EVoluTion Begins With A Cell

'Finally, the day has come... I'm being reborn into this world.'

The tension in the labor room was thick, almost suffocating. Seraphina lay on the bed, her legs spread apart, her breath labored and shallow. Two nannies stood by her side, assisting in the delivery. Their faces were pale, reflecting the gravity of the situation as Seraphina writhed in pain. Sweat drenched her forehead, and her lips trembled from the effort of keeping herself calm.

Inside her, Asher could sense everything. Though he couldn't read far beyond the confines of her body with his insight skill, he felt his mother's anguish. Her agony pierced through him like an invisible thread binding their fates. The guilt he felt for causing her pain washed over him, though he knew there was nothing he could do but pray the birth would go smoothly.

What worried them all was the timing. Asher was coming early, far too early. He wasn't due for another five months, yet here he was, ready—or perhaps forced—to emerge. Seraphina hadn't expected this. It was only the fourth month of her pregnancy, and though such premature births were rare in their world, they had no choice but to face it head-on.

Seraphina thrashed uncontrollably, her screams echoing in the small room as if her body were trying to expel him on its own.

"Lady Seraphina, breathe... Focus on my voice," one of the nannies urged, her tone sharp but calm. She was experienced in childbirth, but the sight of Seraphina's agony rattled even her steady hands. "On the count of three, push. One... Two..."

Asher felt the tightness around him loosen as if his very essence was being pulled from a suffocating cocoon. 'So this is childbirth...' The sensation was bizarre, almost otherworldly. He felt no pain, only a strange, distorting movement as if his entire body was being reassembled in real-time.

{Mission complete. You have successfully entered your new world.}

"Three... Push!"

Suddenly, the pressure ceased, and Asher felt himself slip into a soft, warm embrace. His lungs instinctively filled with air, though his mind was still hazy. For a moment, panic surged as his vision was veiled in darkness. 'Am I blind?' But then, blurry shapes formed before him. The first thing his eyes caught was the wooden ceiling overhead, followed by the wrinkled face of an old woman—a face twisted in worry and... disgust?

His panic flared. 'What? What's wrong with me?'

His mother's voice, though weak, cut through the room. "Why is his skin... burned?" Her voice was choked with fear, the words foreign yet somehow understood through the strange connection Asher had with her.

'Burned? What does she mean, burned?!'

Asher's small hands—frail and barely able to move—struggled to rise before his eyes. His heart sank at the sight. His skin, a charred and cracked landscape, was not what a newborn's should look like. It was as though he had emerged from the depths of hell itself, scorched by the fires of damnation.

The nanny's face grew more anxious as she glanced between the infant and his mother. "Don't worry, Lady Seraphina, he's fine... It's just a minor complication." Her words were meant to comfort, but the quiver in her voice betrayed her uncertainty. She held Asher in her arms, and her fingers began to glow with a soft green hue.

{You are absorbing healing magic. Cells are replenishing.}

Asher's body was bathed in a gentle warmth, a sensation that stirred something deep inside him. He recognized it. This was magic, similar to what his mother had used before, though stronger, more refined. As the energy flowed through him, he could feel his cells regenerating, the cracks in his skin sealing, the burn marks fading away.

'Yes... This is magic.' He could feel its flow within him, a powerful force circulating in his chest. He tried to manipulate it, to direct it throughout his body, but nothing happened. Still, the mere sensation of magic filled him with awe. For the first time in this strange new life, he felt... alive.

In moments, his scorched and frail body transformed, the charred skin replaced with a fresh, healthy glow. The nannies exhaled in relief, the room filling with an odd stillness.

"You see?" the older nanny said, her voice steadying. "This boy is blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. He is special."

Seraphina's fear subsided, though the worry in her eyes remained. A mother's concern never fully disappears, even in the face of reassurance.

Asher, on the other hand, was on high alert. 'I'm standing out too much!' He cursed his earlier eagerness. If he drew too much attention now, who knew what would happen? He had read enough fantasy novels to know that standing out at birth could lead to a future filled with restrictions, like being locked away in some temple to live a saintly, dull life. No sex, no freedom, no adventure—just constant prayer and celibacy.

Quickly, he let go of the magic he had been unconsciously channeling. The glowing aura around him faded instantly, along with the exhilarating sensation of the magic's presence.

"Look," Nanny Beth said, marveling at the now-normal infant, "the glow is gone. He's perfectly fine."

She gently placed Asher in Seraphina's arms, though her gaze lingered on him as if still processing the miraculous recovery she had just witnessed. Asher, meanwhile, let out a small cry. It wasn't because he was upset—far from it. He had read too many reincarnation novels where newborns got smacked for not crying, and he wasn't about to endure that fate.

"Ehhhhh!" he wailed, just enough to be convincing.

"I think he's hungry," Nanny Beth suggested, wiping her brow. Seraphina, though still weak and drained, nodded. With trembling hands, she pulled down the top of her dress, revealing one of her large, milk-filled breasts.

Asher couldn't believe his luck. 'Finally! This is it! You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this!' He stretched out his tiny hands, and as her nipple entered his mouth, he latched on like a professional. The taste was strange at first, unfamiliar, but soon a calming warmth spread through his body.

{First breast milk of an elf analyzed. 1 Evolution Point gained. Evolution points: 6/50.}

'Oh, I could get used to this!' Asher thought as he continued to suck, not only for sustenance but to keep gaining evolution points. The system seemed to reward even the most mundane actions. If drinking milk could give him this kind of progress, who knew what else awaited him?

Suddenly, the door to the room burst open, and a large figure stormed in. It was Ruham, Asher's father, his face pale and drenched in sweat. He rushed to Seraphina's side, eyes wide with panic.

"I came as soon as I heard! Is he...?" Ruham's voice trailed off, relief flooding his features as he saw his wife and child. He pulled Seraphina into a tight embrace, his voice shaky. "I thought I'd lost you both."

Seraphina buried her face in his chest, sobbing quietly. "He almost didn't make it... I was so scared, Ruham."

While his parents shared their emotional moment, Asher was focused on more important things. 'Great, my meal's ruined,' he thought bitterly as Seraphina pulled him away from her breast to hug her husband.

He began squirming in protest, letting out small, frustrated cries, but his father didn't seem to notice. Ruham smiled down at him and scooped him up into his arms. "Such a strong boy," he said proudly.

Asher, however, was not in the mood for compliments. 'I was enjoying my meal, old man!'

Then, Ruham's expression changed as he inspected his son more closely. His brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait a minute... Is this... Is he a boy or a girl?"

Asher's heart stopped. 'What?! What the hell is he talking about? Of course, I'm a boy! My—'

But as he looked down in horror, he realized with a sinking feeling what Ruham meant.

'Where the hell is my dick?!'