The dark ruins welcomed him like an old acquaintance. In their twisted silence lurked whispers of the past — pleas for salvation, dying curses, the fury of the forgotten.
But Yeon Woo walked through the silence without fear.
He was no longer the one who once trembled in the corner, praying to remain unseen.
No.
He had become the one even the gods would rather not notice.
The Distorted Core of Flesh pulsed in his hand like a second heart. It breathed… lived… demanded.
It hungered.
To devour.
Yeon Woo didn't ask himself whether it was right or wrong. In this dying world, where every hunter was just another slab of meat at someone's feast, the concepts of good and evil had long since crumbled into dust.
Only one truth remained: power belonged to those willing to seize it, no matter the cost.
He stopped at the entrance of another hangar — yet another cursed section of Zone B-17. A blind, decaying monolith of concrete and steel.
From within came a wet, squelching sound… and the scent of fresh blood.
Yeon Woo clenched his fist.
There was life inside.
And it would become his.
Yeon Woo slipped inside like a soundless shadow.
His eyes immediately locked onto the scene: three rookies.
They were barely older than him. Clad in standard gear — tactical vests, leather greaves, cheap enchanted weapons.
But that wasn't the important part.
They were weak.
Their auras trembled like flames in the wind.
And among them, towering over a heap of butchered monster corpses, stood a creature — something that vaguely resembled a man, but twisted by mutation. Its skin was pallid and bloated like rotting fabric; its eyes burned with yellow madness.
"Half-Mutant," flashed a cold thought.
And it was strong. Far too strong for the three.
But not for him.
Yeon Woo smiled — a joyless curve of the lips.
A perfect offering.
The boy with the halberd noticed him first.
"Hey!" he shouted, waving his weapon in desperation. "Help us! We'll pay! Whatever you want!"
Yeon Woo nodded.
Not for them.
For himself.
He stepped forward.
Sensing a new threat, the creature let out a guttural snarl and lunged at him without hesitation.
The world thickened around him.
Yeon Woo raised his hand.
Activation: "Flesh Assimilation (Initial)."
Reality convulsed.
And in the next moment, the blood, flesh, and bones of a dead monster on the ground fused into a single churning mass and surged toward him.
It was like a kiss from death.
Flesh invaded his body, searing him from within. Muscles ached, skin cracked, bones groaned under pressure.
The pain was absolute.
And in that pain, Yeon Woo screamed — not aloud, but within, his soul tearing itself raw.
But he did not stop.
He accepted it.
When the transformation ended, he felt it: his muscles were denser, tendons tougher, bones heavier.
His body had become a weapon.
The creature lunged at him in fury.
But Yeon Woo was no longer the same.
He slipped beneath the awkward strike, moved like a serpent, and drove his dagger under the monster's ribs.
A liquid like black tar spurted from the wound.
The Half-Mutant shrieked and swung to grab him.
Yeon Woo laughed — a mad, broken laugh, bubbling with triumphant madness.
He tore the blade free and struck again — the neck, the gut, the eyes.
Every blow a declaration: "Either you or me."
The Half-Mutant fell to its knees, gurgling incoherently.
Yeon Woo stepped closer.
And, staring into its dying eyes, whispered:
— You'll become part of me.
And activated Flesh Assimilation again.
The creature convulsed as its flesh began to melt, wrapping around Yeon Woo, merging with his being.
For a moment, he felt as though he were sinking into something infinitely dark, infinitely hungry.
But he held on.
He dominated it.
And when it was over, he stood in the middle of the hangar, breathing heavily — but standing.
Alive.
Stronger than before.
Much stronger.
The remaining three stared at him in silent horror.
"W-what are you…?" the girl whispered, gripping her sword with trembling hands.
Yeon Woo looked at her.
His eyes were no longer human.
They were empty, like the void.
He didn't answer.
The answer was too obvious.
He was the one who devoured his enemies. The one who swallowed their strength. The one who climbed on their bones.
And his path was just beginning.
System Notification: Assimilation complete.
Status updated: Body durability increased. Attack increased. Defense increased.
New ability unlocked: "Regeneration (Initial Level)."
Evolution initiated: Hidden Skill Tree – "Devourer of Flesh."
Yeon Woo closed his eyes, letting the new power seep into every cell of his being.
But deep within, in the corner of his soul where faint traces of humanity once flickered, he could feel it: with every victory like this, something was vanishing.
Something important.
Something irretrievable.
And yet…
He smiled.
Because the fear was gone.
Because the pity was gone.
Because now, finally, he could survive in this world where weakness was the ultimate sin.
He opened his eyes.
And walked forward.
Into the night.
Toward new blood.
Toward new power.
Toward a new fate.
For he was no longer a hunter.
He was the reaper.