Ren's grip on the red crystal tightened as a slow, almost delirious grin spread across his face. This was insane.
It was absolutely tailor-made for him. If there was ever a cheat that could match his personality, intelligence, and ambitions perfectly; this was it!
His scientific mind was already running at full speed, rapidly stringing together a dozen potential applications in a matter of seconds.
He could evolve weapons into legendary artifacts. He could refine alchemy ingredients to perfection. He could enhance his own techniques, mind, or even body!
Even ideas could be evolved. That meant hypotheses could become theories. Theories could become laws.
This wasn't just power. This was progression at its absolute peak!
Ren inhaled deeply, forcing himself to remain calm. He knew that if he allowed himself to get lost in excitement, he might miss crucial details.
And if there was one golden rule in science, it was to always observe first before jumping to conclusions.
With a steadying breath, he tapped "Next" on the watch.
The screen flashed, and a new set of instructions appeared.
[HOW TO PLACE AN ITEM INTO THE EVOLUTION CRYSTAL:
Simply will the object into the crystal. If it is inside the Evolution Forge, it will be transferred automatically.]
[Once inside, progress can be monitored through the Forge Command Bracelet (the watch).]
[The degree of evolution completion and the required sacrifice will be displayed.]
Ren's brow lifted slightly. No need to manually place the item inside? Just willing it was enough?
That meant the forge was connected to his thoughts. It was an intelligent system that responded to his intent.
That alone changed everything.
With this method, he wouldn't need to physically interact with dangerous materials. Cursed artifacts? Toxic potions? Explosive substances?
He could conduct experiments remotely without ever touching them.
That was terrifyingly efficient.
But he wasn't done yet, there was still more to learn.
He tapped "Next", and the watch displayed another key feature.
[SACRIFICE SYSTEM:
The standard sacrifice for evolution is life force, life span, and blood.]
[However, alternative sacrifices can be tested for compatibility with the item being evolved.
Different sacrifices reveal different evolution paths.]
Ren's smile faded slightly.
He instantly broke this down in his head into a simpler, more direct understanding.
1. Life force, lifespan, and blood were the primary currencies for evolution. That meant his own vitality was on the line whenever he used this.
2. But alternative sacrifices existed. That meant he wasn't completely bound to trading his own life. If he could find other compatible materials, he could lessen the burden on himself.
3. The type of sacrifice influenced the evolution path. This meant that if he experimented, he could unlock unique, rare, or even superior evolution routes.
This… was dangerous.
Extremely dangerous.
Sacrificing life span was not a small thing. If he wasn't careful, he could literally burn away decades of his own existence!
And the fact that this was the default method made him feel slightly suspicious.
Why was life force the main currency? Why not energy? Why not mana?
It was almost as if the Evolution Forge had been designed specifically to demand something deeply personal from its user.
Ren narrowed his eyes. No matter how amazing this ability was, he needed to be careful. No system was completely free.
Everything in existence operated on the law of equivalent exchange.
But at the same time, he couldn't deny it…
This. Was. Powerful!
And right now, he was done observing.
It was time to test it out.
The moment the watch displayed "End of Basic Tutorial Mode," Ren took a deep breath and turned his eyes back to the red evolution crystal.
The crystal that made time flow 100 times faster inside. This was his golden opportunity.
With a flicker of intent, he activated the Forge Command Bracelet.
It was time for his first experiment!
This was it. The first real test of the Evolution Forge. But it wasn't just about testing the system; this was personal.
Ever since he arrived in this world, one thing had been gnawing at the back of his mind. His failure. His greatest failure.
Project Chaos.
A scientific endeavor so ambitious, so monumental, that it had the potential to change everything.
But something had gone wrong. Horribly wrong. And that failure had cost him everything; his career, his reputation, his very life.
Even now, after reincarnation, the weight of that failure still clung to him like a ghost. He needed to know. What had gone wrong? What was the missing piece?
And now… he had the perfect tool to find out.
