Mutant awakening: My evolution knows no bounds

"Yes!"

Silas called out, and immediately after that single word escaped his lips, the room was engulfed in a fierce wind. Books, papers, and other lightweight objects spun wildly, caught in the turbulent air. The wind intensified with each passing second, a chaotic dance of fluttering pages and shifting debris filling the confined space.

Moments later, a portal materialized before Silas. Its swirling vortex shimmered with an unsettling mixture of deep red and pulsating purple—colors he had never encountered in any previous portals. The aura it emitted was both ominous and mesmerizing.

Silas took a cautious step closer, his eyes narrowing as he studied the swirling anomaly. Just as he prepared to enter, a translucent notification flashed before him.

---

[Choose an item you wish to take along to the realm]

[Note: You can only choose one item]

[1. Item Number One: Cloak

Information: This cloak prevents the host from shivering in the cold.]

[2. Item Number Two: Orb of Destruction

Information: Once activated, this orb grants the wielder a fire ability for the duration of one minute.]

[3. Item Number Three: Grade 5 Katana Blade

Information: This blade grants the host an additional five attribute points to all attributes.]

The holographic screen hovered before Silas, each option glowing faintly. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a look of deep contemplation etched across his face.

"This is the first time I've received a notification like this," he muttered. "The system must know this quest is going to be insanely difficult if it's offering free items. How generous..." His voice dripped with sarcasm as he examined the choices.

He read the description of the first item aloud. "A cloak for the cold? What use is that in this stifling heat?" He glanced around the warm room and immediately dismissed it. "Useless."

His eyes moved to the second option—the Orb of Destruction. An orb that bestowed a fire ability for one minute. That sounded far more promising. His gaze briefly flicked to the third item, the Grade 5 Katana Blade. Though powerful, his arsenal was already stocked with weapons.

"I don't need another blade," he concluded. His decision was made.

[Host has acquired the Orb of Destruction]

A confirmation popped up, and within seconds, the orb materialized in his right hand. It was about the size of a baby's head, its surface smooth and glowing a deep crimson. The orb pulsed with latent power.

"I can't wait to see what you can really do," Silas smirked, his fingers tracing the orb's surface. With a swift motion, he stored it in his arsenal.

"Equip!" he commanded in a firm tone. Immediately, a brilliant blue energy enveloped his body, crackling and illuminating the entire room. The energy flared brighter before gradually dissipating, revealing Silas clad in his upgraded armor.

The once plain armor now bore intricate spiked designs along the shoulders and forearms. The dark metal pulsed rhythmically with a subtle energy, as though alive. He flexed his limbs, testing the fit.

"Good," he muttered, satisfied. "It doesn't restrict my movements." He shifted from side to side, shadowboxing to verify his agility. The armor held up perfectly.

With everything set, Silas turned his gaze back to the swirling portal. He inhaled deeply, steeling himself, then strode forward. Without hesitation, he stepped through the vortex and disappeared in a flash.

---

A few seconds later, he emerged into a stark, freezing landscape—the Grade 5 mutant realm. The air was frigid, biting into his skin like tiny needles. He instinctively wrapped his arms around himself, his body shuddering violently.

"Dammit! Are you kidding me?!" he cursed through clenched teeth, his breath escaping in visible puffs.

Before him stretched an endless expanse of snow-covered ground. Towering mountains, their peaks blanketed in thick white snow, loomed ominously in the distance. The wind howled, carrying a cold so intense that it seeped into his bones.

Silas's eyes narrowed in regret. "So this is why the system offered that cloak..." He let out a shaky breath. "Dammit, I should have picked it."

A deep, guttural growl broke through his self-recrimination. His eyes snapped to the source—a group of mountain lion-like mutants descending from the nearest peak. Their sleek bodies moved with predatory grace, muscles rippling beneath their frost-covered fur.

Silas's jaw tightened as he summoned his Grade 5 scythe, the weapon materializing with a metallic hum. He gripped the scythe's cold shaft tightly, its familiar weight grounding him.

The creatures closed the distance swiftly, their features becoming clearer. They looked like monstrous mountain lions, but their claws gleamed like polished katanas, and two viciously curved fangs jutted from their snarling mouths.

---

[Name: Mountain Litant]

[Grade: 4]

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---

A notification flashed above each creature, displaying their stats. Silas's expression remained stoic. He was in a Grade 5 realm—these formidable foes were to be expected.

"Activate clones!" he commanded.

A dozen identical versions of himself appeared at his side, each equipped with his armor and wielding a scythe. The clones immediately began multiplying, each generating additional duplicates until the air shimmered with Silas's doppelgängers.

"Attack!"

The army of clones surged forward, charging at the advancing mutants. Silas remained rooted, his eyes cold and calculating as he observed.

The Mountain Litants leaped high into the air, their claws glinting ominously as they descended in a coordinated attack. The first wave of clones was caught off guard; several were decapitated instantly, their heads torn away by savage jaws.

