"What can you tell me about this experiment?" I asked, eying the scroll with interest and a bit of caution. It sounded like the scroll could actually change my race, and that was not something I'd do without learning a bit more.

"Excellent question," Cyrus boomed. "Knowing what you're signing up for is a good sign. This scroll will evolve your race from tier-0 to tier-1, changing you from a baby human to a full human."

"Sounds pretty benign." So the baby human designation wasn't just a silly derogatory term, but an actual race?

Cyrus chuckled. "Not hardly! Evolving to a higher tier will change you at a fundamental level. In essence, you would be restarting the game as a new character."

"A new character? How is that possible?"

"Haven't you ever played a game where you could choose more than one character?"

"Sure."

"It's kind of like that. You've gotten off to a pretty good start, but with this scroll, you'll drop back to level 1. In essence, you're re-starting, but as a fundamentally stronger character."

"Level 1?" That didn't sound good.

"Indeed, but as a tier-1 level 1. Each level will be roughly equivalent to 10 levels in tier-0, but a tier-1 human is inherently stronger and more durable than a tier-0 baby human with 10 times the levels. Think of baby humans as a slightly stronger version of an Earth human, while tier-1 humans are more like a super hero right out of the gate."

"That sounds promising."

"Indeed, evolving to tier-1 will open doors to far more power, which could result in you becoming the strongest Earth contestant, and sharply increases your chances of defeating the ultimate boss and winning the game."

"So, what's the catch?"

Cyrus laughed again. "Yet another excellent question. With great power come great responsibility."

I chuckled. "Spider man?"

"Indeed. Uncle Ben was a wise man. With great power also comes great challenges. Evolving to tier-1 this early brings with it enormous potential benefits, as well as some challenges."

"Like what?"

"Since your levels will grant far more power, you will need far more experience to level up, and the full potential of your higher-tiered body, known as your efficiency, will not unlock immediately, reducing the available power in the short term."

"Why?"

No surprise that there would be a catch. There always was, but the offered evolution was still intriguing.

"For a number of reasons, least of which being that allowing you to so dramatically break the power curve so early would draw far too much attention and therefore negative consequences you would not survive."

"Don't want that to happen," I said carefully. Would a tier-1 evolution really make me that much stronger? So strong that some unknown entity might notice and intervene?

"The other catch is that you must prove you're worth the investment," Cyrus added. "It is no simple thing to arrange such an evolution this early in the game."

"Prove myself how?"

"In the most entertaining of ways possible, of course. I'll add some tests along the way to push you and your abilities farther than anyone else."

"I've always been pretty good at tests."

He chuckled. "Good, then you should be fine. The tests will mostly occur on stage 1. Know that until you complete all of my tests to my satisfaction, those still-active tests may alter some normal cause and effect aspects of the broader game for short periods."

"Like what?" I asked cautiously. Some kind of catch was to be expected, but this was sounding squirrely.

"Little things, like banking experience gained from certain kills until after a test is finished, for example."

"You can keep me from gaining experience?" That would be a death sentence, especially since I would drop to level 1 and need to fight my way back up through all those lost levels again. The thought of Cyrus having the power to throw out game rules whenever he wished made me shudder.

"Not usually, but some tests may require tweaking the sequencing of receiving some rewards. Additionally, you'll find that experience gains adjust naturally as you progress as a matter of course. As a tier-1 human, your power will grow quickly, so lower-leveled monsters will soon offer no real challenge, so they will also not offer nearly as much experience gains for you as for your tier-1 baby human companions."

"You're not doing a great job selling this experiment. It sounds like it could easily kill me, or block me from leveling."

"Anyone can die at any time. Stage 1 will definitely prove more difficult for your than for anyone else, but should you succeed, you will end up firmly upon a path to unmatched power on higher stages. So ask yourself, which path will provide the best ultimate position?"

I considered everything he said, and when I didn't answer immediately, he added, "You were a programmer, so think of it this way. Your current path is a standard linear growth curve, while your new path would be more of a cubic, or even possibly an exponential growth curve."

I whistled softly. Could it be true? I'd only been in the game a couple hours, but already climbed to level 11. My initial growth seemed pretty good, but if the game was like any other game I knew, future levels would require far more work and experience. I'd have to work harder and harder to keep the growth consistent. Would that be enough to face Queen Marisara within a month?

Who knew?

