Mutant awakening: My evolution knows no bounds

Standing there with his thoughts swirling, part of Silas regretted not using the Realm's Key to escape when he had the chance. But now, it was too late. He was already deep within the god's territory, and there would be no escape—this would only end when one of them was dead, or when he was victorious.

"Only 47 Soul points left... if I take even three solid hits, it's over. I have to give it my best shot." Silas steadied his fighting stance, eyes focused, as he waited for the mutant to finish its grotesque meal and notice his presence.

The creature slowly rose, its massive body towering over the bloodstained ground. Silas's breath caught in his throat—the thing was a hulking monstrosity, its dark, thick scales gleaming in the dim light, drenched with the blood of its recent prey. Its glowing, crimson eyes locked onto him, and the raw hunger in that gaze sent a chill down Silas's spine.

The mutant stood at least eight feet tall, crowned with two enormous horns that curved ominously from its skull. Its blade-like claws gleamed in the flickering light, and behind it trailed a long, wickedly sharp tail that swished menacingly.

As Silas sized up the creature, a notification screen appeared above its head, cold and impersonal:

[Name: Sycrax, God of the Realm]

[Grade: 4]

[HP: 1000/1000]

Silas's heart skipped a beat as he read the system's information.

"A Grade 4... the same as the Chimptant King. But this... this thing is leagues stronger than that creature ever was—"

His thoughts were abruptly cut off as the mutant suddenly materialized directly in front of him. There was no warning, just a flash of movement as its vicious claws sliced through the air.

"Too fast!" Silas's mind screamed as he barely managed to raise his scythe in time to block the strike.

CLANG!

The force behind the blow was overwhelming. Even though he blocked it, it felt like he had done nothing. The sheer impact sent him hurtling backward, crashing into a wall with a loud crack that echoed through the chamber.

Silas landed hard on one knee, teeth clenched in pain. But there was no time to recover—the mutant was already closing in again, moving at blinding speed.

SWWOOSH!

SLASH!

Silas rolled to the side just in time. The claws missed him by inches, instead slamming into the wall, leaving a gaping hole where the strike had landed. Dust and debris filled the air.

"He cut through that wall like it was wet paper," Silas muttered, his heart racing. He scrambled to his feet, eyes locked on the mutant, who was already charging toward him again.

Within seconds, it was within striking range. This time, Silas sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the claws that sliced through the air just inches from his face.

"What the..." His eyes widened in horror as a fireball suddenly shot from the mutant's maw, exploding against his chest before he could react. The blast sent him crashing into the far wall, and he collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.

"Elemental abilities?" Silas thought grimly as he slowly pulled himself to his feet, eyes trained on the creature. "No ordinary mutant should be this fast or this strong, especially with elemental powers... What *is* this thing?"

Sycrax stood still for a moment, its burning gaze fixed on Silas. Then, with a low growl, it thrust its arms out toward him. Two enormous fireballs, glowing a deep red, shot out from its hands and hurtled toward Silas at terrifying speed.

Silas's instincts kicked in. He swiped his right hand forward, releasing the soul claws from his fingertips, hoping to intercept the attack. The soul claws raced toward the incoming fireballs, but the moment they collided, the fireballs engulfed them entirely, continuing their deadly path toward him.

Before Silas could react, the fireballs slammed into him, launching him backward with devastating force. His body crashed through the crumbling wall, sending him tumbling outside the castle. He fell for what seemed like an eternity before hitting the sandy ground below.

"Argh..." Silas groaned in agony, his chest badly burned, and several bones fractured from the impact.

[You have sustained a critical injury.]

[Passive skill: Super-Fast Healing has now activated.]

[-10 Soul points.]

As the notification flashed in his vision, Silas felt the rapid healing process begin. His injuries mended at a speed that defied nature, and in seconds, he was back on his feet, completely healed. But the cost weighed heavily on his mind—his soul points were dwindling fast.

Breathing heavily, Silas gazed back up at the castle, his thoughts racing. From the gaping hole in the wall, he saw the mutant leap out, descending toward him like a predator pouncing on its prey.

Silas reacted just in time, springing backward as the mutant crashed into the sand where he had just been standing. Its claws dug deep into the ground, missing him by mere inches.

"How long can I keep defending?" Silas gritted his teeth, clutching his scythe tightly as he dashed forward, determined to go on the offensive. With a sharp swing, he aimed the blade at the mutant's leg.

The scythe connected with a sickening sound, tearing through the creature's thick scales. Dark purple blood gushed from the wound, staining the sand. Silas blinked in shock. He hadn't expected his weapon to do any real damage, yet somehow it had cut deep.

"Guess I made the right call putting most of my points into strength," he thought, sidestepping another vicious swipe from the mutant and countering with another swift slash from his scythe.

SLASH!

The scythe bit into the mutant's other leg, drawing more blood. But despite the severe injuries, the creature remained standing tall, its gaze burning with fury.

"I need more than this to kill it," Silas realized grimly, as he narrowly dodged another strike. Leaping several meters back to gain some distance, he tried to catch his breath. But the mutant was relentless. It thrust both arms out again—this time, a massive fireball shot from one hand while an equally large ice spike shot from the other.

"What the—?" Silas's eyes widened in disbelief. "Two elemental abilities?! How is that even possible?"

The fire and ice raced toward him, promising only death.

---

The sound of footsteps echoed down a dimly lit hallway as Kara walked, her expression calm and composed. She moved with purpose, heading toward a specific dorm room.

Reaching the door, she knocked twice, then waited. No response. Frowning slightly, she used her key to unlock the door and stepped inside, flicking on the lights.

The room was exactly as it had been that morning—undisturbed.

"Where the hell is Silas?" Kara wondered as she scanned the empty room.