Discovery of the Evolution System

Biodun's eyelids fluttered open, greeted by the sterile white ceiling of a hospital room. His body ached, and a dull throbbing behind his eyes made him wince. His memories were fragmented, but the flashes he could recall filled him with unease—screeching tires, the deafening crash, then darkness.

A soft beeping nearby confirmed his location. Hospital. Alive. But barely.

As he shifted slightly, attempting to rise, a sharp pain shot through his side, forcing him to gasp and lie back down. "Damn," he muttered through gritted teeth.

Just as he was about to close his eyes and let the encroaching sleep take him, something strange happened—a faint, translucent rectangle appeared in his vision, as if hovering just beyond the hospital ceiling. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear it away, but the image remained.

[System Activated]

"What... the hell?" Biodun whispered, his heart rate spiking. He glanced around the room to see if anyone else noticed this strange phenomenon, but it seemed to be only in his vision.

Before he could make sense of it, another notification popped up, its text sharp and clear:

Welcome, Biodun. Your Evolution System has been activated.

"Evolution System?" He blinked again, certain now that he must be hallucinating from the medication or trauma.

The hospital room suddenly felt more confined. The beeping of the machines seemed louder, the sterile smell more pungent. Biodun clenched his fists, his breath coming in short bursts. Panic rose in his chest. Was this real, or was his mind playing tricks on him?

Then, a calm, soothing voice spoke, not aloud but directly into his mind. "Relax, Biodun. The system will guide you. Trust it."

Trust it? He wasn’t even sure he trusted his own senses right now. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper, afraid that speaking too loudly might summon some nightmarish apparition. But the voice didn’t respond. Instead, another notification appeared:

First Task: Walk 100 steps.

He blinked, trying to process. Walk? He glanced down at his body, still bandaged and aching. It was an absurd request. Wasn't it?

But something inside urged him to try. "Fine," he muttered, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. The floor felt cold against his bare feet, and for a moment, he doubted he could even stand, let alone walk.

Still, something pushed him forward—curiosity, desperation, maybe even madness. He placed his feet on the floor, gripped the bed's rail, and pulled himself upright. His legs wobbled under his weight, but he managed to stay on his feet.

One step. Then another.

Each step sent a sharp pain through his body, but he counted them silently, one by one, forcing himself forward despite the discomfort. The hallway outside his room seemed endless, but he didn’t stop. He needed to know if this "system" was real or just another cruel trick of fate.

Eighty steps. Ninety. One hundred.

Just as he reached the final step, a soft chime echoed in his mind, and a new notification appeared before him:

Gssmzzz! Ding!! Task Completed: Walk 100 steps. Earned 50 XP. [Level 0] [XP: 50] [Skills: None] [Weapons: None]

Biodun stumbled, catching himself against the wall. His breath came in ragged gasps, but a surge of triumph coursed through him. It was real—whatever this "Evolution System" was, it was real. And it had just begun.

Biodun leaned against the cold hospital wall, his heart racing and breath still unsteady. The reality of what had just happened weighed on him like a leaden blanket. He’d completed the task—a simple task, but the implications of it felt far from simple.

"50 XP..." he whispered, eyes unfocused as the system's display still floated in his vision. He had no idea what that meant. Points? For what? And what came next?

The notification faded, leaving only silence. The corridor around him was eerily quiet, save for the occasional beep of distant machines and the soft padding of nurses' footsteps. He felt isolated, as if he existed in a bubble where the rules of reality were slowly unraveling.

Before he could ponder further, the voice returned—calm, controlled, and utterly inhuman. "Well done, Biodun. You’ve taken your first step toward evolution. But this is just the beginning."

Biodun clenched his fists. "What do you want from me?" he demanded, his voice a harsh whisper. He hated how powerless he felt, how little control he had over this situation.

"Want? I am here to guide you. Nothing more." The voice was soothing, but it did nothing to ease the tension knotting in his chest. "Your second task awaits."

Another notification flashed before his eyes:

Second Task: Identify a threat in your environment.

"Identify a threat?" Biodun echoed, frowning. What kind of task was that? He glanced around the corridor, his mind racing. It seemed empty, calm. But was it?

"This isn’t a game!" he growled, frustrated by the vagueness of it all. But deep down, he knew this was no ordinary situation. His instincts flared to life, urging him to pay attention to every detail around him.

He pushed off the wall and took a few hesitant steps, scanning his surroundings. The hospital seemed safe, sterile, but the task demanded that he find something—anything—that could be considered a threat. His eyes narrowed as he focused on every shadow, every distant noise.

Suddenly, a strange sensation washed over him. His vision sharpened, and his mind seemed to focus with unnatural clarity. He could hear the subtle hum of machinery behind the walls, the faint rustle of fabric as a nurse turned a corner, the soft click of a door closing somewhere in the distance. Every detail became significant.

Then he noticed it—a figure standing at the far end of the hallway. The person was dressed in a hospital gown, much like his own, but there was something... wrong. The way they stood, unnaturally still, their head tilted at an odd angle, staring directly at him.

Biodun’s heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, he took a step back.

The voice chimed in again. "Well done, Biodun. You’ve identified your first threat. Now, survive."

Survive?

Before he could react, the figure lunged toward him, moving with unnatural speed. Biodun’s body moved on autopilot—he ducked to the side just in time to avoid a vicious strike from the figure’s hand. The force of the attack shattered the nearby wall, sending debris flying.

Adrenaline surged through him as he scrambled to his feet. "What the hell?!" he gasped, backing away from the assailant. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. This wasn’t just a hospital patient—it was something else, something far more dangerous.

His eyes darted to the system notification still lingering in his vision:

[Threat Level: Low]

[Task: Survive the encounter]

The figure advanced again, its movements unnervingly quick and erratic. Biodun had no weapons, no skills—nothing that could help him in a fight. But he wasn’t about to give up. If this was a test, then he had to survive. Somehow.

He searched his surroundings for anything he could use as a weapon. His eyes landed on a metal pole used for IV drips nearby. Without hesitation, he grabbed it and swung it wildly as the figure charged at him again.

The impact of the pole against the figure’s side sent a jarring vibration up his arms, but it worked—the attacker stumbled back, giving Biodun a moment to breathe.

The voice returned, calm amidst the chaos. "Survival is the first step toward evolution. Keep going, Biodun. You’re stronger than you think."