If not, then even if I did well for the first couple weeks, eventually my fate would be sealed simply by the fact that Queen Marisara was too strong.

Exponential growth seemed far-fetched, but even cubic growth would mean gaining far more power over time. It sounded like in the short-term, I'd face a potentially-severe disadvantage, but if I could survive long enough to get into that rising curve, I could far outstrip any potential I might have gained on my current path.

That made it seem like a no-brainer, as long as I could trust Cyrus. Wasn't it more likely he was setting me up to die? He wasn't my ally, so why try to help me win?

"What do you get out of this experiment?" I pressed. His vague words about liking experiments earlier weren't nearly enough to justify all this.

"I'm glad you asked," Cyrus said, and he really did sound happy. "I'd hate to think you'd take such a risk blindly. You just passed the first test! Well done."

I didn't get another loot box, or anything, and the AI continued in the same eager tone. "I love testing new parameters and seeing what members of different races can do outside of the norm. Some of you humans seem capable of wonderful growth, but I cannot see how far you could really develop within the short time limits of the game unless I choose a candidate to do a little testing with."

"That won't break the game?"

"Not at all. The game will always prove challenging and will push you plucky humans to your uttermost limits. Setting you on a path to attain enough strength to give Queen Marisara a good challenge will only help make the game that much more enjoyable."

"So does that mean if I don't take this evolution, I'd never get strong enough to defeat her?" That seemed rigged.

"Not at all. There is always a chance, but this path might offer a much better chance while giving me a bit of additional entertainment."

There had to be more he wasn't telling me, but I couldn't stand there chatting for hours. I had to find my team and get back to leveling. If I did read the scroll and take the evolution, I'd have that many more levels to earn.

Was it worth it? Should I do it?

It was usually a bad idea to toss aside a character in the middle of a game, but sometimes it was necessary. I'd done enough things that people warned me would be hard that the idea of having to do extra work didn't bother me.

I'd fought forest fires, dived out of far too many airplanes, and totally shifted gears to get my computer certifications when I'd never wanted a desk job before. None of that had been easy, and if I'd listened to the naysayers cautioning me to take the safe route, I never would have grown so much, never would have enjoyed so many incredible experiences.

What would Isabella say?

The thought made me grimace. She'd tell me not to be stupid, not to take some random, risky venture. Naysayers like her didn't want anyone around them to push too hard and do too much because it made them feel smaller.

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"I'll do it."

"Excellent!" Cyrus chortled, and the cave filled with a chorus of cheering voices.

I took a deep breath, then read the title scroll.

Unlike other scrolls that just flashed and disappeared, this one dissolved into a blizzard of tiny particles, like miniature stars. They swarmed around me, then dove into every inch of my skin. I convulsed, but when I opened my mouth to scream, more stars poured in, punching through all the exposed soft skin inside my mouth.

Jolts of energy, each one like the zap of an electrified fence, shook me from each tiny star. I couldn't scream, couldn't close my mouth, couldn't breathe. I tasted hot curry, and the scent of red-hot steel singed my nostrils. A single thought raced through my mind.

This was a mistake.

Then I blacked out under the onslaught.

I woke up some time later, coughing and spitting a nasty-tasting vile black sludge from my mouth.

"What happened?" I gasped as I tried to wipe the nasty stuff off my tongue.

A friend of mine who had visited Australia brought back some of the famed vegemite spread and convinced me to try it. I'd thought that stuff had been truly foul, but this new taste made vegemite taste like mint in comparison.

I stumbled to my feet, my legs wobbly. Only then did I realize my entire body was covered in the same black filth. I'd fallen into a puddle of the stuff, and the entire cavern reeked like an ancient cesspit recently opened to the sky.

My clothing was soaked in the nasty sludge. I cursed as I stumbled away, blindly moving toward the exit as my mind slowly awakened. I didn't have spare clothes, but was sorely tempted to strip down to my blue boxers and burn everything else.

I couldn't quite remember what happened, but I hurt all over. The pain was quickly fading, but every muscle ached at a bone-deep level.

"Congratulations, Lucas! You're the first human to evolve to tier-1." Cyrus sounded particularly jolly, and that really annoyed me.

"It feels like I got dumped into a sewer."

My mind finally caught up. I didn't remember anything after the stars. So far Cyrus's much-vaunted experiment was off to a painful start.

Then I remembered my Laundry Day potions and moved one to a hotlist spot, then selected it. I doubted one would be enough to clean me, but I had 5. I'd use every last one if I needed to.

