Chapter 101: Shaking the Real World
Urduja’s excitement did not last long.
The joy that had exploded from her moments earlier gradually faded as the reality of what was happening settled into her mind. She remained seated atop the ruined building while the crimson mist continued drifting toward her from every direction. The strange red particles resembled snow more than mist now. Countless crimson specks floated through the air, dancing beneath the moonlight before dissolving into her body one after another.
Her five parasitic tendrils slowly swayed behind her.
The sensation was familiar.
Very familiar.
She had experienced this once before.
Not in this life.
In her previous one.
That was why her excitement quickly transformed into shock.
Then disbelief.
Then confusion.
Finally, tears slowly appeared in her eyes.
Because unlike anyone else in this era, Urduja knew exactly what this phenomenon represented.
The red mist was not merely power.
It was recognition.
Recognition from the evolutionary system governing life itself.
A reward.
A blessing.
A declaration.
Somewhere in the world, a human had reached a biological threshold that humanity had never naturally reached before.
Not through ancient bloodlines.
Not through inherited mutations.
Not through noble ancestry.
Not through divine intervention.
Someone had surpassed a limit.
A limit that humanity itself had failed to cross for countless generations.
That achievement had triggered a response.
The evolutionary tide had answered.
And now the entire human race was benefiting from it.
Urduja slowly raised her trembling hand.
The red particles landed upon her skin before dissolving into her flesh.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
In her previous life, humanity had struggled.
Humanity had suffered.
Millions died.
Millions more mutated into monsters.
Entire civilizations disappeared.
Yet despite all that suffering, there were moments when humanity received blessings like this.
Rare opportunities.
Miraculous opportunities.
Events capable of changing the fate of entire generations.
This was one of them.
The red particles would strengthen adaptability.
Improve compatibility.
Enhance evolution.
Children would benefit.
Adults would benefit.
Even future generations would benefit.
The amount varied from person to person.
But everyone would receive something.
That was why Urduja cried.
Because she knew exactly how precious this moment was.
Then suddenly—
Her stomach trembled.
The sensation was subtle.
Yet it immediately froze her expression.
Urduja’s eyes widened.
"No..."
The trembling came again.
Her breathing stopped.
Then more red particles appeared.
Not around her.
Toward her.
An enormous amount.
Far more than before.
The crimson snow began converging directly upon her body.
The speed increased.
The density increased.
The phenomenon became obvious enough that even ordinary people would notice something unusual.
Urduja immediately grabbed her stomach.
Fear appeared in her eyes.
Because she understood what this meant.
"No..."
Another wave of red particles entered her body.
Her breathing became uneven.
"No..."
The trembling became stronger.
Then another realization struck her.
A realization she had been avoiding ever since waking up after that incident.
Clayne Corrode.
The name appeared inside her mind.
Everything stopped.
The wind.
The sounds.
Even her thoughts seemed to freeze.
Clayne.
The reason she returned.
The person she wanted to find.
The person connected to countless future events.
The abandoned child of the Corrode Family.
The forgotten son.
The useless bloodline.
The failure.
At least...
That was what history claimed.
Urduja slowly lowered her head.
Her thoughts raced.
In her previous life, she had investigated the Corrode Family extensively.
Too extensively.
She knew secrets most people never learned.
One of those secrets involved Clayne.
The abandoned child.
The son born with the wrong bloodline.
The child whose biological potential had been deemed defective.
The child whose future had been stolen before he even understood what had happened.
Urduja remembered countless reports.
Countless investigations.
Countless pieces of information gathered over years.
One fact always remained the same.
Clayne Corrode should have been ordinary.
Inferior.
Weak.
His bloodline had been stripped.
His potential had been stolen.
His biological inheritance had been transferred elsewhere.
That was why he had been abandoned.
That was why he had disappeared.
That was why nobody cared about him.
Yet...
What if they had been wrong?
The possibility suddenly emerged.
Then refused to disappear.
Urduja’s pupils contracted.
"No way..."
The words escaped unconsciously.
A second later, another thought followed.
A terrifying thought.
What if Clayne had evolved without the Corrode bloodline?
What if he had surpassed it?
What if he had achieved something no member of the Corrode Family ever managed to accomplish?
The implications made her heart pound.
Because the phenomenon currently occurring across humanity suggested exactly that.
Someone had elevated the species.
Someone had reached a biological threshold beyond ordinary humans.
Someone had impressed the evolutionary galaxy.
The realization made her hands tremble.
Then another realization followed.
The child.
The child inside her.
The red mist.
The overwhelming attraction.
Everything suddenly aligned.
Urduja slowly covered her mouth.
Her eyes widened.
