The First Change

The abyss wasn’t silent anymore.

Soft pulses of light flowed through the underground sea, glowing plants swaying gently with the currents. Lava streams still cut through the terrain, but here, the heat felt distant—controlled.

Kaito slowed his crawl.

> [Zone Entered: Molten Reef – Lower Depths]

[Threat Level: Moderate]

“…This place feels calmer,” he thought.

After the brutal fight earlier, his instincts told him one thing:

Don’t rush.

Small creatures moved between rocks—crystal shrimp, ember snails, and jellyfish-like beings made of light. None of them felt overwhelmingly dangerous, but each carried faint mana signatures.

> [Evolution Condition Progressable]

Kaito’s claws flexed.

“Guess this is my chance.”

---

Controlled Hunt

He targeted a cluster of Ember Shell Crabs Lv.2, smaller than him, their shells glowing orange like heated metal.

> [Enemy Detected: Ember Shell Crab x3]

Instead of charging, Kaito waited.

They moved predictably. Defensive. Slow.

“One at a time,” he thought.

He crept closer, timing the current—

Then struck.

> [Abyss Claw Lv.1 Activated]

A single clean slash.

One crab fell instantly.

The others scattered, but Kaito didn’t chase recklessly. He cut off escape paths, using rocks and terrain until both were defeated with minimal damage.

> [Enemies Defeated]

[EXP Gained]

[HP: 178/180]

“…That felt easier,” he realized.

Not because the enemies were weak.

Because he was learning.

---

Evolution Begins (Minor)

As he consumed the mana-rich remains, warmth spread through his body—not pain this time, but pressure.

> [Evolution Progress: 50% → 61%]

Cracks formed across his shell.

For a moment, Kaito panicked—

Then the shell hardened again, darker and smoother. The jagged edges refined themselves, becoming sharper yet cleaner. His horns shortened slightly, curving forward instead of wildly outward.

> [Minor Evolution Achieved]

Subspecies Trait Unlocked: Abyss-Carapace Growth

> Effect:

• Increased defense

• Improved mana control

• Reduced stamina cost for skills

“…So evolution doesn’t always hurt,” Kaito thought.

He tested his claws.

The dark energy responded faster now—calmer. Controlled.

A small smile formed in his mind.

A New Feeling

Kaito moved through the reef, no longer clumsy, no longer panicked.

Creatures noticed him—and avoided him.

“…They’re scared,” he realized.

That feeling was strange.

In his old life, he was invisible.

Here?

He mattered.

But not in a cruel way.

In a natural way.

“I don’t need to dominate everything,” he thought.

“I just need to keep moving forward.”

From above, a massive shadow passed—but didn’t attack.

> [High-level entity detected: Non-hostile]

Kaito remained still until it passed.

“…Not everything wants to kill me,” he realized.

The abyss wasn’t just darkness.

It was a world.

And he was becoming part of it.

Kaito turned toward a glowing tunnel leading deeper—but not dangerously so.

> [Next Evolution Estimated: 75%]

“Alright,” he thought calmly.

“One step at a time.”

The Devil Crab crawled forward, shell faintly glowing in the dim light.

To be continued…