The air around me grew cool and refreshing, and the putrid scent clinging to my nostrils faded to a smell like a lawn after a spring rain. I relaxed, breathing deep, eyes closed as a pleasant rippling sensation flowed down my entire body several times.

When I opened my eyes again and glanced down to see how much the potion had helped, I gaped. I was totally clean. My clothes glistened, my shorts were fluffier than ever, and they felt wonderfully warm, like I'd just taken them from a dryer.

"That's now my favorite loot item of all time."

"They're one of the most popular items in the multiverse. The inventor went from being a poor janitor to founding one of the most successful new intergalactic corporations of the last half millennia."

"I believe it."

Only then did I open my menus and take a look at what the title had done to me. I read the description a couple of times to make sure I was understanding properly before whistling softly.

"I love helping you with experiments!"

Eva read, "Title: David Copperfield. Trigger the Baby Human tier-0 body evolution to Human tier-1. As a tier-1 human, you receive a minimum of 4 stat points per level, equating to 40 tier-0 stat points. Plus 25% to calculation of all secondary stats from all base stats. Note: Tier-0 spells and abilities were not upgraded to tier-1."

That alone was mind-boggling, but there was more.

"Upgrade Mystic Looter inventory capacity from 10 x 10 to 50 x 50, giving you 2500 total inventory slots."

"Unlock your fourth utility spell and receive a unique Harvester perk."

"Harvester utility spell perk: Your unique spell Harvest allows you to pick your next utility spell from a greatly expanded list that draws from compatible utility spells usually reserved for other races. Would you like to view possible choices?"

"How is this possible?" I breathed as I instantly accepted the prompt. Maybe I'd made a wise choice by reading that scroll after all.

"Possible utility spells." A long list scrolled past, dozens upon dozens of choices.

"Unique experiments call for unique parameters. Would you like me to make a few suggestions?"

"Please!"

I could spend hours studying that list of potential utility spells, but I didn't think I had that much time to waste. My team were still out there, fighting for their lives. We needed to link up.

Even with Cyrus's help, I still had to spend several minutes reviewing the list. All of the base human utility spells were still available, and I still wanted all of them. In addition, I quickly narrowed down the list of non-human utility spells to a top three.

Trap Detection might prove vital if exploring dungeons would be a large part of our challenge. Mana Bindings also really tempted me. It was like a pair of magic handcuffs that could be used to bind an enemy from up to 5 feet away.

I almost picked that one immediately, but the duration was pretty short until I upgraded it. I suspected it would take a while before it really became as useful as it promised.

The last one fit the build I was already starting to think about. Called Soul Feed, it allowed me to harvest pure energy from defeated enemies based on a fraction of the total maximum energies they started with. That pure energy could not only top off my health and mana pools, but also supercharge all of my physical attributes for a short time, assuming the fallen enemy had enough power.

Since I expected to face stronger and stronger monsters, the spell would help me break reliance on consumable health and mana potions. I didn't have many of those. If I ran out, I doubted I'd last long. So I chose Soul Feed.

"Excellent choice," Cyrus congratulated me.

Eva added, "Congratulations, Lucas! A unique synergy exists between Soul Feed and Energy Ward. Soul Feed has upgraded with a conduit to Energy Ward. Some energy can now be absorbed during combat, and energy can be used for healing or to directly trigger and fuel Energy Ward outside of your normal usage limits. You may set the percentage of energy redirected to fuel Energy Ward."

"No way," I breathed. I wasn't a dancer, but at the moment, I was really tempted to try a little jig.

"That unique energy vortex you experienced with the Essence Wights changed your defensive aura in fundamental ways. I doubt you've seen the last of the benefits from it," Cyrus added.

Feeling so giddy, I could hardly believe my good luck, I opened my stat screen to survey the huge changes I'd just gotten. What I saw there was like a punch to the gut.

"You weren't kidding," I whispered. He'd warned me I'd be basically starting over, but seeing the hard numbers still made me suddenly second-guess my choice.

Race: Tier-1 Human

Level: 1

Life Points: 3

Mana: 6

Base Stats:

Constitution: 1.6

Intelligence: 1.7

Strength: 1.6

Dexterity: 2.3

Wisdom: 1.4

Secondary Stats:

Endurance: 3

Agility: 4

Perception: 5

Magical Resistance: 2.7

CHA: 10

The numbers, particularly my base stats, were actually worse than I'd expected. In addition to dropping to level 1, I'd lost 90% of my stats. The only number that didn't seem affected was my new CHA stat.

"You're now evolved," Cyrus said happily. "As you can see, all your base numbers were cut by 90%, but those are tier-1 numbers. The evolution from a tier-0 to tier-1 fundamentally changed you. All that black sludge you woke up in was your body ejecting imperfections while it was remade stronger."

I glanced down at myself. "I don't feel very different, and I still look the same."

"Actually, those who knew you before will likely comment that you look more fit and even more handsome. You might have gained an inch in height. As your body evolves to higher tiers, it is refined closer and closer to perfection. Your body is far sturdier and your health and mana pools will refresh far more quickly."

I took another deep breath, calming my racing thoughts. So there were additional evolutions I could make in the future? Sounded like it. So this was something normal. Maybe.

"So the numbers I'm seeing translate to tier-0 numbers at a 10-to-1 ratio?"

"Exactly."

"So my constitution is still really 16?"

"In a sense, yes, but remember, your tier-1 Efficiency is still reduced. So the final number would actually be less than that."

I blanched, but he added, "In the short term, don't stress over the numbers. By evolving you so soon, we kind of broke the stat numbering system. A tier-1 body is inherently stronger, so your real stats are not truly reflected by the numbers. You still end up far more durable than any tier-0 baby human with a 16 in constitution, despite what the numbers say."

Okay, so despite how horrible the numbers looked, I hadn't just gotten as weak as a 3-year-old. "When will my numbers make sense?"

"Like with several other benefits you have yet to see, once you hit level 10, the numbers will start making sense. At that point, your stats with the Efficiency reduction should roughly equate to 4 times similar tier-0 stats."

Level 10 again. One more reason to focus on that target. Once I hit that goal, it sounded like so much would improve.

Then I frowned. "Hold on. Will I even be able to cast my spells with mana down to 6?"

"You need to read that description again. Your spells and abilities did not evolve yet."

"Is that part of the lower efficiency you talked about? Not gaining access to too much power instantly and drawing attention that would get me into trouble?"

"It's so refreshing when someone listens," Cyrus said. "Indeed, as you level, you will develop your spells and abilities to the point they can evolve too. As you noticed, you lack the mana to use tier-1 spells. Plus, they gain a massive boost in power when they advance. If you could wield that much power now, you would become ineligible to participate in the game."

That didn't sound good, and I sensed he was dropping hints I needed to understand, but I lacked any point of reference to do so. For now, I focused on the fact that it seemed the evolution had succeeded. Hopefully that meant my body had gained a lot of power. I could deal with that.

"So I need to reach level 10 again, and it'll take a lot more experience to gain each level?"

"Exactly right."

I took another deep breath, then nodded. I had work to do.

Cyrus added, "You exist on a totally different plane now, Lucas. You just won the power-up lottery. Usually baby humans have to reach several important milestones, including hitting at least level 80 before they get a chance to evolve their bodies. For most, it's more like level 100."

So everyone else could evolve eventually too. Maybe this experiment wasn't so outside of the norm, after all, other than pushing my evolution so soon. Still, he'd made it very clear that anyone who couldn't reach the second stage by the end of the first week would regret it. I interpreted that to mean they'd die some kind of nasty death.

In the meantime, I was now committed to a path where Cyrus would throw extra unknown tests in my path while I struggled to catch up. I was behind the curve, and the next few days would be tough, but I had to believe he had told the truth about the kind of power I'd eventually gain.

I didn't fool myself into thinking he'd told me the true purpose of the experiment, but if I could survive, then did it matter? My goal was still getting strong enough to defeat that terrifying queen. I was all in now, so no holding back.

Despite the greater challenge, I could still get those levels fast. I had better weapons, better spells, and I was a lot stronger. My stats looked terrible and I might have lost the easiest leveling half day, but I still had over 6 days to regain those levels.

I could do it. I had to. So I marched toward the exit. On the way out, my upgraded Identify payed its first dividend. The little glowing stalactites were each called glowstones, with many crafting uses. I harvested 482 glowstones. That made me feel a little better.

When I returned to daylight, the sun had moved noticeably across the sky. How long had I been in there? Had I spent so much time in that dungeon that I wouldn't be able to find my team? We needed each other to survive.

"First test, track down my team."

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