The transport ship hummed with a low, vibrating drone that rattled Leo's teeth. He sat on the cold metal floor of the cargo hold, surrounded by crates of supplies and the spoils of the hunt—dead beasts tagged and bagged for processing.
The air smelled of ozone and stale blood, a scent that made Leo's empty stomach cramp violently. He ignored it, focusing instead on the blue holographic screen that only he could see.
[Level Up!] [Current Level: 2] [Exp: 0/200] [Attribute Points Available: 1] [New Skill Unlocked: Feral Senses (Level 1)]
Leo stared at the text. Level 2. It wasn't much, but it was progress. In the grand scheme of the military hierarchy, he was still an ant, but at least now he was an ant with a bit of bite.
"System," Leo whispered, checking to make sure no crew members were nearby. "Show me the skill details."
[Skill: Feral Senses (Level 1)] [Type: Active / Toggle] [Description: Heightens the user's auditory and olfactory senses to match the current Dominant Form (Wolf). Allows detection of heartbeats within 10 meters and tracking of scent trails up to 1 hour old.] [Cost: 1 BP per 5 minutes.]
"Useful," Leo muttered. It wasn't a combat skill like a fireball or super strength, but information was ammunition. If he could hear an enemy coming before they saw him, he stood a chance.
He looked at his available Attribute Point. His stats were abysmal compared to the students upstairs. A Level 3 Ability User like Brock probably had stats in the twenties. Leo's highest was Willpower at 7.
He hesitated, then dumped the point into Endurance. If his body was going to break down every time he shifted, he needed to be tougher.
[Endurance: 4 -> 5]
A notification pinged softly.
[System Update: Adaptation Protocol] [Due to Host's low Beast Point (BP) capacity, Shifting Efficiency Rules have been updated.] [New Rule: The 'Predator's Window'.] [Effect: The first 60 seconds of any Transformation (Partial or Full) consumes 0 upkeep BP. After the first minute, upkeep cost is 10% of the initial Activation Cost per minute.]
Leo did the math quickly. His Wolf form cost 40 BP to activate in his current Class F state. That meant if he shifted, he had one minute of free carnage. After that, it would drain 4 BP every minute. With his max BP at 50 and currently sitting dangerously at 1, he couldn't afford long fights.
"Hit and run," Leo mused. "One minute to kill or escape."
He leaned his head back against a crate, closing his eyes. The vibration of the ship brought his mind back to reality. They were heading back to the Citadel—the military academy that served as the primary training ground for the United Human Alliance.
Thirty years ago, the first Rift opened in the Pacific Ocean. Out poured the Chimeras—monstrosities that looked like genetic nightmares, beasts spliced together from Earth's deadliest predators and something alien. Bullets bounced off them. Tanks were torn apart like wet paper. Humanity was pushed to the brink of extinction.
Then, the Ability Users emerged. The 'Originals'—humans who had mutated, gaining the power to harness the elements, enhance their bodies, or manipulate physics. They were the only ones who could hurt the Chimeras.
The war had stabilized into a stalemate, but the Rifts were still open. Every year, more beasts poured out, stronger and smarter than before. That was why the Academy existed. Every teenager with an ability was conscripted, trained, and eventually sent to the front lines.
And those without abilities? The Zeros like Leo? They were support staff. Cannon fodder. Or, if they were lucky, they stayed in the inner cities working factories to build the weapons the 'heroes' used.
"Heroes," Leo scoffed, thinking of Brock. If those were the saviors of humanity, the world was doomed.
The intercom crackled. "Approaching Citadel Landing Zone 4. All students prepare for disembarkation. Support staff, remain in the hold until cargo is offloaded."
The ship lurched as it touched down. Leo waited in the dark for twenty minutes while the cargo bay doors hissed open. He watched from the shadows as the students walked down the ramp, greeted by cheering crowds of first-years and academy staff. They looked like conquering gods, their armor shining under the stadium lights.
When the deck was finally clear, Leo grabbed his tattered rucksack and slipped out.
The Citadel was massive. It was a fortress-city built into the side of a mountain, protected by a glowing energy dome. The air here was cleaner than the Grey Zone, but it smelled of exhaust and industrial sanitizer.
Leo checked his wristband. He had 500 credits. It was a fortune for him. Usually, a porter job paid 50 credits.
"Food," he groaned. His stomach felt like it was digesting itself.
[BP: 1/55] [Hunger State: Starvation. Rage Meter increasing.]
He headed straight for the lower district, away from the glittering towers of the Ability Users' dorms. The 'Dregs', as the students called it, was where the staff and the low-level students lived. It was a maze of concrete prefabs and blue noodle stalls.
Leo found a 24-hour convenience store. He walked in, ignoring the dirty look from the clerk, and grabbed five high-calorie protein packs, a liter of milk, and two packages of beef jerky.
