The silence in the Thorne Clan courtyard was heavy enough to crush a man's ribs.
The Awakening Stone—a relic that had stood for three centuries—lay in a heap of dull, grey husks. All the magical essence had been sucked out of it, leaving nothing but mundane rock. At the center of the debris, Cain stood with his hand still outstretched, a faint trail of violet smoke rising from his fingertips.
"The stone..." the Elder stammered, his ceremonial staff trembling. "He didn't just awaken. He... he destroyed the conduit."
Cain ignored the gasps. His internal focus was entirely on the screen floating in his peripheral vision.
[Status Window]
Name: Cain Thorne
Level: 1 (0/100 EXP)
Bloodline: Void-Eater Dragon (Forbidden)
Physique: Mortal (Stage 1)
Mana: 10/10 (Critically Low)
Skills: [Gluttony's Touch - Rank SSS]
[Description: Gluttony's Touch]
The ultimate predatory skill. Allows the host to consume the essence, skills, or bloodline traits of fallen foes. Current Limit: 1 Slot available.
One slot, Cain thought, his eyes narrowing. In my last life, I had to train for years just to learn a basic Fireball. Now, I can simply take what I want.
"Cain Thorne!"
The shout came from the front row of the spectators. A young man with a sharp jawline and an expensive silk tunic stepped forward. This was Raul Thorne, the son of the Second Elder and the person who had led the charge in bullying Cain for years.
Raul had awakened a 'Frost Wolf' bloodline only minutes prior—a respectable Rank B talent.
"You used a hidden artifact, didn't you?" Raul snarled, his face flushed with envy. "There is no way a trash-tier orphan like you could cause a Manifestation. You cheated to destroy the Clan's property!"
Cain turned his head slowly. To anyone else, Raul looked like a rising genius. To Cain, who had seen Mountain-Sized Hydras tear through cities, Raul looked like a noisy insect.
"Move," Cain said, his voice cold and raspy.
"You dare?" Raul's hand flew to the hilt of his practice sword. "I am a Rank B talent! You are nothing but a fluke. Kneel and confess your trickery, or I'll beat the truth out of you!"
The Elder didn't intervene. In this world, might was the only law. If Cain couldn't defend his "talent," he didn't deserve it.
[Quest Generated: First Prey]
Objective: Defeat Raul Thorne.
Bonus Condition: Use 'Gluttony's Touch' to seize a fragment of his power.
Reward: 50 EXP, 5 Stat Points, Random Skill Fragment.
Cain's pulse quickened. He was at Level 1, and Raul was already at Level 4 thanks to early pill-supplemented training. But Cain had ten years of combat experience etched into his soul.
"Come," Cain beckoned with a single finger.
Raul roared, drawing his steel blade. A faint blue aura of frost coated the metal—the power of the Frost Wolf. He lunged, his speed impressive for a teenager. "Ice Bite Strike!"
To the crowd, Raul was a blur. To Cain, the movement was telegraphed and sloppy.
Cain didn't retreat. He stepped into the strike, pivoting his body by a fraction of an inch. The cold steel grazed his tunic, but Cain's palm was already moving. He slammed his hand against Raul's chest, right over the heart where the mana veins converged.
"Gluttony's Touch," Cain whispered.
A terrifying suction force erupted from Cain's palm.
Raul's eyes went wide. He tried to scream, but the air was pulled from his lungs. The blue frost aura on his sword didn't just shatter—it was pulled into Cain's skin like water down a drain.
[Absorbing Frost Wolf Essence...]
[Target suppressed. Extraction 10%... 30%... 70%...]
"Stop! You'll kill him!" the Second Elder shouted, finally leaping from the high stage.
Cain felt a surge of icy energy rush through his veins. It burned, then turned strangely sweet. He shoved Raul away just as the Second Elder landed between them.
Raul collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut, his face pale and his breath ragged. He wasn't dead, but his "Frost Wolf" aura was dim, flickering like a dying candle.
[Extraction Interrupted. Partial Success.]
[You have stolen: Passive Skill 'Lesser Frost Resistance'.]
[Experience Gained: 60.]
"What did you do to my son?" the Second Elder hissed, his Rank C pressure flaring out to crush Cain.
Cain stood his ground, though his Level 1 body felt like it was being pressed by a mountain. He wiped a trickle of blood from his nose and looked the Elder in the eye.
"He challenged me," Cain said simply. "I merely showed him the difference between a wolf and what comes after."
The courtyard was silent again. Elena ran to Cain's side, her eyes wide with a mix of terror and awe. "Cain... your eyes... they're different."
Cain looked into a nearby puddle. His pupils weren't round anymore; they were vertical slits, flickering with a predatory violet light. The system chimed again.
[Level Up!]
[Level: 2]
[Stat Points available: 5]
He had survived the first day. But he knew the Second Elder wouldn't let this go. In the distance, a low rumble shook the earth. It wasn't an earthquake. It was a roar—a real dragon, miles away, responding to the brief surge of the Void-Eater's aura.
The "Dragon Monarch" had noticed a new player on the board.
Cain clenched his fist. I'm coming for your throne next.