> [SYSTEM ALERT – QUEST INTERFACE INITIALIZING…] [TUTORIAL QUEST: SOVEREIGN'S FIRST BLOOD]
> "A true ruler does not wait for the world to bend. He seizes it with bloodstained hands."
> Objective: Eliminate a Class-D Riftspawn in the Outer Boroughs. Reward: +200 SIP | Unlock: Blood Sigil (Active Use) | Trait Resonance Boost | Minor Physical Advancement Penalty: None.
> Optional Objective: Devour the Riftspawn's core using [Consumption Matrix]. Optional Reward: Random Trait Fragment (Tier 1)
Calder blinked. The words floated in his vision like they'd always been there. A chill ran down his spine—not fear, but anticipation. Something inside him hungered. Something ancient.
"I guess this is how it starts."
He zipped up his weathered jacket, a knockoff streetbrand with peeling seams and a jagged slash on one sleeve. His combat boots were scuffed but heavy, and most importantly, still his. Whatever else the world tried to strip from him, Calder Draco would keep walking.
---
The city's edge, called the Outer Boroughs, was a no-man's land of half-abandoned tenements, gutted train yards, and low-security Rift Zones. The government didn't bother policing it. The gangs did what they wanted. The weak either adapted… or disappeared.
Tonight, the air reeked of trashfires and ozone. Riftstorms had blown in from the Pacific two days ago—raw magic leaking into the streets like cancer. Calder's breath fogged despite the summer heat. Veil-light shimmered faintly in the gutter. A warped dog skittered past, half-translucent.
He stepped deeper into the dark.
> [Quest Zone Detected – Veil Fracture Radius: 63 Meters] [Riftspawn Signature: CLASS D – Feral Thrall]
He heard it before he saw it. Wet slithering. The rasp of cracked bone. A growl like a man choking on nails.
Then it lunged.
The creature was roughly human-shaped—once. Its body was emaciated, limbs twisted backward, with skin like wax-stretched leather. Veins glowed beneath it. Its jaw hung open too far, revealing spiraled fangs that dripped green saliva.
> [ENEMY TYPE: FERAL THRALL – UNSANCTIONED RIFTPAWN] [WEAKNESSES: Piercing trauma | Hemorrhage]
> [SYSTEM UNLOCK – BLOOD SIGIL: ACTIVE USE ENABLED]
Time slowed. Calder's heartbeat spiked—and he moved.
He wasn't trained. He didn't have a weapon. But his body had changed.
He ducked the first swipe, its claws ripping into a chainlink fence with a scream of metal. The second blow came faster, but Calder slid low, grabbing a broken pipe from the ground. On instinct, he struck.
The jagged pipe punched into the creature's side—shallow, but enough to draw thick, dark blood. It hissed in pain.
> [BLOOD SIGIL IMPRINTED]
A red glyph bloomed in the air. It spun, embedding itself in the Riftspawn's chest like a brand.
> [MARKED: TARGET WILL YIELD ESSENCE ON DEATH]
Adrenaline surged. Calder felt stronger. His arms burned with temporary power. His vision sharpened. He ducked again and countered, this time smashing the pipe into its throat.
The creature staggered.
Then he rammed it back against the wall—and screamed.
"Die already!"
The pipe sank in, deeper this time. Black-green blood spurted. The creature twitched—then stilled.
> [KILL CONFIRMED]
[SIP GAINED: +200]
[Trait Boost Unlocked – BLOOD SIGIL (Lv. 1 → Lv. 2)]
[Resonance Alignment at 6.4%]
The glyph dissolved. A faint orb of pulsing light rose from the Riftspawn's chest.
> [OPTIONAL OBJECT DETECTED – RAW MONSTER CORE] [Activate: CONSUMPTION MATRIX?]
He hesitated.
Then, Yes.
> [CONSUMING...]
The light passed into him like molten ice. Pain flared. His eyes rolled back—and then the feeling faded, replaced by something else. Something... deeper. More permanent.
> [Random Trait Fragment Acquired – VAMPIRIC: Bloodflow Acceleration (Locked)] [Stored in Sovereign Archive. Requires 2 Additional Fragments to Form Skill Node.]
Calder gasped.
The blood in his body moved faster. Warmer. His senses adjusted. The shadows seemed less dark. The wind on his skin tasted like old metal and burnt sugar. He staggered against the alley wall, the blood on his hands cooling in the breeze.
> [Sovereign Trait Progress: 9.4%]
[Next Sovereign Tier Trial in 95 Days]
He looked up. The city loomed. Giant screens projected fake smiles and elite tournament ads. Glimmering towers of Veil-rich corporations scraped the sky. His entire life, Calder had lived beneath them—scraping by, unseen.
No more.
He had power now.
The System had awakened him, not the other way around.
He wiped the blood from his cheek.
> [TUTORIAL QUEST COMPLETE]
> Next Quest: RAISE INFLUENCE
> Track or Form 1 Sovereign Bond | Cause 1 Awakening in Another | Acquire Public Attention
> Reward: +800 SIP | Unlock: Bond Thread Interface | Nightborn Emblem Passive
Calder smirked.
"Time to cause a little chaos."