"Initial energy required to bootstart your abilities and awaken system functions."
"Detected — residual soul fragments from fallen entities: Hollow-type."
"Absorb the souls of the dead Hollows?"
The words pulsed through Solen's skull again making him take a step back.
His hand clutched his head as if he could press the voice out of his head.
'Initial… energy?' He thought, careful not to warner suspicion from the others. 'Boot—what? What are you talking about?'
No answer came — only the same cold whisper, repeating the question as though from inside his bones.
"Absorb the souls of the dead Hollows?"
He glanced toward the battlefield. The faint black mist still drifted in the air, it appeared to be weightless, and yet each one radiated a strange pull, like invisible threads tugging at him asking him to come nearer.
A tremor ran through his chest. The feeling wasn't pain — it was hunger. Something deep inside him wanted that faint mist. It was as if he needed them.
"What the hell is this?" he whispered to himself, for a moment forgetting about his comrades.
"Warning. Unabsorbed soul fragments will dissipate in thirty seconds. Post-dissipation: recovery impossible."
The words froze him. Thirty seconds.
The faintest panic began to rise. His thoughts tangled .If he ignored the voice, would it go away? If he tried… whatever this was — would it make him strong? Would he make his life better?
'But Souls?.'
His gut twisted. 'Absorb them? Was that even human?'
He shut his eyes, and for a moment, the chaos around him faded. All he could hear was his heartbeat — steady, uncertain, alive.
His mind drifted back, to his life before the trial had started, to the cold nights under the leaking roof of his house, to the smell of his father's old workshop. To the endless days of being looked down on, pitied or ignored.
He remembered all of it. Every sneer, every empty stomach, every time he'd watched someone stronger take what was his because he didn't dare to fight back. And now, here he was again — standing still, hesitating, watching the moment slip through his fingers.
Then he suddenly gave out a bitter laugh, making the other members of the rear guard look at him strangely.
'Come on, Solen… you might be a lot of things — a liar, a bastard, a mistake even — but you've never been a coward' The more he thought, the more he couldn't help but breathe out.
'Careful, maybe. Cautious, sure. But never a damn coward.'
'This is either the stupidest thing I've ever done.' He thought, "or the only right one.", He finally muttered.
He raised his head, staring at the last few lights still hovering close.
'Alright, do it.'
"Acknowledged. Soul absorption — initializing."
For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then, the black mist — the same one that had been slowly drifting away from the fallen creatures — froze midair. It hung still for a single moment, then began to move.
The wisps twisted, curling toward him like the sand in the desert being carried by the wind. They streamed into his chest, disappearing beneath his skin one by one.
There was no pain. No fire, no tearing, no resistance.
It was warm. Soft, even — like taking a warm bath after a day full of cold. The sensation spread through him in quiet waves, washing away the weight in his limbs, the dull ache behind his ribs.
Solen's eyes widened. 'It doesn't hurt' he thought. 'It feels… good.'
Around him, the others didn't react. The rear guards still stood in their loose formation near the carriages, still looking at the front-line guards fighting but by now they were not watching nervously but actually. From their excitement, it was clear that they were oblivious to what was happening just beside them. Garran, still cutting through the last of the monsters, didn't glance back.
They couldn't see it. To them, the mist had already vanished, gone like smoke in the wind.
Only Solen saw the tendrils of shadow sinking into him, only he felt the warmth coiling in his chest like something newly awake.
"Absorption in progress… 1%... 4%... 7%..."
The numbers echoed faintly inside his mind, though he didn't know how. Each one left him a little lighter, a little clearer — as though the desert itself had lost its grip on him.
"Absorption efficiency low. Estimated failure in—"
The voice cut off suddenly.
"Override active. Pale intervention authorized. One-time assistance granted."
The mist surged. In an instant, the remaining black smoke rushed toward him, folding into his body in a single blinding breath.
Then — silence.
"Absorption complete. System initialized. Welcome, Dormant Solen."
The final words pulsed through his skull like a heartbeat.
Solen stood still, breathing hard. The desert felt quieter now. The air around him — heavier, yet clearer.
He looked at his hands. For a moment, faint lines of golden light that was visible only to him, glimmered beneath the skin before fading away completely.
No one else had noticed. To them, he was just another tired guard standing by the merchant's carriage, staring blankly at the sand.
But Solen knew better.
[System Status]
CORE ABILITIES UNLOCKED
[Soul Devouring]
Description — The ability to consume residual soul fragments and Hollow remains to extract energy and vitality. Energy may be used to strengthen self or others. (Usage of the skills to help others will invoke heavy backlash)
Current Rank — C (Upgradeable)
Usage — Direct absorption through contact or guided will.
Drawback — Each use corrodes the user's humanity. Emotional dulling and detachment may occur with repeated use. Depending on the user, this power may even cause madness.
Note — "Humanity is the price of survival."
[Soul Collection]- SUB SKILL
Description — Allows storage of absorbed soul fragments within a chosen artifact. Preserved souls remain stable and can later be refined or consumed to enhance the user's essence.
Requirement — A personal or symbolic artifact must be designated as the vessel.
Status — Vessel not chosen.
Warning — Uncollected soul fragments dissipate within 30 seconds in Trial space, so always store them in a vessel.
Suggestion — "Choose wisely. Your vessel will define your hunger."
Looking at all of this, he couldn't help but frown, how couldn't he when the system has used words like "Loss of humanity" and "Madness" so easily.
Still, C grade ability didn't sound half bad to him.
Then he further looked into the system.
FEATURES
[Personal Insight]
Description — A fragment of awareness granted by the Pale. Offers intuitive understanding, emotional resonance, and instinctive guidance within the trial environment.
Limitation — Usable only within Trial Boundaries.
Note — "When logic fails, follow the voice within."
'Oh, so this was what has been guiding me all along huh.'
Even further, lie the stat section of the system.
[STATS]
Strength: G−
Speed: G−
Stamina: G−
Mana: G−
Luck: G−
Charm: D+
System Notes:
Dormant-level beings can only reach G− to F− until further ascension. (some special exceptions may exist in which one or more stat of a user may be outside the limit)
Abilities scale with experience and energy absorbed.
Different individuals have different sources and ways of gaining energy and power. Each path is unique, but no path is truly better or worse than the other.
The system presents the information and scaling in a simplified way for easy understanding. These are not the actual names or levels of the abilities or stats. To determine the real names you must gain the necessary info on your own. Based on the knowledge you gain, the system will then classify them accurately.
Careful use of Soul Devouring advised to minimize humanity loss.