THE DEVOURER'S REBIRTH
They say that in life, when a human is cornered—
When danger grips their heart and death breathes down their neck—
Something awakens.
When one single move determines life or death, either they break… or their potential erupts.
Zayriel never planned for this. He never calculated such a situation.
But here he was — unleashing everything.
"I won't die here!"
His roar cut through the chaos.
The colossal beast — the Rhenicorrous — stirred from its daze. Seeing the state it was in, its dull eyes widened briefly before fury consumed them. It bellowed, shaking the very air, and unleashed its first technique:
Technique: Bloodlust Roar — Instills fear and suppresses enemies within a 30 km radius.
But this time, the entire pressure was concentrated on Zayriel alone.
Normally, such a roar would crush a man's will — make his soul tremble and his knees collapse — but the Zayriel standing there was no longer sane. His eyes burned with a fire beyond reason, beyond fear.
The beast's body rippled violently as it activated its second technique:
Technique: Iron Hide — Natural defense; drastically reduces physical damage.
Its hide gleamed like molten metal, hardened sixfold.
Zayriel's fist met its body.
BOOOOOOM!
It was as if the world itself held its breath.
Everything exploded. Trees disintegrated, the ground cracked open, molten lava burst from below. The roars of both the beast and the phantom lion echoed — two titans screaming as reality itself trembled.
Shockwaves tore through the landscape. Nearby beasts fled in terror, unwilling to even glance back.
The phantom lion — born of Zayriel's energy — flickered, then condensed. Its massive body compressed under Zayriel's will. The energy in his hand grew denser, deadlier, shrinking into two small spectral lions — each a burning core of destruction.
He fused them with Spirit Flash, and the world detonated again.
This time, the aftermath was far worse.
When the explosion finally subsided, a ghostly white energy lingered in the air.
The surrounding sixty kilometers had been erased — incinerated into silence.
No trees. No grass. No trace of nature.
Only ash and emptiness.
At the heart of a crater six meters deep stood a lone boy.
His once-elegant attire was gone — mask shattered, cloak and shirt incinerated, leaving only his torn pants. His body was battered, but his eyes… his eyes burned like twin suns.
Behind him lay the corpse of the mighty beast — unrecognizable, melted beyond shape.
Even in death, the ground trembled beneath it.
Zayriel exhaled. Phew… Whitish energy escaped from his nostrils and mouth.
Then—
Badump.
"Ahhhhhh!"
A gut-wrenching pain tore through him — not from his body, but from his very spirit. It felt like his existence was being ripped apart, his soul and spirit shattering as one. His vision blurred as darkness crept in.
Then came the voice.
[ WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!]
[The host's soul and spirit have shattered!]
[ALERT! The host is dead! The host is dead! The host is dead!]
Each word slammed into the emptiness of his fading mind like thunder — echoing through the void.
…But before his soul could dissolve completely, his lips twitched once.
"Devour."
Silence.
The world itself paused.
Then — VMMMMMM!
A pitch-black wormhole, darker than the abyss itself, ripped open before the Rhenicorrous' corpse. Its pull was absolute — space, sound, and light were devoured in an instant.
The beast didn't resist. It couldn't.
Its entire existence was erased.
No bones. No blood. No trace. Only emptiness remained.
Then the system's cold tone echoed through the void:
[System Notification]
Processing Devour Command...
Target: Rhenicorrous (Lv.5)
Bloodline: Faint Rhinox Descent (Diluted Lineage)
(An extremely weak remnant of an ancient species. Provides minor defensive attributes.)
Stats Absorbed:
Strength: 30
Speed: 18
Agility: 15
Endurance: 35
Perception: 10
Intelligence: 5
Vitality: 12
Analyzing Life Essence… Complete.
Extracting Soul Core Fragments… Complete.
Assimilating Energy Signature… Complete.
[Intelligence not absorbed — inferior mental structure.]
[Bonus: Minor life-force crystal generated.]
[Devour Successful.]
[Fixing the host… Fixing the host… Resurrecting the host.]
In the Spirit Realm, where souls fade and never return, something impossible occurred.
The broken fragments of Zayriel's soul and vitality — scattered across existence — began to converge.
They didn't just merge… they fused and amplified, reborn as something greater.
A soul once extinguished — reborn through Devour and Life Force.
In the dungeon, Zayriel's body began to glow — a blinding, pure light that filled the chamber. His body floated in the air, suspended, wrapped in the pulse of creation itself. The energy rippled outward, reshaping the air around him before fading.
Moments later, his body descended gently.
He twitched. Then his eyes opened.
Everything was clearer — sharper. His senses expanded far beyond normal comprehension.
"Status," he murmured.
[SYSTEM STATUS]
Name: Zayriel
Race: Human
Level: 0
Strength: 31
Speed: 19
Endurance: 36
Agility: 16
Perception: 11
Intelligence: 20
Willpower: 30
Life Force: 40
Abilities
Devour — Consume and assimilate existence.