He paid and sat on the curb outside, tearing into the food like a starving animal. He ate so fast he barely chewed.
[Consuming Nutrient Paste...] [BP +0.5] [Consuming Beef Jerky...] [BP +0.2]
Leo paused, a piece of jerky hanging from his mouth. "Are you serious? 0.2?"
He had spent 50 credits, a tenth of his wealth and his BP had barely moved.
[System Reminder: Processed food contains trace biological essence. To restore BP efficiently, consume raw biomatter. Blood is the most potent fuel source for your current Class.]
Leo looked at his arm, where the Corpse-Rat had bitten him. The wound had scabbed over unnaturally fast, but the memory of the rat's blood smelling sweet haunted him.
"I can't go around drinking blood," Leo whispered, wiping his mouth. "I'll get locked up. Or executed."
He needed a solution. A renewable source of raw meat that wouldn't get him expelled.
He stood up, tossing the wrappers into a bin. He felt slightly better, the sharpest edge of the hunger dulled, but the emptiness remained.
He began the long walk to the Dormitory Z—the barracks for the ability-less. It was a stark, gray block of a building on the edge of the campus.
As he reached the entrance, he saw a group of students blocking the doorway. They weren't high-tiers like Brock, but they weren't Zeros either. They were Level 1s and low Level 2s—the bullies who were too weak to pick on the elites, so they preyed on the helpless to feel powerful.
Leading them was a guy named Vance. He had a minor hardening ability that let him turn his skin into stone.
"Well, look who's back," Vance sneered, stepping into Leo's path. "We heard a rumor you got eaten by a bear. I actually won a bet. I bet you'd die screaming."
Leo stopped. He was tired. He was hungry. And his Rage Meter was hovering at 60%.
[Skill: Feral Senses - Activated.]
The world shifted. The dim streetlights seemed brighter. The smell of Vance's cheap cologne was overpowering, mixed with the sour stench of sweat. But underneath that...
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
Leo could hear Vance's heart. He could hear the blood rushing through the carotid artery in his neck.
It sounded delicious.
Leo swallowed hard, fighting the urge to lunge.
"Move, Vance," Leo said quietly.
Vance blinked, surprised by the lack of fear. Usually, Leo would cower. "Excuse me? Did the bear knock your brain loose? You owe us the weekly toll, Zero. 10 credits."
"I don't have it," Leo lied.
Vance grinned, turning his knuckles into grey, jagged stone. "Then we'll take it out of your hide. Grab him, boys."
Two lackeys moved to grab Leo's arms.
Leo didn't shift. He couldn't afford the BP. But he didn't need to be a wolf to use the System's gifts.
[Attribute Comparison] [Vance (Level 2): Strength 8, Agility 4] [Leo (Level 2): Strength 5, Agility 6]
He was faster.
As the lackey on the left reached out, Leo side-stepped. He didn't retreat; he stepped in. He drove his elbow into the lackey's solar plexus. The boy folded like a lawn chair, wheezing.
Vance swung a stone fist. It was slow. clumsy. To Leo's heightened senses, it looked like it was moving through water.
Leo ducked under the punch. He grabbed Vance's wrist and used his new Endurance to absorb the shock of the impact against his shoulder. He swept Vance's legs out from under him.
Vance hit the concrete hard.
Leo stood over him, breathing heavily. The hunger spiked. The scent of a scraped knee—fresh blood—hit his nose.
[Warning: Rage 75%. Hunger Critical.] [Feed.]
Leo's eyes dilated. He stared at Vance's neck. It would be so easy. Just one bite. Just a taste.
"You..." Vance scrambled back, looking terrified. "Your eyes... what the hell is wrong with your eyes?"
Leo blinked, forcing the monster back down. He realized his pupils had narrowed into vertical slits.
He turned away, pulling his hood up to hide his face.
"Don't touch me again," Leo growled, his voice vibrating with a timber that sounded too deep for a human throat.
He pushed past the stunned bullies and entered the dorms. He marched straight to his room—a tiny closet he had to himself because no one wanted to room with the 'cursed' kid.
He slammed the door and locked it. He slid down against the wood, clutching his head.
"This is going to be harder than I thought," Leo whispered.
He needed meat. Raw meat. And he knew the only place to get it without raising questions.
The Academy Kitchens discarded the 'low-quality' cuts of beast meat—the organs, the marrow bones—into the waste disposal units behind the cafeteria.
Leo looked at the window. The moon was rising.
"One minute free shift," he reminded himself. "I can be in and out."
He wasn't a student anymore. He was a scavenger. And tonight, the scavenger was going to feast.
[Quest Generated: The Midnight Snack] [Objective: Infiltrate the Kitchen Disposal Area and consume 1kg of biomass.] [Reward: 10 Exp, BP Restoration.]
Leo stood up. "Fine. Let's go hunting."