The corrupted boar lowered its head. Tusks gleamed green, its breath steaming with foul Qi. The beast's red eyes locked on Long Chen, and its hooves dug furrows into the dirt.
It's preparing to charge.
The System's voice chimed coldly in his mind.
[ System Alert ]
Target: Mudback Grottling (Corrupted Beast)
Threat: Low-Moderate (sufficient to kill mortals)
Estimated Win Rate: 42% without Devour
Suggestion: Use Spirit Stone energy to activate Devour (Rank 1).
Long Chen exhaled slowly. His body was weak, his strength barely above a mortal. But his blood burned.
This is my trial. If I can't defeat a beast like this, how will I face sects, immortals, and gods?
The beast squealed and lunged.
The ground shook as it charged, tusks aimed at his chest. Long Chen's body moved on instinct. He twisted aside, the tusks grazing his sleeve and shredding the fabric.
"Fast," he muttered. "But clumsy."
He rolled, grabbed a stone from the ground, and hurled it. It struck the beast's eye. The boar roared, enraged, and swung its head. Its bulk slammed into a pine, splintering wood.
"System," Long Chen hissed. "Activate Devour!"
The mark of a dragon flared faintly on his chest, invisible to all but the heavens. Heat surged through his veins. The air warped around his palm as the Devour skill triggered.
[ Devour Activated ]
Catalyst: Ambient Qi + Spirit Stone residue
Target: Corrupted Beast (Trace foul Qi detected)
Conversion Rate: 43%
The boar squealed as a faint blue light was ripped from its body. The corrupted Qi bled from its hide in streams, rushing into Long Chen's hand like smoke into a furnace.
Power burned his flesh. His arms trembled, but his spirit roared with hunger.
[ Status Update ]
Strength: 3 → 4
Vitality: 4 → 5
Bloodline Resonance: 2.6% → 4.1%
The beast staggered, weaker but furious. It roared and charged again. This time, Long Chen did not dodge completely. He stepped aside and drove his palm into its neck.
"Devour!"
The foul Qi shrieked as it was torn free. The boar's body convulsed, green fire sputtering from its eyes before fading to dull red. It collapsed, twitching.
Long Chen straddled its back, pressing his palm to its skull.
"Everything… is mine."
Light flared. The beast gave one final squeal before its life essence was consumed. Its corpse shriveled, leaving only dry bones and cracked hide.
[ Battle Complete ]
Target Defeated: Mudback Grottling
Reward: +15 EXP (Origin Dao System)
Loot: Beast Hide (Corrupted, Low Grade), Tusks (Weapon Material), Trace Qi Crystal (Impure)
Bloodline Progress: 4.1% → 6.7%
New Passive Skill: Dragon's Hunger (Awakened) — instinctively detects refineable energy sources nearby.
Long Chen staggered back, breathing heavily. His limbs shook, his throat dry, but his eyes blazed.
So this is the Devouring Dragon Bloodline… it truly eats everything.
But before his triumph could settle, the sky trembled. A faint ripple spread through the clouds, as if an eye had blinked open far above. Thunder rumbled once, then faded.
[ Warning ]
Excessive use of Devour has attracted Heavenly Observation.
Recommendation: Limit usage until vessel strengthens.
Risk: Early Tribulation Encounter.
Long Chen clenched his fist. "Even the heavens want to watch me?" He smirked. "Then watch. You'll see a dragon rise."
He picked through the remains. The tusks and hide went into his Inventory with a thought. A faint crystal, pulsing with weak Qi, lay where the beast's core should have been.
[ Item Acquired ]
Name: Trace Qi Crystal (Impure)
Grade: Mortal (Low)
Effect: Can be refined to assist Qi training.
Note: Efficiency poor, but sufficient for beginners.
He stored it, then turned east toward the distant smoke.
The System chimed again.
[ Quest Unlocked ]
Tutorial Quest: Step Into the World
Objective: Reach the riverside village. Learn local customs and information.
Reward: +1 Spirit, Crude Local Map, System Function Unlock (Quests Panel).
Long Chen straightened. His robes were torn, his body ached, but his spirit burned with exhilaration.
The Void had given him nothing. This world gave him a battle. And battles were a language he understood.
He walked down the slope, leaving behind bones bleached by his hunger.