Hours later, Raze's eyes fluttered open.
His vision swam, his head pounding like someone had driven a hammer straight into his skull. He groaned and shifted, only to feel the cold floor beneath him.
"What… happened…?"
As his sight slowly cleared, he realized he was slumped near the front door.
"That man…" he muttered. "And that voice…"
The door was closed now. Quiet. Still. As if nothing had happened at all.
Raze pushed himself up, gripping his temples as fragments of memory slammed back into place.
"The… God Slayer System."
The moment the words left his mouth, a glowing screen flickered into existence before his eyes.
[User: Raze Zaden]
[Race: Half-ling]
[Level: 1]
[Exp: 0/100]
[HP: 100/100]
[Strength: 15]
[Agility: 15]
[Endurance: 15]
[Stamina: 15]
Raze froze.
"This… this isn't real," he whispered.
He reached out instinctively. The screen didn't move. It didn't flicker. It stayed exactly where it was.
His eyes dropped to the bottom.
[Skills]
[0 Skill Points Available]
[Skill Locked]
[Skill Locked]
Before he could think further, another message appeared—longer this time.
[To the user of the God Slayer System. You must keep both this system and your Half-ling status hidden. This is my first and final creation. Your path will be filled with struggle. Make allies. They will be vital to your survival.]
The text continued.
[There are beings who despise what we are. They hunt us. They devour us. They may be the reason planets are dying. Something is searching for us, Raze. You will learn more soon.]
[Farewell.]
The screen vanished.
Raze stood there in silence, his fists slowly clenching.
"Keep it hidden…?" he murmured. "Beings that devour us…?"
His heart hammered harder.
"Why me…?" His voice cracked slightly. "This can't be a dream… right?"
An idea surfaced.
"System," Raze said carefully, "can you explain more?"
Nothing happened.
Seconds passed. Silence answered him.
So it wasn't something he could just talk to.
The house suddenly felt far too quiet.
Raze swallowed and looked down at his hands.
They were trembling.
"Half-ling…" he muttered. "What does that even mean?"
"System," he tried again. "What is a Half-ling?"
This time, the response came instantly.
[A Half-ling is a transitional state between Human and God Slayer.]
[This is the first stage of evolution.]
[Your body has been enhanced beyond human limits.]
[Further evolution unlocks exclusive abilities.]
[Warning: Evolution is painful and irreversible.]
Raze's eyes widened.
"Irreversible…?"
His breathing quickened.
"So this thing isn't just giving me power," he whispered. "It's changing what I am."
Adrenaline surged through his veins, making it impossible to stay still. He stood up and paced the living room, his thoughts colliding with one another.
"But if it's real…" he muttered, stopping in front of a wall. "Then maybe I can finally be someone."
He raised his hand hesitantly and pressed his palm against the surface.
The wall cracked.
Not a hairline fracture.
A full, spiderwebbed split spread outward from where his hand touched.
Raze stumbled back, staring.
"…That's not normal."
He flexed his fingers slowly, feeling strength humming beneath his skin—something dense and heavy, like coiled steel.
"If this is just the beginning…" he whispered, pulse racing, "then what the hell is a full God Slayer?"
Before he could process that thought—
The living room TV snapped on.
Raze flinched. "You've gotta be kidding me…"
He turned just as a man in a military uniform filled the screen.
"I am Gilbert Nightwing," the man said, his voice firm. "Head of the military. This is an emergency broadcast."
Raze froze.
"We have detected hundreds of unknown beings moving across multiple planets. They are confirmed to be the cause of planetary deaths."
Raze's stomach dropped.
"Some claim the Xin have returned," Nightwing continued, "but reports confirm these are not the Xin humanity defeated decades ago."
The screen shifted, displaying star maps and red warning markers.
"Effective immediately," Nightwing said, "mandatory military schooling will begin for all citizens sixteen years and older. Humanity must prepare to defend the planets we inhabit."
He paused.
"The military and UX Space Corporation are calculating how long we have left."
The broadcast ended.
The screen went black.
Raze stood there, unmoving.
"Mandatory… military school?" he whispered. "Is this really happening?"
The weight of everything pressed down at once.
Theodore.
The system.
Half-ling.
Devourers.
Now a new threat looming over humanity.
Raze backed up slowly and collapsed onto the couch. His hands shook as he stared at the blank screen.
"Why now?" he murmured. "Why me…?"
He forced himself to breathe.
Then glanced at the clock.
"Eleven p.m…?" His eyes widened slightly. "How long was I out?"
With a heavy sigh, he pushed himself up and headed upstairs. The lights shut off automatically behind him, but the high-tech comfort only made the house feel emptier.
His parents' absence lingered in every room.
Inside his bedroom, the scanner slid open with a soft hum. Raze stepped in and lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"With this system…" he whispered, "I can finally change things."
He clenched his fist.
"But how do I hide it?"
Military school was probably starting in days.
"System," he asked quietly, "what are my capabilities as a Half-ling?"
The response came immediately.
[Enhanced Strength.]
[Enhanced Agility.]
[Enhanced Stamina.]
[Enhanced Endurance.]
[Heightened recovery, reflexes, perception, and adaptability.]
[Increased pain resistance.]
[Transformation will continue as levels rise.]
Raze exhaled slowly.
"…So this really is just the start."
His thoughts slowed as exhaustion finally caught up with him.
Everything had changed in a single night.
The last thing Raze wondered before sleep took him was—
What kind of future was waiting for him now?