After using the last of its strength to jump, the wolf died, however, Damien, who was still on its back, didn’t realize this or even the fact that he was currently falling into an abyss.
Just as he was about to pass out after killing the wolf, his consciousness was forced awake by a mind-numbing pain. With this pain came clarity, and while being glad he survived, he also realized that he had eaten huge chunks of the wolf’s flesh and meat while he was in his deranged state.
Now Damien was feeling the consequences of his actions. He had begun his mutation. Since he had killed the wolf, he knew he had leveled up multiple times, but he didn’t know exactly how much since he couldn’t focus on the holographic windows that popped up in front of him.
Inside Damien’s body, mana raged as his organs healed, however, they were immediately crushed into paste right after.
This process continued as the essence that he was granted from the rising of his league battled the lightning attribute mana of the wolf that was raging inside of him, frying his organs.
Damien felt like he was strapped to an electric chair, only he couldn’t die, while simultaneously being struck by hundreds of hammers and needles on every inch of his body.
The electric currents raged, leaving him paralyzed so he couldn’t even scream out in pain.
It wasn’t just his organs that were feeling this process though, as his skin, his bones, and even his blood also started being refined.
Throughout all of this, Damien stayed conscious. He could only focus on the pain he felt and the sensation of his body essentially becoming a flesh bag and then being healed back to normal over and over again.
Combined with the endless darkness he saw on every side, Damien really thought he might’ve gone to hell.
His body was still straddled to the wolf’s carcass, but as time went on, pieces of said carcass evaporated into essence and entered Damien’s body.
Sensing the current condition of its owner, his Void Body had activated, devouring every form of energy in the near vicinity.
Damien, however, was unaware of this, attributing the influxes of energy as waves of beast mana fighting against the natural mana he gained through his level-ups.
Seconds turned into minutes which felt like hours to Damien, and at some point, he had stopped falling.
His body, which should’ve been smashed to meat paste upon falling such a distance, actually created a small crater when it reached the floor.
Damien still didn’t move though, since his mutation was still ongoing.
His eyes, which were always a deep amethyst color, were now mixed with red, and his hair gained some silver highlights and lengthened until it was shoulder length. His canines sharpened as well, while his body, which had remained skinny to this day, began growing some muscle.
The biggest change happened in his legs. While on the outside, his legs just gained some muscle and stayed symmetrical with the rest of his body, their internal structure was completely changed.
Every muscle, bone, tendon, and ligament was optimally arranged to waste no motion and to prioritize speed.
Tufts of fur began growing out of various parts of his body, but were immediately turned into energy by his Void Body and consumed.
A pair of wolf ears started sprouting on the top of his head too, however they met the same fate as the fur.
It seemed that Damien’s theory about his Void Body was partially correct. When such a large influx of mana and energy entered his body, it immediately destroyed him from the inside. If his Void Body hadn’t stolen that energy, he would’ve died immediately.
Due to this, he was able to strengthen, while anything excess that was created was turned into energy for his physique.
Through his reckless action, he was able to unlock a sub ability of his physique, though Damien didn’t know that.
He had expected his physique to consume all of the beast’s mana, making him go through minimal mutation, however, his physique allowed him to optimize his mutation for combat, while only stealing the excess that was left afterward.
What felt like many days later, Damien finally felt the pain recede to a tolerable level. Though he still felt phantom pains where his left arm should’ve been, even that wound had been seared closed by the rampaging lighting attribute.
Damien caught his breath the torture he was forced to endure almost made him insane, but now that the pain didn’t cloud his mind, he could feel what he had gained.
His eyesight had sharpened immensely along with his hearing and his canines seemed sharp enough to cut his flesh like butter, while his body was on a completely different level.
Back on Earth, no matter what he tried, whether it be dieting going to the gym, or even completing the One Punch Man training routine every day for a week, he was never able to change his build.
Now, however, he had finally formed some muscle. Although it wasn’t defined yet, he could see that the framework of a proper six-pack had formed. ‘And all it took was eating one wolf and enduring just a tad bit of brutal torture!’ Damien joked to himself.
He could also feel a new sort of danger sense had formed within him, along with a certain desire, however, he suppressed it while remembering that he had just leveled up. He then checked the notifications he got while he was mutating.
[You killed Level 15 Thunder Wolf, Gained 5000 exp]
[You have successfully raised your league for the first time. Through the growth of your legend, a class can be obtained.]
[Congratulations! You have successfully mutated. You are the first individual from the world [Earth] to accomplish a perfect mutation. Due to this immense achievement, you have been granted the title, [Evolver]. Your legend has been advanced.]
Damien was shocked as he read the messages. Words like ‘league’ and ‘legend’ were completely foreign to him, but he mused that it must be the basis on which the system categorizes strength.
Checking the class list, Damien felt he didn’t even need to contemplate his choices. His biggest strength was his teleportation, and becoming a spatial mage seemed to be a way to expand upon similar powers. Thinking up to this point, Damien didn’t hesitate and chose his first class.
[You have become a spatial mage. During the creation of the universe, the first concepts to exist were creation and destruction, followed by space and time, then life and death. Space is an essential concept in upholding the fabric of reality. You have embarked on a path to discover its secrets.]
Although he didn’t feel any major changes, Damien felt his horizons broaden. The concepts he could never quite grasp and new ideas on how to use his spatial affinity flooded his mind.
Choosing his class had somewhat enlightened him, but how he chose to go about using that information was up to him.
Unable to hold back his anticipation any longer, Damien decided to check his status.
Half-Human/Half-Beast
Level 14 – [Spatial Mage]
Experience value: 50/4500
Title(s): [•••••••, Bearer of the Void Physique, Evolver]
Affinities: Space, Lightning
Physique: Void Physique
Skills: [Teleportation Level 1], [Minor Telekinesis Level 5], [Regeneration Level 2], [Sword Mastery Level 3], [Danger Sense Level 1]
Damien was ecstatic. Seeing his stats which had increased more than tenfold, he realized the benefits of evolution. Thinking about the title he gained, he checked its effects, something he’s unable to do for his other 2 titles.
[A title granted to those who have exceeded their racial limits without suffering consequences. By completing a perfect mutation, you have acquired the ability to evolve like beasts while simultaneously gaining classes like humans.]
Damien smiled, thinking that the title was self-explanatory. He had also gained a new affinity for lightning, though he guessed that this was just due to luck.
His teleportation skill was no longer short distance, as he could clearly feel a connection to the spatial layers in a 5-kilometer radius. He also felt like he could abuse his teleportation without strain for extended periods of time.
Next, he tried to test his regeneration. He went to cut his arm, only to realize that his arm was no longer there. His face turned grim.
‘No matter. Let this arm be a reminder of my near-death experience today. I was so confident in killing a 1st class, only for it to toy with me and almost take my life. I’ll find some way to heal my arm later, but for now, I need this lesson.’
Although he still attempted to joke around, his mind had now completely accepted the situation. After all, he almost died. If he was still feeling even the slightest bit of denial, he might lose his life for real in the future. As Damien’s thoughts turned darker, that certain desire rose again. However, this time, he was unable to suppress it.
It was a bestial desire that came from the core of his being.
A desire that rose to prominence after losing a part of his humanity.
A desire felt by all beasts who grow stronger under the system.
It was the desire to kill.
To kill, to eat, and to evolve.