Genetic Awakening: My Genes Evolve Infinitely!

At first, his list of notifications was exactly as he’d expected. More kill notifications, more Origin Crystal drops, more of the same repetitive nonsense that he had already mentally filtered out during the battle. He skimmed past dozens of them, then past dozens more, and his growing frustration only eased slightly because at least this proved the Origin Realm had been paying attention to his efforts, even if it refused to comment any further on the actual dungeon.

The one disparity he did notice was the lack of any genes or genetic armaments dropped, which would be normal under any other circumstances.

...But he’d killed hundreds of these Rabid Wolves! With this amount several of them should have dropped by now. This was more than just bad luck, Rohan was beginning to think that genes and genetic armament drops were either lowered inside, or entirely impossible.

’Huh...?’

However, his mind completely moved past all of this as he reached the top of the list, having gone in order of latest to most recent.

He stopped everything he was doing, and just stared.

He scrolled down, even attempted to refresh the list a few times, but that final notification remained there no matter what he did.

He had no idea what to make out of it.

Because while it had nothing to do with the dungeon completion, it was definitely something he’d never seen before.

[Title acquired.]

Rohan blinked silently.

"...What?"

He forgot all about the dungeon still not being cleared. He even forgot all about his exhaustion.

Because that... title right there, was new.

Completely, utterly, bizarrely new.

’A title...?’

The Origin Realm had granted him a title?

Rohan read the message again, half expecting the wording to somehow change now that he had acknowledged it, hoping it revealed that he’d actually misread the whole thing in some sort of post battle delirium.

But it didn’t.

The message remained exactly the same.

A title.

Something Rohan had never even heard of before.

Not in the Federation,. Nor from the countless stories and snippets of Awakened knowledge he’d been exposed to growing up.

Not even from Elane in the packages of information she occasionally dumped on him on any random occasion.

Nothing.

If titles were a known mechanic of the Origin Realm, then he should have heard something about them by now.

Even if they were incredibly rare, even if they were reserved for the upper ranks or hidden behind special conditions, the Federation should absolutely know about them and scream the information from every classified wall it owned.

But Rohan had heard nothing. Not a wink.

Either this was so rare and obscure that hardly anyone had ever triggered it... and those who did kept it to themselves.

Or it was something entirely unique to this dungeon — which was even more terrifying to imagine. Neither potential answer was particularly comforting in any way.

’But all the Origin Realm has told me is the fact that I’ve acquired this "Title", it hasn’t even elaborated on anything past that.’

Rohan fell into thought. This wasn’t any physical object, that was something he was sure of. He was pretty certain that even in his exhausted and half delirious state, he would have noticed something appearing out of thin air right in front of him.

’Perhaps I’ll find something new in my status.’

[Name: Rohan Roy]

[Rank: F]

[Talent: Evolution Gene (Normal(F) - 0%, Elite(F) - 24%)]

[Genes: Molten-stone Skin (E rank - Elite)]

[Genetic Armaments: F rank Horned Rabbit Spear (Elite)]

————

[???]

[Titles: Rabid Wolf Slayer I]

Rohan’s brows rose, and even in his current state, his awareness heightened and his body started to run like normal.

To say he was surprised would be an understatement, just that any other time he would be flipping his shit over this. Right now he was both too exhausted and in far more rational state than normal for such a reaction.

’What’s with these question marks? And hell, this created an entirely new section on my status just to display my "titles", what the hell is going on...???’

Rohan focused on the title itself, this ’Rabid Wolf Slayer I’ title, and to surprise him even further, more information expanded itself out from that.

[Rabid Wolf Slayer I]

[Requirement fulfilled: Kill every Rabid Wolf within the dungeon in less than three days.]

[Effect: Movement speed increased by 25%]

Rohan couldn’t believe his eyes — they were practically bulging out of his eye sockets.

He’d never heard of something like this existing. Not once in his short life. Especially the fact that this was a percentage increase, and one that the Origin Realm was being completely transparent about!

A 25% increase to his movement speed was insane to his current self, but as he continued to grow, it would only further prove its worth and how overpowered it was...

Normally, the Origin Realm was vague about how much power an Awakened could gain from something, and that was if it offered any explanation at all.

Take his Lava Hellebore for example — the Origin Realm only stated that it would add the molten attribute to whatever it was used one, and guarantee an upgrade to E rank, with a tiny chance of it also rising to Commander tier. Never did it speak of any specific percentages or what exactly this ’tiny’ chance was.

But this was different, not only did it plainly tell him the increase he was receiving, it was an insane one as well!

’It’s called Rabid Wolf Slayer I, as well. Does that mean it can be upgraded to Rabid Wolf Slayer II?’

If his suspicions turned out to be true, and the title and its effects could be upgraded even further, then that was just insane. Out of this world.

"...No, all of this is insane."

He spoke hoarsely. By the already absurd standards the Origin realm had set for itself, that was still ridiculous. If it were just a one time increase, then he could accept that as something the Origin Realm would give, but the fact it would scale with him for the rest of his journey as an Awakened took it far beyond anything else.

But then he gradually calmed down, remembering something.

’This isn’t the first insane thing the Origin Realm has done. I guess the fact I even have the Evolution Gene is still more absurd than this.’

Rohan’s exhaustion suddenly felt a lot more tolerable. His frustration with the dungeon not being cleared was still present, but it had been shoved aside by this amazing gift.

Rohan barely stifled a laugh. This was so wildly out of his expectations that laughter was the only sane response he had left.

"A title," he muttered to himself. "What the hell even are you?"

Rohan rubbed his face with his one good hand, then stopped when he remembered it was still covered in dried blood, sweat and soot.

"Right. Maybe existential revelations can wait until after I sit down and clean myself up."

***

Time passed and Rohan’s third day inside the dungeon quickly arrived.

With absolute confirmation that there were no Rabid Wolves left inside the dungeon coming from the Origin Realm itself thanks to his title’s description, Rohan felt safe enough to fall into a deep sleep to let his body and mind further recover from the chaos of the previous day.

But as he awoke, with his body feeling good as new, Rohan was faced with a predicament.

"How the hell am I supposed to get out of this place??"

The Origin Realm already said he’d taken care of all the beasts, so what on earth could still remain in this place for him to uncover? Just what were the requirements to complete this dungeon?

While his mind wandered in countless directions, looking for any possibility, he did his usual morning stretches to prepare his body for the day that lay ahead.

’With no beasts left to kill, I guess that gives me unlimited time to go searching around.’ Well, not unlimited, since his remaining time inside the Origin Realm was rapidly approaching in two days time.

Rohan had no idea how this would coincide with him being in the dungeon, but he did treat it as his fail safe if he never managed to find the requirements to clear this place.

After all, he’d never, ever heard of an Awakened being able to overstay their welcome inside the Origin Realm.

’Let’s see here... There’s no point in searching down the other tunnel, as I highly doubt there would be anything for me to find down there, which just leaves the rest of this chamber.’ Rohan reasoned. He did spent the whole previous day slaughtering wolves and so this large chamber was still mostly unexplored by him.

’Hmm? There’s more of that luminescent moss again.’ His eyes drifted to the far end of the chamber, the farthest point you could reach in the entire dungeon.

He reached the mossy area and decided to take a look around. It looked rather unassuming up close, but beyond that, he couldn’t find anything special about it.

’Sigh, another dead en—’

He was about to call it quits with this area when he noticed out the corner of his eye an empty space on the wall behind the luminescent moss, and when he cleared the moss away he was greeted with another cave entrance.