Kiel stood in front of the pedestal, heart thudding in sync with the eerie hum of the dark crimson orb. It pulsed like it was alive, as if it had a heartbeat of its own. The Apex Predator System interface flickered erratically in his vision.
[Unknown Object Detected: Core of the First Predator]
[Warning: Contact may initiate irreversible transformation.]
[Proceed? Y/N]
Kiel's fingers trembled. He hadn't even touched the thing yet, but he could already feel a pull—like gravity, but more... personal.
"I've already passed the point of no return," he muttered.
He pressed 'Y'.
The moment his fingertips brushed the Core, a surge of black lightning shot up his arm. Pain seared through his nerves, like magma in his bloodstream. He screamed, knees buckling. The cavern trembled.
[System Integration Initiated.]
[WARNING: Cognitive Overload Imminent.]
Kiel's eyes rolled back as visions flooded his mind. He saw ancient titans locked in war—colossal beasts made of nightmare and shadow. A creature with a thousand jaws consumed them all. At its center... was the Core.
It wasn't just power. It was a memory. A curse. A hunger.
Kiel woke up gasping, drenched in sweat. The orb was gone.
Or rather, it was no longer separate from him.
He felt it inside his chest, like a second heart.
[New Trait Gained: Predatory Instinct (Alpha-Class)]
[New Ability Unlocked: Core Devour]
[Warning: This ability may alter host's personality and morality. Use with caution.]
Great.
He stood up, testing his limbs. His vision was sharper. His muscles responded faster. But there was something else — something more primal lurking beneath the surface. He felt... watched. Not from outside, but from within.
He left the chamber in silence, boots crunching against the broken stones.
Outside, the jungle was still deathly quiet. But Kiel noticed something was off.
His senses buzzed. Scents. Vibrations. Sounds he couldn't have detected before. He could feel life crawling beneath the trees, hear the flutter of wings from half a mile away.
And most of all, he could smell them — humans.
They were coming.
From the canopy above, six armored figures emerged, guns raised and glowing with mana cores. They wore black armor with the golden insignia of the Dominion Hunters.
"Target identified," one said, visor glowing. "Kiel Veyron. Marked for extermination."
Kiel didn't flinch.
"I didn't even do anything yet."
"That Core you took?" the squad leader replied. "It was under lock for a reason. You're already corrupted."
Kiel gave a bitter chuckle. "Too late for a moral lecture."
He blinked, and in a blur, he moved. One leap, two broken bones, and a Hunter fell screaming as Kiel tore through his chestplate with bare claws.
[Ability Activated: Core Devour – Human Variant Detected.]
He hesitated.
A voice echoed in his mind—Devour him. Take his power. Rise higher.
He shook his head and backed away. "No… not yet."
But the others didn't give him time to think. Mana bullets ripped through the air. One grazed his cheek — searing white pain. Kiel rolled and countered, smashing a tree to crush one of the Hunters behind cover.
By the time it ended, blood soaked the clearing.
Three dead. Two fled. One remained — the squad leader, breathing heavily, sword drawn.
"You're not the same anymore," he said. "You're becoming... it."
Kiel stepped forward, eyes glowing faintly. "I'm becoming what this world made me."
Then he vanished in a blur.
[Trait Strengthened: Predatory Instinct – Level Up.]
[Morality Index: Degrading.]
Kiel stood at the cliffside as rain began to fall. Behind him, corpses. Ahead, only chaos.
He clenched his fist.
"If I'm to be a monster... then I'll be the apex."