The violet sky deepened into a rich, unsettling purple by the time Ren Kurozawa reached the door of his home. The colors hung like a heavy curtain over the city, casting ghostly reflections on the apartment windows and turning familiar streets into scenes from another world. His footsteps slowed as he stood at the doorstep, heart pounding.
In his jacket pocket, the bloodied folding knife felt heavier than iron. Ren had wrapped it in tissue and stuffed it deep inside, but the memory of the mutated rat, its red eyes, and its death throes refused to fade.
He took a deep breath and opened the door.
The warm aroma of simmering vegetables and rice greeted him, along with the quiet hum of the television in the living room. Everything inside was normal. Too normal.
"You're late," came a calm voice from across the room.
Ren looked up to see his father standing near the coat rack, arms crossed, dressed in his usual plain black shirt and gray slacks. Takeshi Kurozawa was a tall man in his early forties, clean-shaven with sharp eyes that missed little. He wasn't wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but he ran a modest logistics business that moved everything from groceries to electronics. Despite the company being small, Takeshi's influence extended far beyond what the balance sheet suggested. His reputation for swift, discreet deliveries and dependable service had earned him connections that spanned the country—business owners, politicians, ex-military officers, even a few underground players. He always said, "It's not about how big your empire is. It's about how far your reach goes."
Ren averted his gaze. "Sorry. I took a walk."
"I know you got suspended," Takeshi said, blunt as ever.
Ren froze.
"My phone started ringing the moment the school filed the report.
Ren clenched his jaw. "It was just a fight."
"You fractured someone's collarbone."
Before Ren could reply, a softer voice chimed in from the kitchen.
"Dinner's ready. Come eat while it's hot," said Yuna Kurozawa, Ren's mother.
She stepped into view, wiping her hands on a towel. In her mid-thirties, Yuna was a warm, nurturing woman who had dedicated her life to the household. She had once dreamed of being a schoolteacher but chose to stay home when Ren was born. Her soft brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her apron bore a tiny red stain from the tomato she had sliced moments ago.
Yuna looked at him with a gentle smile. "Sit, Ren. Let's talk after dinner."
Ren sighed and nodded, grateful for her presence. He sat at the table, mechanically chewing through bites of stir-fried vegetables and rice. The food should've been comforting, but his mind was elsewhere—locked on the panel only he could see, in his mind.
[Status Panel – Ren Kurozawa]
[Level: 1]
[Talent: Devourer]
[Talent Grade: God (SSS+)]
[Secondary Talent: Swift Speed]
[Attributes]
Strength: 10
Agility: 15 (+5)
Endurance: 11
Intelligence: 12
Perception: 9
Devour Points: 1
He had devoured that rat. And the moment it died, something awakened inside him. A flood of heat surged through his veins, followed by a cold, whisperd that urged him to consume. It wasn't a voice, not something with will or identity—just a raw instinct.
"You're quiet today," Yuna noted gently.
Ren forced a smile. "Just tired."
Takeshi leaned forward, placing his chopsticks down with a click. "I'm not going to drag this out, Ren. Tomorrow morning, you and I are going to school."
Ren looked up, eyes narrowing.
"To apologize," Takeshi continued. "You got lucky. The principal could have pushed for expulsion, but I convinced him otherwise."
"How?"
"Let's just say people owe me favors," Takeshi replied with a thin smile. "And besides, this isn't the time to mess things up. Not now."
Ren stared at his plate. "Why not now?"
Takeshi's eyes turned serious. "Because next week is the Awakening Ceremony."
Ren's breath caught.
"They're bringing in government-approved, low-level evolved animals," Takeshi explained. "Small, controlled, weak ones. Rabbits, lizards, squirrels. All monitored. They want students to have a chance to awaken by killing them."
"So it's real then," Ren whispered.
"Of course it's real," Takeshi said. "You already know the awakening system. The more you kill, the higher the chance. One kill, twenty percent. Two kills, forty. Five, and you're guaranteed. It's a numbers game."
Yuna frowned. "They're making students kill mutated animals? Even children?"
"Only students in the final years," Takeshi said. "It's voluntary. But who would say no when the world is changing like this? We're already seeing red-eyed deer tearing apart villages. Cities being sealed off. The government knows what's coming. They're trying to prepare the next generation."
Ren wiped his hands on a napkin. "So you want me to go, apologize, and then... fight one of those things?"
"Yes," Takeshi said firmly. "This is your chance, Ren. Don't mess it up."
Ren forced a nod. But in the pit of his stomach, he already knew.
He had awakened. He had killed a monster. And not one assigned by the government, but one that had slipped through the cracks.
Still, he said nothing.
He couldn't tell them.
Not yet.
He didn't know what would happen if the government found out. If others learned that his Talent allowed him to devour and absorb abilities. Would they recruit him? Or would they lock him away, dissect him, treat him like a weapon?
So he lied.
"Okay, I'll go."
That night, Ren sat in his room, cross-legged on his bed. The window was open, letting in the cool night air. The purple hue of the sky was fading now, replaced by the early signs of stars struggling to shine.
He stared at the ceiling.
How many other students were about to face their first evolved creature next week, trembling with fear?
How many of them would awaken?
And how many would be strong enough to survive the world that was coming?
He pulled out his knife—the same one that had ended the mutated rat. The blade was clean now, but the weight it carried was far heavier.
[Talent: Devourer - Active]
Ability: Consume the essence of defeated foes. Gain Devour Points. Random chance to inherit talents.
He had one talent already: Swift Speed. His agility was now enhanced far beyond what a normal person could achieve. He could sprint like a trained athlete, react faster than anyone else his age.
But this was just the beginning.
He stared at his hands.
If this is what one rat gave me... what would a lion bring? Or a bear? Or one of the red-eyed deer that had already overrun the countryside?
He needed more power.
Not for revenge. Not for glory.
Just to survive.
The next morning, Ren stood at the front door, dressed in his uniform. His father was already waiting, coffee in one hand, phone in the other.
"You ready?"
Ren nodded. "Yeah."
They walked side by side down the cracked sidewalks toward the school. Despite everything, the city looked peaceful. A few kids played soccer in the nearby park. Shopkeepers opened their shutters. A man walked a small dog. But behind that calm veneer was a growing fear.
Ren could feel it.
Every shadow looked darker.
Every bark from a dog sounded more violent.
They reached the school gates. Ren took a deep breath and stepped forward.
Today, he'd pretend he was just another student who had made a mistake.
But inside, he was already something far more dangerous.