The distance between Ethan and the creatures closed slowly—but not because they were hesitating.
Because he wasn't rushing.
For a strange, unsettling reason, his body no longer reacted the way it had before. The panic, the desperate instinct to flee, the overwhelming urge to survive at any cost—it was still there… but muted. Suppressed beneath something colder. Sharper.
Controlled.
Ethan took another step forward, his shoes pressing lightly against the blood-stained floor, the faint sound barely noticeable beneath the distant echoes of screams still lingering in the café.
The creatures noticed.
Of course they did.
Their heads shifted almost in unison, movements jerky and unnatural, their glowing eyes locking onto him with predatory precision. There was no confusion in their gaze. No hesitation.
Only recognition.
Target acquired.
One of them let out a low, distorted growl, its elongated limbs tightening as it crouched slightly, preparing to strike.
Ethan didn't stop.
Didn't step back.
Didn't even raise his guard the way a normal person would.
Instead, his eyes narrowed slightly, his attention sharpening as he observed them—really observed them. The way their bodies moved, the subtle tension in their limbs before they attacked, the slight delay between intention and motion.
He hadn't noticed those things before.
Or maybe…
He hadn't been capable of noticing.
"Three of them…" he murmured quietly, more to himself than anything else.
His voice was steady...Too steady.
As if the situation in front of him wasn't life-threatening… but something to be analyzed.
Measured...Used.
The closest creature moved first.
It lunged forward with explosive speed, its claws tearing through the air as it closed the gap in an instant. To anyone else, the attack would have been impossible to react to.
Too fast....Too sudden.
But Ethan—Moved....Not wildly...Not desperately...But precisely.
He shifted his body just enough for the claws to miss him by a fraction, the sharp edges slicing through the air beside his shoulder, close enough for him to feel the faint disturbance of movement—but not close enough to touch him.
The moment stretched....Time didn't slow....But his perception of it did.
And within that moment—He acted.
His hand shot forward, faster than he thought possible, gripping the creature's arm before it could retract. His fingers tightened instinctively, and for a brief second, he felt resistance—the same unnatural texture beneath its skin.
Then—The system responded.
[Devour Activated]
The effect was immediate.
The creature reacted violently, its body convulsing as a low, distorted screech tore from its throat. The glow beneath its cracked skin flared brighter, pulsing erratically as if something inside it was being ripped away.
And it was.
Ethan felt it.
The same sensation as before—but different this time.
Controlled.... Focused.
Instead of overwhelming him all at once, the energy flowed in a steady stream, entering his body through his hand, spreading through his arm, his chest, his core.
It still hurt....But it wasn't unbearable....Not like before.
This time—He could endure it....His grip tightened further.
"Stay still," he muttered under his breath, his voice low, almost calm.
The creature thrashed, its free arm lashing out wildly, claws slicing across Ethan's side. Pain flared sharply, the fabric of his shirt tearing as warm blood followed.
But he didn't let go....Didn't even flinch....Because something else was happening.
Something far more important.
The creature's body began to collapse inward, its form shrinking slightly as the glow beneath its skin dimmed. Its movements grew weaker, slower, less coordinated.
Dying...Not from wounds....But from being… consumed.
The second creature lunged.
Ethan reacted instinctively, releasing the first just as it fell lifeless to the ground, its body already beginning to disintegrate into faint, dark particles that dissolved into the air.
He stepped back, narrowly avoiding the incoming attack, his breathing slightly heavier now—but his eyes sharper.
Clearer....Stronger.
"This is…" he whispered, glancing briefly at his hand.
The darkness beneath his skin was more visible now.
More active....Responding.
"…working."
The realization settled in quickly.
Dangerously quickly.
The third creature circled to the side, attempting to flank him while the second prepared another attack. Their movements were coordinated—not perfectly, but enough to pose a real threat.
Ethan saw it.Understood it...And adjusted...They weren't mindless....They were learning.
But so was he...The second creature attacked again.
This time, Ethan didn't dodge completely....He stepped into the attack.
The claws tore into his shoulder, drawing blood—but in that same instant, his other hand shot forward, grabbing onto the creature's torso.
[Devour Activated]
The energy surged again.
Stronger this time.
More intense.
Ethan gritted his teeth, a low groan escaping him as the pain flared through his body—but beneath it, there was something else.
Power...Raw....Expanding.
The creature screamed, its body shaking violently as the glow beneath its skin was ripped away faster than before. Ethan could feel it, the flow increasing, feeding into him, strengthening him.
The pain in his shoulder—Faded...Not completely...But enough.
His grip became unbreakable.
"Not… enough…" he muttered, his voice strained but steady.
The third creature lunged from behind.
Ethan didn't turn....Didn't need to.
At the last possible moment, he shifted his weight, dragging the second creature's body into the path of the attack. The claws pierced through its already weakening form, tearing into it as the impact disrupted the third creature's balance.
That moment—Was all he needed.
Ethan released the second creature as it collapsed completely, its body dissolving just like the first. Then he turned.
Fast...Too fast.
Before the third creature could recover, his hand shot out again—Grabbing....Holding.
[Devour Activated]
The third creature struggled, more violently than the others, its strength still intact, its resistance stronger.
But Ethan—Was stronger now too.
The energy surged into him once more, filling the spaces that had been empty, reinforcing something deep within him.
His vision sharpened....His hearing expanded....His body—Adapted.
The creature's movements slowed...Its resistance weakened...And within seconds—It was over.
The last of its form broke apart, dissolving into darkness that faded into nothing.
Silence fell...Heavy....Absolute.
Ethan stood alone in the center of the ruined café, his chest rising and falling steadily as he stared at the space where the creatures had been.
Gone....All of them.
His hands trembled slightly—not from fear, but from the residual energy still coursing through him.
"I…"
He looked down at himself...At the blood....At the wounds.
At the faint darkness moving beneath his skin.
"…I did that."
" No." That wasn't right.
He didn't just do it...He had changed...Something fundamental....Something irreversible.
A new screen appeared.
[Devour Level Up]
[New Trait Unlocked: Minor Regeneration]
Ethan's breath caught slightly.
"Regeneration…?"
He looked at his shoulder—the place where the creature had struck him.
The wound was still there.
But it was… closing...Slowly...Subtly...But undeniably.
A faint warmth spread through the area, the torn flesh pulling together, the bleeding stopping far faster than it should have.
"…This is insane."
And yet—He didn't sound afraid anymore...Not really...If anything…
There was something else in his voice...Something dangerous...His gaze shifted.
Toward the remaining survivors in the café....They were watching him...Of course they were.
Some stood frozen, eyes wide with shock.
Others had backed away, fear clear in their expressions.
Not relief...Not gratitude...Fear...Not of the creatures...Of him.
Ethan held their gaze for a moment.!!Silent....Unreadable.
Then he looked away.Because right now—They didn't matter.
Only one thought lingered in his mind.
Clear...Cold...Unavoidable.
...
If monsters could grow stronger by killing…?,
Then what exactly… was he becoming ?