The pain came first.
It wasn't the pain of injury—it was something deeper. Like his bones were grinding against themselves, reshaping from the inside out. Rei clutched his arm as black veins pulsed beneath the skin, his nails lengthening into sharp points before retreating just as suddenly.
His breathing was ragged. His mouth was dry.
But he wasn't scared.
He was awake.
> "The more you eat, the more you evolve."
That screen hadn't disappeared. It hovered in front of him like a silent god, indifferent and absolute.
> [Devourer Class - Lv. 1]
Traits Gained:
– Blood Snarl (Lv. 1) – Instinctual roar that weakens enemies.
– Feral Adaptation (Passive) – Minor increase in physical senses and reflexes.
– Hunger: 3% (grows when starving or resisting devouring instinct)
He wiped the blood from his lips, trembling. The meat still sat there — more of it. Warm. Fresh. And calling to him.
"No… I'm not a monster," he muttered.
> But you could be something stronger…
That voice wasn't from the System. It was from somewhere deeper.
From within.
---
Heavy boots echoed through the tunnel.
"Hey, deadweight! You still alive back here?"
It was Shin, the party's tank. Muscle-bound, arrogant, and trigger-happy with his temper. His footsteps stopped the moment he saw Rei.
"What the hell…?"
Blood. Wolf bones. Rei crouched over the carcass like an animal.
"You freak! What the hell are you doing?!"
Shin drew his axe. He didn't wait. He swung.
Rei rolled aside, faster than he should've been able to. Instinct. Reflex. The axe slammed into the ground, cracking the tiles where Rei had just been.
Rei's eyes flared—one of them glinting faint red.
> Blood Snarl – Activated.
From his throat came a sudden, beastlike roar—not a scream, but something primal and raw.
Shin stumbled backward, shaking. "W-What… was that?!"
> [Enemy morale weakened – Blood Snarl successful.]
Rei didn't think. He moved.
His clawed hand tore across Shin's leg, making him scream. The axe dropped. Rei picked it up, panting.
He didn't kill him.
But he wanted to.
---
Later that night, Rei sat alone on a crumbling rooftop.
The city skyline glowed faintly beneath the smog—lights fighting the night like tiny stars trying not to be swallowed.
He looked at his reflection in a broken window.
One eye was still human.
The other… wasn't.
> [Devourer: Hunger Level – 7%]
It was rising again.
If he didn't feed, something inside would snap. He knew it.
He wasn't normal anymore. He wasn't like them.
But maybe that wasn't a curse.
Maybe it was finally his turn to rise.
His turn to evolve.
He stared into the dark, cracked skyline of New Tokyo, where monsters still lurked and the strong reigned.
And he whispered:
> "If I have to become a monster to survive…
Then let the world tremble.
Because I will devour it all."