The rain in Astralis City didn't wash away the filth; it only turned the shame into a cold, clinging mud.
Kyzen stood in the center of the Great Hall of the Azure Clan, his head bowed, but his eyes burning with a silent, lethal rage. Around him, the elders sat on their high jade thrones, their faces masks of cold indifference. Opposite him stood a young woman with hair like spun gold and eyes as sharp as ice—Elena von Astra.
"The engagement is null and void," Elena's voice rang out, devoid of any emotion. "A daughter of the Astra family cannot be bound to a... bug-catcher."
A ripple of cruel laughter erupted from the disciples watching from the shadows.
"Bug-catcher? That's too generous, Sister Elena!" mocked a tall youth stepping forward. It was Lucius, Kyzen's cousin and the clan's new favorite. "He's an F-Rank failure. While we awakened Dragons, Phoenixes, and Dire Wolves, he awakened a 'Black Ant'. A common household pest!"
Kyzen gripped his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. Just a year ago, he was the 'Sun of the Azure Clan', a genius who had mastered beast-taming theory at age ten. But during the Awakening Ceremony, destiny had played a cruel joke. In a world where the rank of your first summoned beast determined your entire life, Kyzen had summoned a Rank 0 Black Ant.
From genius to trash in a single heartbeat.
"Kyzen," his grandfather, the Great Elder, spoke with a voice like grinding stones. "You have brought shame to our bloodline. You are hereby stripped of your name, your resources, and your right to live within the city walls. You have one hour to leave for the Forbidden Forest. If you survive... well, the heavens know that is impossible."
Elena didn't look back as she walked away, her silk robes rustling. She didn't hate Kyzen; he simply no longer existed in her world. You don't hate an ant; you just step on it.
One hour later, Kyzen was thrown like a bag of trash at the edge of the Forbidden Forest—a place where even B-Rank summoners feared to tread. His clothes were torn, his body bruised from Lucius's parting 'gifts', and in the palm of his hand sat a tiny, motionless black insect.
"Is this it?" Kyzen whispered, his voice cracking. "Is this how the great Kyzen ends? In the stomach of some low-level beast because I was born with a 'bug'?"
The tiny ant crawled feebly on his skin. It was weak, just like him.
Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed over him. A Twin-Headed Shadow Wolf, a Rank 2 beast, emerged from the treeline. Its four glowing green eyes locked onto Kyzen. Saliva dripped from its fangs, sizzling on the grass like acid.
"Even a wolf wants to mock me," Kyzen laughed bitterly, closing his eyes. "Fine. Eat me. But I hope I choke you to death!"
As the wolf lunged, its massive jaws opening to crush Kyzen's skull, a sound echoed in Kyzen's mind—not a growl, but a sharp, mechanical chime.
[Ding!]
[Extreme Despair Detected. Soul Compatibility: 100%.]
[Activating the SSS-Rank 'Divine Beast Editor' System!]
Time seemed to freeze. A golden holographic screen shimmered in the air, invisible to the world but burning bright in Kyzen's vision.
[Host: Kyzen]
[Rank: F (Trash-tier Summoner)]
[Current Beast: Common Black Ant (Rank 0)]
[System Status: Bound.]
[Emergency Protocol Activated! The Host is in mortal danger.]
[Distributing Newbie Gift Pack: 1x 'Abyssal Essence', 1x 'Genetic Reconstructor', 1x 'SSS-Rank Trait: God-Devourer'.]
"System?" Kyzen's breath hitched. "A... System?"
[Would you like to Edit your current Beast: 'Common Black Ant'?]
"Yes! Do it! Edit it! Now!" Kyzen screamed in his mind.
[Selection Confirmed.]
[Material Applied: Abyssal Essence.]
[Trait Applied: God-Devourer (SSS-Rank).]
[Gene Reconstruction in progress... 10%... 50%... 100%!]
[Evolution Successful!]
[New Species Created: Obsidian Void Ant.]
[Rank: Rank 1 (Peak) - Potential: Infinite.]
The tiny ant in Kyzen's hand suddenly exploded with a burst of dark, violet energy. It grew instantly, its body transforming from soft chitin into a jagged, diamond-hard obsidian shell. Its six legs became like serrated obsidian blades, and its eyes turned into glowing violet orbs of pure malice.
The Shadow Wolf, sensing a sudden, terrifying pressure, tried to stop its lunge, but it was too late.
"Kill it," Kyzen commanded, his voice cold as the grave.
The Obsidian Void Ant didn't move—it vanished. It moved so fast it bypassed the laws of physics.
SHRED!
In the blink of an eye, the ant appeared behind the wolf. The massive creature froze. A thin, violet line appeared across its two necks. Then, both heads slid off the body, black blood spraying into the air.
[Ding! Your Beast has killed a Rank 2 Shadow Wolf.]
[Trait 'God-Devourer' Triggered!]
[Would you like to devour the Shadow Wolf's genes to strengthen the Obsidian Void Ant?]
"Devour everything," Kyzen muttered, his eyes wide with awe.
The ant opened its mandibles. A miniature black hole seemed to form. The entire carcass of the Shadow Wolf—meat, bone, and soul—was sucked into the ant's tiny body in a matter of seconds.
[Devouring Complete!]
[Obsidian Void Ant has gained 20 Evolution Points.]
[Acquired Skill: 'Shadow Blink' (Rank 2).]
[Host Kyzen has received Feedback Energy! Rank Up: F-Rank -> E-Rank (Middle Stage).]
Kyzen felt a surge of explosive power. His bruised muscles healed instantly, his bones grew denser, and his senses sharpened. He could hear the heartbeat of a bird miles away. For the first time in his life, he felt... Overpowered.
He looked at his ant, which was now cleaning its obsidian mandibles. It was no longer a bug. It was a nightmare in the making.
"Lucius... Elena... Azure Clan..." Kyzen looked back toward the distant lights of Astralis City. "You told me that an ant can never change the world. You told me that my destiny was to be stepped on."
He extended his hand, and the Obsidian Void Ant crawled up his arm, settling on his shoulder like a tiny, demonic crown.
"I will return. And when I do, I won't just take back what's mine. I will make you watch as my 'bugs' devour your gods, your dragons, and your very souls."
[Ding!]
[Main Quest Triggered: 'The Path of the Sovereign Editor'.]
[Objective: Reach D-Rank and create a second 'SSS-Rank' Beast.]
[Time Limit: 30 Days.]
[Reward: Ancient Genetic Library Unlock.]
Kyzen turned and walked deeper into the Forbidden Forest. He was no longer the hunted. He was the Editor. And the world was his canvas of blood.
(Word count for Ch 1 is optimized for high-pacing. Continuing the narrative...)
As Kyzen ventured deeper, the system's interface remained open. He noticed a tab labeled 'Romance & Bonds'.
[Current Affection Level: Elena von Astra (-50: Contempt)]
Kyzen sneered. "Contempt? Soon, Elena, that contempt will turn into desperation. You were the city's genius, the 'Ice Queen' everyone worshiped. But in my eyes, you're just another specimen waiting to be edited."
He knew that to survive the 500-chapter journey ahead, he couldn't just rely on raw power. He needed a harem of powerful allies, resources, and a base of operations. But first, he needed to master the Weak to Strong progression.
The forest grew darker. He heard the roar of a Rank 3 Drake in the distance—a creature the Azure Clan would need a small army to take down.
Kyzen patted the obsidian shell of his ant. "Are you hungry?"
The ant clicked its mandibles in a bloodthirsty rhythm.
"Good. Let's go hunting for dragons."