Mutant awakening: My evolution knows no bounds

Chapter 31: First evolution quest

Silas jolted upright in his bed the moment the morning sun shone brightly into his eyes. He sat there, his heart pounding in his chest, his entire body drenched in sweat.

Glancing around the room, a puzzled expression crossed his face.

"My dorm room?" he muttered in disbelief as he scanned his surroundings. "How the hell did I get here?"

Silas had no memory of returning to his dorm. The last thing he recalled was being out in the academy courtyard with Caleb and his minions.

Fragments of the previous night's events flashed through his mind—his encounter with Caleb, the fight, the sharp pain as the blade pierced his chest. After that, everything went black, and now he had woken up in his room as if nothing had happened.

"Before I blacked out... I remember the system notifying me that my soul points were empty, and that I would lose control. Don't tell me..." Silas's eyes widened as the realization struck him.

Out of curiosity, he opened the system interface.

**----------------------**

**[Name: Silas Griswold]**

**[Race: Half-breed]**

**[Level: 21]**

**[Health: 100/100]**

**[Soul Points: 100/100]**

**Attribute Panel:**

**[Strength: 30]**

**[Speed: 10]**

**[Reflex: 10]**

**[Agility: 15]**

**[Intelligence: 10]**

**[Available Attribute Points to Distribute: 5]**

**[Once the host evolves into a Tier 5 Soul Devourer mutant, the host will gain attribute points from each soul consumed—human or mutant.]**

**[You have until sundown to accept the quest.]**

**[Failure to accept the quest will result in cardiac arrest.]**

**[Quest Info: Clear a Grade 3 mutant realm without assistance and consume the soul of the realm's deity.]**

**[Rewards will be displayed upon completion.]**

Silas stared at the screen in silence, processing the new information.

"Evolution?" he muttered, his fingers once again tapping his chin thoughtfully. "That's right—I remember the system mentioning something about an evolution back when I absorbed the artifact."

He had read plenty of novels where the protagonist evolved by completing quests, so he wasn't completely unfamiliar with the concept. However, the mechanics here seemed more intense and far more dangerous than anything he had encountered in fiction.

"Tier 5 Soul Devourer mutant... That's the lowest rank of the Soul Devourer types, which means there'll be future quests to evolve into higher tiers."

Soul Devourer mutants, as the system had described, were mutants that gained strength by feeding on the souls of their own kind. There were a total of five tiers, each with its unique attributes. The Tier 5, which Silas would soon become, granted him the ability to gain extra attribute points from every soul he consumed, whether human or mutant.

"At least I won't have to worry about hunting down students to drain them of their souls," Silas intoned, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. But as he glanced further down the screen, the grin quickly faded.

"Clear a Grade 3 mutant realm without a party? Is this system trying to kill me?"

Though Silas had the strength of a Grade 4 mutant ability user, he wasn't confident in his ability to clear a Grade 3 realm on his own. Typically, it took at least three Grade 3s and two Grade 2s to clear a realm of that level, and now the system expected him to do it solo.

"Punishment is death if I refuse, and an attempt to complete the quest might be death too. It's confirmed—the system is out to kill me," Silas muttered, frustration lacing his words.

"I guess I have no choice but to give the quest a shot. But wait—how do I even gain access to a mutant realm? Students aren't allowed to travel through portals unless it's for a test or if they've been approved by staff for a raid. So where the hell am I supposed to find a Grade 3 portal to clear?" Silas wondered, his fingers still absently rubbing his chin as his brow furrowed in deep thought.

"Maybe the system will transport me to the realm once I accept the quest. I guess I'll just have to wait and see." Silas concluded, dismissing the system interface.

Before he could head to the bathroom to freshen up and prepare for the day, a sharp knock on his door made him freeze in place. His heart skipped a beat as his gaze darted toward the door.

He stood still for a moment, listening intently, then slowly made his way toward it. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Silas opened the door cautiously.

Standing before him was Kara, her expression grim, her eyes burning with intensity. She looked every bit as furious as she did concerned.

"We need to have a serious discussion about last night, Silas," Kara said, her tone leaving no room for argument.