I kindly request you to include my new book, "Ashes of God and Devil," in your libraries.
*****
{Chapter: 189 - Be Devoured?}
Hiro had been staring at the comic book for a long time, his face a mixture of awe and confusion. After finally processing what he saw, he pointed at the cover with wide eyes and declared with all the seriousness of a samurai swearing an oath, "Yes! I am Japanese!"
The sincerity in his voice was so over-the-top that Aiden blinked at him in disbelief. This guy really didn't understand what he was trying to say earlier. There was no irony in Hiro's tone—only that awkward, overenthusiastic pride that Aiden had seen in tourists trying to act like protagonists in their own anime.
Suppressing a groan, Aiden shook his head slowly. "Nakamura," he said, his voice calm but firm, "let's talk somewhere else. Somewhere quiet."
That alone was enough to set off Hiro's alarm bells. His eyes widened even more—something Aiden didn't think was physically possible—and he stepped forward in alarm. "Ehh? How do you know my name is Nakamura? Do you… do you know me? Are you—are you from the future?!"
Aiden didn't dignify that with a reply. He simply turned around and began walking toward the nearest less-crowded street.
"Wait, wait! Don't go!" Hiro called out, frantically jogging to catch up with him. "How do you know my name?! Hey, wait up!"
Even in the bustle of New York, his shouting drew attention. People glanced at them—especially at Hiro, who looked like he'd just stepped off the set of a low-budget comedy film. His arms flailed, his hair was a mess, and his voice carried that unfiltered enthusiasm that screamed: tourist alert.
Aiden felt secondhand embarrassment rising. He picked up his pace, trying to shake off the overly energetic time traveler.
This guy… Is he always this loud? Aiden glanced back, his expression tightening with frustration. Doesn't he feel any shame at all?
"Shut up and follow me!" he snapped, but Hiro didn't seem to understand the tone, or the words.
Eventually, Hiro managed to match Aiden's stride. As he looked at Aiden's annoyed expression, he suddenly made a zipping motion across his lips with his fingers. "Okay, okay! I zip! I zip!"
Aiden sighed and kept walking, his steps growing faster.
After several more blocks, they finally broke free from the crowded tourist area and slipped into a quieter alley between two old brick buildings. Aiden glanced around, ensuring no cameras or curious eyes were watching. A moment later, Rene emerged from the shadows, quietly keeping his distance but close enough to suppress any abilities.
Hiro stepped cautiously into the alley, glancing around like a kid about to enter a haunted house. "Um… can I speak now?" he asked nervously.
Aiden nodded.
Hiro let out a breath of relief and then unleashed a verbal flood. "Okay! Okay! Who are you? How do you know my name? Do you know I have powers? I mean—uh—I was just in Tokyo! Then I was in the subway and suddenly I screamed and now I'm here in New York! This is real, right? Not a dream? I—I can bend space-time! I'm like Doctor Who!"
His thick accent tangled his English, but the excitement was crystal clear.
Aiden's gaze remained fixed on him. He let the babbling finish before responding in a low, direct tone. "I know who you are, Nakamura. I know everything. I know about your powers—time control, teleportation. And I came here to find you."
Hiro blinked. "Find me? Why?"
"Because," Aiden said slowly, stepping forward and placing a firm hand on Hiro's shoulder, "I want your ability."
For a moment, Hiro didn't move. His brain was catching up with the implication of those words. Then it hit him.
"EHHHHHH?! NO, NO, NO!" he shouted, trying to shake the hand off. "This is mine! I worked hard for this! I have to become a hero! You can't take my power! That's cheating!"
But it was too late.
Aiden began the process of devouring the power, his hand glowing faintly with an unseen energy. Hiro struggled violently, pushing against Aiden with every bit of strength his nerdy frame could muster.
He clenched his eyes shut, reaching deep into himself, trying to teleport away like he had done before. "Yatta!—Wait, no—Teleport! Go! Go!"
Nothing.
He blinked, confused. Tried again.
Still nothing.
Why isn't it working?!
"Wh-What's wrong?! Why can't I teleport!?" Hiro shouted in panic, legs trembling. "I do this all the time! I—I escaped a subway once!"
Aiden remained quiet, watching him closely. Rene's presence was suppressing Hiro's power, making it impossible for him to activate his abilities. That, combined with Hiro's inexperience and emotional instability, rendered him completely vulnerable.
But even then… something wasn't right.
Aiden frowned.
When he absorbed Claire's ability, he'd felt a tremendous resistance—a deep, almost spiritual backlash from her regenerative powers. It was like swallowing molten steel.
But Hiro's power?
It was… vacant. Silent. Like trying to drink from an empty cup. There was no pushback. No sign of energy. It was as if the ability wasn't even there to begin with.
What is this? Why is there no reaction? Aiden's brow furrowed deeper.
This was unprecedented. He had never encountered an ability so… elusive.
The ability to manipulate time and space is significantly more powerful than Claire's undead immortality ability.
When Aiden devoured Claire's ability, he only felt it fiercely resisting and hard to devour, but now there was no response at all!
There was no response, as if there was no ability to respond.
Aiden couldn't help but frown deeper. This was the first time he encountered such a situation..
"Let me go! Let me go!" Hiro continued yelling, his arms flailing wildly. He thrashed like a cornered raccoon until Aiden finally sighed and released his grip.
Hiro stumbled backward, panting. His glasses were askew, and his eyes were full of fear. But when he saw that Aiden wasn't chasing him, he quickly turned on his heel and bolted toward the street.
