The scent of blood lingered on Nero's clawed hands.
He stared at the corpse of the Ember Demon, its body twitching with dying embers, seared black and oozing heat. His breath came in short gasps, each inhale drawing in the sulfurous air of Hellworld. Pain throbbed through his muscles—foreign muscles that didn't yet respond as swiftly as he remembered. This body was a newborn shell, clumsy and raw.
And yet, he had survived.
He looked down at himself. Black, leathery skin, sharp claws, compact muscles… a vessel of demonic nature. He hadn't wielded a weapon, only instinct, memory, and sheer will.
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
----------------------------------
System Notification
Mission Complete.
Reward: 50 DGP, 30 EXP
EXP Earned: 30
Total EXP: 30 / 100
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Another chime followed.
----------------------------------
Trait Activation — Gluttony (Active)
The hunger awakens.
As a Demonkin of Gluttony, consuming defeated foes will yield stat increases.
Chance to acquire traits or skills based on enemy strength and compatibility.
----------------------------------
Nero flinched as his stomach churned violently. A wave of hunger—unnatural and predatory—swept over him. He staggered back from the Ember Demon's corpse, clutching his midsection. He wasn't just hungry. He craved.
"No… I was human… I—"
But the scent of the demon's cooked flesh filled his nostrils like roasted meat over flame. The system whispered again, wordless yet beckoning. His gaze snapped back to the fallen foe. His mouth watered.
He hesitated. The moral line blurred. He had been human once—but now he was not.
He had to survive.
Reluctantly, he knelt and tore a chunk from the demon's arm. The meat sizzled faintly, still warm. He brought it to his lips.
The first bite felt like betrayal.
But the taste… it wasn't bitter or grotesque. It was rich, savory—like tender roast. His instincts overrode hesitation. He devoured another piece, then another, until his hunger dulled to silence.
A pulse rippled through his core.
----------------------------------
Gluttony Activated: Partial Consumption Registered
Stat Gain: +1 STR, +1 VIT
----------------------------------
His breath caught. "I… got stronger?"
He flexed his clawed fingers. Yes. The change was subtle, but there. His muscles tightened with more control. His stance more stable. He was evolving. Feeding was growth.
His stomach rumbled again.
He looked up. The birthing cavern was vast—stretches of scorched rock, glowing cracks, and tunnels branching in every direction. And faintly… he sensed others.
More newborn demons. Just like him.
Except they wouldn't hesitate to kill.
Instinctively, Nero dropped into a low stance. Every muscle tensed. He wasn't safe. Not yet.
----------------------------------
System Notification — Area Alert
Hellwomb Sector: Lesser Demon Birthing Grounds
Status: Chaotic — Territory instability detected
Local Activity: Newborns engaged in lethal conflict
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He inhaled deeply. "They're all fighting each other…"
The hunger inside him stirred again. Not from need—but opportunity. The strong devour the weak. That was the law of Hellworld.
And now, he had the tools.
He stood and opened his Status Window again.
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[Status Window]
True Name: Numen
Alias: Nero
Race: Demonkin (Variant - Non-Elemental)
Level: 1
EXP: 30 / 100
STR: 5
DEX: 5
VIT: 4
INT: 6
Traits:
GOD Furnace (Locked)
Gluttony (Active)
Skills: None
DGP: 50
----------------------------------
Nero clenched his fists. This world was brutal—but it had rules. Systems. If he could understand them, he could master them.
"Strength is earned here," he whispered. "And I'll take it, one bite at a time."
He turned toward the nearest tunnel. The air shimmered with rising heat. Growls echoed in the distance. Demons were battling nearby—testing, killing, devouring. Just like the one he had faced.
His hunger was no longer fear. It was clarity.
He advanced into the shadows, a hunter among monsters. This was his trial. The crucible of his rebirth.
And Nero—Numen—would not just survive.
He would ascend.
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