Without a shred of hesitation, Ren willed the entire mess of jumbled thoughts, theories, and equations related to Project Chaos into the red evolution crystal.
The reaction was instant.
The crystal flared to life, blazing with golden light. Inside, a shimmering orb materialized—a thought given form.
Images flickered across its surface, blurry, chaotic flashes of numbers, symbols, and equations, constantly shifting.
Ren's breath hitched. Seeing his own thoughts as a tangible object was surreal. It was like watching a living memory, trapped inside a golden sphere.
Then, the watch on his wrist vibrated with a notification.
[Basic Thought Added to Red Evolution Crystal
Time for Evolution: 3 hours 20 minutes (Real Time) → 2 minutes (Chamber Time)
Ren's eyes widened.]
Two minutes?!
That was insane. If the time inside the red evolution crystal was this fast, he could evolve dozens of things in just an hour!
His mind raced with the sheer possibilities, the efficiency, the power, the limitless growth!
But then his excitement came to a screeching halt.
A new notification appeared.
[Required Sacrifice for Evolution:
12 hours of lifespan
10 points of life force
1 liter of blood]
Ren froze.
His stomach twisted.
"...What?"
He stared at the numbers, waiting for them to change. Surely, this was a mistake.
Twelve hours of lifespan?! A full liter of blood?!
That was not a light price. That was insanity!
Ren's fingers hovered over the "Proceed" button. This was dangerous. If he casually used the Evolution Forge without thinking, he might just end up aging himself into an old man or draining himself dry.
But even as his rational mind screamed at him to stop, his obsessive need for answers overpowered it.
This was Project Chaos.
The mystery that had haunted him even in death. He couldn't just walk away from the truth. With gritted teeth, Ren pressed "Proceed."
The impact was immediate.
It felt like someone had punched a hole through his chest. His vision blurred. His legs nearly buckled. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest as a wave of weakness and dizziness crashed into him.
Losing a full liter of blood in an instant? Yeah. That was not fun.
Ren staggered, gripping the side of the desk for support as his heart pounded erratically. His skin felt cold, his breaths shallow.
It was like he had just run a marathon without warming up, and then someone had decided to kick him down a flight of stairs for good measure.
But even through the dizziness, he smiled.
Because right in front of him, a countdown had begun.
[1:59]
[1:30]
[0:45]
Ren could barely stand, but his eyes stayed glued to the crystal.
[0:10]
His fingers twitched in anticipation.
[0:01]
DING!
[Evolution Completed!]
The golden orb inside the crystal darkened slightly, its glow more refined, more stable. Then, in a flash of light, it appeared outside, floating gently in front of him.
Ren's hand shot out, grabbing the orb instantly. The moment his fingers made contact, the orb melted into his skin.
His eyes snapped open.
A surge of golden light filled his vision. Images, data, numbers. It was like a flood of information exploded inside his mind.
For five full minutes, Ren just stood there, completely still. His brain was being overwhelmed with knowledge, and he was absorbing every single bit of it.
Then, his eyes widened.
"...So that was the reason?"
A slow, almost disbelieving chuckle escaped his lips.
"That's it?!"
Then—
Ren started laughing.
Loud. Almost manic.
Such a simple mistake. Such a tiny oversight!
Yet that single flaw had led to the complete failure of Project Chaos.
If he had noticed it back then—if he had just tweaked a single calculation—his entire fate would have changed.
"Ahh... damn it." Ren rubbed his forehead, still chuckling. "I was so close..."
But instead of regret, he felt relief. For the first time since arriving in this world, he finally had closure.
Project Chaos had not failed because it was impossible.
It had failed because he had missed something. And now that he knew the truth, he could fix it.
He could do it again. And this time, he wouldn't fail.
Ren exhaled deeply, leaning back as the exhaustion finally caught up to him. His body felt weak, but his mind was sharper than ever.
Then, as his golden eyes dimmed back to normal, he looked down at the watch on his wrist.
"...This Evolution Forge is ridiculous."
He smirked.
"This cheat is way too overpowered."