Pain.
That was the first thing that welcomed me back. Not warmth. Not sound.
Just pain.
It crawled through every nerve, heavy and raw, until I realized—I was breathing.
The air was thick with the stench of rot and iron. Chains clinked softly when I moved. My hands trembled, cold metal biting my wrists.
When my eyes adjusted, I saw it: the dirt above me, the bones beside me.
I wasn't lying on the ground.
I was lying in it.
A pit. A grave. A forgotten hole in the earth.
Then came a whisper. Not from the outside—but from within my chest.
> "Why… why couldn't I escape…?"
The voice quivered, fragile as broken glass.
And somehow… it was mine.
Memories flooded my mind—painful, choking flashes that weren't my own.
Whips cracking. Chains tightening. A name screamed, then forgotten.
A life that knew nothing but servitude and hunger.
The memories felt alive, gnawing at the edges of my soul.
Two consciousnesses were tangled—mine and another's.
And then, the world itself began to hum.
---
A symbol of light appeared before my eyes, pure and translucent.
Letters carved themselves into the air as though the universe was recording me.
> [Soul Record Activation — Incomplete]
[Primary Soul Identified: Okhel Chaim]
[Residual Soul Detected: "Unnamed Slave"]
[Soul Compatibility: 94.6%]
[Resonance Conflict Detected]
[Violet Fragment attempting stabilization…]
A crushing pressure filled my skull. The two souls fought for dominance—
one desperate to remain, the other unwilling to yield.
Then a calm, ancient voice whispered from the depths of my being.
> "Only one may remain."
My heart froze.
And in that stillness, the Violet Fragment within me stirred awake—its pulse in perfect rhythm with mine.
> [Devourer Pulse — Instinctive Activation]
Violet light erupted from my chest. A transparent figure—thin, trembling—appeared before me.
The slave's fading soul. His lips moved, barely forming words.
> "Please… end it…"
There was no hesitation.
The violet current spiraled outward, wrapping around his form. His body turned to threads of light—no pain, no scream, only release.
The moment his soul vanished, I felt it—
a flood of warmth, agony, and power burning into my veins.
---
> [Soul Essence Gained: +13]
[Soul Resonance Absorbed: +2 SR]
[Fragment Synchronization: +1%]
---
The dark pit glowed faintly as the Soul Record unfolded completely before my eyes.
It wasn't a mere window—it was alive. Watching. Recording. Defining.
---
[SOUL RECORD — ACTIVE STATUS]
Name: Okhel Chaim
Race: Human (Anomalous Host)
Level: 1 (Soul Essence: 13 / 100)
Rank: Mortal Resonance
Soul Status: Fragment-Bound Entity
Fragment: Heart of ???? — Active (9% Synchronization)
---
[Attributes]
Attribute Base Amplified(×1.04 from SR 52)
-(STR): 8 (8.32)
-(AGI): 9 (9.36)
-(END): 7 (7.28)
-(INT): 10 (10.4)
-(WIL): 12 (12.48)
-(PER): 11 (11.44)
-(SR): 52 (Amplifier: ×1.04)
-(Mana): 50
---
[ Fragment: Heart of ????]
Type: Soul Fragment (Bound / Adaptive)
Status: Semi-Dormant
Synchronization: 9%
Effects:
×3 Essence Accumulation (Passive): Triples the total Soul Essence absorbed from any source after conversion.
Amplification Link (Passive): SR acts as a direct multiplier to all physical and mental attributes.
Devourer Pulse (Skill): Allows user to seize and convert fragmented souls into usable Soul Essence and Soul Resonance.
Activation Cost: 25 Mana
Maintenance Cost: 5 Mana per second
Passive Trigger: Activates automatically near soul death.
Restriction: Cannot devour higher-tier Resonant souls beyond user's Rank.
---
> [Title Acquired: The One Who Devoured Himself]
---
As the light faded, I exhaled slowly, my breath visible in the chill air.
My limbs trembled—not from fear, but from understanding.
The messages lingered in front of me, written like fate on glass.
Soul Resonance.
It wasn't just power.
It was amplification itself—a measure of how much my soul could magnify every part of me.
The stronger my SR, the more real my strength, speed, will, and senses became.
I clenched my fist.
Even now, faint violet lines ran through my veins like liquid light.
> "So that's how it works…" I whispered.
"The soul strengthens the self… and the Fragment feeds on what I take."
I smiled faintly—wry, but alive.
"Then I'll feed it everything this world has to offer."
The glow of the Record dimmed, leaving me with nothing but my heartbeat and the slow rhythm of the pit's silence.
But the weight of those glowing words still pulsed beneath my skin—
a promise of growth, of power, and of reckoning.
> "If souls are the fuel of strength," I murmured, "then I'll never starve again."
--