"No way..."
The sentence emerged again.
This time weaker.
More uncertain.
More terrified.
"Don’t tell me..."
The thought became impossible to suppress.
What if Clayne was alive?
What if the person responsible for this phenomenon was Clayne?
What if the child she carried was connected to it?
The possibilities overwhelmed her.
Part of her wanted to run.
Part of her wanted to hide.
Part of her wanted to return immediately.
Yet another problem existed.
The Emperor-level crimson mantis.
The monster.
The thing capable of slaughtering King-level creatures effortlessly.
That creature was still there.
The memory alone made her shiver.
Eventually, Urduja closed her eyes.
Then exhaled slowly.
"No."
She needed to become stronger first.
She needed to absorb this opportunity.
She needed to stabilize herself.
Then she would return.
Then she would find Clayne.
No matter what.
The decision gradually settled inside her heart.
So she remained seated upon the rooftop while the crimson particles continued pouring into her body.
Waiting.
Growing stronger.
Preparing for what came next.
...
Far away, hidden deep within an ancient mountain range untouched by modern civilization, a pair of crimson eyes slowly opened.
The owner of those eyes sat within a massive stone chamber illuminated by blood-red flames.
Ancient symbols covered the walls.
Countless coffins rested nearby.
The air smelled of old blood.
An elderly man slowly raised his head.
His appearance seemed ordinary at first glance.
Yet the aura surrounding him carried a terrifying nobility.
The aura of a predator.
The aura of a being standing at the top of an ancient lineage.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Interesting."
His voice echoed softly throughout the chamber.
The crimson particles drifting through the world had reached even this place.
The old man closed his eyes.
Then felt the changes occurring.
The enhancement.
The adaptation.
The blessing.
His smile widened slightly.
"A human managed to impress the evolutionary galaxy."
The statement sounded calm.
Yet hidden beneath it was genuine interest.
For thousands of years, his family had prepared for the apocalypse.
For thousands of years, they had waited.
Planned.
Predicted.
And now someone had accomplished something unexpected.
The old man’s fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.
"Who are you?"
The question remained unanswered.
Yet his curiosity had already been awakened.
The faint crimson aura surrounding him resembled a noble vampire standing beneath a blood moon.
...
Elsewhere, hidden within a frozen wilderness where ordinary humans could never survive, another pair of ancient eyes slowly opened.
A different old man emerged from meditation.
His body appeared human.
Yet the pressure surrounding him felt wild.
Primal.
Savage.
Like an ancient beast wearing human skin.
The crimson particles drifting through the air slowly entered his body.
The old man’s expression changed.
Then a deep laugh echoed throughout the frozen valley.
"Interesting."
Snow exploded from nearby mountains.
Several giant wolves immediately lowered their heads.
The old man stood up.
His silver hair fluttered behind him.
His golden eyes glowed brightly.
"Someone has pushed humanity forward."
The statement carried genuine approval.
The old man slowly looked toward the distant horizon.
Then smiled.
His aura resembled an ancient werewolf king observing the rise of a new era.
...
Meanwhile, inside the Corrode Family’s ancestral castle, an unusual silence dominated the grand hall.
Dozens of important family members remained seated.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
The atmosphere felt heavy.
Tense.
The crimson evolutionary phenomenon had not escaped their notice.
Every member present understood its significance.
Which was exactly why they were disturbed.
The family patriarch sat at the far end of the hall.
His expression remained unreadable.
Around him sat elders.
Successors.
Bloodline holders.
Powerful figures whose names could shake entire regions.
Yet none possessed answers.
Only questions.
Who did it?
Who elevated humanity?
Who impressed the evolutionary galaxy?
Who triggered the blessing?
The silence persisted.
Then—
The massive doors suddenly burst open.
Bang!
A servant rushed inside.
His breathing was uneven.
His face was pale.
Sweat covered his forehead.
The disturbance immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
One elder frowned.
"Explain yourself."
The servant dropped to his knees.
His entire body trembled.
The expression on his face carried disbelief.
Shock.
Fear.
Excitement.
All at once.
"Madam!"
He practically shouted.
"Madam!"
The entire hall became silent.
The servant swallowed hard.
Then raised his head.
"What happened to the Blood Pearl of Young Master Clayne..."
His voice shook.
Several elders immediately stood.
The servant’s face became even paler.
Then he finally shouted the news.
"Young Master Clayne is alive!"
The hall exploded into chaos.
Yet the servant’s next words froze everyone.
"Not only that..."
The servant trembled.
"The Blood Pearl changed."
And for the first time in many years, genuine shock appeared on the faces of the Corrode Family’s highest-ranking members.