At the shattered edge of Lumina City's forested outskirtsâjust a breath away from its towering wallsâchaos bloomed.
A lone figure danced amid the trees, his blade a streak of silver death in the fading twilight. He was outnumbered, encircled, and yet⊠he thrived.
Snarls tore through the air.
Fangs bared.
Claws flashed.
But nothing could stop him.
Rey.
Bloodstained, eyes like dying stars, and aura humming with otherworldly rhythmâhe was no longer the boy from Mystic High. He was something else now. Something... born of shadows and survival.
The beasts before himâfour-armed monkey fiends and sleek-limbed apes with murderous intentâweren't attacking randomly. Their fury was focused. Their purpose, singular.
They had come for vengeance.
They had come for him.
And they reeked of grief.
Victor's grim voice echoed in his mind from earlier.
"They're searching for the killer of their kin. Your scent⊠it's like a beacon to them."
He hadn't meant to kill them.
Not like this.
But instinct had ruled that dayâand now, blood demanded blood.
Standing on the forest floor soaked in twilight and tension, Rey narrowed his eyes.
Retreating to the city would be suicide. These beasts wouldn't stop. Not until the ground drank his blood as theirs had bled.
So he did what only someone reborn in the fire of adversity would do.
He chose to finish it.
The Ravager Blade sliced free from its sheath, and like a god of war cloaked in gloom, Rey moved.
Every step was calculated chaos. He weaved through trees like wind incarnate, his blade cleaving flesh, snapping bone, and bathing the land in howls of agony.
But something⊠strange was happening.
With every clash, every dodge, every strikeâhis body resonated.
It wasn't just adrenaline. It was awareness. A strange calm nestled behind his instincts, like his soul had detached just enough to become the perfect observer of war.
'This isn't how I usually thinkâŠ' Rey frowned inwardly. 'I⊠can tell who I can kill. Who I can't. As if my bodyâno, my bloodâis showing me how to survive.'
But it wasn't intuition.
It was his curse.
A bloodline's whisperâicy and ruthlessâechoing from the shadows of his origin.
The influence of Veylen⊠the cold, merciless ancestor who once painted kingdoms red.
That legacy was awakening.
And Reyâwhether he liked it or notâwas changing.
He didn't beg. He didn't hesitate.
He killed.
He finished off the last wave of beasts like a reaper on silent wings. One by one, they droppedâuntil only two remained.
One tried to flee.
Rey was faster.
Anotherâhalf-dead and tremblingâcrawled away, eyes wide with primal fear. There was no fight left in him. Only a plea was written in broken breath and blood-soaked eyes.
But mercy?
Mercy was foreign at this moment.
Rey stepped forward, eyes void of hesitation.
"You think I'll let you walk away after you tried to gut me like an animal?" His voice was low, like a storm muttering before the thunder. "If our roles were reversed, you'd have torn me apart without flinching. So don't beg. Fall into the darkness you were so eager to send me to."
His blade swung.
A head fell.
Blood painted the roots.
A moment later, a familiar voice broke the silence.
"You made a hell of a mess," Aiden's voice drifted down, his illusionary form flickering like starlight. "Not very... subtle of you."
Rey wiped blood from his cheek with the back of his hand, eyes still cold. "Subtlety wasn't part of today's plan."
Aiden smirked. "So I see."
With a flick of his fingers, Rey summoned itâhis darkness. Not just any shadow, but the all-consuming abyss of his Element.
Oblivion.
It rose like smoke, a hungry tide from beneath his feet.
Devour.
The forest floor wept black as the remains of the beasts were erased. Bones cracked into dust. Flesh disintegrated. Not a single drop of blood remained.
System prompts flared across his vision.
âȘ
Host Ability: Devour is being used, and your element <Obvilion Gloom> is being used as a medium.
â«
âȘ
Sub-Ability gains from passive usage: +11 STR | +9 AGL | +7 VIT | +4 INT | +12 STA | +8
END.â«
âȘ You have eliminated:
ⶠ16 à Four-Armed Monkeys
ⶠ21 à Sleaked Arm Apes
â«
âȘ You have gained: 4,960 EXP (+Bonus%)ⶠ[5,883/5000] â«
âȘ Sufficient EXP accumulated.
Would you like to level up? (Yes/No) â«
âȘ You have levelled up! Ă1 ⶠ[883/6000] â«
âȘ You have gained 20 Unallocated Stat Points. â«
âȘ Relic-designated stats integrated into status. â«
âȘ Your control over the relics has increased:
†Manipulation: 0.0005% â 0.0006%
†Manifestation: 0.005% â 0.006%
†Authority: 0.0000000005% â 0.0000000006% â«
Rey let the numbers fade as the thrill of strength settled inside his bones.
