Renji sat on the edge of his bed, the faint blue shimmer of the system interface lighting up the dim room. His eyes locked on the new entry in his skill list:
[Skill Acquired: Alpha Will – F rank]
Type: Passive/Active Hybrid
Effect: Emits a dominating presence that weakens enemies within range (-10% to enemy speed and reaction). Grants +5% boost to user's Strength, Speed, and Perception while active. Evolves through dominant kills.
He exhaled slowly, scrolling through the description again.
Domination, huh?
He flexed his fingers, then willed the skill to activate.
The air shifted instantly.
It wasn't just energy—it was pressure, a primal weight settling over the room like a predator stepping into its territory. The cracked walls groaned faintly. Even the shadows seemed to shrink back.
Renji's breath came out ragged, his chest rising with an instinct he didn't fully understand. His muscles coiled tighter. His blood sang.
So this is what it felt like. That presence. That hunger to own everything in sight.
He canceled the aura before the whole building collapsed, running a hand down his face.
"Yeah… no wonder that Alpha walked like a king," he muttered, leaning back against the wall.
But then his mind circled back to Ain's words.
Guardians. Pets of the Ancient Ones. Protectors of humanity.
And he had killed one.
Renji frowned, staring at the faint glow of the Guardian Collar Fragment in his inventory.
If these things were meant to protect us, why did it attack me? And how many more are out there?
He didn't have the answers. Not yet.
The next day, the academy buzzed with quiet tension.
Renji stepped through the classroom door, and the noise dipped instantly. Conversations cut short. Eyes flicked toward him, quick and nervous.
"There he is," someone whispered.
"That's him, right? The one who—"
"Killed the Alpha? Alone?"
"No way… He's just an F-Rank!"
Renji ignored them, heading for his usual seat at the back. But the murmurs followed like gnats.
"They're calling him Alpha Killer now."
"Alpha Killer? Please—how about Little Mad King? Did you see the way he walked out of that gate?"
"More like Monster from the Swamp. You saw him drenched in blood!"
"I heard he grinned the whole time—"
"Bro's a lunatic fighter. I swear he's not even human."
Renji slid into his chair, dropping his bag with a thud. He didn't even glance their way. If anything, a faint smirk tugged at his lips.
Alpha Killer, huh?
He wasn't sure if he liked it. But it sounded… accurate.
"Still," another voice whispered near the front, "none of this matters. The only name people care about is Denji. The guy awakened as an S-Rank."
Renji's smirk faded.
S-Rank, huh? Different world entirely.
He looked out the window, the sun casting pale stripes across his desk. The itch in his bones hadn't gone away since the last gate. That hunger to fight. To evolve.
He clenched his fist, feeling the faint hum of Alpha Will pulsing inside him.
From across the room, Mr. Ain stood near the doorway, arms folded. His sharp eyes swept the room before lingering on Renji for a long, silent moment.
The teacher said nothing. Just smiled faintly to himself.
The storm's coming, Things are getting interesting he said to himself. With a strange smile on his face.