My name is Russo.
Born into a regular family. Dad worked. Mom stayed home. No siblings. Just me.
No drama. No dreams. Just life.
They never asked much from me. But I pushed myself. Hard. Always had to be the best — in school, in sports, in everything. Friends? None. Didn't care. People said I had a "good life." But deep inside… I felt trapped. The world bored me. No magic. No monsters. Just rules, routines, fake smiles. Everything felt the same. Every day — a copy of the last.
I wanted more.
Then my parents died. No warning. No heroic end. Just gone. And something inside me snapped. I joined the army. Not to serve. Not to save anyone. I wanted to feel something again. And war? War delivered. Blood. Fire. Death. Propaganda painted us as heroes — saviors. But all I saw was chaos.
Civilians crushed in rubble. Soldiers used like tools. Power games behind every order. I watched. I obeyed. But I didn't believe anymore.
People called me cold.
They were right.
…
Pain hit me like a hammer. My whole body burned. Why was I so thirsty? Right… the monster. The chase. I blacked out. Wait… is this really another world? I heard water — a stream nearby. I dragged myself toward it. Every move a struggle.
But I found it.
A small river, glimmering under strange trees. The grass shimmered blue. The insects glowed like tiny lanterns. Even the air felt… cleaner. Lighter.
I dipped my hands in.
The water was cold. Pure.
The first real thing I'd felt since waking up.
I drank like a dying man. And then — it returned.
That golden light. Same one from before. When I was bleeding out. Back then, I thought it was a dream. A final hallucination. But it was here. Real. Warm. Gentle.
Like hope — if hope had a heartbeat. A golden screen appeared before me.
⸻
[Status]Name: Russo
Race: Human
Stage: Base (Unawakened)
Condition: Injured – Healing
Core Function: Beast Essence Extraction
– Can extract essence from slain monsters
– Can extract tainted bloodlines from humans
– No assistance provided
– Purity affects strength
System: Silent. No answers.
Status Access: Manual
⸻
I stared.
So this is what saved me. A system. Cold. Direct. No voice. No guidance. No mercy. But it gave me something. Power.
I didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse…
But after absorbing that essence, my body felt stronger. Lighter. The wound that should've killed me — now just a deep cut. Could it be… To survive… to grow stronger…
Do I have to kill? Take their essence — again and again?
A deep growl echoed behind the trees. Not good. Another monster. My body still ached, but something had changed. My muscles felt tighter.
My breath steadier. The system had done something. I stood. Barely.
But I stood. I could run. I could fight. Whatever this world is…
I won't crawl through it.
I'll burn my way forward.