He was changing.
Stronger.
Sharper.
Faster.
The kind of change that scared himâbut thrilled him too.
Still, the fight left a mess. With his blood manipulation, he cleaned his own wounds and appearance, briefly checking his storage space. Nearly fullâwith materials to form gears.
He had to go before anyone came here.
He vanished into the trees.
Moments later, the towering walls of Lumina City came into view. Guards patrolled above, but Rey slipped through the gaps like fog. No high-tier cultivator was present todayâhis stealth was enough.
He weaved through alleys, each step laced with unease.
His heart drummed louder the closer he got to home.
'What⊠state are they in?'
He rounded a final cornerâand froze.
Jasmine.
His mother.
Hurrying out of the house, skin pale, eyes bloodshot with exhaustion and endless worry. Her steps were rushed, frantic. She didn't even recognize him at first.
But thenâŠ
She stopped.
Stared.
And the moment her trembling eyes met his bloodied figureâsomething in her soul cracked.
"Son⊠is that⊠you?"
Rey opened his mouth. "Yes, mother, I'mâ"
Darkness.
His vision swirled.
He collapsed.
She screamed.
"REYâNO!!"
The next moments were chaos.
Neighbours rushed in. Two strong men struggled to lift him, shocked by the unexpected weight of his transformed body. Jasmine refused to leave his side.
A doctor was summoned to check up on him.
The diagnosis: beaten, exhausted, overexerted. But no mortal wounds.
Relief swept the room like a blessing.
Rey drifted into forced sleep, his consciousness slowly pulling away as an injection cooled his burning veins.
âȘYour ability: Umbral Adaptation has detected a sedative in the host body. The ability is building up resistance toward the sedative medicine used on the host body.â«
âȘYou've gained the resistance:
Anesthetic Resistance (F)
â«
âȘThe resistance and ability are reducing the host sedative state. Host body is in normal form.â«
Even unconscious, Rey was evolving.
Hours passed.
He awoke to blurred light, muffled voices, and warmth.
His mother.
His sister.
They were beside him, whispering softly.
When Jasmine saw his eyes flutter open, she rushed to him, tears spilling again.
"Where were you, ReyâŠ? I thought I lost youâI reported to the police, searched the city, begged anyoneâ"
Rey gave her a weak smile. "I'm fine, Mom. Really. But⊠please, stop hugging me. My ribs are killing me."
"Oh, sorry, son. I was just⊠so worried that something happened to you," Jasmine said, stepping back with a trembling smile.
"Brother, are you really alright?" Emmy added, eyes wide with concern. "Mom said you were beaten and found on the streetâ"
"Emmy!" Jasmine quickly cut in. "Don't say it like thatâŠ"
"No, Mom, I
am
saying it like that," Emmy replied, crossing her arms with a pout. "He said he got strong. Looks like I'll need to pick a new idol soon."
Rey chuckled weakly, forcing a grin despite the sharp sting in his ribs. "Tch⊠Hey now, your brother's still fine, okay? And don't worry, Emmy. When I get strong enough, I'll track down the jerks who did this, beat them to a pulp, and drag them here to apologize to you personally."
He flexed a sore arm, pretending to show off his muscles, but winced as the pain Victor had inflicted still echoed through his bones.
"Alright, enough tough-guy talk. Lie down and rest." Jasmine giggled softly. "Now tell me, who did this to you? And why?"
Rey leaned back into the bed, letting out a long breath.
Time to sell the story.
"I... I didn't tell you earlier because I didn't want you both to panic, but⊠three days ago, I heard something outside, near the window. It was early morning, I think. I stepped out to checkâthought it was just noise from the neighbours or somethingâŠ"
His voice slowed as he conjured the lies he'd practised in his mind. "But right at the front door, someone jumped at me. They shoved something over my faceâI think it was a bagâand a few guys grabbed me. Next thing I knew, I was thrown into a car and taken away."
Jasmine and Emmy both leaned forward, their eyes wide with horror.
"They kept me locked in some big, dark room for days. They didn't even say why⊠just locked me up like I wasn't even human. But I managed to knock out one of them when they got careless. I ran, but they caught up to me⊠beat me again⊠I barely escaped."
He paused, letting the room fall into silence.
"After that, I wandered all night, hid in alleyways, cut through backstreets⊠and finally, I made it to somewhere familiar. I got lucky."
Jasmine's hand trembled as he spoke, covering her mouth, while Emmy's eyes shimmered with tears.
