the Dimension will exterminate me like a bug, if I leave now, the System would hand me over to the Demons..."