The Devourbeast's roar hit Kail like a physical force, rattling the stone beneath his feet. Dust cascaded from the ceiling. The narrow tunnel amplified the sound, turning it into a suffocating pressure.
Kail didn't retreat.
He moved.
Feral Instinct took over—his senses widening, the world narrowing into angles, timing, threat vectors. Every muscle coiled with cold precision.
The beast charged.
Kail darted sideways. A hooked claw slammed into the wall where his head had just been, carving a deep furrow through bone-like stone. Splinters exploded outward.
Too close.
The beast wheeled toward him with shocking agility for its size. Its four-way jaw split open wider, revealing rows of interlocking teeth like jagged gears.
It lunged.
Kail dropped under the swipe, slid across the wet ground, and rammed his shoulder into the creature's exposed ribs. It barely staggered.
It's too heavy. Too strong.
The beast's claw backhanded him like a ragdoll.
He slammed into the wall.
Pain tore through his chest. His breath vanished for a moment. The impact left a smear of blood behind him.
He crumpled to one knee.
The Devourbeast loomed over him, saliva dripping in thick strings onto the floor, sizzling slightly as it landed.
If I take another hit like that, I'm dead.
A faint hum filled his skull.
The system.
A small window flickered erratically.
[Devour Threshold Detected][A living essence of significant potency is present.][Warning: Devour of living target at current level may...]
The window glitched—static tearing across the text.
Then:
[…succeed OR cause Mutative Overload.]
Kail forced himself to stand, eyes locked on the creature.
"So I either evolve…"His voice was a hoarse whisper."…or I die."
The beast lunged.
Kail charged toward it.
The monster's claw descended like a guillotine—
Kail dove under its arm, grabbed a loose chunk of jagged stone, and jammed it into the soft joint beneath its bone plating. The Devourbeast shrieked, staggering.
Kail didn't hesitate.
He climbed onto its back, grabbed its horn crest, and drove the shard down again and again, striking the gaps between armor plates. Black blood sprayed, thick and burning-hot.
The beast bucked violently.
Kail held on.
It slammed into the wall, crushing Kail against it—
He felt his ribs give.
He coughed blood.
His grip loosened—The beast twisted—Its jaws snapped toward him—
In pure desperation, Kail thrust his hand into the bloody wound he'd carved, fingers digging deep, searching for anything—
He found the core.
A pulsing, hot mass.
The Devourbeast froze for a half-second in shock.
Kail ripped it free.
The beast collapsed instantly, legs folding beneath it.
Kail staggered back, clutching the dripping core.
A system window burst open.
[CORE OF A DEVOURBEAST ACQUIRED][High-density essence detected][Would you like to DEVOUR?][Y/N]
Kail's vision blurred. His ribs screamed. His shoulder throbbed.
Without this evolution, he knew—he would not survive the next monster.
"…Yes," he whispered.
The core dissolved into black smoke and slammed into his chest like a hammer.
Kail screamed.
His bones twisted. His muscles tore and reformed. His heartbeat stuttered, then roared like an engine of flesh. Shadows crawled across his skin, writhing like living ink.
He fell to his knees, fingers clawing at the stone.
Pain.Heat.Darkness.Transformation.
Then—
Silence.
A new window unfolded before him.Clean. Clear. No glitches.
[EVOLUTION COMPLETE]
Another line appeared.
[New Trait Acquired: PREDATOR'S DESIGN][New Skill Acquired: RENDING FORCE][Devour Level increased → Lv. 2][Hunger +3]
Kail gasped as cold air filled his lungs.
Everything felt sharper.His body lighter.His heartbeat quieter—controlled.
He rose slowly, his shadow stretching unnaturally behind him. For a moment, it looked like it had horns, echoing the Devourbeast.
He blinked.The shape faded.
More text appeared.
[Primitive Body Mutation: COMPLETE][You have become something more than human.]
Kail stared at the message.
Something cold settled in his chest.
More than human.
He looked at his hand, still stained with black blood. His fingers flexed smoothly, power humming beneath his skin.
A distant rumble echoed from deeper within the dungeon.
A new presence.
Something vast.Ancient.Aware.
And it felt…as if it had just noticed him.
Kail's breath hitched.
Then another window blinked into existence.
[Dungeon Notice:][HEARTBOUND SENTINEL AWAKENED][A watcher has turned its gaze toward you.]
Kail exhaled slowly.
"So be it."
He stepped forward into the dark, each footstep stronger than the last.
The dungeon trembled in response.