The ash-gray orb floated silently before Benedict's eyes.
He crouched beside the wolf's corpse, reaching out slowly to touch it.
Is this really it? Do I actually have to eat this thing to unlock the Essence System?
His brow furrowed. He brought the orb closer to his nose.
The metallic scent of blood made his stomach churn.
But power is power.
With a resigned sigh, Benedict closed his eyes, opened his mouth, and shoved the orb in. He had no clue whether to chew or not, but the moment the taste of blood hit his tongue, he just swallowed it whole.
He gagged.
"Ugh, Goddamn that was disgusting!"
Ding!
A chime echoed beside him.
Of course. He was expecting that. Turning his head, he saw the familiar blue System Window appear in front of his vision.
(Congratulations, Host! You've unlocked the Essence System and are now an official Ascendant.)
(Would you like to proceed with the tutorial?)
"Nope," Benedict muttered, instantly hitting (No). He already knew how this thing worked. After all, he'd seen the protagonist go through the whole system in the novel.
His eyes scanned the window, and there it was, his name displayed proudly.
(Essence System)
(Benedict Veritas - Status)
(Basic Gacha)
(Premium Gacha: Locked)
(Inheritance)
(Monster Companion)
He tapped on [Inheritance] first.
If his noble ancestor had sealed away any power for future generations, he needed to know.
---
[Inheritance]
Your ancestor was a man of great honor, a master of flame who achieved many feats and mentored countless students. Those students would later raise powerful descendants of their own.
He passed peacefully on his deathbed, surrounded by his loved ones—children, family, disciples. All gathered as he smiled, content, knowing that his legacy would live on.
He sealed away a Unique Trait meant for a worthy heir.
That heir… is you, Benedict Veritas.
---
Benedict's heart skipped a beat.
Worthy heir?
He scoffed nervously.
I'm a damn bastard child of the Veritas line.
Still… his hand trembled as he reached out for the button.
With a deep breath, he shut his eyes and pressed it.
A rolling sound echoed. Like dice tumbling inside fate's hand.
Please… please… Lady Luck, RNG gods, Goddess Fortuna… I'm begging you. Be kind.
(Ding!)
(Inheritance Success!)
Benedict's eyes snapped open, and what he saw was pure glory.
Bright crimson letters blazed before him.
LET'S FUCKING GOOOO!
He rubbed his palms together, licking his lips with anticipation.
Then the letters rearranged into two glorious words:
(UNIQUE TRAITS!)
Unique Trait?!
(Tier - SS)
His heart nearly stopped.
SS TIER?!
(PHOENIX REBIRTH)
Phoenix Rebirth?
What the hell is that? I've never seen this in the novel!
He clicked on the glowing trait.
---
(Phoenix Rebirth)
A Unique Trait that allows the user to rise from death. Upon activation, the user revives with 30% HP and is unable to perform any offensive action for 24 hours. Cooldown: One month.
---
Rise from the dead?! Holy shit! I can literally come back to life now? Thank you, my beloved ancestor! Seriously! This is absolutely OP!
I basically have two lives every month! Damn, I might actually try soloing that Titan boss now…
After letting the excitement run wild inside his head for a while, Benedict finally calmed down. His heart stopped pounding so hard as he returned to the main window and tapped on [Status].
---
(Status)
Active Skills
Passive Skills
Unique Traits
Legend Sigils
---
Then he saw it.
HP: 0
His whole body froze.
What the hell does that mean? Zero HP?
He wasn't in pain… No fatigue, no soreness. He felt completely numb.
But why—
[Master!]
His eyes remained locked on the screen, his pupils trembling.
[Master, focus! Your concentration is slipping!]
Benedict dropped to his knees.
[SSS Hypnosis - Deactivated]
The pink glow in his eyes vanished.
And in the next instant, everything hit him at once.
It crashed into him like a tidal wave of needles, stabbing into his nerves with brutal intensity.
It was sensory hell.
Every scratch, every impact he'd ignored before, now exploded in full force.
"KHHEHHK—!"
His muscles screamed. Joints burned. Nerves lit up like they were on fire.
His entire body twisted and convulsed in agony, like a dying insect on a hot skillet.
A strangled cry escaped his throat, breaking into a blood-curdling scream that tore through the silence of the dark forest.
"AAAAARRRRRGGHHHH!!!"
It felt like dying. Like his soul was being ripped from his body.
His heart pounded erratically, each thump sending fresh waves of pain across his chest.
His brain was a warzone of migraines and ringing noise, sharp and thunderous.
WHAT KIND OF SIDE EFFECT IS THIS?!
Power always came at a cost, but this?
This was hell.
He couldn't move. Couldn't think. Just trembled in place beside the blood-soaked corpse of the wolf.
Blood began to stream from his eyes, painting his pale cheeks in red.
It trickled from his mouth, oozed from his ears, and dripped from his nose, gathering into a small pool beneath his face.
Each breath felt like a blade carving through his lungs. His body spasmed uncontrollably, gasping in shorter and shorter breaths.
The screams died into pitiful whimpers.
Darkness crept in, the kind that swallowed everything.
The pain began to fade… replaced by something cold.
And in the the quiet forest.
Benedict Veritas.
Died beside the corpse of the wolf.