The Tracker's body began to dissolve into shimmering digital particles, absorbed by the island's damp soil.
[Loot Collected:]
1x 'Stalker's Spinal Cord' (Material: Epic)
2000 Credits (System Currency)
Access Key: LIRI Sector 4
I didn't care about the loot. Not yet. I was staring at the massive, golden window pulsing in the center of my vision.
[Level 5 Reached!]
[Milestone Achievement: Giant Slayer.]
[Pack Evolution Tree: UNLOCKED.]
"Tory, you're glowing again," Hi whispered, helping a bruised and shivering Ben out of the marsh water. Ben was coughing up silt, but his [Guardian] constitution was already knitting his ribs back together.
"It's the Evolution," I said, my voice resonating with a strange, metallic echo. "The System isn't just leveling us up individually anymore. It wants to change the Pack."
I tapped the screen. Three options appeared, glowing with intense light:
[Option 1: Shadow Pack (Stealth/Assassination focus)]
[Option 2: Iron Pack (Defense/Fortress focus)]
[Option 3: Apex Pack (Combat/Evolution focus)]
I didn't even hesitate. In this world, if you aren't the predator, you're the prey.
'System, select Apex Pack!'
[Evolution Initialized...]
[Commencing Pack-wide Genetic Restructuring...]
A shockwave of white light exploded from my chest, connecting to Ben, Hi, and Shelton through the golden tethers of the [Pack-Link].
"Whoa! I feel like I just drank ten cans of Monster!" Hi shouted, his orange eyes turning into vertical slits.
[Evolution Results:]
Tory (Alpha): Gained Passive 'Presence of the Monarch' (Allies within 50m get +20% Stats).
Ben (Guardian): Gained Active 'Colossus Form' (Size and Strength double for 60s).
Hi (Ghost): Gained Passive 'Afterimage' (Moving at high speed creates two decoys).
Shelton (Artificer): Gained Passive 'Material Synthesis' (Can craft items from LIRI scrap).
The hunger that had been gnawing at my gut was gone, replaced by a cold, hard sense of purpose. I looked at my hands. They were no longer just human hands with claws; they were sleek, powerful, and hummed with the same energy as the LIRI drones.
"Tory," Shelton said, his voice dropping an octave as he stared at his glowing gauntlet. "The 'Pack Mental Map'... it just updated. I'm seeing more than just the island now."
"What do you see?" I asked.
"LIRI isn't just a lab anymore. It's a dungeon. And the 'Master' the Tracker talked about? He's in the sub-basement. He's Level 25."
I looked at my pack. We were stronger, faster, and more unified than any human or hybrid that had come before us.
"Let him stay in his basement," I said, a dark smile crossing my face. "We have the Key now. We aren't hiding in the Den anymore. We're taking the island back."
[New Main Quest: Siege of Sector 4]
Objective: Infiltrate the LIRI Research Hub.
Time Limit: 24 Hours.
Reward: 'Origin' Class Unlock.
"Check your gear," I commanded. "We move at dawn."
THE EVOLUTION IS COMPLETE! The Pack is now officially 'Apex'. Which new skill is your favorite?
A) Ben's Colossus Form
B) Hi's Afterimages
C) Shelton's Synthesis
D) Tory's Monarch Aura