Evolution Under the Moonlight

Chapter 2: The Blood-Red Full Moon

Never had Xin Fengchen so eagerly awaited the sound of the off-duty bell. Throughout the entire day, he’d been on edge, and the mysterious mark on his left shoulder sent a faint, burning sensation through him from time to time. Whenever he tried to focus on his work, the image of those glowing eyes in the dark would pop into his mind.

"Engineer Xin, you don’t look so good today," his colleague Xiao Li said, patting his shoulder in concern.

Xin Fengchen jolted, nearly knocking over the water cup on his desk. "It’s nothing, just didn’t sleep well," he replied, forcing a smile as his fingers unconsciously brushed over his left shoulder. The spot was starting to heat up again, as if something beneath his skin was stirring restlessly.

Finally, the off-duty hour arrived, and Xin Fengchen was almost the first to rush out of the office. He needed fresh air, to escape the enclosed space and the inquisitive glances of his colleagues. The setting sun dyed the streets orange-red, yet he felt no warmth at all. An inexplicable anxiety urged him to quicken his pace, as if something important was about to happen.

To avoid the evening rush-hour congestion, he chose a narrow path he rarely took. This alley was sandwiched between two old residential buildings, with sparse streetlights casting dim light. The moment he stepped into the alley entrance, Xin Fengchen regretted it—it was too quiet, unsettlingly quiet.

He was about to turn back when a muffled conversation drifted from the depths of the alley. By the faint light, he caught a glimpse of several dark figures gathered around a black car. His intuition told him he shouldn’t go further, but some indescribable force pushed him to take a step forward.

That one step let him see the scene clearly: three men in black suits were making a deal with a bald man wearing a gold chain. When the briefcase was opened, Xin Fengchen caught sight of neatly stacked white powder inside. His heart seemed to stop beating—this was a d**g deal.

"Who’s there?" a shrill voice cut through the silence.

Xin Fengchen turned to run, but it was already too late. Two burly men quickly blocked his way out. The moon had risen at some point, its silvery glow spilling over the alley and stretching everyone’s shadows long.

"Looks like we have an uninvited guest," the bald man sneered, snapping the briefcase shut. The click of the metal latch echoed sharply in the stillness.

Cold sweat broke out on Xin Fengchen’s back. "I-I was just passing by, I didn’t see anything."

"What a shame, buddy," one of the suited men said, pulling out a handgun. The black muzzle glinted coldly in the moonlight. "In this world, only one kind of person can keep a secret."

Survival instinct drove Xin Fengchen to step back sharply, but his back hit a solid wall. There was no way out. The moonlight grew brighter—it was the night of the full moon, he suddenly realized. At the same time, the mark on his left shoulder began to burn intensely; the pain was so sharp he could barely stand.

"Quit wasting time," the bald man snapped, waving his hand impatiently.

The moment the gunman pulled the trigger, Xin Fengchen felt an unprecedented surge of power erupt within him. Time seemed to slow down—he could clearly see the bullet spinning toward him. Even more****** (incredible), his body reacted on its own: with a swift side-step, the bullet grazed his ear and left a hole in the wall behind him.

Everyone froze, including Xin Fengchen himself. That movement had been faster than any normal human could manage, far beyond what a regular engineer was capable of.

"Damn it, you dare to dodge?" the gunman roared, firing three more shots in quick succession.

This time, Xin Fengchen felt the changes in his body even more clearly. His vision had become extraordinarily sharp, able to track the trajectory of each bullet. His muscles were filled with explosive strength, and every evasive move flowed as smoothly as if he’d practiced it a thousand times. In the moonlight, he noticed his hands glowing faintly red, and his nails had grown sharp without him realizing.

"Something’s wrong with this guy!" one of the suited men yelled. "His eyes... they’re glowing!"

Xin Fengchen couldn’t see his own appearance, but he could feel his eyes burning, and his field of vision was covered by a faint red filter. The mark on his left shoulder was like a burning coal, and a wave of heat quickly spread through his entire body. A primal, violent urge surged through his veins.

The third round of gunfire began. This time, Xin Fengchen didn’t dodge. Letting out a low growl that barely sounded human, he charged straight at the gunman. A bullet hit his left arm, but strangely, the pain vanished in an instant, and the wound began to heal at a visible rate.

Everyone present was stunned—even Xin Fengchen stared in disbelief at the bullet hole in his arm, which was fading away. Taking advantage of their shock, he lunged at the nearest man, punching him square in the face. The force of the blow was astonishing; the man flew backward, crashed into the wall, and slid to the ground, motionless.

"Monster! He’s a monster!" the remaining two suited men screamed, backing away in terror, even forgetting the briefcase.

The bald man’s face turned ashen, but he forced himself to stay calm, raising his g*n to aim. "No matter who you are, bullets will take care of you."

By now, the moonlight had reached its brightest. The full moon hung high in the night sky, its silver radiance pouring like a waterfall into the narrow alley. Bathed in the moonlight, Xin Fengchen clearly saw that his hands had turned completely crimson, as if molten lava was flowing beneath his skin. He seemed to have grown taller too—his once-fitting shirt was now stretched tight across his frame.

When the bald man pulled the trigger, Xin Fengchen found he could even predict the bullet’s path. He dodged the shot effortlessly, moved behind the man in the blink of an eye, snatched the g*n from his hand, and crushed it into a twisted lump of metal with his bare fingers.

"Spare me... please..." the bald man collapsed to the ground, his pants soaked through.

Xin Fengchen looked down at the d**g dealer who had been so arrogant moments before, his heart torn with conflict. Part of him was thrilled by this sudden power, while the other part was terrified by this inhuman transformation. What was he? Why did the full moon trigger such a change?

In the end, reason overpowered the violent urge surging within him. Xin Fengchen took a deep breath, trying to calm the energy rushing through his body. "Get out," he said hoarsely—his voice sounded so strange, even he barely recognized it.

The bald man and his remaining accomplice scrambled away from the alley, fleeing in a panic, even leaving behind the briefcase filled with drugs. Xin Fengchen stood there, bathed in moonlight. His crimson skin gradually returned to normal, and his sharp nails retracted. Only the mark on his left shoulder still emitted a faint warmth.

He picked up the briefcase from the ground, wondering what to do with it. Call the police? How would he explain what had just happened? Tell them he’d suddenly turned into a superhuman and taken down the d**g dealers with his bare hands? No one would believe such a tall tale.

In the distance, the wail of police sirens approached—no doubt the gunshots had attracted attention. Xin Fengchen made a quick decision. He grabbed the briefcase and hurried away from the scene. At the alley’s corner, he glanced back one last time: in the moonlight, a few drops of his blood glistened on the stone pavement. The color wasn’t the normal bright red, but tinged with an eerie silver.

As he walked home, Xin Fengchen felt exhausted, both physically and mentally. The experience just now had felt like a nightmare, but the healed bullet wound on his arm and the still-warm mark on his shoulder reminded him it had all been real.

He looked up at the full moon in the sky. To him, that bright moon no longer seemed beautiful—it was now filled with unknown danger. The night of the full moon had only just begun, and he was no longer the person he used to be. This realization sent a shiver down his spine, yet at the same time, it stirred a faint, uncontrollable excitement deep within him.

In the shadows where the moonlight couldn’t reach, a pair of glowing eyes appeared once again, watching Xin Fengchen’s receding figure. This time, the owner of the eyes smacked their lips softly, as if savoring something delicious.