Raon sat cross-legged in a reinforced training chamber deep within The Tower's underground base. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, every breath drawing in energy, every exhale releasing tension. The soft hum of the reinforced walls around him barely registered in his mind; his focus was inward.
He was at Level 9.
Just one more.
One final push, and he would reach Level 10—the first major milestone in the evolution system. The moment when the Shop would open, and he could begin customizing his path toward power.
The thought electrified him.
But it also made him cautious.
"Accessing the Shop means choice," Kang Ha-Joon had said earlier that day. "And choice leads to consequence. Every skill you purchase, every mutation you unlock, will shape you permanently. Some gifts have hidden costs."
Raon had nodded back then. But now, alone in the chamber, those words echoed louder.
He opened his eyes.
[System Active]
[Level: 9 – Evolution Points: 540]
[EXP to Next Level: 160]
[Status: Stable]
[Mutation Effects: Enhanced Vision (Minor), Flame Core, Predator's Instinct]
[Warning: Mutation Threshold at 27% – Further changes may impact human physiology]
He stood.
The training room flickered with artificial lights as several humanoid combat drones activated around him, their synthetic frames hissing with pressurized joints and glowing cores. He had asked for the "Elite Combat Simulation"—a test designed for those close to a level-up.
Five drones. Each programmed to kill.
Raon grinned. "Let's get this over with."
The first drone lunged with a serrated blade. Raon sidestepped, his body moving with practiced grace, and landed a flaming elbow strike that caved in its metallic chest. The second and third flanked him—one with plasma claws, the other with a pulse rifle.
He activated Flame Step.
In an instant, blue fire burst from his feet, propelling him into a twisting midair arc. He spun, dodging the plasma shot, and landed atop the clawed drone. A punch to the headplate—supercharged with heat—sent sparks flying as it collapsed beneath him.
The fourth drone adapted quickly, engaging its AI's predictive mode. It fired a stun grenade that exploded in a concussive wave, rattling Raon's senses and throwing him into the chamber wall.
[Warning: Impact Damage Sustained – -12 HP]
He wiped blood from his lip, grinned savagely, and summoned everything.
"Dragon Roar!"
A wave of psychic pressure burst from him, staggering the drones. He dove back into the fray, moving like liquid fire, precise and unstoppable. A spinning kick shattered the fourth drone's processor. The fifth raised a barrier, but Raon broke through it with a fire-imbued straight punch that cracked its synthetic skull.
Silence.
Then the system chimed.
[Level Up! – Level 9 → 10]
[+60 Evolution Points]
[Total EP: 600]
[System Update in Progress…]
[Unlocking: Evolutionary Shop]
[Opening Inventory…]
Raon's vision blurred for a moment as data streamed across his interface.
Then, a sleek, circular interface appeared before him. Dozens—no, hundreds—of options unfurled like petals. Weapons, skills, enhancements, mutations, upgrades, even knowledge downloads.
The Evolutionary Shop was alive.
He slowly scrolled through the categories:
Elemental Enhancements: Flame Mastery, Cryo Field, Lightning Surge
Physical Augments: Hardened Bones, Dragon Muscle Tissue, Reflex Acceleration
Cognitive Skills: Combat Prediction, Neural Surge, Multi-Target Processing
Unique Evolutions: ??? (Locked)
Bloodline Traits: Traces of Forgotten Beasts (Requires Mutation Threshold ≥ 40%)
His eyes were drawn to a glowing tab labeled: "Dragon Path – Blue Flame Variant."
[Cost: 300 Evolution Points]
[Effect: Converts Flame Core into Blue Flame Core – Increases all fire-based abilities by 150%, introduces 'Mana Combustion' effect, unlocks latent skill tree related to Draconic Flame.]
Raon didn't hesitate.
Purchase confirmed.
[New Mutation Acquired – Blue Flame Core]
[New Skill Tree Available – Draconic Resonance Initiated]
[Passive Effect: All fire abilities now burn mana and HP from enemies]
[Warning: Mutation Threshold Increased – Now at 42%]
The fire in his chest roared to life.
Blue flames flickered across his arms, hotter than ever, but cold to the touch. A calm fury. A restrained inferno. His veins glowed faintly as the new core integrated with his body.
Then the chamber doors hissed open.
Kang Ha-Joon stood there, arms crossed.
"You did it," he said, walking in. "I felt the surge. You unlocked the Shop?"
Raon nodded. "And I chose the path of the Blue Flame Dragon."
Ha-Joon's brow twitched slightly, as if amused and alarmed at the same time. "You've taken a high-risk route. Powerful, but volatile."
"I can handle it."
Ha-Joon studied him for a long moment. Then he smiled faintly. "Good. You'll need it."
Raon tilted his head. "Why?"
Ha-Joon threw him a black data chip. Raon caught it instinctively.
"Because we've located something... or someone."
Raon raised an eyebrow.
"A Class-S monster den has formed in the ruins of Incheon. It's spawning corrupted evolvers—humans who've mutated beyond sanity. And leading them is someone... strange."
Raon's blood chilled.
"Who?"
"Your old friend."
Raon's voice dropped to a whisper. "...Min Seo."
Ha-Joon nodded grimly.
"We believe she was chosen by a different evolution system. She's no longer on our side."
Raon's thoughts raced. Min Seo. His childhood friend. The one who used to sit next to him in school when he was bullied. The one who always shared her food, her laughter, her dreams.
Now… she might be an enemy.
"What do you want me to do?" Raon asked.
Ha-Joon didn't sugarcoat it.
"Track. Investigate. If she's turned completely, you'll have to kill her."
Raon's jaw clenched. The blue flames around him flickered, rippling with his inner turmoil.
"Give me one chance to bring her back," he said quietly.
Ha-Joon nodded. "One chance. That's all we can afford."
Raon left the chamber without another word.
---
The road to Incheon was a war zone.
Raon moved through crumbling highways and broken cities, passing the remnants of civilization. Wrecked vehicles, abandoned checkpoints, and mutated wildlife painted a picture of collapse. His HUD warned him of residual radiation and mana storms in the area—signs of an unstable environment.
The deeper he went, the more twisted the land became.
At sunset, he reached the outskirts of the Incheon Dead Zone, a 20-kilometer-wide scar where the sky glowed purple and the laws of physics bent unnaturally. Corrupted monsters roamed freely—beasts with too many limbs, humans with insect eyes and molten skin.
He faced dozens, burning through them with blue fire and fury.
Each kill earned him evolution points.
But none of them were her.
Until finally—at the center of the zone—he found a cathedral of bone and crystal, rising like a nightmare from the earth.
And standing before it…
Was Min Seo.
She turned.
She was still beautiful—but changed. Her eyes glowed gold, her hair floated as if underwater, and dark energy pulsed from her fingertips.
"Raon," she said, her voice soft, sorrowful. "You shouldn't have come."
"I had to," he replied. "You don't belong here."
She shook her head. "You don't understand. This system… showed me the truth. Humanity is weak. The future belongs to the evolved."
Raon's fists ignited with blue fire.
"I'm not going to fight you," he said.
She smiled sadly.
"Then you'll die."