The Evolution of the Void God: King of Cosmic Monsters

The air was thin, reeking of rusted iron and the stench of rotting meat. Amidst the skeletal concrete remains of a skyscraper in District 13, Jaden Grey coughed up a mouthful of blood. He collapsed onto the cracked asphalt as a heavy military boot slammed into his back with enough force to nearly shatter his ribs.

"Get up, you piece of filth! Don't go dying on me now—you'll ruin my mood!"

The voice belonged to Captain Vargon, a B-Grade Hunter gifted with Pyrokinesis. Vargon let out a cold, cynical laugh, looking down at the trembling Jaden with less respect than he would show an insect.

Around them, the world had been a living hell since 'The Great Collapse' ten years ago. Dimensional gates had torn open across the globe, spewing monsters that common bullets couldn't touch. The survivors gained the 'System' and 'Awakening', but for Jaden, the system was nothing more than a cruel joke.

"Look at this," Vargon spat next to Jaden’s head. "A Beastmaster who can't even tame a stray cat. And you call this thing a Summoned Beast?"

In Jaden’s shaking, bloodied palm, a dull green caterpillar with wilted fuzz squirmed feebly. It was a Moss Caterpillar. A Level 0 creature usually reserved as fodder for the pets of elite Hunters. No fangs, no venom, no combat ability. Just a small, helpless grub.

"P-ple... please... stop..." Jaden whispered, his voice hoarse. Blood trailed from his temple, blurring his vision.

"Stop?" Vargon grabbed Jaden by the hair, forcing him to stare into the abyss ahead. There, in the darkness of the subterranean tunnel, a pair of glowing red eyes stared back with hunger. "We’re in an A-Rank Dungeon, Jaden. My team needs bait to lure the Shadow Stalker out. And you? You’re the perfect lure."

"You’re insane! I’m only a F-Grade Hunter! I’ll die!" Jaden screamed with the last of his strength.

"That’s the whole point, idiot. Your death gives us a three-second window to strike its heart," Vargon smirked. With a violent shove, he hurled Jaden’s thin frame into the darkness of the tunnel.

"Have fun with your disgusting little pet!"

CRASH!

The heavy iron door behind Jaden was kicked shut and sealed from the outside with fire magic. Jaden was trapped. Alone. In a total darkness that smelled of death.

Jaden tried to stand, but his left leg seemed to be broken. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his nerves. In his palm, the Moss Caterpillar remained, emitting a dim, fading green glow.

"I’m sorry..." Jaden whispered to the insect. "I shouldn't have brought you into this cruel world."

Suddenly, a sharp hissing sound echoed from the ceiling.

Sreeeeeek... Sreeeeeek...

Ten razor-sharp claws scraped against the concrete. A Shadow Stalker. A predator known for its fondness for skinning its victims alive. Jaden felt a bone-chilling cold as the monster slowly crawled down, savouring the scent of terror radiating from his body.

Ding!

A transparent screen flickered before Jaden’s fading eyes.

[Warning: User's heart rate exceeds the threshold.]

[Condition: Near-Death.]

[Tamer Status: Ignored, Insulted, Discarded.]

"Shut... shut the hell up..." Jaden cursed. This system always appeared at the most useless moments. Since he awakened as a Beastmaster two years ago, it had done nothing but display his lowly status.

[Hidden Conditions Met: Loyalty of a Weak Creature at the Nadir of Death.]

[Unlocking Hidden Function: 'Evolutionary Devourer System'.]

Jaden froze for a second. Evolutionary Devourer? Before he could process the information, a massive black shadow lunged from the dark.

CRAAAASSSHH!

The Shadow Stalker’s claws ripped through Jaden’s shoulder, tearing flesh and muscle until white bone was visible. Jaden shrieked hysterically. The pain was unbearable. He was flung against the wall, and the Moss Caterpillar slipped from his hand, falling into a pool of his own blood.

The monster—a two-metre-tall creature with pitch-black skin and no face except for a mouth full of fangs—slowly approached the tiny grub. It intended to crush it before finishing Jaden off.

"NO! NOT HIM!" Jaden tried to crawl. In a world where everyone looked down on him, only this little caterpillar had stayed by his side, sharing scraps of dry bread in his slum shack.

As the monster’s foot was about to pulverise the insect, the system screen flashed blood-red.

[Warning! Soul Contract at risk of destruction.]

[Would you like to activate 'Force Evolution' at the cost of 90% of your remaining lifespan?]

Jaden had no time to think. If he died now, he died as trash. If he accepted, at least he could strike back at the bastards who threw him in here.

"DO IT! TAKE IT ALL! KILL THAT MONSTER!" Jaden roared.

[Activation Successful.]

[Target: Moss Caterpillar.]

[Process: Devour surrounding Shadow Essence...]

Suddenly, the once-helpless grub erupted with a dense black aura. Its soft fuzz transformed into crystalline spikes. Its dim green light was replaced by a violet flame that seemed to burn the very oxygen in the room.

GROOOOOOOAR!

The roar didn't come from the Shadow Stalker, but from the tiny creature that was now growing at an impossible speed. The caterpillar’s body elongated, segmenting into a hard chitinous armour as tough as steel.

The Shadow Stalker, once the apex predator, froze. It sensed something far more ancient and bloodthirsty rising from the creature it had dismissed.

The mutated caterpillar—now an Abyssal Silk-Wyrm—shot forward like lightning. It didn't bite; it exploded into thousands of black silk threads that wound around the monster’s neck.

SREEEEET!

With a single, violent tug, the Shadow Stalker’s head was ripped clean from its shoulders. Black blood sprayed against the walls, drenching Jaden’s semi-conscious face.

[You have slain a Shadow Stalker (Rank A).]

[Level Up! Level Up! Level Up!...]

[Your status has been permanently updated.]

Jaden felt a surge of heat coursing through his nerves, knitting his broken bones back together in a painful yet refreshing rush. He stood up slowly, staring at the monster's carcass before looking at his pet—which had shrunk back down, but now possessed a pair of intelligent red eyes.

Jaden stared at the iron door where Vargon and his team waited. His eyes were cold now, devoid of fear. There was only a bloodlust that rivalled the monster he had just killed.

"A Moss Caterpillar, eh?" Jaden smirked, stroking the grub on his shoulder, which now felt like a weapon of mass destruction. "Let’s show them who the real trash is."

Jaden walked towards the iron door, ready to turn this Dungeon into a graveyard for those who had dared to mock him.