The deep sea was dark and silent.

At a depth of 3000 meters below the surface, sunlight had long been swallowed by the ocean. Only occasional bioluminescent creatures drifting past brought faint glimmers of light.

Gurgle!

A disturbance rippled through the water.

Moments later, a slender figure fled in panic. It was an electric eel, desperately swimming forward while constantly glancing back.

Fear gripped it completely.

"Damn it! I’m finished this time!"

Whoosh!

Not far behind, a faster shadow surged forward. In just a few moments, it cornered the eel with nowhere left to escape.

A streamlined body.

Smooth skin.

It was a shark. A great white, three meters long, with razor-sharp teeth that marked it as a deadly predator of the sea.

The great white grinned, its tone mocking.

"Go on. Why’d you stop running?"

"Fuck it."

The eel gave up, pressing itself against a rock behind it.

"Do whatever you want. Just make it quick. I’ve got a respawn to get to."

Seeing the eel surrender, the shark lost interest in playing.

"Boring."

Just as it moved in for the kill, it suddenly froze. A look of terror spread across its face.

The eel blinked, sensing something wrong, and slowly turned its head.

In the pitch-black depths, a massive eye opened behind them, glowing faintly as it stared straight at the two of them.

"Holy—"

The eel sucked in cold water, rolled its eyes, and instantly played dead.

"What the hell is that?!"

The great white panicked and turned to flee.

A massive figure emerged from the darkness. A jet of water shot forward, and in an instant, it caught up to the shark.

Three meters against thirty.

In front of Caelum’s massive form, the shark was nothing more than a toy.

One swipe.

Blood erupted into the water.

The great white was torn into pieces on the spot.

[Evolution Points +400]

As time passed, players continued to grow stronger, and naturally, the Evolution Points they provided increased as well.

The eel had hoped the shark might distract Caelum.

It hadn’t expected this monster to be so fast.

If even the shark couldn’t escape, it stood no chance.

"Guess I’m resetting after all."

After a quiet sigh, Caelum turned back and smashed the eel into paste with a single strike. The force sent currents surging through the water.

[Evolution Points +240]

The shark had nothing worth taking, but the eel’s electric ability was valuable. Caelum had no intention of letting it go.

[Consumed: 2000 Evolution Points]

[Transplant: Electric Discharge]

[Hundredfold Enhancement Triggered]

[Ability Gained: Lightning Breath]

Immediately, jagged white bone spines grew along Caelum’s back, serving as organs to generate and store electricity. His already fearsome appearance became even more imposing.

Crackle!

Blue arcs of electricity danced across his body. He raised his head as the spines lit up, channeling energy that gathered in his throat.

Then—

Boom!

A thick bolt of lightning burst out.

A massive rock in the distance shattered instantly under the blast. The explosion echoed through the water, sending nearby sea creatures fleeing in terror.

Only one word described it.

Powerful.

Caelum checked his Evolution Points.

[Evolution Points: 99995]

A sea creature drifted lazily past him. He casually crushed it with one claw.

[Evolution Points +5]

[Evolution Points: 100000]

"Nice. Rounded it off."

The moment his Evolution Points reached 100000, a hidden mechanic triggered.

[Evolution Points reached 100000]

[Spend 100000 Evolution Points to perform First Evolution?]

[Upon completion, you will gain a new form and advance to Tier 2 Life]

Only now did Caelum fully understand what Life Tier meant on his status panel.

"So that’s how it works."

There was nothing to hesitate over.

"Yes."

Curiosity filled him. What would his new form look like?

Drowsiness washed over him.

Caelum slowly fell into a deep sleep.

Curled into a ball, he lay silently on the ocean floor at a depth of 3000 meters. A rock-like substance gradually formed over his body, eventually encasing him in a massive black egg.

Evolution took time. Meanwhile, the game world continued to move forward.

Quietly, the seabed began to rise, lifting Caelum’s egg along with it toward the surface.

Time passed.

Eventually, the waters receded, and golden sunlight poured down.

Stranded octopuses and countless sea creatures found themselves on land. Players began a new wave of strengthening. With flying creatures landing and drifting players arriving, a newly formed super island became the next hunting ground.

On the island—

A five-meter-tall gorilla stood proudly, radiating dominance.

A pair of pure white wings extended from its back. Two sharp, spear-like spider legs jutted from its waist.

Its body was covered in dark red scales.

At a glance, its combat power was obvious.

Leading a group of bizarrely evolved players, the gorilla was planning an ambush on another group.

But before they could act, the other side struck first.

A sudden assault caught them completely off guard.

"Roar!"

The gorilla bellowed in rage.

"Fight back! Kill them!"

Boom!

At that moment, a massive boulder crashed down from above. Not far behind them, a mountain split open with a thunderous crack, debris scattering everywhere.

The players froze.

"The mountain’s splitting!"

"What’s going on?!"

"Is it an earthquake?!"

Rocks rained down, shaking the ground. The mountain slowly tore apart, and before the horrified eyes of all present, a gigantic claw covered in black scales emerged.

Then it ripped the mountain open completely.

A colossal beast, over a hundred meters tall, revealed itself.

Caelum had awakened.

Feeling the overwhelming power surging through his body, he threw his head back and roared.

Crackling blue lightning burst forth.

"ROAR!!"

A devastating breath shot into the sky, tearing straight through the clouds. Violent energy surged within them, turning the heavens chaotic.

Thunder roared.

Lightning flashed.

Golden eyes locked onto the players below.

A chill shot straight through their minds.

The gorilla’s fur stood on end as it screamed in terror.

"Run!!"

It was meaningless.

Caelum lowered his head. His breath swept across the battlefield.

The players had no resistance.

In an instant, they were reduced to nothing.

[Evolution Points +880]

[Evolution Points +1230]

[Evolution Points +650]

In mere moments, every player was wiped out.

The Evolution Points he had just spent were quickly replenished.

[Evolution Points: 46800]