Chapter 7 · Apex Loop: Glitch Evolution - Chapter 7: First Evolution Hurts Like Hell

"Do you feel it yet, Kane? That burning in your gut?"

Dr. Vivian’s voice crackled through the intercom, sounding far too amused for someone watching a man dissolve. I couldn't answer. I couldn't even scream. My jaw was locked, my throat felt like it had been scrubbed with industrial sandpaper, and every single cell in my body was currently trying to commit suicide.

I was sprawled on the cold floor of the pit, the taste of Grimm’s genetic shards still metallic and hot on my tongue. The 'Devour' prompt was still blinking in my vision, a cruel neon reminder that I’d just eaten my only ally. Now, the price was being collected.

"Stop... it..." I wheezed, the words barely escaping my lips.

"Stop it?" Vivian chuckled. I could hear the clink of a champagne glass. "We’re just getting to the good part. The shards are rewriting your sequence. It’s called 'forced adaptation.' Most specimens just melt into a puddle of grey sludge. But you... you’re fighting it."

Then the first wave hit. It wasn't just pain; it was a physical invasion.