Synthesis — Fuse matter, energy, and concepts infinitely; create new life.
Creation (Restricted) — Life-draining at present.
Akashic — Records scenarios, analyzes, and adapts for the host.
Technique's
Berserker Style: Raging Beast
Aura Manifestation
[The bloodline and skills of the beast can be converted into Stat Points or System Currency. Does the host wish to keep them?]
Zayriel stood silent for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"Hmph. Low-level bloodlines are worthless to me. Convert every useless skill or bloodline into stat points. I only keep what's useful… what's powerful."
[Conversion request accepted.]
"Wait," he added. "Except for Bloodlust Roar. Keep that."
[As you wish, host.]
[Stat Points: +20]
[Akashic Skill Activated.]
Analyzing skill: Bloodlust Roar…
Analysis complete.
Host body incompatible — Akashic has modified the technique to suit host's physiology.
"Perfect," Zayriel muttered, feeling the new power integrate.
He distributed the 20 points — 2 each for every stat except Intelligence, and 6 to Life Force. He didn't need to ask what Life Force was — he could already feel it pulsing within him.
[Congratulations, host. You have slain a beast.]
[Reward: 20 EXP.]
"Don't show me EXP again," Zayriel said coldly. "Only tell me when I level up — or when I've killed."
[Understood, host.]
He smirked. The system still showed his level as 0 — perhaps because Devour absorbed stats, not levels. It is only by killing or absorbing codes or other special means he can level up.thiugh It didn't matter. His power far exceeded any number.
"Status."
[UPDATED STATUS]
Strength: 33
Speed: 21
Endurance: 38
Agility: 18
Perception: 13
Intelligence: 20
Willpower: 32
Life Force: 48
Abilities
Devour
Synthesis
Creation (Restricted)
Akashic
Technique's
Berserker Style: Rage of the Spirit Beast
Aura Manifestation
Bloodlust Dominance
Spirit Flash
He clenched his fists, veins humming with raw energy.
"Incredible…" he muttered. "I could've one-shot that beast now."
The system chimed again.
[Host was promised a weapon for surviving the first beast.]
[Host may now choose a weapon type.]
Zayriel smiled.
"Hm. For now, a broadsword fits best. I'll master every weapon later — but one step at a time."
[Request accepted.]
A pulse of light appeared before him, shaping into a sword. As his fingers brushed its surface, a surge of energy ran through him — sharp, primal, and alive.
"What… is this?" he asked.
[Your Life Energy resonated with the weapon, host. This connection is unique.]
He smirked. "So even the sword recognizes me, huh?"
"System, scan."
[System Scan: Weapon Identified]
Name: Zephyraath
Type: Broadsword
Rank: Unknown (Dormant)
Weight: Balanced – heavy enough to cleave, light enough to control.
Material: Oblivium Steel (rare alloy; adapts to wielder's Life Force and grows with it).
Length: 130 cm, double-edged with faint runic engravings.
Description:
A mysterious broadsword forged from Oblivium Steel, a rare metal capable of absorbing traces of the wielder's Life Force and synchronizing with their combat rhythm. Its runes are dormant and unreadable to most systems. Legends say it was created not as a final weapon, but as a foundation blade — one that evolves with its master.
Abilities (Dormant State):
Adaptive Edge: Adjusts balance to match the wielder's movements, minimizing energy drain.
Life Resonance (Passive): Amplifies attacks infused with Life Force.
Soul Anchor: Protects a fragment of the wielder's essence, reducing soul backlash.
Sealed Rune Slots (x3): Can unlock future elemental or dimensional powers as mastery increases.
[Weapon Status: Dormant | Resonance Level: 0.3%]
[To unlock more abilities, increase Life Force Mastery and Soul Resonance.]
Zayriel gazed at the sword, awe flickering in his eyes. "A blade that grows with me… This will do."
He grinned. "From now on, your name is Zephyraath."
The blade hummed faintly — almost like a whispering breath in the dark.
"Still asleep, huh?" he muttered with a smile, sliding it into its sheath.
He conjured new clothes using his creation his mask and dark attire reformed in a flash of radiant energy. Then, just as he adjusted his cloak, the ground began to tremble.
A thunderous rumble shook the air.
Zayriel frowned, leaping lightly into the air. His gaze darkened.
Below him — thousands of beasts surged forward like a living tide. Ranks 3 through 7 — an entire horde.
"…So that's it." His voice was calm, almost amused. "My Life Energy must've drawn them in."
He landed softly, unsheathing Zephyraath. The once-dull blade flared to life — a dark, abyssal glow radiating from its core, so terrifying that even gods would hesitate.
He stepped forward, elegant and fearless.as his life force energy exploded from his body spreading out and covering the floor with crater
"Zephyraath…" His lips curled into a smile.
"Let's go rogue."