Chapter 1: The Day the Trash Bit Back
The Awakening Hall was silent, except for the sound of cold laughter.
"Rank Zero. Again," the priest sighed, looking at Kael with pure disgust. "Move along, trash. You're wasting the Spirit Stone's energy for the real students."
Kael's fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. He stepped off the stage, his head low. In the front row, Lucius—the school's top-ranked prodigy—deliberately stuck his foot out. Kael hit the marble floor hard, the impact jarring his bones.
Hey, Zero," Lucius sneered, his hand glowing with the bright, arrogant flame of a Rank 7. "I heard your late father left you a silver necklace. Give it here. A cockroach like you doesn't deserve a memento from a warrior."
"No," Kael whispered, clutching the heirloom tight.
Lucius's eyes flared. He stepped forward and snatched the silver chain from Kael's neck, melting it instantly between his fingers. The molten silver dripped like burning tears onto the floor.
Something inside Kael finally snapped. A sound like glass shattering echoed in his mind.
[WARNING: HOST EMOTIONAL STATE CRITICAL.]
[FERAL SYSTEM UNLOCKED.]
A screen only Kael could see flickered to life. Suddenly, the world slowed down. He could smell the sweat of the crowd. He could feel the blood pumping in Lucius's neck.
A thick, dark red-black aura began to leak from Kael's pores. It felt heavy. It felt... hungry.
"What... what is this?" Lucius stuttered, his Rank 7 flame flickering out as the dark aura choked the very air in the room.
Kael stood up. His eyes weren't human anymore; they were slit like a predator's. He didn't say a word—he just moved.
To the crowd, it looked like a blur. To Lucius, it was the arrival of a demon. Kael's hand gripped Lucius's throat, lifting the "prodigy" off the ground with one hand.
[First Prey Detected. Would you like to Devour?]