But the surviving clones adapted quickly, springing backward just in time to evade the deadly onslaught. The snowy battlefield erupted into chaos, a blur of flashing blades, snarling mutants, and swirling snow.

One of the clones slashed his scythe toward a mountain lion still trying to regain its composure. The blade tore through the mutant's skin, and dark purple blood gushed out in a thick stream.

The clone readied his scythe for another attack, but before he could strike, a mountain lion pounced from behind. Its claws raked across the clone's back, shredding the armor and tearing into flesh. Blood splattered onto the snow as the clone dropped to his knees, his face contorted in pain.

Before the clone could recover, the mountain lion opened its mouth wide, fangs gleaming, and snapped his head clean off. The severed head fell with a dull thud, and the headless body crumpled to the ground, staining the snow with crimson.

Meanwhile, three other clones were locked in a desperate fight against five mountain lions. They were clearly outnumbered but fought with grim determination, swinging their scythes with all their might. The mutants circled them, claws flashing and fangs bared, looking for any opening.

Silas stood several meters away, his sharp eyes watching the chaotic battle unfold. The clones were stronger than the mountain lions, but the overwhelming numbers of the mutants gave them a dangerous edge. For every lion they cut down, another seemed to take its place.

"I need to help them. If I just stand here, the clones will be overwhelmed," Silas muttered, his fingers tightening around the scythe's handle. "I can't afford to waste all my clones' skill cards in such a pathetic way."

A surge of determination flooded through him as he activated his skill.

[Active Skill: Lightning Dash Activated]

The world seemed to slow down instantly. The mountain lions' movements became sluggish, their furious leaps and swipes reduced to awkward, slow-motion gestures. Their vicious snarls were muffled, sounding distant and distorted.

Seizing the opportunity, the clones leapt into action. Their scythes blurred as they attacked the now-helpless mutants, slicing through flesh and bone with ruthless efficiency. Silas, his body crackling with energy, dashed forward at blinding speed, his scythe poised for the kill.

He closed the distance to the nearest mountain lion in an instant. With a swift, powerful swing, his scythe carved through the air and met the mutant's neck.

SLASH!

The head separated cleanly from its shoulders, and a geyser of dark purple blood erupted from the wound. The body toppled forward, twitching as it hit the snow.

Silas didn't pause. His body moved in a seamless flow, a blur of motion and steel. He sprinted toward another mountain lion, his scythe already mid-swing. The blade met flesh with a sickening schlik, and another head fell.

Dark purple blood splattered across his armor, but Silas barely noticed. He was a whirlwind of lethal grace, his movements fluid and merciless. His eyes blazed with focus as he danced through the battlefield, cutting down mutants one by one.

In less than six seconds, twelve mountain lions lay dead, their bodies sprawled across the bloodstained snow.

[Lightning Dash Deactivated]

A brief wave of exhaustion threatened to wash over him, but Silas clenched his jaw and forced it down.

[Active Skill: Lightning Dash Activated]

The world slowed once more, and Silas surged forward, his scythe flashing like a streak of light. His clones had no chance to strike as he dominated the battlefield, each of his attacks swift and precise.

He targeted the final mountain lion, a hulking beast with fangs that gleamed like daggers. Silas closed the distance in the blink of an eye, his feet barely touching the ground as he leaped into the air. He raised his scythe high above his head, the blade shimmering with power.

[Passive Skill: Soul Slash Activated]

A glowing blue aura enveloped the scythe, pulsating with raw energy. Silas's eyes gleamed with steely resolve as he brought the weapon down in a crushing arc.

SLASH!

The blade cleaved through the mountain lion's body, splitting it in two with a gruesome crunch. The halves fell apart, dark purple blood steaming as it soaked into the cold ground.

Silas landed lightly, his breath coming in sharp, controlled bursts.

[Congratulations, you have slain all Grade 4 Mountain Litants]

The notification flashed before his eyes, but he dismissed it with a wave of his hand. Something else had caught his attention.

A figure stood atop a snow-covered peak several meters away. Silas squinted, trying to get a clearer look, but the distance and swirling snow made it difficult to discern details. All he could see was the figure's silhouette, tall and imposing, standing upright on two feet like a human.

But it was no ordinary human.

Two glowing red eyes pierced through the snowy haze, staring directly at him. The malevolence in that gaze made Silas's blood run cold. A shiver crept up his spine, and his heart pounded against his ribs, faster and louder than before.

His grip on the scythe tightened involuntarily.

"What the hell is that?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. The figure's presence radiated an obvious, suffocating dread. It was like staring into the abyss, knowing something monstrous was staring back.

A bead of sweat rolled down Silas's temple, freezing before it reached his jaw. His breath caught in his throat, and for a brief moment, doubt wormed its way into his mind.

He swallowed hard, forcing down the rising fear. His muscles coiled, ready for whatever nightmare was about to unfold.

Whatever this figure was, Silas knew one thing for certain:

The real battle was only just beginning.