"âŠMy poor sonâŠ" Jasmine whispered, voice thick with emotion. "We're going to the police. Once you've recovered, we'll report everything. We
have
to make sure those monsters are caught."
"No!" Rey shouted instinctively, sitting up before groaning from the pain. "I mean⊠no, Mom. Please. If we go to the police now, those guys might retaliate. They'll know it was us. I don't care what happens to me, but I can't let them hurt you or Emmy."
"But brotherâwhat if someone else gets kidnapped?" Emmy asked. "Even if it's someone we hate⊠it's not right."
"I know, I knowâŠ" he muttered, lowering his gaze. "But just⊠give me until my final exams are over. Then we can go. I'll be in better shape, and we'll handle it carefully, okay?"
Jasmine exhaled a long breath, her eyes still clouded with concern. "Alright⊠but once your exams are done, we
will
go. No more delays."
"Yes, ma'am." Rey gave a pained smile. "But first, let me rest. Even my eyelids are protesting."
"Alright. Emmy, go to your room and do your homework. I'll make something nice for you both when your brother wakes up," Jasmine said gently, ushering her daughter out as she turned to give Rey one last look. "Sleep well, son."
The door clicked shut.
Rey collapsed against the pillow, staring at the ceiling in silence.
So much for freedomâŠ
He could already see itâno more solo outings or sneaking around. He was a caged bird now until his exams were over. His training, exploration, and everything else would have to wait.
So, he did the only thing he could: rest. And time slipped by like sand in a broken hourglass.
â---
The next few days passed in a quiet blur.
May 12th arrived faster than he expected, leaving only three days before his finals. The past four days had felt like a dream he couldn't quite remember.
Train. Study. Eat.
Rinse and repeat.
His body was healingânearly recovered from the HELP Victor had dealt in this storyâbut he couldn't let his family know that. Jasmine checked in constantly, often without warning. More than once, he'd been seconds from getting caught mid-training.
So, he held back.
Instead of physical drills, he focused on something safer: mana control.
Aiden had told him he was closeâso closeâto unlocking something new in this path, but he'd advised Rey to hold off until after the exams. Instead, Rey poured all his efforts into refining his control.
And it showed.
His mana flow, once clumsy and uneven, was becoming smoother with each passing day as now he can do some basic mana circulation like Aiden did back then while forming the core.
By the third day, just when he thought he'd go crazy from holding back, the message he'd been waiting for finally arrived.
The eight mysterious items he had taken from the Umbraveth Archive were ready to be used.
His eyes sparkled with anticipation, but the excitement faded quickly as Aiden's warning echoed in his mind:
"If you activate them now, there's a high chance you'll enter a deep mana-induced sleep. You could miss the exam entirely."
It wasn't worth the risk.
With a heavy heart, Rey tucked the message away.
Just a few more days⊠then the real training begins.
But still checking the requirement wasn't denied.
ââââ System Notification ââââ
[Unknown movement detected in host's soul.]
[Source Identified:
Octageon Arts
.]
[Checking requirement completion statusâŠ]
ââââ Hidden Completion Requirement ââââ
⊠Required Foundations: 8/8 Acquired
âą Body Refinement: Ironheart Cultivation
âą Qi Refinement: Ironclad Qi Forge
âą Mana Refinement: Basic Mana Circulation Art
âą Psyche Refinement: Relic (Aiden)
âą Battle Art: Titan Cleave
âą Rune Codex: Relic (Zero)
âą Concealment Art: Skill (Shadow Meld)
âą Unknown Art: Devour of the Fate and Destiny
[Host has completed all of the required hidden requirements to use the octageon arts. Do you wish to enter the realm of the Octageon arts: Yes/No.]
âââââââââââ
He was now more eager than ever to explore the eight books he had receivedânot as a reward, but more like a gift of mercy. Yet, he couldn't afford to harbour resentment or rage against a being far beyond his current realm. Not yet.
ââââââââââââââââŠâŠâŠâââââââââââââââ
[15th May]
The next three days vanished like dust swept away by an uncaring broom.
And today⊠today was the day of his exam.
Rey hadn't slept all night. He was buried under piles of notes, doing everything in his power to revise and memorize what little he could in such a tight timeframe.
But he was still behind.
Several
critical
topics remained untouchedâtopics that could skyrocket his score if only he had a bit more time.
Unfortunately, time was the one thing he didn't have.
That was when his most trusted comrade appeared.
"What's up, kid? You look like someone who's about to explode. Trouble?" Aiden asked, eyeing Rey as he frantically flipped through his notes, eyes darting between the clock and the book like a madman trying to devour entire textbooks in seconds.
