develop ideal genes

Leon walked with steady steps, lost in thought. The past month had changed him in ways he hadn't imagined.

When he first fought the scorpion, he had been uncertain, hesitant. But now, after battling countless monsters and entering the cocoon six more times, his body had evolved. His strength, speed, and reflexes had sharpened, his endurance pushed beyond normal human limits. Each time he emerged from the cocoon, he was stronger than before. His body had adapted, refined itself, absorbed new abilities.

The longest time he had spent inside was fifty-two hours, the result of a battle that had nearly cost him his life. The cocoon had held him there, reshaping him, repairing him, until he finally broke free—reborn.

He glanced at his hands, flexing his fingers. His claws glinted under the sunlight, dark and curved like the talons of a predator. His teeth had sharpened as well, designed to tear through flesh with ease. But what fascinated him most was his vision.

He had gained the sight of a creature that could see in the dark as if it were broad daylight. Another monster had given him the ability to detect movement from the corners of his eyes, his peripheral vision extending unnaturally far. And somehow, his body had fused these separate gifts into a single, seamless ability.

"My power doesn't just take abilities—it improves them."

Most of the creatures he fought lacked anything useful, but when he found something valuable, it became a part of him.

Just as he was considering what other abilities he might need, a sudden disturbance pulled him from his thoughts.

The forest around him trembled as a group of monsters rushed past. Their clawed feet tore up the earth, their eyes wide with primal fear. They didn't even acknowledge his presence, too consumed by their frantic need to flee.

Leon stilled.

"They're running from something."

The air grew thick with heat, and the faint scent of burning earth reached his nose. He turned his head slowly in the direction the creatures had come from, and then—

Boom.

A deep tremor rippled through the ground, followed by another. Something massive was approaching.

Leon didn't hesitate.

He ran toward the source of the tremors, excitement surging through his veins. Lately, monsters had begun avoiding him altogether. The weak ones sensed his presence and fled before he could even engage them. But now—finally—he had found something strong.

The trees thinned, and then he saw it.

A beast of fire and stone.

It loomed before him, its massive form resembling a walking volcano. Its body was covered in blackened rock, its molten veins glowing like rivers of lava beneath cracked armor. Smoke curled from its nostrils, and its eyes burned with a deep, smoldering rage.

The monster let out a guttural roar, and without hesitation, it attacked.

Its jaw opened, revealing a mouth filled with pulsing, molten light. A fireball erupted from its throat, streaking through the air with terrifying speed.

Leon had no time to dodge. He braced himself, raising his shield—a shield that had grown stronger with every transformation.

The fireball slammed into him.

Heat exploded around him, scorching the air and forcing him backward. His muscles screamed in protest as he dug his heels into the dirt, barely holding his ground. Smoke curled from his arms, and the impact left a deep, aching burn along his skin.

"That was too close."

Before he could recover, the monster launched another attack. Another fireball, then another.

Leon gritted his teeth, dodging to the side as the second blast struck the ground where he had just stood. The explosion sent dirt and flames flying, burning the surrounding foliage.

"I need to get closer."

But every time he moved, another fireball came hurtling toward him. The monster wasn't giving him an opening.

Leon narrowed his eyes.

This was a problem. He had no long-range attacks.

His body was built for close combat, for tearing through enemies with his claws and brute force. But against something like this—something that could attack from a distance—he was at a clear disadvantage.

"I have to find a way in."

He studied the monster's movements, searching for a weakness, a pattern, anything that would allow him to close the gap.

And then—he saw it.

An opportunity.

His lips curled into a grin.

This fight wasn't over yet.