C1 I Became a Snake

It was freezing!

A damp, chilly breath kept assaulting Lin Yuan's body, compelling him to pry his eyes open.

"Why is it pitch black?"

Lin Yuan paused, bewildered.

Then, it hit him that something was amiss.

He vividly recalled being betrayed, leading to the death of his family!

Overcome with despair after losing his ability to seek vengeance, he had plunged into the sea, choosing suicide.

But how had he ended up here?

And why was he in a damp, frigid cave?

"Why can't I feel my body?" Lin Yuan's alarm spiked.

"Ding! The host's current status meets the activation requirements for the Infinite Evolution System. Initiating system startup!"

"Ding! The Infinite Evolution System activation is complete, now binding."

"Ding! The Infinite Evolution System binding complete, system is now fully active!"

A string of emotionless system prompts abruptly echoed in Lin Yuan's mind.

While Lin Yuan grappled with his shock, the system chimed in once more.

"Detection: A grey rat is approaching within three meters. Issuing the first novice mission: Hunt and devour the grey rat. Completion will unlock the novice gift pack and the character panel."

As the voice faded, a rudimentary map materialized in Lin Yuan's mind, making him aware of his surroundings.

He could sense the grey rat nearby, even without seeing it, his instincts kicking in.

It was at this moment that Lin Yuan had a startling revelation—he was no longer human but had become a snake!

A black snake, at that.

Unsure of his species, Lin Yuan recognized he wasn't particularly powerful.

He attempted to coil his body.

And just like that!

In an instant, Lin Yuan slithered out of the cave.

His initial movements were awkward and skewed, but he swiftly mastered the art of slithering and made his way toward the cave's entrance.

Lin Yuan couldn't fathom why he'd been resurrected as a snake, but one thing was clear—he'd inadvertently acquired the system!

Though clueless about the system's purpose, his immediate objective was to complete its mission. Only then could he delve deeper into the system's workings and decide whether to persist and if there was a chance to avenge his family.

Indeed, it was the burning desire for vengeance that spurred Lin Yuan to determinedly crawl out!

Lin Yuan moved swiftly, exiting the cave in complete silence.

Beyond the cave lay a dense, primeval jungle, thick with weeds reaching half a person's height.

At that moment, Lin Yuan crept through the underbrush, utterly unnoticed.

Once outside, the whereabouts of the gray rat became even clearer.

Before long, Lin Yuan spotted a gray rat, about the width of three fingers and half a foot long, nestled among the weeds.

The rat was engrossed in gnawing at the roots, oblivious to the impending danger.

Witnessing this, Lin Yuan instinctively held his breath, despite lacking the need for it.

From a bird's-eye view, one could see a small black snake, merely two feet in length, slithering out of a cave entrance, stealthily inching closer to an unsuspecting gray rat. Perhaps in anticipation of the strike, the snake had unconsciously coiled its upper body, poised to spring forward at any moment!

Then, in a flash!

The shadow darted and vanished!

The black snake lunged, racing towards the unsuspecting rat!

The disturbance finally caught the attention of the gray rat. It looked up to see the black snake bearing down on it, let out a shrill scream, and scrambled to take cover.

But whether it was to fulfill the Infinite Evolution System's mission or driven by instinct, Lin Yuan deftly maneuvered his tail, lashing out and swiftly ensnaring the gray rat, constricting it tightly.

Time trickled by.

As Lin Yuan began to feel a soreness throughout his body, the ensnared gray rat ceased its struggles and stopped breathing altogether.

Only then did Lin Yuan loosen his grip. He lay beside the lifeless rat, eyeing his prey.

Despite the ease of the hunt, the thought of consuming the rat was somewhat repulsive to him.

Yet the gnawing hunger within and the resolve in his mind ultimately overcame his revulsion.

Lin Yuan edged closer, coiled around the rat once more, opened his jaws wide, and took a bite.

As Lin Yuan braced to swallow the rat whole, he was taken aback as the gray rat before him transformed into a beam of light that shot straight into his mouth, vanishing without a trace.

At that moment, the system alert chimed in!

"Congratulations on your successful hunt and consumption of a gray rat. You've earned a system gift bag and have unlocked the system panel, where you can view all your personal information!"

"Congratulations on devouring the little gray rat. You've gained 0.1 experience points!"

With the alert, a semi-transparent system panel materialized before Lin Yuan.

Host: Lin Yuan

Status: Normal Black Snake (Evolvable)

Grade: 0/10

Talent: Identify enemy locations by scent

Speed: 0.2

Defense: 0.1

Attack: 0.3

Available Attribute Points: 0.1

Martial Arts: No realm, inaccessible!

Checkable Packages: Newbie Gift Bag x1 (Closed/Open)

Lin Yuan's eyes methodically scanned the panel. Realizing his status, it dawned on him that he had indeed transformed into a snake!

And not just any snake, but one at the bottom of the hierarchy!

"Hold on, what's this about a realm? And evolvable? Does that mean I can evolve?"

The comparison might have been a bit off, but that was Lin Yuan's instinctive interpretation.

"Your realm is determined by your current strength. Demonic beasts are categorized from levels 1 to 10, but you're merely a common snake, not even ranking as a level 1 demonic beast, hence your realm is 0. Your status reflects your current form, which will evolve as you do. By continuously consuming other species and absorbing their life essence, you can evolve further. Should you manage to reach level 10, you may even have the opportunity to revert to your ancestry!"

"Revert to my ancestry?" Lin Yuan was taken aback, then his eyes grew wide with excitement. "Legends speak of snakes transforming into dragons. Could it be, after reverting, I might become a dragon?"

The thought sent a surge of excitement through Lin Yuan.

Dragons!

They were revered beings capable of commanding the elements and receiving adoration from multitudes!

Should he ascend to dragonhood, he might just be able to exact vengeance for his family!

With this revelation, Lin Yuan's heart blazed with fervor.

Yet, as his aspirations soared, the system issued a dire warning.

"A level 1 demonic beast is closing in fast. You must flee immediately!"