章 2: blurry vision
Jiang's panic grew as the reality of his situation sank in. He was stuck in the body of a penguin, with no idea how or why. And even worse, he had no idea how to undo it.
"What do I do? What do I do?" he thought, his mind racing. He tried to think back to the woman, to what had happened in the alley. She had said something, something about awakening. But what the hell did that mean? And why had it turned him into a penguin of all things?
As he stumbled through the alley, trying to make sense of the situation, a sudden voice echoed in his mind—cold, mechanical, and utterly foreign.
"Soul Evolution System initialized. Transformation complete: Emperor Penguin form. Stage One abilities unlocked. Synchronization at 43%."
Jiang froze. "What… what the hell was that?"
"Soul Evolution System active. Stage One transformation: Penguin. Magical properties: Locked."
A system? Was he in a game? No, that couldn't be right. This was real life. But then again, real life didn't involve turning into penguins. His brain struggled to keep up with what was happening, but the voice continued, unrelenting.
"To progress, user must stabilize transformation and acquire energy through experience. Current status: 43% synchronization. Unlock additional abilities upon completion of Stage One."
"Stabilize transformation?" Jiang squawked aloud, though it came out as an unintelligible noise. He tried to calm himself down, tried to piece together what little he could understand. There was a system in his head now, and it was telling him he had somehow… transformed? Was that what this was? Was his body undergoing some kind of transformation into a penguin?
It was absurd, but what other explanation did he have? He tried to focus on the words—synchronization, abilities, progression—but none of it made sense. He felt like he had fallen into some strange, twisted video game world where the rules no longer applied.
Before he could ponder it further, the system's voice cut through his thoughts once more.
"Danger detected. Hostile entities approaching. Survival mission initiated: Survive until dawn."
Jiang's heart nearly stopped. Hostile entities? What the hell did that mean?
He looked around frantically, his eyes darting between the shadows of the alley. The feeling of unease from earlier returned, stronger now, and he could feel something in the air—something wrong.
As if on cue, the shadows at the far end of the alley began to shift. Jiang's breath caught in his throat as he watched the darkness ripple and pulse, slowly coalescing into a shape. A figure emerged, tall and lean, with glowing red eyes that pierced through the gloom.
The man—or whatever it was—moved with unnatural grace, his steps barely making a sound as he advanced. There was something off about him, something inhuman. His eyes locked onto Jiang, and a smile twisted across his face—a smile that sent a wave of cold terror through Jiang's tiny, feathery body.
"Well, well," the man said, his voice smooth and sinister. "What do we have here? A little bird, all alone."
Jiang backed up instinctively, his flippers scraping against the ground as he tried to retreat. But there was no escape. The alley was a dead end, and the strange figure was blocking the only way out.
"What do you want?" Jiang tried to shout, but all that came out was another helpless squawk.
The man's smile widened, and he took another step forward. "I can feel the energy coming off you. Fresh, untapped potential. You don't even know what you are, do you?"
Jiang's mind raced. The system had said something about energy, about progression. Did this guy know what was happening? Was he part of it? He didn't have time to think. His body screamed at him to run, but how? He was a penguin, damn it!
The man's eyes gleamed as he raised a hand, dark energy swirling around his fingers. "Don't worry, little bird. I won't hurt you... much."
Jiang's flippers flailed as he scrambled backward, his tiny body sliding against the wet pavement. He could feel the pressure in the air now, a suffocating force bearing down on him as the man's energy crackled around him.
"Run!" his instincts screamed, but he couldn't. He couldn't move fast enough.
The man lunged, his hand outstretched, dark tendrils of energy snaking toward Jiang. In a panic, Jiang dropped to the ground and did the only thing his penguin instincts allowed him to do—he slid. His belly hit the pavement, and he skidded forward, slipping out of the man's grasp just in time.
The man cursed, his hand missing Jiang by inches as the penguin slid across the ground, propelled by some instinctual survival mechanism. Jiang's heart raced as he careened down the alley, his tiny body gliding over the slick pavement faster than he ever thought possible.
The man's angry shouts echoed behind him, but Jiang didn't stop. He slid out of the alley and into the street, narrowly avoiding the wheels of a passing taxi. He rolled awkwardly to his feet—well, webbed feet—and continued waddling as fast as he could toward the nearest source of cover.
A small fountain sat in the middle of a nearby plaza, and without thinking, Jiang dove into the water. The cold hit him like a slap, but his penguin body responded instinctively, paddling with surprising speed. He swam to the far side of the fountain and peeked over the edge, his tiny heart pounding in his chest.
The man from the alley stood at the fountain's edge, his red eyes glowing with fury. He glared at Jiang but didn't follow. Instead, he snarled and backed away, disappearing into the shadows once more.
Jiang slumped against the edge of the fountain, his entire body trembling. His mind was still reeling from the encounter, but one thing was clear: whatever had happened to him, whatever this system was, it wasn't just some bizarre dream.
Something very real—and very dangerous—was happening.
As he tried to catch his breath, the system's voice returned, calm and unbothered.
"Mission complete. Survival achieved.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット