Ares stared at the charred remains of the monster. The fight had nearly killed him, but now, it was just a corpse—a mass of scorched flesh and broken exoskeleton. Its fire had almost burned him alive.

  Now, he was going to eat it.

  His stomach churned at the thought. The meat was blackened, seared from its own heat. But if he wanted to recover, he needed food. And if his theory was correct, his body might adapt.

  System: [Analyzing organic composition…]

  [High protein density detected. Elevated sulfur and methane residue. Presence of heat-resistant enzyme: Unknown function.]

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Ares frowned. A heat-resistant enzyme?

  He hesitated for only a moment before tearing into the flesh. The taste was awful—like burnt rubber with a hint of rot. But he forced himself to chew, swallow, and keep going.

  Then, the discomfort started. His stomach twisted. His body heated up. It wasn’t just nausea—it was something deeper.

  System: [Foreign enzymes detected. Digestive adaptation in progress.]

  [Unstable metabolic shift—core temperature rising.]

  Ares gritted his teeth, gripping his arms as a fever-like heat spread through his chest. This wasn’t like before.

  His body was changing.

  The monster had survived its own flames, and now, his body was analyzing how.

  He breathed deeply, trying to focus. If the system’s vague messages were right, then the monster’s ability to withstand fire came from a biological adaptation—a specialized enzyme that kept its tissues from breaking down under extreme heat.

  And now, that enzyme was inside him.

  Not a fire-producing organ. Not an immunity to heat. But something else.

  Ares exhaled, his breath feeling warmer than before. His skin didn’t feel burned anymore, but there was something new.

  A resistance. A tolerance.

  Not perfect, not supernatural—just an adaptation.

  His body wasn’t fireproof. But maybe, just maybe…

  It wouldn’t burn so easily next time.