Aiden watched as Hiro paused a few meters away, glancing back with uncertainty. There was hesitation in his eyes, like he couldn't believe what just happened—or perhaps he was considering if he'd just made a new enemy or narrowly avoided death.
But whatever thoughts ran through his head, in the end, he chose flight over questions.
He turned and ran.
And Aiden was left staring at the empty alleyway, his thoughts racing. What just happened?
Something was wrong with Hiro's power. Something beyond inexperience. And if he wanted it, truly wanted it—he'd have to dig deeper.
Aiden didn't bother chasing after the frantic Hiro. Watching the young man disappear around the corner with hurried steps and panicked breaths, he simply stood there, his gaze calm and calculating.
"There's no need," Aiden muttered to himself as he adjusted the collar of his jacket and turned away from the alley. "It won't be hard to find him again. He's too noisy to stay hidden and I can just mutter his name and know his location."
Beside him, Rene—the quiet and ever-loyal Haitian—stood silently. His mere presence exuded pressure. Aiden glanced at him thoughtfully. "You know… bringing you along turned out to be smarter than I thought. You make things easy. Efficient. Tribal management, suppressing powers, intimidating locals. Very convenient."
Rene gave no response, but a faint nod acknowledged the compliment.
With no further interest in the alley, the two left the shadowy street behind. New York's energy pulsed around them—sirens in the distance, horns blaring, neon lights flickering against puddles of rainwater. But Aiden was detached from it all, already a step ahead in his mind.
---
A few hours later, in the upper floor of a luxury hotel overlooking the Hudson River, Aiden lounged on a velvet couch. The city skyline stretched beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, a glittering monument to ambition, chaos, and human ingenuity. A glass of red wine sat in his hand, half-finished, the crimson liquid catching the light like blood.
He tilted the glass slowly, swirling it as he stared out at the sprawling urban maze. His reflection in the window was calm, but inside, his thoughts churned.
'System,' he asked inwardly, 'why couldn't I devour Hiro's ability? Not only can I not take it—I can't even feel it. It's like it's hidden behind some veil I can't pierce.'
He waited, and sure enough, the voice that had guided him since awakening in this new world replied, clear and measured.
[Abilities are not created equal.]
[Some evolve through experience, practice, and discipline—gradually unlocking greater potential. Others, like Hiro Nakamura's, are born powerful. They are rare. Natural. Pure.]
Aiden's eyes narrowed. That made sense. He remembered the moment he touched Hiro—the boy's fear, his confusion, his desperate attempt to teleport away. Nothing happened. No resistance. No absorption. It was as if the power didn't exist at all.
[Your Devour ability awakened when your body transformed after you crossed into the marvel world.]
[It has the potential to balance and integrate conflicting abilities—making you unique. But at this stage, your ability is simply not strong enough to contain Hiro's. You are a container trying to hold a storm.]
Aiden took a long sip of wine, thoughtful. "So I just give up then? Walk away from one of the most powerful abilities in fiction? There's no shortcut?"
[There is a path. You know it already.]
He frowned, lips tightening. "Keep devouring…"
[Correct. The more you devour, the stronger your Devour ability becomes. It will evolve, sharpen, expand. Eventually, you may reach a point where even abilities of beings like Doctor Manhattan and The Beyonder being beyond time-space can be consumed like any other.]
That made sense. He had noticed it himself—how his absorption had become more efficient over time. He could take more, faster, and adapt to new powers more seamlessly. But there was a cost.
Aiden's voice dropped, a shadow of fear edging into his tone. "But every time I devour another one, I feel it... my body changes. My mind shifts. My heart pounds like it's too much. I feel rage sometimes—hunger. It's not just the abilities mutating. I'm mutating too. What if I lose control?"
[Losing control is the first symptom.]
[If one consumes more powers than your body can manage by combining multiple abilities, it may lead to a collapse.
Eventually, your body will become unstable. It will reject the fusion of too many incompatible powers.]
"Reject?"
[Collapse. You will implode.]
Aiden stiffened, lowering the glass slowly. "Wait… Are you saying I'll die? Just like that?"
[If the balance fails, yes. You will explode from the inside out. A symphony of stolen power tearing itself apart within you.]
The thought sent a shiver down his spine. Death by becoming too powerful—it was ironic.
[But, this is the only way to improve your ability in a short time.]
He looked back out the window. The world felt smaller now. He wanted everything, but the price was steep.
"So there's no other path? No trick, no cheat, no system upgrade?"
[There is no simple way to become the King.]
The words echoed in his mind. This was, after all, the King Maker System. Not the Survivor System. Not the Safe and Sensible Power-Gathering System.
The King.
He wasn't supposed to be cautious.
He was supposed to rule.
Aiden set the wine down, now untouched. In his reflection, he saw a man at war with himself. A man who wanted everything. Power, dominance, control, women. And now, the prize was right in front of him—a power that could bend time, rewrite fate, escape death.
And he couldn't touch it.
"You're right," he muttered, jaw tightening. "This… fear? This hesitation? That's not what a king should feel."
He stood up, pacing slowly across the room. "A king doesn't tremble in the face of a stronger enemy. He crushes them… or learns to."
His hand clenched into a fist.
"It's just a wall—and every wall was made to fall. If my fists bleed, then so be it. I'll strike until either it shatters… or I do."
He would find Hiro again. And when he did, he would be ready. No second-guessing. No more questions.
If he had to tear the world apart to evolve—so be it.
Let it burn.