"YES! I'm in
BIG
trouble!" Rey snapped. "My exam is in less than an hour, and I'm leaving home in thirty minutes! I've still got a bunch of really important topics left. Of course, it's a huge problem!"
Aiden blinked, unimpressed. "You're seriously panicking over some
basic
topics? What a disgrace. If those ancient beings ever find out, I'll be the laughingstock! The host of the all-knowing omni-being⊠flunking an exam? Unbelievable."
"Shut up!" Rey growled, flipping through pages. "If you're not gonna help, then stop making fun of me! I'm doing my best here!
Someone
dragged me out for that useless core formation session, which wasted three days I could've used for studying! And don't even talk about omni-beingsâyou look like some plain, ageless guy with weird powers who can't even help me with BASIC STUDYING!"
"YouâŠ" Aiden exhaled sharply. "
Relax
, Aiden. Don't strangle the brat. Stay calmâŠ"
"Oh,
save
the drama if you're not helping. If you're gonna act useless like this, then fine! Besides Victor and Zero, you're starting to feel worthless! What do your abilities even do besides telekinesis, huh?"
That did it.
"Youâ! Fine! You want to see what my 'worthless' ability can do?" Aiden's eyes lit up with fury. "Hold up all your notesâ
every single one
you want to remember. I'll show you what true power looks like."
Rey didn't waste time. He quickly arranged his notes, ready to grasp any last hope of saving himself.
Aiden raised a hand, his voice commanding.
"Now activate
<Abyssal Comprehension>
. It'll temporarily push your comprehension to the highest possible limitâsomething no one in your tier can even dream of."
At first, Rey doubted it. But he activated the ability anyway. He had nothing to lose.
Mana surged from his body, directed toward Aiden's coreâstill bound in that strange half-connected state between soul and brain. As it traveled, it reached deep within the sealed part of Aiden's existence.
Four ability cores floated there, bound by chainsâeach glowing with unique symbols. One of them pulsed with a strange symbol: sometimes a radiant eye, sometimes a glowing brain, both shimmering with boundless knowledge.
Mana latched onto it.
And in the next momentâŠ
A blinding pain exploded in Rey's skull.
He clutched his head as if someone had driven a spike straight into his brain. Everything felt
wrong
, yet
sharp
. Clear. Too clear.
He opened his status instinctively.
His intelligence stat⊠it had
tripled
.
Frightened, he checked the ability menu.
<Abyssal Comprehension>
Passive Effect
: Triples Intelligence. Increase Comprehension to +20,000% in Darkness in Active Boost.
Active Boost
: +15,000% Comprehension Speed (Duration: 2 minutes).
"What⊠the hell is this!?"
"We don't have time for questions!" Aiden barked. "Just readâview every page you need to remember!"
Without hesitation, Rey began scanning through everything. In just under a minute, he flipped through all the pages, his eyes drinking in information like a sponge.
At first, he felt nothing.
But then⊠it hit him.
He
understood
everything.
Each topic. Every formula. Even the ones that made zero sense beforeânow they felt like childhood puzzles.
"Holy crap⊠this is insane, Aiden! I can actually
understand
everything!"
"Then stop wasting time and
turn it off!
" Aiden shouted.
"What? Doesn't it stop by itself after two minutes?"
"YOU FOOL! TURN IT OFF NOW OR YOU MIGHT
DIE!
"
Alarmed, Rey quickly deactivated the ability.
His stats didn't return to normal but the strange feeling did die downâor so he thought.
"Hah, see? Nothing happened! You were just being dramaticâ"
"AGHHHHHHH!!"
Rey screamed.
His face turned beet red as pain tore through his skull. His eyes dried out like they'd been scorched. His vision blurred.
It felt like someone had ripped his head open and was kicking it like a soccer ball.
He fell to the floor on all fours, gasping for breath.
ThenâŠ
drip⊠drip⊠drip.
Blood.
From his nose, ears, and eyes.
He touched his face. Red.
His consciousness began to blur, light dimming in his vision. His eyes shone unnaturally, leaking energy as if the very light of knowledge was bursting from within him.
It was like his brain had burned out from processing too much.
Rey slumped forward.
And Aiden⊠Aiden didn't move.
He stood there silently.
Waiting.
Watching.
As if expecting somethingâor
someone
âto awaken.
ââââââââââââââââŠâŠâŠâââââââââââââââ
To Be ContinuedâŠ
What happens next? Will Rey survive this brutal backlash, or is this the end? The truth might not be what you expect. Got a theory? Comment it belowâmaybe you're the one who figures it out first (and explains it to me too đ).