"Help... Is there no one coming!?"
Near the cave known as Neon's burial ground, a technologically advanced aircraft crash-landed. While the ship didn't suffer catastrophic damage, its passengers weren't so lucky. The moment they emerged, they were met with a horde of monsters—twisted abominations of all shapes and sizes.
The Guardians aboard fought back, but most passengers were ordinary people, unaffiliated with the System. Weak and incapable of surviving in such a hostile environment, they perished.
"Aaaaaaghhhhh!!!"
Their screams echoed as their bodies were torn apart, shredded beyond recognition. The unfortunate few who survived the crash found themselves in a barren wasteland filled with predators. Only those with the strength to fight back—or the dumb luck to go unnoticed—clung to life.
[System: You've encountered a species different from any you've previously scanned. A race capable of becoming Guardians. Two-legged mammals with a wide variety of ethnic features.
Race: [Humans] has been added to the Guardian's racial index.]
'So I was right…'
Neon watched the carnage from afar. His gaze, cold and unflinching.
'There's no need to feel pity. This situation may be tragic, but they brought it upon themselves. What fools would fly into an isolated, uncharted zone? By the look of their clothes... aristocrats. Bribed a pilot, didn't they? That sort of arrogance always leads to death. Shame. But corpses make excellent bait.'
Discarding the last trace of empathy, Neon moved. Monsters large and small rallied to the crash site, drawn to the scent of blood. One saber-tooth tiger leapt at him from behind—only to die mid-air as his blade pierced its heart. Poison instantly spread through its veins, liquefying its insides.
The rest of the monsters froze, stunned by his sheer presence.
"I advise all of you—save your breath. Fleeing or fighting are both options. The real question is whether you'll still have a choice once you enter my territory!"
His golden Abyssal eye ignited, releasing a crushing pressure. Even beasts twice his size trembled. Though he looked human, every primal instinct screamed monster.
[System: The Guardian has used the spell [Little Helper]. Mana has been spent to summon two loyal Imps.
Summons have evolved based on the influence of the [Shard of Catastrophe].]
Two Imps manifested beside him. Yet, they were no longer ordinary. The shard flickered, reacting to his magic—and before his eyes, the Imps mutated. Twisted. Their bodies warped into smaller versions of the Abnormal he had once defeated. Despite the change, they bowed, utterly obedient.
"Kill."
With a single word, they leapt forward. Fire and shadow burst from their palms as spells rained down on the monsters. It was methodical, merciless. Neon watched in silence, disappointed at how boring it looked.
He opened his inventory and retrieved his sword—his real instrument of pleasure.
[System: The Guardian has activated the skill dwelling in [Void Fang].
Ability Chosen: [Venomous Application]
—The blade will apply an extremely potent poison.
—Void Venom overridden.
—New poison active for the next 10 minutes.]
Where the Imps couldn't reach, Neon stepped in. He lunged with his massive blade, slicing through the thick hides of charging beasts. A few tried to escape, but his throwing knives found their marks—piercing skulls, applying toxins, sealing fates.
Some monsters began working together. Despite their differences, they cooperated to drive him back. It was impressive—enough that Neon considered granting them an honorable death.
'Their intelligence is evolving. Interesting.'
He let them believe they had a chance. Then, just as their claws and fangs closed in—
CLANG!
Scales formed across his body, halting every attack.
"Basic Sword Arts: Charging Slash!"
He ducked beneath a claw aimed at his head—the only unarmored part of his body—and retaliated. His sword tore across the ground, creating a wave of slashes that sent limbs flying. Blood sprayed across the battlefield.
By the time silence fell, his sword was soaked in the blood of dozens. Satisfied, he stooped to collect meat and materials—until something stopped him.
A sound.
A heartbeat.
Not monstrous, but weak... human.
"There's still a survivor? That rhythm—it's not beastlike. It's human."
He followed the sound and found a teenage boy—bloodied, scarred, and wearing the unmistakable mark of a slave collar. His body was frail, barely clinging to life. The boy's injuries were severe, and Neon lacked the proper tools or herbs to save him.
He unsheathed a knife.
"This will be quicker…"
But just as he raised the blade—
"... I... want... to... live..."
The boy's eyes locked onto Neon's—filled not with strength, but with defiance. Neon hesitated. Those words meant little to him. The boy wasn't strong enough. He wouldn't last in this world.
Then—another chime.
[System: A fleeting life has been detected. Your race's unique ability [Infestation] can be activated.
It allows the Homunculus strain to invade a compatible host and convert them into your race.
Note: A single Homunculus cannot constitute a race. Without reproduction or replication, your existence will be classified as an abnormality.]
"...Interesting."
Neon's gaze turned monstrous.
From his palm, an unnatural fluid began to form. He shaped one of his nails into a sharp needle and injected the substance into the boy's neck. Then, lifting the teen onto his back, he returned to his cave.
Moments later, the child began to scream.
"Graaaaahhh!!!"
Neon narrowed his eyes.
'This isn't normal. The merge... it's going wrong.'
Thanks to his Golden Abyssal Eye, Neon saw through the boy's skin. His organs were being devoured and replaced. But not randomly. They were transforming—reshaped into something like Neon's own body. He spotted the Thornerus bone structure, remnants of catastrophic biology... even aspects of himself.
'So his DNA is mutating... I see.'
Neon watched, fascinated.
'This child might just become the first of my kind. A real Homunculus. Not an accident, not an experiment—an evolution.'
And he couldn't wait to see what came next.