The river stretched wide before them, waves rolling lazily under the morning sun.

  And the smell—

  The smell hit Evan like a punch to the face.

  He stared at the murky brown water, trash drifting everywhere, bubbles rising from who?knew?what beneath the surface.

  This… is the legendary holy river?

  He’d heard plenty about the Vahn River—Rovan’s sacred waterway.

  But the stories didn’t prepare him for the reality.

  Rovan citizens bathed in it.

  They washed clothes in it.

  They dumped household waste, chamber pots, and industrial runoff into it.

  Their funeral customs were even worse—bodies soaked in the river before cremation, ashes scattered afterward.

  Poor families sometimes skipped cremation entirely and simply tossed corpses into the water, letting the river beasts handle the rest.

  A single drop of Vahn River water probably contained the entire periodic table.

  And yet, instead of dying out, the creatures living in this toxic soup had evolved into thick?skinned, iron?willed monsters.

  The Vahn River was home to species found nowhere else—mutated by pollution into something fierce and resilient.

  Strangely, these beasts rarely attacked humans.

  Most stayed in the water, and some—like the Vahn River turtles—were easily domesticated.

  “Big bro, boat’s ready!” FangBro called, pointing at a medium?sized vessel.

  They’d arrived early.

  FangBro had used his connections to find a boat owner, negotiate a price, and pay the deposit.

  After an hour of prep, the boat was ready.

  Evan inspected it.

  Old, but serviceable.

  He wasn’t here for sightseeing anyway.

  It was originally a fishing boat, now converted into a small yacht.

  With two Tier?1 Vahn River turtles pulling it, the rental cost was a steep ten thousand Lin per day.

  Crew included.

  “Let’s go,” Evan said, stepping aboard.

  FangBro followed and immediately started livestreaming.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  His stream title had already changed to:

  “Journey on the Vahn River — Hunting the River Monster!”

  The boat set off, gliding across the foul?smelling water.

  Evan stood on deck, breathing through his mouth.

  There was nothing relaxing about this river cruise.

  If possible, he wouldn’t let a single drop touch him.

  FangBro, meanwhile, was in his element—camera pointed at the water, hyping up the audience, spinning tales about the infamous Vahn River monster that caused a stir years ago.

  Evan stayed on deck for a while, then retreated inside.

  His cabin was tiny.

  He swallowed two Strength?Boosting Pills and practiced Swan Dance, but the cramped space made it impossible to move properly.

  The deck had space, but he wasn’t about to perform martial arts above a river full of corpse?fed mutant beasts.

  He lay on the bed instead, thinking.

  He’d been in this world for over twenty days.

  Looking back, everything felt suffocating.

  He’d never had control.

  Not once.

  From the moment he transmigrated, he’d been shoved from crisis to crisis.

  Locked in Rockhold Prison—escape or die.

  Trapped in Blackrock City—hunted by the Zhao family and Filthsoil.

  Forced to flee with Wendy Lewis’s team into Rovan.

  Then a few peaceful days in Monka…

  Until he was dragged into the Blackrock Mountains and thrown before two Saint?tier monsters.

  His fate had been traded like a bargaining chip.

  He survived only through luck, quick thinking, and sheer desperation.

  But he was tired of running.

  He wanted a future where he could think, What do I want to do?

  Not, What must I do to survive?

  “I need to get stronger. Fast.”

  He’d finished digesting the Undying Salamander extract days ago.

  It was time for the next one.

  Other evolvers needed long training periods between extracts—building their bodies, accumulating foundation, preparing for the next breakthrough.

  Evan didn’t.

  Every extract he absorbed was top?tier, boosting his physique massively.

  Evolution’s Grace let him absorb one extra extract per tier, giving him an additional round of strengthening.

  He trained, he took pills, he pushed himself.

  Failure wasn’t a concern.

  He needed to pick his next extract.

  He’d already discussed this with Wendy Lewis—

  His next skill should be an area?of?effect attack.

  He opened his phone and browsed Evolution Encyclopedia, searching for Tier?2 S?rank beasts that fit the criteria.

  Moments like this made him miss Wendy.

  Back then, he only needed to ask, and she’d give him the perfect answer.

  Hours passed.

  By dinner, he had narrowed down several ideal targets.

  Next step: obtain the extract—through hunting or trade.

  Dinner wasn’t great, but edible.

  In Rovan, that was already a luxury.

  Rovan people ate with their hands, but the chef kindly provided utensils for Evan.

  After eating, FangBro dragged him aside, eyes sparkling.

  “Big bro, I’m planning a nighttime underwater stream. Want to join?”

  “No. Absolutely not.” Evan recoiled instantly.

  He wanted nothing to do with Vahn River water.

  “Relax! I’ve mastered water?phase movement. I can keep you completely dry!” FangBro said proudly.

  Some rivers cleanse the soul.

  The Vahn River… tests your immune system.

  And Evan’s about to learn that even a journey can be a battlefield.